LSU walked into New Orleans' Super Dome for the National Championship game with a resume strong enough that some thought they ranked among the great teams of all time. And what a resume it was! Of the elite eight teams in the quarterfinals, the Tigers had beaten four during the regular season (Alabama, Oregon, Arkansas, and West Virginia) and two more in the tournament (Wisconsin and Stanford), leaving Oklahoma State as the only team not vanquished.
On the other side of the field, Alabama was trying to win the championship based on lessons learned from the school of hard knocks. If the Tide can learn the third of three lessons, the Tide could turn to win a national title:
Lesson #1: Don't take quarterfinal games for granted. Life lesson? In January 2009, in a highly anticipated 4/5 game, Alabama showed up in Pasadena listless, and received a thumping at the hands of #5 USC. Lesson learned? Bama took out Ohio State two seasons ago and West Virginia this season with little problem.
Lesson #2: Just because you win the quarterfinal easily, don't think the semi-finals will be an easy win. Life lesson? After beating Ohio State two seasons ago in the Sugar Bowl, the Tide showed up at the Syracuse Semi-Finals expecting to beat Florida, but again lost to the tourney's #5 seed. Lesson learned? After Bama took out the Mountaineers in the Sugar Bowl this season, the Tide took care of business against Oklahoma State in the Semi-Finals.
Lesson #3: Regular season results can be thrown out the window during the tournament. Life lesson? Two seasons ago, Alabama had easily handled Tebow and the Gators in the SEC Championship game. In what seemed like a hug win at the time, it was dwarfed when Florida won the rematch. Lesson learned? We will see if the TIde can get past the OT loss to LSU in Tuscaloosa.
The championship game continued the defensive battle of the regular season match. In the first three minutes of the first quarter, Alabama's A.J. McCarron tried to pass the Tide out of bad field position, but his pass to Brad Smelley resulted in the tight end being tackled in the end zone. Tigers grab the 2-0 lead.
But the Tide kept their heads up, and kicked, kicked, kicked themselves to the lead. While LSU's offense looked listless in their home state, Tide kicked Jeremy Shelley hit a field goal in the first, two more in the second, and two more in the third, to methodically give Alabama a 15-2 lead going into the final frame. Alabama finally crossed the goal line in the fourth on Trent Richardson's 34 yard run, and the Tide took the 21-2 lead that turned out to be the final.
Alabama wins the 2011-2012 National Championship!
UPDATED TOURNEY RESULTS:
FIRST ROUND:
In Pittsburgh:
7 Boise State 62
10 West Virginia 70 (4 OT)
In Green Bay:
8 Wisconsin 45
9 Clemson 19
BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):
Orange:
1 LSU 25
8 Wisconsin 21
Rose:
4 Stanford 35 (OT)
6 Arkansas 32
Sugar:
2 Alabama 34
10 West Virginia 0
Fiesta:
3 Oklahoma State 38
5 Oregon 37
Semi-finals in Saint Louis:
1 LSU 34
4 Stanford 17
2 Alabama 22
3 Oklahoma State 14
BCS Championship in New Orleans (January 28th)
1 LSU 2
2 Alabama 21
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Saint Louis Semi-Finals: SEC-ond to none, LSU and Alabama advance to national championship game
Fans entered Saint Louis' Edward Jones Dome Saturday, escaping temps in the low thirties and a touch of snow on the ground, to see if LSU and Alabama could make it an SEC day in the tournament Semi-Finals. The winners of today's games meet on January 28th in New Orleans.
Game 1: LSU 34, Stanford 17
For Stanford, it was deva vu all over again. The fourth seeded Cardinal were in the Semi-Finals last season, playing number one seed, champion of the SEC Auburn. And last year, Stanford scored first, but Auburn won easily. Gulp, things played out in an all too familiar way against number one LSU.
Stanford and QB Andrew Luck took the opening kickoff, and went on a drive for over five minutes, culminating in a Jordan Williamson 27 yard field goal, and the Cardinal had the 3-0 lead.
After two punts, LSU drove 80 yards in the final minutes of the opening frame, and Jordan Jefferson hit Rueben Randle for an 18 yard TD pass, and LSU led 7-3.
The ensuing Stanford drive stalled at their own 37, and the Cardinal punted it back to the Tigers. Early in the second quarter, Stanford's 50 yard punt was fielded by LSU's Tyrann Mathieu, and the "Honey Badger" returned it 87 yards for the TD, and even held onto the ball before reaching the end zone. The LSU led 14-3, as both teams failed to score during the remainder of the first half.
If Stanford thought that they could start with a burst to get it closer in the second half, they were sorely mistaken. LSU took the second half kickoff, and in their second play from scrimmage, Jefferson hit Randle for a 52 yard pass to the Stanford 20. On the next play, Jefferson's 20 yard TD pass to Deangelo Peterson gave the Tigers a 21-3 lead.
Finally, with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third, Andrew Luck hit Griff Whalen on a 16 yard pass play for touchdown, cutting the lead to 21-10. However, Jefferson hit Randle on an 11 yard TD pass early in the fourth, and the lead was 28-10, LSU.
Fourth quarter scoring included a Jeremy Stewart 5 yard TD run for Stanford, and subsequently two LSU field goals, and the final score was 34-17, and LSU would return to Louisiana to play the winner of Game #2 in the championship game.
Game 2: Alabama 22, Oklahoma State 14
Would the highly anticipated match-up of the 2nd and 3rd seeds turn out to be a scoring frenzy or low scoring drama.
At first is looked low scoring would win out, with each team punting off their first drive. However, OSU's Brandon Weeden's interception put the Tide in scoring territory, as Alabama had the ball on the Cowboy 10. Alabama could only get a field goal, though, and took the early 3-0 lead.
Oklahoma State then took the ball on a 6 minute, 65 yard drive, all the way to the Alabama 6 yard line, but failed on a 4th and 1 try, leaving them scoreless. Three punts later, Alabama started a 5 minute, 66 yard drive, that ended with a Trent Richardson 4 yard TD run, and the Tide led 10-0. OSU seemed to have used up all of their energy on their fruitless drive in the 1st, and Alabama took the 10-0 lead to halftime.
