Fiesta Bowl Live Blog

Welcome to the Fiesta Bowl. Unfortunately, this game features a Big 10 team, so I did not rush through my dinner to open my computer. I'll open with first quarter thoughts from me and D Brown (who is suffering from (James) Laurenitis and can't reach a computer), and hopefully Hoogs will bribe Time Warner in order to join us in the second half.

Predictions this game:
Uncle D: Texas by 28
Hoogs: Texas 36-14
Brooks: Any score that will keep the Big 10 in the BCS next year. Let's say, Texas by 14

First Quarter Thoughts
-- Pryor looks good early. Some nice intermediate throws, but an incredibly impressive run for a first down on 3rd and 11 where he broke three tackles after failing to find an open receiver. Thankfully, his stride isn't nearly as duck-like as his throws downfield. No word on if he whispered "Vince who?" to Mack Brown as he went back to the huddle.

-- Per Uncle D: "Jim Tressell hands out buckeyes like monopoly money."

-- Colt McCoy, as expected, looks really sharp. Hoogs is frustrated by the lack of a run game early for the Longhorns. By the way, did you know McCoy and Jordan Shipley are both friends, roommates, and teammates? This is breaking news!

-- The announcers let us know that after giving up 0 first quarter points, it is fair to assume Jim Tressell is pleased with his defense. Somewhere, however, Craig James is criticizing McCoy as "simply another Big 12 QB who can't my find my son open in the flat."

-- It's now 3-3 early in the second where I pick up

-- I'm confused by both coaches demeanors. Both Mack Brown and Jim Tressell are normally very cool on the sideline, but tonight both look angry and are yelling at their players. My guess: they are hoping Will Muschamp will let them sit at the "cool" table postgame if they show some rage

10:11 in the 2nd
Beanie Wells is having a really solid start to this game. He's broken two long runs and just picked up a big first down on a screen pass after Pryor followed the suggestion on the Mom in "Rookie of the Year and simply "Float[ed] It" over the heads of the Texas D Line

7:06 in the 2nd
Wells continues to run like a Top 10 Pick in the NFL Draft is waiting for him in the end zone. Another 20 yard run puts the Buckeyes in the Red Zone for the first time tonight. Old Spice-- looks like you're missing out on a valuable marketing opportunity . . .

5:39 in the 2nd
Jim Tressell once again shows why he's the WNBA of bowl game coaches. They may not be flashy on offense or successful in the end zone, but he will field goal the shit out of you (he has already attempted 3 tonight). 6-3 Buckeyes after OSU fails to convert a 3rd and 2 from the Texas 6.

By the way, what the hell is "G"? This commercial confuses the hell out of me. I think it has to do with athletics, but suddenly there's a random kid and the Jaborwakeez Dance Team at the end. I think it's Gatorade, but after watching season 2 of the Wire and seeing Avon in prison, I'm not exactly sure I want to know if "G is in me."

Hoogs is concerned with the lack of confidence in the demeanor of the Texas offense, that the D is not staying in lanes, but more importantly, about what the hell a "Vondrell McGee" and "Fozzy Whittaker" are. All he knows is that they certainly aren't running backs

5:34 in the 2nd
Scary moment as an Ohio State senior is getting carted off on a head board. Thoughts go out to him and we hope it's not serious

5:15 in the 2nd
McCoy hits his "room mate, best friend, and the only man who understands him and his touch" Jordan Shipley for a big conversion on 3rd and 10. Finally, the UT line gave McCoy some time and actually gave him a play off from getting popped in the mouth

Brad: Ohio State is winning the battle of the trenches so far tonight on both sides of the ball

2:32 in the 2nd
Tonights halftime show is brought to you by Southwest Airlines. Feel free to "Want to Get Away" and watch Comedy Central on the break. I'm sure they'll have Britney Smith and Aerosmith-- and you will be confused.

2:25 in the 2nd
Huge play. While I admire Mack Brown for pulling his sack out by going for it on 4th and 7 to show Jim Tressell what giant balls look like, it leads to a big sack for the Buckeyes. They now get the ball at midfield with plenty of time before the half. I can't tell if Hoogs is screaming or whimpering-- he lives in New York City plus I have double paned glass windows.

1:03 in the 2nd
Jim Tressell once again shows that he's never met a momentum swing he couldn't slowly suffocate until it stopped twitching. After the big turnover on downs, the Buckeyes are stymied after only one first down and is forced to punt. This game is like Washington and Lee football-- it's all about the kicking game.

