Best bowl season in recent memory?

[FirefightnRick]

This bowl season is turning out to be one of the more entertaining bowl seasons in recent memory to me.

Toledo routing UTEP, Nevada/UCF ending in overtime, Memphis/Akron going down to the wire with DeAngelo Williams rushing for over 230 yards, Rutgers taking Arizona State down to the wire in their first bowl game in many years, Boise State getting down by 24 in the first half and coming back to within 3 before losing in the Human Bowl, the Alamo bowl with that crazy ending in a close win for Nebraska over Michigan, Tech losing on a last second, carreer-long, golf-slice that after only reaching maybe 15 feet high, inches into the corner of the goal post from 46 yards out in the cotton bowl, LSU beating the hell out of Miami(FL) 40-3, West Virginia running all over Georgia in the Sugar, TCU beating a big 12 team in Iowa State in the Houston bowl. Then tonights triple overtime win for Penn State over Florida State. Two amazing defenses, but due justice all the same for Florida State for even being in this game with 3 loses and a 22nd ranking, to lose again in the Orange bowl with all the missed field goals.

Now if only Southern California can do it one more time?

Rick

[good_ken]

Now if only Southern California can do it one more time?

I just can't figure out what the love-fest is with USC. USC is a very afluent private school, with barely the enrollment of TCU. Their college football supiority complex makes Texas fans look humble.

[NTEagle08]

I just can't figure out what the love-fest is with USC.  USC is a very afluent private school, with barely the enrollment of TCU.  Their college football supiority complex makes Texas fans look humble.

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mainly just because they aren't UT to some people on this board. I honestly don't care who wins the game tomorrow night, it won't make or break me. I don't hate UT or USC, they are both two good teams. The only hope I have is that it's a good game.

[FirefightnRick]

I just can't figure out what the love-fest is with USC.  USC is a very afluent private school, with barely the enrollment of TCU.  Their college football supiority complex makes Texas fans look humble.

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Ken, it wouldn't matter if it was the YWCA playing tU, I'd be rooting for them to send Mack and Vince home crying on each others shoulders.

Rick

[KingDL1]

When we are talking Texas schools I hate aTm the most, Texas is in the middle of the pack for me. I have never liked Mack Brown, he just bugs the hell out of me. But I really hope that UT brings a National Championship back to the state of Texas. I think this is good for all Schools in Texas.

I don't know but I have been told that Californee is full of fruits, flakes, and nuts.

Texas is the state you want to live in.

[CMJ]

I just can't figure out what the love-fest is with USC.  USC is a very afluent private school, with barely the enrollment of TCU.  Their college football supiority complex makes Texas fans look humble.

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USC actually has about 30K students, which is downright massive for a private school. And while i can't speak for all of them, I know quite a few nice, reasonable SC alums/fans.

I've been picking the Men of Troy since about August. But I'm starting to get the vibe that Texas wll win this game.

Edited January 4, 2006 by CMJ

[Huff]

The game tonight between Texas and USC will have to be an absolute gem to live up to all the hype that has gone before it. It will also have a tough time matching the games of the last two nights (West Virginia Vs Georgia and Florida State Vs Penn State). Those two games were wonderful. I agree that this has been one of the best bowl series in several years.

[greenjoe]

I hope Texas wins the National Championship, and I'm looking foward to going to Austin next August (or Sept,whatever) and playing the National Champs.

And as far as a great bowl season, it's not because we're not in it.

I haven't been using my usual signature lately, but it's back...

GO MEAN GREEN

[Eagle1855]

I have really enjoyed this bowl season. Texas Tech losing that game like that was classic! Karma's a real bitch huh? I know the OU fans were smiling...

The sugar bowl was my favorite. I enjoyed all the big plays in the Fiesta bowl as well. Penn State and Ohio State will be right back in the mix next year if they can replace those LB's

Hope the game tonight lives up to the hype. Im so tired of hearing about USC. ESPN has lost their minds comparing this USC team to the best all time before they even play or win the game. What an insult to Texas (and I would say that about ANY team they might have played)

The Holiday Bowl should be named "The Ryan Leaf Disappointment Bowl". What a let down this game is. Every year a top 5 team gets left out of a BCS bowl game, then lays an egg against an opponent they should have beaten. Glad to see OU expose the Pac 10 just like Tech did last year.

