GOOD
– Monday’s Valero Alamo Bowl is just one of five games this bowl season that features two teams that sold out its allotment of bowl tickets. ESPN’s Darren Rovell noted that Oregon was one of just 15 schools that sold out all of its bowl tickets, with many of the listed teams either being in high-profile games (Auburn, Florida State, Michigan State) or within driving distance of campus (Vanderbilt, Texas, Bowling Green).
More schools that sold out of its bowl tickets: Alabama Oregon, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Bowling Green.
— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) December 27, 2013
Schools that sold out of its bowl tickets: Auburn, FSU, Vanderbilt, Michigan State, Stanford, Rutgers, Notre Dame, Missouri, Texas
— darren rovell (@darrenrovell) December 27, 2013
(Rovell later retweeted a post from Mississippi State Athletic Director Scott Stricklin that indicated that the school had also sold out its bowl tickets.)
Given that the Alamo Bowl is the first non-BCS bowl game Oregon has played since the 2008 season and that San Antonio is over 2,000 miles from Eugene, it’s fair to say the Ducks are the biggest surprise of the group. Other games featuring two teams that sold out its allotment of bowl tickets are the BCS National Championship, Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl and this past Saturday’s Pinstripe Bowl.
– Oregon and Texas will square off on the gridiron on Monday, but players from each squad partook in an entertaining dance-off at the pre-Alamo Bowl talent show over the weekend. A video of the dance-off surfaced on YouTube and has garnered over 20,000 views since being posted Saturday.
BAD
– After a stellar rookie season in which he amassed 159 tackles (ranked 3rd in the NFL), four interceptions and two sacks, Buffalo Bills linebacker Kiko Alonso was left off this season’s NFL Pro Bowl roster. Alonso was the leading vote-getter at his position in the fan vote, which makes up one-third of the Pro Bowl vote. The former Duck was also widely considered this year’s top NFL defensive rookie. While Alonso is being considered one of this year’s Pro Bowl “snubs,” three Oregon alumni did manage to earn Pro Bowl honors. Seattle Seahawks center Max Unger, Buffalo Bills safety Jairus Byrd and Baltimore Ravens defensive end Haloti Ngata are all currently slated to make the trip to Honolulu.
UGLY:
– Saturday’s UFC 168 event featured a highly anticipated rematch for the middleweight title between champion Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva, but the bout was cut short after one of the most gruesome moments in MMA history. Silva threw a kick at Weidman in the second round and immediately collapsed, with replays showing the graphic image of Silva’s left shinbone snapping. The former champion was taken to a local Las Vegas hospital where he underwent surgery to repair his broken left leg. The official result was a second-round TKO victory for Weidman.
Follow Chris Mosch on Twitter @chris_mosch