Another year, another mountain of mostly meaningless games watched. Finished with the title game between No. 1 Auburn and No. 2 Oregon.
37 days since these two schools played football and did it show. It's amazing how the NCAA can allow their marquee sport to languish in its post-season year after year. The regular season is essentially one and done - you lose and your school's chance to win the championship is over. And then they cap the season by shutting it down for weeks and then to pile up horrible games between 6-6 and 7-5 schools until New Years. Then make the fans wait another week or so before the title game.
So yeah, there was rust on these schools, and probably a good case of nerves. No scoring in the first quarter followed by unusual scoring in the second quarter including Oregon going for two points to increase the score 11-7 with Ducks coach Chip Kelly trying to build some offensive momentum. It didn't work. The Ducks could never get its running game on track against the Auburn defensive line. And who didn't predict a 16-11 halftime score.
Not much scoring after that but at least Oregon's only second half touchdown and another two point conversion came late in the game to add some excitement to the finish. The big play was when Auburn running back Michael Dyer appeared to be tackled but was never down and broke off a long run to set up the game winning field goal. (I google searched Michael Dyer and this picture of pro wrestler Ox Baker came up, you're welcome.)
Final score 22-19 in a game that at least was close but really had lulls because of the first and third quarters. Heisman winner Cam Newton looked okay but certainly did himself no favors if he plans on entering the NFL this year. He looks raw and in no way ready to step into the pros. A lot of his throws were off the mark and the small-ish Oregon defense was able to bog down the Auburn attack a number of times. As a matter of fact, for all the hype ESPN gave to the high paced attack of both teams, the Auburn defense was the story. As usual, the world wide leader misses the mark. Fortunately the game had a number of explosive plays to keep interest up although I did fall asleep in the third.
Game notes: -Really long, unnecessary pre-game coverage. Nick Saban never has to worry about a career as a TV analyst. Not exactly Dick Vitale on the microphone (not all bad in that regard). For the "experts" employed by the network, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer were odd choices to co-host the pre-game coverage. -Thanks to the person who decided to not have Matt Millen involved with this game in any capacity. -Casey Matthews plays for Oregon, another member of the football Matthews family with really long hair. I think members of the Matthews family played for 50% of the teams in bowl games. -Oregon coach Chip Kelly knew what kind of game his team was in for and going for the two point conversion early indicated it. Kudos to his team for converting the 2-pointer twice. Oregon was probably a play maker or two away from winning that game. -A lot of vindication for Auburn fans who have seen their team go undefeated and not get in the title game. -The win gives the SEC its fifth straight national title. The conference has never lost in the BCS title game. All title hopes run through Alabama, Florida and Louisiana. -I finished 19-16 in ESPN's Bowl Mania, good for 68%. M'eh.
I watched the second quarter of this game. Don't remember much as not much happened except a field goal.
Nevada beat Boston College 20-13. Huge crowd for this game, guessing most of them Nevada fans. Picked this one correct in ESPN Bowl Mania, now 18-16 with one to go.
BCS Championship game tonight, No. 1 Auburn against No. 2 Oregon.
Garbage time of bowl season, stragglers hanging around waiting to play their game that no one, not even their own alumni, care about. That would be Kentucky and Pittsburgh in the BBVA Compass Bowl.
I think this is the fifth bowl game logo to use this color scheme. For the past couple years the game in Birmingham was sponsored by Papa John's Pizza and Papa John himself threw himself into the game with gusto. Now it's some southern bank. Oh well, Papa's moving on to bigger things becoming the official pizza sponsor of the Super Bowl. Good move Papa.
The game was on at work so technically I saw it but the boy came through and watched most of the first half. He said it was boring with little scoring and no one was there at the game. That is an apt description. Pittsburgh won 27-10 over Kentucky. I switched my Bowl Mania pick to Kentucky right before the game and fall to 17-16. Just the start of another sorry sports day for me. Michigan State lost to Penn State in basketball and the Pittsburgh Penguins were hammered 4-0 by Minnesota. This is probably one of the worst teams Tom Izzo has put on the floor. They don't rebound, play shaky defense, turn the ball over constantly and are poor free throw shooters. Sounds like a combination to miss the tournament.
