Fortunately, my Sooners beat the #1 team in the country by 3 TDs on a neutral field to win the Big XII. Unfortunately, LSU managed to steal the SEC from Tennessee, who seemingly controlled most of the game. That win by the Tigers made it impossible for my Sooners to leapfrog into the national championship with the WV loss to Pitt. The love affair that everyone has with LSU, stemming from the way they started the season, and not so much with where they are now, coupled with the Sooners' inability to survive without Sam Bradford at Texas Tech, made the Ohio State-LSU matchup inevitable. I feel bad that the Buckeyes have to play LSU in New Orleans. My Sooners had to do that once, and it didn't really seem fair then, either. Oh well. If any year screams: 'PLAYOFF', it's this year, one that saw a two-loss team selected over other worthy two-loss teams to play a one-loss team that very few think is worthy for the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. How hard would it be to take all the conference champs in the BCS games, start it all in mid-December, and finish with a true championship on 1 January? It's not hard, but giant green dollar signs flash in my head whenever I think about it too hard.
Given that the Bowl season is so long (long enough to institute a playoff, perhaps?), I will talk about what I see as the five most intriguing matchups and then I'll talk BCS.
To start things off, it seems like a whole lot of blah, then BAM! Arizona State takes on Texas in the Holiday Bowl on December 27. The Sun Devils were in the race for the national title after Oregon fell apart, then they got crushed by USC. They finished with a tough rivalry win over the Arizona Wildcats and are sitting at 10-2. The Texas Longhorns were reeling in October after back to back losses to K-State and to Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout. Then the door opened, allowing a faint glimmer of hope, before rival Texas Aggies kicked the door shut with a big 'senior' cavalry boot. So, the Longhorns slinked away to mediocrity, watching their rival the Sooners clobber Mizzou to win the Big XII and head to the BCS. Meanwhile, Texas finds itself heading back to the Holiday Bowl. Which team will step up to regain their earlier glory?
Central Florida and Mississippi State square off in what could be a very good football game in the December 29 Liberty Bowl. It will be worth watching, at the very least, to see Kevin Smith. If you've never heard of him, you will. He could break Barry Sanders' single-season rushing record in this game. He'll need 181 yards to do it, and the Bulldogs will be looking to shut him down. Call them the salvation of the Magnolia State. I'm relatively certain the folks in that state that produces something like the most awesome football players per capita can't stand to have both egg bowl teams in the SEC cellar. At least Sly Croom is finally proving his mettle. Will the Knights send Smith off in style, or will the Bulldogs prove that you just can't run against the SEC?
January 1 has some potential for magic, starting with the Outback Bowl at 1100 between Wisconsin and Tennessee. The Vols were very close to winning the SEC Championship game and blew out everybody's 'hottest team', the UGA Dawgs in Neyland. The Badgers proved their mettle last year against Arkansas, while the Vols lost to Penn State in last year's edition of this game. If both teams come into this game healthy, it could be an excellent, excellent football game. Will the Badgers show up the SEC again, or will the Vols prove that things are back on track in Rocky Top?
Thirty minutes later, Mizzou takes on Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. The big rivalry between these border states is in roundball, but expect a big contingent of hopping mad Tiger fans as they take on the Hawgs in Dallas. The final edition of the BCS rankings had the Tigers in 6th and the Kansas Jayhawks at 8, but the BCS chose the Jayhawks over the Tigers, a team that beat them in Arrowhead Stadium for their only loss of the season. Go figure. So, if I was a Mizzou Tiger, which I am most assuredly not, I would be pretty pissed. This game should be a fun send-off for Darren McFadden, but the Mizzou D will be stacked to destroy him. Will the Hawgs give D-Mac the sendoff he deserves, or will the Tigers crush Arkansas in a fit of rage?
At 1300, Michigan tackles Florida in the Capital One Bowl. Senior-laden as big Blue has been this year, it has struggled mightily, beginning with the loss to App State, and ending with yet another loss to Ohio State. Both teams had the potential to be great this year (Florida coming very close to knocking off the Bayou Bengals and Michigan hanging in a very defensive game against tOSU) but fell short. Tim Tebow, recently labeled a 'system QB' by Hawaii's June Jones (who also claims his QB, Colt Brennan is not a 'system QB', but the best in the land), will be looking to single-handedly beat the Wolverines. Will the Maize and Blue send off Lloyd Carr in style, or will the Gators chomp down on the mean little furry bastards?
Which brings me to the BCS games, some of which could be very fun to watch.
