“Dad, I’m telling you, if we ever make it back to the Rose Bowl, you’ve got to come. I will fly you out, I don’t care. No, no, no, I can’t explain it. Just trust me. The Rose Bowl is just...different.”

Those words were spoken by Craig, a Palo Alto native and Stanford season-ticket who sat next to me at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday afternoon. Granted, Craig’s words might have been a bit more slurred than they appear in print (he was easily 12 beers deep) and quite possibly just a tiny bit more angry as well (Craig told me prior to kick-off “If my wife knew how much money I had riding on this game, she might literally kill me”). Still, his point remains salient on this morning, a few days after the Cardinal beat Wisconsin 20-14 on Tuesday: There really is nothing like the Rose Bowl. It’s just... different.

I can now say definitively agree with Craig, since after years of watching the game on TV, I was lucky enough to witness it in person on Tuesday afternoon. I live in California now, got tickets the day of the game (I didn’t cover the game as a member of the media but went as a fan) and made my way down to the stadium just moments before kick-off of the “Grand Daddy of Them All.” And now, with a few days to reflect on the experience, I’m ready to give all a little insight into the experience of it all.

And ultimately, that’s what this article is about: The experience of being there on game day. By now the game has long since gone final, meaning that there really is no reason for me to provide any analysis or insight into the game. If you’re looking for that, I’m sorry, but you’ll probably have to go somewhere else.

(Be sure to follow Aaron on Twitter @Aaron_Torres)

It’s another day and it’s time to preview another bowl game here on the Aaron Torres Sports Podcast, as on Thursday I welcomed my good friend and old Texas A&M Aggie Brandon Leone to the show to preview the Cotton Bowl.

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Brandon is a former Texas A&M running back and also previously covered the team for the website TexasAgs.com, and on Thursday he shared plenty of insight in the lead-up to Friday night’s match-up with Oklahoma

Brandon and I discussed the following subjects:

- The arrival of Texas A&M’s football program in 2012. When did Brandon realize the Aggies were “for real” and what was the biggest surprise (outside Johnny Manziel of course) about Texas A&M’s season to him?  

- Speaking of Manziel, will he be focused headed into this weekend’s game? Manziel has become a semi-celebrity since the last time A&M took the field and Brandon and I wonder whether he’s spent too much time away from football in recent weeks.

(Be sure to follow Aaron on Twitter @Aaron_Torres)

After being on hiatus for a couple weeks, the Aaron Torres Sports Podcast is back, and ready to jump into some heavy Sugar Bowl discussion with one of my favorite guests. That man is Louisville radio host, editor of the website BigEastCoastBias.com and good personal friend, Mark Ennis.

Mark and I chatted about a number of topics in the lead-up to the game, starting with:

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- Mark’s reaction to Louisville’s departure from the Big East. No one was a bigger proponent of the conference, and Mark discusses why he was sad to leave the conference, even if he knows it’s what was best for the football program.

- Mark’s reaction to Charlie Strong’s decision to turn down Tennessee and stay with the Cardinals. Mark explains the burden it lifted off the program’s shoulders and why they can now move forward not only in preparation for this game, but also in the big picture of where the program is going. Mark also explained why he never thought Strong would leave for certain jobs, including Arkansas.

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As you might’ve guessed by looking around the site, it’s been a little bit of a slow couple weeks here at Aaron Torres Sports. The holidays have come, I’ve been traveling quite a bit, and well, when you eat as much as I have, your fingers get fat and it makes it pretty hard to type. Ok, so that last one hasn’t happened (yet), but the other two definitely have. Regardless, I do hope that you’re enjoying some holiday food and family time as well.

Of course while things have been slow around here, when the good folks over at ESPNU’s UNITE e-mailed and asked me to join the show on Wednesday night, well it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

Now granted, this wasn’t my first rodeo at the UNITE corral. I have been on the show twice before, when I discussed Week 2 of the college football season early in September and later I returned to debate on behalf of USC (and Lane Kiffin) prior to their matchup with Oregon. Well this time I was tasked with defending Clemson (a heavy underdog in the Online Sportsbooks), as they get set to play LSU in this year’s Chick Fil-A Bowl. The best part? I went head-to-head in the debate with my good friend Barrett Sallee of BleacherReport.com, who has been on my podcast many times and is as in tune with what's going on in the SEC as anyone I know.

And once the debate did start, Barrett and I got into it pretty hot and heavy. We discussed ACC Player of the Year Tajh Boyd, the value of LSU’s Zach Mettenberger and the importance of Eric Reid. Of course when push came to shove and we had to settle the debate with a tiebreak... well I choked worse than the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl. If anything, I actually “Clemson-ed” myself.