The upside of sports Saturday, two exciting NFL Wildcard games. Good stuff. Just two games left in the quest including tonight's Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. Can't wait.
This one started with a bang and ended with a whimper between LSU and Texas A&M. 32nd game of the Bowl Quest, three to go.
Texas A&M opened strong with a big kick return that lead to a touchdown and then another drive for a field goal to jump out to an early 10-0 lead. LSU countered with a touchdown and the first half was rolling along. Back and forth scores but you got the feeling LSU had too many good athletes and Texas A&M would buckle. 28-17 at half when A&M made too many mistakes including a horrible interception throw with two minutes left in the half.
LSU came out and scored right away in the second half and I checked out for Friday Night Boxing on ESPN2. Final 41-24 and another decisive victory for an SEC team.
Game Notes: -Huge crowd for this game at Cowboys Stadium, over 83,000. Looked pretty even between LSU and A&M fans. Good atmosphere for the game with all that A&M brings. -LSU is loaded with young talent and it would not be surprising to see them overtake Alabama and Auburn in the SEC West next season. They can run the ball. Two backs with more than 100 yards against a good A&M defense. -Fox does a nice job on this game. They treat it like a BCS game. Lots of cameras, most of the stuff you're used to seeing from the NFL. -Another game I picked correctly so my ESPN Bowl Mania record climbs to 17-15.
One game today, early kick at noon between Pittsburgh and Kentucky in what used to be the Papa Johns Bowl. I'll miss Papa's presence at the game.
The light at the end of the tunnel - the end of the Bowl Quest is near after getting game No. 31 out of the way with Miami University taking on Middle Tennessee State - whooooo!
Nice story for Miami with the greatest turnaround in a single season for a bowl series team. Going 1-11 in 2009 to 10-4 with a 31-25 win in this game in Mobile, Alabama.
I was out with some people from work so I didn't get home until halftime. I caught the third quarter and it was eventful. Not well played, eventful. Three turnovers in less than five minutes including Miami taking an interception in for a score, a long touchdown run for MTSU and a punt that went one yard. Think about how hard that is to do. Kicking a ball one yard takes some real talent. That's like swinging your driver at full speed and getting your golf ball to go one yard.
The Redhawks withstood the one yard punt plus the other miscues and went ahead 28-21 at the end of the quarter and I was done. Miami put one more on the board and ended a really nice season and gave new head coach Don Treadwell a good idea of what kind of team he was inheriting. Got to work on that one yard punt thing, Don.
I picked Miami to win this game, a MAC team, I know. My ESPN Bowl Mania record creeps back over .500 to 16-15. Tonight, what should be a good game - The Cotton Bowl between LSU and Texas A&M. This game was normally played on New Years Day but since the NCAA has now stretched the games into early May, we get it tonight.
Well, just five game left after the Buckeyes hang on to win over Arkansas in the 30th game so far.
Watching these games is really just a chore at this point. I was hoping for Ohio State to win to help the Big 10 save face after a disastrous New Year's Day performance, especially by Michigan State and Michigan. That they did but it was close, 31-26.
The Bucks surged to an early lead in a dominating first half. Both their offense and defense looked very good, maybe the best half they played all year. Arkansas is known for coming back and they did but OSU hung on and won their second BCS bowl game in a row and finally got the "SEC" monkey off their back. Good for them. They're going to be the favorite, again, to win the Big 10 next season whether or not their five suspended players including Terrelle Pryor come back or not.
Also, how much are the Buckeyes kicking themselves for the one lousy half in Wisconsin? Oh well.
Five more games to go but at least a break tonight.
After a day off from the bowl games, the quest is back on tonight with the first of seven remaining games including tonight's Discover Orange Bowl from Miami. Taking some notes during the first half.
Discover Credit Card has taken over for Fedex as the sponsor of this game and they've put a lot of bland in this updated logo. They should have kept King Orange Obie.
