Official NCAA Football blog: Every Game Counts

Only a Notch Below the Real Thing

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Thu, 31 May 2007 19:30:00 +0000

As evidenced by the last post, which should still be below for your enjoyment, there isn't a whole lot going on in the world of NCAA Football right now. (Hawaii, I love you.)

And that's fine.

Really?

Yes, it's fine.

I am convinced that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Although I'm sure we've got some readers who would argue that and no, I don't need to know what those things would be.

But EA Sports' NCAA Football could very well be played year 'round and not get a huge argument from anyone...any males.

Now this, my friends, is something that is played year 'round.

And in no way is that depressing.

These luscious video game experiences (I've played from time to time) are seriously just a notch below actually watching a real game.

The best part is, we are on the verge of the latest in the series, NCAA Football 08. There are the usual updates and add-ins for this year, feel free to read about them all here. Oklahoma fans will be thrilled that the statue of liberty play has also been added.

Fear not Sooner fans, I'm sure this will work with the regularity of a blocked extra point (as it should) but I like the addition. That game was ridiculous and any time you can add that passion from the real thing to your home version, that's a great thing.

Let me know what you guys think of this beacon of sports spirit. When do you play? How long? What platform? How long have you played? Tell me a great game story if you've got one, we all love those. And if anybody out there has an advanced copy of this years gem, let me know. And if you have the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 to play it on I'll try that out as well.

Until July though, we'll have to keep honing our skills on the 07 version. And I'm totally cool with that, until July.

Hawaii Schedule Update

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Mon, 21 May 2007 15:26:00 +0000

Hawaii added Northern Colorado to its schedule. Why is this significant? Well, let me ask you this, what month are we in?

May.

How far off does the beginning of NCAA Football season seem?

Forever.

If I could pick one place to be right now where would it be?

Hawaii.

There you go. Go Warriors.

HOF Class of 2007

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Wed, 09 May 2007 23:40:00 +0000

Congratulations to all the honorees of the 2007 class of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Of the coaches, Penn State icon Joe Paterno was included with the induction of this year's class after postponing last year because of a broken leg.

I suppose he earned it. He's been decent.

Although, he did go .500 in his first year back in 1966. Good thing they kept him around.

(Look at the man in this picture and tell me that's not awesome!)

Seriously, hats off to the inductees.

The Crimson Tide is Ready.

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 04:07:00 +0000

Ok. Alabama. We get it. You like football.

Hey, I like it too. 92,000 of you showed up for Nick Saban's first spring game.

92,000.

That's not liking football. That is living football.

You do realize the Alabama was playing...itself, right?

And by that I mean, it wasn't a real game. It wasn't really even practice.

It was a scrimmage.

I'm sorry Tide fans. You know I love you guys. I love the 'Bama tradition. I love that Saban is there, I love that 'Bama will be back (and not down the road, you will be back within the next three years max) I love that John Parker Wilson and his brother (baseball player Ross) both went to Hoover.

I love the fact that over 92,000 of you showed up for a scrimmage!

God bless you Alabama, and God bless college football!

92,000!!

Virginia Tech

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 16:07:00 +0000

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Virginia Tech family.

Clock Rules Go Back In Time

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 12:41:00 +0000

Thank goodness.

Last year was fun and all, but I couldn't be more thrilled the NCAA decided to revert back to the old clock rules, namely stopping the clock on possession changes and when a kickoff is caught rather than kicked.

Neither of these ruined the game, but too many fans (me included) saw this as a ridiculous way to speed up the game. Fans don't want to speed up the game.

The ball is also going to be kicked off from the 30-yard line, five yards back from last year, to encourage more lengthy returns. I like that too.

In Remembrance of Eddie Robinson

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 21:40:00 +0000

Our condolences go out to Eddie Robinson's family and the Grambling University family.

Robinson was a great leader of young men and provided them with invaluable guidance both on and off the field.

His mark on the game will never be forgotten.

Rough Start for Huskers

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:07:00 +0000

Tough times in Huskerland lately.

Nebraska starts the spring losing a couple of players.

None of it really had to do with on the field activities but man, you certainly could do without some of these things.

Tar Heels' Davis Undergoes Chemotherapy

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 19:41:00 +0000

North Carolina head football coach Butch Davis is undergoing chemotherapy after a cancerous growth was found in his mouth during a routine visit to the dentist.

Davis was steadfast in saying he was really fine and felt this would in no way hinder the rebuilding project he has begun in Chapel Hill.

