I think this is the first time Uncle Crappy has tried to do any live blogging of any kind. And this isn’t truly live, since I was eating dinner and scribbling in a notebook instead of actually typing as it happened. Anyway:

7:45: Set up at a vacant cubicle with a good view of the newsroom’s three televisions. I also have a container of pork enchiladas, the reincarnation of The Wife’s barbeque from last week. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. I’ve grabbed the remote and won’t listen to any griping about the TVs for the next 45 minutes or so. One is on Fox, for the official shit; one is on ESPN, because that’s where it should be; and one is on NBC, so the yinzers don’t complain too much about missing the 18th Stillers highlights package to be shown on TV since the game ended 45 minutes ago.

7:49: Jesus, I’m glad I set up early. Fox is starting in like 15 seconds. Are they starting early to beat ESPN?

7:50: Fox show gets underway. The suspense is, um … not really killing me … not even making me all that uncomfortable…

7:51: Oops. NBC just showed the pairings, while Fox was still running its show opener. Oh well.

7:52: Who are these clowns on Fox? I know Barry Alvarez, but who are these other guys? Say what you want about Musburger and Co., but I’m going to be missing the hell out of the ABC/ESPN guys once these games get started.

7:53: Official Fiesta announcement: Boise State vs. Oklahoma.

7:54: I should turn up NBC, to hear if former Gator Chris Collinsworth has any thoughts. Of course, that would require him to have a brain…

7:55: Live shot from a pep rally at Boise. It looks insane. Good for them.

8: Ah, there’s Rece Davis and the rest of the ESPN crew. This is where college football should be, not on Fox, for the love of god…

8:04: ESPN announces Fiesta and gets Bob Stoops on the phone. He should have shaved for that photo. At the same time, Fox announces Orange: Louisville vs. Wake Forest. Who to cheer for? I lived near Louisville for two years while I was in the Army, but Wake has former OU coach Jim Grobe. Hm. Think I gotta go with Looavull.

8:05: The black guy at the Fox desk is Charles Davis. Help me out: does anyone have any idea who he is? And a bigger question: Who told Barry that jacket/tie combo was a good idea?

8:06: Fox going to commercial, teasing “Who will play Ohio State?” OK, guys, I know you have to pretend that we don’t know already, but jeez…

8:07: Fox is showing that Nissan commercial for its sponsorship of the Heisman, the one with the giant buckeye about to crush everything in sight. Love it.

8:08: I give Fox credit for not waiting until the end of the show to reveal that Ohio State will play … wait for it … Florida (gasp!) in the title game. Nice highlight package for both teams, although the Gators got the better music (they got Black Crowes; we got U2, which ain’t too bad…). Ooo, I like ours … shots of Woody … a shot of the Heisman after a Troy Smith TD pass.

8:10: Short interview with Urban Meyer in Gainesville. He says nothing, basically.

8:12: Short interview with Tressel. He is the master of saying nothing. It is The Way Of The Sweater Vest.

8:13: Fox showed the BCS point totals for Michigan and Florida. Holy crap! The computers were tied! The Harris voters went for Fla. 945 to 931, and the coaches (minus Tressel, who didn’t want to inflame anyone by picking one or the other [see The Way Of The Sweater Vest]) backed the Gators 1,470 to 1,444. I’m happy we’re not playing Michigan again, but if I lived in Ann Arbor, I’d be pissed…

8:16: Sugar announcement: LSU vs. The Most Notre Overrated Dame Team Fighting In The Irish Country. What happens to the 18 million Rose Bowl tickets LSU fans bought last week?

8:18: Rose Bowl announcement: Southern Cal vs. Michigan (SC v UM? Hmmm…). The traditionalist in me thinks it’s good to have a Big 10/Pac 10 match up back in the Rose Bowl. (The rest of me is thinking, ahem, “losers.”) Seriously, that’s how things should be.

8:20: Looks like the rest of this is going to be the same BCS debate over and over and over, so I’m going to stop. I should probably do some work tonight…