National Championship Running Diary
Bill Simmons has a rule: whenever Paul Arras's former favorite sport to watch is holding a pseudo-national championship the day before a New Hampshire primary, and Paul actually thinks it might be a really good game, then Paul has to keep a running diary.
8:13 After catching 15 minutes of a surprisingly entertaining pre-game show with Eddie George, Urban Meier, Jimmy Johnson and what looked like Lance Bass, Thom Brennaman and Charles Davis (Tony Gwynn?) take over the commentary.
8:16 Brennaman mentions some of the key players, who I only vaguely recognize. Let me come right out and say that I am not at all qualified to say anything insightful about college football anymore. Back in middle school, I used to watch every single bowl game. Now I'm only watching one bowl game more out of obligation as a sports fan than anything else. And yes, I do think this will be a good game. I just don't buy the theories that say the SEC is THAT much better than everyone and that Ohio State doesn't have the athletes to compete.
8:19 If anything, the biggest factor is that LSU is playing in their own state. How is that fair? I guess OSU travels well.
8:26 A minute and a half into the game, Chris Wells gives LSU and the SEC a taste of Big 10 speed...65 yards for the touchdown! I should also mention, Ohio State has been my Big 10 team to cheer for since the John Cooper-era, when they were second fiddle to Michigan in the Big Ten. Also, when Chris and I lived in the same room in our fraternity senior year, we lived next door to Steve Register, who might have been the biggest Ohio State fan to not go to OSU. He was a pretty soft-spoken guy, but everybody knew it when he was watching a Buckeye game in his room. Somewhere, Register is shouting.
12:03 (Let's switch to game time.) LSU goes three and out, moving backwards after the center snaps the ball over the QB's head on third down. That's followed by one of those "Dude!" beer commercials, with a cameo from Joe Buck. Has there ever been a less likable big time announcer? He just rubs me the wrong way.
11:53 Another huge play from Ohio State, this time a pass, gives the Buckeyes first down on LSU's fifteen! Moments later, Brennaman reminds us that LSU's defensive coordinator, Bo Pelini, is moving to Nebraska and is, by the way, an OSU alum.
9:15 Nice job by Pelini's squad, holding OSU to a field goal and keeping this game reasonable.
9:05 First beer. Work tomorrow at 6:00am, but this was my only day off all week. Plus, I'm possibly the greatest Borders employee ever. The secret to waking up at 4:50am is having all your clothes picked out the night before. Who wants to choose a golf shirt and khakis or chinos that early in the morning? It's just straight into the shower for me. I'll also probably get my lunch together so I can just toss it in a bag and go. The beer, by the way, is a JW Dundee Honey Brown. Not the best honey brown I've ever had, but it hits the spot right now.
6:35 LSU RB Jacob Hester majors in Interdisciplinary Studies. That reminds me...
Hibbert: (Chuckles) Your playing days are over, my friend. But you can always fall back on your degree in... communications!? Oh, dear Lord!
Lubchenko: I know! Is phony major! Lubchenko learn nothing. Nothing! (cries)
2:31 (1st) I just wanted to point out I spent four minutes of game time looking up that quote online to get it right. LSU, having converted three straight third downs, is now in the red zone. They kick a field goal to make it 10-3.
13:00 (2nd) LSU ties it up with an impressive drive, capped off with a trick-formation TD. But Chris Wells comes right back with another nice run featuring a devastating stiff arm. I just looked it up...Wells is only a Sophomore. Wow.
12:12 "When it comes to blood...blood is going to win ahead of school, when blood is in the contest." -Charles Davis. Valid.
10:53 LSU blocks a Buckeye field goal. The Tigers just drove up, threw Momentum in a white van, and flew off down the road with it. This is starting to feel like a coaching chess match. Tressel came out firing, now Miles has countered. It's up to Tressel to respond before LSU takes the lead.
7:25 (2nd) Too late. LSU TD on yet another impressive drive. Les Miles is an excellent coach. 17-10 Tigers.
4:16 Another TD makes it 24 unanswered. 24-10. OSU has to score before the half or I'm looking at an early bedtime after all.
Half Didn't happen. I don't know about Jim Tressel, but my second half game plan consists of milk and cookies, fiddling with the TV cables to try to get the weak Syracuse Fox HD signal over the antenna, and playing it by ear whether I stick with this game to the bitter end.
7:47 (3rd) OK, I've spent all of halftime until now trying to get the elusive Fox HD signal. I've had to dig up this old HD antenna and plug that in. I've got the signal, but it flickers every minute or so, which is really annoying. With an analog signal, if the signal wavers, the picture might get a little scratchy or something. When a digital signal wavers, it drops out completely for a split second. This is very important, because the Super Bowl is on FOX this year. If it takes climbing up onto the roof and actually manipulating our antenna, old school style, with someone shouting up at me, so be it. We will get HD Fox by the Super Bowl.
Meanwhile, this game is over. 31-10 LSU. I was wrong. The SEC is much better than the Big 10 right now. Oh well. Time for those cookies.