The Tar Heels started spring practice this week, and Davis was there. That certainly has to be encouraging for fans of the light blue.

We here at EGC wish Davis a full and speedy recovery.

Spurrier Tackles the Skies

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 21:20:00 +0000

Steve Spurrier left on a jet plane. Well, sort of.

The Ole' Ball Coach rode shotgun in an F-16 a few weeks ago taking part in a similar experience that Clemson coach Tommy Bowden had a few years back.

Wouldn't you love to see Spurrier trying to keep that confident smirk on his face while the pilot does barrell rolls?

"Yep, yep. That was pretty good." I can hear him saying that now.

And what do you think Spurrier's call sign would be? Cocky? Shooter?

What would really be great would be to have Spurrier and Bowden in a dog fight. Maybe we can line that up next year.

Boise State's Story to Hit the Big Screen

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 13:49:00 +0000

After finishing a storybook season with an unbelievable BCS bowl win, the Boise State Broncos will be the subject of an upcoming movie.

For now, it will be a documentary but the filmmakers hope to use that as a launching point for a potential movie.

I’m not sure how you could improve on what actually happened, and there wouldn’t be much need to, but I’m always in favor of adding another good sports movie to the rotation.

Dashing to the NFL Combine

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 16:34:00 +0000

Anyone else notice the similarities between national signing day and the NFL combines?

Yes, they are pretty obvious, but for all the primping and preparing, and judging and scoring, isn’t the whole thing a crap shoot anyway?

I’d like to believe that but it’s probably not true. However, I refuse to believe that because an offensive lineman can run the 40-yard dash in under five seconds it makes him a better talent.

Do you want your offensive lineman to run fast? I want mine to hold his position, be able to pull every once in a while and keep those freaks on the defensive line in front of him.

Frankly, is he’s using the sub-five second speed, my team probably has bigger problems, namely finding a new quarterback.

But hey, what fun would any off season be without signing day, the NFL combine, the draft, and please let’s not forget the invaluable tool that is…the Wonderlic Test.

Just as important as the 40-yard dash is and just as scrutinized. This test weeded out a potentially horrendous situation for many teams by giving them an excuse to pass on a rumored poor scoring athlete on the Wonderlic

Tennessee Titans apparently didn’t do their homework last year and fell for Vince Young anyway. Oh well, better luck this year.

Spring practice also gets cranked up soon...at least that's something where we can tell what's what.

Bowl Games on Whenever You Want

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 13:24:00 +0000

Florida Gator fans, and any Ohio State fans who like cruel and unusual punishment, click on over to NCAAFootball.com and pick up your copy of the national championship DVDs.

These are sure to be collector’s items. For those fans lucky enough to enjoy a national championship with their team, there is simply nothing better then watching that game over, and over again.

It is great to live in a day and time when reproductions of these games are so readily available. What did the fans of championships gone by do when the game was over? Talk about it? Please.

Sure, by not having DVDs at your fingertips the legend was probably enhanced a little, but we’re to the point now where most game film can be found somewhere, and will probably end up on DVD anyway if it’s not already.

Other DVDs are available as well. Any big winners want to enjoy that big bowl win? Go right ahead, but nothing quite tops the title.

So go ahead Gator Fans, enjoy it as many times as you want.

National Signing Day Was Last Week. Results TBD.

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 14:09:00 +0000

You may have heard that national signing day was last week. That day has turned in to one of the most anticipated days in sports in recent years for the thought of a new class giving fans a fresh start and a chance to move one step closer to winning it all.

I wish I could give you my rankings for this year’s best classes, but that would be impossible since there are a kajillion (that’s with a “K”) high schoolers out there playing football right now and for me to be able to tell you that one is going to be a better college player then the other would be crazy.

However, there are those people out there. And thank goodness for them.

It seems increasingly hard to gauge what a kid is going to be able to do on the next level. High schools are separated and divided so differently and so much from state to state, how do they tell that a offensive lineman playing at a small high school in Minnesota is a three-star and a running back from Ohio playing at a huge high school is a four-star?

And what pushes you over the edge in the star ranking system?

How do you get that one extra star, separating you from the group of star-numbered teens below you?

Anyway, it is an exciting day, especially for the fans of the schools that seem to just keep getting more talent. USC and Florida were ranked at the top of most people’s list for top classes. Not surprising, who doesn’t want to play at either of those two schools right now.

