Know Your 2010 BCS Underdogs

TCU's Jerry Hughes would like a word with you.

It’s kind of weird to be an alum of a “football school” in a year when said school is …not that good at football, or at least not as good as we usually are.  For the first time in a while, no amount of computer poll weirdness, upsets, or bizarre tiebreakers are going to get my Sooners in a BCS bowl.  And we’re not the only ones in this boat (Hi, USC!).

As of this week (and for most of the season, really), the top contenders for the BCS Championship game are Texas (hate, for obvious reasons), Florida (hate, for last year), and Alabama (hate, for Nick Saban).  So I thought I’d look at the “underdogs” still in BCS contention — underdogs here not necessarily meaning a non BCS conference school, but a team that isn’t (or hasn’t been in the BCS era) a football power.  And of course, there are pictures.

Pat White

White Pat White led the West Virginia Mountaineers to a win in the Meineke Car Care Bowl on Saturday, December 27, 2008, he made history.

Thanksgiving Bowling and Charity

I go bowling with my family the day after Thanksgiving, but I didn’t realize what a wide-spread traidition it is. Apparently, turkey and bowling just go together. (Except for this poor turkey, who you’ll see with the bowling ball that killed it after the break.) So, I thought that in preparation for the big day later this week, I’d provide you some unique bowling shots and some stories about the Turkey Bowls and charitable giving going on. You know, to get you in the spirit of things a bit early.

Outback Bowl: Curtain call.

Tennessee 21, Wisconsin 17. Not the most satisfactory of endings, but that’s appropriate, given our year. After a season of What The Hell, his game wrapped up every plot thread like a proper finale should.

International Bowl Recap: Would you like some Rice with that W?

As everyone predicted, Rutgers pounced on Ball State, defeating them 52-30. The story of the game was Ray Rice.

He was simply it: 4 TDs and 280 yards, including a 90-yard score. Rice ended the season with 2,012 yards. Mike Teel, who has garnered a lot of ridicule from me this season, played brilliantly, with 3 TDs and 303 yards. (Of course, he still had an INT. But, we’ll let that one slide.)

RosezzzZZZzzz Bowl Wrapup: Pete Carroll without end, amen.

Choose the form of the destructor.

49-17?? This game shouldn’t have even happened. No one wins. Not the Grandaddy Bowl, which takes a massive PR hit. Not Rashard Mendenhall, a consistently entertaining watch whose 155-yard game was overshadowed by his team taking it in the mouth for four quarters. Not Desmond Reed, whose endzone gymnastics should have been encouraged, not penalized, in the name of giving us something interesting to look at. Certainly not the fans of the game (entertaining though it was to watch the Trojans rack up 633 yards of offense, we will now be treated to another offseason of their media darlinghood..and I say that as a fan of USC).

What’s not to love?

Who Knew Oranges Were So Sweet?

Kansas was the underdog. The underdog finally won a game. The Jayhawks beat Virginia Tech 24-21 in what turned out to be the best BCS bowl game so far. Who would have thought that? Todd Reasing had an okay game with 227 yards and a TD. And ZZ Top performed at halftime. As someone that was born when ZZ Top stopped being relevant (I’m assuming), good for them for still booking shows. Even if it is in a stadium that wasn’t full in the beginning of January. But this is about Kansas. As you guys know I love celebration pictures so that’s what you’re gonna get.

One Citrusy Good Win

I know I should do a recap for the Citrus-excuse me, Capital One-Bowl but right now I could care less about stats and crap. Chad Henne had a great game. Adrian Arrington had a great game. Percy Harvin had a great game for the Gators. Hell, even Tim Tebow had a good game when he wasn’t on his back. I’m not going to brag. I’m not going to talk about Heismans or SEC Speed. I’m not going to talk about what could have, should have been this season. I’m not going to talk about the new coach, effective today. Right now, I’m going to take a few moments to completely enjoy the fact that my team won a game that no one, not even Michigan fans, thought they could win. I’m going to take a moment to be happy for the only coach I’ve ever known throughout my fandom so far. I’m going to take a moment to be happy that the seniors get to go out with a win.

