No contest here: the atmosphere, camera angles, spoils of victory, and gravitas surrounding the BCS National Championship Game doesn't compare. But from a pure football, perspective, Auburn and Oregon really played a MAC football game last night.
There were miscues, flubbed punts, and slippery feet. And look at the score! 22-19 ... seems like there was some odd points accrued all night. And many left on the field as well, thanks to some puzzling interceptions. There weren't a ton of great offensive plays, but when they happened, man, they were refreshingly snazzy.
For example, the 81-yard catch and run by Oregon's Jeff Maehl was pretty sweet, but look at some catches made by EMU's Kinsman Thomas or Akron's Jeremy LaFrance this year. Equally impressive. And these aren't even the MAC's best wideouts!
But the one play that stuck out, in many a mind, was Michael Dyer's (pictured) last-minute run over OU safety Eddie Pleasant, where Pleasant actually acted as a buffer between a live ball and a solid tackle. The running back got back to his feet, looked around, then kept going. Many might remember it as the turning point of the title bout. It was the defining play, but it hasn't been defined yet.
Need a name? How about we call it The Boo Boo?
It appears that Dyer took a page out of the Jerry "Boo Boo" Gates' handbook, from when the Bowling Green kick returner took the kickoff back for a touchdown against Kent State. Only, if you saw Dyer's run, Gates never hesitated. Dyer had the wherewithal to look around first to see if the play was still live, but Gates was a nonstop motor that HAD TO BREAK TACKLES FROM HIS OWN TEAMMATES to get the touchdown.
Congratulations to the Auburn Tigers for winning the game and the championship. Bowling Green did it better.