The things people must remember is that some of these players may never see the field, some will red shirt, and yes, some will excel. Predicting what will happen and how good these classes are is fun and it gives us something to talk about. But a prediction is all it is. We’ll find out just how good these classes are a few years down the road, on the field.

Until then, at least it gives us something to look forward to.

Rivals.com Top 10 Recruits & Top 10 Recruiting Classes

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 16:57:00 +0000

Where have the top ten recruits on Rivals.com committed? Who does Rivals.com say has the best recruiting class?

Top 10 Rivals.com Recruits:

1. Jimmy Clausen (QB) committed to Notre Dame.
2. Joe McKnight (RB) committed to USC.
3. Eric Berry (DB) committed to Tennessee.
4. Ryan Mallett (QB) committed to Michigan.
5. Carlos Dunlap (DE) committed to Florida.
6. Everson Griffen (DE) has committed to USC.
7. Marvin Austin (DT) committed to North Carolina.
8. Ronald Johnson (WR) committed to USC.
9. Torrey Davis (DT) committed to Florida.
10. Josh Oglesby (OL) committed to Wisconsin.

Top 10 Rivals.com Recruiting Classes:
**Updated!

1. Florida
2. Southern Cal
3. Tennessee
4. LSU
5. Texas
6. South Carolina
7. Auburn
8. Notre Dame
9. Georgia
10. Alabama

Scout.com Top 10 Recruits & Top 10 Recruiting Classes

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 16:34:00 +0000

Where have the top ten recruits on Scout.com committed? Who does Scout.com say has the best recruiting class?

Top 10 Scout.com Recruits:

1. Everson Griffen (DE) committed to USC.
2. Joe McKnight (RB) committed to USC.
3. Marvin Austin (DT) committed to North Carolina.
4. Jimmy Clausen (QB) committed to Notre Dame.
5. Ryan Mallett (QB) committed to Michigan.
6. Marc Tyler (RB) committed to USC.
7. Eric Berry (CB) committed to Tennessee.
8. Tray Allen (OG) committed to Texas.
9. Chris Galippo (MLB) committed to USC.
10. Terrance Toliver (WR) committed to LSU.

Top 10 Scout.com Recruiting Classes:
** Updated!

1. Florida
2. LSU
3. USC
4. Texas
5. Tennessee
6. Auburn
7. South Carolina
8. Oregon
9. Pittsburgh
10. Michigan

National Signing Day

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 15:25:00 +0000

Today is NCAA Football Signing Day. We'll find out where all the Highschool players will play next season. Many recruits has already given verbal agreements but there always a few who surprise the day of. We'll check back in to see where the top recruits commit.

Rookies Shine on Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 16:07:00 +0000

At least two rookies played prominent roles in helping their teams advance to yesterday’s Super Bowl.

Devin Hester and Joseph Addai, who just a year ago were completing their collegiate careers, were pivotal parts of each team’s success in 2006.

Hester, the thrilling return man from Miami, produced such electrifying play that it catapulted him to the head of the list for many rookie-of-the-year honors. Such a spark hasn’t been seen in the return game since the Kansas City Chiefs’ Dante Hall had the pro football world on red alert every time he touched the ball.

Addai has been a pleasant pickup for the Colts who lost Edgerrin James in the off season. His one-two punch with backfield mate Dominic Rhodes gave Indianapolis the ground burst to keep the Bears at bay.

Here’s the thing, Addai was a late first round pick and Hester went in the second round. There are a lot of elements that go into the draft. Need. Draft position. And if you’re the Houston Texans, temporary insanity.

But my point is solid players, impact players, can be had for every team out there. A lot can be said for the talent that surrounds rookies. And Addai has the benefit of being on one of the best offenses in the NFL, so it’s not like opposing offenses are geared to stop him. But he contributes and was huge this season.

Hester, I’m pretty sure he would have returned a few for scores on any team in the league.

But it’s also fun for the fans in Miami and LSU. They got to enjoy watching their guys excel on the highest level. Another reason college football is so great. Even on Sundays.

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 15:36:00 +0000

Chris Brown

A touchdown in a game is always a feat. 6 is unreal. Watch Chris Brown tear through the Nebraska defense in this 2001 highlight real.

Take a Look at 2007!

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 13:30:00 +0000

Isn’t it great how the schedule for next season is released just after the current one has ended? (We now know that USC will play Arizona State on Thanksgiving night. I was wondering what I was going to do that evening.)

