Countdown to Showdown: 15 Days

• By JOE MACALUSO AND JAY MARTIN
• Advocate staff
• Published: Dec 23, 2007

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Upset fuels fan frenzy

LSU was at the top of the college football world. The Tigers were No. 1 in one poll and getting ready to play national champion Florida, No. 7 in the polls.

Ohio State was soaring, too. No. 11 in preseason, the Buckeyes were facing unbeaten and No. 20 Purdue.

That Oct. 6 night LSU went five-for-five in fourth-down plays and rallied for a 28-24 win.

Earlier, Ohio State, playing on the road, handled Purdue, 23-7, and handed the Boilermakers their first loss of the season.

Something happened in the third quarter: When CBS returned from one of those interminably long commercial breaks, the record Tiger Stadium crowd was rocking and it wasn’t because the Tigers had scored their second TD to get within three points of the Gators.

Stadium P.A. announcer Dan Borné lit the fuse: “Stanford 24, Southern Cal 23.”

Players on both sidelines said they heard the score and got fired up, admitting later that the announcement added more tension to the scene that was being played in front of nearly 93,000 fans.

Euphoria set in over Tigertown: LSU’s eventual 28-24 win over Florida cemented the Tigers in the No. 1 spot.

The cement turned to dust the next week in the three-overtime loss at Kentucky.

Sports Illustrated ranked Stanford’s win No. 2 on the list of 2007’s biggest college football upsets.

It was easy to pick No. 1. Appalachian State 34, No. 5 Michigan 32 on the season’s first weekend.

LSU and Ohio State made that list, too.

Yet, precedent was set that first weekend, though the best fortune teller working the finest crystal ball could not have seen this kind of thing coming.

No. 1s and No. 2s were beaten regularly in the last half of the 12-game season.

No fewer than two top 10-ranked teams lost every weekend during the season.

It was the strangest major college football season anyone could remember — even Lou Holtz.

Adding to all that is LSU, 11-2, became the first two-loss team in the 10 years of the BCS to reach the championship game.

Advocate sportswriters have selected 20 memorable moments from LSU’s march to the BCS Championship Game, from the 45-0 win over Mississippi State through the 21-14 SEC Championship Game victory over Tennessee. This series will run through Jan. 1 when readers will be able to go to The Advocate’s Web site — http://www.2theadvocate.com — and vote on their most memorable moment of the season. The voting results will be run in Jan. 7 Advocate Sports’ BCS Game Day Special.

The list so far:

2theadvocate.com's Countdown to the Showdown Archive

BCS TRIVIA

TODAY’S QUESTION: In the previous nine BCS title games, what is the record for the No. 1-ranked team?

SATURDAY’S QUESTION: : In BCS bowl game history, name the quarterback with the most pass completions, the opponent and the bowl game. Tom Brady, 34 (46 attempts, 369 yards) Michigan vs. Alabama, Orange Bowl, Jan. 1, 2000, in Michigan’s 35-34 win.

TIGERS’ SCHEDULE

Today and Monday: Home for holidays

BUCKEYES’ SCHEDULE

Today and Monday: Home for holidays

NOTEBOOK

Listen to sports talk radio and the talking heads on dozens of TV sports shows and everyone has an opinion about why 2007 turned out to be major college football’s most topsy-turvy season.

Anyone bother to ask coaches?

Head Coach Les Miles

“It speaks to the fact that the college football environment is more competitive than it has ever been.

“There was a time where certain teams had great advantages, and over time with the rules on number of scholarships, coaches and how it is legislated has decreased those advantages.

“It allows a team that is not necessarily a great football team year in and year out to step up with a great senior class and a good recruiting class that matures and can play competitively with anybody.

“How nice it is to have a college football season where you can fight, play like heck, have the ups and downs, have the enjoyment of a season that offers everything and still decide who is in the national championship game in the last weekend.

“It speaks to how healthy college football is. I am certain people in the BCS enjoyed how it finally ended. I know there are a bunch of teams saying ‘Boy I wish we could be in it.’ The debate goes on, but what has to be said is that college football is healthy.”

Head Coach Jim Tressel

“My take on it is, I suppose, is two or three fold.

“One is, I think the kids know a lot more about football as they’ve been growing up. Think about the last 10 years. They’ve gotten a lot of analysis. There’s been a lot of exposure. They get to turn on the TV and hear people talk about the zone blitz and cover two.

“And, secondly, the coaches in high school, with the technology that’s involved, the sharing of information, the ability to teach the game. I think kids, when they show up on college campuses, are further advanced in football than maybe they’ve ever been, especially the knowledge of it.

“Then I think you look at the history of the scholarship reduction, from 40 years ago, it was unlimited, to early 70s, it’s down to 105, then in the 80s, it’s down to 95, and 90s it’s down to 85. There is a lot of good players who are very advanced. People can beat people. There is parity.”

Sports Illustrated’s Biggest Upsets of 2007

1. Appalachian State 34, No. 5 Michigan 32.

2. Stanford 24, No. 2 USC 23.

3. Pittsburgh 13, No. 2 West Virginia 9.

4. Colorado 27, No. 3 Oklahoma 24.

5. Louisiana-Monroe 21, Alabama 14.

6. Syracuse 38, No. 18 Louisville 35.

7. Arkansas 50, No. 1 LSU 48.

8. Illinois 28, No. 1 Ohio State 21.

9. Arizona 34, No. 2 Oregon 24.

10. Western Michigan 28, Iowa 19.

BREAKING DOWN THE SHOWDOWN

QUARTERBACK

MATT FLYNN

6-3, 227, Sr.

Tyler, Texas

Redshirted in 2003, then climbed depth chart from No. 3 QB in 2004, to   backup role to No. 1 draft pick JaMarcus Russell for two seasons … waited for starting job to open up in 2007 spring practice … claim to fame in first three seasons was start and MVP performance in 40-3 win over Miami in 2005 Peach Bowl when Russell was injured … took starting job in spring 2007 … sat out two games this year with injuries … biggest game 24 of 44 for 353 yards and 3 TDs with 3 picks in win over Alabama.

CAREER: 49 games, 410 passes, 226 completions, 2,922 yards, 27 TDs, 12 interceptions; 116 rushes, 332 yards, 5 TDs.

“When things get tough, he’ll be able to handle it.”

Early Doucet, wide receiver

TODD BOECKMAN

6-5, 243, Jr.,

St. Henry, Ohio

After 2004 redshirt year, played  in six games during the next two seasons behind 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and backup QB Justin Zwick … big play in first two seasons was 42-yard TD pass to Ted Ginn Jr. …took starting job in spring drills … completed 176 of 273 passes for 2,171 yards, 23 TDs against 12 interceptions … ran 47 times for net 70 yards… biggest game 19 of 26 for 253 yards and 3 TDs against Penn State … sacked 13 times for 92 yards.

CAREER: 18 games, 283 passes, 183 completions, 2,257 yards, 24 TDs, 12 interceptions; 51 rushes, 84 yards, 1 TD.

“As good as he is, Todd always works hard and is always trying to improve.”

Joe Daniels, assistant coach