King Kaufman's Sports Daily

Boise State's amazing Fiesta Bowl win: Exhibition game of the century!

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Jan. 2, 2007 | If only there had been some way for one of the greatest college football games in history to mean something beyond thrills for two schools' fan bases and momentary entertainment for those among the rest of us able to stretch our hangovers deep enough into New Year's Night to tune in.

Trying to think of one.

Boise State's incredible 43-42 overtime win over Oklahoma featured three touchdowns in the final 86 seconds of regulation, a hook-and-ladder play for the tying score by Boise State on fourth-and-18 with 18 seconds to go, a direct-snap wide receiver pass for a touchdown in overtime by the Broncos -- also on fourth down, because, you know, when else? -- and the winning two-point conversion coming on a Statue of Liberty play.

Boise State did everything but line up Harpo in the backfield. For those of you wondering what a hook-and-ladder or Statue of Liberty play might be, please consult your "Collegiate Foot Ball Fanatic's Handbook," 1926 edition, which has some nice illustrations.

Did I mention yet that star Boise State running back Ian Johnson, who scored the winning points, celebrated by running over to his girlfriend, a Broncos cheerleader, and proposing? She said yes.

Or maybe she said, "23 skidoo." Or maybe she turned into a flying lizard and soared back to Idaho to have midnight tea with the Sundance Kid. Statue of Liberty play? I'm not the only one who saw all this, right?

It really was a hell of an exhibition game, that Fiesta Bowl, much better than that other scrimmage in Pasadena, the Rose Bowl. In that one, USC dominated Michigan in the second half on the way to a 32-18 win in what we can call the national championship consolation game. Sort of a third-place game.

In a two-team tournament.

If we ignore that Boise State is one of two undefeated Division 1-A teams in the nation, that is, one of one that isn't playing in the National Championship Game, the only game that means anything, the one that turns what used to be New Year's Day bowls with their own gravity and meaning into consolation exhibitions, nice little paydays for everybody but the players, nice little road trips for some of the fans, diverting TV shows for some of the rest of us.

Next page: So much for Michigan's title-game argument. Hey, I have an idea for something exciting ...