It is like an immediate turning of the page. It makes you forget everything that just happened and forces you to look ahead, no matter how many months away the new season is.

Here’s how I do it:

Scan the schedule
Get the calendar out and schedule the fall weekends we’ll be out of town. (If you’re lucky enough to find a schedule for your team that can be directly downloaded in to Outlook that helps so much.)
Quickly reserve these weekends against any other conflicts: weddings, parties for engagements, parties for weddings, etc.
Take the next seven months to game plan how your team can make a run at the BCS next year.

I really do appreciate NCAA Football putting out these schedules so far in advance. As much of a torture device as it is, it does give us something to look forward to and talk about.

What matchups look good? Who has the strongest schedule? Who has the weakest?

How else would we all fill our time over the next half year?

So it gives us something to hang on to about NCAA Football. The great thing is, no matter how much we dissect every team’s schedule over the next few months, no one will be able to predict everything.

So have fun with it. But remember, we’ve got a long way to go. Save something for the middle of summer.

Best National Blog Nominee

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 22:32:00 +0000

Every Game Counts has been nominated for the "Best National Blog" in the Blogger Championship Series on Rocky Top!!

Florida: the Naional Champions!

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 13:42:00 +0000

By: GUEST BLOGGER Mark from Swamp Ball

Florida was not supposed to be there. There were clearly better teams than them in the country, and it was evidenced by the “great” game that Ohio State and Michigan played on November 18th that these were the two best teams in all of college football.

It’s been two weeks since the BCS National Championship game took place in Glendale, a game in which Florida defeated Ohio State 41-14 to not only showed they belong, but to show us who really was the best team in college football this season.

We as college football fans were spoon-fed the fact that the Buckeyes and Wolverines were “clearly” the two best teams in the nation, and that their match up in Columbus was the peak at which college football was going to be played in the 2006 season. What happened in the bowl season shook the college football world in that sense, as both of the above mentioned programs fell on their faces – maybe leaving some of us confused.

Could it be? Could Ohio State not be the best team in the nation?

On November 18th the Buckeyes beat the Michigan Wolverines 42-39 in an instant classic that no one should have missed. This was a battle between two great college football teams who should have been the benchmark for programs in the 2006 season.

On November 2nd, two weeks prior to the “big game,” Louisville beat West Virginia 44-34 in an exciting Big East conference battle. Unfortunately, though, this was just a showcase of pretty good offenses going against less than great defenses. This is what many college football fans were saying, at least. On January 8th, when the bowl season was completed, perhaps it became evident that the Ohio State – Michigan match up was of the same mold.

Even though the Buckeyes were 12-0 coming into Glendale, the defensive squad was coming off a game in which they gave up 39 points and close to 400 yards of total offense against their best regular season opponent. And on January 8th, against their best overall opponent, they gave up 370 yards and 41 points – running the combined total to 767 yards of offense and 80 points against their two best forms of competition on the season.

In scoring 41 points to beat the Buckeyes, the Gators offense looked as efficient as any offense could possibly be. Chris Leak continually picked apart the Ohio State zone defense (why they stayed in it nearly all game is a mystery), passing for 213 yards while never throwing more than a 20 yard pass. I don’t know if you can call that a great offensive performance. That could be called simply toying with the defense.

But the Buckeyes offense had a good showing, right? Wrong.

Heisman trophy quarterback Troy Smith compiled a total of 6 yards of offense in the 27 point loss, while the Buckeyes could only muster up a total of 82. Statistically this was second to only Western Carolina as the worst offensive performance by a Gators opponent all season. The Gators defensive front badgered the Ohio State offensive line, running backs and Smith all game long, as the secondary provided lock-down coverage. In no way was there going to be constant success against such an inspired and hungry Gators defense – a defense that had carried the team throughout the 2006 season.

Perhaps the presence of Ted Ginn Jr. could have changed some of what occurred for the Buckeyes defense. But if you ask Troy Smith and any other quarterback they will tell you that it is impossible to throw accurately from your back – a position Smith was in constantly in this game thanks to the Gators defensive front (Smith was sacked 5 times on the game). Plus, not having the deep threat Ginn provided just meant that Ohio State wouldn’t have to deal with the headaches caused from trying to pass the ball on safety Reggie Nelson.

The Buckeyes had a 51 day layoff before the game, while the Gators break lasted 37. There was talk that this 51 day break made Ohio State less focused and lethargic. While there could be some truth to that, this would be a non-issue had the Buckeyes won the game.

