The Rose Bowl.... again....

With a dominant defense and sputtering offense, USC dominated UCLA to clinch their seventh straight Pacific-10 conference title and fourth consecutive trip to the Granddaddy of them All, the Rose Bowl game. The Trojans were able to conquer the demons from 2006, when the 13.5 point underdog Bruins shocked the then-#2 Trojans 13-9, keeping USC out of the BCS National Championship game. This year, the only thing in doubt was if USC would be able to cover that astronomical 33 point spread, but USC Coach Pete Carroll seemed content on getting out of dodge (Pasadena) with a comfortable win, maybe a good gesture after UCLA Coach Rick Neuheisel called a timeout after the opening kickoff to offset USC's penalty for wearing their home uniforms in the Rose Bowl. All was seemed lost, like it was last year, for the Trojans to return to a BCS game. It took a monumental upset last year (Arizona over #2 Oregon) and a fired up Oregon squad this year wearing out a beatup Oregon State team for USC to clinch the Pac-10 BCS berth.

But there was some doubt early in the game, after C.J. Gable fumbled on USC's first touch, the defense gave up only their 11th touchdown of the year, when UCLA QB Kevin Craft lateralled to WR Dominique Johnson, who threw to RB Kalil Bell, making a tremendous catch, and USC K David Buehler missed the first of his three field goals on the day. But the Trojan defense gave the offense time to catch up, which they did on their next drive, when RB Joe McKnight found the end zone for the second time in as many games. Another defensive stop, and USC found the end zone again, when a QB Mark Sanchez screen pass to WR Damian Williams led to another Trojan score. While the defense gave the offense the ball, the offense would give it right back, as Sanchez threw a pick on USC's next possession. But UCLA kept on shooting themselves in the foot, as evidenced by 11 penalties for over 100 yards, which included three late hits on Sanchez, and a roughing the punter penalty which led to a RB Stafon Johnson score. The Trojans tried to take advantage of a blocked punt, but Buehler missed another field goal before halftime, which had USC leading 21-7.

The Trojans took the opening drive of the second half into the end zone, with Sanchez finding WR Patrick Turner on a slant, and it was all the defense needed. While UCLA crossed midfield only once, the Trojans were content on running out the ball, especially with the new mopup man, RB Marc Tyler. Neither team threatened to score again, aside from another Buehler missed field goal, and the final score was 28-7. All that was left was for Sanchez and co. to lead the band in Conquest and for the SC fans to sing and dance along to Tusk.

And now on to the Rose Bowl game, which will match the #5 USC Trojans against the #8 Penn State Nittany Lions. At least the Rose Bowl committee gets their wish of a traditional Pac-10/Big Ten matchup, which hasn't happened since 2004 (USC vs. Michigan), as in 2005 it was Texas (BCS at large)/Michigan, 2006 it was USC/Texas (BCS #2), 2007 it was USC/Michigan (Big Ten runner-up), and 2008 USC/Illinois (Big Ten runner-up). The Trojans did not play in the 2005 Rose Bowl as they were playing for the BCS National Championship in the Orange Bowl.

A quick look at Penn State's season: The Nittany Lions started off the season ranked #22 in the preseason AP poll. Penn State opened up by dominated Coastal Carolina, a FCS school, 66-10. They jumped three spots before hosting Oregon State, which ended 45-14 and led to a lot of debate between USC and Penn State as being the better team. The Lions hit the road for the first time, ranked #17, and juiced the Orange 55-13. Penn State returned home to play Temple and rolled them 45-3. In week 5, Penn State hosted a primetime game with a whited-out home crowd against Illinois, winning a 38-24 shootout. Even though the Illini have had a down year, they were coming off a Rose Bowl berth and were ranked #20 at the time, and this win really had the Penn State faithful believeing about a special season. They entered the top 10 at #6 with the upsets of the week before, and held on to a 20-6 win against a scrappy Purdue team on the road. A trip to Camp Randall and Wisconsin seemed like an insurmountable task entering the season, but Penn State got Wisconsin in their midseason spiral and took them to the woodshed, 48-7. With more upsets the week before, Penn State was ranked #3, but fell behind a down Michigan team 17-10 early before routing them late for a 46-17 win. College Gameday travelled to Columbus for #3 Penn State's game at #10 Ohio State. The Buckeyes held a 6-3 late in this barnburner, but it seemed like JoePa's squad would not let their special season end, surging for a 13-6 win in the Horseshoe. But a bye seemed to untrack the Lions, as a last second field goal led to Iowa's 24-23 upset and ended their national championship aspirations. Falling behind the SEC and Big 12 schools and USC, Penn State got back to work, beating Indiana 34-7. And in their season finale, Penn State blew out Michigan State 49-18 to clinch their first Rose Bowl game since 1994.

And the bowl games were announced today. Here are some highlights (outside of the BCS, of course...):

• SDCCU Poinsettia Bowl - #11 TCU vs. #9 Boise State. At least the Mountain West wanted to schedule this blockbuster matchup. Methinks Ball State falling in the MAC championship game was karma for avoiding Boise State in the Humanitarian or Motor City Bowl. But this is one spectcular matchup. This is what a bowl game should be. Boise State is undefeated for the second time in three season, though other than a game in Eugene, they have not been challenged all year. TCU lost a heartbreaker to Utah and held Oklahoma to their lowest point output, 35 points, in a loss. It's all about the Horned Frog defense against the Broncos' bag of tricks.
• Sheraton Hawaii Bowl - Notre Dame vs. Hawaii. I WANT TICKETS TO THIS GAME!!! This isn't a homer pick, as I think the Irish should be favored in this game, but this is the first time that Hawaii's played in the Hawaii bowl that they are playing a team that I hate. And it will also be fun to see Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis sweat his ass off in the humidity in Aiea.
• Pacific Life Holiday Bowl - #13 Oklahoma State vs. #17 Oregon. Over/under on this one should reach about 200 points. Seriously. The Big 12 does not play defense. Oregon and Oklahoma State can put points up on the board. And yes, Mike Gundy is a man! He's 41 (now)...
• Texas Bowl - Rice vs. Central Michigan. One of these teams will get to 10 wins this season. Seriously. Notre Dame, Nebraska, Miami (Florida), Florida State, West Virginia, Wisconsin, LSU, Tennessee, Michigan, and Auburn all can't say that. Geez.
• Chick-fil-A Bowl - #14 Georgia Tech vs. LSU. Speaking of those damned Tigers, I would love to see them fall to 7-6 this year. Only two time BCS champs. Psh. And Paul Johnson's triple option attack is a joy to watch.
• GMAC Bowl - Tulsa vs. #22 Ball State. Ball State can go 13-1 this year. 13-1! Though the karma police tracked them down in the MAC championship. And Tulsa can go 11-3, but if you couldn't beat Arkansas this year, and give up 70 points to Houston (the Cougars, not the Texans), you should be happy to be 10-3.

No Pac-10 rankings (the standings speak for themselves), but some quick notes on the 2008 Pac-10 campaign. The Trojans should be disappointed with another Rose Bowl berth, though this was the first time a team beat them instead of beating themselves, as the Beavers dominated USC in that Thursday in September. Oregon had problems finding a reliable quarterback with all of their injuries, and had to throw Jeremiah Masoli into the fire against USC, and he struggled against UCLA, but Masoli came into his own down the stretch and looked unstoppable against Oregon State and will look to finish strong in the Holiday Bowl. Speaking of those Beavers, they struggled early against Stanford and Penn State, and blew a late lead to Utah, but Oregon State still had a solid campaign with surprise true freshman RB Jacquizz Rodgers to finish 8-4 with a Sun Bowl berth. California overgame their late season struggle last year, when they lost 6 of 7 after being ranked #2, by finishing 8-4 on the back of Jahvid Best, and will look to continue to ride him into the Emerald Bowl. Arizona finally overcame (recent) big brother Arizona State and were able to clinch their first bowl game since 1998, though QB Willie Tuitama and the Wildcats will have to play BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl. Arizona State couldn't overcome their six game losing streak, which began with its upset loss to UNLV, and finished a disappointing 5-7. Stanford also finished 5-7, and aside from laying an egg against Cal, they have a lot to build on, though the Cardinal were a few seconds away against UCLA from heading to a bowl game. UCLA ended 4-8 in Rick Neuheisel's first year, and for QB Kevin Craft, things can only get better, after finishing with 13 interceptions (and 0 TDs) in his final five games. Washington State has a win over rival Washington to hang its hat on, but injuries and a lack of talent attributed to a 2-11 season. And it can only get better for Washington, who finished 0-12 and will bring in USC OC Steve Sarkisian as their new head coach.

Get pumped for bowl season! Though I would prefer a playoff. Speaking of playoffs, the ESPN crew brought up the problem of logicstics for selling tickets. Look, if the FCS, NCAA Tourney, NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, etc don't have problems selling tickets, why would college football? Yes, most fans are students, but rich alumni and the universities should send their share of fans to the playoff games. Oh well. I do agree with something Lou Holtz said, though my version was a bit different, as you would make 10 conferences with 12 teams, have the 12 conference championships and 4 at large teams make a 16 team playoff, and ta da! Oh well...

Trojans respond to punch to the mouth

Well unlike their trip to Corvalis in September, USC responded to Stanford landing the first punch. Against Oregon State, the Trojans could not muster any response to the Beavers, but last night against the Cardinal, after giving up a touchdown on Stanford's opening drive, USC answered with a scoring drive of their own. But even with that, it was a sloppy first half for the Trojans, who came in wanting to attack the weak Cardinal pass defense, and eventually turned to their potent run game to take control. Stanford controlled both side of the ball at the start of the game, rushing for over 140 yards in the first half while pressuring USC QB Mark Sanchez. The turning point in the game was when C.J. Gable returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown after Stanford had pulled ahead 17-10. That sparked a 35-0 scoring run that put the game away for the Trojans. It was nice to see the adjustments the coaching staff made, notably running the ball and bringing up a safety to stop the Cardinal rushing attack. Now that this has been settled, the two rivalry games remain against Notre Dame and UCLA. But for now, a bye to regroup. By the way, no real indepth analysis of this game... too busy having fun at a wine party... Anyway, the Pac-10 rankings...

