College Football Bowl Season

[JohnBM01]

"Cruise Control"

Sugar Bowl; New Orleans, LA, USA; January 3, 2005
Virginia Tech Hokies (Atlantic Coast Conference) vs. Auburn Tigers (Southeastern Conference)

Regardless of what anyone thinks, the SEC has to be the home to many tough teams. Look at the Tennessee Volunteers, Georgia Bulldogs, Florida Gators, and the Alabama Crimson Tide to name a few. What do they all have in common? Auburn's beaten them all. The only thing standing in the way of Auburn going undefeated is the Virginia Tech Hokies. VT is one tough team being 10-2 since their last game. The Atlanta Falcon, Michael Vick, was an alum of Virginia Tech. VT knocked off Miami to take the ACC Title honors. And no matter what anyone thinks, if you knock off Miami, you have bigtime bragging rights. So who won this game down Bourbon Street?

If you're going to go down a street, you'll need some tight wheels. Auburn has its own little performer, Carnell Williams. Or should I say... Cadillac. Good old "Cadillac" got everything you want: Navigation system, bucket seats, grippy tires, moonroof, 6-CD changer, and a big Northstar V8. Whatever it took to get to the end zone time and time again, Caddy delivered and during the first half, VT was scoreless. Auburn was in cruise control until Virginia Tech finally scored in the fourth quarter. The Tigers were scored on only a few times. And as the game could be tied by a field goal, the Hokies attemped an onside kick, Auburn recovers, and could easily kill the clock. And they did. Auburn won the game, but would still be upset that they couldn't play USC for the national title. They do have next season, so more power to the Tigers.

TRIVIA: This is Auburn's first-ever undefeated season in the long history of Auburn Tigers football.

Virginia Tech - 13
Auburn - 16

 

[69Dodge_Charger]

Is that Trivia question supposed to be true or false? If it is, then the answer is false I think. Anyway, wait *cough*Auburn should be in the Orange bowl *cough*

 

[JohnBM01]

"Doomer Sooner"

*+x+*The 2005 Orange Bowl for the National Championship *+x+*

U. of Southern California Trojans

vs.

Oklahoma Sooners

GTPlanet, this is it! The Big XII's Oklahoma University finally meet against the USC Trojans. Even though Auburn went 13-0 and got shafted from the Orange Bowl, the show must go on, unfortunately. The 6th Year senior Jason White for OU was looking to get a bitter taste out of his mouth after the embarassment after losing to LSU last year, and not to mention the ugly Big XII Championship game in the 2003-2004 season down in Arrowhead Pond. Matt Leinart is what Jason White was last year, a Heisman winner (though I thought Larry Fitzgerald should have won last season). Be careful when saying that a team is having a fluke. Matt Leinart took some criticism from an Oklahoma player, but there's talking the talk, but then, walk the walk. Did OU back up their words?

On the opening drive, OU walked the walk with a nice, long touchdown drive to go up 7-0 in the first quarter. Then USC scored later on to make things deadlocked at 7. OU would be picked off about 5 times with USC making at least four touchdowns and a field goal.

I made a bold prediction that OU probably would give USC a heartbreaking loss. I liked USC all the way, but I thought OU would probably pull off some miraculous upset. USC's really shown me something. They are the number one team, and to be honest, I'd like to see how they would do against Auburn. Like, let's say that odd man out play the winner of the national title game, but then have to DEFEND the title. USC/Auburn will surely be a matchup to look out for next season. This fight wasn't even close.


USC - 55
Oklahoma - 19

 

[VT]

This is also the first season ever where multiple teams have finished undefeated and did not share a piece of the national championship. Auburn and Utah are both undefeated yet holding no slice of that pie.

 

[TSi_Shiftz]

We had a local poll at my school for apparel and banners etc. from the bowls and some D1 college schools and I won, the only game I missed, I believe was Cal and Tex Tech. So yeah, although the Buckeyes wern't atop the NCAA this year I am happy with the schallacking USC gave OU.