Edited January 4, 2006 by Eagle1855

[Stan R]

What was it that DD said in one of his interviews? Something like is it a requirement that NT play the #1 team in the nation each year in the first game of the year.

[gangrene]

What was it that DD said in one of his interviews? Something like is it a requirement that NT play the #1 team in the nation each year in the first game of the year. 

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I don't remember DD saying that, but I can already hear the pre-game excuses for why we'll have another humiliating loss to UT next year.

[eagle60]

When you watch the game tonight notice the activity of the head coaches. Pete Carroll is very active and shows it as the game evolves. Since he is also the DC he will have a game plan that will be unique.

Mack Brown is more reserved and I think his OC and DC are more involved directly. Interesting that the UT DC has the former Pac-10 coach from Arizona making a big difference in how the UT D plays. Coach Toney developed the defense that U of Arizona used to shut down the opposition a few years ago.

An interesting matchup.

[Arkstfan]

I just can't figure out what the love-fest is with USC.  USC is a very afluent private school, with barely the enrollment of TCU.  Their college football supiority complex makes Texas fans look humble.

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They are playing for their 11th national championship and third in a row.

This will be the 43rd time they've finished a season ranked.

They are playing for their 29th bowl victory and fourth in a row. More amazing given that for decades Pac-8 schools were only allowed to go to the Rose Bowl. You could be 10-1 but if that one loss kept you from winning the conference, you stayed home.

They've won 10 or more games in a season 22 times.

Seven Heisman Trophy winners all the other schools in the Mountain and Pacific time zones combined have three.

77-12. Number of winning seasons or .500 seasons vs. losing seasons.

In their entire history they've given up 50 or more points only twice.

They don't have much reason to be humble.

[Eagle1855]

Interesting that the UT DC has the former Pac-10 coach from Arizona making a big difference in how the UT D plays.    Coach Toney developed the defense that U of Arizona used to shut down the opposition a few years ago. 

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Dick Tomey was the DC last year. he is now the head coach at San Jose State. Gene Chizik is the coordinator now, He came from Auburn

[Michael Scott]

They are playing for their 11th national championship and third in a row.

This will be the 43rd time they've finished a season ranked.

They are playing for their 29th bowl victory and fourth in a row. More amazing given that for decades Pac-8 schools were only allowed to go to the Rose Bowl. You could be 10-1 but if that one loss kept you from winning the conference, you stayed home.

They've won 10 or more games in a season 22 times.

Seven Heisman Trophy winners all the other schools in the Mountain and Pacific time zones combined have three.

77-12. Number of winning seasons or .500 seasons vs. losing seasons.

In their entire history they've given up 50 or more points only twice.

They don't have much reason to be humble.

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The way people carry on in Austin you'd think Texas had done half of that....

[Arkstfan]

Tonight is a tough call on who to root for. Never cared much for Texas except when they were beating Arkansas. USC never really cared for them except when they were playing UCLA with their Queer Eye uniforms.

On one hand seeing a team take three titles in a row would be pretty cool.

On the other hand it'd be nice to see a team that beat Arkansas 70-17 not be national champs

[Monkeypox]

The way people carry on in Austin you'd think Texas had done half of that....

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The way people carry on here, you'd think WE had.

[Michael Scott]

The way people carry on here, you'd think WE had.

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Most of NT's fans are just bipolar and have to swing wildly one way or the other. It makes up for the huge middle that just doesn't care.

[FirefightnRick]

Like I said, one of the best bowl seasons in recent memory. Wrong team wins tonight but regardless great game. If I were a horn fan I would say that was money well spent..........finally after all these years.

And I suspect we won't hear any more bitching about bad calls coming from the Belt refs, right?