1. USC (9-1 overall, 7-1 Pac-10) - So much for that impenetrable defense... but still a nice come from behind win, even if it was only against Stanford. And 8.3 points per game allowed is still nothing to be ashamed of. Next up is a matchup against Notre Dame after a bye. The Irish are floundering right now and almost blew their game against Navy.
2. Oregon State (7-3, 6-1) - Can't see them losing the rest of the way, as they're clicking on all cylinders. Arizona and Oregon won't be cakewalks, but the Beavers should win out and make it to the Rose Bowl, for a rematch with Penn State... ugh...
3. Oregon (8-3, 6-2) - Now that's a Pac-10 game! The Ducks won a 55-45 shootout with the Wildcats, where Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli finally showed that he can throw the ball. Now can they win the big one? After a bye, and assuming Oregon State beats Arizona, the Ducks could be playing for second place in the Pac-10 and a trip to the Holiday Bowl.
4. Arizona (6-4, 4-3) - Just fell too far behind Oregon in a hostile environment. But they can still do things down the stretch, by ruining Oregon State's Rose Bowl hopes and preventing rival Arizona State from making a bowl game, something coach Mike Stoops would love.
5. California (6-4, 4-3) - Well so much for finishing strong. Though they will get to 7 wins (Cal plays Washington in the season finale) but other than a win over Michigan State in the season opener, they really haven't done much this season. The only thing left to do this season is not screw up by losing to Stanford again.
6. Stanford (5-6, 4-4) - Showed a lot of spirit again this week against USC, but the Trojans were able to flip this switch this year and pull away late. Now they need to upset Cal again if they want to become bowl eligible, which will be a tall task.
7. Arizona State (4-6, 3-4) - Two game winning streak!!! Too bad it was against Washington and Washington State... Now they can get some momentum going into the season finale against Arizona by taking care of UCLA, which they should do. Should. Like how they should have beat UNLV.
8. UCLA (4-6, 3-4) - Keep those fans dreams alive for a bowl game! Lol. Seriously. If they make it to a bowl game, I will buy any UCLA fan four tickets to that game, cause making it to a bowl means they have to beat Arizona State in Tempe (questionable) and USC in the Rose Bowl (doubtful).
9. Washington (0-10, 0-7) - The Huskies should be favored against the Cougars.
10. Washington State (1-10, 0-8) - Other than that, I got nothing. Though at least Washington State gets to go to Hawaii in the season finale!

And the top 25, though not much changes after not many upsets:

1. Alabama (11-0)
2. Texas Tech (10-0)
3. Florida (9-1)
4. Texas (10-1)
5. Oklahoma (9-1)
6. USC (9-1)
7. Utah (11-0)
8. Penn State (10-1)
9. Boise State (10-0)
10. Ohio State (9-2)
11. Missouri (9-2)
12. Oklahoma State (9-2)
13. Texas Christian (9-2)
14. Brigham Young (10-1)
15. Ball State (10-0)
16. Michigan State (9-2)
17. Georgia (9-2)
18. Pittsburgh (7-2)
19. Oregon State (7-3)
20. Louisiana State (7-3)
21. Cincinnati (8-2)
22. Western Michigan (9-2)
23. Oregon (8-3)
24. Miami (Florida) (7-3)
25. Northwestern (8-3)

And BCS bowl predictions!

BCS National Championship - Florida (SEC Champ) vs. Texas Tech (Big 12 Champ)

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl - Texas (BCS at large) vs. Utah (BCS at large)

Allstate Sugar Bowl - Alabama (BCS at large) vs. Ohio State (BCS at large)

FedEx Orange Bowl - Miami (Florida) (ACC Champ) vs. Cincinnati (Big East Champ)

Rose Bowl Game - Penn State (Big Ten Champ) vs. USC (Pac-10 Champ)

Does defense really win championships?

I guess USC will find out the answer this year. Another impressive performance for the Trojan defense, which had pitched shutouts in 3 of the last 4 games, and probably would have if two penalties had not wiped out two interceptions. Four gripes about the game (save for the offense, thats for the next paragraph...) Penalties started to rack up again, with SC being flagged 10 times for 105 yards. Josh Pinkard showing that the Trojans do not know how to play the game, trying to return an interception 5 yards deep in the end zone instead of downing it for a touchback, which ended up in him being tackled at the 3 yard line. And apparently, if you can average 27 yards on your punts, you too can be USC's punter next season. Ugh Greg Woidneck. We need another Tom Malone type punter... There has been a lot of flack given to UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel saying punting is winning, but in this game, where the offense had a hard time sustaining drives and the defense failing to stop Cal's drives early, special teams would have really helped turn the field around and maybe given the offense good field position to get into field goal range. And what happened to Big Balls Pete? Punting from the 39 on 4th-and-5? What the hell!!! And worse, Woidneck kicked the ball only 20 yards!!!! FUCK!!!!


As good as the defense was, the offense had a hard time sustaining drives in the second half, especially in the third quarter. Hard to tell what the problem really was, but in the Mark Sanchez era, the Trojans have failed to score 20 points 3 times, something that didn't happen very often. One thing that has to go is Joe McKnight. He has been spectacular at times, but his fumbles, including one in the fourth quarter, have come at the worst of times and killed promising drives. He also only has one touchdown on the year, which came in the Virginia game. Please, keep the ball in C.J. Gable and Stafon Johnson's hands Sark. Geez looks like we've already lost another tailback, Broderick Green, due to lack of playing time. One thing that did improve was Sanchez going to the underneath receivers, be it the tight end or the fullback, and those were open most of the night. Also have to give credit to the Cal defense, which kept the Bears in the game.


But if the Trojan offense can score 10 points, it looks like USC should be in good shape all year. The defense has allowed 60 points all year, and if you take out the Oregon State game, USC has allowed a mere 33 points in eight games. Whoa. USC has only allowed one touchdown at home, and only two touchdowns all year in the second half, both on drives that started in the red zone.


Hmm, weekender next week...will SC exact revenge against the Cardinal? Will Pete Carroll extend his streak to 26 games in november? Will the Trojans score more than 20 points? If they don't, there goes the cover, which SC has done a decent job of doing this season... here's a quick look:


W @ Virginia (-20.5) 52-7
W vs. Ohio State (-12) 35-3
L @ Oregon State (-24) 21-27
W vs. Oregon (-16) 44-10
T vs. Arizona State (-28) 28-0
W @ Washington State (-42) 69-0
L @ Arizona (-15.5) 17-10
W vs. Washington (-45) 59-0
L vs. California 17-3
Record: 5-3-1

Oh well. Here's a look at the Pac-10 rankings:

1. USC (8-1 overall, 6-1 Pac-10) - Remember that key three game stretch two years ago, when SC hosted a top 25 Oregon team, top 10 Cal team, and top 6 Notre Dame team? Everyone was saying how if they got through that brutal stretch, the Trojans would be in the National Championship game. But we all forgot about the UCLA game. Darn. Anyway, this year's game should be fun, with the vaunted Bruin offense going up against the Trojan defense allowing 6.7 points per game. LOL. But first things first, revenge against Stanford, who has a physical running game which could cause trouble for the USC defense, and shutting down Tavita Pritchard, who burned USC for the game winning TD.
2. Oregon State (6-3, 5-1) - Mike Riley finally got a win over UCLA after 9 tries. Now, the Beavers enter a brutal stretch against Cal, Arizona, and Oregon. Lose one game and their Rose Bowl shots go down the drain. After the Trojans took care of Cal, Oregon State is the only team remaining that controls their Rose Bowl chances. And you know what, I'm kinda half rooting for them to win out, cause that makes the Trojans' loss to them seem not so bad. I mean look at their resume, outside of the egg they laid against Stanford, the Beavs have played relatively well. They got blown out to a Penn State team that is 9-1 in Happy Valley, always a tough place to play, and got screwed in their loss at Utah, who is 10-0, but other than that, just a string of solid wins. Look for them to finish down the stretch strong, as they have done in the past few years.
3. California (6-3, 4-2) - A season of what could have been for the Bears after a loss to Maryland and giving up a huge third quarter to Arizona. They can do SC a favor and do something USC has not done since 2004 and win in Corvalis, which would open up the chance for SC to make it to the Rose Bowl. Nate Longshore actually played well, especially when penalties wiped out two interceptions. But the Bears need to prove that they can finish strong after their poor finish last year, and can do so with a win over Oregon State.
4. Arizona (6-3, 4-2) - Finally became bowl eligible, and with 7 spots for 5 bowl teams (lol), save to say the Wildcats will go bowling for the first time in a while. Now to climb the bowl ladder to head to the Sun Bowl or even the Holiday Bowl, as the Cats still have to play Oregon and Oregon State, and holds any tiebreaker with Cal. And their climb up the ladder starts at Oregon next week, against a Ducks team that had problems putting away Stanford.
5. Oregon (7-3, 5-2) - Maybe they weren't who we thought they were? Really had problems with the Cardinal playing at home. And they need to pass the ball if they have any hope of finishing strong against Arizona and Oregon State.
6. Stanford (5-5, 4-3) - Will lightning strike twice for Stanford? USC fans certainly hope not. The Cardinal were thisclose to getting win number 6 and heading to a bowl game, but will have to beat either the Trojans (25-0 in November + 24-23 loss last year = motivated Trojans, hopefully) or the Bears, which after last year's upset in the Big Game, doesn't seem too far fetched.
7. Arizona State (3-6, 2-4) - Finally ended that six game losing steak, even if it take playing Washington. The Sun Devils still have a chance to make a bowl game, as they could potentially be riding a 3 game win streak heading into the season finale against Arizona, and those games the last few years have gone down to the wire, so anything can happen there. But first things first, oh well, who am I kidding, take care of UCLA after Thanksgiving (Wazzu is a lock for the Devils) and they could be playing for their bowl lives and a return trip to Honolulu against the Wildcats.
8. UCLA (3-6, 2-4) - Not only because they lost, but how they lost. Just completely shut down by the Beavers in the second half. But they should take care of business against Washington in Rick Neuheisel's homecoming (lol) to keep their long shot chances of a bowl game alive, but it may be hard for the Bruins, as they still host a hungry Arizona State team looking for their own bowl game shots, and a USC team, which frankly, has to stop overlooking teams, and will probably not overlook UCLA. Hopefully.
9. Washington (0-9, 0-6) - It would be hilarious if the Huskies could beat the Bruins. Other than that I got nothing for Washington and
10. Washington State (1-9, 0-7) - Washington State, but they did show some spunk in their blowouts this week. Baring any upsets, this should be how the Pac-10 should settle out at the end of the season...

And for the top 25...