If the opposite outcome had occurred, we would have been under a constant barrage of talk focusing on how much of a genius big-game coach Jim Tressel is. It would have been because of his precise game-planning over the break that the Buckeyes pulled out a victory. Instead, the layoff is used as an excuse. 37 days is quite a while to for these athletes to stay focused as well – and the last time I checked coaching is part of football, too. Coaches should bring a winning game-plan and a motivated team, especially when so much is on the line.

It’s still hard to believe how easy that actually was for Florida. The Gators are the 2006 (BCS) National Champions, and it’s hard to make any argument to say any team would have knocked them off two weeks ago – even the supposed “actual” 2006 Ohio State Buckeyes team that didn’t show up to Glendale.

A closing note on the long layoff is that it may have been one week to long this season. While the +1 format just makes the major sponsors and college football wealthier, it is just too long of a wait in between the New Years Day bowl games and the National Championship game. In the future I feel that the NCAA and BCS should look into keeping these games closer together.

Other than the above complaint, there were not many negative things to say about the bowl game performance of the Florida Gators – capturing their school a football national title to go along with that basketball one earned last March. This is an unprecedented action that has the University of Florida on top of the college athletics world.

The Shark Jumps for the Diamond

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 13:50:00 +0000

The list for early entrees for the NFL draft is clearing up, and the look of this year’s crop of draftees will be complete.

One name that will be noticeably absent from any NFL draft board is Jeff Samardzija.

Shocked? Me too.

There’s no disputing the fact the Samardzija gave Calvin Johnson a run for his money as the best wide receiver in all of NCAA Football. I didn’t want to see it at first either, because Johnson is a freak!

With apologies to Dwyane Jarrett, if Johnson is 1, then Samardzija is 1-A, and it could easily be swapped and I would have no problem with that.

So how does one of the best players in NCAA Football, a probable first-round draft pick in the NFL turn down football? One word. Love.

This kid must love the game. The game of baseball. He’s signed a contract with the Chicago Cubs to take his skills to the show.

As a football fan, I hate it. But that’s me being very selfish. This guy is following his heart and staying on the diamond and away from runaway freight trains in the NFL. I can’t say I blame him. It’s much more likely that he could have a shot at playing both by trying baseball first anyway.

A few years on the diamond and if it doesn’t work out, I’m sure he could still get a tryout somewhere in the NFL. But starting out in pro football can cut an athletic timeline in half.

So good for you Samardzija. It was a pleasure to watch you play and enjoy the good years ahead of you. No matter what field they’re on.

Off Week One

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:26:00 +0000

The first off-season week of the year and it’s pretty much what you would expect.

Off. And boring.

Yes, teams are still waiting for some coaching hires. Most players have made the decision whether or not to return to the greatest atmosphere in sports and forgo the NFL for now.

The latest, Colt Brennan will return to Hawaii. Hmm, Hawaii. College. Football. Quarterback. Yeah, I wouldn’t leave either
Brian Brohm shocked me, but lucky for all of us he will return. Should be fun to watch him perfect his skills next season, watch out Heisman contenders.
The coaching carousel continues to turn and it has spit out Chuck Amato back in Tallahassee. The more things change, the more they…change. These are not your father’s Seminoles. And they’re not Amato’s either.

Funny thing is, at NC State, Amato’s strong suit appeared to be recruiting. He stacked his defense with half the 2006 NFL draft, but produced basically a .500 team. He’ll be linebackers coach and the executive head coach. I think the folks in Raleigh are happy, I’m sure the Tallahassee faithful are too but another season like this one and there will be more changes.

A Long Week for Buckeye Fans

noreply@blogger.com (NCAA Football) — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 22:04:00 +0000

By: GUEST BLOGGER from The Buckeye Blog

It’s been a long week for Buckeye fans to say the least. Especially Buckeye fans such as myself who tend to be a little…shall we say…outspoken. At first it was shock and confusion. The day after game, Buckeyes could be found wandering the desert outside of Phoenix, searching for some centering point, trying to make sense of the travesty that had happened only mere hours before. The trip home didn’t help much either as the Phoenix airport was filled with National Championship t-shirts, shirts that I had hoped to fight over, to wear proudly into work on Wednesday. To make matters worse, hidden in the back of an airport magazine stand was a lonely rack of Ohio State sweatshirts, coats, etc. all selling at 50 percent off.

