The big brass balls in Boise
by briandtw on Tuesday, January 2nd, 2007 at 12:46pm
Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42. The 2007 Fiesta Bowl might be the greatest football game I’ve ever seen. Wild lead changes, huge plays on both sides of the ball, two-point conversions galore, overtime, trick plays, and finally, the upset special.
While people will remember the bag of tricks Boise State pulled out at the end, culminating with a take on the Statue of Liberty play on the game’s final game-winning two-point conversion, what is forgotten is that Boise State built a significant lead over Oklahoma by grinding out long drive after long drive with an impressive traditional running and passing game.
Oklahoma, to their immense credit, climbed back into the game, eventually and improbably taking the lead with just over a minute to play on an interception return for a touchdown. Instead of giving up, the Broncos offense was actually smiling on the sidelines after losing the lead.
It was like they wanted the additional challenge, a challenge they met when they converted a 4th and 18 with a designed catch-and-lateral that went the distance to tie up the ballgame.
But how about the best moment in the game? Oklahoma scored on the first play in overtime to take a seven-point lead. Adrian Peterson just runs right over the Bronco defense for a 25 yard touchdown. Statement play, right?
Boise State proceeds to unconvincingly eek and scrape its way to a touchdown on a running back pass. Then, instead of kicking the extra point to tie it up, they decide to go for the jugular and try for two points and the win. And they make it on a trick play that the back-up quarterbacks had been running in practice all week!
On top of all that, Boise State running back Ian Johnson, after scoring the game-winning two-point conversion, proposed to his girlfriend, captain of the cheerleading squad – who wrote this script? – on the field and on national television.
Was it the greatest game of all time? The mere fact that the question is being asked lets you know how special it was.
Memo to the BCS: You suck. The only reason we got this game was after you were threatened with a lawsuit. And now you are denying this Bronco team a shot at the title. Get a playoff system, and delay the polls til the season is truly underway.