THE FIESTA BOWL

ON MONDAY JANUARY 2ND, 2006 THE OHIO STATE BUCKEYES AND THE IRISH OF NOTRE DAME TRAVELLED TO TEMPE ARIZONA TO PLAY IN THE FIESTA BOWL. THIS ALSO MARKED THE FINAL TIME THAT THIS GAME WOULD BE PLAYED IN THAT STADIUM. IT WAS A DREAM MATCH UP RECEIVING JUST AS MUCH HYPE AS THE NATIONAL TITLE GAME. YOU HAVE TO WONDER HOW IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IF THESE GAMES WERE PLAYED ON THE SAME DAY. I REALIZE THEY WOULDNT DO THAT, BUT EVERYONE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS ONE. THE TALK ALL ALONG WAS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN GIVEN THAT CHARLIE WEIS WOULD HAVE OVER A MONTH TO PREPARE FOR A GAME LIKE THIS. I DONT THINK HE REALLY KNEW WHAT HE WOULD RUN INTO ON THIS NIGHT. IT WOULD MARK ONLY THE 5TH TIME IN HISTORY THAT THESE TWO POWERHOUSES WOULD SQUARE OFF. THE SERIES WAS SPLIT WITH ND WINNING THE FIRST 2 AND THEN THE BUCKS WINNING THE LAST TWO IN 95' AND 96.' OHIO STATE CAME INTO THIS ONE RIDING A 3 BOWL GAME WIN STREAK AND THE IRISH HAD LOST THEIR LAST 7 BOWL APPEARANCES. IT WAS THE CLASSIC MATCH UP OF NOTRE DAME'S OFFENSIVE FIRE POWER VS THE BUCKEYES STINGY DEFENSE. WELL BY THE SMILE ON MY FACE IN THE PICTURE ABOVE, ONLY ONE OF THESE DECIDED TO SHOW UP, AND THEN THE WRONG OFFENSE SHOWED UP. THE BUCKEYES WON 34-20 IN A GAME THAT WASNT REALLY AS CLOSE AS THE SCORE INDICATED. I WILL BE AS HUMBLE AS I CAN BE, BUT SORRY IRISH FANS, YOU AND CHARLIE GOT OUTCOACHED AND GOT YOUR BUTTS KICKED. WITH ALL OF THE TALK OF BRADY QUINN AND CHARLIE WEIS, THEY FORGOT THAT IN A BIG GAME, YOU HAVE TO PLAY DEFENSE TOO. FIRST OFF, NOTRE DAME FACED THE TOUGHEST DEFENSIVE CHALLENGE THEY HAVE ALL YEAR. WEIS REFUSED TO GIVE THEM CREDIT ALL WEEK, SAYING THAT TENNESEE WAS THE BEST HE HAD SEEN. WELL CHARLIE, THEY WENT 5-6 THIS YEAR SO WHO CARES. BRADY QUINN WAS 29 OF 45 FOR 286 YARDS AND NO TOUCHDOWNS. YEP THATS RIGHT NO TOUCHDOWNS. HE WAS ALSO SACKED 5 TIMES IN THE GAME, INCLUDING TWICE BY HIS FUTURE BROTHER IN LAW. DID ANYONE SEE THE JERSEY SHE HAD ON? I HATE THAT. IT DRIVES ME NUTS. YOU CAN BET THAT AJ HAWK MAY NOT GET ANY ACTION FROM HER FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS UNTIL THINGS COOL DOWN AFTER THAT BUTT KICKIN. ANYWAY, BACK TO THE GAME. THEY SHOULD HAVE USED DARIUS WALKER A LITTLE MORE. HE RUNS VERY HARD AND HE IS VERY PATIENT. HE RAN 16 TIMES FOR 90 YARDS AND SCORED ALL OF NOTRE DAME'S TD'S IN THE BALL GAME. THEY RAN QUITE A FEW DRAWS AND STRETCHES AND THE BUCKS HAD SOME TROUBLE DEFENDING THAT. WHEN IT WAS 7-7, I STILL THINK CHARLIE MADE THE WRONG DECISION BY GOING FOR IT ON 4TH DOWN. TAKE THE 3 AND THE LEAD PAL. YOU ARENT AS SMART AS THEY SAY YOU ARE. THE RECEIVERS PLAYED PRETTY WELL WHICH WAS EXPECTED. STOVALL HAD TEH BIG DAY WITH 9 CATCHES FOR 126. WE HELD THE LONG HAIRED FREAK TO 6 CATHES FOR 56 YARDS. I WONT WASTE THIS BLOG EVEN WRITING HIS NAME ON HERE. OUR DEFENSE CAME UP BIG, ESPECIALLY ON 3RD DOWN