So how do I have this game. Well to the suprise of no one that knows me I am a huge sports nerd. For years I have taped games to keep. This game happened to be one of them. I have it on DVD. So let me fire up my XBOX 360, put in this game, and write about it. Now I am going to write about it, as if it happened at that time with a little bit of a wink, wink. You'll see what I mean as you start reading this. So here it is.
The DVD starts with College Gameday at the Orange Bowl about 45 minutes before the ABC coverage begins.
Here are some of the highlights from College Gameday.
Chris Fowler says the game; the atmosphere has an Ali-Frazier, Holyfield-Tyson feel to it.
Corso: “This game has the combination of the best talent ever assembled on any college football field ever!”
All three agree the game has been a build up for four months. Clearly these are the two best teams, even over undefeated Auburn.
Herbstreit says no advantage in coaching. Bob Stoops and Pete Carroll are even.
Mark May “Adrian Peterson is the best freshman running back I have seen since Hershel Walker.”
A story was told about how USC WR Dwayne Jarrett nearly left the team because he was home sick, only Matt Leinart convinced him to stay. Another example of a USC WR who had it all together lol!!!
55% of ESPN SportsNation thinks USC will win. 45% thinks Oklahoma will win.
The Crystal Ball Trophy is known as the ADT Trophy in this season. From ADT, to Sears, to Dr. Pepper it has had so many name changes. I don’t even know what the hell it’s called now?!?! I have a brilliant idea for what the Crystal Ball Trophy should be called but I will save it for the next college football blog I will do.
Chris Fowler “Beginning with the coin toss Oklahoma will try to get into Leinart’s head the way they did four years ago here when Chris Weinke won the Heisman over a couple of their guys. They went out got in Weinke’s face let him know you shouldn’t have won that trophy that belongs to our guys were taking it back and they’re gunna try to do the same thing tonight.” Lee Corso “Not so fast my friend that was Chris Weinke that’s not Matt Leinart!”… And he adds this USC team is much better than that Florida State team….Ouch that hurt for me!!
Herbstreit “With respect to Matt Leinart I don’t know if there is a quarterback with better touch on the ball than Jason White.”
Mark May says he’d take Jason White over Matt Leinart in a 2 minute situation.
College Gameday just showed a montage of highlights from the 2001 Orange Bowl Oklahoma 13-2 win over Florida State. Excuse me while I go to the bathroom and make myself bulimic.
Herbstreit says Oklahoma is the most balanced and explosive offense in the country.
Gameday show highlights of USC’s 4th quarter defensive stand against Cal and Aaron Rodgers. The win ended up giving USC a one win edge over Cal in the PAC 10 standings, and thus won the Pac 10 Championship. After the USC scandal came out Aaron Rodgers on his Twitter account said “looking forward to getting my PAC-10 championship ring from the '04 season.”
Jill Arrington (who worked for ESPN at this time) reports that some of the celebrities at the game include Will Ferrell, Pat Riley, Brad Pitt, Nick Lachey, Jessica Simpson, and O.J. Simpson (who was seeing his first game in USC in 10 years…I can’t imagine why it took him so long to see a USC game in person lol?)
Trev Albert picks Oklahoma. He says USC will be surprised at how physical OU is on both the offensive and defensive lines. He not only thinks Oklahoma can win, but he says Oklahoma will blow out USC.
Mark May agrees with Albert. He’s picking Oklahoma, and similarly he thinks it could be a blowout for OU.
Herbstreit picks Oklahoma. He says they will learn from the mistakes of playing LSU last year. Thinks Oklahoma will win 24-20 and Adrian Petersen will be the MVP.
Fowler picks Oklahoma too. So far that’s 4 Oklahoma picks to 0 USC picks.
Now it’s Corso time!
Corso picks USC and puts on a Trojan head with a dagger to go with it. Corso thinks it will be a close game.
Alright now time for ABC’s pregame coverage.
Brad Nessler is doing the play by play with Bob Griese.
The Ford Pregame coverage consists of John Saunders, Craig James, and Aaron Taylor.
A montage is showed telling how all the USC players and Pete Carroll are determined to win the game, because they don’t want to share a title like they did in 03’, they want both the AP and Crystal Ball trophies this year.
