Fiesta Bowl surprises
-I was really shocked with the way that Boise State pushed TCU around on both sides of the line. This was supposed to be a top-flight TCU defense and they got stalemated in the trenches.
-I was surprised by how sloppy the game was - lots of dropped passes, imprecise routes, backs not breaking routing tackles. Maybe they were playing Lloydball but no one looked sharp on offense for most of the game.
-I was vaguely disappointed and somewhat embarrassed to see TCU lose, because I wanted to see the Mountain West get BCS entry and I spent most of the season thinking they were better than Texas and should have been in the Big One.
-Despite the 2007 Fiesta Bowl hijinks, Boise State doesn't make a habit of running a bucketload of trick plays, so I was surprised to see them pull a fake punt with the game tied. Shows you what I know, they scored the go-ahead TD on the drive.
-Another shocker - the Frito Lay executive is extremely large. Like I-ate-Mark-Mangino large. Is that the image they want projected about their product?
-Finally, a shoutout to Bronco QB Kellen Moore from my home state of Washington. When I was in high school my team went to watch the state final with his dad's team in it. They came back from a deficit to win the title, and had a QB who went to Washington State and a running back who allegedly went on the lam to evade drug charges - last I heard he was roughing it on the US-Canada border to evade the DEA. Wild!
January 5th, 2010 at 12:11 AM ^
I'll give Boise a lot of credit - they really dominated TCU and deserved to win this game. But this wasn't the TCU team that showed up all year. This was an inconsistent, poorly-executing version of it that probably would've went 8-4 or 9-3.
Overall I've seen a ton of sloppy play in the bowl games.. not really happy with the month-long layoff, to be honest.
But again, congrats to Boise. Petersen deserves a job elsewhere.. which he won't be getting sadly. Then again, so does Patterson.
January 5th, 2010 at 12:13 AM ^
offense was not even close to top five
January 5th, 2010 at 12:15 AM ^
I thought the game was pretty even. Without the fake punt, Boise would have no off. touchdowns. Both teams played pretty good defense. Would be a different story had the TCU receiver not dropped the potential tying TD pass.
January 5th, 2010 at 12:17 AM ^
Or if the TCU receivers hadn't dropped about 6 other passes.
January 5th, 2010 at 1:56 PM ^
or if dalton hadn't thrown a pick-6
January 5th, 2010 at 12:17 AM ^
they had one of the weaker conference schedules, but they dominated the pac ten champion oregon ducks. I think they'd beat texas and give alabama a good game. hopefully this increases the demand for a playoff.
January 5th, 2010 at 12:20 AM ^
Peterson would be a good fit at Texas Tech, even better Leach would be a good fit for the Oakland Raiders.
January 5th, 2010 at 12:22 AM ^
Petersen can go to Texas Tech and Leach can take over in Boise?
January 5th, 2010 at 12:23 AM ^
Really disappointed. I wanted the MWC to run the table. I wanted a dominating performance by TCU to make the Texas choice for the MNC questionable.
I was a little unimpressed with Jerry Hughes. I'd seen three or four of his regular season games, but this was by far the least dominant that I had seen him.
I'm getting sick of the teams that I root for falling short. That, and sick of games such as this- that have no real argument for or against the BCS getting portrayed as a reason that the BCS got it right. The same people who argued that Alabama was just unmotivated last year against Utah will be arguing that Cincinnati's and TCU's performances are indications that the BCS is okay the way it is. As I said, I'm really disappointed.
January 5th, 2010 at 12:49 AM ^
"I'm getting sick of the teams that I root for falling short. "
As a Michigan fan, you must be quite sick already.
January 5th, 2010 at 12:55 AM ^
Your perception fails you not.
January 5th, 2010 at 10:15 AM ^
I saw a stat during the game that Boise had given up only 5 sacks all year. Maybe you should just be really impressed with the BSU O-line and not unimpressed with Jerry Hughes.
January 5th, 2010 at 12:25 AM ^
Maybe both offense were imprecise and what not because both the defenses are really really good. Boise D is as good as anybody in the Pac 10. They allowed a total of 18 points to the Pac 10 and MWC Champs this season, btw.
I had a feeling Peterson would have a surprise. He's one heckuva coach and probably spent the offseason kicking himself about what he thought he could have done better vs TCU last year. He's been waiting a whole year to pull a big play on them.
Loved the game. Loved seeing Boise win. Not really that stunned by it. They had revenge, wanting to beat the only team whose beaten them the last years. meanwhile there was chirping from the TCU camp about wishing they were playing a bigger name. Classic bowl motivation mismatch.
January 5th, 2010 at 12:34 AM ^
"They allowed a total of 18 points to the Pac 10 and MWC Champs this season, btw. "
True, they also had nail-biters against Nevada and Tulsa that critics felt were closer than they should be.
I'm not really disagreeing with you - they obviously played some great D tonight and I think it's safe now to say that Boise State underachieved in the regular season. In any event I'm proud of what they've done - in three of their last four seasons, they've won about 35 games and lost one, beaten Oregon State and Oregon (TWO ass whuppins!), and one of their losses two seasons ago was to a BCS representative in Hawai'i.
January 5th, 2010 at 8:16 AM ^
It seems as if every team shy of Yost's point-a-minute team from 1901, who out scored opponents 550-0 en route to an 11-0 season and a National Championship (I digress in the name of greatness) has a nail biter or two versus a team they should throttle: Florida versus Arkansas, Alabama versus Tennessee, Boise versus Tulsa, etc. I feel that Boise is a top-10 program right now, but they need to leave the WAC sooner than later.
