Random Labor Day: Football edition

Because of the now healed thumb and a scheduling SNAFU I got of work Friday at 8AM and do not have to be back at work till Wednesday at 1PM. In return for not working, Wednesday starts my 10 days in a row and Friday was kind of a particle wasted day because, well I got off work at 8AM and was tired all day. Truthfully the almost 5 days off have been wonderful so far and I thought I'd just do one big random post:

GREATEST GAME EVER!

The biggest problem living in North Carolina is that normal cable and local stations do not carry Big Ten nor MAC football, I get the crappy ACC and the annoy fans of the SEC. For the most part football is football and if the game is exiting I'll watch. Honestly The Wife is the most upset about this predicament. She can't stand not watching Ohio State on Saturdays, but Shawn has Direct TV and has picked up the BigTen Network and the OSU opener can only be seen there. I'm invited over (The Wife had to work) I start watching with Melissa, but she has to go to work, and they were nice enough to let me stay and watch the game even though they were both at work. Ohio State played like Ohio State always does, boring yet dominating. In all honestly they are at times hard to watch when they play "smaller" teams.

I'm getting bored of this game when I get a call "Is that App State Michigan score correct?" Shawn asked with great shock in his voice. I text him earlier with a score of 14 all, but that's not the score he gives me "Turn over to at game App State is up 28-14!" WHAT?!?! That can't be the score, it has to be a typo on his phone. I flip over and I see 28-14 and I have a new game to watch.

That was the most exciting game I have ever watched. It seemed like the Mountaineers were going to dominate, then they would fumble, throw an interception or drop at touchdown pass. At the same time, "the state up north" did want to win. They would score and miss a two point conversion, fumble and just look bad. Finally Michigan started to play like a Big Ten school and took the lead late in the game I thought that was it Goliath would win... again. I miss judged the scrappy 1-AA school. They stormed back and took a two point lead 34-32. I was jumping up and down. Titus, Shawn and Melissa's dog, looked at me like I was an idiot. I was jumping up and down. Also during this time I got a call from The Wife and I told her about the game and I had to give her play-by-play of the game, then Shawn called and I was doing the same for him. I had to look like and idiot with a phone on each ear giving the call of the game two feet from the TV jumping up and down.

Michigan did not want to live in infamy. They threw a bomb to Mario Manningham and he makes the diving catch at the 20. I thought it was over. How can the Michigan kicker miss a gimmie like that. Shawn calls back and I tell him that the Wolverines are about to win the game with a kick. Then it happened, Appalachian State BLOCKS THE KICK! APP STATE JUST BEAT MICHIGAN! I was screaming into the phone, while shawn was laughing at me and cheering the fall of the mighty Wolverines.

I don't care what some of the football writers are saying, this was the greatest upset off all time in college football. A powerhouse Big Ten school LOSES TO A 1-AA SCHOOL! To put it in perspective it's like the Indianapolis Colts losing to Florida, LSU or USC. It's not going to happen. This should never have happened and probably will not happen again. I was lucky to get to see this game.

SECOND GREATEST GAME OF THE DAY

To open the season Bowling Green is playing Minnesota and guess what? It's on the BigTen Network so I am invited back to watch, I brought the beer Shawn ordered the pizza. Prior to the game I was unsure what to expect from BG, we are starting a young quarterback, our wide receivers are unproven and last year we forgot to play this thing called defense.

I settle in and the next thing I know BG is reeling of a drive of all drives and scores. I am shocked, I didn't even jump up and down or anything I just sat there. Minnesota came out and looked, well bad, they are installing a new offense and it looks like it has not sunk in yet so they have to punt. I think coach Greg Brandon thought he was playing Playstation and sliced the gopher D for the second time and even through in a trick play that scored a 58 yard TD. BG is dominating and I am stunned, is this the time that I have cheered for? What happened to my Falcons, don't get me wrong I'm loving it's just hard to handle is team that is dominating a "bigger" program.

Well BG came back down to Earth and only scored one more time before the half to make it 21-0. I think the Tim Brewster lit a fire under his team, because they started playing better and I think he found Glen Mason's old play book and started running a "Minnesota" type offense. By the 4th quarter it is all tied at 21. I am worried now, I start pacing and realize that I am watching Bowling Green and we are going to chock. Minnesota kicks a field goal and looks like they have the game locked up.

BG finally wakes up and Tyler Sheehan dismantles the gopher D and get BG with in field goal range. I'm nervous as hell. If you don't know anything about BG football let me fill you in on a little problem we have had for a couple of years. WE CAN'T KICK THE BALL! Shawn is laughing at me pacing around his house I know the new junior college transfer is going to blow it. HE MADE IT, HE MADE IT! WE MAY ACTUALLY HAVE A KICKER! I'm happy for overtime, but Minnesota wants to run a play. I can't give this play as much justice as the Futonreport did:

Weber hurls it down field at the 35, for the Hail Mary, and … nope, it’s tipped
and — wait — BG catches it. They’re going downfield. JESUS CHRIST THEY’RE GOING VERY FAR DOWN FIELD. THEY’RE PAST MIDFIELD. THEY’RE AT THE 40 YARD LINE. THEY’RE LATERALING THE BALL! THEY’RE FUCKING LATERALING THE BALL! I DON’T SEE A MOTHERFUCKING BAND ON THE FIELD! KEEP LATERALING! GO, YOU STUPID FUCKING FALCONS!!! KEEP RUNNING, KEEP LATERALING… oh, they ran out of space at the 30
yard line. Welp, how’s about overtime?

