December 8, 2013

Improbabilities

Life is filled with little moments that just leave you breathless.

College football is a perfect example of that truth as we have witnessed the changing of the guard this year in the SEC.

Perennial powerhouse Alabama was taken from the #1 spot by Auburn this year in an unbelievable last second play - literally - that took everyone including the Auburn faithful by surprise. This is the year of the Tiger and they won the Iron Bowl in dramatic fashion by returning a failed field goal attempt 109 yards for the game winning TD with no time left on the clock.

Now, the heir-apparent Ohio State University team was dethroned by Michigan State as the Spartans tenaciously fought back for the 10 point win thus derailing OSU's opportunity to go to the last BSC title game.

I wonder how this will be blamed on the SEC?

The sour grapes crowd will shout loudly that if a one loss team is allowed the National Championship game that OSU should still get to go to the dance. Cinderella they are not. In their game, the OSU team was more ugly stepsister than belle of the ball. They were often sloppy and mismanaged their play. Their bright spots of scoring were more than erased by the brighter light of the Pasadena bound Spartans who diligently fought back at every chance to bring the game to its thundering conclusion with at 10 point gap at the final buzzer.

FSU trampled Duke and no one in their right mind expected otherwise. The 'Noles have had a winning season from the get-go behind Jameis Winston, their scandal tainted quarterback. Although he has been freed from the charge of rape, many believe that had the team not been bowl bound, the police might have viewed the case and handled things very differently.

Due to the implosion of the OSU team, the improbable has occurred. The Auburn Tigers are now representing the Great State of Alabama in the last BSC National Championship game.

I hope they are able to pull off another miracle win and bring back the crystal ball to Alabama. I truly do.

Regardless of all else in sports, you can always count on the improbable, the unlikely, and the spectacular. Particularly in the SEC.

Bama will get a great bowl game berth and likely the bowls will be jumbled about a bit due to yesterday's wins and losses by the heir apparent OSU.

So we shall see how the rankings place everyone. OSU should drop out of the top 5 and move the markers for the rest of the pack. FSU stays #1 and Auburn is #2 leaving Bama to slide into #3.

Will be interesting to see how the rankings and the bowl possibilities sort themselves out.

All I know is that once again the SEC has proven to be a dominant football conference and the BSC busting FSU 'Noles have emerged as the newest foot to try the crystal slipper. Let's hope the grasp of the beautiful Tigers is sufficient to retain the opportunity to not only dance the dance but celebrate the favor of the Fairy Godfather of Football who most certainly was sprinkling the magic wand around to create both an improbably and impossibly entertaining end to this year's football season.

Now, let's all say "Bibbity bobbity boo and War Eagle!"

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