Greatest Game Ever
I love sports. I love watching them. I love playing them. I love college sports. Some people argue that college sports take valuable resources away from the rest of their respective universities.
I think that college sports, at the right level of following, breed a healthy pride in a school. This pride can get unhealthy — you can read some of my older blog entries to read about some sports fans I’ve encountered.
Personally, I’m proud of any accomplishment that sheds a positive light on my alma mater — The University of Illinois. Whether its a Final 4 appearance, a BCS bowl bid, or a Nobel prize. In fact, I proudly boast to people that in one of my school years at Illinois, we managed to win more Nobel prizes than football games. How many schools can claim that honor?
Anyways, this is about sports. I love playing them, and watching them. What I witnessed last night was the most unbelievable football game I will ever live to see. I have no doubt about that.
The Boise State Broncos took on the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl. The game was already a good game when Oklahoma took the ball with a 28-20 defecit and just under three minutes on the clock in the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma marched down the field and scored with just over 90 seconds left in the game. On their first two-point conversion attempt, their incomplete pass was nullified because of a pass interference call on the Broncos. On the second try, their completion was nullified by an illegal shift call on the offense. Finally, on their third try, they completed a seven yard pass to tie the game at 28.
Boise State took the ball with just over a minute to go. On their first play, they managed to throw an interception which was returned for a touchdown and a 35-28 Sooner leader.
Boise State took the ball again and marched up to the 50-yard line with just under 30 seconds left to play. They faced a fourth and 18 from roughly midfield when they completed a hook and ladder play for a touchdown (and a tie ballgame) with seven seconds remaining.
In overtime, the Sooners scored a touchdown on their first play. The Broncos took the ball and used five plays to get to a fourth and two situation at the 4 yard line. They did the obvious. The quarterback lined up at receiver. A wide receiver took the snap and in his only pass of the season, threw a very timely touchdown to make it 42-41. Then the Broncos went for two.
On the two point conversion the Broncos lined up three receivers to the right and put the quarterback in the shotgun with a running back to his right. He faked a throw to a receiver with his right arm, while discreetly holding the ball out to his left with his left arm. The running back, Ian Johnson, took the handoff and marched into the endzone for the Broncos upset of a revereed college football powerhouse.
Then that same running back proposed to his girlfriend — a Boise St cheerleader. She said yes.
Pure sandlot. Pure Hollywood.
If this was a movie, I’d blast it for being too cheesy and unrealistic.