In overtime Minnesota scores first and then BG gets a fast touchdown, OK send in the kicker... what the hell is Brandon doing! He keeps the offense out there. BG goes for it, FREDDIE BARNES CAUGHT THE BALL! HE CAUGHT THE BALL! WE WIN WE WIN!

I was jumping up and down screaming in a voice only Titus could hear. What a way to end a Saturday.... just perfect!

My day at Ohio Stadium

As a Bowling Green State University graduate I am very proud of my university and I want them to look and do well. So when I saw that BGSU was going to play Ohio State I though, crap why this year! If you do not know Ohio State is ranked #1 in the nation and BG is ranked... well we are not ranked. I'm hoping to avoid ESPN's Bottom 10.

So at the game BG gets the ball first and SCORES A TOUCHDOWN. OSU looks stunned and Troy Smith can't do anything, BG's defense is playing lights out and causing problems. Oh what a game! Nobaody expected BG to come out swinging and take a lead and then score again! Oh what a day to be a Falcon! Hoozah to the Falcons Hoozah!

Then I wake up and realize I was dreaming. I noticed a sense of dread for I realized that we were going to loose and loose bad. There is always that hope, it's college football anything can happen, but when you have 15 Freshman playing against the number one team in the entire nation, it's going to be bad.

We get to our seats and I am the only one in orange, wow I'm going to be hated for the entire game. It's time for the coin toss and we win the toss (YEAH! We won something) so we elect to defer to the second half and OSU get the ball first. Alright this is... WHAT THE? Little note for everyone BG's defense is non-existent. I'm serious at times it's like they are using the Tontogany Otsego Hish School defense. "Hey high school kids, wanna play football against Ohio State? Sure!" So OSU drives down the field and score. OSU 7 BG 0

We start our drive and do well. We are throwing the ball well and we have some form of a running game. The drive stalls at 4th and 3 from the 33. We send in the field goal unit. NOOOOO!!! "But J-Dog isn't getting points against Ohio State realy good?" Yes it is unless you suck at kicking field goals. Against Buffalo we had a couple of kicks blocked. So Buffalo one of the worst teams in the country, OSU the best. BLOCK! No points and OSU goes on to score. OSU 14 BG 0

We do nothing on the next drive. We punt the ball away in ugly fashion. They are avoiding Ted Ginn who can run the ball back any time he touches it. So it was a shank, but at least no points were scored. OSU is just picking the Otsego defense apart. We get a break a penalty that makes it 1st and 20 then 2nd and 20 and yet again 3rd and 20. It looks like we are going to stop them and hope they only get a field goal. Troy Smith drops back, looks around it flushed out of the pocket. He runs and continues to run and then runs some more for 32 yards. So OSU then later scores. OSU 21 BG 0

Well it was still the same score at the half we get the ball to start and we start driving the ball. A few yards here and nice pass there. We get down to around the 20. After a penalty it's 4th and 6 and we are going for it. I'm praying "please make it please make it." Anthony Turn fires a pass and we have a first down. YES! Two plays later we score I jump up and yell and I am ecstatic we are not going to be shut out and we are only down 14. OSU 21 BG 7

We get a big stop and look like we can do some damage. 3rd and long, Anthony Turner is back, looks for a receiver can't find one and runs. "GO! GO! GO! GET THE FIRST! He slides down and misses the 1st down by a freaking foot a FREAKING FOOT! TAKE THE DAMN HIT AND GET THE FIRST. OK it's short and I know we can get the first down come on falcons! You can... what the hell is the punter doing? BG punts the ball! You are down to OSU 21-7 you have to go for it on 4th and a millimeter. OSU's first play of the drive a long pass to Ted Ginn. OSU 28 BG 7

Add another touchdown and BG decides to put in Freshman QB Tyler Sheehan and he look s pretty good. On 3rd and 1 Sheehan hands it to Dan Macon he finds a hole and it gone up field I jump up with the rest of the OSU fans and I'm screaming GO GO GO I think he's going to get into the end zone but is brought down at the 26. OSU fans cheer because they stopped Macon and I am cheering for a great BG play. 4th and 1 and it is our last chance to score Sheehan drops back and over throws his man and it nearly picked off, but it was 4th down so we loose the ball and a chance to score.

Over all we played pretty crappy, yet held our own. We could have done better, but could have been crushed even worse. So it was the best and worst of times, but I still love my Falcons and OSU did not cover the spread so SUCK ON THAT OSU FANS!!!!

AY ZIGGY ZOOMBA BITCHES!