1. Alabama (10-0) - Dammit LSU!!! I just started to like you guys again. Oh well, nice win in a hostile Death Valley for the Tide, who should roll into Atlanta to get blown out by Florida in the SEC championship game.
2. Texas Tech (10-0) - Solid win over Okie State quelled my doubts about this team, but their game in two weeks at Oklahoma might be a quarterfinal game for the national championship.
3. Florida (8-1) - Smacked around a helpless Vandy team. Maybe Pete Carroll needs to take a page out of cum, er, Coach Urban Meyer's book and run up the score on some teams, as it seems like something Meyer loves to do. What a jackass. And unfortunately, it looks like this asshole will be playing for another national championship, unless Florida State or Alabama (and another asshole Nick Saban) beats him in the next few weeks.
4. Texas (9-1) - Looks like that loss to Texas Tech might not be too damning, especially if the Sooners can beat the Raiders in a couple of weeks. I had something witty here with Mark Mangino and Vince Gill, er, Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, but I got too frustrated with blogspot's picture attachments...
5. Oklahoma (9-1) - Huge game against Texas Tech in two weeks. But seriously, no defense in the Big 12!?! 94 points combined between them and Texas A&M!!! Seriously!?!
6. USC (7-1) - So when the Trojans play defense instead of blowing out teams with offense like the old days, USC is struggling? Gay. And speaking of defense, what happened to the SEC? I mean we don't want 3-2 barnburners, and shootouts are fun, but I thought the SEC was built on defense. Just saying.
7. Utah (10-0) - Played some close games recently, but still has big wins over Oregon State (who saw that coming?) and TCU, with the season finale against BYU in a couple of weeks. Still has the inside track on making another BCS game, as long as they take care of business.
8. Penn State (9-1) - Iowa is a good team, but Penn State was sooo close to making it to the national championship. Now? A loss to Michigan State and no Rose Bowl...
9. Boise State (9-0)
10. Ohio State (8-2)
11. Missouri (8-2)
12. Oklahoma State (8-2)
13. Texas Christian (9-2)
14. Brigham Young (9-1)
15. Ball State (9-0)
16. Georgia (8-2)
17. North Carolina (8-2)
18. Michigan State (9-2)
19. Louisiana State (6-3)
20. Pittsburgh (7-2)
21. Florida State (7-2)
22. Oregon State (6-3)
23. Tulsa (8-1)
24. South Carolina (7-3)
25. Western Michigan (8-2)

Another shutout...

but was it really that impressive? USC shutout 56-0 for the Trojans' third shutout in four games, but it was against the only remaining winless team in FBS. So much for losing early being a good thing for USC, as the weak Pac-10 slate is really taking centerstage as the Big 12 and SEC have top ten matchups week in and week out. Like the Washington State game, can't really say much about this one. USC again tried to run out the clock in the second half after jumping out to a 42-0 lead at the half by calling simple run plays. The defense did earn the shutout by collecting interceptions on two long Washington drives that made it deep into USC territory. Oh well. Can't really do anything about the national championship picture, as there really is nothing USC can do to control their destiny. After all the chaos at the top in recent years down the stretch, I can't really see that repeating. Or maybe... hmm. Penn State should win out and make the BCS National Championship game, even with people trying to build up Iowa and Michigan State. Alabama still has to travel to LSU next week and play Florida (probably) in the SEC championship. Texas Tech still hosts Oklahoma State and travels to Oklahoma. Florida looks to play their way back into the National Title picture after blowing out Georgia, as they should be favored in their remaining games until the SEC championship. But for now, all USC has to worry about is a dangerous Cal team coming in to take the perch atop the Pac-10 standings away from the Trojans. Here's the Pac-10 rankings:

1. USC (7-1 overall, 5-1 Pac-10) - Pac-10 game of the year (so far anyway) when Cal travels to the Coliseum next week. USC took care of business against the Huskies, but the Trojans will face a stiff test from the Bears, who almost always seem to give USC their A-game. Mark Sanchez must show that he can make the correct decisions in a big game, as this one could go down to the fourth quarter, where Sanchez is only 2-2 in games decided by 7 points or less (W vs. Arizona, L @ Oregon in 2007, L @ Oregon State, W @ Arizona in 2008).
2. California (6-2, 4-1) - I'll admit that I had them a little low last week, but a very impressive win over Oregon in terrible weather. After a terrible third quarter against Arizona, the Bears have bounced back with solid wins over UCLA and Oregon and bring some momentum with them into the Coliseum. If they can get solid play out of either Kevin Riley or Nate Longshore, and Jahvid Best holds up all game, they have a shot at the upset. But again, this is November, where Pete Carroll hasn't lost while at USC.
3. Oregon State (5-3, 4-1) - Survived a scare against Arizona State, but they still face a tough stretch to finish off the season. UCLA may not be a scary team on paper, but if the Beavers let the Bruins hang around like they let the Sun Devils today, the Bruins are capable of putting a coherent offensive drive together for a game winning touchdown. Not looking ahead, but after UCLA, Oregon State still has to play Arizona, Cal, and Oregon. Dang. But that all said, they still control their Rose Bowl destiny (as does Cal, which even I failed to see).
4. Arizona (5-3, 3-2) - They should become bowl eligible next week against Washington State, which makes the rest of the schedule a breeze without the pressure of making a bowl game.
5. Oregon (6-3, 4-2) - Quite a drop, but that's how the cookie crumbles... Tough loss at Cal today, and they need to rebound against a scrappy Stanford squad, who might be desperate in finding their sixth win to become bowl eligible...
6. Stanford (5-4, 4-2) - Cause there aren't a lot of chances for win number six. It's always tough winning in Autzen, USC will be determined not to have a repeat of 2007, and Cal looks to have found their groove.
7. UCLA (3-5, 2-3) - The Bruins have a real shot against Oregon State next week in the Rose Bowl, as long as Kevin Craft keeps his interception count under four (seriously, he only has 11 interceptions!?!). A loss here makes the road to a bowl game really tough for UCLA, as it means they would have to win out... meaning beating USC.
8. Arizona State (2-6, 1-4) - Just dug a hole too deep to climb out of, and now have a six game losing streak. Though it should end next week when they travel to Seattle for the Pillow Fight of the week.
9. Washington (0-8, 0-5) - How can the only winless team left in FBS not be last place in any conference rankings?
10. Washington State (1-8, 0-6) - When they're in the same conference as Washington State.

A lot of great finishes this week. What a game between Texas and Texas Tech, with Graham Harrell connecting with Michael Crabtree for the game winning touchdown with one second left for the upset. Missouri needing a late field goal to hold of Baylor. Michigan State beating Wisconsin with a late field goal. Northwestern using a pick-six for the game winning score against Minnesota. Pittsburgh edging Notre Dame in four overtimes. Oregon State intercepting Rudy Carpenter's two point attempt to hold off Arizona State. Solid day overall for college football. A lot of changes in the top 25...

1. Alabama (8-0) - Yeah I know, I've had Penn State ranked higher than Bama in the past few weeks, but I can't move the Nittany Lions to #1 after a bye, even if the Tide only beat up a Sun Belt team. Though they still have a tough road left, as they travel to LSU next week, and if they get there, a date with Florida (most likely) in the SEC championship.
2. Penn State (9-0) - But #2 is what counts these days. All you can hope for is a shot in playing in the BCS national championship game. I don't know why everyone is building up Iowa so much, this isn't like Iowa of the early 2000's, where they averaged 10 wins a season. Right now, the Nittany Lions are a lock for the BCS title game, much to the delight of the nation (just joking....)
3. Texas Tech (9-0) - Still not buying into them, as they still have to play Oklahoma State, at Oklahoma, and if they make it, Missouri in the Big 12 championship. But nonetheless, very impressive win against Texas.
4. Florida (7-1) - Unless Georgia isn't the team we thought they were... Other than the head scratcher against Mississippi, Florida has been really dominant, racking up gaudy numbers against decent competition.
5. Texas (8-1) - Even though it wasn't a bad loss, Florida looks terrific today, and the Longhorns have to drop behind the three big undefeated teams.
6. Oklahoma (8-1) - Hey, USC isn't the only team that can fall in the polls while playing weak competition, though the defense really does need to clamp down. They combined with Nebraska for 90 points today. Geez. But Florida was dominant against Georgia, and Tech deserves to be in the top 3.
7. USC (7-1) - Seems to be cockblocked from the top of the polls by the Big 12 South, but wiht good reason. All of the teams in the Big 12 South are really solid. Can't take anything away from them, weak out of conference schedule or not. And the Pac-10 is really weak. All USC should worry about is getting back to the Rose Bowl. If major upsets happen ahead of them, great. If not, oh well, stop losing to weaker teams.
8. Oklahoma State (8-1) - Solid bounce back win against... Iowa State. Oh nevermind. Quick aside, Iowa State sure did pick the right team to copy their uniform design from, heh.
9. Utah (9-0) - First big showdown in the MWC against TCU on Thursday (wow, the Mtn. really blew a shot there...). Winner (even TCU with one loss) has the inside track to a BCS game, as its unlikely two of Utah, TCU, or BYU will make it there, as the Cougars have looked unimpressive since their loss to TCU, a second loss would end things for the Frogs, and Utah stil has to play BYU in their season finale.
10. Boise State (8-0)
11. Texas Christian (9-1)
12. Ohio State (7-2)
13. Missouri (7-2)
14. Louisiana State (6-2)
15. Brigham Young (8-1)
16. Ball State (8-0)
17. Georgia (7-2)
18. North Carolina (6-2)
19. Michigan State (8-2)
20. West Virginia (6-2)
21. California (6-2)
22. Georgia Tech (7-2)
23. Northwestern (7-2)
24. Maryland (6-2)
25. Tulsa (7-1)

Shootout in the desert....

Oh wait, nevermind. Defense took centerstage as USC held off Arizona 17-10, though the Wildcats never really threatened to score after they tied the game at 10. UoA came in averaging over 40 points per game, ranked top 10 in the nation, while the Trojans were coming off hanging 69 on Washington State, but neither team was able to crack 20 points. It seems like Arizona coach Mike Stoops has figured out USC, but hasn't flipped the right switch to push the Wildcats over the top. In 2006, the Wildcats held close until a late touchdown pushed the Trojans to a 20-3 win. Last year, in Mark Sanchez's first start, USC rallied past Arizona 20-13 in the Coliseum. This year, the Trojans dominated the second half, especially on the defensive end, but the offense was not able to sustain any drives and make the fourth quarter less stressful.

Problems? After committing only 2 penalties against the Cougars, the Trojans were flagged 10 times for 68 yards, including two holding calls on big plays that really changed the momentum of the play. Ugh, so much for that problem being solved. Special teams continues to plague USC. Stafon Johnson had a couple of good punt returns, including a 54 yarder to set up the Trojan's first points, but some were nullified by blocking in the back penalties, as well as Johnson catching a punt in the endzone, a huge no-no. Greg Woidneck had a 15 yard punt. I think I can punt the ball 15 yards. Is it too much to ask to recruit a kicker? We've been lucky in the past with finding gems with Ryan Killeen, Mario Danelo, and David Buehler, but now Buehler has been really shaky in close games (Washington in 2007 and Arizona this year), and Woidneck is just ugh. Does Tom Malone have any eligibility left? Please? And that last punt return could have been a disaster... The offensive play calling was spotty down the stretch too, with passes being called while we were clinging to that seven point lead and trying to bleed some clock. Nice to see Johnson get 19 carries, but he should have had waaay more, especially in the fourth quarter. Oh well. Sanchez does need to improve on his decision making, scramble for the first when no receivers are open, or hit the underneath receiver instead of forcing the bigger gain.

