[NU Sports] Big 10 is 1-1 in buzzer-beaters today

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

>Can any of the remaining games be as dramatic as those two game?

Only comparable thing I can remember recently was 2000 with the Purdue-UGa
OT Outback, MSU-Florida Citrus on a FG at the end and the Orange Bowl
thriller with Bama and Michigan. Only problem was that miserable Rose Bowl
with Wisky and Stanford ... close, yes, but entertaining?

But we usually get one good B(C)S game, so I guess that's bad news for the
Sugar and Orange.:)

>I thought Texas was slightly better than Michigan, and in the long run
>I guess that's how it played out.

Yeah - I thought it was a pretty good matchup ... two talented teams with
coaches who don't always make the right moves but recruit well. I thought
Lloyd was a little too reluctant in the second half to go for the KO punch
and settled for field goals. Heck of a game by Breston, Edwards and Young
though -- still didn't feel right, but for a quasi-Rose Bowl, not bad.:)

>I predict a Stoops-Ferentz coaching matchup in a NC game, possibly soon.
>If they don't get lured away by the NFL, they may be the next pair of
>coaching legends in college football, possibly to rank with the likes of
>Paterno (in better days), Bowden, Osborne and Bryant.

Ferentz has sure done one heck of a job ... I do find it amusing though how
poorly the clock was managed at the end, though, and he admitted as much in
his comments after the game. They only managed one play in the last :28,
with two timeouts going unused ... fortunately, Drew Tate made that one
play count.:)

I don't think Carroll will be leaving SC for awhile (but then again, I
didn't think Saban would be foolish enough to leave Baton Rouge so early),
so those two programs are gonna be in the BCS mix for a long time. Ferentz
is making progress there -- he's still got some tough work ahead to get OSU
and Michigan out of their entrenched position (though NCAA sanctions may
help with the Buckeyes) recruiting and titlewise. But it may indeed happen
soon.

That Texas-OSU game in September should be one heck of an early-season
showdown.

I always like ESPN bowl games because they show the year of the player (ABC
doesn't) -- the Big Ten's looking pretty strong next year with OSU, Minny
and Iowa having a lot of folks back, Michigan returning Hart and Henne, MSU
with some firepower returning ... and don't forget that PSU's dominant
defense returns, so if they get even a halfway competent offense, they'll
be back. As for us, winning those first two games is crucial with the road
trip to ASU third on the list ... then a brutal Big Ten slate. We'll need
Baz at his best and a huge improvement in the secondary. But hope springs
eternal in January.:) Should be another fun football season in '05 ... now
we just gotta wait for it to get here!

GO CATS!!!
-SjT


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