For OU the montage is about “Unfinished Business” and completing what they could not do last year when they lost to LSU.
James and Taylor don’t make picks. I don’t understand this! What’s the point of having studio analysts if you do not let them make picks on the game?
Nessler talks to Griese about how the last time OU was here in the Orange Bowl they beat Florida State and Chris Weinke. Seriously shoot me!
Griese: “You give me one pick of all the college players and I’m taking Reggie Bush.”
Both teams come running out on to the field. The stadium is electric.
JoJo sings the National Anthem. Figure an artist like that would be black. No she turns out to be white. This would make Bill Simmons musical part of the "Reggie Cleveland All Stars". I have never heard of her. And this game was in 2005. So obviously her career never really picked up after this performance. Can’t say it was great, it wasn’t bad, an alright performance.
Shaq does the coin toss wearing a nice collared shirt and jeans. Gets a huge ovation from the crowd (this is from is Heat days). Oklahoma wins the toss. OU defers and USC will receive the ball.
Only I could write over 950 words on the pregame for a game that occurred (well according to the NCAA now it never did occur) over 5 years ago!!!! Oh well now for the game itself.
1st Quarter
15:00: Oklahoma kicks the ball out of bounds, trying to avoid kicking off the ball to Reggie Bush. I’m sure OU will rebound from this!!
14:50: USC goes 5 wide. Reggie Bush catches a screen pass and runs for 28 yards. Oh how USC will one day fondly remember Reggie Bush!!
13:49: OU’s defense then tightens up the next three plays allowing -4 yards, and forces USC to punt.
13:40: OU starts on there own 8. Peterson takes the first carry for only 1 yard. That certainly won’t be a trend in this game!!!
12:54: White rolls out and hits Will Peoples for a gain of 25. Great footwork by White!
12:30: Peterson runs for a gain of 9. Now OU is really rolling!
9:45: Travis Wilson catches a pass from Jason White on 3rd and 8 for another 20+ yards. White had a nice scramble out of the pocket. OU is the one responding to adversity so far. And Jason White looks real goooood!!!
8:27: White hits Mark Bradley for 30 yard gain down to the 10. Once again White rolled out of the pocket and bought time. It’s clear he is going to play much better than he did in the previous year against LSU in the Sugar Bowl.
7:44: White on 2nd and Goal fires a bullet to Travis Wilson for the touchdown. Oklahoma 7 USC 0. OU’s bench is fired up. Pete Carroll looks dumbfounded. OU just drove 92 yards down USC’s throat. Could Trev Alberts and Mark May be right that Oklahoma will blow out USC?
6:26: USC gets a delay of game. Now Leinart and Carroll look completely flustered.
5:57: Antonio Perkins just leveled Reggie Bush. Man oh man OU is dominating USC. OU’s bench is jumping up and down like crazy right now.
5:18: Leinart on 3rd and 11 from USC’s own 38 throws a frozen rope to Steve Smith at midfield. USC really needed that.
4:54: Leinart hits an over the shoulder throw to TE Dominique Byrd to the 33. Now it looks like USC has shown up to the game.
4:29: Leinart rolls out to his left and throws a perfect spiral to Dominique Byrd who makes an amazing one handed catch for the touchdown. USC 7 Oklahoma 7. Oooh this could be a classic!!!
2:57: OU goes three and out. Jason White nearly throws an INT on third down. The USC D-Line dominated the OU O-Line in that series. I’m sure this will only be temporary.
2:39: LenDale White busts through for 10 yards to USC’s own 41. Griese says there is concern for USC that LenDale is not in the “best shape.” I’m sure this will be a one time issue, and will never come up in the NFL!
1:19: Oklahoma forces USC to punt. Lynn Swann interviews country artist and huge Oklahoma fan Toby Keith on the sidelines. He feels really good about OU so far, even yelling “Boomer Sooner!”
0:23: Perhaps this will be the game changing momentum play when one day fans look back on this classic game say 5 years from now in 2010. USC punts it down to 8 and three USC players let the ball roll. All of a sudden, inexplicably, OU’s Mark Bradley tries to pick up the ball around the 4 after it seems to hit a USC player. He never gets a handle on it and 6 USC players are right in position to fall on the ball which they do.
