Ralph D. Russo, Author at Valley News

Alabama wide receiver John Metchie III, left, congratulates wide receiver DeVonta Smith, after Smith scored a touchdown against Ohio State during the first half of an NCAA College Football Playoff national championship game, Monday, Jan. 11, 2021, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Alabama overwhelms Ohio State for CFP championship

by Ralph D. Russo AP College Football WriterJanuary 12, 2021

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — DeVonta Smith was uncoverable, Najee Harris unstoppable and Mac Jones impeccable. With a performance that was both surgical and explosive, No. 1 Alabama won the College Football Playoff national championship game, 52-24, against…

FILE - In this Nov. 24, 2018, file photo, Southern California head coach Clay Helton gestures during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Notre Dame in Los Angeles. Helton went 21-6 with a Rose Bowl victory and Pac-12 title in his first two full seasons as USC coach, but his job status is one of the stories of the 2019 season. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

These college coaches find themselves on the hot seat

by Ralph D. Russo AP College Football WriterAugust 13, 2019

FILE - In this 1934 file photo, University of Chicago halfback Jay Berwanger is shown in the action pose that served as the model for the Heisman Trophy. In the early days of the NFL, college football was king and playing the game professionally was not necessarily something players aspired to do. (AP Photo/File)

Once considered vulgar, NFL surpassed college football with money, better entertainment

by Ralph D. Russo AP College Football WriterAugust 10, 2019

FILE - In this July 25, 2018, file photo, Stanford head coach David Shaw speaks at the Pac-12 Conference NCAA college football Media Day in Los Angeles. The NCAA’s Division I Council meets this week in Indianapolis, and it is expected to vote by Friday, April 19, 2019, on an amendment to the rules regarding graduate transfers and financial aid. If passed the proposal would require a grad transfer to count against a team’s scholarship total for two years no matter how much eligibility the player has remaining. Shaw, whose program routinely operates below the major-college maximum of 85 scholarship players, said he would not hesitate to bring in a star-level player as a grad transfer even if it meant having an vacant scholarship the next season. But teams could be less inclined to take that hit with a lesser player. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Wave of grad transfers could slow to a trickle

by Ralph D. Russo AP College Sports WriterApril 16, 2019

Fans cheer as Murray State's Ja Morant (12) celebrates a basket during the second half of a first round men's college basketball game against Marquette in the NCAA Tournament, Thursday, March 21, 2019, in Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Racing to glory: Murray State’s Morant works to maximize his game

by Ralph D. Russo AP College Sports WriterMarch 22, 2019

Clemson's Justyn Ross makes a one-handed catch in front of Alabama's Josh Jobe during the second half of the NCAA college football playoff championship game, Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Clemson Applies Squeeze

by Ralph D. Russo AP College Football WriterJanuary 8, 2019

FILE - This is a Nov. 4, 2015, file photo showing College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock speaking during a press conference, in Rosemont, Ill. When talking about possible College Football Playoff expansion, the word momentum gets tossed around a lot as those who cover and follow the sport search for insight from experts and hints about what is next from power brokers. The postseason system is not quite halfway through a 12-year contract with ESPN that runs through 2026. The fifth College Football Playoff national champion will be crowned Monday night when No. 1 Alabama faces No. 2 Clemson at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Expansion seems inevitable. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

College Football Playoff Expansion Faces Obstacles

by Ralph D. Russo AP College Football WriterJanuary 2, 2019

Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is throws confetti in the air after winning the Orange Bowl NCAA college football game against Oklahoma, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Alabama defeated Oklahoma 45-34. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Analysis: CFP Serves Up More of the Same

by Ralph D. Russo AP College Football WriterDecember 31, 2018

Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, left, and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney share a laugh after the NCAA Cotton Bowl football coaches' news conference in Dallas, Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. Notre Dame is scheduled to play Clemson in the NCAA Cotton Bowl semi-final playoff Saturday. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Can Notre Dame Measure Up to Clemson?

by Ralph D. Russo AP College Football WriterDecember 28, 2018

File-This Nov. 17, 2018, file photo shows, Clemson defensive coach Brent Venables being pulled back by an assistant during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Clemson, S.C. So as far as Venables is concerned, coaching defenses has always been challenging. Over 25 years in the business, the challenges have only increased as offenses have become more varied and multiple. (AP Photo/Richard Shiro, File)

Coaching College Football Defense Not for Faint of Heart

by Ralph D. Russo AP College Football WriterDecember 26, 2018