I gotta admit, one thing that I did NOT foresee coming out of this playoff run is that I would come away from it with a newfound respect for Pete Golding. How he kept his team together and had them competing the way they did with all the Kiffin distractions, AWOL coaching staff, etc., is nothing short of amazing. And then, to top it off, he made no excuses for the loss and refused to whine about how the final play should’ve been flagged. Impressive.
He may have just caught lightning in a bottle for a few weeks and may well end up being a flop as a HC and get fired in a couple of years. But for right now, I have to tip my hat to him. Never would’ve seen that coming.