- The Big 12 is 4-1 in bowl games with one more to play. Yes, I know the other teams on the way out the door won, but since it’s the post-season I don’t consider them part of the Big 12 anymore. Sure, I know we still have sports to play with them, but in my mind they are already gone. So now the Ags can tell their conference foes that think they are shockingly bizarre that “…from the inside you can’t explain it, from the outside you can’t understand it..” See what they think about that. My guess is very similar to what I think- “From the inside you can’t explain it, from the outside you don’t care.” You know what they say about Mizzou? Neither do I.
- I’m excited about watching future Big 12 member West Virginia tonight. I still don’t know when they are coming to the Big 12? I’ve heard conflicting reports today.
- Watch out, Arkansas. K-State is going to give you all you want on Saturday.
- I know it isn’t for me, but I really do enjoy the crazy uniforms that the teams are wearing. Oregon was sporting some wicked trailer-hitch silver helmets at the Rose Bowl and what looked like plastic on their sleeves. Yes, it was insane looking and I know many of you detest it, but I like it. And whether you like it or not, the kids playing and the ones coming in love it. There is a reason Oklahoma State, Maryland and even Stanford (those helmets earlier this year were great) are following suit. The kids coming to college today want to be rock stars from the moment they step on campus and these new uniforms certainly seem to cater to that.
- I’ve even seen a Texas Longhorn version of some new uniforms. I don’t think it will happen and I don’t know if it should, but metallic burnt orange looks pretty cool. See for yourself.
- The other traditional powers are getting involved, too, be it “throw backs” or whatnot. I really like Michigan’s uniforms and liked the clover on the Notre Dame helmets, too. Don’t think it can’t happen here.
- That Michigan State/Georgia game was super. I keep hearing the story about Sparty’s Strength and Conditioning Coach telling his guys that games are won in the off-season through “1,000 invisible mornings” where the fans don’t see the work you do. It paid off that afternoon.
- Bo Pelini will be arrested for assault at some point, I’m sure of it. He looks like he’s going to rip off his shirt and start chewing his fingers off when he gets like that.
- Who watched the Sugar Bowl last night? That was fun and it had little to do with football. The Michigan kicker is a real life Kenny Powers from East Bound and Down. I kept waiting for him to say something about K-Swiss or throw a muffin at someone in the post-game press conference. Nothing was thrown, but he did say he was thinking about “brunette girls” before the kick when Virginia Tech called timeout. His coach told him to do that to relax. I would pay $3 to here Brady Hoke say “Toga! Toga! Toga!” or “Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?” And DO NOT get in ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe’s way when she’s trying to get a post-game interview with the winning coach. You will move, or she will move you. Take note- http://deadspin.com/5872866/holly-rowe-will-beat-up-anyone-who-tries-to-steal-her-interview
- Penn State had no business being in that bowl game against Houston. They didn’t seem to care, their coaches seemed lost and there was no emotion on the sideline. I am not saying that’s bad, because it’s easy to understand why. They should never have accepted, or been invited in the first place, and no one on that staff should be anywhere near State College, PA when spring practice starts.
- Biggest Train Wreck Bowl of the Year: Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, UCLA vs. Illinois. The game hosted two teams in complete, Behind-the-Music disarray. With USC on probation, the UCLA Bruins won their side of the Pac-12, even though the Trojans shut them out (50-0) and Rick Neuheisel was fired. Neuhiesel’s final game was in the Pac-12 Championship against Oregon, where UCLA played with some fire, but still lost, 49-31. They still got to a bowl game with a 6-7 record via an NCAA waiver, but I have no idea why. And then the fun started. Apparently UCLA has a tradition called “Going Over the Wall” where players just unanimously decide to ditch practice after stretching and climb over the wall surrounding their practice field. And the interim coach, Mike Johnson, said in effect “super duper, boys! Enjoy your day off!” Certain players went off via Twitter on the UCLA Athletics Department for withholding their stipend checks (these are the checks the players live on as part of their scholarship money) for missing “voluntary” workouts associated with the Hunger Bowl preparation. Not exactly the message you want to send to your new coach coming in is it? And they followed that up with a Hunger Bowl loss and the first ever 6-8 college football season. It wasn’t much better at Illinois, where the Illini fired Ron Zook after losing the last six games of the year. The assistant coaches charged with coaching the team in the bowl game were not happy about the language in their termination notices that voided a full year of severance pay for them. In fact, they were so upset that four of them threatened to not coach. Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line Coach Joe Gilbert told SI.com “If they want the bowl game to be coached…they better decide they want to treat us the right way.'' See? Train Wreck.