The offense can thank the defense though. Huge stop on the QB sneak on 4th and 1 at midfield on the fourth quarter, but the defense can also thank Willie Tuitama for being so off the mark, as he completed only two passes in the second half, and Taylor Mays for knocking Keola Antolin out of the game, as the defense were having flashes of Oregon State RB Jacquizz Rodgers. At this point of the season, with the lack of upsets ahead of USC, the best I can hope for is another trip to the Rose Bowl, but the Trojans will need some help getting there. Assuming USC wins out in Pac-10 play, they need the Beavers to lose once, with the best chance of that happening being against Cal, Arizona, or Oregon to close the season. Then again, the Trojans needed much more help last year to make the Rose Bowl after losing to Oregon late last season, but the pieces fell into place (notably, Oregon QB Dennis Dixon's knee exploding) and USC made their third consecutive trip to Pasadena. On to the Pac-10 rankings:

1. USC (6-1 overall, 4-1 Pac-10) - Didn't avoid penalties and turnovers, which lead to a slow start against Arizona, but the defense saved the day this week. Washington limps into the Coliseum for Homecoming next week, but honestly haven't seen any spark from the Huskies since they lost to BYU. The Trojans do not leave California for the rest of the season, and guess what next Saturday is.... November 1st!!!! 24 straight in November, and I don't see that streak ending next week.
2. Oregon (6-2, 4-1) - Solid performance against Arizona State this week in Tempe, but that Sun Devil team is falling apart at the seams. Big game next week at Cal, which should help clear up the top of the Pac-10 standings, with four teams having one loss in conference play.
3. Oregon State (4-3, 3-1) - Licking their chops as a hobbled and downtrodden Arizona State team arrives in Corvalis. The Beavers are the only team in the Pac-10 that controls their Rose Bowl destiny, but they close the season with a brutal stretch of Cal, at Arizona, and Oregon. No room for error, as the Trojans look to have bounced back from their loss to the Beavers, and Cal and Oregon also standing at one loss in conference play. But first things first, take care of Arizona State.
4. Arizona (5-3, 3-2) - Valiant effort by the Wildcats, but their offense really let them down in this game. The defense kept giving the offense chances to tie the game, but no go. Arizona heads into a bye, where coach Stoops should keep his team focused for their visit to Pullman in two weeks (seriously), as it would make them bowl eligible for the first time this decade (I think).
5. California (5-2, 3-1) - Sloppy game against UCLA until the Bruins failed on their fake punt, which really turned the game around for the Bears. After losing to Arizona the week before where they were outscored in the third quarter 28-3, Cal outscored UCLA 24-7 in the fourth to put UCLA away. Strange concept though, a team making the Bruins pay for Kevin Craft's turnovers. Tennessee and Stanford couldn't do it. Maybe, just maybe, teams from here on out will convert on those turnovers by Craft so UCLA won't be in striking distance in the fourth quarter, when they are oh so dangerous. Cal hosts Oregon next week, hoping to get some momentum before travelling to the Coliseum to play the Trojans.
6. Stanford (4-4, 3-2) - Spent their bye week trying to find their sixth win in their remaining scheudle. The Cardinal should take care of business against Wazzu, but a trip to Oregon looks daunting, the Trojans will be looking for revenge after last year's game, and the Big Game against Cal is no gimme. But it will be all for naught if Stanford doesn't beat Wazzu.
7. UCLA (3-5, 2-3) - MAKE THEM PAY FOR KEVIN CRAFT'S BONEHEADED THROWS!!!! Seriously. Good job Cal, turning Craf't's four interceptions into 17 points. If you don't make him pay, Craft keeps his confidence, especially if the game is close. He is capable of scoring drives at the end of halves (seemes like UCLA always tacks on a field goal at the end of the first half). Oh well. After a bye, Oregon State should smack the Bruins around in the Rose Bowl. By the way, I will always question Slick Rick's special teams gambles (haha) at terrible times until one of them pays off (or he gets fired. Get it? nevermind...). Anyway, he was about a yard short on his gamble, which still failed, and on the next play, Cal scored on a flea flicker and a 17-13 game turned into a rout.
8. Arizona State (2-5, 1-3) - A team that's lost 5 straight and has no hope of winning until the Washington schools show up on the schedule should be ranked last in the conference. Unless of course you're in the same conference as
9. Washington (0-7, 0-4) - and
10. Washington State (1-7, 0-5). Ugh indeed.

Top 25 rankings (assuming Tulsa wins tomorrow (STOP PLAYING ON DAYS OTHER THAN SATURDAY!!!):

1. Texas (8-0) - Over/under of their game next week against Texas Tech: 100. Has an over/under even been that high before? Would anyone even flinch at that number when the lines open on Monday? Does the Big 12 play defense anymore?
2. Penn State (9-0) - Gutty win against Ohio State in the Horseshoe. Can't really see them losing the rest of the way. They should be a lock to make the BCS Championship game because:
3. Alabama (8-0) - still has to play LSU, then Georgia/Florida in the SEC championship game. At least they outscored Tennessee in the second half of this game, but the Vols looked terrible. It's one thing to be just bad, but penalties and missed field goals are just marks of a poorly coached team.
4. Oklahoma (7-1) - Seriously. When did they outlaw playing defense in the Big 12. OU and K-State combined for 93 points. 93!!!
5. Florida (6-1) - I'm just saying, but Florida beats Kentucky 63-5, and it's a quality win in the SEC, but USC beats Washington State 69-0, and the Trojans are running up the score? Works for me this week, but HUGE game against Georgia next week.
6. Texas Tech (8-0) - Just setting them up for their epic fail next week against Texas. By the way, are not making a big enough deal of the Longhorns playing four straight teams ranked in the top 11? Has any other team done this before? Does anyone care that the Red Raiders has not played anyone of relevance this season and will fall flat on their faces against Texas? That they too run up the score?
7. Georgia (7-1) - Impressive win over the defending champs this week in Baton Rouge. Can vault themselves back in the title picture with a win over Florida next week at the World's Largest Cocktail Party, but it will be hard to crack Texas and Penn State's resumes. I still think Florida and Georgia are better than Alabama and either team will beat the Tide in the SEC championship.
8. USC (6-1) - Only because Oklahoma State, LSU, and Ohio State all lost, though the Pokes and Buckeyes looked more solid in their losses than the Trojans did in their win. The good news? If they beat the Huskies next week, Georgia/Florida will fall, as will Texas Tech, so they should move up back into the top 6. Bad news? Thanks to a weak schedule, the Trojans will probably be left out of the BCS Championship game. But you'll hear no complaining from me.
9. Oklahoma State (7-1) - Gave Texas a run for their money, so no change from last week's ranking. They did show that they are the real deal though, and should finish the season with a solid mark.
10. Utah (6-0) - We might have two BCS busters this season. Here's the breakdown: the 6 champions from the BCS conferences are locks. The Pac-10, Big Ten, ACC, and Big East are not going to be sending a second team to a BCS bowl, unless both Oregon State and USC win out and the Beavers go to the Rose Bowl while the Trojans earn an at-large berth. Assuming that does not happen, the Big 12 and SEC will also send another rep to a BCS game, whether by the automatic bid (too complicated to explain), or by reputation (ala Oklahoma, Florida, etc). This leaves 2 spots open for Utah and
11. Boise State (7-0) - to earn automatic bids under the non-BCS clause (top 12 ranking). Complicated indeed.
12. Texas Christian (8-1)
13. Ohio State (6-2)
14. Missouri (6-2)
15. Brigham Young (7-1)
16. Tulsa (8-0)
17. Louisiana State (5-2)
18. Ball State (8-0)
19. South Florida (6-2)
20. Minnesota (7-1)
21. Florida State (6-1)
22. Oregon (6-2) - Just plug and chug for the bottom 4 spots...
23. Michigan State (7-2)
24. North Carolina (6-2)
25. Maryland (6-2)

138-0

Stat of the day: USC is on a 138-0 scoring run since falling behind 10-3 vs. Oregon three weeks ago. Geez. I have a feeling the scoreless streak will end when the Trojans travel to Tuscon next week to take on the Arizona Wildcats, but it is fun while it lasts. The outcome of the game at Pullman was never in question when Wazzu ran the ball three straight times on their opening posession. Mark Sanchez was almost perfect, throwing for 5 touchdowns in the first half, while the run game produced three 100+ yard rushers in Stafon Johnson, C.J. Gable (with 3 TDs), and Broderick Green (2 TDs) as Joe McKnight and Marc Tyler sat out with injuries. The defense posted its second straight shutout, blanking the Cougars for the first time in 280 games, which was the second longest active streak behind Michigan. If anything, it was nice to see the Trojans get off to a fast start, allowing Coach Pete Carroll to rest most of the regulars while getting some guys lower on the depth chart some valuable experience, including walkon Daniel Harper, who had an interception in the fourth quarter. On to this week's Pac-10 rankings:

1. USC (5-1 overall, 3-1 Pac-10) - ... and the Trojans are back atop the conference standings after Cal lost to Arizona (again). Four teams are tied for the lead (USC, Arizona, Oregon, Oregon State), and USC travels to Arizona next week. Nice win by the Wildcats today, but if the Trojans avoid turnovers and costly penalties, that game can also get out of hand quickly. This game has upset potential for USC, and after last year's 20-13 game at the Coliseum, Arizona and Coach Mike Stoops has a lot to build upon.
2. Oregon (5-2, 3-1) - Hopefully used their bye week to get their QBs healthy and ready to go. They must travel to Tempe, where the Sun Devils will have a hard time ending their 4 game losing streak. Tough stretch after next week's game for the Ducks, as they have to travel to Berkeley, host Stanford and Arizona before the Civil War game. No more gimmies for Oregon til the end of the season.
3. Oregon State (4-3, 3-1) - The Beavers should be pretty satisfied going into the bye week having won 4 of 5 games. But like the Ducks, Oregon State still has to face the better teams in the conference. Solid win against Washington today, and will look to hand Arizona State their sixth straight loss (probably) in two weeks.
4. Arizona (5-2, 3-1) - Again, the Wildcats could very well be 7-0, save for unbelieveable losses to New Mexico and Stanford. Arizona looks well on their way to a bowl game (Wazzu still looms on the schedule) after upsetting Cal today, thought it was more the Bears imploding than UoA doing anything special. The 'Cats will look to become bowl eligible next week against the Trojans, though USC looks to be so suffocating on defense (allowing 7.8 points per game) that Arizona may have to force some turnovers out of the Trojans' offense.
5. California (4-2, 2-1) - Ready for that late season collapse again? Cal was in control of Arizona before that third quarter, when the Bears were outscored 28-3. Things do not get easier from here on out for Cal, as after hosting UCLA next weekend, they play Oregon and travel to USC and Oregon State before the Big Game. If the QBs have trouble as they did today, watch out. And again, if you let the Bruins stay close into the fourth quarter, they are very dangerous, as Stanford found out today.
6. UCLA (3-4, 2-2) - Hate to see them be so scrappy. And all of a sudden, the Bruins game next week against Cal doesn't look so daunting. Kevin Craft is the definition of Jekyll/Hyde. Geez. If Cal an make UCLA pay for Craft's miscues and go for the jugglar, Cal should have their time with the Bruins. Coach Rick Neuheisel will win my Coach of the Year vote for the Pac-10 if he gets to a bowl (hopefully the Hawaii Bowl so I can see them in action.... false).
7. Stanford (4-4, 3-2) - The Bruins were unable to move the ball consistently all game, until, of course, the game's final drive, where UCLA travelled 88 yards for the game winning score. It may be hard for the Cardinal to become bowl eligible, as this was the game that would have mostly likely locked up a bowl bid. Instead, they head to their bye week looking to regroup before win #5 (Wazzu), then will have to look for their sixth win against Oregon, USC, or Cal. Good luck with that.
8. Arizona State (2-4, 1-2) - So when does Dennis Erickson's name come up fo the job openings around the NFL and NCAA? The Sun Devils could very well have dropped six straight before they visit Washington. Hard to see Oregon losing to Arizona State next week, but stranger things have happened. Hopefully Rudy Carpenter has recovered from his injuries so he can make the start.
9. Washington (0-4, 0-6) - At least they're more competitive than:
10. Washington State (1-7, 0-5) - I think Hershel Dennis just ran for a 7 yard gain. Seriously. I know USC is good, but you can't let teams score on you on fourth-down, and if you know USC is just going to run the ball down your throat, put 8 or 9 in the box to stop the run. At least they won't give up 60+ points this week, though when they return to play Stanford in two weeks, the Cardinal may have a sour taste in their mouth after the UCLA loss.

