The Sports Truth

If you were fortunate enough to stay up late on New Year’s Day, well into January 2, you were treated to arguably the best college football game of all time, if not the greatest football game ever.

That’s a debate for another time, but no one will argue that the game was not - to steal a phrase from ESPN Classic - an instant classic. To that extent, a plethora of articles - written by far more accomplished writers than I - have already been waxed about this fabulous game.

I think Pat Forde even wrote two articles himself (not that it wasn’t undeserved). However, did any of these supposed “senior” writers have the foresight to keep a running diary of the Fiesta Bowl as the senior writer for thesportstruth.com (yours truly) did? Okay, neither did I.

At least not until the second half.

I’m also guessing that none of these esteemed writers will admit that they bet on the game as I will.

Not only did I bet on the BSU/OU game, I bet on the Rose Bowl before it, USC/Michigan. I parlayed the money lines for USC and Boise State, a whopping $5 to win $28. Sure, I bet money, but this site doesn’t pay even its senior writer enough to bet big.

Without much further ado, here is a running diary of my USC and Boise State parlay:

4:30 pm: Tariq, a long time friend of mine and my inspiration for the money line parlay, calls to ask who I’d take in the Rose Bowl, USC or Michigan.

4:34 pm: After minor debate (because neither of us know all that much about college football) we decide on USC, but the +2.5 points isn’t all that appealing. However, the money line of +120 seems a lot more fun. What’s the point of getting 2.5 points? How many games are decided by less than a field goal? Exactly.

4:38 pm: Tariq announces that he’s placed a $10-to-win-$12.50 money line bet on USC and is going to place a $5 parlay bet on USC and Boise State’s money lines. It takes very little to suck me in.

4:40 pm: Luke places $5 parlay on USC and Boise State - my first collegiate bet of the year.

5:08 pm: Kick off of the Rose Bowl occurs, but I’m too busy to make it, trying to make dinner for my roommates before I’ve got to head out at 7 pm for a few hours.

5:47 pm: Both defenses have been impressive so far, but the game is a boring 3-0 after USC kicks an ice-breaking field goal.

5:48 pm: Tariq calls to discuss our bet. We conclude that we’re still in good shape. Michigan’s defense has been playing well, but we expected that. The Trojans’ defense stepping up is unexpected, and good news for USC backers.

6:50 pm: Michigan ties the game with a field goal and we go to halftime 3-3. Boring, but effective so far.

7:05 pm: The USC band leader has just informed us that the marching band will now be performing “My Humps” by the Black Eyed Peas. Needless to say, it sounds muddled and horrible. Why? THAT SONG WASN’T WRITTEN FOR A MARCHING BAND! Seriously guys, there’s nothing wrong with playing songs written for marching bands. There’s a reason Drumline was a successful movie, and it wasn’t the story line.

7:20 pm: USC takes their first possession of the second half down the field for what seems like an easy touchdown (I wouldn’t know, radio is ambigious like that). It’s 10-3 USC and I feel much better about everything.

7:34 pm: Chad Henne is picked off in USC territory on a play that looked like it was designed for the USC defensive lineman who caught the ball. Needless to say, USC marches in for their second touchdown, 17-…. what? I hate college football. USC missed the extra point. That’s the thing about point spreads in college football: you can never trust the kicker. Now at 16-3, those 2.5 points loom large.

7:41 pm: Henne has turned the ball over again in USC territory, this time fumbling, and I’m now assuming an 19-3 lead at worst. With a little over one quarter remaining to play, the first half of the best seems solid.

10:36 pm: Back in the car and the Boise State game is instantly on. In this era of scores constantly flashing across the bottom of our screen along with the score of the game we are watching on TV omnipresent, trying to determine the score of a game on radio is near impossible.

10:39 pm: I’ve finally learned that Boise State is up 14-10 after Oklahoma kicks a field goal. I still don’t know if USC won, but I give a guess of 28-10 to my girlfriend.

10:51 pm: Boise State is driving and has the ball in Oklahoma territory with less than 30 seconds to play. Rather than simply drop my girlfriend off, I’m going to run inside for a few minutes and catch the end of the first half. Still, no word on the USC game. I’m surprisingly not nervous.

10:53 pm: We turn on the game right as Boise State’s quarterback, Jared Zabransky, finds Drisan James on the opposite side of the field, avoiding a sack and creating a positive play. James jukes the LSU defender out of his pants and scampers for a touchdown. At 21-10, Boise State has all the momentum and I’m glowing about my bet. We’re 3/4 of the way home.

11:13 pm: I arrive at my humble abode just in time to watch Marty Tadman pick off Paul Thompson and run it in for a touchdown. A 28-10 Boise State lead illicits a “wooooooooooo” from Tariq via instant messanger, and our bet is all but over. Tariq also informed me he’s laid $10 to win $20 on the Boise State money line. I envy Tariq and his wealth.