In the third, Oklahoma State's offense still could not get anything going, and could not even take advantage of Alabama QB A.J. McCarron's interception. Soon, Alabama had another drive of their own, capped by a McCarron 3 yard TD pass to Michael Williams. The PAT missed, but Alabama seemed to be in complete control 16-0 midway through the third quarter. Through seven quarters of action of the Semi-Final doubleheader, it seemed like SEC domination, and that close games were not to be. But the Cowboys had a burst of energy in their holsters.
Early in the fourth quarter, OSU completed a 16 play, 75 yard, nearly 8 minute drive, with a 5 yard TD pass from Weeden to Joseph Randle, and the score was 16-7.
Still, this one won't get close, right? Well, three "3 and punt" drives only used up about 4 minutes off of the clock, when OSU took the ball back to start a 12 play, 78 yard, 3 and 1/2 minute drive ending with a Weedon 9 yard pass to Josh Cooper, and the score was 16-14 with just under seven minutes to play.
Alabama did not flinch, taking the ball on a 9 play, 44 yard, 4 and 1/2 minute drive leading to a 35-yard field goal, which provided a 19-14 lead with 2 and 1/2 minutes to go.
Oklahoma State had the ball only four plays, coming up a yard short on 4th down, and Alabama had the ball back in OSU territory. Bama added a field goal to take the 22-14 lead with only 45 seconds to go. Weeden's first play resulted in an interception, and the game was basically over. Alabama withstood the OSU 4th quarter rally, and the Tide will head to New Orleans for a re-match with SEC West rival LSU.
UPDATED TOURNEY RESULTS:
FIRST ROUND:
In Pittsburgh:
7 Boise State 62
10 West Virginia 70 (4 OT)
In Green Bay:
8 Wisconsin 45
9 Clemson 19
BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):
Orange:
1 LSU 25
8 Wisconsin 21
Rose:
4 Stanford 35 (OT)
6 Arkansas 32
Sugar:
2 Alabama 34
10 West Virginia 0
Fiesta:
3 Oklahoma State 38
5 Oregon 37
Semi-finals in Saint Louis:
1 LSU 34
4 Stanford 17
2 Alabama 22
3 Oklahoma State 14
BCS Championship in New Orleans (January 28th)
1 LSU
2 Alabama
Game 1: LSU 34, Stanford 17
For Stanford, it was deva vu all over again. The fourth seeded Cardinal were in the Semi-Finals last season, playing number one seed, champion of the SEC Auburn. And last year, Stanford scored first, but Auburn won easily. Gulp, things played out in an all too familiar way against number one LSU.
Stanford and QB Andrew Luck took the opening kickoff, and went on a drive for over five minutes, culminating in a Jordan Williamson 27 yard field goal, and the Cardinal had the 3-0 lead.
After two punts, LSU drove 80 yards in the final minutes of the opening frame, and Jordan Jefferson hit Rueben Randle for an 18 yard TD pass, and LSU led 7-3.
The ensuing Stanford drive stalled at their own 37, and the Cardinal punted it back to the Tigers. Early in the second quarter, Stanford's 50 yard punt was fielded by LSU's Tyrann Mathieu, and the "Honey Badger" returned it 87 yards for the TD, and even held onto the ball before reaching the end zone. The LSU led 14-3, as both teams failed to score during the remainder of the first half.
If Stanford thought that they could start with a burst to get it closer in the second half, they were sorely mistaken. LSU took the second half kickoff, and in their second play from scrimmage, Jefferson hit Randle for a 52 yard pass to the Stanford 20. On the next play, Jefferson's 20 yard TD pass to Deangelo Peterson gave the Tigers a 21-3 lead.
Finally, with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third, Andrew Luck hit Griff Whalen on a 16 yard pass play for touchdown, cutting the lead to 21-10. However, Jefferson hit Randle on an 11 yard TD pass early in the fourth, and the lead was 28-10, LSU.
Fourth quarter scoring included a Jeremy Stewart 5 yard TD run for Stanford, and subsequently two LSU field goals, and the final score was 34-17, and LSU would return to Louisiana to play the winner of Game #2 in the championship game.
Game 2: Alabama 22, Oklahoma State 14
Would the highly anticipated match-up of the 2nd and 3rd seeds turn out to be a scoring frenzy or low scoring drama.
At first is looked low scoring would win out, with each team punting off their first drive. However, OSU's Brandon Weeden's interception put the Tide in scoring territory, as Alabama had the ball on the Cowboy 10. Alabama could only get a field goal, though, and took the early 3-0 lead.
Oklahoma State then took the ball on a 6 minute, 65 yard drive, all the way to the Alabama 6 yard line, but failed on a 4th and 1 try, leaving them scoreless. Three punts later, Alabama started a 5 minute, 66 yard drive, that ended with a Trent Richardson 4 yard TD run, and the Tide led 10-0. OSU seemed to have used up all of their energy on their fruitless drive in the 1st, and Alabama took the 10-0 lead to halftime.
In the third, Oklahoma State's offense still could not get anything going, and could not even take advantage of Alabama QB A.J. McCarron's interception. Soon, Alabama had another drive of their own, capped by a McCarron 3 yard TD pass to Michael Williams. The PAT missed, but Alabama seemed to be in complete control 16-0 midway through the third quarter. Through seven quarters of action of the Semi-Final doubleheader, it seemed like SEC domination, and that close games were not to be. But the Cowboys had a burst of energy in their holsters.
Early in the fourth quarter, OSU completed a 16 play, 75 yard, nearly 8 minute drive, with a 5 yard TD pass from Weeden to Joseph Randle, and the score was 16-7.
Still, this one won't get close, right? Well, three "3 and punt" drives only used up about 4 minutes off of the clock, when OSU took the ball back to start a 12 play, 78 yard, 3 and 1/2 minute drive ending with a Weedon 9 yard pass to Josh Cooper, and the score was 16-14 with just under seven minutes to play.
Alabama did not flinch, taking the ball on a 9 play, 44 yard, 4 and 1/2 minute drive leading to a 35-yard field goal, which provided a 19-14 lead with 2 and 1/2 minutes to go.
Oklahoma State had the ball only four plays, coming up a yard short on 4th down, and Alabama had the ball back in OSU territory. Bama added a field goal to take the 22-14 lead with only 45 seconds to go. Weeden's first play resulted in an interception, and the game was basically over. Alabama withstood the OSU 4th quarter rally, and the Tide will head to New Orleans for a re-match with SEC West rival LSU.