- Texas kicks off Big 12 play tonight in hoops with Iowa State in Ames. AND it’s on TV! ESPNU and not the mythical Longhorn Network.
- Who you got in the NFL playoffs? I’m jumping on the Longhorn-heavy Baltimore Ravens bandwagon. I don’t know a thing about the city, other than The Wire. But there isn’t anything about the Wire that would make me want to root for them, so never mind.
Let’s talk some Big 12 bowls, shall we?
BIG 12 BOWLS
A look back at what went down in the Big 12.
INDEPENDENCE BOWL
December 26th
Missouri Tigers 41 North Carolina Tar Heels 24
SEC! SEC! SEC! That is probably the only time you’ll get to chant that in football for a while, except for the games against A&M and Kentucky. But even those are going to be dicey. I would like to see Gary Pinkel and Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly in a frowning contest. Winner gets Nick Saban.
HOLIDAY BOWL
December 28th
No.24 TEXAS 21 California Golden Bears 10
It seems like that was like six months ago, doesn’t it? I watched it earlier today and we STILL won. Yay!
ALAMO BOWL
December 29th
No.12 BAYLOR 67 Washington Huskies 56
I’ve never seen anything like that before. One for the ages for sure. I can’t imagine scoring eight touchdowns and losing by DOUBLE DIGITS. Neither could the Washington head coach, who fired his defensive staff. Baylor’s offense is machine and Baylor’s defense is a sieve, making for super-terrific entertainment for the rest of us.
PINSTRIPE BOWL
December 20th
IOWA STATE 13 Rutgers Scarlet Knights 27
I told you. Big Tony chewed Russell Stover up and spit him out for the only blemish on the Big 12 record this year.
INSIGHT BOWL
December 30th
No.19 oklahoma 31 Iowa Hawkeyes 14
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TEXAS BOWL
December 31st
Texas A&M Aggies 33 Northwestern Wildcats 22
Whoop! Whooop! Whoooooooooooooooooop! The Big Ten can’t handle the power and speed of the SEC, the Ags… Why are we throwing the ball? What are you doing? I don’t understand. Oh, my gosh. Here we go again, another collapse. Again with the passing. Why? WHY? I can’t… HE CAUGHT IT! HE CAUGHT IT! We won! We won! Poor decision making finally pays off in the last two minutes! This win makes EVERYTHING better. Who cares about falling apart? Who cares about losing to TU for the last time ever? THIS win, this MAJOR, CLUTCH, come-from-ahead-and-almost-lost-again win means we are back on top. We are going to dominate the SEC next year. We… What’s that? The last three National Champions came from the SEC West, our new division? Really? We have to play ALL three of them next year? AND Missouri again? Why? This isn’t fair. Mom!!!!!!
FIESTA BOWL
January 2nd
No.3 OKLAHOMA STATE 38 No.4 Stanford Cardinal 41 OT
Well done, Pokes. I was rooting for you. Now, can you reload with a new quarterback, new wide out and several new o-linemen? We will see. I’ll be there next year in Stillwater, so tell my hateful little friend I’m coming..
01/07: COTTON BOWL
January 7th
7 pm
FOX
No.8 KANSAS STATE (10-2/7-2) vs. No.6 Arkansas Razorbacks (10-2/6-2)
We will do this next week. |
