BoBA 2013 ISML Predictions: Preliminaries Match Day 2

ARENA 01: Sakagami Tomoyo [Haruna] Fate Testarossa Anya Alstreim [Tachibana Kanade] Matō Sakura Kushieda Minori
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 02: [Eucliwood Hellscythe] Yagami Hayate [Louise Vallière] Illyasviel von Einzbern Kawashima Ami Sunohara Mei Shiina Mafuyu
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 03: [Tōsaka Rin] Asahina Mikuru Furude Rika Shirai Kuroko Minami Chiaki Fujibayashi Ryō [Gokō Ruri (Kuroneko)]
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 04: Furude Hanyū [Aisaka Taiga] Hiiragi Tsukasa Fujibayashi Kyō Hirasawa Ui [Victorique de Blois] Kyon no Imōto
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 05: Evangeline A.K. McDowell Ibuki Fūko Holo Last Order [Akiyama Mio] [Kuroi Mato] Sakura
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 06: Tsuruya Kasugano Sora Tsukimiya Ayu [Hirasawa Yui] Maria Izumi Konata [Misaka Mikoto]
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 07: Rias Gremory Nagase Iori Nishizumi Miho [Mikazuki Yozora] Neko [Araragi Tsukihi] Takenaka Hanbee
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 08: Irisviel von Einzbern Nishizono Mio Akemi Homura Kushina Anna Shiomiya Shiori [Makise Kurisu] [Yui]
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 09: [Shirakiin Ririchiyo] [Honma Meiko] Morgiana Himenokōji Akiko Elucia de Lute Ima Tainaka Ritsu Sanka Rea
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 10: Ayukawa Tenri Konoe Subaru Mōri Ran [Ayano Keiko (Silica)] [Kuroyukihime] Saigusa Haruka Mine Riko
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 11: Ibara Mayaka Kurokami Medaka Haqua du Lot Herminium [Takanashi Rikka] Kanoe Yūko Miniwa Tsumiki [Araragi Karen]
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ARENA 12: [Yūki Asuna] Kirishima Shōko [Nyarlathotep] Kurugaya Yuiko Momo Belia Deviluke Onjōji Toki Erica Blandelli
Over/Under: 18000
Over

ISML 2013: A New Season Is Underway!

ISML 2013: A New Season Is Underway!

By JR Salazar
February 4, 2013

A new International Saimoe League season has begun on Super Bowl Sunday, and it all starts with the Preliminaries. The candidates in the Stella Division have more to lose from this Preliminary Period, while added incentives have been placed on the characters that are eligible for the Nova Division. Before we go to the Stella Division, let's take a look at the Nova Division groups in action.

In Nova Group 1, Kobato Hasegawa made her intentions clear of a return to the world's premier anime character competition with 5230 votes. Noumi Kudryavka was second with 3633 votes. Kokoro Connect tanked due to some seiyuu shenanigans, but Himeko Inaba is winning the sympathy of the world's voters, with 3003 votes. Madoka Kaname, who will be more of a force at the 2channel Anime Saimoe Tournament despite a weakened strength (Mami Tomoe already won it all two years ago), was fourth with 2778 votes. Minami Shimada was fifth with 2036 votes, Kyouko Toshinou was sixth with 1882 votes and Wakana Sakai will have to settle for a second opportunity in the second phase of the Nova preliminaries with 1872 votes.

In Nova Group 2, Sena Kashiwazaki is hoping that the Japan will listen to the voice of the world after garnering 5116 votes. Rin Natsume was second with 3645 votes, Mei Misaki was third with 3634 votes, Mikan Yuuki was fourth with 3299 votes, Sawa Okita was fifth with 1781 votes, Watashi was sixth with 1544 votes, and Kuro Matsumi was dead last with 1184 votes. The expectations of Saki doing well in the competition are pretty low, a perceived, expected backlash of Japan's decision to let the series run the tables at last year's 2channel AST.

Sword Art Online is expected to do very well at this year's International Saimoe League, and characters like Suguha Kirigaya are leading the way. Kazuto's sister got 4000 votes to lead Nova Group 3. Inori Yuzuriha got 3838 votes to finish second, Inu x Boklu SS longshot Karuta Roromiya got 3128 votes to finish third, Kumin Tsuyuri got 2791 votes to finish fourth, Koneko Toujou got 2327 votes to finish fifth, Yui Kotegawa got 2213 votes to finish sixth, and Komari Kamikita got 2038 to hold the rear and become relegated to the second phase of the Nova prelims.

Also expected to do very well this season is Chuunibyou Demo Koi Ga Shitai!, and characters like Shinka Nibutani can hold their own. Nibutani got 4324 votes to finish first in Nova 4. Nanami Aoyama was second with 3881 votes, Aria H. Kanzaki got 3203 votes to finish third, Yuno Gasai may have an uphill battle to climb after earning just 2567 votes to finish fourth, Fuuko Kurasaki got 2326 votes to finish fifth, Tomoe got 2272 votes to finish sixth and Akari Akaza got 2062 votes to finish last and become relegated to the second phase.

In Nova Group 5, Eru Chitanda is ready to restore some pride in Hyouka, which did not do particularly well at the exhibitions last year. Chitanda got 4995 votes to finish first in Nova Group 5, Sanae Dekomori was second with 3479 votes, Erio Touwa was third with 3330 votes, Tsubasa Hanekawa was fourth with 2671 votes, Kyouko Sakura was fifth with 2561 votes, Asako Natsume was sixth with 1818 votes and Hakaze Kusaribe was last with 1390 votes and will be relegated to the second phase.

Mashiro Shiina is the face of Sakura-sou no Pet na Kanojo and she may go down as one of the under-the-radar characters to make headway in the International Saimoe League. Move over Mafuyu. This Shiina got 5313 votes to finish first in Nova Group 6. Touka Takanashi got 3375 votes to finish second, Shinobu Oshino got 3362 votes to finish third, Nobuna Oda got 2253 votes to finish fourth, Lala Satalina Deviluke got 2124 votes to finish fifth, Shizuku Mizutani got 2002 votes to finish sixth and Mayuri Shiina got 1838 votes to be relegated to the next phase.

