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College Football – in just two years, has Nick Saban's Crimson Tide No. 1 in the country
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
Goodbye Texas. Hello Alabama. What is now the Red Tide has become the coveted No. 1 target in the nation for the great programs in college football time in the USA.
The Texas Longhorns, who were No. 1, took its fourth highest ranked team in consecutive weeks and fell short on the road Saturday (11/01/1908) in Lubbock at No. 6 Texas Tech 39-33 on a scoring play that never should have happened with 1 second left.
In a Texas-style shootout, the Longhorns lost 19-0 and met to take a 33-32 advantage in the 4-yard touchdown run with only Vondrell McGee 1:29 to play. That gave him a little time too far left for the Red Raiders' Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree, two talented athletes on a mission that few others would dare to go.
With little time to 28 yards left and pay dirt, Harrell found himself surrounded by Longhorns unpleasant and out of step with Crabtree in the coverage of marriage and no room at a time, even around. So what makes a great quarterback to do? Lanza high in double coverage, hoping that his All-American wide receiver is as big as Harrell thinks.
Michael Crabtree does not disappoint nor his colleagues or himself. Rose to the challenge, grab the rock with sure hands, break the arm of applicants to meet a sophomore years back trying to strip the ball, and has a couple of steps in the end zone and the game clock shows a second left.
Surprisingly, Crabtree remains in the field, while thousands and thousands of them, delirious fans poured onto the pitch. It is pure chaos as fans began to rip down the pole goal at one end of the field, and officials in the field try to restore order by the extra-point attempt and final kickoff to Texas to eliminate one seconds left in the clock.
This is college football in the U.S. in a Saturday afternoon. A major university with thousands of fans who have suffered the domination of Texas and Oklahoma teams for too many years. This is his moment of glory and not be denied. It's the competitive spirit of America at its best, his years of suffering and agony have been completed and its 15 minutes of fame and glory has arrived.
All Texas Tech fans, players and coaches need to Party Down big-time because the season Texas Tech has not ended. The Red Raiders will now run a similar gauntlet facing the Longhorns and Oklahoma State 8-1 and 8-1 ahead of Oklahoma and Baylor lurks less light at the bottom of the computer.
The drama of this game could not be higher. Texas Tech needed only a field goal to win the game, but could not trust her kicker to convert from about 40 yards from goal. Not only Harrell pass in double coverage on top, and although Crabtree made a big catch, was addressed below the zone or going out of bounds, it is unlikely at the time the Red Raiders could have called a timeout and had yet enough time to create a game-winning field goal try.
"All I needed was a field goal, but sweeter, including a touchdown, said Graham Harrell Raider quarterback after the game. "If you're a quarterback and do not want to be in that situation should change positions. "Harrell finished with 474 yards and two touchdowns in completing 36 of 53 attempts.
Was it really as big a win for Texas Tech? Yes was. The Red Raider to win the state of Texas was the biggest win in Texas Tech history and their first victory against a team ranked No. 1. The victory gave the command of the Big 12 South and put them right in the middle of the race for a spot in the national championship.
And how close was in Texas to win? What about 1 second to 60 minutes of play? Or the fact that in the game before winning Crabtree TD catches of 28 yards, freshman safety Blake Gideon dropped what would have been a game-ending interception on a tipped pass. That drop meant Harrell could make the decision to embark on dangerous for Crabtree double coverage. The rest is history.
The victory vaulted No. 6 Penn State past Texas Tech, Florida and Oklahoma at No. 2 in AP Top 25 Poll this week. For fans Texas Tech throughout the world, the rise to fame came too soon.
The reason for Alabama vaulted from No. 2 in the AP rankings for the first place because the Crimson Tide Arkansas State excluding Saturday 35-0, scoring in each room and looking at every bit, as if he should be number 1.
Coach Nick Saban has quickly become better than the gold standard in Alabama. Saban has taken the Crimson Tide to No. 1 ranking in the nation in just his second year in Tuscaloosa.
Saban is the highest paid college football coach ($ 32 million for eight years). Many fans and boosters in Alabama believe Saban worth every penny it and now you know why.
Saban turned Michigan State program in a year and went to three bowl games in his first three years. He turned on the program of the State of Louisiana in one year, won or shared three SEC titles, went to bowl games every 5 years and won the National Championship in 2003. He turned Alabama in its first season last year and went to a bowl game. Crimson Tide players now 9-0 and in the search for a place in this year national championship game.
No. 5 Florida recorded a big win on the road at No. 8 Georgia, putting some major injuries Bulldog 49-10. Since his unexpected lack of concentration and 31-30 loss to Mississippi, Gators coach Urban Meyer have come to hunt crocodiles ballistic, ripping Arkansas 38-7, Kentucky 51-21 and LSU 63-5 before hosting Georgia.
Apparently, the Gators have become so wild that they will destroy their victims, but also drink his blood their eagerness to enter the national championship game.
Both Texas and Georgia lost to top-ranked teams. Texas Tech, Alabama and Florida were among 13 of the 20 teams to win the AP Poll this week, 7 others, including Texas and Georgia, who played top-ranked teams – lost and five teams were idle. No. 3 state Penn No. 13 Ohio State, No. 18 Ball State, No. 21 North Carolina and No. 25 Maryland were idle.
The other winning teams ranked big and made a statement includes:
No. 4 Oklahoma at home in more than a waltz of Nebraska from 1962 to 1928 (the Sooners led 62-21 after three quarters), No. 7 South California on the road excluded from Washington 56-0 (the Huskies are now dead waiting for fired head coach Tyrone Willingham to get on the road), No. 9 of the State Oklahoma at home 59-17 over Iowa State (The Cowboys scored in each quarter), No. 11 Boise State at home excluded New Mexico State 49-0 (the Broncos scored in each quarter against what we think is a team in the southwest), No. 12 TCU at UNLV on the road 44-14, and No. 15 LSU at home 35-10 over Tulane.
Four other teams ranked livestock, but were hardly impressive. These include:
No. 10 Utah on the road weaker, New Mexico unclassified 13-10 (the Utah Utes are undefeated 9-0 overrated big-time and may find that this week when they clash with TCU 09.01), No. 14 Missouri on the road for no Baylor ranked 31 to 28 (the now toothless Tigers finish with a team of Baylor three-win), No. 17 Brigham Young University in the road by weak, non-classified state Colorado 45-42 (Pumas are almost fierce, surrendered 32 points for TCU, UNLV and now 35 to 42 to Colorado State after beating a winless team 0-8 to Washington 28 27 earlier this season), and No. 22 Michigan State at home in Wisconsin for 25 to 24 (it is true that Wisconsin could be the best 4-5 team in the country, but the Spartans should have won by two touchdowns).
Five other teams ranked committed the unforgivable sin of losing to an unranked team. These include:
No. 16 Florida State lost on the way to Georgia Tech 31-28, No. 19 and undefeated Tulsa lost on the way to Arkansas 30-23, No. 20 Minnesota lost at home to northwest 24 to 17, No. 23 Oregon lost on the way to California from 1926 to 1916, and no. 24 South Florida lost on the way to Cincinnati 24-10.
About the Author
Read my other detailed, knowledgeable, interesting articles on college football, including:
“Texas Handles Unbeaten Oklahoma State, and Penn State Whips Ohio State”
“Top 6 Teams Remain on Top, Led by Unbeaten Texas, Alabama & Penn State”
“Only 10 Undefeated Teams Remain – Oklahoma, Missouri and LSU All Lose”
Find my Blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/Sports.html
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