TONIGHT. THEY ENDED WITH 316 YARDS OF TOTAL OFFENSE. WITH THE NUMBERS THEY HAVE PUT UP ALL YEAR, THIS WAS A GREAT GAME FOR THE DEFENSE. THE SECONDARY SETTLED IN AND PLAYED MUCH BETTER THAN EXPECTED. NOW LETS TALK ABOUT THE REAL OFFENSE. OHIO STATE CAME UP WITH 604 YARDS OF TOTAL OFFENSE. YES I SAID 604. THAT IS NOT A TYPO. REMEMBER WHEN WE USED TO RACK UP 150 YARDS OF OFFENSE AND STILL WIN BALL GAMES. HOW MUCH MORE FUN ARE THESE GUYS TO WATCH NOW? TROY SMITH CONTINUED HIS NEW FOUND LEGACY AT OHIO STATE THROWING FOR 340 YARDS OF COMPLETING 19 OF 28 ATTEMPTS AND NO INTS. HE ALSO THREW FOR 2 SCORES. HE CONNECTED ON A 56 YARDER WITH GINN AND AN 85 YARDER WITH HOLMES. HE CAME UP HUGE ON THE LAST DRIVE OF THE GAME WITH 2 BIG THIRD AND LONGS WITH SOME CRAFTY MOVES. AS A TEAM, OHIO STATE WAS 8 FOR 12 ON THIRD DOWN. THAT IS HOW YOU WIN BALL GAMES. TED GINN CAME UP HUGE WITH 8 CATCHES FOR 164 YARDS AND HAD 2 CARRIES FOR 73 YARDS. ONE OF THOSE CARRIES WENT FOR A 68 YARD SCORE. ANTONIO PITTMAN HAD 136 YARDS ON 21 CARRIES. HE STRUGGLED EARLY BUT GOING IN THE 2ND HALF, WHICH INCLUDED HIS 60 YARD SCAMPER IN THE 4TH QUARTER TO ICE THE GAME. ONCE AGAIN IT WAS TOUGH THOUGH BECAUSE AS USUAL, WE FOUND A WAY TO KEEP THEM IN THE BALL GAME. 2 TURNOVERS AND AND 2 BLOCKED FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS GAVE THEM A CHANCE. I KNOW IRISH FANS DONT WANNA HEAR IT, BUT THEY WERE OUTPLAYED AND YES I WILL SAY IT AGAIN, THEY WERE OUTCOACHED BY A MAN THAT KNOWS HOW TO PREPARE A LITTLE BIT HIMSELF. HE DOESNT BACK DOWN FROM ANYONE AND HE KNOWS HOW TO WIN THE BIG GAME. THERE A LOT OF WOULDA COULDA SHOULDA'S COMING OUT OF BUCKEYE FANS' MOUTHS NOW, BUT WHAT CAN YA DO? COULD WE BEAT A PENN STATE AND TEXAS NOW? CAN WE TAKE IT USC? WE WILL NEVER KNOW, BUT AFTER 2 EARLY SEASON LOSSES, THE SEASON COULDNT HAVE FINISHED ANY BETTER. WE COULDNT MAKE IT TO THE ROSE BOWL, SO WE WANTED NOTRE DAME. WE GOT THEM AND WE TOOK IT TO THEM. I GET TO NOW TAKE MY BUCKEYE TIE AND TRESSEL VEST INTO WORK TOMORROW AND WATCH MY BOSS PARADE IT AROUND ALL DAY. HOW MUCH MORE SATISFACTION COULD I HAVE AT THIS POINT? I KNOW PEOPLE WILL QUESTION ME RIPPING CHARLIE WEIS AT ALL, BUT I JUST GOT A LITTLE TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT HIM. I THINK HE WILL TAKE THE PROGRAM A LONG WAY AND HE WILL BE A TERRIFIC RECRUITER, BUT HE BETTER FOCUS ON DEFENSE A LITTLE MORE. HE CAN RUN THE BEST OFFENSE IN THE COUNTRY FOR ALL I CARE, BUT UNTIL HE STRESSES SOME DEFENSE, THEY ARE IN FOR A LONG PAINFUL ROAD IN THE BIG GAMES AGAINST THE BIGGER OPPONENTS. AS FOR MR TRESSEL, THANK YOU AGAIN. BUCKEYE FANS TRULY FEEL THAT YOU NEED TO STAY FOR A LONG LONG TIME. MY SHOUT OUTS GO TO THE BUCKEYE SENIORS WHO PLAYED THEIR FINAL GAME AND GREAT FASHION. MR HAWK, YOU WILL BE MISSED MY FRIEND. IT WAS A PLEASURE WATCHING YOU FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS. YOU ARE WHAT BUCKEYE FOOTBALL IS ALL ABOUT. UNTIL NEXT SEASON!!!!! GO BUCKS