Since I've been on the inactive list most of this week (strep throat), I've had the chance to catch up on the Bowl Bashes, putting the TiVo our friends gave us last month (thanks J & J) to great use. A few things that were missed in the TV coverage:
Outback Bowl: Penn State vs Tennessee
You know me and my interest in referees... the head referee in this year's Outback Bowl, Jerry McGinn, also called the 2006 FedEx Orange Bowl that featured PSU as well.
Oh, and was Paterno actually coaching or was he just a fan?
Sugar Bowl: Notre Dame vs LSU
For whatever reason, I always like to see the Fighting Irish lose and to see their golden domed-helmets tarnished makes it even better. Did anyone notice how close the LSU offensive huddles were to the line of scrimmage. From our days of playing pick-up, you always held the huddle out of hearing distance of the defense. I'm surprised Charlie “the wizard” Weiss didn't take advantage. I mean, even watching the game from my couch, it didn't take me long to figure out that when Jamarcus Russell would step back, and signal to his wide receivers with both hands raised, that he was checking off to a run play. But each of the four or so times he checked to it, LSU ran with success.
And did you catch who the guy was standing next to LSU coach Les Miles at the trophy presentation? That was the Chancellor of LSU, one Sean O'Keefe. Last I saw him, he was in NASA apparel answering questions about the Space Shuttle burning up on reentry. Hopefully LSU has deeper pockets, are more committed to their cause and have a more specific purpose, vision and strategy than his previous employer. At least their football program is strong.
Finally, since I've been misinformed in recent weeks, let me set the record straight. The 2007 Bowl Bash, while still following the BCS format we've grown accustomed to, is slightly different than previous years. The National Championship game is all it's own this year. The past four or five years the Championship game rotated among the big four: Fiesta, Rose, Sugar and Orange. While some thought the Fiesta was the Championship, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl featured the amazing Boise State/Oklahoma trickery filled treat. This year, the championship game is it's own game. To challenge the average sports fan, Tostitos decided to mix things up for us, sponsoring, not just their traditional sponsorship, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, but they also sponsored the entire Tostitos Bowl Bash and finally the Tostitos BCS National Championship. Now that that's cleared up, we'll have to see about Pastor Scott's beloved Buckeyes Monday night.
Hopefully, I'm back to work by then.
