The Enemy of My Enemy

Well, I blogged almost all of the New Year's Six.  I might as well finish this off with the Championship Game.  I took a nap so that I'll be able to stay awake for this game.  Let's go:

8:29- The captains come out for the coin toss.

8:30- Oregon wins the toss.  They're taking the ball.  Brian Kelly usually takes the ball for Notre Dame.  Although I did like Charlie Weis's attitude of "Why wouldn't we want the ball," I prefer deferring.  But when you have an offense as good as Oregon's, it probably does make sense to take the ball.

8:31- We have a useless interview with Mark Helfrich by Heather Cox.

8:32- And now for the useless interview with Urban Meyer by Tom Rinaldi.  Seriously, I learned nothing from either of these and I'm completely unsurprised by that.  They should have just hired Gregg Popovich to handle Helfrich's and Meyer's part.

8:33- The game finally starts with a touchback.  8:33 on a Monday night.  This game should be on a Saturday night.  And I wanted painted end zones.  We got them tonight, but they're both black.  Oregon's should be green and yellow and Ohio State's should be red and grey.  How hard is this?  I give up.

8:34- Mariota completes for eight yards on the first play.

8:35- Oregon's running back recovers his own fumble.  Oregon picks up a first down.

8:36- Mariota fumbles.

8:37- The referee finally awards the ball to Ohio State, but this will get overturned.

8:40- The call is overturned.  That took way too long.  By the way, I like Oregon to cover tonight.  Of course, I was way off on the two semifinal games.  But I went 4-0 against the spread in the NFL this past weekend (2-2 in picking actual winners, I figured one road team that wasn't the Panthers would win, but I picked the Ravens).  I'm going to take the Packers and Patriots to win this weekend, but I've got the Colts covering the spread.  Remember, all that 4-0 record last weekend means is that I'm due to be way off.

8:42- Mariota throws for a touchdown on 1st and goal.

8:43- Oregon doesn't go for two and it's 7-0.

8:47- Ohio State runs for two on their first play.

8:48- Jones scrambles and powers past a dude to convert the first third down.

8:50- Jones scrambles, but doesn't get enough for the first down.  It's fourth down.

8:51- Ohio State's Australian punter kicks it away and there's a fair catch.

8:53- ESPNU has the game on with Mike Wilbon, Jay Bilas, and some other people as part of ESPN's Megacast.

8:55- Barry Melrose is eating something.  It's fourth down for Oregon.

8:56- Oregon downs a punt inside the 5.  I'm leaving ESPNU on for a little while.  I don't think Melrose has said anything since I put it on.  It's a little weird with Mark Schlereth with a bunch of non-football guys.

8:59- They're talking about the Dez Bryant non-catch.  My take is that the rule is pretty silly, but it was the right call (I seem to remember Michael Floyd making a catch similar to that against Michigan State that was overturned after taking two steps with the ball in the end zone).  My guess is that the NFL won't change the rule, at least not before next season.

9:00- We have a completion to the 30 on 3rd and 8.

9:01- Now we have a completion into Oregon territory.

9:03- Ohio State goes for it on 4th and 3.  It's close.

9:04- Barry Melrose gives ESPN credit for the first down line.  I'm pretty sure that started with either Fox or CBS on their NFL games.  The line here was accurate and it's a first down for Ohio State.

9:05- Ezekiel Elliott scores.  This whole ESPNU thing is a little weird.  It's a bunch of random dudes and Julie Foudy.

9:07- After a hold on the extra point, it's 7-7.

9:08- It's Wilbon, Bilas, Foudy, Schlereth, Melrose, and I just figured out the last guy is Aaron Boone.  I don't know if he's said anything while I've been watching.

9:11- ESPN Classic has no broadcasters, just stadium sounds.  You can hear the PA guy.  I like it.  I might stay with it, but it's not in HD.  The lesson, as always:  Cablevision is the worst.

9:12- We have a 3rd and long coming up.

9:13- Mariota had a man down the field, but he dropped it.

9:14- Oregon punts.  Ohio State's return man breaks some tackles and takes it into Oregon territory.  There's probably some sort of Oregon Trail analogy that could be made here.

9:16- We have a pass interference in the end zone.

