That day we filed into the student section, expecting nothing but another glorious Happy Valley Saturday and step 10 of our national championship quest. What we got was a game in which Penn State had control all day, the Gophers managing to keep within shouting distance but never really appearing to threaten. The Lions biggest concern? Tallying field goals instead of touchdowns, but that was only going to keep the final margin of victory low. The thought of losing never crossed our minds - we were clearly the better team and the one-score margin we held much of the day was more discomfort than concern. The student section had the intensity level of a September blowout against a MAC school, we were just that confident that we'd win. It was a certainty.
Then - the impossible. Minnesota, down 23-21, put together a last minute drive, capped by a fourth and 16 Hail Mary conversion to put them in comfortable field goal range. Now the Gophers, and the game, had our attention. The final seconds ticked off the clock as Minnesota's 32-yard field goal attempt sailed straight through the uprights. Final score: 24-23.
The best way to describe the next few moments would be "stunned silence". No one moved. No one left the stadium. No one even spoke. We just stared at the field, watching in hideous agony as the stupid Golden Gophers celebrated wildly on the other side of the field, all sharing the same thought: "This isn't happening. It's a dream. We won. We're going to the national championship game. Right?" Then we filed back out of the stadium silently, like a funeral procession, leading to weeks of sulking, mourning, and general despondence. The Penn State program didn't fully recover from that loss until 2005. It was the worst loss I've ever experienced in my sporting life. It actually hurt. I still feel a twinge of anger and depression when memories or comments about that game come up.
Fast forward to November 8, 2008. The scenario and game eerily mirrored that horrible day 9 years ago. Penn State entered at 9-0, #3 in the latest BCS standings. They faced an Iowa team who came in at 5-4 (2-3 in conference), their 4 losses coming by a total of 12 points. They boasted a back, Shonn Greene, who ranked in the top 10 nationally in rushing. For Nittany Lion fans, Iowa was merely step 10 on our BCS championship game path. We, and much of the national media, had already written us in to the game on January 8.
We all turned on our TV's and watched a game that unfolded much like that Minnesota game 9 years ago - Penn State held control and even dominated in stretches, but had to settle too many times for field goals instead of notching touchdowns. The game had the effect of lulling you to sleep - the question wasn't whether Penn State would win, but how many style points they'd lose with the low margin of victory. Then the Hawkeyes - impossibly, it would seem - mounted a final minutes drive that ended in a 31-yard field goal attempt. We all know they made it, of course, to again make 24-23 the final score. The only thing lacking was an improbable Hail Mary and a silent, comatose Beaver Stadium crowd. All other things were almost exactly the same. Uncanny.
Thankfully, I'm much older now and know that football is much more miniscule than I treated it as a student (and admittedly sometimes treat it even now). But it still hurts. And I do feel for those students in Happy Valley. Cheer up, Penn Staters, I don't think this loss will cripple the program for half a decade - there's a lot more maturity and young talent there then when I was a cherubic little sophomore.
Incidentally, this game adds to my argument that college football shouldn't go to an 8-team playoff. If such a playoff existed, either including the 6 BCS-conference champions and 2 at-large teams or simply the top 8 in the BCS standings, the Nittany Lion loss would be meaningless. They still control their own destiny in the Big Ten, and remain in the BCS top 8. All the drama of Saturday afternoon would've been sucked out of Kinnick Stadium, and we'd have been left with a run-of-the-mill midseason conference game. How many games like this one would be rendered all but moot if the NCAA went the route of a playoff? If you want a playoff, prepare for some dry storylines and drama-free games over the course of the second half of the season. I'll take the season-long buildup of drama that having must-win games every week brings.
Thanks for letting me use this space to vent. It was theraputic. And now, to the stuff you came here for - the weekly race to 9-6!
1. South Carolina at Florida
It's hard to believe, but this is the most appealing game on the calendar this week. Maybe it's a good Saturday to catch up on some leaf-raking. Wait, who am I kidding? College football delivers the goods each week, no matter how unappetizing the matchups look. In this one, golden boy Steve Spurrier returns home to the Swamp, where he'll not exactly receive a hero's welcome. Florida's playing better than anyone else in college football right now - they've not scored less than 40 in a month, and should keep rolling even against a formidable Gamecock defense. Even if South Carolina manages to slow down the Tebow Express, they'll still face the daunting prospect of scoring against a Gator defense that's been unheralded but is allowing just a smidge under 12 points a game (9.5 if you take away the inexplicable Ole Miss game). Look for South Carolina to hang around a bit by keeping the Florida offense in check, then collapse under a 3rd quarter barrage. An interception TD will probably be thrown in the mix too.
