TCU WINS 1 FOR THE LITTLE GUYS & BIG TEN GOES 0-5 TODAY
After suffering thru 4 lousy blowouts this morning, the Rose Bowl was worth the wait. The TCU Horned Frogs beat Wisconsin 21-19. It was a good news/bad news day for the BIG TEN Conference, losing five bowls games. The good news is they didn't participate in the Fiesta Bowl. In morning losses by Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State & Northwestern, the BIG TEN teams were out scored by 100-points. It was really ugly. But Wisconsin came to play, they motored down the field on their first possession but were stopped with just a field goal. TCU's offensive play calling was nothing short of brilliant all day. I never understood why the Wisconsin corners gave the TCU WR's such big cushions. When they need 9 or 10 yards on 3rd down, the Badgers gave them too much cushion & allowed them to come off the line uncontested. QB Andy Dalton was brilliant as were his receivers.
Wisconsin missed a 39-yard field goal in the 2nd quarter before hitting a chip-shot attempt just before half. TCU took the 2nd half kickoff & roared downfield for a touchdown, giving them a 21-13 lead. The Frogs kept repelling Wisconsin till late in the 4th quarter. A John Clay-led drive ended in a touchdown with 2:00 to play. They had to make a 2-point conversion to tie the game. It didn't happen as defensive MVP Tank Carder blocked the pass intended for a wide open Jacob Pederson. TCU recovered the onside kick, made one 1st down & it was over. A BCS non-qualifier had won the Rose Bowl.
Coach Gary Patterson said he had received text messages from Boise State & all his Mountain West coaching counterparts. Patterson said afterward "this win is for us, but it's also for Boise State, the Mountain West Conference, the WAC & all those teams who dream of getting their shot but probably never will." Well put coach, well put. It was a well played, entertaining game with no turnovers. Sadly the other five games contested today were nowhere near as good.
Michigan State was buried by Alabama 49-7 & honestly, it could've been a lot worse. Nick Saban took his foot off the gas early in the 4th quarter, not wanting to run up the score on his good friend Mark D'Antonio. When 4th string RB Eddie lacy busted a straight dive play for a 62-yard touchdown, Saban was upset, he didn't want to rub it in on the Spartans. Former Heisman winner, RB Mark Ingram, QB Greg McElroy & WR Julio Jones once again gave you the impression they could whip anybody. I still believe this is the most talented team in the nation.
Mississippi State trailed 14-10 at the end of the 1st quarter but Dan Mullen's Bulldogs scored 6 unanswered touchdowns. It was the worst-ever bowl defeat for the Wolverines. I have to believe Rich Rodriquez & his lame D-Coordinator, Greg Robinson, will be gone & the job will be offered to Jim Harbaugh.
Penn State & Florida traded traded the lead numerous times before the Gators, in coach Urban Meyers' last game, ripped off 20-unanswered points to defeat coaching legend Joe Paterno. It was a sloppy game with 7 turnovers & too many missed opportunities by both teams. It wasn't difficult to see why both teams entered the contest at 7-5, way below expectations.
Only Northwestern mounted any kind of a rally in the Ticket City Bowl. Down 21 in the 3rd quarter, the Wildcats twice got the game to within 7 points, but they just couldn't stop Texas Tech, they punted only twice in the second half. Taylor Potts threw 4 touchdowns for the Red Raiders & also caught a touchdown pass on a bit of trickeration.
Unranked UConn, with 4 losses, came into the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma & showed the nation why they are 8-4 in a horrid conference. They didn't score an offensive touchdown for the 2nd game in a row. The sloppy game was marked by 3 interceptions run back for touchdowns & a kickoff return for a score, the Sooners' offense was solid at times, reckless at other times. The Big East representative was woefully outmanned by the Sooners.
The BIG TEN really needs a great effort out of Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, they are currently 2-5 during this bowl season. Another note about Ohio State, QB Terrelle Pryor said in today's new conference he pledged to return for his senior season & nothing will change that. But Pryor added "one or two of the other guys might have to go on to the NFL this off-season, that's just the way it is." So much for promises I guess.
