Karoline Leavitt Sizzles While Eating Mexican, Tony Romo Shows True Colors & IU's Tricia Whitaker Gets Cheeky

Here we are, boys and girls. It's here. Finally. The big day. The one we've all been waiting for …

… and the one a lot of you have most likely forgotten about. 

That's right. The college football national championship game is TONIGHT. Yes, college football is still, somehow, going on. This is maybe my biggest gripe every year, and it happens every single year. 

We watch college football every Saturday – and every week – for MONTHS. From Labor Day through New Year's Day, there is pretty much a college football game on all the time. 

And then, we just … stop? For WEEKS. And THEN, we resume and play the biggest game of the season? I don't get it. It's January 19th, and we STILL haven't played the national title game? Doesn't all the buzz just feel sort of gone? 

The Miami-Ole Miss game feels like MONTHS ago. Why we drag this out for as long as we do, I will never, ever, understand. 

And guess what? Next year's game is even later! It's next week! I'm all for dragging out football season as long as possible, especially with how miserable non-football season is. But doesn't it feel like a disservice to the fans – and, frankly, the teams – to make them wait this long? 

Anyway, happy national championship day! Let's roll. 

Welcome to a Monday Nightcaps – the one where the LIBS A) stalk, and B) make disgusting comments about Karoline Leavitt. Not on my watch, Libs. 

What else? I've got the best of the rest from a loaded weekend of #content, Apple TV's baseball girl, Tricia Whitaker, gets cheeky in Miami, and Tony Romo gave his haters (me!) plenty of ammo over the weekend. 

Whew. Sound good? Good!

Grab you a Café Cubano for obvious reasons, and settle in for a Monday 'Cap!

I'm on the 'Canes tonight 

Yes, for those still doing the math, next year's national championship game in Vegas is set for Jan. 25. That's two months after the regular season ends. 

Two months! That would be like the Super Bowl taking place on March 1. Like the World Series starting AFTER Thanksgiving. It's insanity. College football is the second most-watched sport in America every single year. Yet, viewership in the playoffs always disappoints relative to what you'd expect. 

It's too drawn out. 

That being said, I do think this is a great game. No ‘Bama. No Notre Dame. No Ohio State. No LSU. No Georgia. The usual suspects are home. Miami is playing a home game. Fernando Mendoza is coming home. We’ll get some incredible Cig stares into the camera. I can't wait. 

I'm also taking the ‘Canes to cover 7.5. That seems like a lot of points for a team that’s gone through A&M on the road, Ohio State and Ole Miss. They're at home. They can stack up with Indiana in the trenches. They have a good defense. 

They also have Abella Danger on their side. Clear eyes, full hearts!

What a weekend of #content!

I think we're in for a special night – and the potential for a GREAT week of #content should the ‘Canes win. We’ll see. 

By the way, tickets are still available for tonight if anyone has an extra $3k lying around. Perhaps you have a ton of silver or gold buried somewhere. I hear they're both having a big month. Might be time to cash in! 

Anyway, see everyone on the other side. Last college football game until August. Soak it all in. Gonna miss Herbie's insufferable dog. 

OK, let's get to the best #content from the weekend, starting with Indiana's counter to Abella Danger!

Romo, Karoline & Gia, oh my!

Solid weekend all around. Excellent football played everywhere except New England. As a Dolphins fan, I'm in hell. I can't believe the Pats are back in the AFC title game. I really can't believe the road they've taken to get there. Just an amazing regular season schedule, followed by a generational postseason one. 

Save us, Jarrett Stidham! Couple thoughts …

1. I'm firmly in the ‘it was a catch’ camp from the Bill's game. I was watching it on mute with my kid before bed, so I had nothing other than my eyes to go on. I was sure it was a catch. I was so confused by the call. I was even more confused by the (lack of) replay. 

2. The refs were horrible after that, too. The pass interferences on the final Denver drive were bad. The last one, I could see. The first one was genuinely awful. Another great game ruined by the stripes. A playoff tradition unlike any other. 

3. CJ Stroud is still on his rookie deal. We sure he's getting an extension any time soon? Would YOU?

4. OK, back to that Bills game … 

Let's rapid-fire this Monday class into a CFP Monday night. Tony starts us off!

I mean, it's just perfect. For anyone out there who still thinks Tony doesn't have a hard on for Patrick Mahomes, I rest my case. Amazing. 10/10. No notes. 

And how about that column DEFENDING Tony? Wait till you hear the best part. These are exact quotes:

• If the 45-year-old Romo were in trouble, he’d be hearing it from the CBS suits in New York, starting with president David Berson. He’s not, say sources.
• However, there is boiling frustration inside CBS over what they see as a slanted media narrative against Romo. "It’s much ado about nothing," says one source.
• If Romo were so bad, viewers would vote with their remotes. They haven’t.

CBS is blaming … us … for Tony Romo being a truly awful announcer? What world am I living in?! They're blaming … US?!

Slanted media narrative my ass. Get all the way outta here with that nonsense, CBS. What a fantasy land they're living in over there. Thank GOD I'm at Fox. 

PS: No, NFL fans are not turning games off because of a broadcaster. We're annoyed, not stupid. That take has always been laughable to me. 

Next? Speaking of slanted media narratives, here's an actual one:

So, the Libs spent all weekend passing this photo of Karoline Leavitt around and using it to prove some odd point that she looks deflated, and it's all because of Trump. They're all so weird. Remember, this is the party that claims to be all about women empowerment and years ago championed the #MeToo movement. 

And now, they follow around Karoline Leavitt like a bunch of puppets, and vote for women to get pummeled by real, actual dudes in sports. Think about how insane they are. It's incredible. 

Karoline, by the way, doesn't seem too fazed by any of it:

The White House is now openly trying to bully the media into compliance. This isn’t "transparency." It’s intimidation.

Hey, dummy – asking that the interview be aired IN FULL is literally the definition of transparency. Just unfathomable levels of dumb coming out of that party this week … and it's only Monday!

OK, that's it for today. Enjoy the final college football game until August, folks. Let's go out with a bang. 

Take us there, Gia. 

OutKick Nightcaps is a daily column set to run Monday through Friday at 4 p.m. (roughly, we’re not robots).

Thoughts on the title game being played 150 years after the regular season? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.