:04 Left in the 2nd
Unfortunately for Texas, Colt McCoy has also seen Rookie of the Year. McCoy floats a pass while back pedaling from his own 9 yard line that gets picked off. So far the best offense we've seen all game are the eyes Colt McCoy's Dad is giving Colt's girlfriends in the stands.

6-3 Ohio State at the Half

Halftime Chatter
-- I've learned that Anderson Russell, the Ohio State player who just came through with that big INT at the end of the half, is apparently also from Atlanta and went to a high school (Marist School) that is a rival of the school at which I work. Basically, I think that makes us best friends. Guess who I'm friending on facebook tonight . . .

-- Barry Switzer is apparently toning it down slightly tonight. The pin stripes on his suit are only wide enough to hold enough coke to get him high, not the entire 1985 Oklahoma Sooners offensive line

-- I can't tell which teams marching band has the more effeminate uniforms. One teams has tassells, not on strippers ta-tas, but on their shirts. The other wear's berets. . . like a Frenchmen. Both schools should be almost as embarrassed by these uniforms as they are by their offenses performances in the red zone.

-- Brad gave me these thoughts on what Texas needs to do: actually block on the O line so McCoy stops getting popped like vicodin in Brett Favre's medicine cabinet, actually put in a running back with speed to diversify the offense, and find some way to keep Pryor in the pocket.

-- My suggestions for Ohio State: get some red zone efficiency, try to completely a pass downfield, and most importantly, hope that Jim Tressell of 2001 travels through time and kills 2009 Tressell (like a Terminator) in order to save Big 10 football

11:38 in the 3rd
I love the way that Mack Brown is coaching this game so far. First, he goes for it on 4th and 7 late in the 2nd quarter. Then, goes for it again on 4th and 1 on his opening drive of the second half. Now, after his drive stutters at midfield, he fakes the punt and gets just enough from the direct snap to the upback. Those are testicles in his pants, sweater vest.

9:26 in the 3rd
4th and 1, and he goes for it again! And-- shock!-- the football gods reward him with another conversion. Somewhere, ESPN's TMQB is beaming. This is awesome

8:29 in the 3rd
McCoy scores on a 15 yard QB draw, capped with him tapping B Button to spin around the helpless OSU defensive back. What's most impressive about this drive is that it took 15 plays. That's a lot of plays for a single drive, and could really come back to haunt OSU later in the game. I hate to sound like I'm plagiarizing Phil Simms' "Phil"osophy (trademark CBS Sports, 2002), but this next drive is big for both teams

10-6 Texas

6:58 in the 3rd
Terrelle Pryor is apparently dead set on leading the Buckeyes to a miraculous 4th quarter come back, because he throws his third down pass which puts the OSU defense back on the field after a quick 3 and out.

5:50 in the 3rd
After Texas seemed to be driving once again, a foolish grounding call and a horrible running play leaves the Longhorns with a 4th and 36. It not only gives the Buckeyes the ball, but it also seems to throw off the chess match between these two mediocre coaching minds as the Buckeyes now own the "field position game." 1rst and 10 Buckeyes at midfield. In order to match this ineptitude by Brown, I'm sure Tressell will opt to take the knee three times and punt to pin the Longhorns deep.

3:50 in the 3rd
Oh my god. I was just kidding when I said that, but the Buckeyes just went 3 plays for zero yards and punted to put the Horns at their own 15. That . . . that is Big 10 football

2:33 in the 3rd
Shipley has another nice grab, but is unable to get any yards after the catch once again. Hopefully by the time he's on his 16the year of eligibility, he'll have the speed to break one of those tackles. Texas is driving again on the Buckeye's defense with ease both passing the ball-- and new for the second half: running the ball!

1:04 in the 3rd
Remember what I said about that opening drive? Well, the Buckeyes were so tired they didn't even both to get in their stance at the end of that drive. McCoy hits Cosby for a 7 yard TD on the play. I'm about to give up on this game.