The Stella groups have seen six competitors exit the tournament on the first day. In Stella Group 7, no surprises here, it was all Azusa Nakano, all the time. One of the consistent faces of K-ON!, she amassed 6030 votes and is one step closer to punching her ticket to glory. Also with a chance are Nadeko Sengoku, the face of Bakemonogatari with defending Korea Anizone champion Hitagi Senjougahara, with 4237 votes and Masami Iwasawa with 3259 votes. Other survivors include Kotomi Ichinose with 2842 votes, Nanoha Takamachi with 1623 votes and Ayumu Nishizawa with 1259 votes. With 1176 votes, Mai Kawasumi's ISML run ends on the first day.

In Stella Group 8, you can count on the likes of Yuki Nagato, Senjougahara and Nagisa Furukawa to be back at this one. Nagato garnered 4828 votes, Senjougahara earned 3974 votes and furukawa got 3732 votes. Still alive in this tournament are Index Librorum Prohibitorum with 2988 votes, Sakura Kinomoto with 2239 votes and Ami Hinamori with 1432 votes. With only 1085 votes, Mion Sonozaki's run is done. Or rather, dead on arrival.

In Stella Group 9, Yui, Charlotte Dunois and Ayase Aragaki have emerged as picks by the Bedlam on Baltic Avenue to make another run at the show. Yui-nyan got 6019 votes, Dunois got 3524 votes, and Aragaki secured 3380 votes. Still with an outside chance are Nagi Sanzen'in with 2791 votes, Shiki Ryougi with 1695 votes and Misuzu Kamio with 1604 votes. Teletha Testarossa, with only 1284 votes, you're outta here!

Shana was hard done by in Japan, in Korea, and in the ISML. But the fans still vote for her. Forget Streisand Effect; that has been trumped by the Shana Effect in the form of 5360 votes to top Stella Group 10. Hinagiku Katsura and C.C. could be back in this tournament this year with 4046 and 3537 votes, respectively. Others with an outside chance include Tsumugi Kotobuki with 3367 votes, Chii with 1647 votes, and Shinku with 1347 votes. Yuuhi Katagiri's campaign ends. With only 1133 votes to your credit: four simple words: We Hardly Knew Ye!

Three characters from Stella Group 11 to watch out for are Yuri Nakamura, Kirino Kouska, and the de factor face of To-Love-Ru, Konjiki no Yami, who probably will once again be the only character to represent the series unless a voting miracle happens. Nakamura got 5007 votes, Kousaka nammed 4880 votes, and Yami took home 3950 votes. On the outside looking in but still alive as of today are Nymph with 2854 votes, Suiseiseki with 1533 votes and Rena Ryuuguu with 1391 votes. Eri Sawachika didn't even crack 1000 votes this round. With just 961 under your belt, it's adios for you, Senorita!

In Stella Group 12, Haruhi Suzumiya, Saber and Kagami Hiiragi have been in this tournament for years and 2013 is not going to be any different. If there was ever such a thing as a ISML Hall of Fame, these three characters would be inducted on the first ballot. Suzumiya, still the face of her own series despite Yuki Nagato earning more appeal historically, got 5359 votes to lead the group. Sabe got 4846 votes, and Hiiragi, the champion of the 2007 2channel ASI< got 3451 votes. Characters that still have a chance but could be snubbed yet again include Ikaros with 3399 votes, Kallen Kouzuki with 1411 votes and Suigintou with 1115 votes. Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei? How about Sayonara Kiri Komori, earning the lowest of the eliminated this round with only...gasp!...841 votes!

And this is just the first day. Six more in the Stella could be on their way out tomorrow in Match Day 2 of tghe 2013 International Saimoe League Preliminaries. Vote for your favorite candidates on InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate. And as always, the Bedlam on Baltic Avenue is your source for continuing coverage of the International Saimoe League!

BoBA 2013 ISML Predictions: Preliminaries Match Day 1

ARENA 01: Inaba Himeko Kaname Madoka Sakai Wakana Shimada Minami Toshinō Kyōko [Nōmi Kudryavka] [Hasegawa Kobato]

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 02: Watashi [Misaki Mei] [Natsume Rin] Kashiwazaki Sena Matsumi Kuro Yūki Mikan Okita Sawa

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 03: Kotegawa Yui Kirigaya Suguha [Kamikita Komari] Tōjō Koneko [Tsuyuri Kumin] Roromiya Karuta Yuzuriha Inori

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 04: [Kanzaki H. Aria] [Nibutani Shinka] Akaza Akari Gasai Yuno Kurasaki Fūko (Sky Raker) Tomoe Mami Aoyama Nanami

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 05: Tōwa Erio [Dekomori Sanae] Natsume Asako Hanekawa Tsubasa Kusaribe Hakaze Sakura Kyōko [Chitanda Eru]

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 06: Lala Satalin Deviluke Shiina Mayuri Oda Nobuna Takanashi Tōka [Shiina Mashiro] Mizutani Shizuku [Oshino Shinobu]

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 07: [Nakano Azusa] Nishizawa Ayumu [Takamachi Nanoha] Sengoku Nadeko Ichinose Kotomi Iwasawa Masami Kawasumi Mai

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 08: Furukawa Nagisa Index L. Prohibitorum Sonozaki Mion Kinomoto Sakura Hinamori Amu [Nagato Yuki] [Senjōgahara Hitagi]

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 09: Ryōgi Shiki Kamio Misuzu [Yui] [Charlotte Dunois] Sanzen'in Nagi Aragaki Ayase Teletha Testarossa

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 10: C.C. [Shana] [Katsura Hinagiku] Chii Shinku Katagiri Yūhi Kotobuki Tsumugi

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 11: Sawachika Eri [Kōsaka Kirino] Ryūgū Rena Suiseiseki [Nakamura Yuri] Konjiki no Yami Nymph

Over/Under: 20000
Under

ARENA 12: Komori Kiri Ikaros [Saber] Kōzuki Kallen Hiiragi Kagami [Suzumiya Haruhi] Suigintō

Over/Under: 20000
Under

Back From Hiatus.