More celebration pics…

The Allstate Ass-Whuppin’ Bowl

So ya know all that talk about how undefeated Hawaii hadn’t played anybody but maybe they’d beat Georgia and have a strong case against getting left out of the national championship game?  Yeah…(/Lumberg).

This game was U-G-L-Y.  Somewhere around Georgia’s 52nd touchdown, my mom and I turned it off and watched 3 episodes of the West Wing (including The Supremes, which is in my top 10 of the entire series even if it is in Season 5.  Glenn Close rules all and I find William Fichtner strangely attractive).  I was really hoping for some kind of Boise State Miracle, but instead tt felt vaguely like watching a big bully beat up a runty hippie kid for his lunch money.

Some Sun and Some Insight: It Ain’t No 3-in-1, But It’ll Do…

Ah, two blowouts. Makes it a little easier on me. Especially since I, ah, didn’t get a chance to watch the games as I was getting ready for our New Year’s party where my parents-and the whole family- were going to be introduced to the BF. I know, I know! I’m sorry.

Oregon put the whoop ass on South Florida, 56-21, and Oklahoma State did the same against Indiana, 49-33. Onto the pics!

3-in-1 Bowl Games Spectacular! It’s Like Getting Three Games In One!

Are you a college football fan? Do you hate going from blog to blog, website to website trying to find recaps on all the games you just couldn’t see from beginning to end on New Year’s eve? Did you go out and party and get drunk and don’t remember the games you thought you saw? Well then today’s your lucky day, because for one day only we’re offering you a 3-in-1 bowl special! You’ll get three recaps in one post! No clicking around, no finding highlight, no having to go to the rival site to find some pictures, it’s all here! And when you click on the jump we’ll give you a free bottle of Johnnie Walker Black! Because Lord knows if you’re reading about Georgia Tech, Florida State, and Clemson football you need it. But that’s not all! We’ll also give you some food from one of the sponsors. It’ll go well with the bottle of liquor, plus it’s the best chicken sandwich around.

It’s the Blue Turf, music, and peaches! So don’t wait, order your 3-in-1 Bowl special now!

Independence Bowl Poetry Slam: A lot of tongue and no cheek.

I jumped to cover the Independence Bowl based on the wide margin of hate available. Nowhere else in the 2007 postseason is a team that’s been such a large part of my life (Colorado and the MAJESTIC BUFFALO) facing a team I so loathe (Alabama, and the presence of Saban in Tuscaloosa is only exacerbating things). The prospect of a lovely pink soapbox from which to broadcast my everlasting disdain for the Crimson Tide was a delicious one. I had planned to award these guys some sort of medal.

And then I read Spencer Hall’s Sporting News column on the matchup. And he took (seriously, seriously mild) shots at Shreveport. And the people of this fine metropolis rose up, pitchforks in hand, to write their Congressperson ululate about it on the internet, which fixes everything, and that’s about where the trouble started. As one commenter put it,

The Independence bowl was only singled out because if you say POULAN WEEDEATER BOWL out loud, it’s kinda funny. What is certain, though, is that people in Shreveport are passionately proud of their city and their culture, and they are just a bit touchy. A bit. Touchy….

As an added bonus, several clever trolls figured out how to make LARGE!RED!LETTERS! in their comment boxes. It was positively FanHousian. And it was time to bring back the Poetry Slam.

Standard disclaimer: I swear, I did not make any of these up. Original spelling, grammar, and punctuation have been preserved. All [sic]s implied.

Alamo Bowl: There’s No Crying In Football

Your designated Big 10 representative for the evening (Lady Andrea) and the only Big XII representative around these parts (me) were both tasked with a difficult job: watch the Alamo Bowl. Doesn’t sound hard- except that every single other person in the country was watching the Patriots take on the Giants. But Lady A’s allegiance to the Big 10 and my hatred of the Aggies is so strong that we persevered.

