Wreck Ramblin

How the conferences are doing in the bowls

The Wizard of Odds gives the story, straight and ATS, through Saturday's bowl games.

When can you be sure a game is won?

In the Insight Bowl, the Red Raiders spotted Minnesota a 31-point, third-quarter lead, then rallied for a stunning 44-41 overtime victory in the Insight Bowl Friday night, the largest comeback in Division I-A bowl history.

The previous record for a bowl comeback was 30 points, set by Marshall against East Carolina in the 2001 GMAC Bowl. UGA overcame a 25-point Purdue lead in the Outback Bowl in 2000 (while GT was beating ND in the Gator Bowl).

Down 31-0 to Miami (Fla.) at halftime on 11/10/84, visiting Maryland, behind substitute QB Frank Reich, came back to score a stunning 42-40 victory and set a I-A record for the biggest comeback.

That record was eclipsed this year. Trailing 38-3, Michigan State scored 38 straight points in the final 22 minutes (24 in the fourth quarter) against Northwestrn to extend the Division I-A record for biggest comeback to 35 points. Drew Stanton threw for two scores and ran for one during the frenzied finish and Brett Swenson kicked a 28-yard field goal to clinch the win.

In 1978, Georgia trailed GT 20-0 in the second quarter when freshman Buck Belue came off the sideline and rallied the team to a 29-28 victory, the biggest comeback in school history to that point. That's when this poster learned his lesson about crowing too early.

Last night, they made an even bigger comeback, with some great playcalling in the 2H and a lot of help from the Beamer bumblers.

[ESPN, 12/29/06]

Even 35 points is not enough.

Quite a few GT fans were too quick to jump on UGA last night after they went down 21-3. Hopefully, the youngsters have now learned their lesson.

Lauren's been blogging all along

Lauren Black, the WVU Freshman band member selected to blog the Gator Bowl, has been posting since the 28th, as promised.

An earlier WR post picked up the wrong link from a WVU AA article.

Thanks to D Molsen for correcting the link, in a WR comment, and in the original article, and apologies to Lauren.

It's good to read different perspectives on the bowl experience. Bowls, after all, should be more for students and athletes than 30-year-old (and up) alumni/fans.

Buzz listed as #3 college mascot

Buzz is the world-famous and beloved mascot of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Buzz gets Tech fans cheering at nearly all the Institute's intercollegiate sporting events.

Although Buzz's origins are rather ambiguous, it is known that Buzz showed up at a game sometime in the early 1980s as an unofficial cheerleader, and was soon adopted by the GT cheerleading squad. Today Buzz is a member of the cheerleading squad, and attends all Football Games, all Home basketball games for the Men's & Women's Team, several Volleyball & Baseball games, as well as pep rallies and appearances throughout Georgia.

In Fall 2005 and 2006, Buzz was named to the Capital One All-American Mascot Teams and competed for the title of the Capital One Mascot of the Year. Buzz also competes in the Mascot National Competition in Daytona, FL each April. In 2006 he received 2nd place.

[Americas Best Online]

Hairy Dawg is 8th.

Two Jackets named preseason All-Americans

Georgia Tech catcher Matt Wieters and center fielder Danny Payne have been named to the 2007 Louisville Slugger/TPX Preseason All-America Team, as chosen by Collegiate Baseball this week.

[CSTV, 12/25/06]

Not that long before wood meets hide.

Choice happy with choice

Adrian Peterson made Choice a better running back when the two were together at Oklahoma.

Choice swears, though, that Peterson’s emergence as a freshman All-America wasn’t what drove him to transfer to Georgia Tech.

[Dave Hickman, WV Gazette, 12/31/06]

Lady Jackets lose Championship game

Alexis Rack scored 24 points, including eight in a 20-2 run late in the second half, to lead Mississippi State to a 62-56 victory over Georgia Tech in the championship game of the Atlanta Mariott NW Holiday Invitational on Saturday.

[AP, 12/31/06]

Hewitt wants at least 35 turnovers a game

avaris Crittenton scored 15 points and Anthony Morrow added 14 as Georgia Tech's defenders smothered outmanned St. Francis, Pa., and went on to an 87-43 win on Saturday night for the Yellow Jackets fourth straight victory.

 

Tech (10-3) put the game away early with a 24-0 run to take a 26-4 lead after 11 minutes as St.Francis had 10 turnovers during that span. The Yellow Jackets led 47-15 at the half, forcing 20 turnovers.

 

"Anytime we take a charge, block a shot, get a steal, tip a pass _ anything we do to disrupt the other team's offense, we give the guys credit for a deflection. Our goal every game is to try to get 35 or more," said Hewitt.

 

"In the first half tonight, led by Mario (West) and Mouhammad Faye, we had 38 at halftime. That's why defensively we were so active," he said.

[AP, 12/31//06]

Schultz predicts GT's '07 future

September: With no Reggie Ball but also no Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech opens its season at Notre Dame, losing 27-13, giving Chan Gailey four straight losses going back to last season. The loss reignites the “Can Chan” cries from Tech fans. But school officials say buying out Gailey’s previously extended contract would force them to cut costs in the Academic Oversight Department, which obviously was already operating with two part-timers and a hamster.

November: Georgia goes 10-1 with an SEC title game berth clinched and an outside chance at the BCS title game, but then loses at Tech, 9-7. Gailey gets a three-year extension. …

[Jeff Schultz, AJC, 12/31/06]

Somebody's started celebrating early.

GT 87, St. Francis 43

Georgia Tech played its final game of 2006 on Saturday night, and coach Paul Hewitt searched for answers to questions that may — or may not — arise in 2007.

If after the Yellow Jackets' 87-43 blowout of St. Francis (Pa.) that seems vague, it should. There are some distinct vagaries about Tech's future.

This much is certain: Hewitt has questions. He will not know the academic fortunes of all players until early in the second week of January, after the Jackets (10-3) have played at Clemson. Given that and the possibility of injuries, he is searching for combinations.

"I've been searching all year for a lineup that can guard because I'm confident that we've got several guys who on any given night can score 20 points," Hewitt said.

[Matt Winkeljohn, AJC, 12/31/06]