Vice President Biden, Mr. Chief Justice, Members of the United States Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:

Each time we gather to inaugurate a president, we bear witness to the enduring strength of our Constitution. We affirm the promise of our democracy. We recall that what binds this nation together is not the colors of our skin or the tenets of our faith or the origins of our names. What makes us exceptional – what makes us American – is our allegiance to an idea, articulated in a declaration made more than two centuries ago:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Today we continue a never-ending journey, to bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time. For history tells us that while these truths may be self-evident, they have never been self-executing; that while freedom is a gift from God, it must be secured by His people here on Earth. The patriots of 1776 did not fight to replace the tyranny of a king with the privileges of a few or the rule of a mob. They gave to us a Republic, a government of, and by, and for the people, entrusting each generation to keep safe our founding creed.

For more than two hundred years, we have.

Through blood drawn by lash and blood drawn by sword, we learned that no union founded on the principles of liberty and equality could survive half-slave and half-free. We made ourselves anew, and vowed to move forward together.

Together, we determined that a modern economy requires railroads and highways to speed travel and commerce; schools and colleges to train our workers.

Together, we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play.

Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable, and protect its people from life’s worst hazards and misfortune.

Through it all, we have never relinquished our skepticism of central authority, nor have we succumbed to the fiction that all society’s ills can be cured through government alone. Our celebration of initiative and enterprise; our insistence on hard work and personal responsibility, are constants in our character.

But we have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges; that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action. For the American people can no more meet the demands of today’s world by acting alone than American soldiers could have met the forces of fascism or communism with muskets and militias. No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future, or build the roads and networks and research labs that will bring new jobs and businesses to our shores. Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation, and one people.

This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience. A decade of war is now ending. An economic recovery has begun. America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive; diversity and openness; an endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together.

For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work; when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship. We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal, not just in the eyes of God but also in our own.

We understand that outworn programs are inadequate to the needs of our time. We must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government, revamp our tax code, reform our schools, and empower our citizens with the skills they need to work harder, learn more, and reach higher. But while the means will change, our purpose endures: a nation that rewards the effort and determination of every single American. That is what this moment requires. That is what will give real meaning to our creed.

We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future. For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty, and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn. We do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few. We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us, at any time, may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other – through Medicare, and Medicaid, and Social Security – these things do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great.

We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms. The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it. We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries – we must claim its promise. That is how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure – our forests and waterways; our croplands and snowcapped peaks. That is how we will preserve our planet, commanded to our care by God. That’s what will lend meaning to the creed our fathers once declared.

We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war. Our brave men and women in uniform, tempered by the flames of battle, are unmatched in skill and courage. Our citizens, seared by the memory of those we have lost, know too well the price that is paid for liberty. The knowledge of their sacrifice will keep us forever vigilant against those who would do us harm. But we are also heirs to those who won the peace and not just the war, who turned sworn enemies into the surest of friends, and we must carry those lessons into this time as well.

We will defend our people and uphold our values through strength of arms and rule of law. We will show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully – not because we are naïve about the dangers we face, but because engagement can more durably lift suspicion and fear. America will remain the anchor of strong alliances in every corner of the globe; and we will renew those institutions that extend our capacity to manage crisis abroad, for no one has a greater stake in a peaceful world than its most powerful nation. We will support democracy from Asia to Africa; from the Americas to the Middle East, because our interests and our conscience compel us to act on behalf of those who long for freedom. And we must be a source of hope to the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the victims of prejudice – not out of mere charity, but because peace in our time requires the constant advance of those principles that our common creed describes: tolerance and opportunity; human dignity and justice.

We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths – that all of us are created equal – is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth.

It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began. For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity; until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country. Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm.

That is our generation’s task – to make these words, these rights, these values – of Life, and Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness – real for every American. Being true to our founding documents does not require us to agree on every contour of life; it does not mean we will all define liberty in exactly the same way, or follow the same precise path to happiness. Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time – but it does require us to act in our time.

For now decisions are upon us, and we cannot afford delay. We cannot mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics, or treat name-calling as reasoned debate. We must act, knowing that our work will be imperfect. We must act, knowing that today’s victories will be only partial, and that it will be up to those who stand here in four years, and forty years, and four hundred years hence to advance the timeless spirit once conferred to us in a spare Philadelphia hall.

My fellow Americans, the oath I have sworn before you today, like the one recited by others who serve in this Capitol, was an oath to God and country, not party or faction – and we must faithfully execute that pledge during the duration of our service. But the words I spoke today are not so different from the oath that is taken each time a soldier signs up for duty, or an immigrant realizes her dream. My oath is not so different from the pledge we all make to the flag that waves above and that fills our hearts with pride.

They are the words of citizens, and they represent our greatest hope. You and I, as citizens, have the power to set this country’s course.

You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time – not only with the votes we cast, but with the voices we lift in defense of our most ancient values and enduring ideals.

Let each of us now embrace, with solemn duty and awesome joy, what is our lasting birthright. With common effort and common purpose, with passion and dedication, let us answer the call of history, and carry into an uncertain future that precious light of freedom.

Thank you, God Bless you, and may He forever bless these United States of America.

-Barack Obama

44th President of the United States of America

Washington, DC

January 21, 2013

Alabama: 2013 Division I FBS National Champions

Alabama dominates Notre Dame to claim third BCS national championship in four years

By Andrew Gribble | agribble@al.com
on January 07, 2013 at 10:41 PM, updated January 07, 2013 at 10:44 PM

MIAMI GARDENS, Florida -- The players who comprised Alabama’s roster Monday had nothing to do with the Crimson Tide’s gut-wrenching loss to Notre Dame in the 1973 Sugar Bowl, nothing to do with a similarly tough loss in the 1975 Orange Bowl and nothing to do with the other three losses in its six previous tries against the Fighting Irish.

Ask coach Nick Saban, and he’ll go one step further. This year’s team had nothing to do with last year’s national championship or the one Alabama seized in 2009.