January 5th, 2010 at 8:25 AM ^
maybe Texas shouldn't be playing in the MNC game because the refs screwed Nebraska. The clock was at zero and a second shouldn't have been put back on thus no FG and no MNC game.
Then there's the fiasco of the refs shafting Arkansas to allow Florida to remain unbeaten.
I don't see how Boise underachieved as everybody has bad games and those struggles were 7 and 11 point victories. Alabama struggled against Auburn and Tennessee.
January 5th, 2010 at 12:37 AM ^
I didn't know that the Boise St. defense even had a pulse going into this game, I guess they should be given more credit for only giving up 8 to Oregon, even though Oregon looked off in that game.
TCU's offense was definitely lackluster, but I'd say I've always been impressed by their defense and this year is no different. They held the "#1 scoring offense" to what is essentially 10 points and the only offensive touchdown was scored after a long fake punt.
Ah well, I guess I just wish that TCU would have done more offensively, but alas my hat tip goes to Boise St.
-UMichGA
January 5th, 2010 at 12:45 AM ^
"They held the "#1 scoring offense" to what is essentially 10 points and the only offensive touchdown was scored after a long fake punt."
Not trying to be weird-psychic or "i told you so" about it, but did anybody else think it looked like Boise was looking to set up the fake punt with the roll-out punt? It seemed the punt pre-ceeding the fake was different from their previous ones, and it didn't surprise me at all when BSU then faked the next one. Just seemed Peterson was feeling things out and then took the chance.
January 5th, 2010 at 7:34 AM ^
I wish I had waited longer for your Fiesta Bowl pick to go up on Justcoverblog. Instead, I went with "my gut", picked TCU and lost my $$$$$.
Who do you like in the Orange Bowl, jmac? I plan to bet on Iowa, but you have been rock solid in your picks over the last dozen or so bowl games and I will probably go with your prediction.
Question: I am new to sports betting and I have been taken in by the lure of big payoffs with parlays, but, frustratingly, find that I usually miss ONE of the picks and lose the whole bet. In your experience, are parlays just "sucker" bets? I missed three different paralys on Sunday by ONE team in each paraly (two 5-teamers and one 4-teamer) that would have paid over $600.00...ARRRRGGGGHHHH!
January 5th, 2010 at 8:45 AM ^
Yeah, sorry about not getting the post up sooner. It was up at least a couple hours before kickoff, but with the return to the office and work after the holidays, I had a hard time finding time to finish it and post earlier. Sigh. I already miss the holidays.
I do like Iowa plus the points right now. I sae 5 last night, but havent checked any updates. I think regardless of the spread. I think they have the better defense. I will have a post up, hopefully sooner than yesterday. But, its Iowa all the way.
As for parlays, I dont play them. I had a bookie tell me once he laughs when people do parlays. He always said it's hard enough to pick one game right, let alone 3 or 4. I rarely play them.
But, I always tell people to gamble what you're comfortable doing, from amount bet to style of bet. Find your comfort level and go from there.
January 5th, 2010 at 10:36 AM ^
I usually play parlays because you can lay a small amount and win big when you hit. I usually play a 5-leg every week for a dime. If I just win once in a season I break even. Yes, it is difficult to do, but 1 in 15 is achievable and 2 or 3 in 15 is a nice pay out over the course of a season.
I went to Vegas for the championship weekend and won 6 of 7 on three separate parlays, so I know what you mean by frustration!
January 5th, 2010 at 12:56 AM ^
Nobody seems to pay attention to the fact that Boise had the 14th best total defense in the country going into this game. Both teams tackled very well and swarmed to the ball from what I saw. Specifically TCU's tackling was outstanding.
January 5th, 2010 at 12:57 AM ^
I must say, for a large portion of the game, the defenses were FLYING around the field....if only we could have such results
January 5th, 2010 at 1:14 AM ^
I don't put much stock in bowl games. Taking three weeks off from football will make any team sloppy. I have hated bowl games for that fact alone.
January 5th, 2010 at 1:49 AM ^
I wasn't really impressed by either team. Honestly I think this ends any discussion of either of them being the best team in the nation this year
also, nice to see a fellow Michigan fan from Washington on here.
January 5th, 2010 at 3:18 AM ^
Just plain wrong. You should be ashamed.
January 5th, 2010 at 2:14 AM ^
Of course, this game did not settle any questions about TCU or BSU being able to hang with the 'Bamas and Texases of the world. The BCS heads just wouldn't have it.
Honestly, I don't know what else Boise State has to do. Their ability to find ways to win gets them my vote. 14-0 is a tough task no matter who you are or who you play.
January 5th, 2010 at 9:52 AM ^
I'd have to say that the quality of football disappointed me. I really don't think the close game was a reflection of two great football teams. However, I admit that the Fox broadcast was so lame that it colored how I felt about what was going on on the field.
January 5th, 2010 at 10:17 AM ^
Oh come on, I bet you're now well aware that Boy-see State's QB and WR are brothers.
I just got the feeling that both teams didn't have their hearts in it to play each other again, rather than getting a shot at one of the big games. Being stuck at the kid's table again has to take the wind out of your sails.
January 5th, 2010 at 10:22 AM ^
...actually played good. They held a great offense to 17 points and gave them a chance to win in the end. I think TCU's qb is really bad though. He looked like Teel from the Ray Rice Rutgers days.