Monday Grab Bag: Har-bowl? Super Baugh? Harboughl?

I'm happy for the Harbaugh's.  Their teams looked the best on Sunday, and earned their berths.  I'm certainly happier with San Francisco vs Baltimore then I would've been with yet another New England choke job.  Fresh faces, fresh story-lines. At least we have a full two weeks to have those fresh story-lines thrown in our collective faces! (*sigh*)

In the bag today, I'm recapping the men's first Pac-12 road win, the women's domination over Arizona, and the NFL's Championship Sunday.

Click below for the bag...


A road win! In-conference! - 

Having stumbled out of the gate in Pac-12 play, the Buffs needed a rebound effort in Pullman.  A 1-5 start in-conference would've been a postseason death sentence, even with the bulk of their home half remaining.  The resulting message was "do whatever it takes," and the Buffs responded by rallying around a second half surge from Spencer Dinwiddie to claw out a much needed 58-49 win at Washington St.

Defense was the key, with CU hounding the struggling Cougars into a 35% night from the floor, with paltry 5-24 shooting from beyond the arc.  While WSU star Brock Motum was allowed to crack double-figures with a season-low 13 points, he was held scoreless over the game's final seven minutes, and only finished an inefficient 5-16 from the field.  For a team that prides itself on shot percentage defense, it was beautiful night.

The Buffs finally proved capable of riding a defensive effort into the win column. From: the Spokesman-Review

The game turned just before the second half's eight minute timeout.  A Motum three-pointer gave the Cougars a 37-35 lead with 10:25 to go, which pushed many in BuffNation into panic mode.  The Buffs, however, quickly countered with seven points on three straight possessions.  The push allowed them to retake a lead they would never relinquish.  CU finished by hitting seven of nine free throws down the stretch, soothing the frayed nerves of the fanbase.

Dinwiddie scored 14 of his team-high 16 points in the second frame to pace the squad, and was integral in breaking the game open.  Strong performances from freshmen Josh Scott and Xavier Johnson helped make up for quiet nights from starters Andre Roberson, Askia Booker, and Sabatino Chen.  The pair combined for 25/8, highlighted by XJ's 14 off the bench.  Johnson, who had recently become a fixture in the starting lineup, made the most of his pseudo-demotion, and turned in the best reserve performance of the season.

It wasn't pretty, but CU did whatever it took to secure victory.  2-4 in Pac-12 play (12-6 overall) isn't ideal, but life seldom is.  It's a whole lot better than the alternative.


Women rout Arizona - 

You want to talk about domination.  The women's basketball team defended the CEC to the tune of a 79-36 romp over the hapless Arizona Wildcats Sunday afternoon.  If anything, I want to say the 43-point spread belies how truly dominating the CU performance was.  The Buffs enjoyed a +25 edge on the boards, held 'Zona to 25% shooting from the field, and racked up 21 assists on 36 made baskets.  It was essentially a perfect game of basketball.

Arielle Roberson and the Buffs rolled this weekend.

The win certainly impressed the pollsters, who voted the Buffs into the top-20 this morning. Congrats!

Since stumbling against national powers Stanford and Cal to start Pac-12 play, the women have been playing extremely well.  Four-straight wins have them back in the conference's top-quarter, and their 15-2 overall record is as solid as it seems.  With the team hosting the first round of the NCAA Tournament in March, the Buffs could be laying the foundation on a really special year.


Super Bowl set - 

San Francisco @ Atlanta - 

I tuned in late to this one, coming in halfway through the 2nd quarter, with the 'Niners already down 17-0.  Despite the deficit, San Francisco looked the better team, and I was confident they would comeback and win, even when they went to half down 10.  They just looked faster, stronger, and more confident than their Dirty South opponents.  The 28-24 SF win was more than fair.

I really like San Francisco.  Their speed will wreak havoc against Baltimore.

After falling behind by three scores, 49er QB Collin Kaepernick had his offense in position to score on five-straight possessions, underlining the fact that he had complete control of the game.  He didn't produce the prolific all-purpose numbers that he had against Green Bay, but 233 passing yards and no interceptions will do just fine.  I'm a believer.

Baltimore @ New England -  

Retiring Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis got his wish: more camera time.  I'm all for self-agrandizing, but his  post-game display as beyond the pale.  After removing his pads with multiple minutes left in the game, he conveniently waited for the cameras to descend before falling to his knees in an excessive emotional breakdown.  See, he just cares too much!  Love him, America!

Give me a break.

The Ravens, mostly without Lewis, made the Patriots look soft and old.  The 28-13 final marked the first time ever that iconic QB Tom Brady choked away a halftime lead at home.  Maybe New England's best is behind them.

Happy Monday!