A bunch of bowl games on the second day of the year rather than the first felt slightly awkward.
That won’t stop us from putting forth some thoughts on one of college football’s grandest days each season.
* Is tackling against the rules in college football?
* West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez earns the “Props of the Day” trophy for his gutsy fake punt call. With just over a minute left, the ball at Georgia’s 48-yard line and the Mountaineers leading, 38-35, punter Phil Bradley caught the long snap and ran 10 yards to convert on fourth-and-6 and break Georgian hearts.
* In the age of product placement, the contrast of the Sugar Bowl’s sponsorship by Nokia and Rodriguez’s headset built by Cingular is beyond humorous. The fact that I even noticed it suggests I have more issues to deal with than does the NCAA.
* Here’s a geographically specific thought: As Steve Slaton rambled for a Sugar Bowl-record 204 yards, what was North Babylon legend and recent ex-Mountaineer Jason Gwaltney thinking?
* The Big East doesn’t look so red-headed stepchild anymore, does it?
* Is tackling against the rules in college football?
* The Laura Quinn situation, the made-for-TV story of the year thus far, is actually a fun story. Her brother, Brady Quinn, is the quarterback of the most prestigious football school in America. Her boyfriend, A.J. Hawk, is the most ferocious linebacker in the country. The two faced each other in the Fiesta Bowl, which just happens to be a BCS bowl. Ah, such bliss. (Note: She’s cute, too.)
* Early season candidate for the 2006 “Sentence I Wish I Wrote” award: Hawk, Ohio State's Lombardi Award-winning linebacker and the game's defensive MVP, sacked his girlfriend's brother, Quinn, twice. (Props to the AP’s Bob Baum for that subtle gem.)
* It’s been quite a few hours since the first quarter of the Fiesta Bowl, but I’m fairly certain Ohio State’s Ted Ginn Jr. is still wiiiiiiiiiiiide open along the left sideline.
* We must reserve a few threads in the fabric of America for exiting Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez. Not because of the Badgers’ Capital One victory over Auburn but rather because Alvarez has an ice cream named after him. Berry Alvarez. That’s transcendent. So, pour a little maraschino cherry juice out for Wisconsin's Alvarez, who eschews his coaching position for full-time athletic director.
* Is tackling against the rules in college football?
* Funny how, after victory in the Outback Bowl, Florida and its coach Urban Meyer could wind up the most successful program in the state this season.
* Wow, that 45-yard field goal by Alabama’s Jamie Christensen's sure was ugly. Wow, that 45-yard Cotton Bowl-winning field goal as time expired by Alabama’s Jamie Christensen's sure was beautiful.
* Pass interference in college should be a spot-of-the-foul penalty rather than just a 15-yarder. Cornerbacks can get burned, then level the receiver before the ball gets there and save a touchdown. Perhaps this is why the phrase “shutdown corner” is one of the more amusing two words tossed around by NFL people.
* Is tackling against the rules in college football?