Surviving "Paradise"

What a great day of college football on New Year’s Day!  One for the Big 12 and one for the big 10 in the day’s first bowl games.  20 Northwestern defeated Mississippi State 34 -20 in the Gator Bowl.  This was their first bowl win since the 1949 Rose Bowl and they halted a 9 game losing bowl skid. Congrats to Northwestern.

In the Heart of Dallas Bowl, Oklahoma State hammered Purdue 58 – 14. Chalk one up for the Big 12!

Then, two losses for the Big 10.

In the Capital One Bowl, 7 UGA derailed 16 Nebraska, 45 – 31 behind the leadership of Junior QB Aaron Murray.  Murray has 3 consecutive seasons of 3000+ yards passing.  Not even the great Peyton Manning accomplished that.  Will Murray return or declare for the draft?

In the best bowl game so far, 10 South Carolina outlasted 18 Michigan, 33 – 28.  WOW!  What a ball game.  Congrats to South Carolina and the old ball coach (Steve Spurrier)!  South Carolina wins 11 games for the second year in a row, the first time that has ever happened at the University of South Carolina.  QB Connor Shaw (hobbled), backup QB Dylan Thomas, Ace Sanders and Jadeveon Clowney (is he the best player in America?) put on a show.  This game had 4 lead changes in the final fifteen minutes of play.  The hit by Clowney on the Michigan QB that not only jarred the ball loose but sent his helmet flying was something to see.  Ace Sanders returns a punt for a TD and catches a TD pass.  Marcus Lattimore on the sideline, cheering his teammates on.  This game was superb!  Michigan bids farewell to QB,RB Denard Robinson after four years.  Again, what a game!

Next up, Brent and Herbie in beautiful Pasadena, CA for the Rose Bowl.  One of my “other” teams in action, 6 Stanford.

Stay tuned…

After today, bit of a breather.  One game a night and then the NFL wild card games on Sunday before Monday night BCS National Championship game.

Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl still to come today on New Year’s Day everyone!

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Happy New Year from Atlanta!  How about those Clemson Tigers!  Let’s hear it for the ACC!!  14 Clemson upsets 8 LSU at the Chick-fil-A bowl in Atlanta, 25 – 24, kicking a game winning field goal with 2 seconds left in the 4th quarter.  This is the first time in thirty one years Clemson has finished with 11 wins.

Clemson star Sammy Watkins goes out injured early in the first quarter after fumbling, and LSU goes  in for a TD.  Clemson trailed most of the game but never gave up.  If you had said the Clemson’s defense would be the difference maker, no one would have believed it, but with 7 forced three and outs, they were!  What can you say about Tajh Boyd!  The 4th down pass he sent to Hopkins was special delivery by Fed Ex.  What a comeback, especially after last year’s debacle in the Orange Bowl. Great win for Clemson over a top notch SEC opponent.  Great win for the ACC!!

Did I mention Georgia Tech beat USC today as well in the Sun Bowl??  I think I did!

In other news, Boise State will stay a member of the Mountain West in football in 2013.  Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder received the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award at halftime of the Chick-fil-A bowl.  Congrats to a very worthy recipient of this prestigious award.

Again, let’s hear it for the ACC.  Way to go Clemson!  Way to go GT!

Happy New Year everybody!  Six bowl games tomorrow!

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The seven year curse is over!  Georgia Tech has won the Sun Bowl, defeating USC 21 – 7.  What a performance by the Jackets, especially the defense under “interim” defensive coordinator Charles Kelly.  We wore the navy jerseys and we won!!  So proud to be a GT fan today!  Find it interesting that there was a dinner earlier in the week and USC, disappointed in their season and the fact that they were playing in the Sun Bowl and not somewhere else, decided to not show up.  Can I say, ‘NO class”.  Georgia Tech players came and after a hour and a half, asked if they could leave.  Well, they showed up for the game and WON!!!

Congrats to the seniors, thank you Tevin Washington, Orwin Smith (who scored a TD on a pass after suffering shoulder injury in the first half, Rod Sweeting (MVP of the game) and all the other seniors!  What a great way to go out, winning the first bowl game for GT in eight years.

The future is bright.  Let the Vad Lee era begin!  But, for now, thank you to the seniors and all the GT players who held their heads up high and went out and played a heck of a ball game!!

In the Liberty Bowl, 3rd quarter score, Tulsa leads Iowa State, 28 – 17.  I admit, I have not watched a minute of this game as I have watched my Yellow Jackets win.

Stay tuned…Liberty Bowl final to come and then LSU vs Clemson in the Chick-fil-A bowl!

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The regular season in the NFL has come to an end, and let the firings begin.  Great way to start the New Year, uh???

So far reports indicate that the following firings have taken place:

Lovie Smith fired by Chicago Bears after 9 seasons; Philadelphia Eagles fire Andy Reid; San Diego fires Norv Turner; (neither of these two a big surprise)  NY Jets fire GM but keep Rex Ryan; Buffalo Bills fire Chan Gailey (form GT coach); Cleveland Browns fire both coach Shumur and GM; Kansas City and Tennessee have reportedly fired their head coaches (?), unconfirmed; and in a bit of a surprise, Arizona fires head coach Ken Whisenhunt and their GM.  Whisenhunt was a star tight end at GT.

Wow, and it has only been one day since the regular season came to a conclusion.  Also, Bill O’Brien of Penn State is said to be on the short list of desired hires for a number of NFL teams, in addition to Chip Kelly of Oregon.

Stay tuned…

Update: Kansas City head coach fired, Tennessee head coach to return??

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