There Is No Cat

Bowl Day!

New Year’s Day is one of my favorite days of the year, because I get to spend the whole day in front of the TV watching college football from 11 am until 1 am. I wouldn’t want to do that every weekend (although I’ve been known to do it occasionally during the season), but this one day, it’s great. Doubly so because the first game, starting at 11 am, was Penn State vs. Tennessee in the Outback Bowl, and Penn State won.

But as enjoyable as that game was, it didn’t hold a candle to the just-finished Fiesta Bowl. Nobody believed that undefeated Boise State belonged in the BCS. But they led Oklahoma (Oklahoma!) for almost the entire game. Oklahoma tied the game on their third attempt at a two point conversion, then went ahead for the first time with just over a minute left when they intercepted a Boise State pass and returned it for a touchdown. Oops. Boise State didn’t give up, though. Their last play with seven seconds left was amazing, pass with a perfectly executed hook and ladder lateral by the receiver that stunned Oklahoma and led to a tying touchdown. Off to overtime. Oklahoma set the bar by scoring a touchdown right away, so Boise State knew what they had to do. They wound up scoring on fourth down with another trick play, a pass from one receiver to another. Then, amazingly, they went for the win instead of tying again to go to another overtime by trying for a two-point conversion. I don’t remember the last time I saw a Statue of Liberty play, and Ian Johnson, Boise State’s star running back, practically walked in to the end zone for the two points to win. One amazing oddball play after another, and they beat one of the perennial college football powerhouses. Absolutely amazing game, one of the best I’ve ever seen.

It’s a pity a day like this only comes once a year. At least there are still a few more bowl games between now and the national championship game next Monday. It’s hard to imagine any of them living up to this Boise State win, though.

Posted at 1:18 AM