First, I'm impressed by Ohio State's running attack. Chris Wells' 65 yard rush for a touchdown to start off the game was amazing. Unfortunately for Ohio State, this is the only highlight worth mentioning.
LSU entered this game as the first two-loss team to play in a BCS title game. That's not a good thing. The Tigers are here because they hit the BCS lotto: They squeezed past Tennessee in the SEC championship, Oklahoma beat then-No. 1 Missouri in the Big 12 championship and Pittsburgh upset then-No. 2 West Virginia in Morgantown.
LSU (11-2) was trying to win its second BCS title in five seasons, on the very same Superdome where the last one came. The Tigers, who defeated Oklahoma in the 2004 title game but had to share the championship with Southern Cal, were looking to win one that no one could dispute
With much less star power, Ohio State made it to the championship game for the second year in a row, this time as an underdog despite the No. 1 ranking.
This game was all about Louisiana State. They came into this game being favored to win by 3 1/2 points and after getting off to a painfully slow start in which they were down by 10, LSU's trick plays and receivers taking advantage of blown coverage put them on a scoring rampage. No. 2 LSU danced, dodged and darted its way into the end zone Monday night, turning the BCS national championship game into a horrible replay for No. 1 Ohio State. It was over early, with Matt Flynn throwing four touchdown passes in a 38-24 win..
After falling behind 10-0 in the early going, LSU responded with 24 unanswered points to take a halftime lead.
Matt Flynn was absolutely incredible, throwing for 174 yards and 4 touchdowns. His only mistake was giving up 1 interception, which allowed a glimmer of hope for OSU. However, that hope was quickly taken away as LSU added more points on the scoreboard. Matt Flynn won the offensive MVP of the game with a career high 4 touchdown tosses. What perfect timing to throw for a career high in touchdowns in one game than the BCS game.
Why was Ohio State ranked #1 when America's vote and the spread clearly favored LSU. I have no idea, but OSU didn't play like a #1 seed this game. This is the second year in a row that OSU has been defeated badly in the BCS Championship game and I can bet they won't be appearing in the BCS Bowl game anytime soon. In a season of surprises, this was hardly an upset: Ohio State once again fell apart in college football's biggest game. A year after the Buckeyes were routed by Tim Tebow and Florida 41-14 in the Arizona desert, they barely did better.
You have to admire OSU's persistence however. They played the game out all the way to the end, rushing for a touchdown with 1:13 left in the 4th quarter. They wanted to make the score at least look respectable.
Yet while LSU got to hoist the $30,000 crystal trophy, certainly many fans around the country were peering into their crystal balls, wondering if someone else was worthy of the title. Southern California, Georgia, West Virginia, Kansas and Missouri all put on impressive shows in bowl games, and will be among the favorites in 2008.
LSU became just the fourth favorite to win in 10 BCS championship games. Coach Les Miles probably got a little extra satisfaction, too. Though he turned down a chance to return home to Michigan, he did something his alma mater hasn't done recently -- beat the Buckeyes.
LSU entered this game as the first two-loss team to play in a BCS title game. That's not a good thing. The Tigers are here because they hit the BCS lotto: They squeezed past Tennessee in the SEC championship, Oklahoma beat then-No. 1 Missouri in the Big 12 championship and Pittsburgh upset then-No. 2 West Virginia in Morgantown.
LSU (11-2) was trying to win its second BCS title in five seasons, on the very same Superdome where the last one came. The Tigers, who defeated Oklahoma in the 2004 title game but had to share the championship with Southern Cal, were looking to win one that no one could dispute
With much less star power, Ohio State made it to the championship game for the second year in a row, this time as an underdog despite the No. 1 ranking.
This game was all about Louisiana State. They came into this game being favored to win by 3 1/2 points and after getting off to a painfully slow start in which they were down by 10, LSU's trick plays and receivers taking advantage of blown coverage put them on a scoring rampage. No. 2 LSU danced, dodged and darted its way into the end zone Monday night, turning the BCS national championship game into a horrible replay for No. 1 Ohio State. It was over early, with Matt Flynn throwing four touchdown passes in a 38-24 win..
After falling behind 10-0 in the early going, LSU responded with 24 unanswered points to take a halftime lead.
Matt Flynn was absolutely incredible, throwing for 174 yards and 4 touchdowns. His only mistake was giving up 1 interception, which allowed a glimmer of hope for OSU. However, that hope was quickly taken away as LSU added more points on the scoreboard. Matt Flynn won the offensive MVP of the game with a career high 4 touchdown tosses. What perfect timing to throw for a career high in touchdowns in one game than the BCS game.
Why was Ohio State ranked #1 when America's vote and the spread clearly favored LSU. I have no idea, but OSU didn't play like a #1 seed this game. This is the second year in a row that OSU has been defeated badly in the BCS Championship game and I can bet they won't be appearing in the BCS Bowl game anytime soon. In a season of surprises, this was hardly an upset: Ohio State once again fell apart in college football's biggest game. A year after the Buckeyes were routed by Tim Tebow and Florida 41-14 in the Arizona desert, they barely did better.
You have to admire OSU's persistence however. They played the game out all the way to the end, rushing for a touchdown with 1:13 left in the 4th quarter. They wanted to make the score at least look respectable.
Yet while LSU got to hoist the $30,000 crystal trophy, certainly many fans around the country were peering into their crystal balls, wondering if someone else was worthy of the title. Southern California, Georgia, West Virginia, Kansas and Missouri all put on impressive shows in bowl games, and will be among the favorites in 2008.
LSU became just the fourth favorite to win in 10 BCS championship games. Coach Les Miles probably got a little extra satisfaction, too. Though he turned down a chance to return home to Michigan, he did something his alma mater hasn't done recently -- beat the Buckeyes.
The loss left Ohio State at 0-9 overall in bowl games against teams from the Southeastern Conference. The SEC delights in whipping Big Ten teams in what's become a rivalry that steams up fans on both sides.