And the top 25, without too much shakeups with not too many upsets this week:

1. Texas (7-0)
2. Penn State (8-0)
3. Alabama (7-0)
4. Oklahoma (6-1)
5. USC (5-1)
6. Florida (5-1)
7. Texas Tech (7-0)
8. Georgia (6-1)
9. Oklahoma State (7-0)
10. Ohio State (7-1)
11. Louisiana State (5-1)
12. Utah (8-0)
13. Boise State (6-0)
14. South Florida (6-1)
15. Tulsa (7-0)
16. Texas Christian (7-1)
17. Brigham Young (6-1)
18. Ball State (7-0)
19. Missouri (5-2)
20. Pittsburgh (5-1)
21. Kansas (5-2)
22. Minnesota (6-1)
23. Georgia Tech (6-1)
24. Northwestern (6-1)
25. Vanderbilt (5-2)

Nice shutout, but...

the offense took some major steps back today. Nice to see the defense really step up today, pitching a shutout, forcing four turnovers, collecting three sacks, blocking two field goals, and a partridge in a pear tree (points after interception, PAINT, lol). But the offense was very anemic, especially in the third quarter, where the Trojans started off with four possessions that ended in fumble, interception, interception, interception. Arizona State took full advantage of those turnovers, going blocked field goal, blocked field goal (going -20 yards in three plays), punt, and punt. Ugh. Mark Sanchez reverted, to, um, really Sanchez? Can't blame the lost fumble after being blindsided, but the interception on the screen play was terrible. The receivers are not helping Sanchez out with all of the drops, especially Damian Williams on Sanchez's third pick, as well as Ronald Johnson and Williams dropping bombs as well. Oh well. CB Kevin Thomas had a career game, with a sack and an interception returned for a touchdown, USC's second defensive touchdown after not having one since 2005. Woot for the defense indeed. But I guess when you complain about a 28 points loss, things can't be going too bad. As for the Pac-10 rankings...

1. USC (4-1, 2-1) - Two straight wins ties for the longest win streak in the conference (seriously...). Another dominant perfomance on the defensive side; always nice to see a shutout, but questions on the offense arise as the Trojans make the trek up to play Washington State. Over/under on the spread for this one: 37, though USC will probably have trouble covering this one (a la Stanford?).
2. California (4-1, 2-0) - Bye week should have helped settle the QB controversy between Kevin Riley and Nate Longshore, and hopefully gave RB Jahvid Best some extra time to recover from his elbow injury. The Golden Bears play Arizona next week in Tuscon, but the matchup lost some luster when the Wildcats were upset by Stanford. Cal is the only remaining undefeated team in Pac-10 play, and would be in serious contention for the top spot had they not lost to Maryland.
3. Oregon (5-2, 3-1) - Oregon showed that if you let UCLA hang close, they will bite you, and the Bruins almost took a chunk out of the Ducks. The Ducks passed for only 40 yards, but ran for over 300 in holding off UCLA. They were able to bounce back after being trounced by USC, and now have a bye week to settle their own QB controversy with Justin Roper coming back from a concussion. After the bye, they travel to Tempe to face a reeling Arizona State squad.
4. Stanford (4-3, 3-1) - Is the Pac-10 really this weak? Ugh. Arizona blew a chance to take a huge step to becoming bowl eligible while the Cardinal took a giant leap in their bowl chances. Stanford now has a really winable game against UCLA in the Rose Bowl next week, and if they are able to beat the Bruins, they are a lock to make a bowl game, with Wazzu still on their schedule. Nice win for Stanford.
5. Oregon State (3-3, 2-1) - Washington State is the cureall for reeling Pac-10 teams. Dominant 66-13 win, with the Beavers taking care of business. Tough loss against Utah last week, but they have a favorable stretch of games coming up (@ Washington, vs. Arizona State, @ UCLA) which should get them to being bowl eligible. Oregon State is very dangerous down the stretch, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them win 5 of their last 6 games
6. Arizona (4-2, 2-1) - The Wildcats should very well be 6-0 right now, but instead have only themselves to blame. Three field goals from inside the 10 yard line won't get it done. And they could not stop Stanford's run game either. Arizona hosts Cal next week, and will need to get the kinks out before USC arrives in Tuscon the following week. With only one gimme left on the schedule (Wazzu...), the Wildcats need to have another late season upset to make a bowl game.
7. UCLA (2-4, 1-2) - The Gutty Little Bruins showed some spunk in Eugene, maybe with Oregon letting UCLA hang in the game too long. Teams need to put UCLA away quickly, because the Bruins are a very dangerous team when they are in striking distance. Good to see that UCLA did not just roll over, but coaching mistakes (poor clock management at the end of the first half, going for an onside kick in the third quarter, not going for an onside kick down 24-17 late in the game) may have cost UCLA a chance to steal the game. They host an upstart Stanford team looking to continue their nice little hot streak.
8. Arizona State (2-4, 1-2) - The preseason pick to finish second in the conference is on a nasty four game losing streak, starting with the terrible loss to UNLV, then being dominated by Georgia, beaten by Cal, then shutout by the Trojans. At least Arizona State won't lose next week (bye), but the following week, they get to host an Oregon team looking to establish their spot as #2 in the Pac-10 pecking order.
9. Washington (0-5, 0-3) - At least they didn't lose by 53. Though Oregon State is in the home stretch of their schedule, a time when the Beavers are almost unbeatable.
10. Washington State (1-5, 0-4) - If I could put the Cougs lower, I would. At least they won't be playing a team coming off a loss, as it seems like Washington State is the cureall for struggling teams. But then again, the Trojans may look to sharpen their offense against a team allowing 55.8 points per game in conference play. Even that game in Hawaii doesn't look like a gimme anymore. 1-12 anyone?

And more shuffling in the top 25, with no teams in the top 4 winning (Alabama had a bye). Whoa.

1. Texas (6-0)
2. Alabama (6-0)
3. Penn State (7-0)
4. Oklahoma (5-1)
5. USC (4-1)
6. Brigham Young (6-0)
7. Texas Tech (6-0)
8. Florida (5-1)
9. Georgia (5-1)
10. Missouri (5-1)
11. Louisiana State (4-1)
12. Utah (7-0)
13. Ohio State (6-1)
14. Oklahoma State (6-0)
15. Boise State (5-0)
16. South Florida (5-1)
17. Kansas (5-1)
18. Tulsa (6-0)
19. Ball State (7-0)
20. Michigan State (6-1)
21. Wake Forest (4-1)
22. Vanderbilt (5-1)
23. Virginia Tech (5-1)
24. North Carolina (5-1)
25. Texas Christian (6-1)

Rebounding like Dwight Howard...

USC again started off slow this week at home against Oregon, but the game changed after Mark Sanchez found Damian Willaims on 4th-and-2 for a 34 yard touchdown pass to tie the game as the Trojans rebounded from being upset by Oregon State, 44-10. The USC defense had trouble getting the Duck offense off the field while having their first offensive drive stall at the 4 yard line and Sanchez fumbling a snap, which led to an Matt Evensen field goal. Penalties, penalties, penalties. I don't know if it's a lack of focus or what, but 13 penalties is waaaay too much for any team, especially and elite team like the Trojans.

But after flipping a switch, USC scored the game's final 41 points, including the final 24 of the first half to kill the will of Oregon. A fumble by Oregon late in the first half led to a Sanchez 11 yard TD pass to Patrick Turner which essentally put the game out of reach. Nice to see Mitch Mustain get an extensive look in the second half, as he threw for 111 yards and a 59 yard pass to David Ausberry, who also got some nice playing time in. The defense followed suit of the offense, as they forced 7 punts and 2 turnovers on Oregon's final 11 drives (the other drives ended at the half and on downs). Special teams play was led by David Buehler, who nailed 3 field goals, 5 point after attempts, and booted 6 touchbacks on kickoffs. On to the Pac-10 rankings:

