Ohio State or Louisiana State Tonight?

[webfarmer]

My instinct tells me that the force will be with LSU tonight in was passes for a college football championship game.  They are evidently healthy, have a near home site advantage and played the tougher schedule this year.  And they have our man Bo Pelini calling the defenses.  I expect that OSU will still get their points but in the end it should be LSU running the victory lap.

Without a true playoff system, which I support, we'll never know for sure who was the top dog.  Also the whole concept of asymmetry makes even the playoff system  and one true champion suspect.  It often just depends on the particulars of the matchups.  Weaknesses that can be exploited or not.

The psychological game is critically important in college ball.  OSU is getting seriously badmouthed in the press for the weak scheduling and they still sting from last year's loss.  Conversely, Bo's guys will be playing for him as an outgoing coach.  A last hurrah.  The edge to OSU on this one.

Should be interesting.

Comments

[brashley46.livejournal.com]

I'm with you, if only because I'm an SEC football loyalist.

[webfarmer.livejournal.com]

I vary a bit on my Big 12 loyalties depending on who the other team is.

I also remind myself that but for a brief time of teaching at UN-L, or when my oldest nephew played for a bit, none of these kids who play the game are either kin nor friends. Many are not even from the neighborhood.

So why should I root for one over the others?

Add to that the big money teams where it's all become pro ball except for not paying those same kids.

Getting misty-eyed or torn by loyalties over professional football is even more a remote possibility. I don't grok that syndrome at all. Someone needs to seriously get a life, and some variant of a political economic analysis, to pour money and emotion into multi-millionaire's teams.

I can admire the professional's ability but I try not to somehow intermingle that with my own vicarous issues.

[quotamour.livejournal.com]

It will be a war, for sure.

I agree with you completely about a playoff system....

[webfarmer.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it was a war or not. Looked pretty lopsided for a good chunk of it. :)

Maybe Ohio State was just a little to young to handle the pressure? They also looked a little light in the line compared to the Pillsbury doughboys that LSU was using. Or was that Stay Puff marshmallow guys?

The stupid penalties really killed OSU. Ultimately that's also an indicator of insufficient coaching, imo. If you warm the bench for being a screwup, there's a tendency not to be such a screwup when the critical time comes. Two whoppers by the young Mr. Ironhead, Jr..

Can't say the refs were against OSU. LSU had to score twice on that one short yardage play.

The rejection of Wells on the third down that resulted in the 4th and 4 that they finally completed to Robiskie had me muttering that they went to the Wells once too often. :)