11:17 pm: There it is, the momentum shift. The only thing that could derail a 28-10 lead in the middle of the third quarter. Oklahoma just punted and the ball took a freakish bounce, hit an unsuspecting Boise State player in the back of the leg and was recovered by Oklahoma. A slew of cuss words and “that really, REALLY sucked” messages are exchanged between Tariq and I.

11:18 pm: Jesus, that was fast. Two plays later, Adrian Peterson is in the end zone and Oklahoma closes to 28-17. What is it about college games that differ so much from the pros where the second the punt hit a Boise State player, you know that an 18-point lead is no longer safe? Stuff like this wouldn’t be nearly as traumatic in the pros.

11:23 pm: Zabransky drops back in the pocket, rolls left, curls back around right while running backwards and while getting taken down, completes a pass to his lineman. This is, of course, illegal. Flag is thrown. Tariq sums it up best with “can you say meltdown?” while I continue the cliche with “I can smell it. From 3,000 miles away.” Needless to say, we’re not amused.

11:24 pm: “Illegal touching, #69 on the offense.” Is there anything better than unintentional comedy?

11:30 pm: After more exchanges about meltdowns, Tariq offers up this “Now wait a minute… we could jump and buy futures on Oklahoma right now.” Purchase a “contract” on Oklahoma at $50 to win $100 if Oklahoma wins outright. You can also sell the contract at anytime you want for the sale prices. If the value of the contact goes up (i.e. it becomes more likely OU would win) you can make money before Oklahoma officially wins.

11:31 pm: Luke: “it’s a horrible, horrible idea.”

11:33 pm: Oklahoma is now buying at $10.

11:34 pm: Tariq [uneditted]: “hmmm, maybe I will make a $47 purchase on [senator] John McCain. Can you imagine screaming at your TV during a debate? ‘No you a*****e, wrong answer! Sell!! Sell!!”

11:36 pm: The political futures market takes a turn for the worse as Tariq starts seriously considering candidates: “John Edwards is buying at $19. Now, I can only see that number going up as we near the election, even though he probably won’t win it.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Democrats are currently favored to win the White House.

11:36 pm: Oklahoma hits a field goal to cut the lead to 28-20. Hey, it’s better than a touchdown.

11:37 pm: We’ve just had a Browning Nagle sighting as Fox tells us that Louisville, headed by Nagle, was the last team to erase a defict of greater than 17 points in a Sugar Bowl game.

11:39 pm: On the heels of “live betting” (the Oklahoma buying and selling) and future market political bets, I decide to explore some other options available. They include: reverses, conditionals, action points, etc. What could action points possibly be?

11:52 pm: Tariq is tempted to buy the over at $82. The score is currently 28-20, for 48 points and the O/U is 51. With over 10 minutes left in the game, three points seems likely. Three points and you make a quick $18. Of course, you have to risk $82 to do so. While we’re discussing the merits of the bet, the line has gone to $85.

11:55 pm: You can’t make this stuff up sometimes. With less than seven minutes to go, Ian Johnson fumbles in Oklahoma territory. Come on, you’re killing me!

11:56 pm: I proclaim “I won’t be able to stomach overtime.” And I really won’t.

11:57 pm: There it is. Tariq has jumped ship and purchased Oklahoma at $33. My response “I hate you.”

11:58 pm: Oklahoma drops to $28 to Tariq’s dismay and my joy. He deserves to lose money on his hedge bet. Hedge betting is awful and always ruins your initial hedge bet. The biggest problem is, I have no hedge bet, so he’s ruining me outright.

12:01 am: To start off January 2, 2007, Oklahoma drops to $17. Tariq deserves this. He announces his plan with the live bet. Sell after Oklahoma scores the touchdown, but before the (hopefully failed) 2-point conversion for a nice profit. My response “I despise you.”

12:07 am: Oklahoma is down to $7 as Boise State continues to run the clock. I’m cackling with delight and more at Tariq’s arrogance to think he could beat the system than my own potential win. Gotta love male friendships.

12:09 am: Tariq: “I’m gonna be a genius when it’s 28-26 Boise.”

12:14 am: Oklahoma is across the 50-yard line and the usually fun college rule of the clock stopping when the chains move comes back to haunt me. When Oklahoma took over with 76 yards to go, about two minutes remaining and no two minute warning, I figured they had no chance. My calculations were based on years of NFL football and little college. Two minutes is an eternity in college football.

12:15 am: Oklahoma completes another pass as a Boise State defender goes down with an injury. I’m screaming for him to get off the field so the clock can start, while Tariq is yelling for him to stay on and force a time out. This is NOT how team betting is supposed to work. Tariq is KILLING our karma (what little is left).

12:16 am: Luke: “I hate, hate, hate you.”