9:17- Elliott takes it to the 1 and then Jones passes to Vannett for the score.

9:18- The extra point makes it 14-7 Ohio State.

9:19- I haven't talked about the uniforms yet.  Why is Oregon wearing grey?  Ohio State should be wearing grey, Oregon shouldn't.  What's wrong with green and yellow?  I think the two-color face mask is really stupid.  Change to a green face mask and get rid of the O on the back of the helmet (pick the O on the sides or the wings, not both) and the helmet would be fine.  The only good thing about Oregon's uniforms is the duck on the sleeves.  Ohio State's uniforms are pretty good, but I don't like the black numbers on the sleeves.  Speaking of uniforms, a Colts-Packers Super Bowl would be a great uniform match up.  Anything involving the other two teams just leaves a lot to be desired.

9:24- Maybe Ohio State does have a chance.  I'm rooting for Oregon.  I don't like Ohio State, but I guess the enemy of my enemy is ... not as much of my enemy as my enemy is.  Or something.

9:26- It's 14-7 after one quarter.

9:27- Joe Montana drew a leprechaun.

9:30- The Internship is on one of the movie channels.  Chetty won't be having a cold one with Vince Vaughn.

9:31- Ohio State botches a hand off and it's recovered by Oregon.  That was definitely Jones's fault.  He was trying to put it back into the Elliott after pulling it away.

9:35- It's 3rd and goal for Oregon.  Mariota runs to the three.

9:36- The running back is stopped at the one.  From three yards out, take the points in that situation.  If you go for it on the one and get stuffed, I'll live with that, but take the points from that far out.

9:41- A big run by Elliott gives Ohio State room to breathe.

9:43- Ohio State completes a pass into the red zone, but they fumble and it's recovered by Oregon.

9:47- Mariota gets sacked and this will be a three and out.

9:48- Ohio State will start in Oregon territory.

9:52- We have a long pass to the six.

9:54- Jones keeps it for a touchdown, but they're reviewing it.

9:55- It's 3rd and goal after Jones was down short of the end zone.

9:56- Jones scores on the sneak and it will be 21-7.

10:00- Fowler mentions the weather.  I just checked the weather on my phone.  It's 38 degrees there, two degrees warmer than it is here.  I still wish the roof was open.

10:01- Holding negates a decent gain for Oregon.  They look terrible right now.

10:03- But now they get a big completion on third down into Ohio State territory.

10:05- Now they pick up a big 3rd and 9 conversion.

10:06- Bad throw on 3rd and 4.

10:07- They kick a field goal and it's 21-10.

10:08- Total yards right now are 307-275 Ohio State.  It doesn't feel that close.

10:13- Three runs by Ohio State, three timeouts by Oregon.  We have 20 seconds left.

10:14- Oregon calls for the fair catch at the 32 with 14 seconds left.

10:15- Oregon tries to run a trick play, but it doesn't go anywhere.  21-10 at halftime.

10:34- Dave Dameshek (host of my favorite NFL podcast) gives the uniform matchup a B-.  I'm calling grade inflation.  It feels like a C- to me.

10:38- I've said this before, but this game needs a better name.  Can we just call it the College Super Bowl?  I know that's not very creative, but we're not doing any better.  We have the World Series, Little League World Series, and College World Series.  We have the Super Bowl and the Pop Warner Super Bowl.  Why not the the College Super Bowl?

10:41- Touchback to start the second half.

10:45- Jones runs to the outside after looking like he was going to sneak it and gets the first down on 4th and 1.  Herbstreit and Fowler think that was by design.  I'm not sure about that.

10:46- Twitter thinks the referee is Bob Newhart.  After he calls a false start, Don Mattingly's nephew picks off a pass that was bobbled.  By the way, Mattingly's nephew was "committed" to Notre Dame at one point.

10:50- One play, 70 yards.  Mariota to Marshall.  Touchdown.

10:51- They're reviewing it to see if he dropped the ball too early.

10:52- It was close, but it's confirmed.  The kick makes it 21-17.

10:57- Jones is stopped short on third down.  They are going to review it.

10:59- The call stands and then Elliot runs for the first down on 4th and 1.

11:00- A Jameis Winston Rose Bowl-like fumble is recovred by Oregon.  They have great field position.