But these players -- recruited exclusively by Saban’s staff and groomed in a program where expectations were re-established as “national title or bust” upon their enrollment -- had everything to do with avenging those haunted shortcomings to the Fighting Irish and enhancing the mystique of one of the greatest eras in Crimson Tide history.

And they did it without a hint of drama.

Alabama’s 42-14 victory on a breezy Miami night at Sun Life Stadium was a recreation of the runaway train routs that filled the space between its nail-biting thrillers against LSU, Texas A&M and Georgia.

The last time a team won the BCS title game by more than 28 points was 2005, when USC routed Oklahoma, 55-19 in the same stadium. The last team to win three titles in a four-year span was Nebraska (1994-97).

For some Crimson Tide players, such as quarterback AJ McCarron, who etched his name next to more records with yet another outstanding championship game performance, it was their third title.

For sophomore safety HaHa Clinton-Dix -- who was all over the field in one of the best games of his career -- and a number of other underclassmen who embraced elevated roles in 2012, it was the second.

For true freshmen such as wide receiver Amari Cooper and running back T.J. Yeldon, who shined Monday much like they did throughout the regular season, it was the first.

By the logic Saban applied throughout the year, this national championship was this particular team’s first and only.

“What you did last year is not going to have any impact or effect on what you do next year other than make the game that you play against whoever you're playing against a target,” Saban said earlier in the week. “You're going to be the target. Everybody is going to bring their "A" game to beat you because of what you've accomplished.”

Notre Dame, rejuvenated under third-year coach Brian Kelly after decades of mediocrity, didn’t play anywhere near its “A” game. The Fighting Irish were frazzled in every aspect of the game -- running routes too close to the sideline, missing tackles, muffing punt returns -- and the Crimson Tide was there to pounce on every opportunity.

It took the Alabama less than 3 minutes to strike first. It was the kind of drive that would replicate itself three more times during the Crimson Tide’s dominant first half.

McCarron loosened up the Notre Dame defense with a 29-yard pass to Kevin Norwood before he let Eddie Lacy and the Crimson Tide offensive line do the rest. Lacy ran through a gaping hole up the middle to score a 20-yard touchdown.

Six minutes later, the Crimson Tide did it again. Set up by more of Lacy’s running, McCarron found a wide-open Michael Williams in the back of the end zone with a 3-yard pass to cap a 10-play, 61-yard march down the field.

After ending a first quarter that saw it outgain Notre Dame 202-23, Alabama extended its lead to 21-0 on a 1-yard Yeldon touchdown run. It gave the Crimson Tide the same number of rushing touchdowns as Notre Dame allowed during the entire regular season.

The Crimson Tide capped the half with a 71-yard drive that ended with a whirling Lacy landing in the end zone after he caught and ran with an 11-yard McCarron screen pass.

It was 28-0 before halftime against a team that allowed more than 20 points just once all season.

McCarron’s third-quarter touchdown pass to freshman Cooper went for 34 yards and put him alone at the top among Crimson Tide quarterbacks with 48 for his career. It also capped a 97-yard drive and staked Alabama to its biggest lead of the game, 35-0 -- an advantage that was sliced on the ensuing drive by a 2-yard Everett Golson touchdown run.

The McCarron-Cooper battery hooked up one more time in the fourth quarter for a 19-yard touchdown -- one of the final marks on the Crimson Tide’s history-altering night.

Arkansas State: 2013 GoDaddy.com Bowl Champions

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — Ryan Aplin threw for 213 yards and a touchdown, J.D. McKissic caught 11 passes for 113 yards and Arkansas State edged No. 25 Kent State 17-13 to win the GoDaddy.com Bowl on Sunday night.

Arkansas State's usually prolific offense struggled against Kent State, but the consistent Aplin-to-McKissic connection and a stingy defense was enough to help the Red Wolves to their first bowl win since joining the Football Bowl Subdivision in 1992.

Kent State was driving late in the game when quarterback Spencer Keith tried to scramble on fourth down and was stopped a few yards short of the marker with 52 seconds left. Neither team scored a touchdown in the second half.

The Golden Flashes were playing in their first bowl game since 1972.

Ole Miss: 2013 BBVA Compass Bowl Champions

Ole Miss crushes Pitt 38-17 in Compass Bowl

Written by Associated Press

Jan. 04

clarionledger.com

BIRMINGHAM — Bo Wallace threw three touchdown passes and Ole Miss beat Pittsburgh 38-17 in the BBVA Compass Bowl on Saturday to complete an impressive turnaround under first-year coach Hugh Freeze.

Ole Miss (7-6) took a five-win improvement over its 2-10 finish in 2011.

Pitt (6-7) struggled on offense as leading rusher Ray Graham was held out with a hamstring injury he suffered in bowl practice. The Panthers fell behind in the opening minutes after quarterback Tino Sunseri threw his first interception since Sept. 15 and trailed the remainder of the game.

Wallace's 13-yard touchdown pass to Ja-Mess Logan gave the Rebels the 7-0 lead. Wallace added first-half touchdown passes to Randall Mackey, for 27 yards, and Vince Sanders, for 18 yards.

Pitt, under first-year coach Paul Chryst, was making its third straight appearance in the bowl. The Panthers lost to SMU in last year's game.

The Panthers played their last game as a Big East team. They are moving to the Atlantic Coast Conference next season.

Wallace, chosen the game's MVP, completed 22 of 32 passes for 151 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Ole Miss backup quarterback Barry Brunetti had a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and freshman running back I'Tavius Mathers added a 62-yard scoring run midway through the fourth quarter to cap the rout.

Pitt stayed close early with Devin Street's 10-yard pass from Sunseri in the second quarter. That was Pitt's only touchdown until Sunseri threw a 16-yard scoring pass to Mike Shanahan with only 2:23 remaining.

Sunseri completed 16 of 32 passes for 185 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Pitt had only one turnover in its last seven games of the regular season. It shared the nation's lead with only eight turnovers for the season.

