College Football: 2010 Season in Review
Dave Curtis - SportingNews.com
Dec 07, 2010
With a month to go, college football's legacy for 2010 veers toward the negative and ugly.
From conference realignment to lackluster bowl match-ups, from rogue agents to Cecil Newton, the bad threatened to overshadow the incredible highlights and fantastic finishes on the field.
Still, the season has featured its usual share of unique moments. Before we get to the BCS National Championship game, here's a look back on the season:
Game of the Year
No game shook college football as hard as Nevada's 34-31 overtime upset of then-No. 4 Boise State. The Wolf Pack rallied from 17 points down in the second half and benefited from Broncos' missed field goals on the last snap of regulation and in overtime. The loss snapped BSU's 24-game win streak and cost it a shot at the Rose Bowl. "It's an ungodly feeling," Coach Chris Petersen would say later. "It's just so painful."
Runners-up: Wisconsin's 31-30 win at Iowa; LSU's rally to beat Florida 33-29 (the one-bounce fake field goal game).
Play of the Year
Its name was "Little Giants", and its successful execution helped spark Michigan State's sprint to an 11-victory season. Sparty lined up to kick a tying 46-yard field goal in overtime against Notre Dame. But holder Aaron Bates, MSU's punter and an ex-high school quarterback, hit tight end Charlie Gantt for a winning touchdown.
Runners-up: Auburn QB Cam Newton's 49-yard touchdown run against LSU; Oklahoma State LB Shaun Lewis' interception off Brodrick Brown's leaping deflection against Oklahoma.
Overachiever of the Year
Oklahoma State lost its offensive leadership from last season and plugged a former minor league baseball pitcher in as its starting quarterback. Yet the Cowboys won 10 games, split the Big 12's South Division crown and stuck it to the critics -- especially the knuckleheads at Sporting News who picked them last in the South.
Runners-up: Connecticut reaching a BCS bowl; Miami of Ohio winning the MAC.
Surprise of the Year
Texas dipped from the BCS National Championship Game to 5-7, with home losses to UCLA, Iowa State and Baylor. "It's not our standard at all," Coach Mack Brown said at a Thanksgiving press conference. The shake-up started Monday -- offensive coordinator Greg Davis resigned, and two other assistant coaches retired.
Runners-up: Maryland contending in the ACC Atlantic; Florida losing three times in The Swamp.
Upset of the Year
Wounded from a season-opening loss to Boise State five days earlier, Virginia Tech expected to thump I-AA James Madison in Week 2. Final score -- Dukes 21, Hokies 16. The irony comes in what happened next -- Tech has won 11 straight and the ACC title; JMU tied for eighth in the Colonial Athletic Association.
Runners-up: Minnesota over Iowa 27-24 on Nov. 27; Virginia over Miami 24-19 on Oct. 30.
Highest expectations for next season
With a high-speed offense, a no-nonsense coach and Nike-filled war chest, Oregon looks like a national power-in-the-making. Talk of the Ducks playing in the 2012 national title game will start after they play in the 2011 game.
Runners-up: Nebraska as a favorite in the 12-team Big Ten; Notre Dame to climb into the Top 15.
Oddity of the Year
Illinois facing Northwestern at Wrigley Field qualified as the season's most romantic notion. But the contest became a farce before it started -- safety concerns over the distance between the East end zone and pads guarding the right field wall prompted officials to decide the game's offensive drives would move East to West.
Runners-up: Kansas scoring 35 points in the final 12 minutes to beat Colorado 52-45; The Pac-10 unable to fill three contracts with bowl partners.
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