Two totally unrelated things happened Dec. 17, 2016. Arkansas State beat UCF in the Cure Bowl, and Dr. Henry Heimlich died.
He invented the Heimlich maneuver. If you’re choking, somebody stands behind you and jerks in your abdomen to dislodge the blockage.
The good doctor passed away at age 96 that Saturday. If you ask UCF fans, the College Football Playoff Selection Committee has been choking ever since.
It’s been 25 games, one mythical national championship and, as of today, 719 days without an L. None of which has been good enough to crack the four-team College Football Playoff.