Talk about a devastating loss. I didn’t think Penn State would win the Rose Bowl entering the game. And after the horrible first half start, I thought the Lions were done. But to lose a two touchdown lead in the fourth quarter, and then lose on a last second field goal after a really bad interception…well that was one that all of us Penn State fans will never get over. Penn State played their hearts out and played a tremendous game. They scored on seven straight possessions and looked like they would knock off USC. But they couldn’t close the deal. What an exciting game, and what a tough loss for a Penn State team that gave their fans a season for the ages.
- I was stunned when I heard the news that Curt Cignetti was leaving his post as head football coach at IUP to take the job at Elon. I recall emailing former IUP athletic director Frank Condino after he hired Cignetti, and telling him he had hit a home run with the hire, even though Cignett had not been a head coach. All Curt Cignetti did was return IUP to a powerhouse program. He should be applauded for his efforts. That said, I really thought Cignetti would stay at IUP for the rest of his career. He had things rolling, and enjoyed a lot of job security in a profession that usually offers little. He’ll take over a program at Elon that hasn’t been very good. So, it’s a bit of a risk. I wish Curt Cignetti well and hope he wins big in Carolina. I just wish he could have won a national title here at IUP.
- It’s a good thing the Steelers ended the regular season against the Cleveland Browns. Truth be told, Cleveland should have won this game, but leave it to the pathetic Browns to find a way to give it away. I had no problem with Mike Tomlin holding out several of his starters. I would not have played Big Ben, Le’Veon Bell, and Antonio Brown either. But I had a real problem with the effort turned in by many of his starters, especially those on defense. And, for the life of me, I did not understand why he played so many of his starters the whole game. The Steelers’ D couldn’t stop the Browns through most of the fourth quarter and in the overtime period. There’s no excuse for that. Luckily for Pittsburgh, Cleveland found a way to give away what should have been their second win in a row.
- If Landry Jones just played his last game as a Steeler he turned in a pretty good performance. Look, I’m never going to confuse Jones for a great backup quarterback. He looked rusty and made some poor decisions against the Browns. He also played really well for the most part in leading the Steelers back from a two touchdown deficit. And he was right on the money, including a beautifully thrown touchdown pass, in the overtime to give the Steelers their 11th win. I would not be at all surprised if Jones is not in a Steeler uniform next year. If that’s the case, he can always remember his last start and feel good about it.
- The Steelers enter the playoffs on a seven game winning streak. They should also be rested and hopefully healthy when they face the Dolphins Sunday at Heinz Field. I expect the Steelers to play really well against Miami, unlike how they performed against the fish when they lost to Miami on the road. I also expect the Steelers’ defense to step up. The road to Houston will go through New England once again. If the Steelers take care of business, they have a great shot to play the Pats for the right to go to the Super Bowl in a few weeks.
- Big Ten fans should expect the cheer “overrated” after the conference’s abysmal bowl performance. The Big Ten ended up 3-7, which is both surprising and horrendous. I certainly didn’t expect the conference’s top three teams to all go down, but they did. Besides Penn State’s last second loss in the Rose Bowl to USC, Ohio State was thoroughly embarrassed by Clemson, and Michigan fell to Florida State in a thrilling Orange Bowl. A lot of football experts thought the Big Ten was the best conference this past season. The bowl season proved otherwise.
- Once again it’s Alabama vs Clemson for college football’s national championship. I fully expected Bama to roll and they did. Their offense was held in check for the most part against Washington. The Tide’s defense was again the star. They are a machine, and have now scored eleven touchdowns, which is just incredible. They will be the favorite against the Tigers.
- Lane Kiffin must really be a piece of work to have been fired by Nick Saban prior to the championship game. Bama will have a new offensive coordinator entering the title game. That’s a heck of a gamble on the part of Saban. He wouldn’t make a move like this if he didn’t think it was absolutely necessary. Despite the kind words issued by each in their statements, it was pretty obvious that Saban had enough of Kiffin and his theatrics.
- I have a hard time picking against Urban Meyer, but his Buckeyes were simply dominated by Clemson. It was a real butt kicking, something I never could have imagined. Perhaps Clemson is a lot better than what we all thought. They’ll still be the underdogs when they face Nick Saban, who is going for a sixth national championship. I just hope it’s a really good game.
- I never bet on sports, and am glad I don’t. If I did put down a wager I would have put money on Pitt blowing out Northwestern in the Pinstripe Bowl. I really thought Pitt’s offense would be too much for the Wildcats. Instead, Pitt laid an egg in Yankee Stadium. I’m not just saying this because I’m a Penn State fan, but simply put this was a bad loss for Pitt. Instead of giving the fans a lot of hope entering the off-season, it leaves Panthers’ supporters wondering if the program is really moving forward at all. I do believe it is, and that Pat Narduzzi is the right guy to lead Pitt’s football program. Still, it’s not the way to end the season, and it sure wasn’t the way star running back James Conner wanted to go out. Conner, who should be remembered as one of the all-time great Panthers, deserved better. So did the Pitt fan base.
- The Pens will enjoy a full week off in the NHL’s new scheduling format. It comes at the perfect time for this team. The Pens have been dealing with a lot of key injuries, and the players admit they are just worn out from playing so many games in the condensed schedule. The Pens aren’t a perfect team by any means, but they have played some pretty good hockey during the first three months of the season. I just hope the week off doesn’t cool off the red hot Sidney Crosby. He has once again shown that he is the best player in the world. Enjoy the time off, boys, and here’s to hoping you can win back to back Stanley Cups!