1. USC (3-1 overall, 1-1 Pac-10) - Please, please, please no more Oregon State games. Please. No more games to look ahead to until maybe the Notre Dame matchup. Arizona State may have lost three straight games, but SC needs to stay the course, as going up against Dennis Erickson is always dangerous, and Rudy Carpenter has the skill to lead the Sun Devils to the upset. But the only way the Trojans lose is if they are looking ahead to.... Washington State.
2. California (4-1, 2-0) - That Maryland loss didn't look that bad after the Terps upset Clemson last week... until they got shut out by Virginia. Ouch. Second place in the Pac-10 should be decided by the matchup between the Golden Bears and Arizona. Cal got lucky this week by finding that Nate Longshore provided the hot hand, but they really need Jahvid Best to be healthy for the game against Arizona. The Bears have a bye to get healthy and find out if Longshore or Kevin Riley will provide Cal's best chance to keep the ball moving towards a Pac-10 championship.
3. Arizona (4-1, 2-0) - The other undefeated team in conference play. They took care of business against Washington, and now head to Palo Alto to see if they can continue their hot start. The Wildcats need to get their wins in now, as after their game against the Cardinal, they host Cal and USC in back-to-back weeks. Not saying they need to win both games, but if they are embarrassed in both, watch out for a collapse down the stretch. But right now, things are looking up for Mike Stoops and co.
4. Oregon (4-2, 2-1) - The Ducks can thank Oregon State for this ass-kicking. No way the Trojans were going to lose two games in a row, and Pete Carroll and co. made sure of that. Oregon got off to a fast start, but collapsed at the end of the first half as USC scored 10 points in the final minute of the second quarter. The Ducks should be able to rebound next week against UCLA at home before their bye week, which will hopefully help them get back one of their quarterbacks.
5. Oregon State (2-3, 1-1) - Called the Utah game, kinda/sorta, though the Utes received a gift on their two-point conversion. But the Beavers also had terrible clock/game management on their final drive, which left waaaaay too much time on the clock for Utah to drive into field goal range for the win. I have a feeling with the weaker bottom half of the conference, the Beavers win over the Trojans will keep them in the 4-6 range for the rest of the year. The Utah game was not a bad loss, as the Utes should remain undefeated until their game against BYU. The Beavers host Washington State next week, which will get them back to .500 on the year, before travelling to Washington to get over .500 on the season (please, please, please Mike Riley...)
6. Stanford (3-3, 2-1) - Tavita Prichard is not the answer at QB, but then again, the Cardinal may not have their answer at QB on their roster this season. Terrible performance against Notre Dame overshadowed by the fact that Stanford only lost by a touchdown. All of these crappy teams giving the Irish hope; please stop now. Thanks. Big test against Arizona next week before a game at UCLA to determine which of those two teams enters the bottom part of the rankings.
7. Arizona State (2-3, 1-1) - The Sun Devils are limping into their game at USC next week. Hard to see Arizona State beating the Trojans in the Coliseum, but also, um, nevermind (Stanford ugh). Four game losing streaks are great ways to free fall on any rankings. All started from the UNLV game, which took a lot of the confidence from the Sun Devils.
8. UCLA (2-3, 1-1) - Closed their 3 game homestand strong, but should fall flat next week in Eugene, where the Ducks won't be happy after being destroyed by the Trojans. A win's a win, but Tennessee has not looked good since their loss on Labor Day, and Washington State is, well, Washington State.
9. Aw screw it....
10. Washington (0-5, 0-3), and Washington State (1-5, 0-3). Both teams are waiting for the Apple Cup for their next win. Until one of these teams shows signs of life, they will both be #10 in the rankings (tied for last, not tied for 9th, get it right....) Washington was terrible against Arizona, and will continue to struggle with Jake Locker out. And Wazzu is, well, Wazzu. Ugh.

And for the top 25:

1. Oklahoma (5-0)
2. Louisiana State (4-0)
3. Texas (5-0)
4. Alabama (6-0)
5. Missouri (5-0)
6. Penn State (6-0)
7. Brigham Young (5-0)
8. Texas Tech (5-0)
9. USC (3-1)
10. Georgia (4-1)
11. Florida (4-1)
12. Vanderbilt (5-0)
13. Ohio State (5-1)
14. Utah (6-0)
15. Kansas (4-1)
16. Boise State (4-0)
17. South Florida (5-1)
18. Auburn (4-2)
19. Tulsa (5-0)
20. Ball State (6-0)
21. Northwestern (5-0)
22. Oklahoma State (5-0)
23. Virginia Tech (5-1)
24. Michigan State (5-1)
25. Wake Forest (3-1)

Sleep walking in Corvalis

So this isn't the first time that USC has lost. But this was the most shocking. A lot of people have said that the only team the Trojans would lose to is themselves. But on Thursday night, Oregon State took USC to the woodshed in a way that no team has since Pete Carroll's first year. The Beavers dominated both sides of the ball, creating huge holes for Jacquizz Rodgers to run through while forcing Mark Sanchez to throw under pressure and prevent USC from getting any momentum going with the run game. Usually USC loses because of turnovers and dumb penalties. This time, it was just being outcoached. The Trojans made no adjustments on defense to stop the Beavers' run game and could not get pressure on Oregon State QB Lyle Moevao all night. Oh well, so much for National Championship aspirations. There's no way a one loss USC team (best case scenario, mind you) goes to Miami over even a two loss SEC or Big 12 team. Those leagues are stacked right now. Anyway, here's thand e weekly Pac-10 rankings:

1. USC (2-1, 0-1) - They are still the best team in the conference, talentwise. There's no way the Trojans should have been pushed around like they were in Corvalis. Hopefully they can get back on track against Oregon and their 11th string QB. Carroll always says the Rose Bowl is USC's goal every year, but this seemed like the year like the Trojans were going to run the table.
2. California (3-1, 1-0) - Cal rebounded well against Colorado State and looks to be back on the right track. If they beat Arizona State next week, they should be back in the driver's seat for the conference title.
3. Oregon (4-1, 2-0) - Yeah, they beat up Wazzu today, but USC should be fired up for the game next week in the Coliseum. Oregon should be ranked after all of the upsets today, and having their 5th string QB in there should help them as the Trojans will probably be a little more relaxed and not able to gameplan for him as much. Seriously, the Ducks do have a good chance of being the first team in a while to knock off USC in two consecutive years.
4. Arizona (3-1, 1-0) - Drops a spot due to the bye and Oregon dominating Wazzu. But they should get win #4 next week against Washington and will be well on their way to being bowl bound.
5. Stanford (3-2, 2-1) - Riding high into their game against Notre Dame next week. Good win over a Washington team that desperately needed to get one.
6. Oregon State (2-2, 1-1) - Hopefully the Beavers can carry the momentum of the upset to finish strong again this year. Though huge letdown game against Utah looms on Thursday again.
   
7. Arizona State (2-2, 1-0) - Two game losing streak doesn't bode well, and neither does a road trip to Berekely.
8. UCLA (1-3, 0-1) - Fresno State made the Bruins pay for their fumble in the red zone, as after recovering the fumble, the Bulldogs never gave the ball back.UCLA continues to look scrappy, and if they are within striking distance in the fourth quarter, they are a very dangerous team. UCLA should close their three game homestand with a win over Wazzu, but the Bruins also shouldn't have beaten Tennessee or lost by 59 to BYU, so we'll see what happens.
9. Washington (0-4, 0-2) - The Cougs may have a win, but at least the Huskies are, for the most part, competitive in all of their games. Though it is hard to find a game where Washington will be favored to win the rest of the season.
   
10. Washington State (1-4, 0-2) - The Portland State game got them in the win column, but Wazzu has lost their four games by an average of 41.2 points per game, with the big ones coming in Pac-10 play. Ouch.

And the reshuffled top 25...

1. Oklahoma (4-0)
2. Louisiana State (4-0)
3. Alabama (5-0)
4. Texas (4-0)
5. Missouri (4-0)
6. Penn State (5-0)
7. Brigham Young (4-0)
8. South Florida (5-0)
9. Texas Tech (4-0)
10. Georgia (4-1)
    
11. Florida (3-1)
12. USC (2-1)
13. Auburn (4-1)
14. Ohio State (4-1)
15. Utah (5-0)
16. Kansas (3-1)
17. Vanderbilt (4-0)
18. Wisconsin (3-1)
19. Connecticut (5-0)
20. Boise State (3-0)
21. Oregon (4-1)
    
22. Tulsa (4-0)
23. Ball State (5-0)
24. Northwestern (5-0)
25. Wake Forest (3-1)
    

Pac-10 Ratings - Week 4

Another banner week for the Pac-10 (ugh). At least we weren't swept by the WAC this week (thank you Stanford....), and no one was expecting much from Arizona State after the egg they laid against UNLV. Oregon's loss was unexpected, only because the Ducks rarely lose in Autzen Stadium. Anyway, here are the rankings:

1. USC (2-0 overall, 0-0 Pac-10) - The Trojans had a bye this week, but they need to stay focused as they enter Pac-10 play on Thursday at Oregon State. USC does not have a good history of Pac-10 road openers (2002: L @ Wazzu, 2003: L @ Cal, 2004: W @ Stanford 31-28, 2005: W @ Oregon 45 13, but trailed 13-0, 2006: W @ Wazzu 28-22, 2007: W @ Washington 27-24). USC may be the only team from the Pac-10 ranked when the polls are released tomorrow.
2. California (2-1, 1-0) - Why the jump over Oregon? The Ducks showed that they will struggle with their top QBs being injured. Cal had a misstep at Maryland last week, but they should regroup against Colorado State this week, then host a downtrodden Sun Devil squad. THe Golden Bears look to be the second best team in the Pac-10, which isn't saying much...
3. Arizona (3-1, 1-0) - A misstep by Arizona on Black Saturday (last Saturday...) prevents them from being #2 in the conference, though beating UCLA isn't something to write home about these days. The Wildcats are in good shape to be 5-1 heading into a key matchup against Cal on October 18th before hosting USC the following weekend. A split of these games would be huge for the program, but becoming bowl-eligible, which they should, would be a giant leap for Arizona and provide some job security for Mike Stoops.
4. Oregon (3-1, 1-0) - Leaky defense against Boise State. Down to fourth string QB. Things aren't looking good for the Ducks right now. At least they made the game against the Broncos respectable, but they must avoid any injuries against Washington State next week if they want to have any hope against USC, unless the Trojans are looking ahead to Miami, which they shouldn't, especially after Oregon toppled USC in Eugene last year.
5. Arizona State (2-2, 1-0) - The Sun Devils should still compete for the Pac-10 Championship. It's just that right now, they do not look like the 10 win team from a year ago. Big game at Cal in a couple of weeks to help ASU get back on track, but after losing two straight and unable to live up to the hype, the Sun Devils need to refocus, as things get harder (Cal, USC, Oregon) before they get easier.
6. Stanford (2-2, 1-1) - Stanford really is the 6th best team in this conference... Ugh. Oregon State is probably better than the Cardinal, but the Beavers need to show something before they can be bumped up here. Sluggish win over San Jose State keeps the Farm in the six spot, but its more by default than anything that they are ranked this high. If Stanford can beat Notre Dame next week, the momentum will be huge for them the rest of the way.
7. Oregon State (1-2, 0-1) - Only because UCLA is looking worse by the week. Though the Beavers have two tough tests in the next two weeks against USC and Utah, both Thursday games.
8. UCLA (1-2, 0-1) - That Tennessee game is becoming a distant memory. And also a bookmark for the last time UCLA scored an offensive touchdown. Ouch. Good news is that you can get tickets to the next Bruin game for only $10. Odds are the next game will be against their fourth straight ranked OOC opponent (BYU in Las Vegas Bowl, Tennessee, BYU, Fresno State). After a heartbreaking loss to Wisconsin, and a brawl against Toledo tonight, the Bulldogs will probably look to work some kinks out against the poor Bruins. 4-8 looks like the best case scenario for Rick Neuheisel right about now.
9. Washington State (1-3, 0-1) - Took care of business against Portland State. Now look for their second win to come somewhere between Hawaii and the end of next year.
10. Washington (0-3, 0-1) - The Dawgs need a win over Stanford, cause wins are going to be hard to come by for Washington the rest of the way.

