Views from Orange Bowl press box

While the national media did not descend on Land Shark Stadium as it will for Thursday night's BCS Title Game, there were some notable comments from around the nation on the Orange Bowl.

Here are some of the highlights (or lowlights):

Brett McMurphy, writing for AOL Fanhouse.com, had a nice lead to his game story. "Colder than usual temperatures. The majority in attendance rooting for Iowa. And a down-to-the-wire finish. Ho hum, just like any other Iowa home game -- and Iowa victory. Except this one wasn't in Iowa City, but at the frigid, nearly frozen FedEx Orange Bowl where the Hawkeyes dominated ACC champion Georgia Tech 24-14. The Hawkeyes' defense made the Yellow Jackets' ground-churning offense look like a rambling wreck for most of Tuesday night."

In the interest of full disclosure, I must report that Brett once worked for me at The Tampa Tribune. But I still thought his lead was clever.

However, Linda Robertson of The Miami Herald resorted to the usual bowl bashing that has become all too predictable with the advent of the BCS bowl structure. Robertson wrote, "If you like college football, there was plenty to like in this pairing of ninth-ranked Georgia Tech and 10th-ranked Iowa, tense until Iowa locked down a 24-14 victory with a late touchdown. If you like entertainment, this was just as entertaining as anything else going on. But if you sought meaning, significance, history-in-the-making, then Land Shark Stadium was not the place to find it. This was an appetizer bowl game. Last year, the Orange Bowl got the filet mignon, Florida beating Oklahoma for the national title. This year, the Orange Bowl got mini spinach quiches. Tasty, yes. Satisfying, no."

David Fox of rivals.com picked up on a Kirk Ferentz faux pas. "Forgive Kirk Ferentz for getting a little flustered. This is relatively new territory for Iowa and its coach. A BCS bowl appearance, a double-digit win season, representing a resurgent Big Ten - it all seems a little strange for the Hawkeyes. Ferentz erred in praising Wake Forest, not Georgia Tech, for being such a quality Orange Bowl opponent after Iowa's 24-14 victory Tuesday night. Despite the amusing slip, it's clear Ferentz, his staff and his players did their homework and were prepared."

Even the rival papers were kind to the Hawkeyes. Wrote Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, "Tech lost to Iowa 24-14. The Hawkeyes were smarter, disciplined, tougher, more physical and, in this game, better prepared and better coached. The score would've been more lopsided but the defense held the Jackets in it, even equaling the offense in touchdowns."

And, then there was Miami Herald columnist Israel Gutierrez, who needs a lesson in geography if nothing else.

Gutierrez wrote, "When did speed head north? When did athleticism escape Miami and Gainesville and Los Angeles and actually visit places such as Madison, Wis., and Ames, Iowa, and Happy Valley?

Ames?

Last time I looked, the University of Iowa was still located in Iowa City while Iowa State University was in Ames.