Overall though it was a fun debate and I advise you to check out the video above at Kentucky Derby betting sites.

I appreciate the folks at UNITE having me on, and I hope to do it again soon!

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It’s back to college basketball today on the Aaron Torres Sports Podcast, as I am happy to welcome onto the phone Peter Burns, author of the new book “Shock the World: UConn Basketball in the Calhoun Era,” a fascinating look at Jim Calhoun’s coaching career and legacy at UConn. 

- A thorough discussion on UConn’s eventual National Championship win in 1999, and why, up until that point many people questioned whether Calhoun could “win the big one.”

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Hello and good morning! I just wanted to make a quick announcement on this lovely Friday morning and let you know that my new eBook, Aaron Torres Presents the Year in Sports 2012 is now available on Amazon!!

Now for those of you who aren’t familiar with the eBook, well, I made the announcement a few weeks ago, but either way, essentially what you need to know is this: The eBook is the definitive take on sports in the year 2012. It’s over 40 of my best articles and 200 pages of my absolute best work from the calendar year. I guess what I’m trying to tell you is that if you like my work, and if you like sports (which I’m pretty sure go hand-in-hand at this point) then you’re going to love this book. You should be able to read the book on just about any eReader, including an iPad, Kindle, iPhone or any other smart phone.

So what’s in the book?

Well, if it happened in 2012 you can pretty much name it and it’s in there. There’s my article on Alabama’s National Championship. And quite a bit on Kentucky basketball; on everything from my visit to the state last winter, straight through their run to the 2012 college hoops title as well. There are articles on LeBron, Bryce Harper and Jim Calhoun’s retirement, as well as my argument for why Anthony Davis needed to be added to the Olympic team. You know, before he actually was added to the Olympic team. Not to mention my argument for the Most Annoying Fans in Sports and a tribute to my dog Oscar.  

The book also includes some of my most recent articles too. It includes articles on why the James Harden trade wouldn’t be a home run for the Houston Rockets (which it wasn’t). On Texas A&M emerging as college football’s next super-power (which it is). And on the evolution of Brian Kelly and why Notre Dame was playing in the 2013 BCS title game because of it.

I’m not saying that I covered every single thing that happened in the 2012 sports year... But I came pretty darn close.

Anyway, as I mentioned at the top, the book is now available for purchase on Amazon (I’m working to get it on iTunes and Nook too), and it makes a great gift not only for yourself, but also for any loved ones who enjoy sports too. Honestly, if you’re looking to do something nice for your buddy Aaron this holiday season, the best thing you can do is share my work with friends and family who might enjoy it.

And the best part is that the book is just $4.99!! Meaning the for half price it costs to buy a round of beers at the bar, you and your loved ones can, and will be entertained for hours. In the process, you’ll help support me and this website as well.  

Now obviously if you have any questions, you can always feel free to hit me up either here, by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on Twitter @Aaron_Torres and I’ll be glad to help you out however I can.

And finally, I just want to thank each and every one of you for making this eBook possible. It couldn’t have happened without all your support and everything you’ve done for me; not just in 2012 but all the years that led up to it too. It’s been, a long, fun, bumpy ride, but I wouldn’t have reached this point without the support of each and every one of you.

So thank you.

Pick up your copy of Aaron Torres Presents the Year in Sports 2012 today!!

- Aaron Torres
 

(Be sure to follow Aaron on Twitter @Aaron_Torres)

With college football coaches coming and going at an alarming rate, and bowl matchups firmly set, these past few days truly have been one of college football’s busiest weeks of the year. And on Wednesday, old friend of the show Michael Felder of BleacherReport.com stopped by to break it all down.

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Michael is one of the most articulate and intelligent young voices in the sport and he had plenty to say on a number of issues. We discussed a whole lot, starting with:

- Bret Bielema’s move to Arkansas, and why frankly Michael hates it. It isn’t easy to recruit to Arkansas, Bielema no ties to the SEC, and beyond that Michael also wonders: With a year to look for a new coach, is this really the best Arkansas could do?   


                                           


- What about Gus Malzahn at Auburn? Michael likes this hire a little bit more, if only because in modern college football you’ve got to be able to score points, something Malzahn’s club will certainly be able to do. At the same time Auburn’s successes and failures will likely more come down to what happens on defense than anything else.   

- Mike’s thoughts on Dave Doeren to NC State, and what firing Tom O’Brien means in the “big picture” of college football? Are schools becoming too impatient with head coaches and are Athletic Directors starting to act too much like fans?