After last night's showdown between Penn State and Florida State went into triple overtime, I think the Rose Bowl is going to have a tough time beating that.  All I can say is wow!

  A few notes on the game:

First, the scoreless first overtime shouldn't have been scoreless.  Penn State should have won that first time around.  They made a huge mistake in playing for the field goal right away after FSU missed.  You don't bet anything on a field goal after your freshman kicker misses from 29 yards out.  That may have been a fluke, but they should have at least gotten closer.  Kelly (PSU's kicker) hasn't nailed one from 40 plus yards this year, and the attempt was from 38.  Get closer! 

Second:  FSU's missed extra point ultimately cost them the game, at least if it would have played out the same on everything else.  17-16 Florida State would have been a huge upset.

Third:  Penn State missed some opportunities to put the game away in the second half.  A turnover at the five yard line cost them at least 3 points, if not more, and that turnover also led to FSU's tying field goal.  Much of that offense may have come from the momentum from the turnover.  Another missed field goal from 29 yards let the game go into overtime tied at 16.  Assuming FSU doesn't get the field goal (to tie) and doesn't give up the safety (stupid mistake), and Penn State converted on those opportunies, the score would have been 24-13 (or 14 if you like, FSU shouldn't have missed the XP), or at least 20-14.  However, the mistakes made it go into overtime, and produced the best bowl game of this year, rather than a relatively boring defensive battle won by Penn State.

Finally, I do agree with PSU's decision to go for three when Kelly decided that he was ready.  It was a 29 yard field goal, and the best time to kick is when your kicker is feeling confident.  If Kelly walked out on the field, he was obviously feeling comfortable with the kick.  Even if he missed from 29 and 38 earlier, you let him try again for the win, especially if it is only second down, and you have two more downs to work with.  Imagine how shaken Kelly's confidence may have been if PSU hadn't let him try from 29 yards.  That would show absolutely no confidence in the kicker, and he may have missed any further field goals in the game.  Good move by PSU.

Unfortunately, I missed most of the first half of the game due to my job as a busser.  I have tivoed it, so I will get back to further overanalysis after I watch the first half, at least if it's worth it.  But I think that is likely the best bowl game we're going to see this year.

Florida State is a much better team than they are given credit for this year.  Everybody says that Penn State is going to blow them out, but Florida State can give them a really tough time, and even pull the upset, if the Seminoles come to play. 

Consider this:  Florida State beat the three toughest teams in the ACC.  Miami was hosting Florida State in the Orange Bowl for the very first game of the year, and they came into the game (more than likely) expecting to continue their recent dominance over the Seminoles.  However, the team from Florida State had different plans, as they pulled off a major upset in a defensive battle, and established themselves as a major player in the ACC. 

Two weeks later, Boston College, a sleeper pick for the ACC Atlantic Division, visited the Seminoles.  FSU sent them packing with their tail between their legs after a 28-17 win.   Florida State continued to roll on to a 7-1 start, and had clinched the Atlantic Division title after playing 8 games.  So with a loss to Virginia to knock them out of the Rose Bowl picture, and a 5-1 conference record to give them a berth in the ACC title game, FSU really had nothing left to play for with 3 games left in the regular season.  This showed, as the 'Noles played like they had nothing to play for.  Three consecutive losses ensued, coming to North Carolina State 20-15, Clemson 35-14, and Florida 34-7. 

After losing in such spectacular fashion to three teams that were also-rans, everybody had written off Florida State to win the ACC title game.  Coming in as a 14 point dog to Virginia Tech, Florida State established dominance right away, and cruised to a 27-3 lead before the Hokies even realized what was happening.  Even though the Hokies staged a comeback in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 5 points, they never came closer than that.

So how is it that a team that beat Virginia Tech, Boston College, and Miami (FL) is being written off as unworthy of a BCS berth, and as an easy win for Penn State?  Perhaps FSU isn't deserving of a BCS berth (personally, I don't think they deserve one), but they are the ONLY team in the ACC that did what they needed to do, according to the system set up by that conference, to get a BCS bowl.  Virginia Tech choked in the title game, and Miami choked against Georgia Tech to eliminate themselves from title contention. 

As far as an easy win for Penn State, maybe the 'Noles do have 4 losses, but it should be obvious considering who they beat, that when they put their minds to it, they can win against almost anybody.  They beat a highly touted Miami team, a one loss Virginia Tech team, and a pretty good team from Boston College.  Despite their four losses, they will give PSU a run for their money if they put their mind to it.  So the Orange Bowl can be a classic for the ages, IF the Seminoles come to play...