The game was great – Fresno State got the ball first, and marched down the field and scored.  CSU did the same thing on their drive.  It was pretty tight throughout the first three quarters, and both teams played great ball.  However, in the fourth quarter, CSU broke it open, and Fresno State wasn’t able to come back.  We were sitting near the 1 yard line, and had a great view of Gartrell Johnson’s touchdown run late in the game, which gave CSU what proved to be a game-winning margin.

So thank you, CSU fans, for allowing me to attend the New Mexico Bowl; you have a new fan in Albuquerque.  And congratulations, 2008 New Mexico Bowl Champions!

GO RAMS!

As the second quarter came to a close, Tennessee was driving.  They pushed themselves back with an ill-advised holding penalty.  Tennessee runs a play and makes a completion that puts them close to a first down – but out comes the laundry.  They call Tennessee for offensive pass interference, and the replay clearly showed no such interference.  This was an additional 15-yard penalty, and the kicker missed the field goal attempt.  Zebras +3.

Midway through the third quarter, Alabama was getting a drive going.  As one of their players was tackled, the ball came loose, and one of Tennessee’s players picked it up and hustled it back 40+ yards for a touchdown.  As the celebration commenced, the referee came out and said “The ruling on the field is that the player was down when the ball came out.”  The review confirmed the call.  Alabama eventually scored a touchdown on that drive.  Zebras +7.  This drive was also a huge momentum swing for what had been a back-and-forth game up to that point.

And, a note to you EPSN announcers – when Tennessee gets called for phantom pass inteference, don’t keep holding it up as a way that “Tennessee just can’t capitalize on these chances Alabama’s giving them.”  How are you supposed to capitalize when you do nothing wrong and are penalized 15 yards?  (Yes, PK Daniel Lincoln is not having his best year, but still…)

So, what do you fellow college football watchers think – has there been a rash of bad officiating this year?  The Tennessee/Alabama game is not the first time I’ve noticed it – Tennessee had a really bad call in the Georgia game too, and even the people calling the game said “Boy, I think they got away with one there.”  And it’s not just games involving Tennessee (though, of course, those hold a special place in my heart).  And, if you’ve noticed this, what do you think is the cause?  Too many rule changes?  Instant replay?  Aging referees with declining eyesight?

By the way – as a fan of the Volunteers, I rarely cheer for the Florida Gators. But, NCAA championships in basketball and football in the same year is a first – congratulations to Florida for making history in 2006.

• Deployment Complete

I completed my first deployment this year. It was a tough time, but I was in a safe place and was able to participate in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. I wrote a lot about how this deployment affected the way I view things in my posts “Appreciate What You Have” and “Do Not Bend”. The Lord protected me over there, and my family at home. My oldest son stepped up and helped a lot while I was gone, and my wife kept everything going at home, in spite of how difficult it was at times.

• Saddam Hussein Executed (Link: Fox News)

Saddam Hussein’s execution was an important development in the War on Terror. Although he had been out of power for years, seeing him brought to justice after a trial is a great symbol of the power of democracy. Some people are upset that he was not tried for even more crimes; but, considering the 100 or so deaths he was on trial for was enough to get him the death penalty, what more could they want? You can’t kill the guy twice! (Some folks over at the Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler (language warning in effect) have some ideas – as well as the video of the actual execution.)

As the war in Iraq and Afghanistan continues, more and more of these high-level leaders are being either captured or killed. If they’re captured, the justice system will do its job; and, if they’re killed, well… that just saves time. And, as the people of the Middle East begin to see democracy and a rule of law take hold, they’ll be drawn to it.

• Tennessee Vols and Jeff Gordon (Links: UTSports.com | NASCAR.com)

In college football and NASCAR, my folks made a resurgence after a disappointing 2005. The Tennessee Vols followed up their first losing season since Phil Fulmer had become head coach with a 9-3 finish, losing only to #2 Florida, #4 LSU, and #13 Arkansas. Throughout the year, quarterback Erik Ainge matured greatly, and became more willing to hand off the ball to a running back, which lead to more big passes opening up for him. Freshman running back LaMarcus Coker had an outstanding year, and looks to be one of the best running backs Tennessee has had in a while – and that’s saying something. Congratulations to the Vols on a great year.

Jeff Gordon became the Nextel Cup Champion! Well, OK, Jimmie Johnson was top driver, but since Jeff owns Jimmie’s cars, he is the owner’s points champion. He did finish the season in 6th as a driver. The comes after a season when he did not make the Chase for the Nextel Cup (although he did finish at the “top of the losers” 11th spot). Consistency was the name of the game this year for Gordon, crew chief Steve Letarte, and the rest of his crew; he finished in the top 10 in half of the 36 races, and won 2 of them. Were it not for two mechanical problems and a wreck back-to-back-to-back, he would have given his protoge a run for his money. On top of that, he got married in 2006, and he and his wife are now expecting their first child. Congratulations x 3 for you, Jeff, and here’s to a great 2007!

Those are the best things to come out of 2006, in my humble opinion. If you’ve read all three parts, you’ll realize that in the big picture, these don’t quite balance out – Tennessee’s winning season doesn’t offset North Korea’s nuclear tests, for example. But, what this does illustrate is that even when bad things of enormous import are happening, it is still possible to be personally happy and satisfied.

The most recent contender for a clearly overturnable call was the non-call of pass interference in Saturday’s LSU/Alabama game. An LSU defender pushed the Alabama receiver down, intercepted a pass, and ran it back out to the middle of the field. It was a game-changing ruling – Alabama had been struggling (and continued to struggle) to move the ball, and was close to scoring. Now, I’m no Alabama fan (Go Vols!!!), but that call was flat out wrong.

College football is such big business these days – we’ve got human rankings, computer rankings, and a collage of them together helping us decide a “national champion.” Nobody likes a tie, it seems – that’s the reason for the NCAA’s overtime rules. While we’re at it, let’s take the technology of today to help make the game more fair for the kids who are playing their hearts out Saturday after Saturday.