Since I’m 99% sure no one else watched the Alamo Bowl- here’s our play-by-play of the important action. You will notice we did not make one single “Remember the Alamo!” pun.

My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of Liberty (Bowl)

Of 10-3 I sing.

Nuthin’ But Nuts – The Emerald Bowl: Oregon State 21 Maryland 14

Sometimes you watch college football and think, “Gee willikers! This is so exciting! Balls are just a’flying every which way! Anything can happen!”

Sometimes you watch college football and think, “Jesus fucking christ,  it is the opening kickoff and they cannot catch the ball.  MORE. GIN. NOW.”

Champs Sports The Musical: Once More, With Feeling!

Michigan State and Boston College both tried their damnedest to lose this game. 7 turnovers in all, 5 by Michigan State. And yet, at the end, the Spartans had a real shot to win it. They kind of pissed it down their legs, though, with “tricky” plays like the QB running backwards for 12 yards on a 4th and inches instead of handing the ball to the damn fullback and punching it through. Big Ten Bowl record: 1-1. Sigh.

In part 2 of what is sure to become a regular series here at Ladies where I ogle barely-legal football players (seriously, these fellas are born in ’87 and ’88), I’d like to share with you the festivities from the Champs Sports Bowl Kickoff Luncheon. Following the Quiche Course, Spartan freshman linebacker Jon Misch played the piano. I don’t recognize the piece; I’m assuming it was written by some gentleman who wore a powdered wig at one time or another.

Wow…is it hot in here?

Texas Bowl: TCU vs. Houston

This is the logo for the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs. You do not need to see the bowl logo, or to know anything else about tonight’s matchup (because it’s at 8:00 on a Friday night on the NFL Network; you won’t even see the damned thing), apart from the following:

Horns’ Happy Hottie Holiday

Why, hello, Colt McCoy. Aren’t you looking all fine with that Offensive MVP trophy and those awesome Texas guns? I’m so glad to see you show up in San Diego at the Holiday Bowl without bringing along those friends of yours Mr. Int and Mr. Erception — you know, the ones that have been hanging around you all season. (Although I did notice that you couldn’t get rid of the other member of the Suck Trio, Mr. Fumble – but considering the scoreboard, I’ll forgive you.) You’re like our own Matt Saracen, all grown up – wide-eyed and full of small-town boyish charm. I am required by Texan law to lavish schmoopy praise on our QB- especially when his name is Colt McCoy, as clearly he was destined to lead us to victory with a name like that. (See? There I go again!)

Heck, now that I think of it, just about every member of the Longhorns team that stepped on the field last night looked pretty darned hot– winning will do that for you. Why don’t you all take a step forward so we can appreciate your hotness. NOT SO FAST, CHRIS JESSIE.

I’m pretty sure that you should never, ever, EVER step foot on the field of play again, unless you are specifically instructed to do so by a member of the coaching staff who is not your stepfather. I’m also pretty sure we need to outfit you with one of those child leash things, so that the coaches can yank you backwards like Phillip the Hyper Hypo if you try to run up and grab a live ball again.

Now that we’ve covered that unpleasantness, we can move on to all the pictures of hotties, after the jump…

Revin’ My Motor At the Motor City Bowl

So, I’m suddenly very familiar with Dan LeFevour. Hello you. I’m sorry your second-half surge fell short and you lost to Purdue on a last-second field goal. But you still threw for almost 300 yards and had 4 touchdowns. And you’re hot. Here’s my tribute to Mr. LeFevour. Because I’ve got a fever and the only prescription is…more LeFevour.

The New Mexico Bowl, featuring…New Mexico.

I feel like the delivery boy in Big Daddy, except instead of screaming, “He get all da easy ones!” I’m screaming, “They get all da exciting ones!”  Seriously.  So far we’ve had a great Utah/Navy that came right down to the wire and last night BYU tips a game-winning field goal to hold on against UCLA.  Very exciting stuff.  The New Mexico Bowl?  Not so much.

Why do they put the logo over the skyline of Albuquerque?
That is so ugly!