DAILY DIRT: It will be great to watch Hannibal’s Aneyas Williams in the CFP championship game

Daily Dirt for Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025

Two highly entertaining semifinal game set the stage what could be a classic Notre Dame-Ohio State title tilt … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,170 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Yeah, I think they got it right.

Much like any new venture, there was some concern about the first year of the expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff, and following some first-round blowouts those murmurs grew a bit louder.

I think it’s safe to say, however, the powers-to-be who devised this format nailed it. This week’s two semifinal games could not have been more captivating — Notre Dame’s 27-24 victory over Penn State on Thursday, followed by The Ohio State University’s 28-14 win over Texas on Friday — and have set the stage for what could/should be a classic Jan. 20 championship game.

The presence of Hannibal High alum Aneyas Williams with Notre Dame only adds to the intrigue. During the autumns of 2021-22-23 I got to know Williams from covering many of the Hannibal games for Muddy River Sports, and I found the talented running back/wide receiver to be not only an incredible athlete but a genuinely nice person. 

My first duty as a college football fan each Saturday this year was to check the Notre Dame recaps to see how many times Williams, who is only a freshman, touched the ball. He had a great game against Penn State, catching five passes – including a huge 36-yarder in the third quarter – for 66 yards. He also rushed twice for 17 yards.

To see him on such a national stage was incredibly rewarding because I knew how hard he had worked to get to that position.

It’s no secret I’ll be rooting for Ohio State in the title game, but I’ll also be cheering for Williams to excel. For me, nothing would be better than to see a 28-27 Ohio State victory — and for Williams to score a touchdown or two, plus break off a couple of long runs.

2. Did you know (Part 243)

• That Pepperidge Farm has three new flavors of those scrumptious Milano cookie-esque treats: Strawberry White Chocolate, Lemon White Chocolate and Coconut Cream White Chocolate. They should be arriving on store shelves as you read this. Grab about a half dozen of each for yours truly.
• That Drumstick now has a new “We Love Peanut Butter” cone at your favorite frozen food locations.
• That Wheat Thins is launching a Spicy Sweet Chili flavor.
• That Coffee Mate is offering a variety of new flavors in the 16-ounce containers, including Cookie Butter, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Cinnamon Coffee Cake, Pina Colada and Thai Iced Coffee.
• That Teddy Grahams have a brand-new Strawberry flavor.
• That Little Debbie unveiled a new Nutty Buddy creme pie this week.

3. How many of us have endured the following kind of co-workers?

• THE LAVA LAMP: They look good but simply aren’t too bright.
• THE DESK CHAIR: They fold under pressure.
• THE 007: Zero motivation, zero skills, 7 (or more) daily bathroom breaks.

Steve Thought O’ The Day – It will be interesting to see if this weekend’s NFL playoff games can grab our attention in the same fashion those CFP semifinal games did.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Does he still want Ryan Day fired?