Bowl Week Open

Bowl week is now open.  I will advance the week on Saturday (5/17).

Bowl Season Is Here !!!

The college bowl season is here.  This is what the players worked out in the offseason for.  This is what the coaches spent the extra hours in the office for.  Twelve weeks of regular season football (and a conference championship game for some) all to determine what post-season game your team would play in.  Not every team can make claim to the National Championship but 30+ teams will be able to participate in the post season, end their season with a win and claim some sort of championship to end the 2017 season.





BCS National Championship Game

#1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs #2 Nebraska Cornhuskers

Its Deja Vu all over again as Yogi Berra once famously stated.  Its a rematch of the 2016 National Championship Game as the Nebraska Cornhuskers taken on the undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide.  These two teams have been the class of the AALoA (NCAA14 version) so its only fitting that they find themselves squaring off for the biggest crown once again.  We all know this is a clash of the titans but the numbers bear that as well.  Its a match up of the only two teams to ever make multiple National Championship appearances in NCAA14.  Its a matchup of the #1 ranked Offense in Alabama vs the #1 ranked defense in Nebraska. Its a matchup of the two teams with the most representatives on the All-American First Team and its a matchup of the top 3 votes getters in the Heisman Trophy race (Alabama's QB Chris Phillips was the winner).  Can Nebraska become the first team to win 3 National Titles in a single NCAA version?  Can Alabama enact revenge on the Cornhuskers for last years defeat?  While making it to four straight BCS Title Games is impressive, you have to believe Coach Denham would walk away quite deflated having only claimed one ring in those four years if they lose.



Rose Bowl

#4 Virginia Tech Hokies vs #14 UCLA Bruins

The only other BCS Bowl Game involving a user team is the Rose Bowl that pits the UCLA Bruins against the Virginia Tech Hokies.  Coach Gruden has maximized the talent of this group and gotten them to believe and fight until the end.  The Bruins are among the worst in the country in turnover margin (-13 #120 in the country) and are just middle of the road in total offense (#53) and defense (#59) but they are #7 in points scored and have found a way to go 9-4 while winning the PAC12 Championship.  Can the Bruins work their magic one more time?



Outback Bowl

#7 Michigan State Spartans vs Missouri Tigers

The Missouri Tigers had the #2 defense in the country but a poor turnover differential (-13 #120 in the country) and a mediocre offense (#124 PF and #126 Total yards) averaging just 21.3 points per game had an up and down season which ended without a trip to the Conference Title Game.  For their efforts they get a trip to the Outback Bowl to face the #2 team in the country.  Can the Tigers salvage the season with a win over a top 10 opponent?



Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl

#8 Iowa Hawkeyes vs #17 Texas Longhorns

The end of the road for Heisman finalist QB Jason Wade of Iowa comes to an end in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl versus the #17 Texas Longhorns.  Wade has had an outstanding career and a spectacular season leading the Hawkeyes to a 9-3 record behind the #2 passing offense, #5 total offense and #6 scoring offense in the country.  Wade was unable to achieve his goal of beating rival Nebraska to close out his career but perhaps a win over Texas in the bowl game can ease the pain.

Nebraska vs Alabama live on twitch.

Nebraska gets fricking hosed at the end of the game when I hit R1 to cover the ball on a QB Draw inside the 3 yard line, and instead the QB laterals the ball like it's a Shovel Option. SMH.

Alabama wins, I'm sure Dre has a write-up.

Player of the Game: 
Offense: Chris Phillips, QB, 7 - 15, 66 Yds, 8 Car, 57 Yds, 2 Total Td
Defense: Tim Williams, MLB, 4 Tkls, 2 Int

Man, just played a classic in the Outback Bowl against MSU.


Just to give you an idea of how close this game was, here's the scoring log:

MSU 7-0
Tie 7-7
MSU 14-7
Tie 14-14
MSU 21-14
Tie 21-21
MSU 28-21
Tie 28-28

Which brings us to the last few minutes of the fourth quarter... Michigan State was driving, with 2nd and 4 around midfield. The Spartans had been killing the Tigers all game with their triple option attack, but Coach Mustard thought he had a feel for which direction they'd go on 2nd down.

He called a corner blitz from the left, with the ball right around the inner left hashmark (NFL field markings). The QB faked a hand-off middle, then sprinted left where he was met by a wall of Tiger defenders. He pitched to the HB ... but the blitzing Missouri CB was nowhere to be found.

The outside WR stonewalled him at the line, a devastating blow to a perfect play call. Fortunately for Missouri, SS Kirk Underwood was there to save the day. He flew in for his seventh tackle of the game, and second from behind the line, forcing the Spartans into a critical 3rd and 7, where their rushing attack was sure to be minimized.

Missouri held, and Senior QB Trent Hosick was able to lead the Tigers on a 95-yard drive to the 1-yard line, where they killed the clock and brought out the kicker for the W as time expired.

Missouri 31, Michigan State 28

Wow, some great bowl games so far to end the season.