UPDATED TOURNEY RESULTS:
FIRST ROUND:
In Pittsburgh:
7 Boise State 62
10 West Virginia 70 (4 OT)
In Green Bay:
8 Wisconsin 45
9 Clemson 19
BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):
Orange:
1 LSU 25
8 Wisconsin 21
Rose:
4 Stanford 35 (OT)
6 Arkansas 32
Sugar:
2 Alabama 34
10 West Virginia 0
Fiesta:
3 Oklahoma State 38
5 Oregon 37
Semi-finals in Saint Louis:
1 LSU 34
4 Stanford 17
2 Alabama 22
3 Oklahoma State 14
BCS Championship in New Orleans (January 28th)
1 LSU
2 Alabama
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Semi-Finals Saturday and the tourney so far
As we hit the end of the Quarterfinals and move onto the Semi-Finals, time to look at the tournament so far and what's to come:
1) For the first time since 2005-06, the top four seeds advanced to the Semi-Finals. Back then, it was USC, Texas, Penn State, and Ohio State that advanced from the eight team tournament. This season, LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, and Stanford become the first top four to make it from the ten team tournament.
2) It was Indianapolis' turn to host the Semi-Finals, but I switched it because of Indy having the Super Bowl. I refuse to have my semi-finals be overshadowed by another event, so Saint Louis hosts this year's Football's Final Four. Arlington TX will host next year, and Indy the year after that.
3) If my tourney was real, it would probably be better for Andrew Luck to play in Saint Louis than Indianapolis, where it would be a big distraction with the Colts having the top pick, et cetera.
4) It is funny how sometimes certain sections of my brackets end up all losers in their real life bowl games and vice versa. For instance the 1 LSU/8 Wisconsin/9 Clemson part of the bracket all lost their bowl games, and 2 Alabama/7 Boise State/10 West Virginia all won.
5) What a difference a seed makes. In the final standings, Boise State fell behind Arkansas for 6th seed. So instead of playing Stanford in the Rose Bowl (and winning), Boise State had to play in the First Round, losing to West Virginia, who played far above expectations, and even in the Broncos had won, they would have lost by three touchdowns to Alabama. So dropping from 6th to 7th took BSU from Final Four team to First Round loser.
6) I never thought I would have overtime games based on my system. A team has to win by less than 1 point in my calculations to "win in overtime," and I had not had that happen since Oklahoma State beat BYU in 1985-86. Well, this year it happened twice! West Virginia beat Boise State by an unbelievably slim 0.09 points (yes, I am the only person in America to be sitting on the edge of my seat whether Clemson would go for two with a minute to go in a 70-33 game).
Secondly, Stanford beat Arkansas by 0.6 points, but that is only because it was in the Rose Bowl. For years, and this is all pre-specified, I have given a small 1 to 1.5 points to teams with a "home state advantage." Stanford, like Wisconsin in their First Round game in Green Bay, received this small advantage. Well, every other time ever, it has turned out like Wisconsin, who won by 26 over Clemson rather than 24 or 25 outside of Wisconsin. So generally, no big deal. Well, for Stanford, the small home state advantage was enough to give them the narrow win. If the game had been at the Fiesta, Sugar, or Orange Bowl, Arkansas would have won, also in OT.
7) The First Round and Quarterfinal games are based on indirect comparisons of the teams actual performances, to determine who would have won if they had played at the same level and gone head to head. From now on, the Semi-Finals and Finals are based on a combination of computer ratings and how precise (or imprecise) the computers were at assessing all of the bowl games that did NOT involve the teams in my tournament. Anything is possible, but LSU and Alabama are very very likely to both win and play in the championship, for a meeting of 1 versus 2. Last year, I had a 1 versus 2 (Auburn and Oregon), but that was by far not as likely as this year. Last season, both Stanford and Ohio State, the other teams in my Final Four, had much better chances of crashing the party than Oklahoma State and Stanford do this season.
8) Semi-Finals are Saturday! I will set up the program to run ahead of time, but I will not run it until Saturday. Will I be shocked to see the Cowboys stun the Tide, or the Cardinal to upend the Tigers? We will see...
1) For the first time since 2005-06, the top four seeds advanced to the Semi-Finals. Back then, it was USC, Texas, Penn State, and Ohio State that advanced from the eight team tournament. This season, LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, and Stanford become the first top four to make it from the ten team tournament.
2) It was Indianapolis' turn to host the Semi-Finals, but I switched it because of Indy having the Super Bowl. I refuse to have my semi-finals be overshadowed by another event, so Saint Louis hosts this year's Football's Final Four. Arlington TX will host next year, and Indy the year after that.
3) If my tourney was real, it would probably be better for Andrew Luck to play in Saint Louis than Indianapolis, where it would be a big distraction with the Colts having the top pick, et cetera.
4) It is funny how sometimes certain sections of my brackets end up all losers in their real life bowl games and vice versa. For instance the 1 LSU/8 Wisconsin/9 Clemson part of the bracket all lost their bowl games, and 2 Alabama/7 Boise State/10 West Virginia all won.
5) What a difference a seed makes. In the final standings, Boise State fell behind Arkansas for 6th seed. So instead of playing Stanford in the Rose Bowl (and winning), Boise State had to play in the First Round, losing to West Virginia, who played far above expectations, and even in the Broncos had won, they would have lost by three touchdowns to Alabama. So dropping from 6th to 7th took BSU from Final Four team to First Round loser.
6) I never thought I would have overtime games based on my system. A team has to win by less than 1 point in my calculations to "win in overtime," and I had not had that happen since Oklahoma State beat BYU in 1985-86. Well, this year it happened twice! West Virginia beat Boise State by an unbelievably slim 0.09 points (yes, I am the only person in America to be sitting on the edge of my seat whether Clemson would go for two with a minute to go in a 70-33 game).