Okay, enough logo jibba jab to quote Mr. T., on with the game between Stanford and Virginia Tech.
Tons of story lines for this game: -Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh is the "hot" commodity guy this year. Will he go pro, will he go to Michigan, will he stay at Stanford? Needless to stay he didn't answer any of those questions. -Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is the "hot" draft pick - will he come out and go to Carolina or will he stay and play another year at Stanford and try to win the Heisman? -Virginia Tech's slow start with losses to Boise State and inexplicably to James Madison and then winning 11 in a row. -The ESPN Monday night crew is doing this game including Jon Gruden so expect a ton of "this guy" statements. If you watch MNF, you know what I mean. I keep waiting for Ron Jaworski to lose it and fight Gruden in the booth. -John Elway and Jim Plunkett on the Stanford sideline; Bruce Smith on the Virginia Tech sideline. Marcus Vick probably holding up a liquor store somewhere in Miami. -We find out early that the Goo Goo Dolls will be performing at half time. I guess the Gin Blossoms were booked. -Virginia Tech wearing orange helmets for the first time. Another school that wears a different uni for every game except this time I don't think they realized they look a lot like the Cleveland Browns. Steelers 41 Browns 9 (just needed to get that in). -IBM ad tells us that 66% of appliances have electronic intelligence and that we can have a refrigerator that orders our groceries. No thanks. With two boys they'll probably rig the thing to fill the house with Pringles, Mountain Dew and cocktail weenies. -Ever wonder where all that money you pay for insurance goes? Allstate, Nationwide, Geico and State Farm all heavily invested in these games. Amazingly, they don't have funds immediately when you make a claim or someone almost kills your wife in a car wreck. -Bare midriffs for some of the Stanford cheerleaders may not have been the correct call. -Virginia Tech defensive coordinator stroking out after first Stanford touchdown. He looks like the kind of guy who would have Molly Hatchet cranked up in his F-150 while passing you in the right lane at 97mph. -No contest in the body painting contest. Virginia Tech over the eggheads from Stanford who are mostly wearing polos or clever t-shirts. -I've concluded punt returners are the players hardest to coach. The habit of catching balls inside the 10 yard line is infuriating. The Stanford returner goes one better and catches the ball inside the 5 with no return. I'm assuming since he goes to Stanford he must be relatively smart so why he didn't let it go in the end zone is beyond me. -Ball at the five, next stop, safety. Stanford kicks from the 20, Virginia Tech gets the ball, moves down field and scores their first touchdown. All because Mr. Punt Returner caught the ball inside the 5 yard line. The ESPN announcers completely ignore how all this occurred. -Stanford answers with a touchdown but misses the point after on a block. Two special teams miscues so far. -One of the Stanford linebackers is rocking the Road Warrior Animal look. -The greatest mascot in all of sports, the Stanford Tree, is lurking behind Elway on the sideline. Do something crazy tree! -Defensive holding sets up a Virginia Tech field goal. 13-12 at the half.
Half time - mini Sports Center and then a song from the Goo Goo Dolls. The song was okay, kind of reminded me of the Dream Academy's "Life In A Northern Town" but with more guitars.
Second half and Stanford is starting to take control, scoring two TD's against a so-so Virginia Tech defense. Molly Hatchet guy is probably having a coronary. ESPN has shown Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor's mom and dad in the stands and they don't look pleased. As a matter of fact I'm sure his mom or dad may kick Molly Hatchet defensive coordinator's ass if his defense gives up another easy score.
Okay, think I'm done with this one. Stanford with their third score of the 2nd half. Tyrod Taylor's mom is headed down to field to shank Bud Foster, the VT defensive coordinator.
Morning update: Good choice in going to bed before the end, 40-12 Stanford the final. My ESPN Bowl Mania Record is above .500 for the first time since BYU beat UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl, which seems like a long time ago. Expect a lot of "Luck" puns this morning.
Good Lord, I'm hitting the 12 hour mark with sports on TV today. This has to be the last year I'm doing this Bowl Quest thing. Five losses by the Big 10 and now Oklahoma and Connecticut with Matt Millen on the ESPN game call.
