Citizen Journal

« Penn State 31, Florida State 10 | Main | Required reading for the day »

January 03, 2006

Live blogging the [excruciating] Orange Bowl

What the hell. (Note: You must refresh page to see updated witty banter.)

8:10 - I see there's another "White Out" - my sources tell me it's all Penn State in Miami, and tickets are somewhat easy to come by. If anyone needs 2, my last two are for sale.

8:13 - Bold prediction: No way Derrick Williams sees the field.

8:15 - FSU, "walking out as one"...group of freed inmates. PSU band sounds lovely, aye? Paterno is very tan.

8:19 - What does the NCAA think of this tomahawk chop?

8:20 - FSU looks coherent on O - but PSU tends to wear opponents down. The first drive may be FSU's best.

8:24 - FSU's first dirty play. Reminding me of Miami, 1987.

8:30 - phone is ringing in my apartment. Whoever it is, please stop calling. Nevermind. It's Mike from Harrisburg.

8:24 - Paul Posluszny (spelling from memory). Maybe he'll stay for his senior year.

8:35 - Did anyone mention the Orange Bowl is brought to us by Fed Ex? Is there really a truck driving up those stairs?

8:40 - Re: Michael Robinson - what they aren't saying is that at media day in Chicago, no one paid attention to PSU, and many laughed at MRob when he said his goal was to get to the Rose Bowl.

8:45 - Tony who? :) (Kidding, of course.) My wife likes the PSU tuba player.

8:42 - Austin Scott is seeing more action than he has most of the season. Where's Tony Hunt? (Whoa! 28-yard gain!) When I was at Penn State, we used to say that Penn State could beat anyone if Paterno has 6 weeks to prepare. Mike Tirico believes it.

8:53 - FSU Holding Tamba Hali, who is a monster but a helluva guy. Bound to see a lot of this. I hope Hunt can come back. Hunt is a joy to watch, and he deserves this game.

8:57 - Michael Robinson does these things; good offensive interference call on FSU. I just get the feeling they (FSU) aren't confident enough to play without risking these penalties.

8:59 - This FSU O is sorta pitiful.

9:04 - My wife can read lips. But she doesn't understand why I'd want to know what Joe Paterno is saying.

9:06 - PSU President Graham "Cracker" Spanier didn't exactly deny that he and AD Tim Curley asked JoePa to retire after last year.

9:11 - MRob will just drive you crazy. And there's so much speed to cover on the field for FSU to cover.

9:14 - Penn State fans! Raise your hand if you'd heard of Deon Butler before this season.

9:17 - Austin Scott - you may run like Hunt, but you block like Barbie.

9:22 - "How did Penn State not recover the football?" I dunno.'

9:27 - From the Seminoles' message board: "And you are a big @#%$ for calling a dirty play on us and calling us inmates. Blog away, bitch." No, you're a bitch. Bwaahh!

9:32 - Paterno's clamped down the O, and he's going to look to the D to win the game, kinda like vs. OSU. This is going to be a 17-7 type game. As for the White Out, I dunno.

9:35 - Interception reveals a lot about FSU QB, me thinks. And not good things.

9:37 - John Stamos?

Bold prediction #2: that show will stink.

9:41 - Holy hell, it's 7-7.

9:46 - A score would be nice here. We look like doggy doo on O. The Seminoles D is very fast.

9:48 - To borrow a phrase from my former , PSU looks "disorientated."

9:50 - You'd think we'd make FSU throw the ball downfield before letting them score on a screen.

9:55 - 2006 Orange Bowl, meet September 2005 Michael Robinson.

9:58 - At least the review gives time for well-deserved props for Scott Paxson.

10:02 - Let's get 3 here. Two makeable completions....

10:04 - Touchdown! My wife gets the quote of the half: "He [Robinson] makes me so nervous when he pulls that crap." I am not sure about these reviews - this is the first I've ever heard a ref say there's indisputable evidence the call on the field is correct; you need "indisputable evidence" to overturn. To uphold, you need an absence of "indisputable evidence" the call is wrong. Law school anyone?

10:09 - Halftime, back afterwards...

10:23 - Halftime show entitled, "The Dry-humping of a Janet Jackson wannabe." Hey Fed Ex, who do you think is watching this game? Only people in Miami? Where are the marching bands?

10:27 - I like Penn State's OB commercial, but I also like Slate's article yesterday ridiculing that genre ("If you like our football team, you'll love our chem labs full of Asian students").

10:35 - Second half! "Adjustments" - for PSU: punt coverage, punt returns.

10:36 - I'm amazed at FSU D's speed. I have to think their O is positively awful if FSU is 8-4. Another 3 & out for Penn State.

10:39 - I think I work with Ned from the FedEx commercial. ("We don't get French benefits!?")

10:47 - Some baseball manager once said of Candlestick Park that it looked like a toilet bowl with the lid open. Maybe he was talking about the OB?

10:49 - Matt Hahn, who went to high school in Smithtown, New York.

10:50 - Alternate lyrics to PSU fight song ("Fight on State")
Up the gut! (Stuff!)
Up the gut! (Stuff!)
Up the gut! Stuff! Punt!

This is the D's game.

10:52 - More good D by PSU. I really think all we need is another score. Now, about that offense...

10:58 - I haven't seen Joe this fired up for a long time. This is huge game for PSU's program. Punt coverage anyone?

11:01 - FSU's punt returns are giving this game to FSU. Ugh. JoePa seems content sitting on a one point lead, but I dunno. I think we need a little Justin King, although now we're going to be in our end zone. Double ugh. I don't like seeing Galen Hall rubbing his head like that. Think, Galen, think!

11:09 - Field position! Crikey.

11:13 - I'd like to think we've been wearing the FSU defense down, but it's not shaking out that way, aye? That was a weak pass interference call but it makes up for the non-hold on Poz a few plays earlier.

11:20 - Field position, finally. Bowden's 4th & 2 try was revealing. He's down by 1 and has had field position all night. Why risk field position? Because he knows it might've been his O's best last chance to get deep in PSU territory and score. Bodes well for PSU, now that FSU is trapped at its 10.

11:29 - So Bowden's gamble backfires. FSU loses field position and composure, and there goes the Mo. This isn't figure skating - no style points.

11:33 - FSU's D continues to impress but the writing's on the wall, IMO. Finally, some downfield throws.

11:38 - I have to say, this has been a nasty game. Mostly clean but good Lord. FSU's penalties are incredible, though.

11:45 - I leave the room for three seconds and I miss the fumble. Let's see what the PSU D has to offer.

11:46 - I'm now in raving lunatic Bill mode. Vague grunts, screams, yelps, etc. My unnamed angel fish is glaring at me. My wife has left the room. How on earth did he hit that pass?

11:54 - Let's hope Poz is all right.

12:00 - Squeaks it in. I thought he hooked it. Damn, damn, damn. I don't like the idea of OT. Must. Score. Now.

12:03 - It is about freaking time they call FSU's roughing Robinson.

12:11 - This last drive is freaky if you saw the Penn State-Northwestern game - the turning point of PSU's season...

12:16 - Where have you gone, Craig Fayak?

12:22 - I can't possibly add anything. The game's on ABC. Adios.

Posted by bill at January 3, 2006 08:09 PM

Comments

Posted by: Captain Ed at January 3, 2006 11:30 PM

Post a comment