The discourse around an imbalanced playoff field dissipated in real-time down in the A. The consensus discerned that the mighty Texas Longhorns’ Peach Bowl date with the ASU Sun Devils was going to be a procession. Another blowout just as the CFP round 1 spewed aplenty. A double OT classic later, this rationale has been thwarted. But that’s not enough respite for those on the losing side.

Texas has walked out alive of the Mercedes-Benz, just about. The 39-31 scoreline is a fair reflection of how the offenses clutched up in the biggest spot. Quinn Ewers showed out, and so did Matthew Golden and his other weapons. Over on the ASU side, star running back Cam Skattebo retaliated with what seemed like unlimited ammunition. He, quite literally, did everything. He rushed, caught, and even threw a touchdown pass off play action. Alas, his superhuman efforts fell just short.

Naturally, his emotions spilled over. Cam Skattebo burst into tears right there in midfield. His teammates rushed for support. However, it’s fair to say that losing in that fashion rendered him pretty inconsolable. Skattebo was evidently sick during the game and was seen vomiting on the sidelines. Still, he refused to come out, asking for liquids to replenish and the pigskin at every opportunity. The cruelty of sport is such that he, and by extension the Sun Devils, didn’t get their fairytale end.

After the first half, it did seem like the prevailing notion of this being David against Goliath was coming true. ASU looked rather toothless against arguably the best defense in the country, with just one field goal to show for. A safety on Ewers early in the 3rd quarter flicked a proverbial switch, and sparked life into the Sun Devils defense. But Cam Skattebo and the offense were still kept at bay. Until the final 10 minutes.

Cam Skattebo will perhaps tell you he was pacing himself through the sickness, and he’ll have grounds for claiming that. Because in the final 10 minutes of the game, it seemed like he was levitating above the gridiron. 2 touchdowns ensued, with a Quinn Ewers INT sandwiched in between. The drama seemed to feed on itself and increase exponentially the rest of the way. A brutal refereeing call and a missed Texas field goal were baked into Skattebo reaching his tipping point before giving in. Tears after losing to a Natty contender epitomizes just how good a performance he had.

Cam Skattebo transcends every norm with unfathomable versatility

When Cam Skattebo walked out to the field in Atlanta, he knew he was likely doing so for one final time in CFB. He played exactly like that. With ASU now out of the playoffs, the senior is headed towards April’s NFL Draft. What he conjured under adverse circumstances is bound to have elevated his stock among the powers that be in the big league.

In the most essential category as a running back, Skattebo mustered 143 yards and 2 rushing TDs on 30 carries. A great output by itself against the Longhorns defense. Then, You could’ve squinted your eyes and mistook him for 2023 Christian McCaffrey. The way he was catches passes out of the backfield. 99 yards on 8 receptions in the receiving department. The whole stadium knew ASU would run their offense through him and they still couldn’t reign him in. Then came the most atrocious feat of all, which changed the momentum of the game for a healthy period of time.

Skattebo threw- yes, threw- a 42-yard touchdown off play action. This tied up the game at 24 a piece and was what even got them to OT. In culmination, Cam Skattebo should leave Atlanta with his head up. The immediate breaking down into tears is rational. But when the dust settles on what was a game for the ages, the CFB sphere will acknowledge what they witnessed was a carry-job of the highest accord.