Not a neutral observer, and I missed the entire Rose Bowl, but I’ll go out on a limb and say: yes, they were.
How about those Golden Bears of California? Whooo!!! We’ve been living under the cloud of our titanic second-half collapse for 3 months, and I feel like the world is a brighter, happier place now.
And in my conference bowl standings, the SEC has a lock on 1st place, regardless of the outcome of the NCG – if Ohio State wins, the Big 10 takes second; otherwise it’s the Pac-10. (I’ll post the complete standings after the NCG.) But I’ll come out and grudgingly admit that in 2007, the SEC was the Best Conference.
Definitely. I was looking forward to a good football game. Then the front flip over the goal line set the tone, and my estimation of USC as good sports went downhill from there. Obviously, USC was the more talented team and deserved to win, but there are better, more sportsmanlike, ways to win than they did.
I gotta say, I really enjoyed the WV-OU matchup last night. Some great plays by both teams (OU must have had a strip ripped off them in the dressing room at the half to come out like they did in the third quarter), but what really impressed me was WV’s quarterback (White?). The chances he took, and his successes, made for an exciting and entertaining game.
How are those Golden Bears looking for 2008? You’re entertaining my Spartans to open up the season, so should I look forward with dread or with delight?
Tons of question marks. We now have a QB controversy on our hands, which is probably good…this year’s starting QB (Nate Longshore) wasn’t the same after dinging his ankle, and the team totally tanked. Kevin Riley came in to the bowl game in the second quarter, and the Bears never punted after that point. The fans are foaming at the mouth hoping that we’ll see Riley next year. The remaining skill positions will all be new, too – new RB, all new WR’s (assuming Desean Jackson jumps to the NFL, which you can take to the bank).
The defense returns 9 starters…but they were pretty awful this year, so I don’t know if that’s good or bad.
Thanks for the info. Could be a matchup of teams that could go either way next year. MSU is losing 5 on defense, one of the good running backs, and probably the best receiver plus 3 offensive linemen. Still a few years from being a very good team.
We’ll be watching shortly (gotta love DVR). This’ll be my first college game – I’ve watched it some, but never a full game. We’re pretty much only watching because my wife is friends with Becca Flynn, sister to LSU’s QB, so we’ll be doing supportive rooting.
I’m not sure that’ll even matter if we lose tonight. 0-9 vs the SEC will make us jokes even if we hit the NC game a 3rd year running. Which in it’s own way stinks since almost no one expected us to be here tonight in the first place.
Unfortunately, it’s largely been our Defense imploding tonight, with penalties and missed tackles out the wazzoo. Except for that last play by Jenkins. He gets a pass.
As great a game as LSU has played so far…this game has gone their way largely because of very stupid mistakes on the Bucks part. OSU has had something like 5 or 6 15 yard personal foul penalties against them, most crucially the two on the first scoring drive by LSU (the field goal) and the roughing the kicker penalty. Couple that with two turnovers (1 int and one fumble) and OSU is all but handing the game to LSU, which is really bafflingly stupid to this Buckeye fan. The defense has finally woken up, but god if the offense doesn’t do the same, we’re not gonna even get within 7.
Believe it or not, I actually hope that is NOT the case.
Ohio State needs to come in at the back end of the top 10 at least, and has to prove itself against USC, its other OOC games, and win the Big-10 a third year running, if we’re to make up for our two losses to SEC teams two years running. Otherwise people are just gonna keep giving the Buckeyes grief. And if we can get into a 3rd NC game running, we actually have to WIN it. Not throw it away with stupid personal fouls.
In case anybody is interested, I started a thread so we can have a free for all about who the best conference is here. I put it in the pit just because I’m the kind of asshole knows he’s going to get a fifteen yard flag for unsportsmanlike conduct, but highsteps it into the endzone anyway.
Actually that last part’s not true. I played cornerback in highschool and I actually DID intercept a pass for a touchdown once, but I just took it in and jogged back to the bench
Every year I try to force myself to root for the Buckeyes in their bowl game, but every time I see their fans, all the hate comes rushing back and I wind up rooting against them. This year was different. I really wanted OSU to stick it to Les Miles and show that Michigan doesn’t need him, and I stuck to it after kickoff. Too bad. Of course, Tresselvest always has his team psyched and focused against Michigan, but come the NC game, it’s personal fouls left and right.
That said, LSU had this thing locked up even without the penalties. OSU’s offense performed well in short bursts, but couldn’t sustain it the way LSU did for most of the game.