Sunseri's streak of 271 passes without an interception, the nation's longest, ended on his second throw of the Panthers' opening drive. Senquez Golson's interception, returned 17 yards to the Pitt 23, set up Wallace's touchdown pass to Logan. It was only Sunseri's third interception of the season and his first since the team's third game against Virginia Tech.

Sunseri lost a fumble early in the second quarter for the Panthers' second turnover.

Wallace completed his first eight passes, including two for touchdowns but his hot streak ended with two second-quarter interceptions.

Kevin Harper kicked a 47-yard field goal, his longest of the season, for Pitt in the second quarter. Bryson Rose kicked a 31-yard field goal for Ole Miss and missed from 44 and 48 yards.

Pitt said Graham, the team leader with 1,042 yards rushing, suffered the hamstring injury in bowl practice.

Rushel Shell and freshman Malcolm Crockett, who had only 32 yards rushing in the regular season, shared the carries. Shell led the Panthers with 25 carries for 79 yards. Crockett added five carries for 18 yards.

Mathers led the Rebels with 96 yards rushing on only six carries. Jaylen Walton had 10 carries for 56 yards.

A strong turnout by Ole Miss fans within driving range of Birmingham pushed attendance to 59,135, easily a bowl record. The previous high was 42,610 for the 2010 game between South Carolina and Connecticut.

BBVA Compass Bowl Winners

Jan. 5, 2013 — Ole Miss 38, Pittsburgh 17

Jan. 7, 2012 — SMU 28, Pittsburgh 6

Jan. 8, 2011 — Pitsburgh 27, Kentucky 10

Jan. 2, 2010 — Connecticut 20, South Carolina 7

Dec. 29, 2008 — Rutgers 29, N.C. State 23

Dec. 22, 2007 — Cincinnati 31, Southern Miss. 21

Dec. 23, 2006 — South Florida 24, East Carolina 7

North Dakota State: 2012 NCAA Division I FCS National Champions

BRAG AND CHAT ABOUT IT HERE: Big second half lifts North Dakota State to second straight national title

FRISCO, Texas -- Make it back-to-back national championships for North Dakota State.

The Bison put together a dominating second half and took advantage of three interceptions to take a 39-13 victory over Sam Houston State. Before a partisan Bison crowd of 21,411, the Division I Football Championship Subdivision title was the 10th title in school history.

NDSU is the first FCS repeat champ since Appalachian State won three straight from 2005-07.

The Bison scored two touchdowns in the third quarter to break a 10-10 halftime tie.

Carlton Littlejohn's interception led to a one-yard touchdown run by Brock Jensen to make it 17-10. Then, after NDSU held Sam Houston on a fourth-and-3 thanks to pressure by defensive end Kyle Emanuel, Sam Ojuri scored from two yards out.

NDSU converted a two-point conversion when kicker Adam Keller, after a botched snap, hit Mike Hardie for a 25-10 advantage.

Brock Jensen scored on a one-yard run and Ojuri had an 11-yarder for another score in the fourth quarter.

Texas A&M: 2013 Cotton Bowl Champions

Manziel totals Cotton Bowl-record 516 yards as Aggies storm

past OU, 41-13

ARLINGTON — Johnny Manziel tiptoed the sideline for a 23-yard touchdown on Texas A&M’s first drive of the game.

The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback known as Johnny Football and the 10th-ranked Aggies were just getting warmed up in the Cotton Bowl. There were

plenty more highlights after that nifty run.

In his first game since becoming the first freshman to win the Heisman, Manziel set a Cotton Bowl-record with 516 total yards and accounted for four TDs as the

Aggies capped their first SEC season with a 41-13 win over 12th-ranked Oklahoma on Friday night.

“There is too much talk about how you perform after the Heisman and about the layoff and all of that,” Manziel said. “There wasn’t anything holding us back. No

rust, there was no nothing. We played as a unit. … To go out and win 11 games and do what we’ve done, is impressive.”

With first-year coach Kevin Sumlin and their young star quarterback, the Aggies (11-2) fit right in with the SEC after leaving the Big 12. They broke the SEC record

with their 7.261 total yards this season (the first over 7,000 after 633 in Cowboys Stadium). They also averaged more than 40 points a game.

And they capped their debut season with an overwhelming victory in the only postseason game matching teams from those power conferences. It is the Aggies’

first 11-win season since 1998, when they won their only Big 12 title.

The chants of “S-E-C!, S-E-C!” began after Manziel’s 33-yard TD pass to Ryan Swope with 4 minutes left in the third quarter for a 34-13 lead. They got louder and

longer after that.

“To come in and go against a Big 12 rival and do everything we wanted as a team, and send these seniors out with a win, we couldn’t feel any better,” Manziel

said.

Texas A&M led by only a point at halftime, but scored on its first three drives of the second half — on drives of 91 and 89 yards before Swope’s score on a fourthand-

5 play.

Oklahoma (10-3), which like the Aggies entered the game with a five-game winning streak, went three-and-out on its first three drives after halftime.

The Aggies never trailed in their last six games. That included their win at SEC champion Alabama, which plays for the BCS national title Monday night.

SEC teams have won the last five Cotton Bowls, all against Big 12 teams, and nine out of 10. That included Texas A&M’s loss to LSU only two years ago.

Manziel set an FBS bowl record with his 229 yards rushing on 17 carries, and completed 22 of 34 passes for 287 yards.

Oklahoma, led by quarterback Landry Jones in his 50th career start, had 401 total yards as a team.

Jones completed 35 of 48 passes for 278 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He won 39 games and three bowls for the Sooners, in a career that started

on the same field in the 2009 season opener when he replaced injured Heisman winner Sam Bradford in the first college game played at Cowboys Stadium.

Already with a 24-yard gain on an earlier third down, the Aggies had third-and-9 on their opening drive when Manziel rolled to his left and took off. When he juked

around a defender and got near the sideline, he tiptoed to stay in bounds and punctuated his score with a high-step over the pylon for a quick lead.

Officials reviewed the touchdown play, but it was clear by the replay shown on the huge video screen above the Cowboys Stadium field that Manziel stayed in

bounds.