On Wednesday morning, Buckeye fans around the country returned to work only to find their offices newly decorated in Florida colors and a sudden abundance of Gator fans. People who knew nothing about college football were digging out orange sweaters that hadn’t seen the light of day since the 1970s. I’m sure to them it seemed funny and we all did our best to smile and laugh at the joke. Besides, it’s only a game…right?

Now, a week has passed, the fog is clearing and many of us have come to terms with the loss. Bottom line, Florida arrived prepared, determined and played a better game. Like Ohio State in ’03, when the Bucks beat Miami in the Fiesta Bowl to claim the National Championship, Florida had more than a month to hear the country question their very presence on the BCS Championship arena. Florida arrived hungry, with something to prove, and did exactly that.

And to take nothing away from Florida, the Ohio State team we watched in Glendale was not the Ohio State team we have watched all year. The Buckeyes lacked the fire and the confidence that we have seen this season. Let the pundits say what they will, the Ohio State team we watched last fall was not the team that gave up 27 pts to Florida this January.

To be honest, the entire BCS Championship game lacked the fire and passion that a National Championship game deserves. The extra week between bowl games and the BCS Championship killed the hype and excitement that makes a national championship game. I have been saying since November that for a Buckeye fan, anything after this year’s Ohio State/Michigan game would be an afterthought and the extra week only helped to assure this reality. After the college football marathon of New Year’s day and almost two months of hype (or lack of), by the time we finally got to the BCS Championship, nobody seemed to care. This year’s Rose Bowl got more attention then the BCS Championship game.

I have been fortunate enough to attend some of the biggest games in recent Ohio State history. These games include the ‘03 Fiesta Bowl against Miami, Texas in the Shoe in ‘05, this year’s Ohio State/Michigan game and although I didn’t get into this year’s BCS Championship, I was in Glendale and watched the game outside of the stadium.

What makes these big games so exciting is not just the game itself but the energy leading into the game. All of the games mentioned above had a such a buzz, such an excitement that by game time, you were ready to explode. All of those games except this one. In ‘03, the energy level in Phoenix was off the chart. Ohio State fans were everywhere and the entire city seemed to boil with excitement. And it wasn’t only the Ohio State fans. The entire city was looking forward to the big game in Tempe.

This year, however, the energy of those past games was missing. Once again Ohio State fans descended on Phoenix in force and did seem to outnumber Florida fans about 10-1 (before the game at least). This year, however, Phoenix did not have that same feeling and couldn’t even be compared to this year’s Ohio State/Michigan game.

Let’s face it, the new stadium in Glendale, while impressive, has the feel of a shopping mall. Its location on the far west side of Phoenix spread things out around the Phoenix area. Unlike in ‘03, where Tempe was the center of the Bowl festivities, Bowl events were spread miles apart. Glendale is a good 1/2 hour drive from Chase Field, site of the Ohio State pep rally. As for the town of Phoenix, they were back to work. Locals coming down off the buzz of the Fiesta Bowl were more concerned about traffic problems caused by the inconvenience of the BCS Championship than the game itself.

With the events of this week, it is also becoming obvious that many of Ohio State’s top players were looking past the BCS game to the upcoming NFL draft deadline. Only days after the game, a teary eyed Antonio Gonzalaz, who graduates this spring, announced that he would forgo his last year of eligibility to go pro. Then we heard of the emotional conflict Teddy Ginn was facing as he tried to decide if he would stay for another year only to see both him and Antonio Pittman announce their NFL intentions the day before deadline. While it is sad to see them go, Gonzo, Ginn, Pittman and Troy Smith have made for some great Ohio State moments and we wish them luck in the big show.

For Ohio State, I think our season ended back in November. The Game (Ohio State/Michigan), as it will forever be remembered, will go down as one of the biggest games not only in the history of the rivalry, but in the history of college football. January is a time for NFL playoffs and basketball, not leftover college football games.

Congratulations to Florida. They played a great game and deserved to win. Most of those Gators will be back again next year and they will be a force to be recognized. As for Ohio State, ‘07 will be a rebuilding year but there is a lot of talent waiting in the wings. Ohio State isn’t used to losing these days and this big loss may be good for the future of the program. It is a memory that returning Ohio State players will not want to repeat and may provide the motivation Coach Tressel needs to build a young team.

And don’t get too comfortable Florida. That young basketball team standing in your way come March will have learned a lot since you saw them in December. They will be hungry for a rematch.