** This thread discusses the Content article:
Fiesta Bowl Preview- Ohio State v Texas **
This is the ninth in a series of ten bowl previews; the top ten bowls of the season were ranked here.
The Fiesta Bowl features two very well known teams, Ohio State and Texas. The ‘name value’ of this game is off the charts. There are several huge storylines to consider in this game, without even considering the recent home-and-home series these two played (05 and 06, with each game going to the road team). Ohio State will try to erase the stigma of the back-to-back BCS Championship Game blowouts. The Longhorns will try to prove they belonged in the BCS Championship Game. Both teams will try to avoid the letdown of playing in a game ‘for nothing’ rather than a game for all the marbles. I’ll predict who wins this mega-matchup a little later…
Texas was left out of the Big XII title game, and the national championship game, by the BCS system. This isn’t entirely true, as they would have gone to Kansas City if the Big XII had the SEC’s tie-breaker rules. It’s not a huge leap to assume that they, then, would have been Florida’s opponent in Miami. QB Colt McCoy finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, and won the Walter Camp Award as the ‘player of the year’ for college football. He didn’t get a chance to lead his team to any championships, however, unless you count my college fantasy team. And we were stacked. This Texas team is also stacked- but it all starts with McCoy. He led the team in rushing yards and attempts (same goes for passing, but that’s obvious… he also didn’t have any receptions). Rommate Jordan Shipley is a receiving threat, as well as on special teams. He ran a kick back against Oklahoma, which either means he can perform in big games, or that he’s like seemingly every decent kick returner Oklahoma’s faced (the Sooners have given up at least 4 kick return TDs this season). McCoy even rose to the occasion in a big moment, as he led his team to a go-ahead TD with 1:29 remaining against Texas Tech in Lubbock (the Longhorns only loss this season). His defense coughed up the lead, however, and the rest is history. Will Texas behave as Miami did in the 2001 Sugar Bowl, and avenge their title game snub with an impressive showing? Or will they act like spoiled Michigan in 2006, and lose to a motivated opponent?
Ohio State’s championship game woes the last two years have been well-chronicled. It is noteworthy, however, that Jim Tressel had a fantastic record in bowl games before those losses. Also noteworthy is that of the 8 bowl games of the Tressel era, 5 have been in greater Phoenix (i.e. Fiesta Bowls, except the ‘BCS Championship Game’ in 06, which was at the site of the Fiesta Bowl). These facts illustrate the two different approaches I feel Ohio State could have to this game: they will be motivated by their great coach and prove to the world they are better than their last two showings, or they will take the ‘been there, done that’ mindset from their fans (reports are numerous that the tickets are not selling.
Here is one example) and not travel to Phoenix. Needless to say, a 2-loss Ohio State team needs to ‘show up’ to hang with the #3 team in the country. Especially one that could be motivated to show it should have been considered for the big game. The weirdest part in all of this, that with star players like James Laurinaitis returning to make another title run, and with the dynamic backfield combination of Terrelle Pryor and Beanie Wells, I have said that this is the best Ohio State team of the last three seasons. The Buckeye offensive line must limit Texas’ ability to get to the QB, and Texas’ front seven also has good number vs. the run. I think some of that is a product of how much some of these Big XII teams throw the ball (more passing plays = more sacks, less running plays = worse run stats), but the numbers must bear some truth.
I actually think both teams will be hyped up for this game, but if either of the two teams is going to be out of sync I have to go with Ohio State. If you’re inclined to believe the Big Ten homers from the last two years, it’s because they’ve gone longer without playing the games. If you’re inclined to believe me, this year they are in danger of not showing up because of complacency- they don’t want to be back in this stadium, their fans don’t want to travel back to Glendale. As I said, I don’t think that scenario plays out, I am just saying it is the more likely scenario that the other way around. In the end, I think Texas’ fury is unleashed, the Buckeyes keep it respectable, but the Longhorns win, 31-24.
Go ahead, pick against the GatorsFirst contributors. You can do it by clicking here, and then telling us how awesome you are.
