OK State hammers Purdue in some bowl in Dallas. Northwestern ends bowl loss streak and solidly beats a SEC team to boot! How is that possible? :twisted: Georgia and Nebraska played a back and forth game with not much defense, now that was expected from Nebraska, but a SEC defense not playing much defense..what's that all about!! In the end the Neb lack of defense got them, gave up the big plays to lose 45-31. Georgia though didn't look as good as Wisconsin did against the Huskers. Michigan vs South Carolina. I watched this game, it was a really good game. Brady Hoke did his best to channel his inner Les Miles with all the go for broke plays on 4th down. That last one where not only did he get a generous spot, but the ball when measured was clearly not touching the marker and even I could see it from where I sat on the couch...was called 1st down by the blind ref. I thought Spurrier would spike him instead of his visor! But that lead up to the play of the bowl season so far, Javedon Clowney decleating the UM TB and causing a fumble which he reached out a paw and picked up like it was a nerf ball. Still game came down to the last minute with a great play by the backup Cock QB who was hammered as he let the ball fly for a TD pass to seal the win. I have to say I was pretty darn impressed with the versatility of Denard Robinson. I don't know where he'll go in the NFL draft and whether his athleticism and speed will find a spot but he really has been and exciting player the last 4 years.
This game did nothing to change my opinion that Georgia just isn't very good. And Michigan damn near taking out SCAR shows the top of the SEC just might not be the world beaters everyone (ESPN) seems to think they are. Granted, those are two quality wins (ignoring the fact that Wiscy put 70 on NE) and better than anything the P12 has put up so far, but c'mon.
Hey Kes... By your logic then Stanford must not be all that great... they squeaked by a 7-5 Big 10 team.
I actually expected the B1G to get shut out.....considering they all had to play up the equivalent of two bowl tiers, they were more competitive than I anticipated. Good games all.....
Michigan would have been the Big 10's best rep in the Rose Bowl next to OSU in my opinion. SC was no better than 5th in the SEC.
re: Wisconsin The Badgers lost three games in OT and two games on the road by a total of six points at Lincoln, Nebraska and Corvallis, Oregon. When was the last time that Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina or LSU visited either Nebraska or Oregon? ......or California...
Alabama had a home and home with USC in 1970 and 1971, and again in 1977 an 1978, Alabama had a home and home with UCLA in 2000 and 2001 Alabama had a home and home with Oklahoma in 2002 and 2003 (its not Nebraska but same conference)
Corey, I would day that going outside of the conference to play quality programs across the country is something that is more rare than we all think for all conference teams, not just SEC. Now the SEC stretches further Wesr with the addition of A&M.
Tom, It didn't use to be for Pac10 (now P12) teams, but that's changing. The SEC/Big12 model was shown to be the way so teams like Oregon will spend less time travelling to Knoxville and more time loading up on Sacramento State. It's awful. It cheapens the game. However, this is the sad reality of the state of college football. Guys like Herbsteit and Danielson (who is still imho the biggest effing tool on any network) can make these sweeping proclamations and are (quite literally) running their own ad campaigns for teams/conferences. It's so transparent, but no one ever accused the American consumer of being smart. I think you guys have always traveled well though. I think the numerous times we've discussed this, that was always a given.
I think that times are a changing for the cupcake brigade. Meyer said this morning that they were reviewing their future schedules with the thought that SOS will come into play in determining the schools that make the "Final Four." Sound like bad news for Youngstown St.