0:23: Lynn Swann explains “I believe if the USC player first touched the ball before Oklahoma touches it it’s dead.” Bradley thought a USC player touched it, thus even if he fumbled the ball OU would still get it back. However, replays clearly show the ball never hit a USC player. Bradley touched it first. Major bonehead play!!
0:17: From the 6 LenDale White takes the ball and barrels into the end zone for a TD. USC 14 Oklahoma 7.
0:17: Stoops is arguing hard with the ref thinking the USC player touched the ball first. I’m sorry Big Game Bob your wrong.
0:00: AD runs for 2 yards to end the quarter. Peterson has just not got anything going so far. Personal foul on USC though gives OU 15 yards and a first down up to its own 45 yard line. So perhaps OU can turn around this game, after finishing it off so bad to end the 1st quarter!
End of 1st Quarter USC 14 Oklahoma 7.
2nd Quarter
14:50: Sideline announcer Todd Harris interviews USC fan and alum Will Ferrell. Ferrell looks really thin in this interview. He talks about liking Shaq when they met on SNL and Shaq “cradled” him in his arms. Ferrell says USC is doing great and hopes they can run it more. Brad Nessler says he loves both Elf and Anchorman, and laughed throughout both movies. I agree with Nessler. Elf and Anchorman are in his Top 5 of movies. I’d throw in Old School, Kicking and Screaming, and A Night at the Roxbury as his best 5 movies where he had a starring role (not like Wedding Crashers where he only had a small cameo). I’d put Talledaga Nights and Step-Brother as two of the worst twenty movies I have ever seen. Absolute garbage those two.
13:55: OU is quietly moving the ball down towards USC’s 38.
13:27: Jason White throws a bomb down to the 10 yard line where 4 USC players are surrounding the one USC WR. Needless to say it is intercepted. Jason White is starting to unraivel. Who could have predicted that? Certainly no one from College Gameday.
13:27: Bob Griese: “I don’t understand what Jason White was thinking there.” Brad Nessler :“That was a hope and a prayer.”
13:10: LenDale White busts through for a gain of 15 yards to the there own 25. Big hole for him. USC’s o-line is starting to dominate.
11:54: On a 3rd and 8 USC goes 5 wide. Leinart throws a lolley pop pass up to Dwayne Jarrett for about 15 yards. Great catch by Jarrett to USC 45. Once again USC converts a third and long against OU.
11:46: USC runs a play action pass. Leinart has great protection as he hits Jarrett in stride down the sidelines for a 55 yard touchdown. Jarrett easily beat his man, and OU’s safety was not there in time. USC seems to be faster than OU. Can Jason White lead OU back? Probably not! USC 21 Oklahoma 7.
11:43: Adrian Peterson runs for a yard. Just doesn’t seem to be his night. The game is on the shoulders of Jason White. No worries OU!
10:06: On 3rd and 14 from there own 16 Jason White throws a terrible INT to USC’s Eric Wright. White’s feet were hit as he threw it, but still it was another awful descision by him. Wright takes it to the 10 yard line. First and goal for USC coming up.
10:06: On the replay you can see that it turns out Mark Bradley slipped allowing Wright to make the play. So actually that one is on Bradley not White. OU needs some better shoes out there, this is not the first time they have been slipping. No slippage for USC. Both wear Nikes. Why does USC have better Nikes than OU?!?!
10:00: LenDale White carries the ball to the 5.
9:21: Incomplete pass on 2nd and Goal. USC’s Reggie Bush and OU’s Rufus Alexander exchange “pushes.” Bush seemed to start the “fight” but no flag for either side. Everyone loves Reggie how could you flag him!!!
9:21: Reggie Bush calls a timeout. Pontiac then announces its Game Changing Performance of the Year in 2004. God I hope it’s a Reggie Bush play. Can you imagine if Pontiac came out today and said “in light of the findings of the NCAA on Reggie Bush Pontiac has decided to take away the 2004 College Football Game Changing Performance of the Year, because Mr. Bush was involved in the play.” That would be epic!!!
