What I learned this Bowl Season

[detlef]

Much like Basketball, we'd better get used to mid majors spoiling the party. The top teams from those conferences may not look as imposing on the bowl schedule as a 2nd tier team from one of the big 6, but that doesn't mean jack. As it turns out, the only BCS conference in the running for the best bowl record is the Big East but they got that way by some pretty cake matchups.

 

USC's stumble down the stretch may have cost us all what could have been an amazing NC game. Not saying that it won't still be but Carrol knows how to get his guys up for a January game. Well not including last year when they were "punked, humiliated, and completely run over" (did I miss anything Sarge?) by Texas.

 

Sarge will never actually give a team proper credit for beating OU. His backhanded congrats to BSU is embarrassing. I truly believe that he still thinks were it not for a lucky break here and there, USC gets destroyed by them in the NC game a few years ago.

 

The most tired excuse ever uttered about a team's performance in a bowl game is that they were unmotivated after being passed over for a better one. Winning football games is more than having talent and gameplans, it's about showing up and playing. If a team can't do that, that isn't an excuse for failure, it's a flaw in that team. One that legitimizes them being passed over for whatever bowl they wanted to be in.

 

I don't believe this was the case in the Rose Bowl as was evidenced by the first half. Carrol and his crew just made better adjustments and got his guys more fired up in the 2nd. The stopped doing what they couldn't do (like running) and put the game in the hands of the best player on the field, Dwayne Jarrett. Perhaps Carrol learned his lesson last year when he didn't do that enough with Bush. One thing I didn't see was Michigan players just going through the motions.

[Rockerbraves]

I guess it's not so much what I learned, but re-learned so far this season. Any team still playing in the New Year (2007) is certainly a worthy opponent and should not be taken lightly. Granted there are those occasions every year where a favorite simply steamrolls the underdog, however instead of us all calling it a mismatch, we should recognized it for what it is a quality win over a quality opponent.

 

In fact, as strange as it sounds it can often be more difficult to be the favorite, especially since you hear that for nearly a month before kickoff. Think most would agree they would rather be the favorite and win vs. pulling the upset, but it has to be difficult getting up for a quality opponent who most people not only think but expect you to beat.

[theprofessor]

Much like Basketball, we'd better get used to mid majors spoiling the party. The top teams from those conferences may not look as imposing on the bowl schedule as a 2nd tier team from one of the big 6, but that doesn't mean jack. As it turns out, the only BCS conference in the running for the best bowl record is the Big East but they got that way by some pretty cake matchups.

 

USC's stumble down the stretch may have cost us all what could have been an amazing NC game. Not saying that it won't still be but Carrol knows how to get his guys up for a January game. Well not including last year when they were "punked, humiliated, and completely run over" (did I miss anything Sarge?) by Texas.

 

Sarge will never actually give a team proper credit for beating OU. His backhanded congrats to BSU is embarrassing. I truly believe that he still thinks were it not for a lucky break here and there, USC gets destroyed by them in the NC game a few years ago.

 

The most tired excuse ever uttered about a team's performance in a bowl game is that they were unmotivated after being passed over for a better one. Winning football games is more than having talent and gameplans, it's about showing up and playing. If a team can't do that, that isn't an excuse for failure, it's a flaw in that team. One that legitimizes them being passed over for whatever bowl they wanted to be in.

 

I don't believe this was the case in the Rose Bowl as was evidenced by the first half. Carrol and his crew just made better adjustments and got his guys more fired up in the 2nd. The stopped doing what they couldn't do (like running) and put the game in the hands of the best player on the field, Dwayne Jarrett. Perhaps Carrol learned his lesson last year when he didn't do that enough with Bush. One thing I didn't see was Michigan players just going through the motions.

 

 

Well said.

[Sgt. Ryan]

 

 

Sarge will never actually give a team proper credit for beating OU. His backhanded congrats to BSU is embarrassing. I truly believe that he still thinks were it not for a lucky break here and there, USC gets destroyed by them in the NC game a few years ago.

