Orange Bowl Blog

Sun finally comes out in South Florida -- one day too late

Monday, Jan. 3, 1:45 p.m.

Orange Bowl USC 55, Oklahoma 19 SI.com's Stewart Mandel The BCS title game was billed as a classic. It turned into a classic mismatch. • Closer Look: Peterson hits a Trojan wall SI.com's John Donovan The Trojans were much more than Matt Leinart in Miami -- their win was a total team effort. • Closer Look: Bradley blunder opens floodgates SI.com's Pete McEntegart • Running commentary from the press box Sugar Bowl Auburn 16, Virginia Tech 13 SI.com's Kelley King Auburn won't force a split national championship, but it still capped off an amazing season. Rose Bowl Texas 38, Michigan 37 SI.com's Stewart Mandel So what if the Pac-10 wasn't there? Texas and Michigan played one of the top Rose Bowls ever. Fiesta Bowl Utah 35, Pittsburgh 7 Complete College Bowls Coverage

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Boy, I'm not having a whole lot of luck this week. There was another media cruise Sunday night, which, after the New Year's Eve debacle, I politely declined. By all accounts it was a wonderful time, complete with a five-star meal and complimentary neck massages. Myself and the rest of the Sports Illustrated crew chose instead to dine at a fairly mediocre seafood restaurant.

Then, I wake up today for what I knew would be my longest writing day of the week, so of course the weather is the most beautiful it's been. The Marina Marriott pool is packed. There's some sort of Beach Fest going on down the street, which I'd imagine is packed with scantily clad USC fans. But for you, the loyal reader -- and, of course, my paycheck -- I'm dutifully plowing ahead.

• The head coaches held their final news conferences this morning, in which all the national sports columnists who haven't covered a college football game all year swooped in for their annual bash-the-BCS column and asked all the predictable questions. Both Pete Carroll and Bob Stoops were asked for the 27th time this week whether the NFL is in their future.

•  Interestingly, after practicing in the early afternoon all week, USC held its final practice at 8:30 p.m. last night, and was then scheduled for a morning walk-though today. Carroll is somewhat obsessive when it comes to pregame routines and I'm sure every minute was planned for a certain reason.

•  Two days later, I'm a bit puzzled at the Vince Young/Rose Bowl aftermath. In the past 48 hours I've read gushing writers -- our own John Walters included -- compare him to the likes of Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb and Randall Cunningham. People, there's one big difference: Those guys could throw the ball, too. Young is a great runner who had a phenomenal running performance against Michigan, but he's yet to demonstrate any consistency in the passing department. So, before you go proclaiming him next year's Heisman frontrunner, remember these two words: Brad Smith.

•  I feel bad for Auburn, I really do. I can tell you in all honesty that here at the Orange Bowl, the Tigers are pretty much out of sight, out of mind, which can't be good for their cause considering nearly anyone of influence who covers the sport is here. Several people have asked me whether there's a chance I would keep them No. 1 in my final power rankings. I'm keeping all my options open, especially having watched them in person beat two teams, Tennessee and Georgia, who looked awfully good in their bowl games. Nevertheless, it's hard to imagine beating Virginia Tech, by any margin, will be able to trump the accomplishment of either USC beating Oklahoma or vice versa. Unfair, but true.

•  Finally, I think I speak for any writer who's ever been around him when I wish Utah's Alex Smith best of luck in his next endeavor. Simply a great kid, smart as can be, who will hopefully get the chance in the NFL to show that what he did under Urban Meyer was no fluke.

Sunday, Jan. 2, 2:58 p.m.

Pete Carroll wades through the media horde on Sunday. AP

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Today was Media Day at Pro Player Stadium, the annual circus where reporters swarm around the six or seven biggest-name players on each team while the other 78 guys, in full uniform, sit in the stands for an hour like bored prom goers who can't find their date. Another tradition I've observed at the five media days I've been to: Some enterprising local TV station handing its microphone to one of the players to interview his teammates. In the past it's produced some fairly hilarious exchanges, but this year the players seemed to have tired of the act almost as much as we reporters.