And for the top 25...

1. USC (2-0)
2. Oklahoma (3-0)
3. Florida (3-0)
4. Georgia (4-0)
5. Louisiana State (3-0)
   
6. Missouri (4-0)
7. Texas (3-0)
8. Alabama (4-0)
9. Wisconsin (3-0)
10. Brigham Young (4-0)
11. South Florida (4-0)
12. Texas Tech (4-0)
13. Penn State (4-0)
14. Auburn (3-1)
15. Ohio State (3-1)
16. Wake Forest (3-0)
17. Utah (4-0)
18. Kansas (3-1)
19. Vanderbilt (4-0)
20. Texas Christian (4-0)
21. Clemson (3-1)
22. Boise State (3-0)
23. Connecticut (4-0)
24. Tulsa (3-0)
25. Oregon (3-1)

3 SEC teams in the Top 5? Whoa...

Pac-10 Ratings/Rumblings

Whoa, the Pac-10 can thank USC (and Oregon to some extent) for defending the pride of the conference. After a decent start in out of conference play, the Pac-10 got blistered by the Mountain West conference. Ugh. Here's the rundown of the conference ratings (not standings since 3 teams still haven't played their first conference game yet:

1. USC (2-0 overall, 0-0 Pac-10) - Obviously. Ohio State may not be an elite team when playing outside of the Big Ten, but they are still a big time opponent. And the Trojans' 35-3 drubbing of a team that played in the last two BCS championship games and returned over 20 starters from last year's team is quite a statement. You can say the Buckeyes play in a "weak" conference but remember, USC's losses in the past two years have been to teams that were double digit underdogs. Saturday's win, coupled with a blowout on the road of Virginia keeps the Trojans at the top. The Trojans play Oregon State in a Thursday game, and USC always seems to have trouble in Pac-10 road openers, so they must remain focused, even against a down Oregon State squad.
   
2. Oregon (3-0, 1-0) - The only other undefeated team after the dust settled in Week 3, though it took two overtimes for the Ducks to hold off a mid-level Big Ten team. And now, Oregon is on their third starting quarterback heading into a home game against the tricky Broncos of Boise State. After facing their only test of the season so far, it's safe to say to jury's still out on the Ducks, even after blowout wins over Washington and Utah State. If they get past the Broncos, the Ducks will likely be 5-0 heading into their game at USC.
   
3. California (2-1, 1-0) - Here's where it gets tough in the rankings. The Golden Bears started off the season with a solid win over Michigan State and a 66-3 drubbing of Washington State. RB Jahvid Best was creating Heisman hype. Then Maryland happened. The Terps were in the opposite direction of Cal, with a 7 point win over FCS Delaware and a loss to Middle Tennessee State from the Sun Belt. But the Terps jumped on the Bears, and Cal tried valiantly to make a comeback, but fell short. It goes to show that it's always tough to win on the road, especially on the East Coast, and Maryland is technically a BCS team, so I expect the Golden Bears to rebound against Colorado State in a couple of weeks before hosting Arizona State in a game which looked promising before Saturday.
   
4. Arizona (2-1, 0-0) - Well it was between the Wildcats and Sun Devils. Arizona State is the better team, but had a much worse loss, even though losing to New Mexico isn't something to be proud of either. One of four teams to lose to a MWC foe this week, Arizona clearly could not break the glass ceiling of being a bowl-worthy team. The Wildcats smacked Idaho 70-0 in week one, then beat Toledo 41-16, and was looking to avenge last season's loss to the Lobos to become 3-0 heading into conference play. But no dice. Arizona couldn't live up to the expectations of being the chic pick to win the Pac-10, as a win against New Mexico likely would have put them at #2 in the standings this week. They open Pac-10 play against UCLA next week and could still be 5-1 entering their game against California.
5. Arizona State (2-1, 1-0) - Ugh, they looked flat the entire game. A lot of times when a ranked opponent plays sluggish against an inferior opponent, you always expect the ranked team to pull it out. But UNLV made the big plays late against Arizona State, and took a lot of luster from the Sun Devils' game against Georgia next week. But Arizona State has no one to blame but themselves. The Devils did not look sharp against Northern Arizona in week 1, and took a while to put a scrappy Stanford squad away. But this week, they allowed the Rebels to stay close late in the game, keeping the door open for the upset, and that's exactly what happened. After this tough loss, hard to see the Sun Devils' defending Pac-10 pride against Georgia next week. Things get slightly easier at Cal two weeks after that, then a visit to the Coliseum. Watch out for a 2-4 start for the Devils...
6. Stanford (1-2, 1-1) - At least they haven't lost by 59 points this season.... yet. Though they had no business beating Oregon State in week 1, and they were expected to lose to Arizona State and TCU. A win next week over San Jose State (please Stanford...), and if they can beat the Huskies, the Cardinal should be in good shape for their game against Notre Dame, who still isn't impressing me.
   
7. UCLA (1-1, 0-0) - That win over Tennessee got wiped out and forgotten about after a 59-0 blowout to BYU. Not saying that the Cougars are a bad team, just saying that UCLA played the worst game possible... and I didn't even watch the game! (Versus...) No one was expecting UCLA to win this game, but no one expected Neuheisel, Walker, and Chow to produce the worst loss in almost 80 years for UCLA either. The best thing the Bruins can do is forget about this game and move on, as they host an Arizona team looking to rebound from a tough loss as well, then they host the scrappy Fresno State Bulldogs, who are always looking for a fight...
   
8. Oregon State (1-2, 0-1) - The Beavers should have taken care of business against Stanford to open the season. Now they're staring down a 1-5 start to the season, which would make their trademark strong finishes to the season null and void. Back to back Thursday games against ranked teams (USC and Utah) do not bode well, but at least they handled Hawaii to avoid a potential 0-6 start heading into a game against the Washington schools. Hopefully they can catch the Trojans and Utes looking ahead. That's the only chance they have.
   
9. Washington (0-3, 0-1) - Well both Washington schools are 0-3. But at least the Huskies have something to complain about. Or excuses. Oregon is right now the second best team in the conference. The referees prevented Washington from at least a shot in overtime against BYU. Oklahoma is that good. Wazzu lost to Oklahoma State (< Oklahoma), California (< Oregon), and Baylor (<< BYU). The Huskies might have a chance against Stanford in two weeks, and they avoid the big boys in the Pac-1o til the tail end of the season, so UW might have a chance to string together some wins before Notre Dame, USC, Arizona State, and UCLA in a four game stretch.
   
10. Washington State (0-3, 0-1) - This was easy. At least the Huskies were close against BYU. But the Cougs have been outmatched and outclassed in all of their games this season. Losing by 63 points doesn't help either. If Washington State does not beat Portland State next week, they may not win a game til the Apple Cup or the season finale at Hawaii.

Ugh... My Top 25 after Week 3 (I told myself I was going to wait after Week 4, but oh well...):

1. USC (2-0)
   
2. Oklahoma (3-0)
3. Missouri (3-0)
   
4. Georgia (3-0)
5. Florida (2-0)
   
6. Texas (2-0)
7. Wisconsin (3-0)
8. Louisiana State (2-0)
9. Alabama (3-0)
10. South Florida (3-0)
11. Auburn (3-0)
12. Texas Tech (3-0)
13. Brigham Young (3-0)
14. East Carolina (3-0)
    
15. Ohio State (2-1)
16. Penn State (3-0)
17. Oregon (3-0)
18. Utah (3-0)
19. Wake Forest (2-0)
20. Kansas (2-1)
    
21. Vanderbilt (3-0)
22. Texas Christian (3-0)
    
23. Clemson (2-1)
    
24. West Virginia (1-1)
    
25. Fresno State (1-1)
    

Stuck between a rock and a hard place...

No one reads these right?

*Crickets...

Hello?

Nobody?

Good. Cause I don't know who to talk to about this. Maybe if someone wants to step up and offer some help, that'd be great. Can't be anyone though, as I'm really conflicted right now... I can't even say what it's about. I've never been in this situation before, and I feel like I need to seek an outside opinion on it. Bleh. Argh. awdfawrgafasd. I mean its a pretty messed up situation, and I'm the only one who knows how really complicated it is. I haven't told anyone this, I haven't even spoken aloud to myself about it, but it's lingering around like a stale fart. So I guess this is sort of a cry for help (don't worry, I'm not in any danger or anything...) but there's so much on my mind right now that I need to rehash/debrief/unwind with someone else...

I need a hug...

There can only be one...

The NBA Playoffs! Where amazing happens... sure.

Western Conference 1st Round
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Denver Nuggets 0

Derek Fisher (Lakers) and Marcus Camby (Nuggets)

New Orleans Hornets 4, Dallas Mavericks 1

Jason Kidd (Mavericks) and Chris Paul (Hornets)

San Antonio Spurs 4, Phoenix Suns 1

Manu Ginobili (Spurs) and Steve Nash (Suns)

Utah Jazz 4, Houston Rockets 2

Tracy McGrady (Rockets) and Carlos Boozer (Jazz)

Eastern Conference 1st Round
Boston Celtics 4, Atlanta Hawks 3

Paul Pierce (Celtics) and Mike Bibby (Hawks)

Detroit Pistons 4, Philadelphia 76ers 2

Andre Iguodala (76ers) and Richard Hamilton (Pistons)

Orlando Magic 4, Toronto Raptors 1

Dwight Howard (Magic) and Chris Bosh (Raptors)

Cleveland Cavaliers 4, Washington Wizards 2

Antwan Jamison (Wizards) and Ben Wallace (Cavaliers)

Western Conference Semi-Finals
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Utah Jazz 2

Kobe Bryant (Lakers) and Carlos Boozer (Jazz)

San Antonio Spurs 4, New Orleans Hornets 3

Tony Parker (Spurs) and Peja Stojakovic (Hornets)

Eastern Conference Semi-Finals
Boston Celtics 4, Cleveland Cavaliers 3

Kevin Garnett (Celtics) and LeBron James (Cavaliers)

Detroit Pistons 4, Orlando Magic 1

Dwight Howard (Magic) and Chauncey Billups (Pistons)

Western Conference Finals
Los Angeles Lakers 1, San Antonio Spurs 0

Kobe Bryant (Lakers) and Tim Duncan (Spurs)

Eastern Conference Finals
Boston Celtics 1, Detroit Pistons 1

Kevin Garnett (Celtics) and Chauncey Billups (Pistons)

...all building up to:

You Don't Mess with the Zohan vs. Baron Davis

This weekend by the numbers

423 - times Brett and Brandon tried to get me in an accident on the way to the Block at Orange
$23.99 - money spent on dinner and $20 on a Dave and Busters card
1 - epic games of Skeeball played (see below)
1 - orange friendship bracelet redeemed from the ticket store (not gay at all...)
$12.50 - money spent on Iron Man, well worth it
1:00am - time arrived back home after the movie
$23 - money spent on a ticket to Six Flags Magic Mountain
6 - roller coasters rode at Six Flags
1 - set of cat ears won for finishing third in a carnival game
1 - awesome lemur won for winning a whack-a-mole game
100 - top speed hit on the 405 on the way back home
2:30am - time arrived back home after Six Flags
10:00am - time met up for the Society of Aerospace Professionals (SOAP) Pub Crawl
10:30am - time started the crawl
$16 - money spent to register for the crawl (to receive and awesome shirt, badge holder, and sharpie...)
4 - number of pubs we made it to (out of 6)
4 - number of people who started off in our group
2 - number of people who failed to make it to the end
542 - number of times Brett called someone a communist while drunk
1 - number of times one of us threw up in a urinal
6 - number of drinks I had (not including beer)
0 - number of drinks I had before this weekend (not including beer)
4 - games of flip-cup played
0 - games of flip-cup played before this weekend....
1 - long, but awesome weekend all around...