11:02- Ohio State is one turnover away from tying a championship game record.

11:03- Mariota's pass on third down is caught, but the receiver got pushed out of the end zone.

11:04- A field goal makes it 21-20.

11:08- ESPN goes commercial, kickoff, commercial.  That's some great TV right there.  Kramer is starting a Peterman reality bus tour.

11:14- Elliott is good.  He picks up another first down.

11:16- Jones scrambles and powers his way for a first down on third down.

11:17- First and goal after another nice run by Elliott.

11:18- Elliott takes it in.  The kick makes it 28-20 after three.

11:19- Kramer points out Lomez's place of worship.

11:23- Mariota completes on the first play.  He has some pretty good numbers.

11:24- Incomplete pass on 3rd and 10.

11:25- Oregon's defense needs to do something.  Elliott already has 200 yards.

11:31- Ohio State converts a big third down.  Jones had lots of time to throw there.

11:32- Elliott scores another touchdown.

11:33- The kick makes it 35-20 with 9:45 left.

11:34- Kramer's steering wheel fell off.

11:35- Newman wants to return bottles in Michigan.

11:36- Herbstreit talks about Meyer priding himself on special team.  Brian Kelly, on the other hand...

11:37- Holding during the return puts Oregon back at the 10.

11:38- Well, college football is the sport of the fall so I'm going to drink a Sam Adams Octoberfest.  I have a small stockpile (not like what I have with Summer Ale when that season comes to an end).

11:39- Mariota is shaken up.

11:40- Unsportsmanlike conduct on Oregon.  That doesn't help.

11:41- And now we have a false start on 2nd and 22 with the backup in.  An incompletion makes it 3rd and 27.

11:42- Mariota is back and it completes a pass, but it's seven yards short.

11:43- Oregon had their backup quarterback lined up as a punter, but Ohio State calls timeout.  Joe Montana doesn't have a Heisman, but he does have championship rings.

11:46- Oregon punts.  7:40 to play.  I wrote the words "game over" in my notebook.  And we just went punt, commercial, timeout.

11:47- Newman discovers that Mother's Day is the key to unlocking the Michigan bottle deposit scam.

11:51- Jones is stopped a yard short on third down.

11:52- Ohio State takes a delay of game.  I would have gone for it there on 4th and 1.  With 4:23 left, the game is definitely over with a first down.

11:56- Nice throw and catch for Oregon, but there's a holding.

11:57- Third and long coming up.

11:58- The pass is dropped.

11:59- Incomplete on fourth down.

12:00- It's midnight on a Monday night.  Or I guess it's Tuesday now.  And this game isn't over yet.

12:02- Oregon used one timeout, but now they're not calling a second timeout.  Why?  By the way, Mariota wasn't bad.  The rest of his team, however...

12:03- Oregon jumps offisde on fourth down.  It's 1st and goal.

12:06- Elliott scores his 15th touchdown of the game.  Or something like that.  It's 42-20.

12:10- The game is over.  Ohio State wins.  Urban Meyer is a great football coach.  There's one challenge left for him at the college level.  He could stay at Ohio State for a long time and win lots and lots of games and compete for many more championships.  He's done it at Florida and now he's doing it at Ohio State.  That's easy.  If he wants a challenge, it's time for him to start thinking about the job that he said was "still my dream job" in 2008.  Yep, I'm talking about Notre Dame.  Urban Meyer was the wide receivers coach there from 1996-2000.  He might be coaching at Notre Dame now if not for Bob Davie telling him not to take the job.  Yep, it's going to be harder than it was at Florida.  It's going to be harder than it is at Ohio State.  But do you think you're a better coach than Bob Davie?  Um, yes, most Division I college football coaches can reasonably say that.  It certainly takes better than Bob Davie at Notre Dame, but if I'm being honest, Urban is even better than the first head coach he coached under at Notre Dame.  If Lou Holtz could do it, Urban can make Notre Dame a champion again.  If Brian Kelly can't get it done, I hope Urban Meyer is our next coach.  If Kelly can't get it done, it's time for Meyer to fulfill his dream.  Of course, he could have before so I hope Kelly fulfills all Notre Dame fans' dreams.  Less than eight months until we take on Texas.  Go Irish!