Secondly, Stanford beat Arkansas by 0.6 points, but that is only because it was in the Rose Bowl. For years, and this is all pre-specified, I have given a small 1 to 1.5 points to teams with a "home state advantage." Stanford, like Wisconsin in their First Round game in Green Bay, received this small advantage. Well, every other time ever, it has turned out like Wisconsin, who won by 26 over Clemson rather than 24 or 25 outside of Wisconsin. So generally, no big deal. Well, for Stanford, the small home state advantage was enough to give them the narrow win. If the game had been at the Fiesta, Sugar, or Orange Bowl, Arkansas would have won, also in OT.
7) The First Round and Quarterfinal games are based on indirect comparisons of the teams actual performances, to determine who would have won if they had played at the same level and gone head to head. From now on, the Semi-Finals and Finals are based on a combination of computer ratings and how precise (or imprecise) the computers were at assessing all of the bowl games that did NOT involve the teams in my tournament. Anything is possible, but LSU and Alabama are very very likely to both win and play in the championship, for a meeting of 1 versus 2. Last year, I had a 1 versus 2 (Auburn and Oregon), but that was by far not as likely as this year. Last season, both Stanford and Ohio State, the other teams in my Final Four, had much better chances of crashing the party than Oklahoma State and Stanford do this season.
8) Semi-Finals are Saturday! I will set up the program to run ahead of time, but I will not run it until Saturday. Will I be shocked to see the Cowboys stun the Tide, or the Cardinal to upend the Tigers? We will see...
Monday, January 9, 2012
'Bama dominates WVU 34-0 in Sugar; LSU survives Wisconsin 25-21 in Orange
ORANGE BOWL: LSU 25, Wisconsin 21
LSU's typically strong defense showed up in Miami, but their offense seemed to show some rust, as they survived a challenge from Wisconsin to win the Orange Bowl 25-21.
LSU struck first and scored their only touchdown in the first quarter, and the teams exchanged field goals during the quarter, so LSU led after one frame 10-3. In the second quarter, Wisconsin's offense continued to move the ball but the Tigers continued to keep them out of the end zone, as both teams kicked two field goals in the second, and the Tiger lead was 16-9 at halftime.
Same story in the third quarter, no TDs for Wisconsin, but the LSU offense also was kept out of the end zone, and, again, both teams hit two field goals in the quarter. Final frame began with LSU holding the 22-15 lead over Wisconsin.
After another LSU field goal, Wisconsin's Montee Ball finally broke open a TD run, to the eruption of the Badger faithful. However, the key PAT was blocked, and LSU led 25-21. The Badgers continued to press the Tigers. A 29 yard Russell Wilson pass to Jared Abbrederis was complete along the sidelines, but somehow Abbrederis' fumble stayed in bounds, and LSU recovered on their own 27. Wilson had one chance at the end of the game, but an ill-advised spike to stop the clock used up the final two seconds, and top seeded LSU survived.
Stanford awaits LSU in the Saint Louis Semi-Finals.
SUGAR BOWL: Alabama 34, West Virginia 0
The exciting West Virginia victory over Boise State in the First Round seemed to be a good news/bad news story. The good news was that West Virginia showed their long-term promise for their Big XII move to come and gave honor to the Big East. The bad news is that it certainly was a signal that Alabama received loud and clear to not take the Mountaineers for granted, and the Tide defense showed up to dominate.
A workman-like performance by Alabama's offense provided the points, and the Tide led 14-0 after the first quarter. The lead was 21-0 at halftime, and Alabama cruised to their 34-0 victory. Alabama now will face Oklahoma State in the Semi-Finals.
UPDATED TOURNEY RESULTS:
FIRST ROUND:
In Pittsburgh:
7 Boise State 62
10 West Virginia 70 (4 OT)
In Green Bay:
8 Wisconsin 45
9 Clemson 19
BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):
Orange:
1 LSU 25
8 Wisconsin 21
Rose:
4 Stanford 35 (OT)
6 Arkansas 32
Sugar:
2 Alabama 34
10 West Virginia 0
Fiesta:
3 Oklahoma State 38
5 Oregon 37
Semi-finals in Saint Louis:
LSU versus Stanford
Alabama vs. Oklahoma State
BCS Championship in New Orleans
LSU's typically strong defense showed up in Miami, but their offense seemed to show some rust, as they survived a challenge from Wisconsin to win the Orange Bowl 25-21.
LSU struck first and scored their only touchdown in the first quarter, and the teams exchanged field goals during the quarter, so LSU led after one frame 10-3. In the second quarter, Wisconsin's offense continued to move the ball but the Tigers continued to keep them out of the end zone, as both teams kicked two field goals in the second, and the Tiger lead was 16-9 at halftime.
Same story in the third quarter, no TDs for Wisconsin, but the LSU offense also was kept out of the end zone, and, again, both teams hit two field goals in the quarter. Final frame began with LSU holding the 22-15 lead over Wisconsin.
After another LSU field goal, Wisconsin's Montee Ball finally broke open a TD run, to the eruption of the Badger faithful. However, the key PAT was blocked, and LSU led 25-21. The Badgers continued to press the Tigers. A 29 yard Russell Wilson pass to Jared Abbrederis was complete along the sidelines, but somehow Abbrederis' fumble stayed in bounds, and LSU recovered on their own 27. Wilson had one chance at the end of the game, but an ill-advised spike to stop the clock used up the final two seconds, and top seeded LSU survived.
Stanford awaits LSU in the Saint Louis Semi-Finals.
SUGAR BOWL: Alabama 34, West Virginia 0
The exciting West Virginia victory over Boise State in the First Round seemed to be a good news/bad news story. The good news was that West Virginia showed their long-term promise for their Big XII move to come and gave honor to the Big East. The bad news is that it certainly was a signal that Alabama received loud and clear to not take the Mountaineers for granted, and the Tide defense showed up to dominate.
A workman-like performance by Alabama's offense provided the points, and the Tide led 14-0 after the first quarter. The lead was 21-0 at halftime, and Alabama cruised to their 34-0 victory. Alabama now will face Oklahoma State in the Semi-Finals.
