NCAA Football 2005 Season (1 Viewer)

[Haggai]

I don't think the percentages are against you in that situation. The upside of getting 2 there is that you force them to score twice, which is big, and the downside (if you don't convert) is that a TD for the other team pretty much guarantees them a tie game. Not exactly a major downside. Kicking the extra point does force the other team to go for 2 if they score again, but do you want the only thing to rely on being, "hey, maybe we'll still stop them from getting 2"? I wouldn't find much comfort in that, so I'd rather take the chance on going up by two scores. I think the important thing facing my defense is whether they'll have to stop them from scoring on one possession, or on two possessions. I don't think being up 8 gives me all that much more of an edge than being up 7.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I believe the success rate for two point conversions is around 40%, so the odds are in your favor by forcing your opponent to go for two to tie instead of you going for two to make it a two-score lead.

EDIT: I found this chart, used by NFL coaches, on when to go for one or two points.

 

[Haggai]

Interesting link, Scott. Still, if I'm Pete Carroll and I trust my offense a lot more than my defense (as he demonstrated later by going for it on 4th down), and my opponent also has Vince Young, I'll go for 2.

 

[BrettB]

I can't believe Mack Brown outcoached Pete Carrol.

I can't stand either team but I was rooting for USC to lose. Glad the USC era is over.

All-timer. Congrats to.... (this is really hard ) Texas and Vince Young. Enjoy it. It won't last long.

It's tough you know but we'll move on. It was a great win... uh... great hard fought loss I guess but you know well whatever... we still think... I think we're a better football team they just made the plays in the end. - Matt Leinart

 

[Nils Luehrmann]

What an amazing game! You didn't have to be a fan of either team to enjoy that one, and a fitting end to a really exciting bowl season!

Obviously, Mack Brown and his longhorns deserve great praise, especially that unbelievable performance by Young... WOW!!!

But let us not forget those astonishing Trojans! 34 game win streak, 16 against top 25 teams, 3 BCS Bowl Championships, and two National Championships!

USC can hold their heads up high as that streak will likely stand for some time, especially if Young heads off to the NFL, as I would hope he does considering how much he has to gain by entering the draft now, and how much he risks in losing if he doesn't.

I also want to give some big props to Vince Young who when asked after the game if he feels he deserved the Heisman and would like a "re-count", he quickly said no, and then went on to praise Reggie Bush for his outstanding abilities and predicted that Bush will make a huge impact in the NFL.

Pete Carroll and Reggie Bush showed an amazing amount of class with their post game praise for Texas and Vince Young, as did both Mack Brown and Vince Young when they heavily praised the efforts and abilities of USC.

They are still celebrating in the streets of Austin, and wont likely stop until after the UT Victory Parade.

Congratulations Long Horns, for an amazing come from behind win!

 

[Ray Chuang]

BrettB, you wrote:



Well, Brown did out-coach Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel--when Texas beat Ohio State AT Columbus.

That was a wild, wild, game last night. At least it wasn't frustrating to watch the end like the Orange Bowl the night before.... :rolleyes

 

[Tim Glover]

Unreal game. Can't believe Texas fought back like that. Wow...Thought Pete C poorly managed and executed that drive just before UT's go ahead score.

Still, a great game for the ages and hate to admit it being an Aggie...UT deserves the title this year.

Please Lord, tell Vince Young you need him to go pro. Tell his Mother too.

 

[Raasean Asaad]

Thats the thing about Leinart all season that has bugged me, I realize that ultimately he is just a college kid but he seems to lack a certain maturity. I felt like he wanted to stay in school after last season not because he wanted to win another championship but that he wanted to stay being the big fish in a small pond and with all the hype it just fed his ego. It's bad enough that USC gave UT all the locker room material needed with all the quotes from him saying USC is better than any other offense ever but that quote after the game was just foolish.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

As long as Chris Palmer doesn't get a hold of Vince Young, I believe Vince will do fine in the NFL. Who knows? Maybe he'll turn into another Donovan McNabb, a mobile quarterback who eventually learned to pass at the NFL level.

Slightly off-topic, but with the success of the spread-run offense, I've always wondered something: how do you run block out of a two-point stance?

 

[Shane Martin]

I thought it was the right move even in retrospect. They should have had Bush in atleast to threaten they might use him even though I think the rest of the world knew that White would be getting the ball. If they get the first down, I think the game is over.

Then again Carroll was a NFL coach that was run out of the league so who knows.

 

[Matt Stone]

I don't know how much coaching was involved other than "Hey Vince, win the game for us." Michael Huff played a great defensive game, but Vince carried Texas.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm not buying that big fish in the small pond stuff. I think Leinart's main motivation for coming back for another year was to win another NCAA Championship and make history doing it. Basically, the outcome of last night's game, killed that dream of his and his initial comments immediately after the game reflected his total disppointment. I would think that once he had time to resolve what happen last night, that any further comments from him about the game will be more congratulatory towards Texas.

I tend to give athletes and coaches a break about whatever comments they may say immediately after a disppointing loss, particularly, a loss that ends their season on a disappointing note. We tend to forget that these people are human too with little time to come to grips with an emotional letdown that just occurred to them.






Crawdaddy

 

[SethH]

I tend to agree with your idea here. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a USC fan, but I don't hate them either. However, it's gotten pretty annoying listening to Leinart talk about how "losing is not in our nature," and "I don't know how to lose," and so on. I had to chuckle at his post-game comment as well -- my wife, who doesn't even keep up with football much, made some sarcastic comment about how he must have stumbled because losing isn't in his nature.

That said, I think Leinart made a good move by staying in a becoming a more mature quarterback. He's gotten bumped to 2nd or 3rd in the draft probably -- as opposed to 1st last year -- but I still think it was a reasonable decision.

 

[Jeff_HR]

I was glad to see USC get beat for a selfish reason. It maintains the University of Toledo's sole spot in the list of unbeaten streaks at 35 in a row.

 

[Shane Martin]

Maybe not in the "big fish small pond " way but it was egotistical(aren't we all anyway?) reasons why he did it.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I have never seen a great player in any sport that wasn't egotistical, it's part of what drives them to be the best.






Crawdaddy

 

[Brook K]

I shut the game off after USC went up 2 scores. I seem to have a knack for missing games that go on to become "instant classics".

Congrats to Texas!

I've seen Young and Vick both live and Young isn't better than Vick. Young has the benefit of an offense designed to his talents and an o-line that can pass block, unlike Vick who is being shoehorned into a system that doesn't suit him.

Also, USC never spied Young or used the tried and true "stay at home and contain vs. a running QB" defense. They blitzed often. Bringing the house against a running QB is asking to get burned. They weren't bringing safeties up for run support or clogging the short zone to try and force Young to have to throw deep. I've been watching Vick and Brad Smith for 4 years and I've seen them look absolutely brilliant but also absolutely mediocre when the defense has the personnel and scheme designed to stop them.

It was just 5 (or whatever) years ago that Vick almost singlehandedly beat Fla St. and everyone was raving about him then the way they are raving about Young now. The NFL is a whole different ball game and the makeup of his future teammates and coaching staff will have more to say about Young's career than his own personal talent level.

 

[Patrick Sun]

V. Young's bottom legs (tibia/fibia) are so long, I get a little queasy at the thought of another Joe Theisman-like injury for him when he gets to the NFL.

 

[Carlo_M]

The funniest read this college football season.

Priceless! (and no, it should offend USC fans unless they have zero sense of humor)

 

[Robert Crawford]

I can see New Orleans taking Young if Houston drafts Bush first. Leinert will probably be drafted by Tennessee which will unite Leinert with his former offensive coordinator.