The young Kings (without Tyreke Evans) were poised to get a win in Los Angeles (over the Lakers, not the Clippers), but with a two-point lead and four seconds to play, Ime Udoka bricked two free throws setting up this shot by Kobe Bryant…
Kobe finished with 39-5-5. For the Kings, Spencer Hawes posted 30-11-5 and (rookie) Omri Casspi chipped in with 23-6-3.
Watching Cincinnati play Florida last night was like watching 5-year olds take on the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. It was apparent from the start that the game was more of a get-together for the Gators and less of a BCS bowl.
Tim Tebow completed 31-of-35 passes for 482 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 51 yards and a TD. Florida’s defense also held Cincinnati’s “high-powered” offense to just 170 passing yards and 76 rushing.
After watching that game, I’d be shocked if Brian Kelly woke up this morning and could look at himself in the mirror. He was the commander and chief of a team that he allowed to walk into an ambush by themselves with little to no direction. It wouldn’t have mattered if Kelly was on the sidelines because Florida was bigger, faster, stronger and just flat out better, but he should have been there regardless.
The guy I felt most sorry for was quarterback Tony Pike. He didn’t have a chance to succeed because the overmatched, unprepared coaching staff that Kelly left Cincinnati with didn’t put him in a position to win. They kept calling bootlegs and rollouts to the short side of the field, which clearly played into Florida’s hands. He also didn’t have any clue what to do when the Gators blitzed because every time he got the ball to his hot receiver a Florida defender was there to take the wideout’s life. I could smell the crap in Pike’s draws from my couch but I don’t blame him: I blame the coaching staff for not getting him prepared for what he was going to face.
Again, had Kelly been there, it’s not likely that much would have changed. Florida was the vastly superior team in every phase of the game and it showed. But Kelly would have gained some respect had he been there to fall with the rest of his team. I realize that he has the right to a promotion and move up the coaching ladder, but it disgusts me that he benefits from all of this, while his former players suffer (especially the seniors, who were routed on national television in their final game).
Cincinnati’s effort last night was putrid, but how could you blame them? They were down a head coach and an offensive playcaller from the start and Florida took advantage by breaking their neck and stomping on their spines just for good measure. Hopefully Kelly watched last night and couldn’t keep his food down thinking about the 80-plus kids he screwed. That game was an embarrassment to college football and so are coaches like Kelly.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
Terrelle Pryor has taken his fair share of beatings this season from fans and critics alike – and for good reason.
Entering his second season, this was supposed to be the year in which Pryor took the next step as a passer. But instead, he regressed. He showed the inability to lead the offense, struggled with his accuracy and with turnovers, and displayed little to no potential.
But to his credit, Pryor saved his best performance of the year for his last. He gave an incredible effort in Ohio State’s 26-17 win over Oregon in the Rose Bowl and led the Buckeyes with not only his feet, but with his arm as well. He finished 23-of-37 for 266 yards and two touchdowns, while also leading the Buckeyes with 72 rushing yards on 20 carries.
Pryor kept drives alive with his feet, limited mistakes and kept his team in the game from start to finish. He wasn’t quite Vince Young against USC in the national championship, but he was damn near Vince Young against Michigan in the 2005 Rose Bowl. If Pryor’s junior year resembles that of Young’s third season, then Ohio State has plenty to look forward to next year.
If you were surprised that the mighty Oregon offense only scored 17 points, don’t be. They took a back seat to Florida and Alabama this season, but Ohio State’s defense was just as good as the Gators and Crimson Tide’s defensive units this year. The Buckeyes’ front four created problems for the Ducks’ high-powered rushing attack by shooting the gaps and using its speed to get into Oregon’s backfield quickly to disrupt plays. The Ducks still rushed for 179 yards, but they certainly weren’t as explosive as they had been in the regular season.
Another key to the Buckeyes’ win was the play of their secondary. Oregon is a run-first team, but they had a lot of success mixing the pass in with the run to keep defenses off balance this season. But today, Jeremiah Masoli completed just 9-of-20 passes for 81 yards and one interception. OSU’s secondary completely shut down Oregon’s passing game and made them one-dimensional, which was key late in the game.
This was a nice win for the Big Ten, which improved to 3-2 on the bowl season this year. Had Northwestern cashed in on all of their opportunities today against Auburn, the Big Ten would be rolling right now in bowls.
Senior quarterback Daryll Clark finally has a signature win on his collegiate resume.
Clark completed 18-of-35 pass attempts for 216 yards and a touchdown in Penn State’s 19-17 victory over LSU in the Capital One Bowl on Friday. Clark led the Nittany Lions on a 12-play, 65-yard drive that eclipsed 5:57 off the clock and ended with a 21-yard field goal by Collin Wagner to give PSU the lead with just under a minute left to play.
Wagner deserves a ton of credit for converting all four of his field goal attempts on a horrible playing surface. Both he, Clark and linebacker Sean Lee stepped up big-time when Penn State needed it most.
LSU mismanaged the clock in the final minute of the game, which cost them an opportunity to kick a game-winning field goal attempt. The situation was similar to the one in which they mismanaged the clock in a loss to Ole’ Miss earlier in the year, so Les Miles has some work to do with his team in that area heading into next season.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
In a game that they weren’t expected to win, Florida State beat West Virginia 33-21 in the Gator Bowl on New Year’s Day and won in head coach Bobby Bowden’s final game for the Seminoles.
Florida State definitely had an advantage when West Virginia starting quarterback Jarrett Brown left the game late in the first half because of an ankle injury. But even with that advantage, the Mountaineers couldn’t stop the run at that was the difference in the end. The Seminoles racked up 225 yards on the ground, which included 121 yards by sophomore Jermaine Thomas, who also had two touchdowns.
Quarterback E.J. Manuel also grew today as a player. He completed 17 of his 24 pass attempts for 189 yards and no interceptions. He also rushed 14 times for 69 yards and a touchdown and didn’t make any big mistakes to cost his team.
With Manuel and Thomas in the backfield, the Seminoles have a bright future ahead of them. But while their future was on full display today, it was also nice to see their immediate past go out on a high note. Bowden is a college football coaching legend and whether FSU fans wanted to see him gone or not, they have to admit that he’s done more good for the Seminoles over the years than bad.
Way to go out on top, Bobby.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
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