8:13 After catching 15 minutes of a surprisingly entertaining pre-game show with Eddie George, Urban Meier, Jimmy Johnson and what looked like Lance Bass, Thom Brennaman and Charles Davis (Tony Gwynn?) take over the commentary.
8:16 Brennaman mentions some of the key players, who I only vaguely recognize. Let me come right out and say that I am not at all qualified to say anything insightful about college football anymore. Back in middle school, I used to watch every single bowl game. Now I'm only watching one bowl game more out of obligation as a sports fan than anything else. And yes, I do think this will be a good game. I just don't buy the theories that say the SEC is THAT much better than everyone and that Ohio State doesn't have the athletes to compete.
8:19 If anything, the biggest factor is that LSU is playing in their own state. How is that fair? I guess OSU travels well.
8:26 A minute and a half into the game, Chris Wells gives LSU and the SEC a taste of Big 10 speed...65 yards for the touchdown! I should also mention, Ohio State has been my Big 10 team to cheer for since the John Cooper-era, when they were second fiddle to Michigan in the Big Ten. Also, when Chris and I lived in the same room in our fraternity senior year, we lived next door to Steve Register, who might have been the biggest Ohio State fan to not go to OSU. He was a pretty soft-spoken guy, but everybody knew it when he was watching a Buckeye game in his room. Somewhere, Register is shouting.
12:03 (Let's switch to game time.) LSU goes three and out, moving backwards after the center snaps the ball over the QB's head on third down. That's followed by one of those "Dude!" beer commercials, with a cameo from Joe Buck. Has there ever been a less likable big time announcer? He just rubs me the wrong way.
11:53 Another huge play from Ohio State, this time a pass, gives the Buckeyes first down on LSU's fifteen! Moments later, Brennaman reminds us that LSU's defensive coordinator, Bo Pelini, is moving to Nebraska and is, by the way, an OSU alum.
9:15 Nice job by Pelini's squad, holding OSU to a field goal and keeping this game reasonable.
9:05 First beer. Work tomorrow at 6:00am, but this was my only day off all week. Plus, I'm possibly the greatest Borders employee ever. The secret to waking up at 4:50am is having all your clothes picked out the night before. Who wants to choose a golf shirt and khakis or chinos that early in the morning? It's just straight into the shower for me. I'll also probably get my lunch together so I can just toss it in a bag and go. The beer, by the way, is a JW Dundee Honey Brown. Not the best honey brown I've ever had, but it hits the spot right now.
6:35 LSU RB Jacob Hester majors in Interdisciplinary Studies. That reminds me...
Hibbert: (Chuckles) Your playing days are over, my friend. But you can always fall back on your degree in... communications!? Oh, dear Lord!
Lubchenko: I know! Is phony major! Lubchenko learn nothing. Nothing! (cries)
2:31 (1st) I just wanted to point out I spent four minutes of game time looking up that quote online to get it right. LSU, having converted three straight third downs, is now in the red zone. They kick a field goal to make it 10-3.
13:00 (2nd) LSU ties it up with an impressive drive, capped off with a trick-formation TD. But Chris Wells comes right back with another nice run featuring a devastating stiff arm. I just looked it up...Wells is only a Sophomore. Wow.
12:12 "When it comes to blood...blood is going to win ahead of school, when blood is in the contest." -Charles Davis. Valid.
10:53 LSU blocks a Buckeye field goal. The Tigers just drove up, threw Momentum in a white van, and flew off down the road with it. This is starting to feel like a coaching chess match. Tressel came out firing, now Miles has countered. It's up to Tressel to respond before LSU takes the lead.
7:25 (2nd) Too late. LSU TD on yet another impressive drive. Les Miles is an excellent coach. 17-10 Tigers.
4:16 Another TD makes it 24 unanswered. 24-10. OSU has to score before the half or I'm looking at an early bedtime after all.
Half Didn't happen. I don't know about Jim Tressel, but my second half game plan consists of milk and cookies, fiddling with the TV cables to try to get the weak Syracuse Fox HD signal over the antenna, and playing it by ear whether I stick with this game to the bitter end.
7:47 (3rd) OK, I've spent all of halftime until now trying to get the elusive Fox HD signal. I've had to dig up this old HD antenna and plug that in. I've got the signal, but it flickers every minute or so, which is really annoying. With an analog signal, if the signal wavers, the picture might get a little scratchy or something. When a digital signal wavers, it drops out completely for a split second. This is very important, because the Super Bowl is on FOX this year. If it takes climbing up onto the roof and actually manipulating our antenna, old school style, with someone shouting up at me, so be it. We will get HD Fox by the Super Bowl.
Meanwhile, this game is over. 31-10 LSU. I was wrong. The SEC is much better than the Big 10 right now. Oh well. Time for those cookies.
Labels: BCS national championship, college football, LSU, Ohio State
posted by Prof. A at 8:11 PM
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