Oh, and that game of Skeeball, where Brandon, Brett, and I played, with second place having to consume one drink and third drinking two. We were going at our own pace until Brandon and I had rolled 8 out of 9 balls, each with a score of 200. Brett was far behind after 7 balls, with a score of 130. On his seventh, Brett rolled a 10, giving him 140 after 8 balls. In this skeeball setup, you could score 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, or 100 on any roll, meaning Brett had to roll a 100 to put pressure on Brandon and me. And what do you know, he got to the 100 point hole in the left corner, giving him a total of 240.

Brandon rolled his 9th ball first, scoring 40 points to tie with Brett. But on my final roll, I hit the 50 point hole at the top to claim first! The final scores were:

Shawn 250, Brandon 240, Brett 240

Booya! Brandon and Brett had a roll off to see who finished second, which Brett did. Yeah, it may seem like a lame story, but if you were there, it was totally an epic game.

A question....

well, what do you do when you want something that you can't have? Whether its a new computer, a video game, a girl... what do you do? I think I'm kind of stuck in that situation... and it sucks. A lot.

Finally got that car though... and hopefully moving out of my roach infested apartment soon. Maybe some pictures of the car and all the sporting events I've been to since February 29th. Here's the list:

1. New Orleans Voodoo vs. Los Angeles Avengers (AFL)
2. UCLA Bruins vs. USC Trojans (NCAA Baseball)
3. Stanford Cardinal vs. USC Trojans (NCAA Basketball)
4. UCLA Bruins vs. USC Trojans (Pac-10 Tournament Semi-Finals)
5. Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB Exhibition @ Los Angeles Coliseum)
6. Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers (NBA)
   

It's March Madness!

And the Trojans are matched up against the Kansas State Wildcats of the Big 12 Conference. What happened to the BCS schools being matched up against mid-majors in the first round of the NCAA tourney? Two years running, though it's hard to argue with the results from last year, where USC played three BCS schools, including Texas and player of the year Kevin Durant and top seeded North Carolina. This year, the Trojans open up with player of the year candidate, freshman Michael Beasley:





























One of his teammates, redshirt freshman Bill Walker, shown below, is one of O.J. Mayo's good friends.



























Here are the Wildcat team stats from ESPN.com:
Name - Position - Points - Rebounds - Assists

Michael Beasley	F	26.5	12.4	1.2
Bill Walker	F	15.8	6.4	2.0
Jacob Pullen	G	9.8	1.4	3.2
Clent Stewart	G	7.0	3.1	3.2
Blake Young	G	6.1	3.5	1.9
Fred Brown	G	4.2	1.3	0.7
Andre Gilbert	F	4.2	2.6	1.7
Dominique Sutton	F	3.2	2.5	0.6
Ron Anderson	F	3.1	3.5	0.5
Darren Kent	F	2.5	2.4	1.3
Luis Colon	F	1.2	1.1	0.2
James Franklin	G	0.6	0.7	0.6
Chris Merriewether	G	0.6	0.9	0.8

which knowing USC Coach Tim Floyd, we'll be seeing a lot of triangle & 2 defense on Thursday, with G Daniel Hackett probably getting the tougher draw in Beasley with Mayo defending Walker. Hackett had a similar assignment last year against Texas, where he "held" Durant to a "quiet" 30 points, but Beasley may be a harder matchup for the Italian Stallion, who is only 6-5 whereas Beasley checks in at 6-10. If Hackett can do the same job against Beasley as he did on Durant, SC should have a lot of success, especially since Kansas State doesn't have a lot of options outside of Beasley and Walker. Beasley is adept from 3-point range, shooting at a 39% clip, and he also leads the team in rebounding. This should be the most obvious use of the triangle & 2 for Floyd, so he might change up the defense considering that the Wildcats have a few days to prepare for it.

On offense, it's all about balance. Mayo can't score over 30 points if the Trojans want to be successful, as USC needs contributions from Davon Jefferson, Taj Gibson, Dwight Lewis, and any effort off the bench. Gibson can't lay an egg in this one, he needs at least 15 points and 8 rebounds to be a force, though he should expect double teams down low. Here's where Jefferson steps in. He can't hang out at the three point line, instead he needs to establish himself down low to give USC two options in the post and keep the double teams off of Gibson. If Lewis can continue his drives into the paint and hit the occasional jumper, he'll be doing his part. Hackett should concentrate on defending Beasley. And any effort off the bench, whether it be key minutes from Angelo Johnson spelling Hackett or Lewis, and Keith Wilkinson giving Gibson and Jefferson a quick breather while hitting outside shots and grabbing defensive rebounds, will be a plus. USC can't win if only four guys are contributing, no matter how Mayo is performing. If all seven guys can help out, SC should win this one and move on to the second round.

It's all about how the teams finished. USC finished the season winning 6 of their last 7 before their loss to UCLA in the Pac-10 tourney, and went 12-5 in their last 17 games. Kansas State finished 3-6 to end the regular season. All season long, the Wildcats were pretty inconsistent, going from a high of upsetting Kansas on January 30th to dropping the next game to lowly Missouri. Here's a comparison of the two teams:

Kansas State (20-11, 10-6 Big 12)
Key wins: Oklahoma, Kansas (Big 12 Champs), Texas A&M
Key losses: George Mason (Colonial Champs), Oregon, Notre Dame, Xavier, Missouri, Texas

USC (21-11, 11-7 Pac-10)
Key wins: San Diego (WCC Champs), Oklahoma, UCLA (Pac-10 Champs, #1 seed), Stanford
Key losses: Mercer, Kansas (Big 12 Champs, #1 seed), Memphis (C-USA Champs, #1 seed), UCLA (Pac-10 Champs, #1 seed)

Anyway... maybe more later... but my pick to win it all? UCLA, ugh...

USC fans suck...

First time at a USC-UCLA basketball game yesterday for the Pac-10 tournament semi-finals at Staples Center. Have to say, USC fans are TERRIBLE compared to UCLA fans. I first noticed this trend at a USC-UCLA baseball game a couple of weeks back, where their fans were fired up for the game, which was even more impressive since the game was at Dedeaux Field, the Trojans home field. Anyway, at a "neutral" Staples Center, USC fans were outnumbered 65-30, with the last 5 probably being Wazzu or Stanford fans for the following game. But even with the modest number of fans, it was hard to tell we were even there. UCLA fans, I'll give it up to you guys, you were into the game. Even in the first half, where USC dominated, you still did the eight-clap and UCLA spellout while the band played Sons of Westwood and the other song you stole from Cal. Meanwhile, we Trojan fans sat on our hands, cheering once for big plays while our band refused to play Fight On. It sucked.


SoCal Spellout


We Are SC!

Now I'm no spirit leader, but a response to the Bruin eight-clap would have been more SoCal spellouts or a We Are SC chant, even though that's supposed to be reserved for when we're leading at the end of games, but in an environment like last night, in a neutral arena, we needed to be heard. Every time UCLA fans finished their eight-clap, USC fans should have been right there with a Socal spellout or We Are SC chants. Instead, our lame ass response is to add "sucks" whenever the Bruin fans yelled UCLA. Pretty embarrassing. I think we did the SoCal spellout twice all night. Brutal. Screw saving "We are SC" for the end of games, if the team needs a rallying cry, that's it! The band yells "Go SC" all game long, and "U-S-C" is too short, but "We are SC" is perfect. That's what the SC faithful should have done instead of saying "sucks" after Bruin fans said UCLA. I hate Trojan fans...

It's not completely our fault though, as the USC band needs to play Fight On more often. I think they played it three times all game, once when the team came onto the court before the game, once when they came back from halftime, and when there were a few minutes left in the game. Weak sauce. I think the Bruin band played the Cal fight song several times, especially during their key 15-2 run to start the second half, The Trojan band response to our eight point lead in the first half? "All Right Now"? WEAK. If the band can play Fight On over 30 times during a football game, why can't we hear it more than 3 times during a basketball game? And what happened to playing Conquest? It's our freaking battle cry, and we don't get it before basketball games? That's the best part of the pregame routine in football, yet its nowhere to be heard in basketball? What the heck?

While I hate UCLA in general, I do like their fans. They care about ALL of their sports teams, not just the successful ones. They show up to baseball, basketball, football, volleyball in decent numbers compared to SC fans, who are truly bandwagoners. At least most are. I don't really consider myself a bandwagon fan, even though I did start enjoying USC when the football team won the national championship in 2003. Which, coincidently, was my freshman year here. Now while I haven't been to a whole lot of other USC sporting events, I do root for USC when I get a chance to. Freshman year, I went to the USC-Arizona basketball game when Desmon Farmar scored 40 as the Trojans upset a top-10 Wildcat team. I was there the following game when SC lost to lowly Arizona State, but I was there, even though it was quite a trek to get to the Sports Arena. My sophomore year, I went to two road football games. The first was a close one, where the Trojans rallied from a 11 point halftime deficient to win 31-28 against Stanford. The second was another close one, a 29-24 win over UCLA for a trip to the Orange Bowl, where USC won their second national championship in football. When I was in Hawaii for Winter Break, I went to the Rainbow Classic championship, where USC fell to Hawaii 81-78 under interim coach Jim Saia. I also went to a volleyball game between Hawaii and USC that year, though skipped out on basketball cause I lived sooo far away from the Sports Arena that year. Junior year, I went to the epic Rose Bowl game between USC and Texas. Senior year, I was there for the 13-9 debacle against UCLA at the Rose Bowl, as well as going to a handful of basketball games at the Galen Center. And this year, I traveled to Berkeley for the weekender game against Cal, and have gone to several basketball games and my first USC baseball game. This is on top of being at 30 consecutive home football games during my 5 years at USC. So me a bandwagoner? Hardly...