Orange was the color of the day in Syracuse as the home orange of the Orange was highlighted with the winning orange of Florida and Boise State. Burnt orange of Texas was close, but not good enough.
Semi-Final Game #1: Florida 42, Alabama 20
The surprise of the SEC championship game was not that Alabama won, but how easily it went down. A little more than a month later, again, Florida winning was not the main surprise, but that it was not close was a bit of a shock. Urban Meyer's leave will have to wait for one more game.
The game started according to script, with Bama taking the lead midway through the first half with QB Greg McElroy scoring a one-yard run, for a 7-0 lead. Florida matched that with their own drive capped by a one-yard run to tie the game. The tide changed at the end of the first frame, when the normally fumble free Heisman trophy winner Mark Ingram fumbled for the first time this season, and the Gators ran it in 30 yards to take the 14-7 lead at the end of the first frame.
The Gators seemed to take control, and the only scoring of the second and third quarters were a Tim Tebow TD pass per quarter, to give the 28-7 lead going into the final frame. Tebow's final TD pass with 13 minutes to play gave the Gators a 35-7 lead, and the Crimson fans started the long walk up the stairs of the Carrier Dome. By the end, it was a 42-20 victory, and the Gator fans would rejoice and watch the following game to learn the identity of their Pasadena championship game foe. There would be no need for chest pains after this easy victory.
Semi-Final Game #2: Boise State 31, Texas 29
With Colt McCoy on the sidelines, and Garrett Gilbert at the helm, Texas went into their match-up trying to play to their strengths, but in the end, critical mistakes and Boise State's capitalization upon them ended the Longhorns undefeated season. On the first series of the game, Gilbert threw an interception on 3rd and 9, and the Broncos started on the Texas 30-yard line. The Broncos also found themselves with 3rd and long on their first series, but Kellen Moore's 30-yard TD pass to Austin Pettis gave Boise State the early lead. Both teams settled into their games, and the lead see-sawed throughout the first half, with Texas entering halftime with a 24-17 lead.
The third quarter offense was all Boise State, with two touchdowns, including Pettis' third TD reception of the game. The only scoring the Longhorns could muster was a safety, and the Broncos entered the last quarter with a 31-26 lead. Texas kicked an early fourth quarter field goal to get within 31-29. But a long fourth quarter possession that ended in a missed field goal for Boise State ate up most of the clock, and the Longhorns never returned to Boise State territory, with the last Texas possession ending turning it over on downs.
Five teams started the tournament undefeated, but only the Broncos remain so, and they will put their record on the line against Florida on January 30th.
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