The nightmare that is the BCS this year kicks off with the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day at 1630. Likely, this will be the most nightmarish of the bunch. Unless USC comes in thinking about Illinois what damn near everybody else in the country thinks about Illinois, namely that they don't belong. If that is the case, and if the Illini have to hear all week long about how great USC is, and how unworthy they are, maybe, just maybe, this could be a great game. Again, that's all a big maybe. Historically, Pete Carroll has prepared his Trojans better than anybody else for the post-season, and this is the Rose Bowl, which is like a home game or better for the men of Troy. However, if J Leman gets even a scrap of the disrespect that's likely to spew forth from the media about the Rose Bowl, he might just treat USC like he did tOSU. And if he does that, look out. Will the Illini justify their BCS bid, or will the Trojans win yet another Rose Bowl?
Next in the lineup, the Sugar Bowl at 2000, featuring a lineup not unlike last season's Oklahoma v. Boise Fiesta Bowl. We all know how hot-firing, winning streak-bearing OU fared in that game. The Broncos carried it to OT on trick plays and gadgets, but they won in a storybook ending, blah, blah, blah... I hope UGA is ready for Colt Brennan, or it could get ugly. This guy is very, very good, and June Jones is very adamant that he IS NOT a 'system player'. But Tim Tebow is. Right. We shall see, as the Dawgs will have a likely much larger contingent in New Orleans than the Warriors, and will be out for blood (especially given their last Sugar Bowl performance). I'm not sure if I should be excited about this matchup or worried for the sake of the team formerly known as the Rainbows. Will Colt Brennan light up UGA, or will the Dawgs show everyone that only the big boys belong in the BCS?
OU plays West Virginia on Wednesday, 2 January at 2000 in a game of nearly championship contenders. IF OU didn't lose Sam Bradford in the first quarter against Texas Tech (or flub the game away against Colorado), IF West Virginia didn't fall apart at home against Pitt, these teams could have been playing for all the marbles in New Orleans instead of watching on January 7 from their comfy couches at home. But the IFs did happen, and both teams are banished (well, not really, but it sounds soooo dramatic) to the desert to play each other for a slightly different prize. West Virginia is awesome at running the football. Oklahoma is awesome at stopping the run. Something's got to give. This might just be the matchup of the postseason. Maybe even better than the BCS Championship game. Will OU reestablish that long-lost Sooner postseason dominance, or will the Mountaineers stomp a mudhole in the Rufneks in Glendale?
In a game that seemed strangely improbable even a few nights ago, the Kansas Jayhawks face the Va Tech Hokies on Thursday night (gah, Thursday night again!) in Miami. Don't discount this one. Once KU got its offense going against Mizzou in KC, they were damn near unstoppable. They just got started a little too late. Va Tech features a DOMINANT Defense (note the capital D). The offense, whether featuring Sean Glennon or Tyrod Taylor will move the football. KU, given that they got beat by Mizzou and still made the BCS over Mizzou, given that they 'haven't played anybody', and given that they haven't been this good since their offense featured Gale Sayers, will be totally disrespected all week by the media. Va Tech better watch that they don't say anything to piss the Jayhawks off. Everyone should remember that the Jayhawks are named for the group that crossed into Missouri bearing hatchets, machetes, and pitchforks to deal with people that pissed them off nearly 150 years ago. Of course, KU is also a basketball school. Will Kansas come into the Orange Bowl mad enough to make a difference, or will the Hokies put them in their place?
Backdoor, blah blah, whatever. LSU and the Ohio State deserve to play for all the marbles as much or more than anybody else. The Tigers lost only in triple OT this year (of course, they were close to losing a couple more, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades). The Ohio State 'played nobody' (there's that thing again -- whatever it means), lost at home against the Fighting Illini, and won the rest. Everyone will point to last year's embarrassment of a national title game, when the Florida Gators exposed the hell out of tOSU. Gone are Troy Smith and Ted Ginn. Back are James Laurinaitis and a DOMINANT Buckeye D. That's not to say that the LSU D is not equally dominant, but much will depend on what percentage of back Glenn Dorsey is. Make no mistake, his heart and soul drive the Tiger D. If this were a different day and age, we would likely have some form of split champion this year. Will the Bayou Bengals Geaux, or will the Buckeyes redeem themselves and the entire Big 10?
Stay Tuned, sports fans, these questions and more will find an answer this bowl season.
My Top 10 going into the Bowls:
1. Oklahoma - Nobody else beat #1 by three TDs last Saturday
2. the OSU - They are still Big 10 Champs and only lost once.
3. Hawaii - I know, I know, but they are the only undefeated left
4. LSU - Their losses were in Triple OT
5. UGA - White hot team heading into the bowls
6. Mizzou - Only losses are to OU
7. Kansas - Only loss to Mizzou
8. USC - Handled ASU and beat rival UCLA
9. Va Tech - Beat BC for Big East
10. West Virginia - Mental meltdown at home v. Pitt
