Chick-fil-A Bowl results - final score: Auburn 23, Clemson 20 OT
Those who speculated (including myself) whether Tommy Tuberville had something up his sleeve were right. Boy, did he ever.
Auburn unveiled a brand new spread offense and ran it well enough to defeat #22 Clemson, 23-20 in overtime. The score at regulation was 17-17; Clemson scored a field goal on their turn at offense, then Auburn freshman Kodi Burns ran it in from the 7-yard-line to take the win.
As expected, it was a defensive struggle from start to finish. Auburn took a 3-0 lead into the 2nd quarter when Clemson's CJ Spiller broke free for an 83 yard touchdown run, shocking the normally leak-proof Auburn defense.
After the half, Burns got his first touchdown on a 22 yard pass to Mario Fannin, and Auburn led 10-7. At the end of the third quarter Clemson drove to the Auburn 2 yard line, only to be stopped and settle for a field goal on the fourth quarter's first play.
The next Clemson drive, off an interception of Brandon Cox, resulted in a touchdown and Clemson taking the lead, 17-10. Auburn answered on their next possession, and regulation ended with the score 17-17.
After Mark Buchholz's field goal gave Clemson the lead, Auburn faced a fourth-and-one at the Clemson 16; instead of kicking a tying field goal, Tuberville opted for a Brandon Cox sneak which was successful, giving Auburn the first down at Clemson's 14. Three plays later Burns was in the end zone.
Auburn and Clemson both finish 9-4. Auburn will likely replace Clemson, who does not have any top 25 victories, in the SportsRatings Top 25.
Insight Bowl results - final score: Oklahoma State 49, Indiana 33
Zac Robinson propelled the Oklahoma State Cowboys over the Indiana Hoosiers Monday, storming to a 35-10 halftime lead before finishing the game at 49-33.
Robinson completed 24 of 34 passes for three touchdowns and ran for two more TDs. The Hoosiers' Kellen Lewis tried to keep up with 2 passing TDs and 1 rushing touchdown but Indiana couldn't compete with the Cowboy offense.
Indiana scored first to take a 3-0 lead, but the first quarter ended 21-3, Oklahoma State; they stretched the lead to 28-3 with Robinson's third TD pass in a row. Lewis responded with a 4-yard TD, but Robinson ended the half on a quarterback keeper for a score.
Each time Indiana cut into the lead, the Cowboys responded. Lewis and Robinson traded scores again in the 3rd quarter to make it 42-17, and Indiana got within 42-27 after an Austin Starr field goal, but another Cowboy touchdown put any glimmer of hope to rest with one minute to go. Still, Lewis added a final touchdown for Indiana with one second left.
Both teams finished the season 7-6. Although Indiana did not get a win for ex-coach Terry Hoeppner, who died of a brain tumor last summer, they achieved their goal of "playing 13"—getting to a bowl game—in the 2007 season.
Bowl tally: Not sure exactly, I'll figure it out later. It's nice though, after a day when everything went against my predictions, to pretty much nail two games, picking the winner, beating the spread, and coming pretty close on both counts to the final score.
Comments