2014 Holiday Bowl results: USC closes out shootout win

In the nine previous years of F/+ rankings, the highest-ranked team with a losing record has often seen a significant bump the next year. In 2006, Tennessee went from 5-6 and 24th in the F/+ rankings to 9-4 and 10th. In 2010, Clemson went from 6-7 to 10-4. And in 2014, Utah went from 5-7 to 9-4. A couple of others (Alabama in 2007, Pitt in 2013) saw at least small bumps in the win-loss record.

That’s the good news. The bad news: four other teams saw the bottom drop out. UCLA fell from 6-7 and 24th in 2007 to 4-8 and 85th in 2008. In 2009, Illinois fell from 5-7 and 43rd to 3-9 and 92nd. In 2010, Wake Forest fell from 5-7 and 43rd to 3-9 and 103rd. And in 2012, USF fell from 5-7 and 35th to 3-9 and 73rd.

As USC began celebrating its Holiday Bowl win against Nebraska, officials ruled one second needed to be put back on the clock, giving the Huskers a chance for a hail mary.

Here’s what the former Texas Longhorn coach was referring to.

No. 24 USC and Nebraska each finishes 9-4 after an explosive Holiday Bowl that saw a combined 1,030 yards of offense, with 515 for each team.

The first year of the Steve Sarkisian era at USC goes down as a success, if one with some surprising losses, uneven performances and shaky finishes. This one had most of that stuff! Nebraska came back from down 45-27 late in the third, going for a fourth-down conversion with two minutes left that could’ve set up the tying or go-ahead score, then had 17 seconds to try to get in range for a 56-yard Hail Mary. Nothing easy for USC.

Nebraska’s Corey Cooper will probably be thrilled when he finds out there’s video of him throwing up all over the Internet.

So with that in mind, let’s watch it in slow motion!

Nebraska called a screen pass for 290-pound offensive lineman Alex Lewis. The result appeared to be a very enjoyable fat guy touchdown.

Via ESPN

Nebraska may be headed to the Holiday Bowl without their former head coach Bo Pelini in body, but he’s there with them in spirit.

The team, which clearly loved Pelini, left the front seat empty on the bus on their way to the game vs. USC, Assistant Director of Football Business Operations Austen Everson tweeted Saturday.

Game time: December 27, 8 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN (ESPNNEWS until Boston College-Penn State ends)

Who wins: movable force or resistible object?

Any game involving Cincinnati (25th in Off. F/+, 88th in Def. F/+) can become a shootout. Any game involving Virginia Tech (91st in Off. F/+, fourth in Def. F/+) can become a defensive slog. Cincinnati won games by scores of 58-34, 54-46, and 38-31. Virginia Tech lost games by scores of 21-16 and 6-3.

I’m not sure why this is happening, but I’m not complaining.

The sea lion was pensive about making a move on Nelson Agholor, but got over it:

The National University Holiday Bowl will never be the Rose Bowl -- let’s be honest, nothing will -- but it is arguably the second-best bowl game on the West Coast. This year, we’ll get to see USC take on Nebraska.

Sure, the Fiesta Bowl has bigger implications, but it’s played in the middle of nowhere in the Phoenix suburbs. The Holiday Bowl is nestled in beautiful San Diego and is a short trip away from the beach. Would you rather spend your holiday vacation in the Glendale deserts or on the beaches of San Diego? The Holiday Bowl also pits the Big 12 and Pac-12 against each other every year, and that usually results in a great high-scoring affair with no shortage of excitement.