UPDATED TOURNEY RESULTS:
FIRST ROUND:
In Pittsburgh:
7 Boise State 62
10 West Virginia 70 (4 OT)
In Green Bay:
8 Wisconsin 45
9 Clemson 19
BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):
Orange:
1 LSU 25
8 Wisconsin 21
Rose:
4 Stanford 35 (OT)
6 Arkansas 32
Sugar:
2 Alabama 34
10 West Virginia 0
Fiesta:
3 Oklahoma State 38
5 Oregon 37
Semi-finals in Saint Louis:
LSU versus Stanford
Alabama vs. Oklahoma State
BCS Championship in New Orleans
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Rose Bowl (BCS Bowl Quarterfinal): It's not just Luck; Stanford survives OT, tops Arkansas 35-32
There have been an absence of overtime games in this tournament for decades. In the First Round, West Virginia finally beat Boise State in their fourth overtime. But once was not enough for overtimes this year, as Stanford and Arkansas also ended the game deadlocked in a warmer than usual Pasadena.
The fourth seeded Cardinal were going for their second straight Rose Bowl win after easily pulling away from Wisconsin last season. But Arkansas was confident that they could win and create an SEC West reunion at the Semi-Finals in Saint Louis, along with LSU and Alabama. This would be fitting, because next season, Saint Louis will be a gateway to the SEC West itself with Mizzou entering the conference.
In the first quarter, Stanford was the sharper of the two teams. Their first drive progressed down field, but a missed field goal kept the game scoreless. But on their third drive, Andrew Luck's struck gold. His 53 yard pass to a wide open Ty Montgomery gave the Cardinal the opening 7-0 lead. Arkansas picked off an Andrew Luck pass and converted it into a field goal, but Stanford's Jeremy Stewart ran in a touchdown from 24 yards out, and Stanford led 14-3 entering the second quarter.
But it looked like Arkansas was enjoying the unseasonable heat in the second quarter, as they looked like the dominant team. Their offense had not done much in the first, so special teams ignited Arkansas in the second. The Razorbacks tied the game on a Joe Adams 51 yard punt return. Zach Hocker added a 22 yard field goal for Arkansas, and then Razorback QB Tyler Wilson hit Jarius Wright for 45 yards for a TD, and the teams lined up for the extra point, with Arkansas taking 19-14 lead. However, Stanford blocked the extra point and returned it all the way for the two points, closing the lead to 19-16. Arkansas still seemed to have the momentum as they took the ball back with 1:27 to play. However, Tyler Wilson was sacked and fumbled, giving the ball to the struggling Cardinal offense. Stanford connected on a field goal, and the game was tied at 19 at halftime.
Stanford seemed to regain momentum in the third quarter, and took the lead on a 16 yard pass from Luck to Zach Ertz. Arkansas' sole third quarter points came off of a Zach Hocker 30 yard field goal, and Stanford led 26-22 going into the last frame.
Stanford's Jordan Williamson hit a 30 yard field goal and extended the lead early in the fourth to 29-22. But Arkansas was hanging around, and tied the game on a Tyler Wilson pass to Cobi Hamilton for a 9 yard TD.
Both teams had key opportunities in the final minutes to grab the win. Arkansas moved quickly to the Stanford 21 yard line within easy field goal range. However, plays for losses and penalties on the Razorbacks soon moved the ball back to the 38, and Arkansas punted into the endzone for a touchback, giving Stanford the ball only a yard from where the Hogs had just had it themselves.
Stanford headed down the field as Andrew Luck was impressive in the final minutes. For the last play of regulation, Jordan Williamson's field goal was blocked, and Arkansas ran it dramatically down the toward the goal line as the clock read 0:00. Stanford finally tackled the ball carrier on their own 14, preserving the tie.
Arkansas had the ball first in overtime, and hit a 34 yard field goal. But Stanford moved to the goal line, scoring a touchdown on a Stepfan Taylor run. Fourth seeded Stanford returned to the Final Four for the second consecutive season, and awaits the winner of the Orange Bowl between LSU and Wisconsin.
UPDATED TOURNEY RESULTS:
FIRST ROUND:
In Pittsburgh:
7 Boise State 62
10 West Virginia 70 (4 OT)
In Green Bay:
8 Wisconsin 45
9 Clemson 19
BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):
Orange:
1 LSU
8 Wisconsin
Rose:
4 Stanford 35 (OT)
6 Arkansas 32
Sugar:
2 Alabama
10 West Virginia
Fiesta:
3 Oklahoma State 38
5 Oregon 37
Semi-finals in Saint Louis:
LSU/Wisconsin versus Stanford
Alabama/West Virginia vs. Oklahoma State
BCS Championship in New Orleans
The fourth seeded Cardinal were going for their second straight Rose Bowl win after easily pulling away from Wisconsin last season. But Arkansas was confident that they could win and create an SEC West reunion at the Semi-Finals in Saint Louis, along with LSU and Alabama. This would be fitting, because next season, Saint Louis will be a gateway to the SEC West itself with Mizzou entering the conference.
In the first quarter, Stanford was the sharper of the two teams. Their first drive progressed down field, but a missed field goal kept the game scoreless. But on their third drive, Andrew Luck's struck gold. His 53 yard pass to a wide open Ty Montgomery gave the Cardinal the opening 7-0 lead. Arkansas picked off an Andrew Luck pass and converted it into a field goal, but Stanford's Jeremy Stewart ran in a touchdown from 24 yards out, and Stanford led 14-3 entering the second quarter.
But it looked like Arkansas was enjoying the unseasonable heat in the second quarter, as they looked like the dominant team. Their offense had not done much in the first, so special teams ignited Arkansas in the second. The Razorbacks tied the game on a Joe Adams 51 yard punt return. Zach Hocker added a 22 yard field goal for Arkansas, and then Razorback QB Tyler Wilson hit Jarius Wright for 45 yards for a TD, and the teams lined up for the extra point, with Arkansas taking 19-14 lead. However, Stanford blocked the extra point and returned it all the way for the two points, closing the lead to 19-16. Arkansas still seemed to have the momentum as they took the ball back with 1:27 to play. However, Tyler Wilson was sacked and fumbled, giving the ball to the struggling Cardinal offense. Stanford connected on a field goal, and the game was tied at 19 at halftime.
Stanford seemed to regain momentum in the third quarter, and took the lead on a 16 yard pass from Luck to Zach Ertz. Arkansas' sole third quarter points came off of a Zach Hocker 30 yard field goal, and Stanford led 26-22 going into the last frame.
Stanford's Jordan Williamson hit a 30 yard field goal and extended the lead early in the fourth to 29-22. But Arkansas was hanging around, and tied the game on a Tyler Wilson pass to Cobi Hamilton for a 9 yard TD.