9:21: Unfortunately none of the 6 plays that are finalist involved Reggie Bush. Damn! The winner is the Wisconsin caused fumble against Kyle Orton and Purdue in 2004 that lead to a TD and a Wisconsin win. That seems to be right! I remember coming into that game everyone thought Purdue was as good as any team in the nation. I even remember Neal saying Purdue was going to go to the BCS National Championship game. Then that play happened. I know I am a sports nerd when I remember stuff like that.
9:17: On 3rd and Goal Leinart hits a wide open Steve Smith for a TD. Great catch by Smith to keep the ball from hitting the ground. USC 28 Oklahoma 7. The rout is on!
8:33: Todd Harris interviews Shaq on the sidelines. Shaq says he is not surprised at all that USC is dominating Oklahoma. Shaq jokes that if Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban wants him at TE he will be there.
7:47: OU players continue to slip and fall. What the heck is going on?
7:19: So far Adrian Peterson has 32 yards on 13 carries. Ouch!!!!
6:53: On third down Mark Bradley catches a pass in stirde and heads 34 yards down field to USC’s 36. If Oklahoma can get a TD to cut it to 28-14, and keep that score in the half they may have a chance.
6:46: Shaun Cody just rocked Jason white for a 14 yard sack. How is that grass tasting Jason White?!?!?!
5:55: Brian Griese: “Jason White is a little out of sync Brad.” Brad Nessler reminds the viewers that in the 2003 Big XII Championship Game, and the 2004 Sugar Bowl White combined for 0 TD’s and 4 Int’s. I’m sure no OU fan needed to be reminded of that.
5:46: On 3rd and 15 White scrambles to the right and throws a surprisingly great pass across his body. OU’s Keywan Jones makes the catch at the USC 15. OU still has a chance to get a TD on this drive.
3::46 3rd and 4 from the 10. White throws a screen pass to Mark Clayton. The play never had a chance. Loss of two yards. Bob Griese: “Oklahoma is going through the motions. USC is attacking and making plays.”
3:10: OU makes a 25 yard field goal. USC 28 Oklahoma 10. 28-14 would have been much better.
3:10: Todd Harris tells us all the celebrities at the game tonight, as ABC shows video of them. Of course we have Shaq and Will Ferrell. P-Diddy (though Harris calls him Puff Daddy…he was P-Diddy by then right?), Gary Sheffield, Pat Riley, Jerry Bruckheimer, and best of all Mickey Mouse!!! Mickey Mouse came from the Rose Bowl where he was the Grand Marshall there. Quick who played in the 2005 Rose Bowl? If you guessed Texas and Vince “I get into fights at Dallas Strip Clubs when an Oklahoma fan flashes an upside down Longhorn sign” Young against Michigan than you are right. It’s the forgotten Texas Rose Bowl win and epic Vince Young Rose Bowl performance for sure.
3:10: Sources tell Todd Harris that Mickey Mouse has an important announcement to make tonight. You know you are watching a blowout when this is the conversation that goes on.
2:47: Reggie Bush takes a pitch to the left, a huge gaping hole is there for him, and he runs for 45 yards down to Oklahoma’s 35 yard line. USC’s O-line is making the holes the size of the Grand Canyon on Oklahoma’s D-Line.
1:56: Leinart throws a bomb to the back of the end zone. Steve Smith makes another amazing catch for a TD. 4 TD Passes for Leinart so far. Seeing Steve Smith makes the catches it makes me realize people should have known (including me) that he would be a pretty good WR in the NFL. And so far he really has been for the Giants. USC 35 Oklahoma 10.
1:56: A preview of the halftime show is done. Aaron Taylor says the guys will go over what Oklahoma needs to do to turn the game around. How about restart the game? Or pretend the game never happened (sorry I know that could never happen, what am I thinking?!?!)!
0:53: Oklahoma’s Keywan Jones fumbles the ball at OU’s own 35. USC recovers. Jones slipped as he got the ball from White. Brad Nessler: “I think they need different shoes at halftime.” It truly is unbelievable that OU players have been slipping all night, but it seems not one USC player has slipped.
0:37: Leinart hits Dwayne Jarrett for a strike for a 14 yard play to the 16 on third down.
