Behind the
Scoreboard
By Claude Vinson
Sorry folks,
but the NFL playoff picture will have to be clearly
explained next week. At this point, even in lieu of
Sunday’s games being completed, it is still muddled.
I am sure
you remember the scenario – if the St. Louis Rams
beat the N.J. Nets and Seattle ties and/or loses, and
Minnesota loses or defects to the Canadian League, and a
disgruntled weatherman in Iowa predicts a sandstorm, then
St. Loo will clinch the division. (Sure, a little bit out
there, but you get the picture.) Sunday the picture was
about as clear as the BCS. What we know for sure is that
the Wild Card games will be played on next Saturday and
Sunday.
Before we
get into whose SEC teams disappointed whom in the bowling
picture, I thought it just might be a little appropriate
to visit the “coaching carousel” for this
season one last time as a parting shot.
There were
21 head coaching changes in division 1-A. Of that number,
just one retired (Lou Holtz). Ten resigned – meaning
that they left for greener pastures (and we don’t
mean the grass kind!). Ten were given the Donald Trump
edict. But not to worry, most of those who were fired
have already found new berths.
We had two
SEC teams which acquitted themselves quite well in their
respective bowls. Tennessee put on a clinic for the Texas
A&M Aggies in the Cotton Bowl and Georgia made it by
Wisconsin in the Outback. The LSU Tigers didn’t give
their coach the send-off he was desiring. Nick Saban was
beaten by Iowa in the Capital One Bowl. It is rumored
that Saban was overheard as saying, “What, me
worry?” Probably already basking in all that
greenery and sunshine in Miami.
Florida was
caught by the Hurricanes in the Peach Bowl. In both of
the losses by Florida and LSU, they led in times of
possession and first downs. Don’t you just love
those hidden statistics?
I have no
idea what Alabama did in the Music City Bowl.
If you were
looking for the traditional shoot-outs in the bowl games,
then you should have tuned to the Rose and Liberty bowls.
In the former, the Texas Longhorns had never been to a
Rose Bowl in their 112 years history. Can you believe
that? Anyway they have lifetime bragging rights after
taking down Michigan, which practically lives in the
Rose.
In the
latter, Louisville handed Boise its first loss of the
season. That was just a plain, good football game.
By this time
Wednesday morning, there will be a new national champion
(or two). And the people in Auburn will still have
heartburn along with the rest of us.
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