Read the arguments from Babe Ruthless and Sports Geek about which BCS teams they believe were the most impressive from this BCS bowl season.
Another college football season is in the books after the completion of the BCS national championship game. Looking back at the five BCS games, no game stands out to me. I really thought last night’s game would stand out. Truthfully, it does stand out, but only because Colt McCoy suffered an injury on the first drive. I hate that for him. That is tough for him personally, for the team, and all of the fans. Who knows if it would have been a different game. Texas fans will be contemplating that for a long time. I am still looking at the opponent of the Longhorns, though, and asserting that the Alabama Crimson Tide was the most impressive of the BCS teams.
The Crimson Tide got off to a horrific start. Absolutely horrendous. I am still trying to figure out what the Tide was doing when trying to throw for a first down on a fake punt on fourth and 23 on the first drive! The guys watching the game at my place all threw up their hands collectively and wondered, “What are you thinking Nick Saban?” That led to a Texas field goal. Two other special teams gaffes were unacceptable. But after the rough start it was a strong overall performance.
Oddly enough, I came away more impressed with Heisman winner Mark Ingram. How often do we hear about the Heisman curse and how Heisman winners struggle in the championship game? Well, Ingram ran right over that jinx, much like he has run over defenders all season long. Despite missing much of the third quarter with leg cramps, he still finished with 22 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns.
Obviously, Texas freshman quarterback Garrett Gilbert was thrown to the wolves with McCoy’s injury. The wolves, in this case, were Rolando McClain, Terrance Cody, and the rest of the Crimson Tide defense. Gilbert was only sacked one time, and that one time forced a fumble late that essentially wrapped up the game. But for much of the game, he had balls batted down at the line or was pressured into making a bad throw. In his defense, Gilbert played about as well as could have been expected and actually gave his team a chance to win. He was not helped out by his receivers at times, who dropped a handful of passes. The Tide defense, led by defensive coordinator and upcoming hot coaching commodity Kirby Smart, still forced five turnovers, including four interceptions. By the way, did you happen to notice that Alabama’s Javier ARENAS intercepted a pass by GILBERT?
Do I wish the Tide had put the hammer down in the third quarter? Yes, definitely. The team became a little conservative and did not allow quarterback Greg McElroy to make any plays (he only threw the ball 11 times). But the Tide won the game the same way it has won all season – a strong defense and a ball-control offense.