17-6 Longhorns

14:52 in the 4th
Todd Boekman denies all the odds and completes what I can only assume his first collegiate pass. Brian Robiskie also made an amazing grab on the play-- if he Dad could coach as well as Brian can catch, his Dad would be doing better than waiting to be the next interim coach of the Washington Redskins

13:22 in the 4th
This may be difficult to imagine, but stay with me here. After an awful pass by Boekman on first down, a Beanie Wells run straight up the middle for two yards, and a woefully under thrown pass by Pryor that should've been picked off, the Buckeyes settle for a field goal in the red zone. This is certainly unprecedented. And watchable

10:06 in the 4th
Here's a rule question for all of you out there. I've just watched the Texas punter roll out for the fifth time tonight before punting. The question is: why doesn't Ohio State just unload on the guy? Once he rolls out of the pocket, aren't they allowed to hit him since it could be a fake? Wouldn't knocking 3 punters out of the game possibly help Ohio State?

9:20 Left in the 4th
Well, it took 21 minutes, but they finally decided to have Pryor run the ball this half. Shockingly, it is a pickup for a startling 16 yards. Next play: play action screen to the tight end. Naturally.

8:26 in the 4th
Pryor just runs for another 26 yard gain. That sound you just heard was every defensive coordinator in the country vomit in fear of having to scheme for this kid for another three years.

It's OK, Texas fans, I'm sure this drive will end in a field goal.

7:26 Left in the 4th
So maybe this will be a game. After lining up Pryor at WR multiple times throughout the game, they finally throw the fade to him with Boekman at QB. Unfortunately, this happens just as the announcers were wondering allowed if the Buckeyes would run the play, so they now believe they are competent at their jobs.

On the two point attempt, shockingly, Pryor's throw off his back foot is about a yard and a half short of its target. Consistency is key I guess.

17-15 Texas

3:59 Left in the 4th
The announcers once again just showed their brilliance, as after three and a half quarters they have finally caught on to the fact that Pryor's a running quarterback: "If I'm Texas and Pryor is in the game, I'm going to try to stop the run." No word yet on if they've figured out Texas is the team in red jerseys.

2:06 in the 4th
Back up running back Daniel Herron scores on a 15 yard scamper off the left tackle with no one in the secondary around to help out the Texas front 7.

On the 2 point conversion, there are off setting pass interference penalties on Pryor and the DB covering him. I've never seen that before in my life. When was the last time you saw a 2 pointer replayed from the 2.

On the replay, a wide open TE Rory Nichol drops Pyror's pass in the end zone.

21-17 Ohio State.

2:05 in the 4th
Well, we've just been told the BCS implications of a Ohio State upset are "staggering." Yes, I was really being kept up all night wondering if Texas or Utah was going to be the #3 team in the final poll. Jeez, let the game stand on it's own. 2 minutes left and a 4 point game between two Top 10 teams-- how is that not dramatic enough for you?

:38 Left in the 4th
Texas completes a pass on 4th and 3 right at the yard stick. Currently, both coaches are going ape shit over the spot of the ball. Texas hated the original spot of the ref's foot (the pass was completed on their sideline), Ohio State flipped out when the ball was actually placed.

Chains say first down Texas at the 40, but Ohio State is going to challenge. I don't know which Coach is more surprised to learn that they can make a challenge in the bowl game.

Ruling stands on the field, which both announcers say they agree with. Sorry, Hoogs, I can only assume then that the refs blew it.

:16 Left in the 4th
Wow. Texas hits Cosby on a quick slant with no safety help deep, he breaks the tackle and runs in for a 20 yard touchdown run. Great read by McCoy.

What's interesting is that Texas is up by a field goal, but they also drew an unsportsmanlike penalty call after the play. This gives the Buckeye's an extra 15 yards of field position off the kick since Teas is kicking from their own 15, with 2 TO and a kicker who already made one 50+ field goal. This is a great game.

Those two missed 2 point conversions for OSU are looming large now. If they made one and got the other extra point, it's a tie game. Hindsight.

24-21 Ohio State.

:11 Left in the 4th
Ohio State returns the kick to it's own 45, so they'll need roughly 20 yards on 2 play max to get into field goal range.

:05 Left in the 4th
Well, Orakpo has made his presence known, as he is somehow able to track down nimble Todd Boekman for a sack in the backfield. Next for Orakpo after this demonstration of pure speed and athletic ability? An obstacle race again Ussein Bolt.

Game Over
In a pass that perfectly sums up his career at Ohio State, Boeckman's pass lands 15 yards short of the end zone and is batted down by the Texas DB's. A great ending to an entertaining 4th quarter. See you all Thursday for the national title game.