12:18 am: You can’t be serious. Paul Thompson throws a pass from the 10-yard line that is tipped by a Boise State player right into the hands of… ? You guessed it, Oklahoma wideout Quentin Chaney for the score. It’s 28-26 Oklahoma.

12:20 am: Tariq sells for $37. Way to make $5, jerk. Boise State immediately follows with a pass interference call on the 2-pt conversion. Great, Oklahoma gets another try from the one-yard line.

12:21 am: Oklahoma runs the normally low percentage fade play to the corner (again) and completes it. The refs bail Boise State out with an illegal shift penalty. We’ll try the conversion again, for a third time, from the six yard line.

12:22 am: Paul Thompson looks left to his first receiver who’s covered and then scrambles back right to find Juaquin Iglesias in the end zone for the 2-point conversion. Once again I “hate, hate, hate” Tariq. To add fuel to the fire, my sports-uninclined roommate Becky announces “the game is more fun now” with complete and utter confusion as to why I completely disagree. You can’t watch sports with women. That’s not sexist, it’s fact.

12:23 am: Tariq complains that he could have sold at $48 if he waited while I tell him he should burn in hell.

12:24 am: Tariq contemplates trying to “make things better” by purchasing Boise State at $55 right now. I tell him he’s already blown it for both of us.

12:25 am: Zabransky is intercepted on the first play from scrimmage by Marcus Walker, who takes it to the house for the game-sealing touchdown. It’s 35-28 Oklahoma and one of the most improbable collapses in history is complete. Meanwhile, Tariq has the nerve to tell me “I could have won $100.”

12:26 am: Great exchange. Luke: “I can’t believe this. Absolute collapse and it’s ALL your fault. This is so horrible.” Tariq: “I can’t hear you, I’m trying to rebuy Oklahoma.”

12:27 am: Tariq informs me that Oklahoma is selling at $95 and I cost him $38 dollars. We are now sophmorically debating who’s fault this is. I leave that judgement up to you, the readers.

12:29 am: Tariq buys Boise State at $11 as they near mid-field with less than a minute to play. I still hate Tariq.

12:32 am: Uneditted mixed commentary:

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”
“hahahahahahaha”
“I’m a bleeping genius!”
“no bleeping way, that was unbleeping believable”
“I can not believe that’s what just happened.”

12:33 am: Boise State, with less than 20 seconds to go, has just executed the hook and ladder to perfection on a 35-yard pass from Zabransky to James, who then flipped the ball to Jerard Rabb, who took it to paydirt - on 4th and 18 no less. Eat your heart out, Music City Miracle!

12:34 am: I’m too stunned at what I just saw, and that my bet is still alive, to process what is going on. Tariq, completely in the zone, tells me that Boise State is selling at $37 for what could be a neat $26 profit. He decides the momentum has shifted and he’s going for broke.

12:38 am: Boise State wins the toss and goes up to $41. Tariq: “I don’t think I can ever do this again, I can’t handle this.”

12:39 am: Wow, that was quick. One play, 25 yards, and Peterson is in for the score. Tariq: “That’s kinda bad.” Understatement of the night (in a night of brash overreaction). Momentum is offically destroyed.

12:41 am: Boise State gains three yards on two plays, both misdirection/trick plays. I can’t handle trick plays right now.

12:43 am: Luke: “You know what I hate about all of this? I don’t trust college kickers.”

12:44 am: Ian Johnson almost fumbles and leaves Boise State with a 4th and 2 from the 4 yard line. This is gut wrenching, even if you didn’t bet on the game, and I’m starting to wish I didn’t.

12:48 am: Another trick play as Zabransky lines up under center then takes off wide left leaving wide receiver Derek Schouman behind center to take the snap. I can’t even breathe. Schouman takes the snap, runs right and - are you joking me - completes a wounded duck to Vinny Perretta for the touchdown. It’s 42-41 Oklahoma, and I’m now thinking about my kickers comment. I REALLY can’t handle this.

12:49 am: “No way. No way. No way.” “Don’t you dare.” “Jesus Christ.” Boise State is going for two. This would be phenomenally more fun if I didn’t have money riding on it. I’m not a good gambler.

12:51 am: “OH MY GOD!!”, “HAHAHAHA!”, “This is unreal! I can’t believe this!”, “OH GOD!”, “That play was hysterical!”, “I can’t believe what just happened.”

12:52 am: I happily tell Tariq “you are off the hook, my friend.” See, winning solves everything. A good lesson should be learned here.

12:54 am: I sum up the game nicely, “if someone wrote that game as a movie, it’d be laughed out of the theatre.”

12:56 am: Our final exchange, Luke: “you don’t deserve this.” Tariq: “You’re a liar. I put my heart into this game.”

Ain’t that the truth…

Posted in College Football, Sports Betting