| 08 January 2010
In the midst of Thursday night’s truly bizarre National Championship game, with Alabama ahead late, my buddy Matt sent me a text that summed up what he, I and millions of others were watching, about as well as anyone could. It read:
I can’t believe what I’m seeing. This is the best, worst, most exciting boring game I’ve ever seen.
Hmm, I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Thursday night’s BCS National Championship Game didn’t follow any type of logical format that was expected coming in. At times it looked like Texas was going to run away with this one, at others, Alabama the same.
There were no less than half a dozen unconventional plays (special teams blunders, interceptions, hard hits) that either made you jump up and dance like Elaine Benes, or jump up and throw your remote across the room.
At moments this game was as exciting as any I’ve ever seen, with a final quarter that ranks as good as any in recent college football history. At others it was so boring that I actually found myself flipping channels during game action.
The BCS Championship Game was nothing like we’d expected it to be, with more plot twists than a bad Nic Cage movie, and a final margin of victory that told someone who didn’t watch that it wasn't much of a game at all.
Yet at the same time, it turned into everything we’d hoped it’d be, with Alabama clinging to a 24-21 lead with just minutes left, and Texas getting the ball back with a chance to drive the field and win the game. And when the final whistle did blow, the end result provided what any great championship game does: The team which made the biggest plays down the stretch was holding the crystal ball.
Again, it was the best, worst, most exciting boring game I’ve ever seen. But it was nothing, if not memorable.
The game will always be remembered as an Alabama victory, but changed forever because of an injury to Texas quarterback Colt McCoy early in the game, on a vicious shot by Alabama defensive end Marcell Darius. The hit sent McCoy out of the game just minutes in, and was the underlying theme of the entire first half: Will he come back? Can he come back? Why isn't he coming back!!!!
By halftime we knew, McCoy would be on the sidelines for the last 30 minutes of the biggest game of his career. In his final game as a Longhorn, McCoy- a starter in 45 victoires over the past four seasons- was relegated to being a cheerleader, towel waiver and motivational speaker.
And it will go down as one of the greatest “What if’s,” in college football history, and one that will never get a proper resolution.
What if McCoy had played this entire game?
Would Texas have had to settle for three points on their first drive? What about their second drive? Could Alabama have used a patient running attack to come back from an early deficit and build a big lead if McCoy were in this game? And if they did, could they have held that lead down the stretch against college football’s all-time winningest quarterback?
These are things we’ll never know. All I do know is that even now, 12 hours after the game finished, I still feel terribly for every Texas fan, coach and player in the Rose Bowl Thursday night. Most importantly, I feel bad for McCoy himself, a gracious kid who deserved a better ending to his career in burnt Orange. Sure this is football, and injuries happen all the time. But when you come this far, whether you win or lose, you want to have the opportunity to play with a full deck, and you want the same for your opponent. Texas never really had that chance Thursday night, and I promise you it’ll haunt Mack Brown and McCoy until the day they die.
But to the Longhorns credit, even without their leader, they didn’t quit against a team that they had every right to. Backup Garrett Gilbert came in, and even though he was nothing short of Jay Cutler-esque in the first half (1-10 for -4 yards. Yes, you read that correctly, negative four yards), he found his groove in the second, throwing for two touchdowns and completing a two point conversion to cut Alabama’s seemingly insurmountable 24-6 halftime lead to just 24-21.
Texas’ defense played inspired, and played maybe its best football of the entire 2009 season over the same time, holding an offense that gashed them for big plays in the first half to no points for 28 of the 30 minutes in the second half.
And it was the Texas defense which forced the punt that ultimately set up the game deciding drive.
Down 24-21, Texas’ offense got the ball back on their own seven yard line. After an Alabama penalty put the Longhorns 10 yards closer to field goal glory, announcer Kirk Herbstreit made his own cryptic comment, mentioning how well the Texas offensive line had blocked for Gilbert all night.
And on the very next snap that comment went up in smoke, as Alabama’s defense did what they’ve done all year, figuring out a way to make a play when they needed it most.
As Gilbert rolled out, little known linebacker Eryk Anders flew in from the blind side and the young quarterback never saw him coming. Anders turned Gilbert into a pile of sawdust and knocked the ball loose, before it was ultimately recovered by another little known linebacker, Courtney Upshaw. Three plays later Mark Ingram rammed into the end zone for another touchdown, putting the game out of reach for good.
Anders play off the edge was symbolic of Alabama’s entire season. You just knew someone was going to make a play, that’s what the Tide’s defense had done all year. You just didn’t know who was going to make it. Rolando McClain? Terrence Cody? Javier Arenas?
Nope it was Anders, a senior linebacker, whose role increased this season only when former starter Dont’a Hightower went out with a knee injury.
The symbolism runs deeper too, as like so many others, Anders isn’t at Alabama because of Saban, but was recruited by former coach Mike Shula. When Saban arrived three years ago, Anders had a choice: Buy into a system that puts the team before individuals, and expects everyone to be ready when their number is called, or skip town. Like McClain, Arenas, quarterback Greg McElroy and so many others, Anders decided to stay when others did not. And he and his teammates were rewarded for it with a National Championship Thursday night.
Looking back this truly was one of the most bizarre games we’ll ever see. It was highlighted early by some very un-Alabama like miscues early, and a very un-Texas like play call with just seconds left in the first half, which led to defensive lineman Marcell Darius intercepting a shovel pass and returning it for a touchdown (Question: You think Mack Brown wants that play call back?).
It was highlighted by Gilbert going from a boy in the first half to a man in the second, and by Alabama's defense, the best in the nation, saving its biggest plays for the last two minutes of their most important game.
And of course it will be remembered for McCoy’s injury, giving the season a weird symmetry, after it started on Labor Day weekend with a shoulder injury to Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford.
But in the end, the script begrudgingly, expectedly but unexpectedly ended as planned.
Alabama was the best team in college football this year, and the best team won Thursday night.
It was the best, worst, most exciting boring game that I’ve personally ever seen.
But it was also one that I'll never forget.
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