Manziel added a 5-yard TD run on a bootleg play in the second quarter, and capped the scoring with a 34-yard pass to Uzoma Nwachukwu with 9 minutes left in

the game.

The first TD run was Manziel’s school-record 20th of the season. He became only the fourth FBS quarterback with 20 TDs rushing and 20 passing in the same

season.

The other 20-20 quarterbacks were Auburn’s Cam Newton and Florida’s Tim Tebow, who like Manziel are Heisman winners from the SEC, and Nevada’s Colin

Kaepernick.

Manziel set an SEC record with 4,600 yards in the regular season, and just added to that in his 13th career game.

Oklahoma needed drives of 16 and 18 plays to get a pair of field goals by Michael Hunnicutt (23 and 24 yards). Jones threw a 6-yard TD pass to Justin Brown just

before halftime to make it 14-13.

Jones set Cotton Bowl records when he had 23 completions and 30 attempts (for 175 yards) by halftime.

Ben Malena (7 yards) and Trey Williams (30 yards) had the TD runs to cap the long scoring drives in the third quarter for the Aggies.

Manziel was picked off in the second quarter after his bootleg move and a throw that hit Malcome Kennedy in the hands in the end zone and deflected into the air.

Javon Harris grabbed the interception.

The Sooners then crossed midfield before Jones had a pass intercepted by Dustin Harris and returned to the Oklahoma 48.

That A&M drive started with a little trickery, Manziel holding the ball down in his left hand while faking a throw with his right hand. He then pitched to Kenric

McNeal, who threw a 20-yard pass to Mike Evans.

Malena then had a 23-yard run before Manziel’s bootleg run for a 5-yard TD.

Oklahoma was in the Cotton Bowl for only the second time. It was the first bowl matchup between the former Big 12 rivals, but the 17th consecutive season they

have played each other.

The Sooners had won 11 of 13 since Bob Stoops became their coach. That included a 77-0 Oklahoma win in 2003 that was the most-lopsided loss in Texas A&M

history.

Sumlin was the A&M offensive coordinator in 2002 when the Aggies upset the top-ranked Sooners. The next year, Sumlin was hired by Stoops as an assistant,

and he stayed there five seasons before going to Houston as head coach and then the Aggies.

Oregon: 2013 Fiesta Bowl Champions

Oregon defeated Kansas State 35-17 in the Fiesta Bowl tonight in Glendale, Ariz., to finish with a 12-1 record and seal their second consecutive season that ends with a victory in a BCS bowl. It marked the Ducks' third consecutive season - and third time in UO history - to win 12 games.

As the clock wound down inside University of Phoenix Stadium, Oregon fans chanted, "We want Chip!" and "One more year!"

Top performance: Oregon redshirt freshman quarterback Marcus Mariota completed 12 of 24 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns en route to being named the game's offensive most valuable player. De’Anthony Thomas returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown and caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Mariota in the third quarter.

Key contributors: Oregon running back Kenjon Barner rushed for 142 yards on 29 carries. Michael Clay was named the game's defensive most valuable player.

Key sequence: Kansas State went on a strong drive near the end of the first half while down 15-10 only to miss a 40-yard field goal with about a minute remaining. Oregon,which had struggled on offense to that point, then drove 77 yards on five plays in 46 seconds and scored on a 24-yard pass from Mariota to Barner to make the score 22-10.

It was over when: Oregon drove 61 yards in seven plays, scoring on a two-yard run by Mariota to make the score 32-10 following a blocked extra point recovered by KSU and then run into its end zone for a rare PAT, one-point safety.

They said it: "If for some reason some teams want to talk to me it's because of those players over there," Chip Kelly in an on-field interview after the game when asked about whether he has interest in NFL head coaching jobs.

What's Next For Stanford?

What's next for Stanford after Rose Bowl win

By Jon Wilner jwilner@mercurynews.com San Jose Mercury News

Posted:

MercuryNews.com

LOS ANGELES -- Expect more of the same from Stanford next season -- more hit-and-miss offense, more immovable defense, more close games and more victories.

The number of wins, and Stanford's position in the preseason polls, depends partly on how many juniors enter the NFL draft.

Tight ends Zach Ertz and Levine Toilolo, linebackers Shayne Skov and Trent Murphy and defensive end Ben Gardner will evaluate their draft prospects and decide in the next 10 days.

Ertz, a potential first-round pick who is on track to graduate this spring, is expected to depart. Toilolo, an intriguing pro prospect at 6-foot-8, might not be far behind.

Stanford also will lose a handful of key seniors from an offense that ranked 69th in the nation in scoring and sputtered in the second half of Tuesday's 20-14 victory over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl.

Without record-setting tailback Stepfan Taylor, center Sam Schwartzstein and starting receivers Drew Terrell and Jamal-Rashad Patterson, the Cardinal must find a new group of playmakers to complement quarterback Kevin Hogan, who will be a sophomore next season.

Taylor and Ertz scored half of Stanford's offensive touchdowns and accounted for the majority of its clutch plays.

"We'll get back to the running back-by-committee approach until somebody establishes himself as our workhorse," offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton said.

The line should be an elite unit given the four returning starters and presumptive development of several talented freshmen.

That should make life easier for Hogan, who was 5-0 as a starter but must polish his passing skills.

"There's no reason they're not one of the best lines in the country," Ertz said. "They'll blend well because they're all good friends off the field. It will be something special to see."

The same should be true of a defense that didn't allow a point in the fourth quarter of the final six games, especially if Skov, Murphy and Gardner return to school.

Stanford loses only one senior from the group that started the Rose Bowl: outside linebacker Chase Thomas.

Thomas is a significant loss -- his contributions as a playmaker and outspoken voice in the locker room have been invaluable the past two seasons. But Stanford is loaded with young talent on every level of the defense.

One candidate to replace Thomas is Noor Davis, a freshman who picked Stanford over ... Alabama.

"We don't rebuild," Skov said. "We just replace."

Stanford is 35-5 in the past three seasons.

Cardinal coach David Shaw is the first African-American coach to win a Bowl Championship Series game. This is the 15th year of the BCS.