Florida 41, South Carolina 13
2. Texas at Kansas
I think this game will be closer than advertised. Texas has proven susceptible to a good passing offense, and Todd Reesing and Kansas have the tools to make some dents in the Longhorn secondary. I don't think Texas is looking past Kansas, but they may be surprised how talented this 6-4 team is offensively.
Texas 42, Kansas 35
3. Ohio State at Illinois
Illinois snuck out of Columbus with a big upset W last year, and don't think the Buckeyes have forgotten. It was their only regular season loss in a 2-year stretch. Illinois is certainly not the same team this year, and even though they're due for an "on" week in their recent on-again off-again cycle, their "on" game might not be enough to keep up with the red-hot Buckeyes. The Illini will compete, but Ohio State puts it away in the fourth quarter for a fairly comfortable win.
Ohio State 34, Illinois 20
4. Georgia at Auburn
The oldest rivalry in the South is my upset special for the week. Auburn's been downright pathetic this year, but they need to win one of their last 2 (the other being the Iron Bowl) to go bowling. Georgia showed last week that they've all but abandoned their season by having to survive a scare from a bad Kentucky team (who somehow is bowl-eligible!). Auburn's offense is about as dangerous as a bag of cotton balls, but they'll be able to score some points on a Georgia defense that's hung an "Open for Business" sign on their goal line.
Auburn 24, Georgia 20
5. BYU at Air Force
I'll admit that I did a double-take when I saw "8-2 (5-1 MWC)" next to Air Force's score line. Really? Who have they played? After a little digging I found out that their losses were by 7 at home to Utah (not bad) and by 6 at home to Navy (not surprising, it's a rivalry game). More did you knows: Air Force has 7 (yes, s-e-v-e-n) players who've rushed for more than 200 yards this season, none more than 470. That's balance, folks. And they've attempted only 90 passes all season, which would barely cover one half of a Big 12 game. BYU has a middle of the pack defense, and they've not faced an offense like the Falcons' this year. I've done gone and talked myself into an upset pick!
Air Force 28, BYU 26
6. California at Oregon State
Oregon State surprisingly controls their own destiny in the Pac Ten, though they've got a tough 3 game stretch ahead of them. Cal will pose some problems, as USC is the only team with a winning record the Beavers have beaten. But they are undefeated at home, and Corvallis has never been an easy place to play. It should also be noted that Cal is 1-3 on the road, their only win over Division-III Washington State.
Oregon State 31, California 23
7. Arizona at Oregon
Home field advantage has been the rule of thumb in these middle of the pack Pac Ten games this year. In all the games played so far between the 5 teams fighting it out behind USC (Oregon, Arizona, Oregon State, Stanford, Cal), every single one of them has been won by the home team. I'll stick with the trend.
Oregon 27, Arizona 21
8. Virginia Tech at Miami (FL)
ACC fun time! Why try to analyze it when guessing is just as precise?
Miami (FL) 20, Virginia Tech 14
9. North Carolina at Maryland
I just have no idea.
North Carolina 30, Maryland 27
10. Boston College at Florida State
I'm picking Florida State, although I really want them to lose so Paterno stays at least one ahead of Bowden.
Florida State 21, Boston College 16
11. Mississippi State at Alabama
Mississippi State shouldn't pose a threat to Alabama, although the Crimson Tide have struggled to win their last two home games against overmatched SEC opponents. Alabama doesn't do it with style points, but they get the job done and roll on.
Alabama 23, Mississippi State 10
12. USC at Stanford
Forgot this one in my Pac Ten section. USC will be out for revenge against the Cardinal, so don't expect another titanic upset. Stanford does have a much better team this year, but USC's defense is just too loaded. And fast.
USC 28, Stanford 7
13. Oklahoma State at Colorado
The Cowboys bounce back with a win against an unspectacular Colorado team. I like Mike Gundy (he's 41, by the way) and I think he'll be able to pick his boys up after getting trashed in Lubbock.
Oklahoma State 42, Colorado 21
14. Minnesota at Wisconsin
The Golden Gophers are going in the wrong direction, and Wisconsin seems to have righted itself. The Badgers won't go to one of the major Big Ten bowls, but they'll sure give the MAC champ all they can handle in the Motor City Bowl!
Wisconsin 34, Minnesota 17
15. Cincinnati at Louisville
Obligatory Big East pick here. Like the ACC, consistency isn't a strong suit for this conference. But I do like Cincinnati's team, and think they'll squeak past a Louisville team that's been all over the map with their results this year.
Cincinnati 27, Louisville 24
No comments:
Post a Comment