Both teams had key opportunities in the final minutes to grab the win. Arkansas moved quickly to the Stanford 21 yard line within easy field goal range. However, plays for losses and penalties on the Razorbacks soon moved the ball back to the 38, and Arkansas punted into the endzone for a touchback, giving Stanford the ball only a yard from where the Hogs had just had it themselves.
Stanford headed down the field as Andrew Luck was impressive in the final minutes. For the last play of regulation, Jordan Williamson's field goal was blocked, and Arkansas ran it dramatically down the toward the goal line as the clock read 0:00. Stanford finally tackled the ball carrier on their own 14, preserving the tie.
Arkansas had the ball first in overtime, and hit a 34 yard field goal. But Stanford moved to the goal line, scoring a touchdown on a Stepfan Taylor run. Fourth seeded Stanford returned to the Final Four for the second consecutive season, and awaits the winner of the Orange Bowl between LSU and Wisconsin.
UPDATED TOURNEY RESULTS:
FIRST ROUND:
In Pittsburgh:
7 Boise State 62
10 West Virginia 70 (4 OT)
In Green Bay:
8 Wisconsin 45
9 Clemson 19
BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):
Orange:
1 LSU
8 Wisconsin
Rose:
4 Stanford 35 (OT)
6 Arkansas 32
Sugar:
2 Alabama
10 West Virginia
Fiesta:
3 Oklahoma State 38
5 Oregon 37
Semi-finals in Saint Louis:
LSU/Wisconsin versus Stanford
Alabama/West Virginia vs. Oklahoma State
BCS Championship in New Orleans
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
First Round Green Bay: Badgers batter Clemson 45-19
It wasn't actually frozen tundra, but I don't think the Clemson Tigers will be in a hurry to visit Green Bay's Lambeau Field in the near future. On a gray day with temps in the thirties, a chilly day amidst a relatively stretch of weather, Clemson actually looked like a contender for the first quarter.
Clemson's first drive went only two yards though, and Wisconsin took over. Emphasizing the talents of RB Montee Ball and QB Russell Wilson, the Badgers looked like a well oiled machine. Perhaps it was the Packers hiding in Wisconsin uniforms, because the drive that culminated in a Wilson to Jared Abbrederis 38 yard pass certainly could not have been outdone by Aaron Rodgers. But the Tigers seemed on it, responding with a touchdown as Andre Ellington shot through the Wisconsin "D" for a 68 yard run, to tie the game. But Wisconsin's offense just took the ball back and drove for 4 minutes until Russell Wilson ran it in from four yards out.
Clemson came back down the field with their own drive, and put up a Chandler Catanzaro 42 yard field goal, and the Tigers pulled within 14-10. Wisconsin finally punted, and the Tigers had the ball back with a chance to take the lead in the second quarter. Clemson drove down the field on the verge of silencing the Green Bay crowd, when a shock wave hit the Tigers momentum.
On the goal line, Clemson back Andre Ellington took the hand-off, fumbled just prior to scoring, and the Badgers grabbed the ball and ran it 99 yards for a TD. Suddenly, Wisconsin led 21-10, and had the crowd, weather, and all the karma they needed. Wisconsin scored two more touchdowns before halftime, and it was Badgers up 35-10 before Clemson could warm up in the locker room.
Clemson scored a touchdown in the second half, and missed the two-point conversion, and added a field goal, but the Badgers were in complete cruise mode. The final score was 45-19, and the Badgers head to Miami to meet top seed LSU in the Orange Bowl. The Big Ten is now 5-0 in first round games, and ACC futility continues, having lost three straight First Round games since Virginia Tech beat Texas Tech in 2008.
UPDATED TOURNEY RESULTS:
FIRST ROUND:
In Pittsburgh:
7 Boise State 62
10 West Virginia 70 (4 OT)
In Green Bay:
8 Wisconsin 45
9 Clemson 19
BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):
Orange:
1 LSU
8 Wisconsin
Rose:
4 Stanford
6 Arkansas
Sugar:
2 Alabama
10 West Virginia
Fiesta:
3 Oklahoma State 38
5 Oregon 37
Semi-finals in Saint Louis:
LSU/Wisconsin versus Stanford/Arkansas
Alabama/West Virginia vs. Oklahoma State
BCS Championship in New Orleans
Clemson's first drive went only two yards though, and Wisconsin took over. Emphasizing the talents of RB Montee Ball and QB Russell Wilson, the Badgers looked like a well oiled machine. Perhaps it was the Packers hiding in Wisconsin uniforms, because the drive that culminated in a Wilson to Jared Abbrederis 38 yard pass certainly could not have been outdone by Aaron Rodgers. But the Tigers seemed on it, responding with a touchdown as Andre Ellington shot through the Wisconsin "D" for a 68 yard run, to tie the game. But Wisconsin's offense just took the ball back and drove for 4 minutes until Russell Wilson ran it in from four yards out.
Clemson came back down the field with their own drive, and put up a Chandler Catanzaro 42 yard field goal, and the Tigers pulled within 14-10. Wisconsin finally punted, and the Tigers had the ball back with a chance to take the lead in the second quarter. Clemson drove down the field on the verge of silencing the Green Bay crowd, when a shock wave hit the Tigers momentum.
On the goal line, Clemson back Andre Ellington took the hand-off, fumbled just prior to scoring, and the Badgers grabbed the ball and ran it 99 yards for a TD. Suddenly, Wisconsin led 21-10, and had the crowd, weather, and all the karma they needed. Wisconsin scored two more touchdowns before halftime, and it was Badgers up 35-10 before Clemson could warm up in the locker room.
Clemson scored a touchdown in the second half, and missed the two-point conversion, and added a field goal, but the Badgers were in complete cruise mode. The final score was 45-19, and the Badgers head to Miami to meet top seed LSU in the Orange Bowl. The Big Ten is now 5-0 in first round games, and ACC futility continues, having lost three straight First Round games since Virginia Tech beat Texas Tech in 2008.
