January 1 Bowls - Open Thread
by Bill C. on Jan 1, 2009 4:05 PM CST
in National Football 2008
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PrintShould have opened this up about six hours ago, but...thoughts on today's games?
My initial thoughts...
Nebraska just beat Clemson because of two major reasons:
1) NU's D-line was better than CU's O-line.
2) For a reasonably highly-touted, veteran starter, Cullen Harper is just not a very good QB. I realize good QBs play like crap sometimes in bowls (hello, Chase Daniel), but...his decision-making today was just wretched. He looked a little too much like South Carolina's Stephen Garcia...which is bad considering Garcia is a RSFr and Harper is a senior (who threw his outgoing coach under the bus, no less).
But hey...the incoming "NEBRASKA IS BACK!!!!!1!!!!!!!!11!!!" cloud will allow Missouri to a) sit back and prepare for the 2009 season in silence, and b) play the "nobody respects us" card again. So...we've got that going for us...which is nice.
Oh, and one more thought: How in the hell did South Carolina get to play in a New Year's Day bowl????
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I'm curious what would have happened if Iowa...
played a better opponent (read: LSU). Not to take anything away from Shonn Greene, but I’m not sure they beat LSU, which probably would have meant the Big 10 goes 0-for-bowl season.
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Poor Penn State...
looked like they were going to be in it to start the game, but gave away some big plays on sad mistakes…and now…well…looks like it is going to be statement time for USC
"Write a wise saying and your name will live forever." - Anonymous
Rock M Nation
As I've been saying...
…this is what playoff proponents need to hope for—USC killing another Big Ten team and then professing boredom with the current system.
That said, it’s impossible to actually root for that, especially since this is a pretty likable Penn State team…
Rock M Nation
Thrust nunchuk upward!
just shows the lack of quality in the Big 10
I think USC can hang anyone in the country, and their loss to Oregon State only proves that on any given Saturday (or Thursday)…..
by CPC on Jan 1, 2009 6:33 PM CST up reply actions
In a weird way
I’m actually proud of the Big XII (North at-least) in how they’ve represented in the bowls. The Big X(I) is just abysmal. Oh and it’s not over, UT can still run roughshot over the Suck-eyes.
How did Nebraska win?
I watched most of this game and I dont think I ever saw nebraska run the ball for positive yardage. It seemed like Clemson was in the backfield right as the ball was snapped. I dont know how they won. Clemson has so much talent that they should destroyed Nebraska. but it didnt happen and I will wonder about this for about the next 3 hours. Then I will be thinking about why the Orange Bowl is still held. What an awful pool for them to pick from. Big East/ACC? no thanks
Correction: Clemson has so much SPEED...
…not necessarily talent. That said, yeah…Clemson’s D-line was all over the place. Unfortunately for them, NU had two experienced, crafty (not just saying that because they’re white, ahem) WRs who found gaps in coverage at key times. Also unfortunate for Clemson: Cullen Harper is their QB. I don’t really see how Willy Korn isn’t better than him, but whatever.
Rock M Nation
Thrust nunchuk upward!
I think Korn got hurt
because they went with Korn right after the Bowden firing. In his first start I think Korn tore a shoulder. If he was available for that game I didn’t know about it. (Even if he was he hasn’t played much.)
Yeah, Harper was better last year, but always overrated in my opinion. Then, he was never really coached. (I think that’s why he was so bitter at Bowden, whose players HATED him).
"Those who fear disorder more than injustice inevitably produce more of both." -- Rev. William Coffin
Nebraska was death on 3rd down
the last graphic I saw was 7/16 in the fourth quarter. When they ran they got a lot of big plays. Also, Clemson never finishes. They’re a terrible 2nd half team, in large part because they have a middling offensive line. They can beat you for the occasional big play but they have a tough time establishing anything.
"Those who fear disorder more than injustice inevitably produce more of both." -- Rev. William Coffin
Illegal Substitution?
Can someone explain to me why that was a penalty on USC? If the ball was put in play by the officials, why should USC have to wait for PSU to get their guys off the field? Maybe I missed something because I wasn’t paying attention as close as I as should have been.
Bummer...
…thought for a second we were at least going to have a meaningful on-side kick there, but…when your QB gets hit as he throws AND your WR falls down on the route, it’s probably going to be picked…still a nice job by Penn State to keep playing hard in the second half and make it a game…
Rock M Nation
Thrust nunchuk upward!
then again...
…maybe USC will snap the ball about 30 yards over the punter’s head, and PSU will get one last chance…
Rock M Nation
Thrust nunchuk upward!
here's what I don't understand
Penn State scores to make it 31-13, where three 2-point conversions could tie, but they don’t go for two.
Then they settle for the FG in the same situation a few minutes later down 38-14
Then they score to make it 38-24 with 5 minutes and one timeout left and don’t use an onside kick.
It probably wouldn’t have made a difference anyway, but you’ve got to give yourself a chance, don’t you?
the one that baffled me the most...
…was the FG to cut it to 38-17…I mean, it meant you didn’t have to get three 2-point conversions to tie, but it was still a bit of a waste…then again, as it was, they got the ball back down 14 with 1:30 left. If they hadn’t kicked the FG and hadn’t converted on 4th down, then they’d have never been within two possessions. Really, we all knew they weren’t going to come back all the way, but still…
Rock M Nation
Thrust nunchuk upward!
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