WOW WHAT A FINISH

As the College Football regular season draws to a close, it looks like it is saving the best for last. Friday opened up with the Iron Bowl and closed out in a chilly Rene, Nevada.

In a flurry of fireworks yesterday, it is very apparent this season is not over by a long shot.

Up first The Iron Bowl -

Alabama looked to be in complete control, with smothering defense and efficient offensive production early in the game. The domination was apparent early on as offensive total yards were severely titled with Alabama tallying 162 yards of total offense to Auburn's measly 2. Early on it looked like Bama could do no wrong and Auburn could do nothing right.

At the end of the first quarter it was Alabama 21 - Auburn 0.


There were a number of key plays that led to the comeback, but one that stands out among the best is when Mark Ingram caught a screen pass, then bolted across midfield. Auburn's Antoine Carter did not give up, stayed with the play, and popped the ball loose which went tumbling out the back of the end zone. TOUCHBACK.

This did not mark the complete turnaround in the game, but looking back it was the beginning of the end. Auburn got the ball and ended up punting. Alabama got the ball and marched down the goal line, but Trent Richardson ended up dropping a no-brainer. This led to a field goal, and there we were at 24-0. Bama in control.

But Auburn's defense and offense led by Cam Newton settled down and pulled out the sweetest victory in Iron Bowl History. Credit Gene Chizik, Malzahn, Newton, and Fairley. Their half time adjustments were the difference here in this instant classic. Cam Newton was not going to be denied, and the Auburn fans sitting upstairs got a very sweet WAR EAGLE!

Auburn 28 - Alabama 27


Up next Arizona at Oregon -

This one looked close, but Chip Kelly's team is too good. Sound on both sides of the ball Oregon ended up pulling away in the second half. The Ducks found themselves down at 14-19, but like the great teams proper halftime adjustments proved crucial.

Arizona 29 - Oregon 48


And the nightcap, Boise State at Nevada -

These things have a way of working themselves out, and unfortunately Boise State ran into team in Reno that played like it had nothing to loose. It was a hard fought game in which Nevada found itself down 17-0, but the Wolfpack did not give up. It was not until 5:47 to go before the half that Nevada saw points on the board for them as Vai Taua rushed in for a 5 yard TD run. The pats on the back were short lived as Boise quickly answered with a 51 yard run by Doug Martin.

Fast forward to 5 minutes to go in the 3rd Quarter. Boise State is up 24-7, and after a crucial pass interference call against Boise State's James Taylor thing began to slowly unravel for the Broncos. A couple plays later Colin Kaepernick runs 18 yards of the left side for a gutsy QB touchdown run in which he went airborne to touch the pylon. And with that score the Wolfpack were in business down by 10 (24-14).

The 4th Quarter started off with a bang. Rishard Matthews on an end around ended up bobbing a weaving for 44 yard TD to cut it to 3. Boise gets the ball next, punts, and Nevada is in business. They drive down kick a field goal and with about 5 minutes left in the game we have tied ball game folks (24-24).

What happens next will go down in history as some of the most exciting in WAC history. After Nevada finally tied the game, the kick off to Boise State, and the first play on the drive Kellen Moore throws it to Doug Martin who was not going to be denied. He took the pass 79 yards for the go ahead TD. Nevada gets the kick down by 7 and drive down the field. Kaepernick drills a TD pass to Rishard Matthews with seconds to go in the game to tie it up. Boise State comes back with a deep ball prayer that is hauled in by Titus Young. It was a 54 yard play that setup the kicker for the game winner.

In a page taken from FSU's history books...Kyle Brotzman's kick is Wide Right.

On to Overtime and Brotzman's kick misses another. This time Wide Left. Nevada gets the ball and Anthony Martiznez drilled it right down the middle. Nevada snags a piece of the WAC title with the win.

Boise State 31 - Nevada 34



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PAC-12 CONFERENCE DIVISIONAL BREAKOUTS

Nothing official has come out yet about the Divisional Breakout of the upcoming Pac-12. I have been reviewing possible scenarios, and the new Pac-12 conference alignments are going to be very interesting. Expected to start in 2011, the Pac-12 welcomes the Colorado Buffaloes and the Utah Utes, so things are changing fast under Conference Commissioner Larry Scott. Preserving historical match-ups and long standing rivalries are a must.

The divisional breakouts for the Pac-12 could go a number of ways. Check out CF Daily's Pac-12 divisional breakouts.

SO CLOSE YOU CAN ALMOST TASTE IT - PART II

There are only 2 College Football games on Friday, September 3rd. Let's jump in and break those games down.



(All times are listed in EST)



Villanova @ Temple
5:00 ESPN3.com
Led by Al Golden, Temple has been on the rise since the Head Coach took over back in 2006. During his first year the Temple Owls went 1-11, then followed up in his second year with 4-8 in 2007, then 5-7, and proceeded to have a really good year with a 9-4 record last year. So the win/loss ratio is on the rise. Others are noticing, and if Temple wins the MAC this year, Coach Golden could be on the short list for Head Coaches moving up the food chain. For Temple Football to finish 9-4 last year and post a 5-2 Conference record in the MAC, showcases how Coach Golden is continuing to make Temple Football relevant in Mid-American Conference. Villanova on the other hand in the Colonial went 14-1 last year with a 7-1 record in conference play, so their level of play is running pretty high. Albeit in a different conferece. Hopefully the Owls do not get caught looking ahead to the following week, as they have a monster game on Sept 11th against Central Michigan (The 2009 MAC Champions). Looking at last year's game Villanova won the opening season match up against Temple with the final being 27-24. So look for this one to be tight as well. I like Temple to return the favor this year. The game is in Philly this year, and Temple will be ready. Nova should be able to move the ball some and put up some points. But this one comes down to Temple winning 21-14.


Arizona @ Toledo
8:00 ESPN
Arizona Football in my opinion on the rise. They finished last year 8-5 (6-3 in the PAC-10). They did get slapped around in the Holiday Bowl in a 33-0 loss, but nobody wanted any part of Nebraska last year. Arizona did have some really good wins last year. Highlights that standout to me are W's at Oregon State, Southern Cal, and solid home victories over Stanford and UCLA. They had a heartbreak loss to Oregon which was a Double Overtime thriller, where Oregon was ranked #11 at the time. With that being said, the schedule shapes up nicely for them this year for some victories, and that starts with the season opener. Players for Zona to keep an eye should include Jr. cornerback, Trevin Wade, and rising star wide receiver Juron Criner. Wade should have a pick or 2, and Criner should have a touchdown or 2. Toledo, on the other hand was a bit of a mystery last year. They were 5-7 overall (finishing 3-5 in conference play). The did beat Colorado last year, but who didn't. They got shellacked by Ohio State, and that's understandable. But overall they were sporadic and should have won some more games last year. Keep an eye on Toledo's WR Eric Page and LB Archie Donald. Look for Arizona to win by 17.