Posted on 01/03/2003 9:20:40 PM PST by ItsBacon
Edited on 01/03/2003 9:27:16 PM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
31-24 after 2 overtimes
I agree... maybe there's hope, now that the BCS finally worked, with the only two unbeatens playing for it all (due more to coincidence than a good system). BCS forming committee to discuss possible playoff
Personally, I prefer the top eight playing a three-week playoff. It's rare that a team outside of the top 6 have any real legitimate claim, and the other two spots can go to low-ranked teams with good records (like Boise St this year... hard to argue with 12-1 and a bowl win... also, Marshall and TCU went 11-2 and 10-2, and won their bowl games, but didn't even crack the top 20).
They can still rotate the championship game between the 4 bowls. Three other major bowls could get in the action, as well (probably Gator, Cotton, and Citrus).
This year, my eight contenders would've been 1) Miami, 2) OSU, 3) Iowa, 4)USC, 5)Georgia, 6) (bowl-dissed) Kansas St.(10-2, #6 in the country, gets the friggin’ Holiday Bowl against unranked 8-5 Arizona St?!?), 7) Oklahoma, and a wildcard to 8) Boise St. Suit ‘em up, and have at it! (Of course, they'd probably throw in a highly-over-rated Notre Dame every year, just out of "tradition". Grr.)
7 Teams Miami beat were in Bowl games. 3 of those won. Most lost handily.
The Miami/OSU weather was a split favoring neither team.
C'mon, lighten up. The game isn't decided in the broadcasting booth, its decided on the field. Officiating calls go either way over the course of a game. Teams just have to deal with them as best they can. When a call goes your way, you have to make the best of it. When it doesn't you have to bouce back. Good teams that win championships just deal with it and do what they have to do to win.
The Bucks did it with defensive effort and never-say-die attitude. They keep battling all season and put themselves in a position to win the big prize. They hung in there through the whole game and just kept coming back, knowing that if you keep trying and don't quit then you never know what can happen.
Their defensive plays won this game like they have all season. They forced two Miami turnovers and the offense turned those into touchdowns. Then Miami's Taylor makes a good play on the ball and gets an intercept, but Clarett (an offensive player at that) comes in and strips the ball from him. That leads at a field goal. That's 17 points right there as a result of defensive plays. Then they hold Miami on four downs inside the five, two of them from about the one yard line. A good number of teams might have just conceded the touchdown right there. But the Bucks just kept playing their game, knowing that as long as the door was open just a crack there was a chance for them to walk through it.
This was a game where there were people predicting Maimi would win by 63-3, or 48-7, or all sorts of nonsense. The Buckeyes were having none of it. They knew the game would be decided on the field. These guys are ballplayers, and they knew going in that playing the game was why they were there. They won the game and the championship fair and sqaure, on the field where it should be won. That that's something all the whining in the world by the naysayers won't change.
And then someone saw the flag.
Pass interference. On a fourth-and-three from the Miami 5. In overtime. After first signaling incomplete pass -- setting off the Miami celebration -- field judge Terry Porter threw the yellow hankie a few heartbeats after the ball fell to the turf. The penalty was on 'Canes freshman corner Glenn Sharpe who was checking OSU's Chris Gamble.
Glenn Sharpe was called for pass interference against Chris Gamble in OT in the Fiesta Bowl. "I saw the guy holding the guy prior to the ball being put in the air," Porter said. "He was still holding him, pulling him down while the ball was in the air. I gave the signal for holding. Then I realized it should be pass interference because the ball was in the air."
Porter, part of a Big 12 officiating crew, says the call was delayed because he replayed it in his mind: "I wanted to make double sure it was the right call."
Don't you think the ref knew the outcome of the game could hinge on this call or non-call? Give him credit for pausing to replay it in his mind before throwing the flag.
The Buckeyes played smart, capitalized on turnovers and shut down the vaunted Miami running game, forcing the 'Canes to play Ohio's style of football.
The Buckeyes have bought into Tressel's system. With Tressel's top ranked recruiting class of a year ago already contributing to this year's successes, one can only imagine what the future may hold as more highly recruited prospects opt for OSU in order to play for a man like Tressel, and to have a shot of playing for a title. GO BUCKEYES!!!
The pundits like basektball on grass, not real football. Therefor the size and strength of the Big 10 and Big 12 are under-respected. As we see every year, Real football wins. Substance over style.
Even the last play of the game embodied that principle. Cie Grant breaks in and rushes that Dorsey pass, and it drops. If they don't get that kind of defensive pressure, Dorsey can hit a receiver or scramble in. And they stuffed the two running attempts prior to that play. Doesn't get much better...
Actually, with watching recent games, it appeared to me that Iowa matched up better against Miami, and OSU better against USC. OSU definitely would have had Gamble and Willhelm going for them. Those two don't wear out.
He was throwing some beauties to those tall receivers of his.
Your whole argument is fair except this deviation. When a team like Marshal schedules nobody and beats up on nobodies, then loses to Akron (Leftwich or no Leftwich or injured Leftwich, no excuse) they do not deserve to be considered for a National Championship, regardless of record.
I agree that USC was playing very good football at the end of the year. Who knows what would have happened in hypothetical playoffs, that is a very dangerous team.
However, I've heard too much about how USC WOULD DEFINETELY beat OSU though. OSU played a phenomenal season, had its ups and downs, but won every single game. College Football right now does not allow for streakiness. You have to play consistent enough football to win all of your games. OSU did what it had to do to give itself a shot, if USC would have done the same then maybe things would be different. Everybody thought that Miami was going to roll over OSU as well, didn't happen. I would love to see a game between USC and OSU though, it would be a great game.
Okay, here's my update: the weaker conference teams have to go undefeated to get a potential wildcard invite to the Elite Eight... TCU and Marshall this year wouldn't qualify, but Marshall in 2001 would... and as long as there are no other worthier teams (like Texas this year. It hurt me to not include them in my top 8. I guess I could bump Boise St since they lost that one to Arkansas, heh-heh.)
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