Admittedly, I couldn't remember the last time I was watching a bowl game from the stands instead of down on the sidelines before the 2010 Outback Bowl in Tampa.
It took a little thought, and I think it was the 1983 Peach Bowl at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. I remember, vaguely, Weegie Thompson catching a pass in the corner of the endzone for Florida State as they handled North Carolina 28-3.
I remember the game was flat-out cold and that it was on CBS.
That's about it...
So, what do I get for my next one...???
The Outback Bowl that was just as wet, just as cold, and about four-billion times crazier than the game 27 years ago...
Let me explain...
As I have divulged here before, TBH will go to any Auburn football game within a reasonable distance from OSG HQ. It was a way to spend New Year's together after the trans-continental juggling act that Festivus was the week before.
I was part of a crowd taking part in a social experiment. I got to see SEC bowl fever close up...
((Thanks to me for all the pictures, by the way...))
In a game that Auburn had two TD leads twice: 21-7 and 35-21, they still found a way to give the lead up both times, but not without some official assistance ((I think I've itemized that the crew was a Big 12 crew since two of the officials are from the Dallas Football Officials Association)).
There were two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for celebrating on Auburn during scores- none called against Northwestern when there was a "Fun Bunch" celebration on one occasion and a chest-thumping episode with the other.
The game itself took 4:05. Northwestern QB Mike Kafka went 47-for-78 for 532 yards
and 4 TD's, but he also threw 5 picks.
Pat Fitzgerald's dink-and-dunk, drag route offense is their running game and their passing game. They ran 115 plays on offense... Auburn's Josh Bynes, Neiko Thorpe, Craig Stevens, and Daren Bates were out there defending on all of them.
The game ended on three separate occasions because of a review, a fumble, a penalty or some other made-for-television cliffhanger.
Two fourth-quarter fumbles gave the Wildcats the chance to tie the game at 35, and almost win the game at the end of regulation. But kicker Stefan Dimos missed the game-winner as time expired.
QB Mike Kafka was sacked in the overtime, but when he was spun around the ball hit the ground as he fell. Auburn celebrated thinking the game was over. The officials called Kafka down by contact- rightfully so.
The drive continued...
Dimos also expired when he was rolled in to in the overtime period by T'Sharvan Bell. Dimos had to be helped off the field as a Northwestern drive continued ((again)) for a First-and-goal at the Auburn 9.
When fourth down rolled around again from the five, Wildcats head coach Pat Fitzgerald rolled out a play he'd had in his hip pocket for four years. He trotted out his back-up kicker for a hurried fumblerooskie play. Thorpe stopped the play at the two and the game was finally over...
Really, it was over...
A few things here...
The personal foul for roughing Stefan Dimos in the overtime was a joke.
TBH will maintain that the entire officiating crew was a joke, and I'm fairly
certain that 30,000 of her closest friends will agree.
The game got so weird that you couldn't help but laugh at what was happening in front of you. TBH also brought forth every black-helicopter theory in the book as to why her Auburn team was getting screwed to high heaven early on a Friday morning.
But if Auburn had not won the game outright, there would have been an absolute riot on the city of Tampa's hands- and I would have loved to see anyone stop a 21st-Century lynch mob that was forming in the family section.
If memory serves, OSG Sports had Auburn pegged about right in the Fall Preview..
.
All but the ending...
I'm not even going to ask about an encore...
And who knew Nick Saban was a naturally curly individual...
