Sports Commentary.
Grant Lucas – Sports editor. The 2009 college football regular season is in the books, and Christmas and New Year’s are just around the corner. This can only mean one thing: bowl season. Sixty-eight teams earned spots in either respected bowl games or unnecessary, late-addition, hoping-for-audiences bowls (i.e., the Little Caesar’s Bowl).
However, the majority of America’s attention will focus on five matchups: the Bowl Championship Series games. Along with the BCS championship between No. 1 University of Alabama and No. 2 University of Texas are what seem to be promising games. One, on the other hand, makes little sense, but we’ll get to that soon. For now, here are the breakdowns of the most interesting bowl games:
Sugar Bowl:
The University of Tim Tebow — oops, Florida — aims to bounce back after a beatdown, courtesy of Alabama, in the Southeastern Conference Championship and to send its star quarterback out on a high note. The No. 3 University of Cincinnati has other plans.
Although Cincy was hoping for a national title bid after its dramatic 45-44 comeback win against the University of Pittsburgh on Dec. 5, Texas senior kicker Hunter Lawrence knocked the Bearcats out of the running with a heroic, last-second field goal to beat the University of Nebraska. A BCS bowl bid is acceptable, I guess.
Why wouldn’t it be? The Bearcats have an opportunity to add insult to injury to the Gators and their overrated quarterback.
Florida will be more than embarrassed if it takes Cincy lightly. In the 2009 Sugar Bowl, Alabama, coming off an SEC Championship loss, came out flat against the undefeated University of Utah, and the Utes made them pay, burying the Tide 31-17.
Cincinnati, behind senior quarterback Tony Pike, looks to put the Big East Conference on the map as a force to be reckoned with. Its offense averages more than 39 points and 464 yards per game, while Florida’s defense ranks fourth in the nation.
Don’t be surprised to see a dogfight (one that Michael Vick doesn’t arrange) with the Gators finishing on top.
Fiesta Bowl:
Here’s where controversy stirs. No. 4 Texas Christian University and No. 6 Boise State University face off with the victor claiming the title as the best non-BCS conference school. What does this game prove, though? Nobody wants to see an underdog battle an underdog. America wants to see a powerhouse school get its helmet handed to it. America wants to see David make Goliath cry.
Let it be known, however, that the BCS computers are not to blame for this matchup. The cloud hangs over the Fiesta Bowl committee. Each bowl’s panel has a pick, similar to a draft. After choosing TCU and the bowl’s next pick came around, Boise State remained. The committee members, taking a break from their coloring books, then selected Boise State. The good news: Everyone stayed inside the lines.
A few years ago, the committee correctly chose Boise State, but Oklahoma was the opposition. As we all recall, Boise State came back late in the fourth quarter, tying the game with a hook-and-ladder to send the game into overtime. After Oklahoma scored a touchdown, quarterback Jared Zebranski marched the Broncos down the field for the score. Rather than the logical extra point to tie the game, head coach Chris Peterson opted for the statue of liberty play for the game-winning, two-point conversion.
That game drew one of the largest audiences in BCS history. Why choose Boise State this year? Why stray away from the underdog story? No statistics in this breakdown — only ranting. The Broncos will sneak by for another Fiesta Bowl victory.
BCS National Championship:
Two Heisman finalists, Alabama sophomore running back Mark Ingram and Texas senior quarterback Colt McCoy, go head-to-head in a highly touted contest. Those who believe it will be a nail-biter need to snap back to reality.
Although McCoy has one of the best passer efficiency ratings in college football history, he doesn’t have much supporting cast. ’Bama, on the other hand, does. Along with the best running back in the nation, the Tide has a star in junior quarterback Greg McElroy, who stepped up in the SEC Championship, throwing for 239 yards and a touchdown en route to being named the game’s Most Valuable Player. The Tide will claim the national title for the first time since 1992.