Watching the Fiesta Bowl last night, it was hard to ascertain whether the game was a great BCS buster game, or a boring, mistake-filled flop. So I came up with two lists, the first argues that it was a great game, and the second argues that it was as forgettable as that guy in high school who never talked to anyone.

WHY THE FIESTA BOWL WAS GREAT

1. It came down to the wire - Sure, there weren’t many points scored in the game, but the prospect of a 99-yard drive to tie the game made the final two minutes pretty exciting. TCU got the ball to Boise State’s 30 yard line before quarterback Andy Dalton was picked off to end the drive.

2. Defenses came to play – The Horned Frogs and Broncos pulled a bit of a switcheroo, playing a mostly defensive game instead of a high-scoring shootout that most expected. The two teams came in averaging over 900 yards of offense per game combined. They only managed 635 combined yards in the Fiesta Bowl, and neither team broke 100 yards rushing.

3. Historical significance - This game was the first time two teams from non-BCS conferences played each other in a BCS game. That, in itself, produced drama for the teams, schools and fans.

4. The underdog factor - Boise State was a 7 1/2 point underdog in the game despite being one of only three teams in the country to go 13-0. TCU was also undefeated and getting a lot of love in the BCS, coming in at No. 4 in the final regular season poll.

5. The most beautiful fake punt ever - With the game tied 10-10  in the fourth quarter, Boise State coach Chris Petersen went all-in. On fourth-and-9 from the Broncos’ own 33, punter Kyle Brotzman hit Kyle Efaw with a beautiful pass for 30 yards, sparking Boise State to the game-winning score

WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP

1. One minute of good plays - There were roughly a minute of awesome plays in this game, and one minute of awesome plays do not an awesome game make. There need to be long drives, clutch 3rd down conversions, timely defensive stops and more than two offensive touchdowns to make a game exciting. This game came close, but in the end fell short.

2. Passively excited fans - None of the crowd shots on the FOX broadcast showed the kind of overexcited fans that would be expected at a BCS game of this magnitude for each team. At one point after a great Boise State play, the camera zoomed in on a Boise State fan sipping on a beverage. When he saw that he was on TV, he nodded his head and mouthed the word “Boise.” Whoa, man, calm down there.

3. These teams should have never been playing each other - It is not a “BCS Buster” without anything to bust. The reason it is called a “BCS Buster” is because of the chance that a BCS-conference team could get busted. If both the teams are “BCS Busters” then nothing can be busted. And if you are not a fan of the BCS, you want to see it all busted.

4. A rematch of dull proportions - Any time you see a San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl rematch in the Fiesta Bowl, it isn’t a good thing. But that is exactly what this was. TCU beat Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl, 17-16, way back in 2008. This one wasn’t much more exciting. By the way, which Poinsettia Bowl rematch would you rather have seen in the Fiesta Bowl?
2005: Navy vs. Colorado State
2006: TCU vs. Northern Illinois
2007: Utah vs. Navy
2009: Utah vs. California
Any takers?

5. Horned Frogs and Broncos aren’t natural enemies - In real life, a Bronco would destroy a Horned Frog, so the mascots just don’t match up. The game is more exciting if, during the stretches of boredom, you can imagine what would happen if the mascots were actually playing each other. Here, ranked from worst to best are this year’s BCS mascot matchups:

Fiesta Bowl: Boise State Broncos vs. TCU Horned Frogs – I will take a wild horse over a frog in a fight any day.
Rose Bowl: Oregon Ducks vs. Ohio State Buckeyes – Buckeyes are poisonous and ducks can get very curious, so it might take a while, but eventually the Buckeye will win.
Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Iowa Hawkeyes – Both can fly, so this matchup could take a while, but while you are waiting you get to watch a hawk chase after a yellow jacket, which might actually draw more viewers than the Orange Bowl itself.
Sugar Bowl: Florida Gators vs. Cincinnati Bearcats – Gators dwell in water and bearcats (or binturongs) are wont to climb trees. Chances are, if taken from their natural elements, neither of these animals would want to disturb the other, thus making for an interesting chess match of sorts. But the gator eventually wins.
BCS National Championship: Texas Longhorns vs. Alabama Crimson Tide – It makes sense that the most epic matchup of the college football season would also take the award for mascot matchup of the BCS bowl season. These are two big beasts, but the edge clearly has to go to the elephant, which can weigh in upwards of 9,000 lbs., as opposed to a Texas Longhorn, which, at its biggest, is 1,100 lbs. On paper, the elephant wins, but the X-factor could be the horns vs. tusks battle. That is for another day.