FOX SPORTS NOTES, QUOTES & ANECDOTES
by FOX Sports
BCS ON FOX ANALYSTS ON OPPOSITE ENDS OF MISSOURI VS. OKLAHOMA SPECTRUM — This week, the ALLSTATE BCS SELECTION SHOW studio analysts Barry Switzer and Charles Davis weighed in on the game that will heavily impact who heads to New Orleans for the BCS National Championship Game: the No. 1 Missouri Tigers vs. the No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners. Like most of the country, each analyst has differing opinions on who has the edge in this pivotal game.
"I think Oklahoma has better players overall," said Switzer, who coached the Sooners to National Championships in '74, '75 and '85. "Oklahoma is a consistent program. They are accustomed to this type of setting and have won championships." Davis thinks Missouri has the upper hand, primarily because of their big win against Kansas. "What will help Mizzou is that they were able to beat the Jayhawks in that type of atmosphere [last week]," said Davis. "It felt like a conference title game, or a BCS game and that should only help them against the Sooners, who in the past have been able to intimidate teams based on their history. Mizzou will not be cowed by the surroundings or by OU's mystique."
DAVIS ON TROJANS: GET OUT OF THEIR WAY — BCS on FOX lead analyst Charles Davis contemplates the team that no one wants to face in their quest for a bowl victory: "It's 2002 all over again for the USC Trojans," said Davis. "That year they lost two early season games before laying waste to everyone else down the stretch and beating a very good Iowa team in the Orange Bowl. The Trojans are as healthy as they have been all year, especially in the offensive line. QB John David Booty's fractured throwing hand is finally healed and their young wide receivers are making a late season surge toward maturity. Defensively, USC has been stout all year long and now that their linebackers are all back at full speed. It's hard to imagine anyone liking their chances against USC right now."
CHARLES DAVIS' TOP 5 HEISMAN TROPHY CANDIDATES (alphabetically):
Chase Daniel – QB, Missouri Glenn Dorsey – DT, LSU Chris Long – DE, Virginia Darren McFadden – RB, Arkansas Tim Tebow – QB, Florida
*Honorable Mention – Kevin Smith, RB, University of Central Florida – 2,164 yards rushing, 26 TDs, 11 games with 100 yards or more.
FOX SPORTS' ALLSTATE BCS SELECTION SHOW TEAM SET TO SPAN 5,000 MILES ACROSS FIVE TIME ZONES — Following Sunday's NFL Doubleheader action on FOX, the network presents its second ALLSTATE BCS SELECTION SHOW. All questions surrounding January's Bowl Championship Series games will be answered as FOX Sports' Chris Rose and BCS on FOX lead analyst Charles Davis join National championship-winning coaches Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer to unveil the much-anticipated BCS match-ups, and offer the sporting world's primary analysis of the 2008 pairings from the FOX Network Center in Los Angeles.
In addition, other members of the BCS on FOX broadcast team will be in place at university campuses that stretch across the entire nation. While a few of these remote locations will be determined by the outcome of this weekend's games, it is safe to say that BCS on FOX reporter Charissa Thompson will conduct the first ever BCS Selection Show interview from the tropical campus of the University of Hawaii, and FOX Sports' Chris Myers will be at West Virginia University alongside the Mountaineers in Morgantown, W.Va. BCS on FOX lead play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman will be flanking either the Ohio State Buckeyes or the Missouri Tigers, depending how they fare this Saturday night against Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship.
Lastly, FOX Sports' Jeanne Zelasko will travel to either the Blacksburg, Va. Campus of Virginia Tech., or on the historic grounds of Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass, to interview the victors of Saturday afternoon's ACC Championship. In all, the BCS on FOX production team will have crews in place in time zones ranging from Hawaii Standard to Eastern Standard, spanning distances that stretch over 5,000 miles - a new BCS Selection Show world record!
LONG EXPECTS ELI & THE GIANTS TO RUN THE TABLE…UNTIL THE PATRIOTS COME TO TOWN — Even with the history of second half struggles that the Giants have had in recent years, FOX NFL SUNDAY analyst Howie Long isn't too worried about last week's pounding by the Vikings. Further, he's less worried about quarterback Eli Manning's four interception game.
"You can probably write last week's game off as an anomaly for Eli," said Long. "Three picks haven't been returned for touchdowns in one game in 35 years, that's how big of an anomaly it was. Eli and Peyton are always compared and that's unfair. I have three sons and they all bring something different to the table. To me, Eli is a lot like a duck on the water. He looks really calm above the surface, but there's a lot going on under the water. Just because Eli isn't demonstrative at a press conference and yelling at his receivers doesn't mean that he's not a very competitive fiery guy. I think he's going to bring the fire to the football field and play well this week. Unfortunately for the Giants, they are playing a Bears team that has new life. Rex Grossman made big plays last weekend against the Broncos and that will give him confidence. But with the exception of New England in Week 17, I think the Giants can beat everyone on their schedule."
GIANTS VS. BEARS HIGHLIGHT WEEK 13 DOUBLEHEADER — With the weather getting colder, dreams of Super Bowl XLII in the Arizona desert grow stronger during NFL on FOX's doubleheader on Sunday, Dec. 2. Early matchups are highlighted by Brian Westbrook and the Philadelphia Eagles striving to keep their playoff hopes alive as they host Matt Hasselbeck and the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks. Also, fresh off the heels of their shellacking of the Giants, the Vikings look to continue their upswing against the Detroit Lions as they welcome back the NFL's leading rusher Adrian Peterson. In the main event, most eyes will be directed towards legendary Soldier Field in Chicago, as two of the leagues most scrutinized quarterbacks, Rex Grossman and Eli Manning, meet in a 4:15 p.m. ET matchup that will surely have one city's media and fan base howling the following week.
Coverage kicks-off at 12 p.m. ET with America's most-watched pregame show, FOX NFL SUNDAY. Co-hosts Terry Bradshaw and Curt Menefee quarterback the Emmy Award-winning pregame show with analysts Howie Long and Jimmy Johnson. In addition, Johnson pairs with fellow National Championship and Super Bowl-winning coach Barry Switzer to debate issues affecting college and professional football from a coaches perspective in "Grumpy Old Coaches". Also, the NFL's No. 1 information man, Jay Glazer, provides his exclusive "Glazer's Edge" reports. Weather forecaster Jillian Reynolds and comedic prognosticator Frank Caliendo also contribute. This week, NFL on FOX reporter Pam Oliver sits down with electrifying kick-off and punt return phenom Devin Hester of the Chicago Bears to discuss his potentially record-breaking season and impressive ability to dramatically affect the outcome of games on special teams.
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