[NU Sports] Big Ten bowls ... 0-1

[Joe Thiegs]

Agreed.  I couldn't believe how upset I felt after the game was over--almost
like it was the 'Cats who lost!  Not quite, but close.  I'm not even a
Michigan fan (except in nonconference games, when I always pull for the
conference cousin unless a loss by that team would help my team get to a
better bowl).  Maybe it was part Big Ten solidarity, maybe part dislike for
Nebraska--one of three teams I actively root against (the others being
Southern California and Florida State)--but in large part I think it was
realizing that had Ecker cut back to the other side of the field and turned
it on about 5-10 yards before he was knocked out of bounds, we probably
would have witnessed one of the all-time greatest, most improbable plays in
football history.  A play that we'd be seeing on "top plays" lists and video
montages 40 years from now.  That whole side of the field was open (well,
except for half of the Nebraska sideline).  It looked like one DB still
would have had an angle on him, but (a) the DB would have been taking off
from a standing still position across the field compared to Ecker's running
start away from him, and (b) even if he caught up with Ecker it would have
been very close to the goal line, and, with one little move, cutback, or
powering ahead, Ecker still gets in.  Ugh.  Sure Michigan had other chances,
but you hate to see the game decided by the refs like that...especially in
favor of a Big Ten opponent, and especially Nebraska.  (See particularly the
Wolverines' forced use of timeouts to review plays that should have been
reviewed immediately and the horrible no-call on unquestionable pass
interference against the Wolverines in the end zone on their penultimate
drive of the game.)

As always, nothing personal intended to Mike, Tom, and other Husker fans on
the list.  It's probably not your fault you became Big Red fans!  ;)  I
couldn't stand Tom Osborne (still can't), I actually didn't mind Frank
Solich as much, and I have to admit that I kind of like Bill Callahan (just
as I also have to admit that I like Pete Carroll but still root against
USC).  Still, any school that fires a coach who went 9-3 the year before
deserves a few decades of consistent losing.

-Joe

-----Original Message-----
From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com] On
Behalf Of Hakirsch at aol.com
Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2005 6:14 AM
To: sjtruog at yahoo.com; nwu-sports at tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Big Ten bowls ... 0-1


The announcers were right--one of the worst officiated  bowl games I had
ever 
seen. Sure Michigan blew it with some turnovers in the 4th Q, but the game 
was stolen-bad calls, inexperienced refs  with the replay rule, etc--I root
for 
the Big 10 teams and I felt a little robbed, though having Michigan at only

7-5 could help our recruting a bit--partiuclarly with a Sun Bowl win 

Harry 
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