FanHouse gathers around the TV to bring you insights from Bowl Season '08.
Purely ridiculous stuff here. Leading Oklahoma State just 35-31 with three minutes remaining, Oregon lined up at the Cowboys' 29-yard-line. What happened next was the stuff of legend.
From shotgun on first down, Oregon handed the ball off to six-foot-two, 230-pound tailback LeGarrette Blount. Oklahoma State's defense got tremendous penetration but Blount evaded the initial surge, made a cut to surge into open field and then strung together three great elements that will make this a famous run for many years.
First, he completely hurdled a defender at the 20-yard-line. We're talking soared right over him. Awesome stuff but we've seen that this year out of Beanie Wells and Knowshon Moreno.
Next, he maintained enough of a head of steam to power through a bloc of five defenders in front of, underneath and to the side of him.
Finally, the clincher. At the ten yard line, a final defender met him from the side, but Blount stuck out his left arm and held him off, stiff-arm style, the final ten yards while running diagonally. Brilliant stuff mixing so many great running elements from speed to power to stiff-arms to unteachable leaps. What great timing, as that run was the clincher that put the game away at 42-31. If you can't enjoy this you have no soul. Video after the jump.
FanHouse gathers around the TV to bring you insights from Bowl Season '08.
It was a tale of two halves Wednesday night in beautiful -- and for college football, magical -- San Diego. Oklahoma State dominated the first half in taking a 17-7 lead that could have been much larger. Particularly potent was receiver Dez Bryant, who hauled in nine first-half receptions and 13 overall before several leg injuries left him hobbled and eventually on the bench.
Oklahoma State's fate seemed to fade the moment Bryant found the pine. Riding behind an energizing kickoff return and some powerful runs from stocky quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, Oregon surged to a trio of third-quarter touchdowns -- all by Masoli -- to go ahead 28-24. Bryant was scuttled soon thereafter, and battered quarterback Zac Robinson slowly lost his effectiveness as Oregon dominated the rest of the way for a 42-31 victory.
Jumbo Oregon tailback LeGarrette Blount made the play of the game, and the game-winner, hurdling a defender and then stiff-arming another for several yards on a 29-yard touchdown. It was ridiculous, and the kind of man among boys stuff you feel fortunate to witness.
Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the Holiday Bowl (San Diego, California), which pits Oregon against Oklahoma State.
Overview / Matchup: San Diego gets a pair of upper-midweights for the feature game of December 30, as Oregon and Oklahoma State head out west. Or south, I suppose, in the case of the Ducks. Both teams had strong seasons but experienced some tough stretches. Oregon lost the requisite games against USC and Cal (wins needed for BCS contention) and then coughed one up to Boise as well. The 'Boys coughed up three losses -- Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech -- that are pretty indicative of their standing in the Big 12.
Hotels: The Grand Del Mar is the best and newest hotel in San Diego, it has great Southern California architecture gorgeous canyon views... unfortunately it's 20 minutes North of town & the stadium. In town stay at the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter (which is pricey but they should have rooms under 200) or for a cheaper rate and better proximity to the stadium try the Courtyard by Marriott San Diego.
Restaurants: Spend time in the gas lamp district downtown, good shops and restaurants. If you're willing to drive, head for Silver Strand Blvd and eat at Mistral. The restaurant has great seafood and the best views in town. Lou & Mickey's is known for steaks, but our recommendation is the iced shellfish platter. Trophy's is a historic sports bar with plenty of fans, plenty of televisions and plenty of sports memorabilia.
Since joining the Bowl Championship Series system, the Pac Ten has been the perennial odd-man out, and history repeated itself again as the Kansas Jayhawks were selected to play in the Orange Bowl, leaving Arizona State as the off-man out.
In 2001, the Oregon Ducks were jumped over by a Nebraska team that lost its final game and left out of the Rose Bowl. Two years later, USC was ranked #1 in both human polls, but left out of the Title Game. A year later, Mack Brown lobbied enough pollsters to jump Cal for the final automatic qualifying spot and a Rose Bowl berth, and in 2005, Oregon missed an automatic BCS berth by one slot.
That stench the college football world is smelling these days is coming from Pasadena--where the Grandaddy of them All could be forced to put an undefeated Hawaii team that nobody thinks is any good against a 7-5 UCLA squad that lost to the Worst College Football Team Ever®, Notre Dame.
If UCLA beats USC and Arizona State falls to Arizona on Saturday, the five-loss Bruins will win a four-way tiebreaker and become the Pac Ten representative for the 2008 Rose Bowl Game, presented by Citi--and let the puns begin!
If Ohio State also gets picked up for the BCS Title Game, Tournament of Roses officials will have their choice of teams, but UCLA-Illinois just seems like a glorified Sun Bowl Matchup. Remember, a UCLA qualification for the Rose Bowl would open the door to the BCS for a number of other teams.* For the sake of staging a competitive bowl game, the Rose Bowl might turn next to Hawaii--though we understand Georgia has the inside track if the opponent is either USC or Arizona State.
Although it seemed unlikely as their season unraveled earlier this month, the UCLA Bruins are still in the running for the Rose Bowl Game after defeating the beleaguered Oregon Ducks in Pasadena 16-0.
For the first half of the game, it looked like neither injury-riddled team wanted to win the ballgame. Converted wide receiver Osaar Rashaan completed none of his 7 passes in the start, resulting in Karl Dorrell bringing "emergency substitute" Ben Olson off the bench at haltime--providing a spark to make the UCLA offense look merely mediocre. Meanwhile, the Bruin defense showed just how important Dennis Dixon was to the Oregon Ducks.
If UCLA beats USC, Oregon beats Oregon State and Arizona defeats Arizona State next Saturday, the Bruins will have the tiebreaker in the four-way race, sending the 7-5 Bruins to the Rose Bowl Game, Oregon to the Holiday Bowl, USC to the Sun Bowl and Arizona State to San Francisco's Emerald Bowl.
Then again, the Oregon loss puts USC in the drivers' seat for the Rose Bowl game--win and they're in. Even if the Trojans lose to UCLA, they could back in to the Rose Bowl is Oregon and Arizona State also lose.
Although it is considered by many to be the second-toughest conference in College Football, the Pac Ten looks like it will not fill all of its bowl allotments in 2007.
The Pac Ten has arrangements this year with the Rose, Holiday, Sun, Las Vegas, Emerald and Armed Forces Bowls. That is six bowls before you consider that either Arizona State or USC will likely get a BCS at-large invitation if either team wins its final two games.
Five Pac-Ten teams are already bowl-eligible: Oregon, ASU, USC, California and Oregon State--but coming up with a sixth--or even seventh--will be much more difficult.
FanHouse gathers around the TV to bring you insights from 
Turkey Legs to Go
Although it seemed unlikely as their 