UPDATED TOURNEY RESULTS:
FIRST ROUND:
In Pittsburgh:
7 Boise State 62
10 West Virginia 70 (4 OT)
In Green Bay:
8 Wisconsin 45
9 Clemson 19
BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):
Orange:
1 LSU
8 Wisconsin
Rose:
4 Stanford
6 Arkansas
Sugar:
2 Alabama
10 West Virginia
Fiesta:
3 Oklahoma State 38
5 Oregon 37
Semi-finals in Saint Louis:
LSU/Wisconsin versus Stanford/Arkansas
Alabama/West Virginia vs. Oklahoma State
BCS Championship in New Orleans
First Round Pittsburgh: Oh Boise! West Virginia outscores the Broncos, 70-62 in 4 OTs
This First Round match-up should have been renamed the "Dick Enberg Bowl," because shouts of "Oh My!" would have reverberated around Heinz Field if he had broadcast this one. In what may be one of the greatest games in tournament history, West Virginia and Boise State played a game for the ages.
Certainly if Boise State started quickly out of the gate, it would be "Turn out the lights, the party's over," for West Virginia, right? So what do the Broncos do? Their kick returner, Doug Martin, who missed their sole loss to TCU, took the kickoff and returned it 100 yards for the touchdown. Certainly the Mountaineers were done, right.
Well, after the teams exchanged punts, West Virginia started to show a glimmer of the offense to come. Their 72 yard drive culminated with a Shawne Alston 4 yard rush for touchdown, and the game was tied.
But Boise still looked like it was their day. They answered with their own drive, capped by a Tyler Shoemaker 14 yard pass from super QB Kellen Moore, and took the 14-7 lead. Broncos had the ball soon after, and seemed like they were on their way, but a Kellen Moore interception early in the second quarter seemed to turn a tide. The Mountaineers scored on what would be three consecutive touchdown drives before halftime. The Broncos were not shy either, scoring on two touchdown passes sandwiched between the WVU drives, and it was 28-28 at halftime. WVU fans were happy to still be in the game, and wondering if they could actually pull off a win in this thing.
West Virginia took the second half kickoff and stormed to the lead, with a scoring drive capped by Stedman Bailey 6 yard RD reception on a pass from Geno Smith. Boise State seemed out of sorts during the quarter, and Kellen Moore threw another intercpetion. WVU came back and scored on Smith's 37 yard TD pass to Tavon Austin. The Broncos ended the frame with a TD, and entering the fourth quarter, BSU trailed 42-35.
Boise State ended their funk with a fourth quarter rally, but WVU's 7 yard pass from Smith to Willie Milhouse seemed to lock it up for the Mountaineers, giving them a 56-49 lead. But the Broncos did their thing, scoring their third TD of the quarter with a minute to go. Doug Martin who had started the game with a kickoff return scored on a 4 yard run tie the game on a stellar day for the Bronco running back. The final gun sounded, 56-56 and going to OT.
The first two overtime periods resulted in field goals for both teams, and the score was 62-62. During the third OT, both teams failed to score. But in the fourth OT, WVU's Smith passed for another TD, and also passed for the two-point conversion. The Broncos stalled on the 12 yard line, and West Virginia rejoiced for an improbable, and oh so memorable victory. They are on their way to New Orleans, where the Sugar Bowl and Alabama wait.
Certainly if Boise State started quickly out of the gate, it would be "Turn out the lights, the party's over," for West Virginia, right? So what do the Broncos do? Their kick returner, Doug Martin, who missed their sole loss to TCU, took the kickoff and returned it 100 yards for the touchdown. Certainly the Mountaineers were done, right.
Well, after the teams exchanged punts, West Virginia started to show a glimmer of the offense to come. Their 72 yard drive culminated with a Shawne Alston 4 yard rush for touchdown, and the game was tied.
But Boise still looked like it was their day. They answered with their own drive, capped by a Tyler Shoemaker 14 yard pass from super QB Kellen Moore, and took the 14-7 lead. Broncos had the ball soon after, and seemed like they were on their way, but a Kellen Moore interception early in the second quarter seemed to turn a tide. The Mountaineers scored on what would be three consecutive touchdown drives before halftime. The Broncos were not shy either, scoring on two touchdown passes sandwiched between the WVU drives, and it was 28-28 at halftime. WVU fans were happy to still be in the game, and wondering if they could actually pull off a win in this thing.
West Virginia took the second half kickoff and stormed to the lead, with a scoring drive capped by Stedman Bailey 6 yard RD reception on a pass from Geno Smith. Boise State seemed out of sorts during the quarter, and Kellen Moore threw another intercpetion. WVU came back and scored on Smith's 37 yard TD pass to Tavon Austin. The Broncos ended the frame with a TD, and entering the fourth quarter, BSU trailed 42-35.
Boise State ended their funk with a fourth quarter rally, but WVU's 7 yard pass from Smith to Willie Milhouse seemed to lock it up for the Mountaineers, giving them a 56-49 lead. But the Broncos did their thing, scoring their third TD of the quarter with a minute to go. Doug Martin who had started the game with a kickoff return scored on a 4 yard run tie the game on a stellar day for the Bronco running back. The final gun sounded, 56-56 and going to OT.
The first two overtime periods resulted in field goals for both teams, and the score was 62-62. During the third OT, both teams failed to score. But in the fourth OT, WVU's Smith passed for another TD, and also passed for the two-point conversion. The Broncos stalled on the 12 yard line, and West Virginia rejoiced for an improbable, and oh so memorable victory. They are on their way to New Orleans, where the Sugar Bowl and Alabama wait.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Fiesta Bowl (BCS Bowl Quarterfinal): Cowboys win the shootout; Oklahoma State nips Oregon 38-37
It was the most anticipated of the BCS bowls, with two highly seeded teams, third seed Oklahoma State versus fifth seed Oregon (playing the number three seed to avoid a rematch from the regular season against fourth seed Stanford). Not only were these two teams highly ranked, they were both conference champions, known for high powered offense, and perhaps the only real contenders for the national championship outside the SEC. In fact, the Fiesta Bowl was the only BCS Quarterfinal Bowl without an SEC West team.
But, ahh, the best laid schemes...the Cowboys and Ducks were scoreless after the first twelve minutes. What happened? Well, the Cowboys made some good defensive stands and also intercepted a Darron Thomas pass, and the Ducks had a solid first drive but took a fourth down risk that failed. On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys looked like more like Barney Fife, with their high powered bullets either in their pocket or completely misfired.