 

 

 

 

pretty much.

[detlef]

Oh, that and the SEC is apparently not heads and shoulders above everyone else. However, they did prove that they have less "easy outs" as any other conference with teams 6-9 all representing well in their bowl games.

[juanruiz13]

For all the Big East bashers....

 

http://realtimerpi.com/football/ncaaf_conf_Men.html

[GWPFFL BrianW]

Oh, that and the SEC is apparently not heads and shoulders above everyone else. However, they did prove that they have less "easy outs" as any other conference with teams 6-9 all representing well in their bowl games.

 

 

 

Why is that? Maybe because you guys play Big Ten teams every year with your top teams. And it's vice-versa for the Big Ten. BTW, as usual, the Big Ten were underdogs in every game, but 2. Ohio State and Purdue were the only ones favored I believe. This is nothing new.

[detlef]

Why is that? Maybe because you guys play Big Ten teams every year with your top teams. And it's vice-versa for the Big Ten. BTW, as usual, the Big Ten were underdogs in every game, but 2. Ohio State and Purdue were the only ones favored I believe. This is nothing new.

 

I was saying that the 6th best through 9th best teams in the SEC did well in their bowls.

 

Once again just so you understand me clearly. The Big 10 v SEC matchups this year.

OSU (#1 in Big 10) v Florida (#1 in SEC)

Wisc (#3 in Big 10) v Ark (Widely understood as the #3 SEC since LSU and FL are in the BCS)

Penn St (#4 Big 10) v Tenn (#4 or #5 depending on your stance in SEC)

 

I am not downplaying the SEC losses. I am simply pointing out that they were not cases of the SEC's elite playing down to lower tiered Big 10 teams. It amazes me that I even have to argue this. This is not homerism, this is plain and simple fact.

[Glabra]

Oh, that and the SEC is apparently not heads and shoulders above everyone else.

 

Props for realizing this. I've been saying this for a while, and it's not just this year. The SEC seems to have a mythical edge, perpetuated year-in and year-out by their supporters as well as most of the media. My guess is that this stems from all the fanfare, tradition and passion the south has for football; and the fact that 15 years ago, they had a recruiting/speed advantage over the northern schools

 

Neverthless, names like Georgia, Auburn, LSU and Tennessee are reeled off in reverence EVERY YEAR,and held as signs of the brutal strength of the mighty SEC. Yet, the Big-10 is now +3 over the SEC over the last 5 years in matchups that've been pretty even based on teams' relative standings in their conferences. The SEC is NOT God's gift to CFB. They're just another conference, with slightly better teams towards the bottom.

Edited January 2, 2007 by Glabra

[GWPFFL BrianW]

I was saying that the 6th best through 9th best teams in the SEC did well in their bowls.

 

Once again just so you understand me clearly. The Big 10 v SEC matchups this year.

OSU (#1 in Big 10) v Florida (#1 in SEC)

Wisc (#3 in Big 10) v Ark (Widely understood as the #3 SEC since LSU and FL are in the BCS)

Penn St (#4 Big 10) v Tenn (#4 or #5 depending on your stance in SEC)

 

I am not downplaying the SEC losses. I am simply pointing out that they were not cases of the SEC's elite playing down to lower tiered Big 10 teams. It amazes me that I even have to argue this. This is not homerism, this is plain and simple fact.

 

 

 

I was not downplaying the SEC. I'm just saying, the SEC and Big Ten play each other every year, and that's why it's tough. It was more giving both conferences credit for being pretty tough every year.

[GOB1]

I learned Carr cannot coach in Big games. Ill give Usc credit, they played awesome.

But Suffering succotash! was Michigan thinking, if at all. I know Michigan is alot better then what they showed

New years day.

[detlef]

Oh, I also learned that the bad-ass DT for Penn St. has freaking hilarious nickname according to the WR who introduced the teams at the beginning of the game "Yum yum watch your snacks". My wife got a kick out of that and any time your wife can be entertained by a football game is just like money in the bank.