Three O'Clock: It Never Ends

Auburn beat Northwestern 38-35 in overtime to win the 2010 Outback Bowl.

In a surprise, Florida State is leading West Virginia 16-14 early in the third quarter of the Gator Bowl.

Penn State is winning the Mud Bowl at Orlando, 13-3.

And in West Lafayette, the No. 4 Purdue basketball team is leading West Virginia (No. 6) 28-20 with six to go in the first half.

I need a water break after that Outback Bowl.

From Greg Kinczewski at the game [via Blackberry]: "If your QB throws five picks and your kicker misses three field goals and an extra point and you still should have won but didn't, it makes you wonder what cosmic fates are at work."

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Okay, how about a tough question for everyone:

Say Stefan Demos makes that 37-yard kick in overtime, and Auburn still gets the roughing the kicker penalty. If you're Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, do you take the tie and give Auburn the ball back for a second overtime, or do you take the first down, knowing your kicker is hurt, and go for it all?

Hindsight, of course, is 20/20. I'd say you take the points and trust your defense to slow Auburn. But Fitz is a gambler, so you never know. The way the kicking game had been going, trusting to any future field goal attempts was risky, especially with Demos hurt.

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Gator Bowl: Florida State scores again to make it 23-14, but Noel Devine comes right back for the Mountaineers and they're driving into Seminole territory.

Mud Bowl: LSU got a 24-yard Jordan Jefferson TD pass to Brandon LaFell and is back in the game, 16-10.

Halftime, Purdue-WVU: Purdue leads 37-32. Forward JaJuan Johnson has gotten to the line early and often (9-10 FT) and has fifteen points and six boards to lead the Boilers. Erstwhile Kelvin Sampson recruit Devin Ebanks has six as part of a balanced West Virginia attack.

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Some final stats from the wild and wacky Outback Bowl:

Mike Kafka: 47-for-78, 532 yards, 4TD, 5INT, 29 rush yards, TD.
Zeke Markshausen: 13 rec, 90 yards, 2 rush, 7 yd, failed fake field goal rush.
Andrew Brewer: 8 rec, 133 yards, 2 TD, 1-1 2pt conversion passes.
Sidney Stewart: 10 rec, 97 yd, TD
Drake Dunsmore: 8 rec, 114 yd, TD
Stefan Demos: 0/2 FG, 3/4 XP, 5 punts for 159 yd (31.8 average). Auburn's Wes Byrum hit his only field goal and all five extra points, while punter Clint Durst averaged 42 yards on six boots.

Chris Todd: 20-for-31, 235 yd, TD
Kodi Burns: 0-for-2, 2INT
Ben Tate: 20 rush, 108 yd, 2 TD
Darvin Adams: 12 rec, 142 yd. The rest of Auburn's offense caught eight passes.

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Noel Devine has sixteen carries for 168 yards and a TD. West Virginia is back within two at 23-21. LSU just punched in a one-yard rush and has taken the Mud Bowl lead 17-16 in the fourth quarter.

This is turning into one heck of a day for college football.

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Robbie Hummel and JaJuan Johnson are wrecking West Virginia. It has turned into a blowout in West Lafayette, as the Boilers lead 62-39 about midway through the second half.

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Penn State just got a clutch field goal from the right hash mark to take a 19-17 lead. One minute to go in the Capital One/Mud Bowl.

Florida State is going to win the Gator Bowl and send Bobby Bowden out with one last victory, as they lead by twelve with less than a minute left.

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Rose Bowl, coming up next! I've got Oregon, but would like to see Ohio State keep it close, and certainly wouldn't mind a Big Ten win.