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SEC teams go 1 – 2 in New Year’s Day Bowls, all bowl games in rainy Florida. LSU held on to defeat Iowa, 21 – 14 in the Outback Bowl (Tampa, FL) without the services of injured starting QB Zach Mettenberger. South Carolina was led by their starting QB Connor Shaw (named MVP of the game) and they defeated Wisconsin, 34 – 24 in Orlando at the Capital One Bowl. Jadeveon Clowney was a force and announced immediately after the game, he would in fact declare for the NFL draft. No surprise. (Teddy Bridgewater, QB Louisville, also announced the same intentions today). The losing team in the SEC today was UGA, without the services of QB Aaron Murray, going down to Nebraska courtesy of a 99 yard TD pass in the final minutes of the 4th quarter. The dawgs, led by sophomore Hutson Mason in only his second start at QB, lost 24 – 19 in a close one. This game was in Jacksonville, the Gator Bowl, of course.
Tremendous game going on right now in Pasadena, Michigan State just scored to go up 24 – 17 over Stanford in the second half of the Rose Bowl. This game is smash mouth football, not the crazy excitement of last night’s Chick-fil-A Bowl, but a great game non the less. Yikes! Stanford is in trouble. (I picked the Cardinals to win this one). Michigan State is playing without star LB Max Bullough, suspended. Back later with the final! Here it is: Michigan State stops Stanford on 4th down with a minute 45 seconds left! Spartans will win the 100th Rose Bowl, 24 – 20. What a performance by the MSU defense and by QB Connor Cook! A beautiful sunny day in Pasadena and a huge victory for the Big Ten Spartans over the Cardinals from the Pac 12 (last year’s Rose Bowl champs). I am disappointed I must admit, I was pulling for Stanford.
Tonight, still to come, the Fiesta Bowl from Glendale, Arizona. This will feature UCF vs. Baylor, two teams with 11-1 records and two teams with great quarterbacks, Bryce Petty for Baylor and Blake Bortles for UCF (both junior studs). Also, two great coaches, George O’Leary (UCF) and Art Briles (Baylor).
Update: UCF 52 – 42 over Baylor in an upset! Turnover prone but still prevailing, UCF wins biggest bowl game in school history (first ever BCS bowl appearance)! Huge night for QB Blake Bortles with 4 TD’s. Gee, as a GT fan I must lament…George O’Leary was and is a fantastic coach!
Bowl mania continues on Monday night (1/2/2014!) with the Sugar Bowl from New Orleans. Alabama vs. Oklahoma. Bama will try to take out their frustration from the crazy Iron Bowl loss to Auburn. Oklahoma will ride in on a high after defeating instate rival Oklahoma State and robbing them of the chance to play in a BCS bowl! I still would have liked to see Alabama vs. Oregon (wanted that last year as well in the title game). Oh well, maybe next year!
Until tomorrow…which is now Friday! I am really confused in 2014 so far!
