Three perspectives:
- Boise State. You know how we in the SEC used to refer to Spurrier as the guy you’d pick if you had to have a coach for one game? Well, Chris Peterson is that guy now. What an absolutely brilliant game plan he came up with – he knew the TCU defense would be the best unit on the field for either team, but his defense did a great job of making the TCU offense one-dimensional. That and the turnover edge evened the game out. He got the win because he continues to have the balls of a burglar in big games.
- TCU. Horned Frogs, we Dawg fans feel your pain. Red-headed quarterback throwing picks all night? Check. Ineffective running game? Seen that, too. Stupid penalties killing any semblance of rhythm on offense in the first half? Yep. Burned on a fake punt? Been there. On the other hand, we’d take your defense in a heartbeat. I don’t know how TCU’s offense would hold up in the SEC, but that defense wouldn’t have to apologize to anyone. On a night when its offense basically imploded, TCU held Boise State 27 points below its season average (and seven of that came on a pick-six) and more than 140 yards of total offense under the Broncos’ season average.
- Fox. Bless your hearts, you guys tried, you really did. You didn’t subject us to Thom Brennaman. There was no mention of Jumpers. You didn’t give us endless puzzling shots of the schools’ bands at totally strange moments during the game. Camera work was good. On the other hand, you still haven’t figured out how to broadcast the feel of a college game; crowd shots seemed random all night. And this won’t do you any favors, either (h/t The Wizard of Odds):
Of course, the question on everyone’s mind this morning is the bigger picture one.
… Some wondered whether the Broncos deserved a shot at the national title. On this night, they were just barely good enough to edge Mountain West champion TCU, snapping the Horned Frogs’ 14-game win streak.
Asked if he thought Boise State should be No. 1, Efaw replied, “Probably not. But I mean, maybe next year. I don’t know. We have a great team and we fight hard and we’re undefeated.”
I think Gary Patterson’s got it right when he questions how much an eight-team (or larger) playoff would help a program like his. I don’t know if either of these schools could survive the demands of playing three single-elimination postseason games. But a one-shot title game chance? Call it a puncher’s chance if you’d prefer, but sure. Especially if Chris Peterson were coaching in it.
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UPDATE: I would be remiss if I didn’t point you to Matt Hinton’s post about another Fox high water mark during last night’s broadcast.
I thought only Tennessee had “cummunication” majors. You know with all the hostesses hanging around.
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Best part of that fake was they threw to a reciever lined up inside instead of the usual wing & prayer to an outside release. Although if the reciever drops the ball, then Peterson might look like a goat today (or at least Les Miles)
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Both teams were worthy of an invitation to a championship tournament.
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As were Texas, Alabama, Cinci, Florida, and several other schools to fill out the field.
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I blame TCU’s performance on those pants. How can any self-respecting human go out in public in those things?
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A sloppy, mistake filled game between 2 middleweights.
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Fox sunk to a new low. Missing the fumble live in the middle of the 3rd because they cut to a crowd shot BEFORE THE PLAY WAS OVER is just inexcusable.
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They just now sunk to a new low? That didn’t happen with all the “Jumper” references during the UGA/Hawaii Sugar Bowl or the “Tebow Cam” during this year’s Sugar Bowl?
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Or referring to Georgia as “the Gators” during the UGA/UH Sugar Bowl.
THOSE particular Gators finished 5th in the SEC and, unlike Appy State, got slapped around by Michigan. But hey, close enough.
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Wait, we _didn’t_ get endless puzzling shots of the schools’ bands at totally strange moments during the game? I thought we saw more of both bands than we did the respective sidelines.
I’ll agree that Fox has improved, at least. But they’re still gawdawful.
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My standard for “endless” was the ’08 Sugar Bowl.
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Admittedly, that’s an awfully high standard.
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Orson actually made the effort to count the number of band appearances through the third quarter.
So that’s what you can do when you turn this blogging thing into a paying gig. I’m jealous.
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Many of the comments on Hinton’s post are hilarious. This is my favorite:
“Funny, the Sugar bowl featured shots of Fox analysts with their hands inside of Tim Tebow.”
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Referring to Andy Dalton as Andy Reid? Check.
The cameraman being completely flummoxed by the play action plays? Check. (It’s not like either of them had a QB with the PA talent of D. Greene).
Long lingering shots of the TCU cheerleaders? Definite check.
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Hey! Those cheerleaders were cute!
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I was going the two negatives and a positive route.
Cute is an understatement for the TCU girls
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Clay Travis likes the upskirt TCU cheerleader cam, too
http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/01/05/separate-but-equal-bowl-proves-its-time-for-equality/
and #54 on Boise seems to be doing pretty well for himself, too
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Oh Fox. Listen, I get that you don’t do college football. I get it. So when you kept announcing that “Well in college football the PI is 15 yards, you only need one foot in, these people aren’t paid”, listen, I let that slide. Even though it’s pretty obvious that the only people watching this middleweight game are college football fans who are well aware of the rules. (Do you honestly think regular NFL watchers would tune into this bowl?)
And when you can’t remember peoples names or mistake them with NFL people, okay, slip of the tongue. A bit of sloppiness but I can still let that slide cause, hey, you really don’t do college football except for these 5 games.
Extensive shots of the band/crowd? Umm, sure I guess. I mean, they don’t have bands in NFL so Fox is probably pretty damn excited about it. I seem to remember one of the announcers last night saying “you know my favorite part about college football? the bands”. to which the other announcer followed up with a respectable, “i like the pure competition and energy of the players”. So okay Fox, you don’t get a lot of bands around these parts, shoot em up.
But when you can’t follow the freaking PA passes or keep the camera on the field until the whistle… there’s just not excuse. You’ve had SEVENTEEN weeks of football and some things are absolutely no different than the NFL.
It kinda reminds me of UGA vs UF. We know what to do, we’ve played football before, we’ve played good football before, but we still seem to sh*t the bed when put on that stage.
College bowl games are Fox’s Jacksonville.
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Getting past the short-comings of the broadcast, does anyone agree with me that if CMR doesn’t already have someone lined up today that he should place a call to Justin Wilson? BSU’s defense was outstanding last night. Loved the freelance corner blitz when the corner noticed that his man, the only guy he’d be responsible for covering and who would also be the only guy who could block him, went in motion to the other side. BSU might not be the most talented group out there (I thought TCU looked like they had better personnel) but I haven’t seen a better coached or better prepared team.
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I’m with you Derek. I was thinking the same thing last night.
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Don’t forget how many points Alabama lost to Utah by last year.
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