Some Fiesta Bowl thoughts

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.