SEC still has much to celebrate
Prior to Friday night's Sugar Bowl shocker, the Southeastern Conference was making a strong statement in this year's edition of bowl games.Ole Miss had shattered Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl 47-34, LSU blasted Georgia Tech 38-3 in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Kentucky rallied past East Carolina 25-19 in the Liberty Bowl, Georgia thumped Michigan State 24-12 in the Capital One Bowl and Vanderbilt snapped Boston College's run of eight consecutive bowl victories with a 16-14 win in the Music City Bowl.
The state was set Friday night for Alabama to take on undefeated Utah in the Sugar Bowl and everyone thought the Crimson Tide would blow the Utes right out of the Big Easy.
Well, the Utes are still undefeated and the Crimson Tide suffered what may have been one of the biggest upsets in bowl history.
Alabama had been ranked No. 1 in the country for five weeks this season and to be dominated by Utah the way it was is down right embarrassing for the Crimson Tide and the Southeastern Conference.
Before Alabama was sent packing, South Carolina was the only blimish on the SEC's bowl slate. Steve Spurrier and his Gamecocks were humiliated by Iowa 31-10 in the Outback Bowl.
Spurrier and his group of chickens had no business playing on New Year's Day. Being blown out of their final two games of the regular season, the Gamecocks looked lost on the field and Friday night the Crimson Tide joined them.
Both were hammered, however, Iowa is not a bad football team. It did beat Penn State.
But Alabama had no business losing to Utah and Nick Saban and his staff did a terrible job of preparing the team for battle against the Utes.
Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson was sacked nine times by a defense that proved to be too quick for what once was one of the top offensive lines in the country.
Losing Outland Trophy winner Andre Smith due to contact with an agent, which led to his suspension from the Sugar Bowl by Saban, proved to be more than the line could overcome and the Utes took advantage of his absence.
Utah should be proud of itself for not only taking down an SEC icon, but to be the only undefeated team at 13-0 for the 2008 season.
More reason that we need a playoff, but that is another column all in itself.
DID YOU WATCH the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day? And if you did, did Brent Musberger make you a sick to your stomach as he did mine?
He should have gotten a room for his love affair with the Pacific 10 Conference.
His statement of the Pac 10 being the best conference in the nation due to its 5-0 bowl record is so far off.
Let's take a look at the bowls the Pac 10 played in this year and the teams that were faced.
Arizona beat Brigham Young in the Las Vegas Bowl, California beat Miami (Fla.) 24-17 in the Emerald Bowl, Oregon outlasted Oklahoma State 42-31 in the Holiday Bowl, Oregon State beat Pittsburgh 3-0 in the Sun Bowl and yes, USC beat Penn State 38-24 in the Rose Bowl.
And no, USC does not deserve to play for the national championship as Musberger said it did. The Trojans lost to Oregon State, continuing the trend of losing to a team they shouldn't each and every year.
Each preseason the Trojans are ranked No.1 by the Associated Press and for the past few years they lose to someone they have no business losing to.
Despite the performances of Alabama and South Carolina, the SEC is by far the best conference in the nation and once again it was proven during the bowl season.
And if you remember, Florida plays Thursday night for the national title against Oklahoma.
However, for Oklahoma, the performance of the Big 12 so far this bowl season has left a lot to be desired.
Monday night, Big 12 member Texas will play a weak Ohio State team in the Fiesta Bowl and blow the Buckeyes out.
AND FINALLY, Virginia Tech knocked the BCS monkey off its back by beating Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl.
The 2009 regular season opener, Alabama vs. Virginia Tech in the Georgia Dome on Sept. 5. The winner could have the inside tract to one of the two positions for next year;s BCS title game in the Rose Bowl.
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