Go Big Ten!

Indiana wins national championship!

Closer game than many expected and it sort of felt like Miami was lucky to be only down ten at halftime with how badly they were dominated (they had like three first downs). But it turned into somewhat of a shootout in the second half as both teams opened up the offense and both defense became mortal.

The decision by Indiana to go for it on fourth and five from inside the ten was crazy, but it obviously worked. That is one of those plays that will go down as a classic. Mendoza proved he deserved the Heisman during these playoffs. Curt Cignetti certainly deserved coach of the year. I hear some big football schools might start gunning for him, but isn't it more satisfying to win at a place like Indiana than to win where anyone sort of can? He doesn't seem like the sort of guy who wants the pressure of an Alabama or Michigan when he can be a hero in Indiana. I wonder if he could do it again... you know, like at a place like Minnesota (sorry P.J. Fleck).

Lastly, I have to toss out the dig to the refs (who have had a bad run of things in both the NFL and NCAA). I get when the refs decide to "let them play" and not call a bunch of ticky-tack penalties. But nearly every Miami hurricane defensive back had a hold of some Indiana receiver jersey on pretty much every play. I don't mind a bit of hand fighting as the ball is coming in and I respect a defensive back to plays tight position. But the constant grabbing and holding was blatant last night and was working mostly one way. Miami also took several cheap shots on Mendoza during the course of the game and the only roughing penalty was called on the Hoosiers. Not to say it was a conspiracy or anything. Just a poorly officiated game in my humble opinion. You call a couple of those defensive holds early on and they tend to go away.