I'm almost certain ESPN hates America and football fans with the pox that is Matt Millen.
Mr. Millen, the gloriously failed GM of the Detroit Lions, can now be seen at least three times a week for various football duties. He does one of the Big 10 games each week on ESPN, he's on Monday Night Football coverage for some reason and he does the Thursday night games on the NFL Network. The NFL Network games are a real low point as he's joined in the booth by Joe Theisman. He offers no insight, makes stupid jokes, and tonight even used Lebron James' "take my talents" line in a reference to some player. His college football partner Sean McDonough has untold amounts of patience and tolerance to spend hours on end with this man. Millen even has a lousy voice for broadcasting. It's dull and loud. Why would anyone want Millen's analysis of a football game when he had zero ability in analyzing players as a general manager? He knows nothing and you or I or that guy that who talks about his fantasy football team at work could do a better job on these games.
Meanwhile, Vern Lundquist and Gary Danielson, probably the best college football play by play and analyst combo, get to do one game this bowl season, the highly memorable Hyundai Sun Bowl.
Why do I just have a feeling that Millen will somehow be involved with the championship game between Oregon and Auburn? The ESPN exec who inflicts Millen on us every week will be thinking how much he hates America and football fans and will have him involved in some way. Millen just gave us his analysis of the game and says Cam Newton is a good runner and Oregon has a fast paced offense. No kidding genius. Anyone up at midnight still watching this Fiesta Bowl knows that. I guess that's the insight that made him draft a wide receiver with his high first round pick every year. "He fast, he catch balls, me draft."
At this very moment he's defending the high caliber of play of the Big East and just told me to go watch the tapes. First of all, how would I get those tapes Matt? Second, the Big East was horrendous this year Matt. You go watch the tapes. Go watch the tape of West Virginia sleep walking against NC State in the Champs Sports Bowl. Go watch the tape of West Virginia losing at home to Syracuse...or Rutgers beating UConn...or how about Pittsburgh losing 31-3 to Miami this season. You sir are an idiot.
Perfectly awful. The Big Ten 0-5 on the day. The Big East and ACC get a lot of crap for being weak BCS conferences and they are and so is the Big 10. It's hard to believe there are only three Big 10 teams that didn't make bowl games. Mrs. Keith says at the end of possibly the worst day ever for the Big 10, "Why do they get so many teams in bowl games?" Uh, because there are 35 games Mrs. Keith.
The bowl game scenario is ridiculous. There should not be more than 20 with the top 40 teams playing - if we can't have a playoff. Hard to believe but the NCAA allowed for the addition of one more game than last year. When so many teams are 6-6 and 7-5 in these games it's not a reward for a good season, it's having to put 70 teams in bowl games. Hey, we have the GoDaddy.com, BBVA Compass Bowl and Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl still to come.
So, yes, Wisconsin lost 19-17 in The Rose Bowl Game. When did we add "Game" to this bowl title? Is it 1920? "Hey mistah, nice handlebar mustache and tweed vest. Are you riding your penny farthing down to the Rose Bowl Game to see Harvard take on Oregon? 23 Skidoo and Boolah Boolah!!"
Wisconsin went away from what they do best, running the ball, and guess what, they lost. TCU finishes 13-0 and good for them. They automatically become the best team in the Big East when they move into that conference. I'm not sure how a team from Texas is in the Big East but so be it. Considering how poorly teams in the Big 10 have played, some of them might consider joining another conference. Maybe the MAC would like a few more.
Mentioning the MAC, I can no longer give that conference grief after today's five losses by the Big 10. Maybe Nebraska will have second thoughts and stay in the Big 12.
And just a terrible sports day for me - Spartans lose in humiliating fashion and now the Penguins lose to the Caps in the Winter Classic. Don't worry, plenty of the Fiesta Bowl left to keep the quest going.
Watched at least a quarter of each of the four early games thanks to my Michigan State Spartans going completely in the tank and freeing up the TV for Michigan and Penn State to lose as well.