Rick

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

The final two games this year were outstanding, close and interesting. The BCIS was not a side issue this year.

I can't imagine any real Texan* cheering for USC over Texas. Texas not be my favorite school but state pride figures into this one plus many of my mis-guided friends went there. I always support for Texas teams** [except SMU] and I expect them to support us as well.

* My entire family has been Texans since 1870's.

**an exception may be against a Belt-team.

Edited January 5, 2006 by SCREAMING EAGLE-66

[ipEAGLE]

On state pride....

When Keith Jackson said "He just ran over two Texans" that pissed me off alittle.

THEMS FIGHTIN WORDS...

Edited January 5, 2006 by ipEAGLE

[FirefightnRick]

I can't imagine any real Texan* cheering for USC over Texas. 

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Glad this Texan made your imaginations come true.

Rick

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

---Jackson graduated from Washington State (looked it up last night on internet) after a few of his seemingly pro SoCal remarks). I have always thought that he favored Big-Ten and Pac-Ten schools. He apparently grew up very poor in Georgia from what I read which explains his "accent". For years, I have thought he did not care much for the SWC or Big-XII area colleges.

--"Little Ol Texans" does sound a bit deep Southern, he could have been refering to female cheerleaders or whatever on sideline. I didn't notice the remark. He is even older than I am and at the time I was in college one could argue that the Pac-10 and Big-10 had better football programs ---after all, the South's best black players were not permitted to play in the ACC, SEC or SWC. Most went to the Pac-10 or Big-10 or played in the conference that Gramling that was a member. The Missouri Valley Conf. including North Texas did play black athletes however. Kentucky absolutely would not play Louisville in basketball except in NCAA tournament play. Now, the "they are better" than Southern conferences argument has no merit like it did then. Rarely would the SWC , ACC, or SEC play schools that were integrated-- although the SWC did play some Big -8 schools some after they had begun integration. Even as late as 1968 when I was a grad student at Tech, TTU had only about 60 black students (15,000 enrollment then) and most of those 60 were grad students and not American citizens. Tech had no black athletes until 1970 or 71 (a Lubbock local) and UT was even later than that.

---The world has changed a lot in my 60 years, in attitudes and in technology. I even lived in a house as a small child that had no electricity, gas, or butane....and we weren't poor-----we completely owned the ranch/farm that I lived on. Most rural people in the western half of the state did not have electricity until after WWII and depression ended. In case you think I am an angry black , forget that, I am the great-grandson of German immigrants to Texas in the 1870's. I am just telling it like it was.

[Arkstfan]

Actually the biggest reason Jackson leans toward the Pac-10 is because when he retired ABC kept trying to lure him back and he told them he wanted to be home more. So ABC offered to take him off the #1 crew doing the top ABC game of the week and assigned him to do the Pac-10 regional game each week, which has at times been the top ABC game.

For the past several years he has done almost exclusively Pac-10 games.

Back in the day, he was a big fan (and friend) of Bear Bryant and seemed pro-SEC.

The guy is a vault of knowledge though.

He did games in the old USFL. Maurice Carthon of ASU broke a big run for New Jersey and threw some great blocks for Walker. Jackson started talking about Arkansas State and how Larry Lacewell was building a great program and told a story about how he had complimented Lacewell on the job he was doing and that Lacewell replied he wasn't that smart of a coach. He had put Carthon at TE for two years before he turned him into a FB (position he played in the USFL and then several years in the NFL). The guy either keeps boxes and boxes of notes or has an awesome memory.

For years his broadcast partner was Arkansas AD Frank Broyles and with those two Georgia accents going I'm sure folks up north and out west were miserable all game long. Their partnership ended because of Bo Jackson. Broyles had learned Jackson was injured and would see limited action if any but Auburn had kept it under wraps. Game starts and he wasn't in the backfield. Keith Jackson notes that and Broyles then launches into the story. Keith Jackson was furious that Broyles hadn't let him in on the secret and at the end of the year his contract wasn't renewed.