Some 1 A.M. Bowl Goodness

We're never reminded more of just how old we're getting than when we watch college freshmen play sports. Penn State kicker Kevin Kelly, we swear, has to be lying on his birth certificate; there's no way he's older than 12. The poor kid finally erased the chances he'd be a Buckner-type goat by finally squeaking through a 29-yard field goal to beat Florida State in triple overtime. Kelly — who is as many years younger than his coach as Phil Jackson is years old — not only doesn't have any peach fuzz on his chin yet, he appears to have zits and a cowlick. There are times we feel perverse putting such value on these sports, on one kick, and last night was one of them.

And, to revisit our theme from yesterday, we were pleased to see Joe Paterno beat Bobby Bowden, if just because it brings him one win closer to that all-time coaching victory record. In case you didn't remember, when Paterno and Bowden were chasing each other for that record, and Paterno was gaining ground, Bowden petitioned the NCAA for his 28 wins at Samford from 1959-62 to be counted towards his Division-I record. His petition was accepted, because Paterno's not the type of guy to fight it, and now he has the record. We really can't stand Bobby Bowden. Sorry. We're just piling on now.

Orange You Glad It's Finally Over [The Sports Blog] Orange Bowl: A Contrast In Coaches [Deadspin]