 

[JohnBM01]

Now, I liked USC all the way, but I took a chance thinking that the game was going to be within a safety (2 pts) or a field goal. Turns out that under pressure, OU broke down not once, but actually three times. Once in the Big XII title game vs. Kansas State in 2003, the national title game last year against the LSU Tigers, and then by USC this year. I've loved USC's performance this year. Matt Leinart looks like a guy girls like to flirt with or date, and with that bling bling he got (The Heisman trophy). Only thing now is, will we be seeing Matt Leinart continue to play for USC, or will he enter into the NFL Draft? San Francisco gets the first draft pick, and if they feel that Matt Leinart will be the Ben Roethisberger of the west coast, I'm sure they'll have a better 2005-06 season than their dismal 2004-05 efforts. Then again, Leinart has something REALLY BIG over Roethlisberger: two National Titles (one shared, the other EARNED). Perhaps he's the Tom Brady of college football.

Next year, no more AP poll, so things will probably be wide open for next year.

 

[JohnBM01]

By the way, did you all think Jason White didn't come out to play, or were USC just the better team through and through?

 

[69Dodge_Charger]

I knew Oklahoma was going to get blown out from the beginning. They haven't faced a defense as fast or strong as USC. Not to say I like USC, I hate the team, especially since they didn't beat a single good team all season and still went to the National Championship game. In my opinion, Auburn would have been a better match up against USC, since I think they are a more physical team. Auburn was handed the wrong end of the sword in my opinion, playing a Virginia Tech team that barely won the ACC.

I think in everyone's mind they know that the SEC is the toughest of all the conference's, and to go undefeated in the SEC is an accomplishment in itself. Long story short, Auburn got screwed, Oklahoma got blown (away that is).

 

[PhatFat]

This is also the first season ever where multiple teams have finished undefeated and did not share a piece of the national championship.

I think you're wrong.

 

[JohnBM01]

You know something I realized? Oklahoma or Auburn is going to be number one because they played an extra game compared to USC. For what I know, the PAC-10 has no televised championship game. The Pac-10 is not like the Big XII, SEC, the MAC, or starting next season, Conference USA. These other conferences have their conference title games. The respective winners are Oklahoma, Auburn, and Toledo. A lot of the Conference USA stars are heading elsewhere, and Ohio is joining C-USA. Cincinatti, Marshall, Memphis, TCU, and Louisville are going to different conferences, I believe. With Ohio among others, that's going to maybe leave it down to (set me straight on anything I have wrong) UCF, Army, Southern Miss, USF, Tulane, and my brother's alma mater, Houston.

Not to be a homer, but Houston has a good shot at being champions. Most of the tough opponents are going elsewhere as Houston went 3-8 this past season, winning against Army, Tulane, and maybe someone else. C-USA is not the SEC, but there will still be good competition. PhatFat, you might agree with this next one. The SEC is perhaps the toughest conference in college football. Most of the toughest places to play are in the southeast. How many teams would be intimidated coming into the University of Tennessee? Or what about trying to withstand Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn)? Or how do you like playing in The Swamp (Florida)? Even in the game "NCAA Fotoball 2005," the top two Toughest Places to Play are in the SEC, and that's Florida and Tennessee respectively. Oh yeah, LSU's stadium is also tough. You win in the SEC, you're a team to be feared.

 

[69Dodge_Charger]

I know that Louisville is leaving C-USA, but I'm not sure about the others. I don't think Memphis is leaving C-USA because I live just 20 or so minutes away from Memphis in northwest Mississippi and there was no talk about a team move. Either way that doesn't leave that many teams in that conference, so it will be a pretty tight race for first. Probably a lot of good games in C-USA next year.

Oh, and about the #1 and 2 teams. I think it will be USC, then Auburn only because the system is screwed up. Oh well, at least the AP dropped out of the poll so that's one less thing to screw it up; of course they will probably just replace it with a system just as bad. Then four years after that they will get a new system again.

 

[JohnBM01]

Matt Leinart is still unsure whether to step up to the NFL and maybe play in California for a DISMAL San Francisco 49ers. As long as he can connect with old stars and play with newcoming players, Matt Leinart should be a nice fit. By the way, Ben Roethlisberger is having a hell of a season as he play this weekend. Whether or not Matt Leinart will be the Roethlisberger of the West remains to be seen if he enters the NFL Draft in April.

 

[JohnBM01]

UPDATE: Matt Leinart NOT going to the NFL. Going back to USC to finish his senior year.