Championship Game Reflections

Boy, that was worth five weeks of build-up. (Zzzzzzz).

Anyway, despite the fact that I am sick and delirious like Eddie Murphy, I have attempted writing the following observations that I made during the underwhelming national championship matchup between Alabama and Texas. Because the system in place is way more exciting than watching a playoff that would have determined who would play in this game.

- Apparently the prerequisite for starting at running back in this game is for your father to be a former NFL player who has done time in the big house. (Such was the case for both ‘Bama’s Mark Ingram and Texas’ Tre Newton). However, this has to be seen as a step in the right direction for college football, as we are moving forward from the days when both starting running backs had a strong chance of being in prison themselves.

- You have to finish what you started. Texas had a surge of momentum in the first quarter, getting the ball twice in Alabama territory but settling for field goals both times. Had the Longhorns taken a 14-0 lead, they win this game. Even with a wet behind the ears freshman quarterback. It’s clear that Nick Saban wanted no piece of any scenario that forced Greg McElroy to throw the ball, and getting the Tide behind big could have forced that.

Instead, it took ‘Bama just one drive to take the lead after giving up the two early scores.

- As soon as Colt McCoy went down, this game was over. To Texas’ credit, they didn’t pack it in, and the Gilbert kid did a decent job once he got rid of the deer-in-headlights look. The future is going to be bright if he actually gets a spring and fall camp to work as the No. 1 QB. But there is no way in hell he was going to be the man to complete the comeback he helped start.

- We learned a lesson in patience. Had only Jevan Snead stayed at Texas, he could have been the hero off the bench and done more to help his draft stock than he did in his crappy year at Ole Miss. (By the way, Snead’s decision to leave early for the NFL may be the worst idea since God Shammgod left Providence for the NBA after his sophomore year).

OK, so maybe I’m overstating my case. But had he been patient enough to sit and waste away for four years, he could have gone down as one of the greatest heroes in Longhorn history. It’s just kind of ironic how it ended up working out for both sides.

- During the commercials for the show “Modern Family,” I noticed that the kids were watching “Breaking Away” on their TV. And that, my friends, is likely to be the most pub that Indiana University will ever get during a BCS championship game. Of course, only loser IU people like me had any idea IU was getting pub in the first place. But it happened. And it was awesome.