But you can't keep these kind of offenses down too long. Oregon started the second quarter scoring on a 54 yard Darron Thomas pass to Kenjon Barner to give the Ducks the opening 7-0 lead. Brandon Weeden finally responded during a solid subsequent drive culminating in a 43 yard pass to Justin Blackmon to tie the game. Within minutes, Weedon combined on a 67 yard TD to Blackmon, and the Cowboys took the 14-7 lead. But the Ducks were game, and answered with a TD on a Lavasier Tuinei 3 yard pass from Darron Thomas to tie the game at 14. Oregon's Alejandro Maldonado hit a field goal, and the Ducks grabbed a 17-14 lead. The Cowboys grabbed the lead back on a Weedon two yard run with a half-minute left in the first half. As the teams headed to their locker rooms at halftime, OSU lead Oregon 21-17.
The third quarter's scoring pace slowed as both teams seem to tighten knowing a close game was ahead of them, and the only scoring of the quarter was an Oregon field goal and then an Oklahoma State field goal. The final frame started with a 24-20 Cowboy lead.
But the drama of the fourth quarter lived up to the pre-game hype, and the Ducks lived by the field goal, and finally lost by the field goal. The quarter started with Oregon's Tuinei scoring on an 11 yard pass from Darron Thomas, and the Ducks led. Oklahoma State answered with another Weedon-Blackmon connection, and the Cowboys led 31-27. A third Maldonado field goal, this from 30 yards out, and the Ducks were within a point. Then Duck De'Anthony Thomas' explosive 91 yard touchdown run gave Oregon a lead of 37-31.
But Oklahoma State can score at warp speed, and the Cowboys took the lead back with 2:35 to play on a Joseph Randle 4 yard touchdown run, and Quinn Sharp's extra point provided a sliver of a lead of 38-37. Oregon made an impressive drive down the field, but missed a field goal with 0:03 to go, to break the hearts of the faithful in Eugene.
Oklahoma State returns to the semi-finals for the first time since the 1984-85 Cowboys beat top seeded BYU in overtime. And the curse of the third seed was broken by OSU. In the five seasons since the tournament expanded to ten teams, third seeds were 0-5 in BCS Bowls. The Cowboys head to the Saint Louis semi-finals overcoming both a curse and a talented Oregon opposition.
UPDATED TOURNEY RESULTS:
FIRST ROUND:
In Pittsburgh:
7 Boise State
10 West Virginia
In Green Bay:
8 Wisconsin
9 Clemson
BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):
Orange:
1 LSU
8 Wisconsin/Clemson
Rose:
4 Stanford
6 Arkansas
Sugar:
2 Alabama
7 Boise State/West Virginia
Fiesta:
3 Oklahoma State 38
5 Oregon 37
Semi-finals in Saint Louis:
LSU/Wisconsin/Clemson versus Stanford/Arkansas
Alabama/Boise State/West Virginia vs. Oklahoma State
BCS Championship in New Orleans
But, ahh, the best laid schemes...the Cowboys and Ducks were scoreless after the first twelve minutes. What happened? Well, the Cowboys made some good defensive stands and also intercepted a Darron Thomas pass, and the Ducks had a solid first drive but took a fourth down risk that failed. On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys looked like more like Barney Fife, with their high powered bullets either in their pocket or completely misfired.
But you can't keep these kind of offenses down too long. Oregon started the second quarter scoring on a 54 yard Darron Thomas pass to Kenjon Barner to give the Ducks the opening 7-0 lead. Brandon Weeden finally responded during a solid subsequent drive culminating in a 43 yard pass to Justin Blackmon to tie the game. Within minutes, Weedon combined on a 67 yard TD to Blackmon, and the Cowboys took the 14-7 lead. But the Ducks were game, and answered with a TD on a Lavasier Tuinei 3 yard pass from Darron Thomas to tie the game at 14. Oregon's Alejandro Maldonado hit a field goal, and the Ducks grabbed a 17-14 lead. The Cowboys grabbed the lead back on a Weedon two yard run with a half-minute left in the first half. As the teams headed to their locker rooms at halftime, OSU lead Oregon 21-17.
The third quarter's scoring pace slowed as both teams seem to tighten knowing a close game was ahead of them, and the only scoring of the quarter was an Oregon field goal and then an Oklahoma State field goal. The final frame started with a 24-20 Cowboy lead.
But the drama of the fourth quarter lived up to the pre-game hype, and the Ducks lived by the field goal, and finally lost by the field goal. The quarter started with Oregon's Tuinei scoring on an 11 yard pass from Darron Thomas, and the Ducks led. Oklahoma State answered with another Weedon-Blackmon connection, and the Cowboys led 31-27. A third Maldonado field goal, this from 30 yards out, and the Ducks were within a point. Then Duck De'Anthony Thomas' explosive 91 yard touchdown run gave Oregon a lead of 37-31.
But Oklahoma State can score at warp speed, and the Cowboys took the lead back with 2:35 to play on a Joseph Randle 4 yard touchdown run, and Quinn Sharp's extra point provided a sliver of a lead of 38-37. Oregon made an impressive drive down the field, but missed a field goal with 0:03 to go, to break the hearts of the faithful in Eugene.
Oklahoma State returns to the semi-finals for the first time since the 1984-85 Cowboys beat top seeded BYU in overtime. And the curse of the third seed was broken by OSU. In the five seasons since the tournament expanded to ten teams, third seeds were 0-5 in BCS Bowls. The Cowboys head to the Saint Louis semi-finals overcoming both a curse and a talented Oregon opposition.
UPDATED TOURNEY RESULTS:
FIRST ROUND:
In Pittsburgh:
7 Boise State
10 West Virginia
In Green Bay:
8 Wisconsin
9 Clemson
BCS BOWLS (Quarterfinals):
Orange:
1 LSU
8 Wisconsin/Clemson
Rose:
4 Stanford
6 Arkansas
Sugar:
2 Alabama
7 Boise State/West Virginia
Fiesta:
3 Oklahoma State 38
5 Oregon 37
Semi-finals in Saint Louis:
LSU/Wisconsin/Clemson versus Stanford/Arkansas
Alabama/Boise State/West Virginia vs. Oklahoma State
BCS Championship in New Orleans
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