Other things seen and heard:

• Oklahoma defensive end Larry Birdine, he of the controversial USC smack-talk a couple of weeks back, was freed from his unofficial media lockdown and was right back yuking it up. "People are always coming down on T.O. [Terrell Owens] and guys like that, but I love that stuff," said Birdine. "I could be a boxing promoter."

• People are still buzzing about New Year's Day's bowl action, particularly the dramatic endings of both LSU-Iowa and Michigan-Texas. According to the NCAA record book, there was only one game decided on the final play all of last season. Saturday, there were two back-to-back on ABC.

• Speaking of ABC, who were the ad wizards who came up with those bizarre Phil Collins and Lenny Kravitz halftime videos? Boy, you sure know your target audience, guys.

• Storylines I'm becoming increasingly excited about: Adrian Peterson vs. Reggie Bush; Lofa Tatupu, the nation's most overlooked star player; Vince Carter against Mike Patterson; and Dwayne Jarrett against Oklahoma's oft-criticized secondary.

Storylines that I've heard so often now I'm ready to tear my hair out: Matt Leinart's childhood eye problems; Pete Carroll jumping off the diving board during two-a-days; whether last year's title game snub is serving as motivation for USC; and whether last year's Sugar Bowl is serving as motivation for Jason White. Make it stop.

• You can't make this stuff up. On a stretch of I-95 near Fort Lauderdale sits a billboard that reads, "Season's Greetings from Rutgers football," accompanied by a team photo. I couldn't tell for sure, but I think there was some smaller text that read, "Remember, if UM runs out of scholarships, we're always here for you."

Oh, and by the way, it sits right next to another billboard ... for Goldfinger Showbar.

• Finally, one word to describe LSU's apparent decision to offer its job to Les Miles: Baffling. You're telling me it's so important to get someone with head-coaching experience that you'd rather hand over the keys to a national-championship caliber program to a guy whose teams have yet to climb out of the middle of the pack in the Big 12 than promote from within? Sorry, I just don't see it.

Saturday, Jan. 1, 1:33 p.m.

Rick Clausen threw TD passes to three different receivers in the first half against Texas A&M. AP

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Hey, guys and gals. Hope you had a more enjoyable beginning to 2005 than I did. Several members of the Orange Bowl media decided to spend New Year's Eve on a local cruise ship. Bad idea. Bad Idea Jeans. Unusually turbulent waters left about half the boat in varying degrees of sea sickness all night, myself included. I'll never forget the image from just before midnight of ebullient partygoers hooting and hollering on the deck amongst a sea of bodies slumped in chairs and heads dangling over the rail.

A bunch of sick sportswriters stuck at sea for six hours. In other words, a coach's dream come true.

• Did you see Tennessee QB Rick Clausen absolutely shred Texas A&M in the first half of the Cotton Bowl? Wow. Suddenly the Vols have three proven quarterbacks to choose from next spring when freshmen Erik Ainge and Brent Schaeffer return from injuries.

• Speaking of injuries, it's no secret Jason White was hampered by several in last year's national title game, contributing to his nightmare night against LSU, but White has always been reluctant to even bring them up lest anyone think he's making excuses. Until now. "If you only knew," White said Saturday when asked about his health leading up to that game. "Last year at this time I was struggling just to make it to practice." A year later, he's in the best health of his career going into his biggest game yet against USC.

• With all the star power on Oklahoma's offense, you rarely hear about fullback J.D. Runnels, but those who have seen him know he's a ferocious blocker who played a large part in Adrian Peterson's success this season. "He is the best fullback I have faced since I have been here," said USC senior linebacker Matt Grootegoed. "I am very impressed with him ... almost as impressed with him as I am with Adrian."

• It's too early to say which conference has made the best showing in the bowl games, but I know which one I'd nominate as the biggest surprise: the WAC. After watching the way Boise State fought tooth and nail with Louisville, it's clear the Broncos are every bit as deserving of a top 10 ranking as the Cardinals, while Fresno State knocked off Virginia, Hawaii beat UAB and UTEP nearly beat Colorado. Are they the SEC? No. But I wouldn't automatically slot them into No. 10 among the conferences like we normally do, either.

