As I've noted here before, Rutgers played in, and won, the first college football game ever. But it's taken them 137 years to get their first bowl game victory. The boys from New Brunswick defeated those from Manhattan (Kansas, that is) by 37-10.
Meanwhile, on a different tectonic plate, a Florida State team that only managed to break even in its regular season beat UCLA by 44-27. Recalling that the Bruins beat Southern Cal by 13-9, a four point margin, and noting the Noles 17 point advantage over UCLA, can we conclude that FSU is better than USC by 21 points? No, no, no. Football teams are not elements of a well-ordered set.
Pre-title game update: Joey Johnston seems to be rethinking his earlier diss of the Gators.
A big "Thank you!" to Josh Levin, in Slate, for agreeing with me that the college game is more fun. (Now I'm kicking myself for missing the Fiesta Bowl.)
And my alma mater, the University of Kentucky, had a bowl victory today.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Nick. It's nice to know the Wildcats are having some success on the gridiron (something we haven't seen much of since the days of Bear Bryant and Babe Parilli) as well as on the boards.
ReplyDeleteI went to Lexington for a convention some years ago, and kept wondering who "Ruppa Reena" was.