The Fiesta Bowl (1971-) - At State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ (2007-), Formerly at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, AZ (1971-2006)

[DaveO]

On 12/24/2019 at 3:23 PM, DonRocks said:

I try not to post too much about Clemson football here, because I can easily see how it could become annoying

Uh.... yeah😀

But seriously that was an excellent game last evening.  Two teams with many pro caliber big strong violent super fast skilled players.  Their practices could be more competitive than many games.  Seriously.   Plays were decided by inches.  Really great competition.

To the victors go the spoils.  Congrats Clemson.

[dcandohio]

1 hour ago, DaveO said:

Uh.... yeah😀

But seriously that was an excellent game last evening.  Two teams with many pro caliber big strong violent super fast skilled players.  Their practices could be more competitive than many games.  Seriously.   Plays were decided by inches.  Really great competition.

To the victors go the spoils.  Congrats Clemson.

Really poor officiating spoiled the competition. Winning or losing fair and square is acceptable, but getting screwed by the refs is very hard to take. 

[DonRocks]

46 minutes ago, dcandohio said:

Really poor officiating spoiled the competition. Winning or losing fair and square is acceptable, but getting screwed by the refs is very hard to take. 

If I was an Ohio State fan, I'd be livid. The one play I just don't understand is the overturned fumble resulting in a scoop-and-score. (I mean, I "understand" the concept of executing a "football move," but come on - I'd be furious if I was pulling for OSU). There were at least two occasions last night when I just about turned off the TV and said, "well, there's always next year." 

The comments on elevenwarriors.com are so angry that I'd be absolutely terrified to post there.

Nothing but respect from me - Ohio State was a tremendous team this year.

[dcandohio]

1 hour ago, DonRocks said:

If I was an Ohio State fan, I'd be livid. The one play I just don't understand is the overturned fumble resulting in a scoop-and-score. (I mean, I "understand" the concept of executing a "football move," but come on - I'd be furious if I was pulling for OSU). There were at least two occasions last night when I just about turned off the TV and said, "well, there's always next year." 

The comments on elevenwarriors.com are so angry that I'd be absolutely terrified to post there.

Nothing but respect from me - Ohio State was a tremendous team this year.

Those Ohio State fan boards can be vicious. I stay away. As a former professor and faculty representative (later president) to the University athletic Council, I had to be very, very careful about how I interacted with the public regarding Ohio State sports. It became a habit. 

I thought Ryan Day made some poor calls, especially all of the up the middle runs on first down, which Ohio State often flubs. Our own legitimate penalties caused self-inflicted wounds  And Dabo did a great job of adjusting at the half. But if the refs had been accurate and fair, the game might very well have ended differently. A great game like that should be won or lost on the field, not in the replay booth. 

Anyway, I have an undergraduate degree and a Masters degree from LSU, so I can be happy with the playoff outcomes. 

Good luck in the championship game!

[DonRocks]

2 hours ago, dcandohio said:

Anyway, I have an undergraduate degree and a Masters degree from LSU, so I can be happy with the playoff outcomes. 

Good luck in the championship game!

Whoa, I thought you were OSU all the way. Joe Burrow is sensational, and LSU's offense is terrific. Good luck to you as well.

(For whatever it's worth, I haven't yet felt any joy from this Clemson win; honestly, I still feel like they lost the game, even though it has been since last night - maybe it will sink in later, but I kind of wish Ohio State could have won.)

If Justyn Ross had made that exact same "catch" while being accosted by Jeff Okudah, but was near the sideline and went out of bounds before dropping it, they would have called it a completion, no doubt about it. If he had stepped into the end zone, and then dropped it, they would have ruled it a touchdown. Why the double standard just because he was in the open field?

[dcandohio]

3 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Whoa, I thought you were OSU all the way. Joe Burrow is sensational, and LSU's offense is terrific. Good luck to you as well.

It’s an interesting story. My dad was born in Akron, orphaned, ended up in New Orleans, met my mother, never returned to Ohio. Nevertheless, he was always a huge Ohio State fan. I have very early memories of watching Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, and dad talking about the band doing script Ohio and dotting the I. 

After my 2 Degrees at LSU, I worked for a while, and then decided to get my PhD. I ended up at Tennessee. 

No reputable business school hires its own graduates. So I started applying for jobs at schools, and I was very surprised Ohio State was interested in me, because they never hired people from southern schools. I ended up getting the job at OSU and when I told my father, who died this year, he burst into tears. It was one of my most fabulous memories of my dad. 

So yeah, I’m a moderate Tennessee fan, a loyal LSU fan, and a rabid Ohio State fan.