Utah was the most impressive bowl win. It was also the biggest disappointment to me. I don't have any idea how a major program that supposedly has a lot of pride can allow one of these mid-majors to beat them. You all know what's going to happen if it were allowed to become a trend, right? Every year, there's going to be a mid-major that beats up on high-school teams and goes undefeated while the big boys all beat the snot out of each other. And every time one of them wins a big-time game, bowl committees will get closer and closer to putting them in the Championship game. I, for one, hate the idea of a non-BCS school getting a shot at the BCS title...being rewarded for nothing. Sorry, I just had to vent a little.
Utah's was the most impressive win. But we must put it in context. Bama showed up flat and in a funk from the loss to Florida. In fact, they looked just like LSU did vs. Troy after the Tigers lost a heart-breaker to Bama. Then you have the Andre Smith soap opera. What a distraction! Me, me, me, me, me. Suspended. Resentment among teammates and coaches. More excuses not to be motivated to play a bunch of Mormons. And, of course, you have a very good team from the Mountain West with a ton to prove to a national audience. All those simmering ingredients add up to an Upset Gumbo in the Big Easy.
It's still ammo for the anti-SEC sentiments. :angryfire But oh, well. Hopefully Florida can keep the SEC dynasty going! Geaux Gators!
There's little dispute that the SEC is the best conference. Whatever dispute there is is conjured by the media for ratings. Florida will not just beat Oklahoma, they will dominate them. OU will not be able to run the football. Bradford will see a severe, consistent pass rush for the first time this season. He will be sacked a handful of times, be knocked down almost every play, and throw multiple picks. OU's defense has seen nothing like Florida's offense. Tim Tebow is the best player in the nation, and Percy Harvin is the most dangerous player in the nation. Add Jeffrey Demps and a dominant offensive line and you get the Gators posting half a hundred points on the Sooner D. The game will be over by halftime. :crystal:
I was thinking the same thing. As impressive as their Sugar Bowl win was, their only other big win of the year came against BYU. I'm all for undefeated teams from non-BCS conferences playing in BCS games, but not the National Championship. In this day of limited scholarships, it's already been proven that mid-majors can beat the traditional powers on any given Saturday, but they wouldn't be undefeated if they had to endure the rigors of a BCS conference schedule, with MAYBE the exception of the Big Least.
They also scheduled, played and beat Michigan (no way they could have known Michigan would suck at time of scheduling) and beat Oregon State and TCU. USC got to the Rose Bowl losing to Oregon State and OU's toughest, closest game was against TCU. I think Utah deserves the props they got. They certainly could have held their own in the PAC 10, Big Ten, ACC and Big East this year. I think they would be an Ole Miss/(this year's LSU or UGa in the SEC).
First off, I am a Tiger fan....end of story. But my Son goes to Texas Tech so I got us tickets to the Cotton Bowl game. I had double reason to enjoy the game, pulling for Tech and against Ole Miss. Let me tell you, the score did not accurately reflect how bad Ole Miss kicked their butt. They looked darn good. I don't know how they lost as many games this year as they did. Hated to pull against an SEC team in either that game or the Alabama game, but man I loved to see Bama get beat. Didn't Saban look pissed!? Loved it. I rank the most impressive bowl wins in this order: LSU (1), Ole Miss(2), and Utah (3). Also proud of Vandy. Naturally not a big Gator fan, but living in Texas and having to see OK so much, I hate the Sooners and will be pulling for the Gators to win it all and keep it in the SEC again. Mark
It's interesting that USC's domination of Penn State hasn't been noted in this thread. What they did to Penn State in the second quarter was impressive. Sort of like what LSU did to Ohio State in the second quarter of the BCS championship game last year unless y'all don't count that as domination? USC certainly deserves props in this respect.
It's a tough choice between LSU and Utah. Both teams were the underdog. Of the two, LSU was unranked, and the size of LSU's defeat of #12 GT. as well as its complete domination on both sides of the ball was impressive. But Utah manhandled the #4 team in the nation - just not at the level that LSU manhandled GT. All-in-all, I will go with LSU over Utah, but I would hate to have to live on the difference.
USC's annual beating of an arbitrarily overrated Big Ten team is no big deal. Personally, as happy as I was that LSU won the BCSCG I wasn't THAT impressed with LSU's win over OSU last year. I felt it could have been much worse for the Buckeyes...something on the order of what UF did to them the year before or what LSU did to VaTech earlier on. I'm sorry, but either the Big Ten teams aren't that good or they just refuse to get up for Bowl Games, as is evidenced by their bowl record thus far. I have to say I was impressed with Iowa, though. They very soundly beat South Carolina, and I was expecting a close game and an SC victory.