New Pitt coach Michael Haywood, only on the job 16-days, has already been fired. He was arrested & charged with domestic violence in South Bend Indiana. The university wasted no time in parting ways with Haywood, firing him this morning.
Sources at the University of Florida said this afternoon they would officially announce the addition of Charlie Weis to their staff. He will stay with the Chiefs until they are knocked out of the playoffs. No word on his replacement but I'm betting it's going to be Josh McDaniels.
Wisconsin missed a 39-yard field goal in the 2nd quarter before hitting a chip-shot attempt just before half. TCU took the 2nd half kickoff & roared downfield for a touchdown, giving them a 21-13 lead. The Frogs kept repelling Wisconsin till late in the 4th quarter. A John Clay-led drive ended in a touchdown with 2:00 to play. They had to make a 2-point conversion to tie the game. It didn't happen as defensive MVP Tank Carder blocked the pass intended for a wide open Jacob Pederson. TCU recovered the onside kick, made one 1st down & it was over. A BCS non-qualifier had won the Rose Bowl.
Coach Gary Patterson said he had received text messages from Boise State & all his Mountain West coaching counterparts. Patterson said afterward "this win is for us, but it's also for Boise State, the Mountain West Conference, the WAC & all those teams who dream of getting their shot but probably never will." Well put coach, well put. It was a well played, entertaining game with no turnovers. Sadly the other five games contested today were nowhere near as good.
Michigan State was buried by Alabama 49-7 & honestly, it could've been a lot worse. Nick Saban took his foot off the gas early in the 4th quarter, not wanting to run up the score on his good friend Mark D'Antonio. When 4th string RB Eddie lacy busted a straight dive play for a 62-yard touchdown, Saban was upset, he didn't want to rub it in on the Spartans. Former Heisman winner, RB Mark Ingram, QB Greg McElroy & WR Julio Jones once again gave you the impression they could whip anybody. I still believe this is the most talented team in the nation.
Mississippi State trailed 14-10 at the end of the 1st quarter but Dan Mullen's Bulldogs scored 6 unanswered touchdowns. It was the worst-ever bowl defeat for the Wolverines. I have to believe Rich Rodriquez & his lame D-Coordinator, Greg Robinson, will be gone & the job will be offered to Jim Harbaugh.
Penn State & Florida traded traded the lead numerous times before the Gators, in coach Urban Meyers' last game, ripped off 20-unanswered points to defeat coaching legend Joe Paterno. It was a sloppy game with 7 turnovers & too many missed opportunities by both teams. It wasn't difficult to see why both teams entered the contest at 7-5, way below expectations.
Only Northwestern mounted any kind of a rally in the Ticket City Bowl. Down 21 in the 3rd quarter, the Wildcats twice got the game to within 7 points, but they just couldn't stop Texas Tech, they punted only twice in the second half. Taylor Potts threw 4 touchdowns for the Red Raiders & also caught a touchdown pass on a bit of trickeration.
Unranked UConn, with 4 losses, came into the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma & showed the nation why they are 8-4 in a horrid conference. They didn't score an offensive touchdown for the 2nd game in a row. The sloppy game was marked by 3 interceptions run back for touchdowns & a kickoff return for a score, the Sooners' offense was solid at times, reckless at other times. The Big East representative was woefully outmanned by the Sooners.
The BIG TEN really needs a great effort out of Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl, they are currently 2-5 during this bowl season. Another note about Ohio State, QB Terrelle Pryor said in today's new conference he pledged to return for his senior season & nothing will change that. But Pryor added "one or two of the other guys might have to go on to the NFL this off-season, that's just the way it is." So much for promises I guess.
New Pitt coach Michael Haywood, only on the job 16-days, has already been fired. He was arrested & charged with domestic violence in South Bend Indiana. The university wasted no time in parting ways with Haywood, firing him this morning.
Sources at the University of Florida said this afternoon they would officially announce the addition of Charlie Weis to their staff. He will stay with the Chiefs until they are knocked out of the playoffs. No word on his replacement but I'm betting it's going to be Josh McDaniels.
Comments