But we start with Northwestern taking on Texas Tech in the TicketCity Bowl.
That's a crazy strong logo for a new bowl game from a company no one's ever heard of before. The company CEO came on to explain they were like StubHub but with people, people who like dogs. Or something to that effect. Texas Tech jumped out to a big lead in the mostly empty Cotton Bowl, Northwestern rallied late but came up just short 45-38. Hey, at least it was competitive, unlike the next game.
No. 9 Michigan State (my alma mater) against big bad No. 16 Alabama. To say my Spartans were over ranked is a slight understatement. There was some question if Alabama would be motivated after playing for the national title last year. Yup. Total destruction. Men vs. Boys. Giant screaming eagles versus baby chicks - sorry can't get the TicketCity bowl logo out of my mind.
Alabama was far better in every facet except punting and that's because we didn't see them punt until the third quarter. 49-7 the final, but hey, at least it wasn't a shutout. I didn't see MSU score their only touchdown but I'm assuming Nick Saban had the cheerleaders playing at that point.
I guess all that babbling by the MSU faithful about not getting a BCS bowl game was a waste of time. Long way to go before the football program is in that class. And how exactly did Alabama lose three games this season? Huge Alabama crowd at the game as well - Bama fans do travel well. And just in case the state of Michigan wasn't humiliated enough, UofM made sure the RichRod guessing game stays very much alive.
Michigan hung with Mississippi State for most of the first half before the Bulldogs took them to the woodshed for a 52-14 beating. At least Michigan was consistent with horrible defense just like the regular season unlike Michigan State which actually played some D. Normally I take great satisfaction in the Wolverines getting the crap kicked out of them but MSU getting curb stomped took all the vitriol out of me.
Speculation will be running wild about Michigan keeping or firing Rich Rodriguez. He may be back but no way can defensive coordinator Greg Robinson return to Ann Arbor next season. I've never seen a Michigan team with a worse defense, usually the backbone of their team. One more opportunity for the Big 10 to grab a win...
And no. Penn State and Florida, two teams accustomed to playing in better games were close for a while until the Gators overpowered a very young Penn State squad. 37-24 the final and the Big Ten is 0-4 for the day with only Wisconsin left to give any pride to the conference today. I switched over to this one after Michigan State's quarterback had to be scooped off the turf.
Joe Paterno looked confused every time they showed him on the sideline and it appeared he was smuggling a pizza box under his sweater. I know he's a legend and will decide for himself when he retires but those involved in the Penn State program really should sit him down and convince him it's time to let someone else take over. The Big 10 Network was showing a Penn State bowl game from the mid 90's last week and the PSU assistants were mostly the same guys that are still assistants now.
I'm completely un-enthused for the Rose Bowl Game (their title, not mine) so I'll probably catch the 3rd or 4th quarter before the Fiesta Bowl later on. And if you're wondering if I'm sick of college football, yes, yes I am.
3-1 in the ESPN Bowl Mania for these four so I'm up to 13 points and the 84th percentile.
22nd of 35 games, over 2/3 of the way done with this year's quest. Match-up between South Carolina and Florida State in what used to be the Peach Bowl.
Made it fully through the first quarter and much of the second half. Yet another game filled with turnovers, this time by South Carolina's quarterback. Florida State beat their old friend Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks 26-17. The old ball coach was without his trademark visor and was wearing some sort of half sleeve white pullover which looked kind of dopey. I didn't take much more from the game other than that.
I understand that these bowl games need sponsors but I miss when they had names like the Peach Bowl, the Astro Blue Bonnet Bowl, the Tangerine Bowl and who can forget the Poulan Weed Eater Bowl. Okay, skip that last one.
Today's the day - six games starting at noon including my Michigan State Spartans taking on Alabama in the Capital One Bowl. We're going to see a lot of those vikings today. Make it through today and the Bowl Quest is fairly easy to complete. With two games picked correctly Friday my record in ESPN Bowl Mania is now a lousy 10-12 but still in the top 30% of all players.