• I brought along a couple DVDs for the laptop on this trip -- Arrested Development, Season 1, disc 1 and Arrested Development Season 1, disc 2. That darn show is so addictive you can start watching it and, without even realizing it, be three episodes in.

• Back when Maurice Clarett's allegations against Ohio State first came out, AD Andy Geiger was unusually aggressive in his spin control, viciously attacking Clarett's character. Interesting, isn't it, that in light of the Troy Smith booster scandal he's suddenly doing some major backtracking, both in an ESPN interview before the Alamo Bowl and in Saturday's New York Times. "I wish I had not been so vociferous in regard to Maurice," Geiger said. "But because of what he has put this university through, I have a hot button when it comes to Maurice Clarett."

What he has put you through?? You're not the victim here, Andy. Neither is Clarett. It's the future football and basketball players who are going to have to suffer through sanctions because the school has repeatedly ignored the signs of an athletic department spun out of control.

• That's all for now. Same Bat time, same Bat channel tomorrow.

Friday, Dec. 31, 2004, 4:35 p.m.

Sunny South Florida? Tell that to former Trojans star Frank Gifford. AP

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Welcome to my Orange Bowl blog. Well, it's not really a blog. I've never understood how all those true bloggers across cyberspace come up with something new to say every few hours of their waking days, but I do promise to provide a few more updates between now and game time on Tuesday.

Some random observations so far:

• The media here seem caught up in referring to this as a potential "Game of the Century." I think it's going to be a good one, no question, but isn't it a wee bit presumptuous to speculate that, oh, the next 95 years of football games won't be able to match it?

• I know, it's just hyperbole.

• I'm not sure how much people outside of L.A. or Oklahoma are aware of this, but USC running back LenDale White is not yet practicing at full speed following a high ankle sprain suffered against UCLA on Dec. 4. I know, I know, they still have Reggie Bush, but White's health could be a major issue Tuesday. It's tough enough to run on the Sooners as it is, and the Trojans are going to need the bruising White to pick up short yardage and help provide some semblance of ball control.

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• Here's a scary thought for Oklahoma fans: The game could come down to the foot of a freshman kicker, Garrett Hartley, who has yet to attempt a collegiate field goal. Hartley, who replaced the struggling Trey DiCarlo late in the season, is 10-for-10 on extra points.

• That Texas Tech-Cal game sure was an eye-opener. I don't know whether it means the Bears were any more or less deserving of the Rose Bowl berth than we thought -- I hate the "Well, Texas only lost 12-0 to Oklahoma, which whipped Texas Tech, therefore ..." game. And I have no idea whether or not it's an indication of how the Pac-10 will fare against the Big 12 on Tuesday, but I do think this was the most dramatic example yet of just how revolutionary Mike Leach's offense is. I wonder when some of these schools with coaching openings will start taking him seriously.

• Leinart said Friday that ever since the Heisman ceremony broadcasters talked at length about his childhood eye surgeries (he was cross-eyed), his doctor has been getting all kinds of referrals. For the record, Leinart still has to go to follow-up appointments every six months, which, since his doctor is a pediatrician, means sitting in a waiting room with a bunch of 5-year-olds. You know what's fun? Picturing the Heisman Trophy winner -- in full uniform and eye black, of course -- sitting in a doctor's waiting room reading a magazine while a bunch of kids are turning the place into a romper room.

• As a notorious late-sleeper, I've been none too pleased with the 8 a.m. press conferences this week, but I feel worse for the players. For a college kid, that's got to be about as pleasant as an 8 a.m. class, which, speaking from experience, you just don't do.

• For those wondering, it's fairly warm here (high 60s), but there's been a lot more rain than sun. I actually saw someone wearing a scarf.

Happy New Year's, everyone. Enjoy the games.

Stewart Mandel covers college sports for SI.com.