The victory over Wisconsin improved Stanford's Rose Bowl record to 6-6-1.

Louisville: 2013 Sugar Bowl Champions

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Terell Floydreturned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown on the first play, dual-threat quarterback Teddy Bridgewater directed several scoring drives and No. 22 Louisville surprised No. 4 Florida 33-23 Wednesday night in the Sugar Bowl.

Shaking off an early hit that flattened him and knocked off his helmet, Bridgewater came back to throw TD passes toDeVante Parker and Damian Copeland.

The two-touchdown underdogs from the Big East took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and were never caught. It certainly was a sweet win for Cardinals coach Charlie Strong — he was Florida's defensive coordinator before leaving after the 2009 season and taking over Louisville.

Down 33-10 midway through the fourth period, the one-loss power from the Southeastern Conference tried to rally late on a 100-yard kickoff return by Andre Debose and a short touchdown pass in the closing minutes. Florida got no closer.

Rose Parade 2013

Rose Parade 2013, a set on Flickr.

Here's some stuff from Pasadena...

Florida State: 2013 Orange Bowl Champions

EJ Manuel, Lonnie Pryor lead Florida State Seminoles to Orange Bowl win over Northern Illinois

By Manny Navarro
mnavarro@MiamiHerald.com

Joe Rimkus Jr. / Miami Herald Staff

Quarterback EJ Manuel scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Discover Orange Bowl game with Northern Illinois and Florida State University on January 1,2013.

Jordan Lynch said he planned to have Florida State’s defense worn down and on its knees by the fourth quarter of Tuesday night’s Discover Orange Bowl.The Seminoles were hardly wheezing.
After what could best be described as a first half to forget, Northern Illinois’ dual-threat quarterback rallied the first Mid-American Conference champions to reach a BCS bowl game to within a touchdown in the third quarter.
But in the end, EJ Manuel, Lonnie Pryor and Florida State’s defense proved to be too much as Seminoles made their first BCS Bowl appearance in seven years a good one by holding on for a 31-10 victory in front of 72,074 at Sun Life Stadium.
Manuel threw a touchdown pass before the half — a 6-yarder to former Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas standout Rashad Greene — and ran for another on the first play of the fourth quarter as the Seminoles, two-touchdown favorites coming in, completed just their third 12-win season in school history.
Pryor, who came in having run for 242 yards during the season, posted a career-high 130 yards rushing and scored on runs of 60 yards and 37 yards on a night the senior fullback will surely remember.
The Huskies, who came in having won 21 of its past 22 games including back-to-back MAC championships and became the first school from a nonautomatic qualifying conference to play in a BCS bowl game, trailed 17-3 early in the third quarter and appeared headed toward a blowout loss before Lynch and the Huskies offense came to life.
On third-and-15 from NIU’s 8-yard line, Lynch hit Akeem Daniels streaking down the Florida State sideline for a 55-yard gain. Two plays later, Lynch reeled off his longest run of the night — a 22-yard scamper — down to the FSU 11. On the next play, Lynch hit Martel Moore on a crossing route and he did the rest, diving into the end zone with 9:55 to play in the third quarter to make it 17-10.
Feeling a rush of momentum, NIU coach Rod Carey — who took over for the departed Dave Doeren (N.C. State) — called for an onside kick moments later, and the Huskies recovered. Cornerback Paris Logan pounced on the ball at the NIU 47-yard line.
But after driving down to FSU 23-yard line, Lynch scrambled and flung a pass toward receiver Jamison Wells. FSU safety Terrence Brooks stepped in front of it and picked it off. He returned the interception 20 yards.
Trailing 24-10 in the fourth quarter, NIU (12-2) ran a reverse to Da’Ron Brown. But he was hit in the backfield by FSU’s Xavier Rhodes, who forced a fumble and recovered it at the NIU 42.
Two plays later, Pryor was sprinting untouched toward the end zone.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/02/v-print/3164108/ej-manuel-leads-florida-state.html#storylink=cpy

Stanford: 2013 Rose Bowl Champions

In the end, Stanford held on to win the 99th Rose Bowl ever played, running out to a big lead in the first half and then hanging on for dear life.

Jordan Williamson’s second field goal of the game, a 22-yarder with 4:23 left, proved to be the decisive score, putting Stanford up 20-14. A subsequent interception by defensive back Usua Amanam iced it for Stanford.

Early on, it looked like it would be a runaway game for the Cardinal.

A little trickery went a long way for Stanford the first time it had the ball. Wide receiver Drew Terrell took a handoff on a reverse and launched a 34-yard pass that Jamal-Rashad Patterson hauled in down the middle. The Badgers weren’t fooled on the play, but Patterson made a fine leaping grab.

On the next play, wide receiver Kelsey Young ran around the left side for a 16-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

Hogan’s 43-yard pass to tight end Zach Ertz set up a 3-yard Stepfan Taylor touchdown on the Cardinal’s second possession.

Wisconsin drove 74 yards only to come up empty. An apparent 8-yard touchdown by Ball was nullified by a holding call. Curt Phillips threw what originally was ruled a 10-yard scoring pass to tight end Jacob Pedersen. But on a replay review, Pedersen was ruled down at the 1-yard line.

That set up a 4^th-and-goal play, and defensive end Ben Gardner stopped James White, who took a direct snap, for no gain.

Wisconsin forced a punt and soon was threatening again. A tipped pass was caught by Jared Abbrederis for a 22-yard gain, and Ball bolted 10 yards for a touchdown on the next play.

A 47-yard field goal by Jordan Williamson boosted Stanford’s lead to 17-7.

The Badgers took over on their 15-yard line with 2:23 left in the half and drove 85 yards. Stanford was caught with its guard down on a first-down play at the Wisconsin 29, and quarterback Phillips ran 38 yards down the left side. Phillips cut the lead to 17-14 on a 4-yard pass to Jordan Fredrick with 19 seconds left before the break.

Wisconsin outgained Stanford 151-99 in the first half and had an edge in possession time by about four minutes.

The second half became a defensive struggle, as Stanford’s offense stalled. In the end, it was the defense that won the game, and the Rose Bowl, for Stanford.