0:30: Bob Stoops call his first timeout. Really?!?! 35-10 USC and Big Game Bob never thought of calling a timeout at any time to calm his guys down! This baffles me! I know football isn’t basketball, but shouldn’t have Stoops called a timeout at some point to calm everybody down?
0:03 OU’s defense “buckles down” and forces USC to a FG. USC 38 Oklahoma 10.
0:00: Halftime USC 38 Oklahoma 10. Lynn Swann interviews Bob Stoops. Stoops says “we can’t beat ourselves up…we just got to make plays.” Can’t beat yourself up?! It’s 38-10. When the hell can you beat yourself up then Big Game Bob? When it’s 55-10? Or how about 75-10?
0:00: Todd Harris interviews Pete Carroll. Carroll has a shit grin on his face like “I’m on top of the world bitches…They’ll never catch me!” Carroll says there is still a second half and OU could do the same thing to them in the second half. Yeah I can just see Jason White coming out and rolling USC in the second half. Uh-huh, yeah sure Pete. And in other news I am going on a date with Rihanna and Beyoncé this week. The tough part is deciding which woman I am going to pick for the long run. Duh, it’s going to be Rihanna!
Halftime Show
Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville joins John Saunders, Craig James, and Aaron Taylor for the halftime show. Saunders asks Tuberville if they would have fared better against USC than Oklahoma. He says “I don’t know” and gives a diplomatic answer, and does not bash OU. Hey Tuberville if you want a share of the title you need to bash OU right now! God knows Urban Meyer would if he was in that situation haha!!!
Tuberville says he’s all for a Plus One System for a playoff. He wants to play the winner of this game. He has no interest in an 8 or 16 game playoff.
Carson Palmer now joins the crew. He says Pete Carroll is a “perfect fit for USC” and if he wanted could win a Super Bowl if he went to the NFL. John Saunders agrees. So John Saunders better not ever bitch about Pete Carroll now on the Sports Reporters.
One thing the Orange Bowl is known for is outrageously overproduced and long halftime shows. Unlike any of the other BCS bowls they act like they are the Super Bowl when it comes to the entertainment aspect of the game. The halfime show consists of Kelly Clarkson, Trace Adkins, and Ashlee Simpson.
Kelly Clarkson is up first. She looks amazingly thin and beautiful here, especially considering how much more weight she has gained since then. She is supposed to sing “Since You Been Gone” but her mike keeps going in and out in the beginning. She never lets it faze her though. Total pro. Pretty good performance I would say.
Like the Super Bowl, the Orange Bowl has a bunch of people on the field dancing. Some are in all red, some in all yellow. Ok?
Ok now it’s time for Trace Adkins. He’s surrounded by a bunch of women in cowboy hats, and tightly clad white tops and bottoms. Like Kelly Clarkson his mike is not working well either. He is also pro and gets through it. He is wearing jeans that are way too tight. I don’t know what he sang, and I don’t care frankly! Something about “songs about me.” Really who cares, its country!
Now for the final act Ashlee Simpson. How is she the final act?! Kelly Clarkson has always been a bigger star than her (no pun intended). Shouldn’t have she been the final act?
Simpson is wearing all black. Some sort of Goth thing I guess. Simpson sings “You Make Me Wanna La La.” Her mike works perfectly. So this will certainly be the best performance. Not quite. It is God Awful. And that is an understatement. By the time it was over fans were booing her. Jason White just took a big sigh of relief, because he no longer had the worst performance in the Orange Bowl. No that honor goes to Ashlee Simpson.
Craig James says this USC team can go down as one of the greatest teams of all time. Jason Taylor says OU needs to relax and play their game. Really?!?! Bob Stoops says they shouldn’t beat themselves over this, and Jason Taylor says they need to relax. It’s 38-10. Oklahoma should absolutely be beating themselves over this and not be relaxed at all. USC on the other hand could be relaxed. Pete Carroll could down a 12 pack of Busch Light and it would not matter!!!
Kofod (Here's the link for Part 2 http://kandkzone.blogspot.com/2010/06/retro-running-diary-on-2005-orange-bowl_21.html )
