By Staff
State of bowl success
For the first time in six years the entire state of Alabama is happy after the final college football game has been played by Auburn and Alabama. Both teams won and it is the first time that has happened since 2002.
I know I was happy to see Alabama hold off a late surge by Colorado for the victory. That was a great thing to see, but an even better game and sight was when Auburn took down the Tigers of Clemson as time ticked away on 2007.
That was such a great gift for all Auburn fans to see right before the clock turned into 2008. And the different kind of offense was very promising looking to next year.
I know the Tigers will have a tough challenge in the second week next year against West Virginia. It is looking like Daphne native Pat White and Steve Slaton are staying in Morgantown, so that game will be a great early test for the Tigers.
I can’t wait for that spread offense battle royal!!
Speaking of West Virginia, they put on a great show for the fans in the Fiesta Bowl this week. They showed the nation that the loss to rival Pittsburgh was exactly what it was, a loss to a rival.
It may not have the heat of the Iron Bowl, but I know the West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh game is no picnic for either team. This was only one of the two exciting BCS bowl games on tap last week.
Of course there was the plethora of games New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, but on Jan. 2 the Mountaineers took down the Sooners from Oklahoma to mark Oklahoma’s second straight year with a loss in the Fiesta Bowl.
Then the following day Kansas showed everyone who doubted them, including this sports writer, that they belonged in the Orange Bowl by taking down a favored Virginia Tech Hokies team.
I guess there should not have been a lot expected by a team who got blown out by LSU early in the year.
The best part of the bowl season is yet to come, as the LSU Tigers can truly put the argument of which is the best conference in 2007 to rest with a win over the Ohio State Buckeyes in the BCS Championship Game. Jan. 7.
I think this should be an easy win for the Tigers and they should follow the blueprint of the Florida Gators from one year ago. With an LSU win, the SEC will be 6-2 and will edge the Big 12 as the best conference in the country.
The Big 12 has finished the season 5-3 and that would mean an LSU loss would form a tie for the best conference in the land. The tiebreak would have to go to the Big 12 since they played the much tougher and higher ranked opponent in Virginia Tech.
Rounding out the BCS conferences is the Pac-10 with a record of 3-2, the Big East with a record of 2-2 (as of Friday), the Big Ten with a record of 2-2 and the ACC with a record of 2-6.
It has been an interesting bowl season and here is to an LSU win in the championship game that will show what dominance the SEC has over the rest of the country.
Matthew Nascone is the sports editor of The Atmore Advance. He can be reached at 368-2123 or online at sports@atmoreadvance.com.