It’s halfway through the Sugar Bowl, and I have contentedly been watching college football almost non-stop for three days. This is such a great, great time of year. As I sit here at halftime hoping that Utah can hold on and keep Alabama at bay, it seems like a good time to look back to see what we have learned the last few days:

1. Watching Rice operate was impressive. They were relentlessly efficient, and they just beat the heck out of Western Michigan. That was fun football.

2. Oregon and Oklahoma State played the best game of the bowl season so far. Two thing stuck out for me. First, Jeremiah Masoli was incredibly impressive. He was as dangerous with his feet as he was with his arm, and he didn’t look intimidated for a second. Impressive for a guy who was playing in community college last year. Oregon is apparently opening their QB competition up next year, but I find it hard to believe that he could be beat if he plays half as well as he did in this game. Second, I was very impressed by Zac Robinson. I have rarely seen a QB get beaten up that badly that often, but he just kept getting up and trying again. Unbelievable. It was especially tough for him with Dez Bryant ineffective for much of the second half with knee problems.

3. I didn’t watch the Sun Bowl, and I am glad. A 3-0 game would have forced me to poke my eyes out.

4. If Todd Reesing had played like that all year then Kansas wouldn’t have wound up in the Insight Bowl.

5. LSU. Wow. I absolutely did not see that one coming. I thought that the Yellow Jackets would be challenged by the SEC speed that they weren’t used to, but not like that. This is a perfect example of why college football is so perfectly confounding – Georgia Tech beat Georgia, Georgia beat up on LSU, and LSU annihilated Georgia Tech. That’s one of a dozen confusing circles this and every year.

6. It’s a very rough time to be a fan of the Big Ten. When the only sign of hope for the conference is Iowa then it’s not a good year to be a fan of my favorite conference. I hate that I have to cheer for Ohio State in order to salvage some pride.

7. The Gator Bowl wasn’t the Holiday Bowl, but it was still pretty exciting, and it got more so as things went along. Bo Pelini is going to have a long career in Lincoln.

8. Begrudging respect for Virginia Tech. They looked better than I gave them credit for.

9. Very disappointing performance by Texas Tech. Inconsistent offense, brutal defense, and truly bizarre play-calling. I had much higher hopes. Mike Leach didn’t seem to have his head in the game for a second.