South Carolina: 2013 Outback Bowl Champions

TAMPA, Fla. -- Shortly before the carnage came two conversations.

After Michigan's Floyd Simmons gained not-quite-four yards on a fourth-and-four play in the fourth quarter of the Outback Bowl, South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier watched as referee Jeff Maconaghy awarded a first down in spite of the fact that the nose of the ball didn't reach the first-down marker. Spurrier asked a nearby official for an explanation. Spurrier's memory of the exchange goes like this:

Spurrier: "You know the ball did not touch the first-down marker?"

Official: "I know it didn't."

Spurrier: "Well, why'd he give it to 'em?"

Official: "I don't know."

"That's what he said. We felt like he was pointing the wrong way. I asked if he meant that way," Spurrier said later, pointing in opposite directions. "He wasn't going to change his mind."

As the Gamecocks' defense prepared to retake the field following a booth review of the play, the conversation turned to big plays. After the apparent optical illusion that cost them a critical stop while trailing by a point, 22-21, free safety D.J. Swearinger implored his teammates to not leave the game in the hands of the officials. In the huddle, sophomore defensive end Jadeveon Clowney internalized this sentiment. If a Gamecock was to make a big play, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2011 would make it. "When they gave them that first down," South Carolina defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward said, "it made him turn it up a notch."

Michigan took the field for its first-down play. Quarterback Devin Gardner handed off to Vincent Smith. Then...

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

"That's the hardest hit I've ever seen in my coaching career," said Ward, a 24-year veteran of the profession.

On the sideline, receiver Bruce Ellington -- who would later catch the game-winning touchdown -- never saw Clowney cruise missile into Smith six yards behind the line of scrimmage. Ellington didn't see Smith's helmet finally fall to earth 11 yards behind the line of scrimmage. "I just heard it," Ellington said. "I kind of jumped." After he finally saw the play, Ellington still couldn't believe it. "Man," he said. "That's a freak of nature."

South Carolina defensive tackle J.T. Surratt did see the hit, but the visual couldn't compete with the noise the collision produced. "It sounded," Surratt said, "like a car wreck."

The ball popped free as Smith careened toward the ground. In a move that will only further endear him to the 32 NFL general managers who covet him, the 6-foot-5, 273-pound Clowney plucked the ball from the turf and ran for a yard before the pile collapsed on top of him. "I was trying," Clowney said, "to score a touchdown." Within seconds, word of the hit had traveled around the world on Twitter. Within minutes, people across the country stared at their phones or their tablets and watched Clowney splatter Smith on a continuous loop. A debate raged as to where the hit ranked in the pantheon of football collisions. The closest comparison was the montage of Forest Whitaker's Jefferson in Fast Times at Ridgemont High after his car was vandalized.

The hit was perfect. It was clean. Clowney struck Smith's chest first. Smith, to his credit, popped up immediately. "He's a tough dude," Clowney said. Meanwhile, Clowney laughed at the notion that the hit was revenge for Smith's inadvertent first-half collision with Clowney's -- what's the phrase? -- first-round draft picks that left Clowney on the ground in pain. "He laughed about it," Clowney said. "I said, 'I'm going to get you later on.'"

South Carolina

Michigan

Final

That Clowney's hit overshadowed a back-and-forth contest between two excellent teams, one that finally turned on a 32-yard touchdown pass from a backup quarterback to a guy who also plays point guard on the school's basketball team with 11 seconds remaining, should explain the beauty of the hit. Everything else in the Gamecocks' 33-28 win -- the gutsy play of South Carolina quarterbacks Connor Shaw and Dylan Thompson, that final catch by Ellington, the creativity of Michigan's offense with Devin Gardner comfortable at quarterback and Denard Robinson playing a Swiss Army Knife position -- seemed secondary to that moment when Clowney met Smith and millions of people simultaneously said "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!"

The collision actually required a perfect storm of circumstances.

First, Spurrier had to yank Clowney near the end of the first half because Clowney looked and played tired. This angered Clowney, and he promised himself he'd play hard enough to stay on the field. Second, the officials had to make that curious call on the measurement after the fake punt. This not only fired up the entire South Carolina defense, but it also inspired Ward to be aggressive on the next play in an attempt to grab back the momentum.

Ward called a stunt named Cali. It requires Clowney to dip inside to allow the boundary corner (Victor Hampton) access to an outside rushing lane.

Meanwhile, Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges had called a Power run to the left side. Wolverines offensive tackle Taylor Lewan -- whose play against Clowney on Tuesday further solidified his place near the top of the NFL draft if he chooses to turn pro -- noticed something amiss about Clowney's alignment. "The end lined up on me in such a gray area that I had to call a Deuce to the inside," Lewan said. Lewan explained that a Deuce call ties the tackle to the guard, and their responsibilities are the lineman nearest the guard and the backside linebacker. By making the Deuce call, Lewan had untied himself from tight end Mike Kwiatkowski, who had anticipated working in tandem with Lewan on the play. Lewan said Kwiatkowski didn't hear the Deuce call, and video replays make that quite obvious. Kwiatkowski fired off the line at an angle that would have been perfect had he and Lewan been working a combo block. But Lewan was working a combo block with guard Ricky Barnum. Clowney, the owner of one of college football's quickest first steps, shot the gap before Kwiatkowski could realize what happened. "He's got that little slip move," Spurrier said. "When they come at him, they get nothing but air." Smith never had a chance. "That miscommunication," Lewan said. "Those are the plays that can lose games."

On the next play, South Carolina's Shaw hit Ace Sanders for a 31-yard touchdown. At some point between the hit and Ellington's catch for the win, someone pulled Clowney aside on the sideline, pulled out a smartphone and showed him footage of the clip on YouTube. "Somebody just said, 'Make a big play,'" Clowney said. "It just came to me."

All it ultimately took was a properly motivated freak of nature, a prescient stunt call, a misheard offensive line call and a seemingly botched measurement that left everyone in garnet seeing red. "I'm glad the ref did that now," Spurrier said.