USC can't give away win to Huskies

Well, I've been pretty disgusted with the Trojans' performance on Saturday. I still can't bring myself to write about what went wrong, that will probably happen either Monday or Tuesday night. For now, with all the top 25 upsets/losses this weekend, there was a lot of shuffling in my top 25, but the top 2 is the same, for now. Cal and tOSU are really making a case to play in New Orleans, though it looks like the November 10th matchup in Berkeley looks like for a spot in the national championship game. I'll also talk about the games from the weekend, but for now, and since I need to go to sleep, here's my top 25:

1. Louisiana State (5-0)
2. Southern California (4-0)
3. California (5-0)
4. Ohio State (5-0)
5. Wisconsin (5-0)
6. South Florida (4-0)
7. Kentucky (5-0)
8. Boston College (5-0)
9. Oklahoma (4-1)
10. Florida (4-1)
11. Oregon (4-1)
12. Virginia Tech (4-1)
13. West Virginia (4-1)
    
14. South Carolina (4-1)
15. Georgia (4-1)
    
16. Hawaii (5-0)
17. Arizona State (5-0)
18. Missouri (4-0)
19. Cincinnati (5-0)
20. Purdue (5-0)
21. Rutgers (3-1)
22. Nebraska (4-1)
    
23. Texas (4-1)
24. Clemson (4-1)
25. Miami (Florida) (4-1)
    

Jake Locker - USC's worst nightmare?

Ever since Vince Young ran all over the Trojan defense in the 2006 Rose Bowl, I have been terrified of running quarterbacks, especially ones with talent. Just last year, USC faced two in conference foes, Washington and Oregon, who featured dual threat QBs in Isaiah Stanback and Dennis Dixon. Stanback gave us fits in a game where we benefited from the clock changes, as the Huskies were marching down field as time expired in a 26-20 USC win. Dixon was able to lead the Ducks offense between the 20s, but Oregon's offense, like other spread sets, struggled to produce in the red zone as the Trojans romped Oregon, 35-10. This year, our first dual-threat QB will be Washington's redshirt freshman Jake Locker, who is touted as the West Coast Tim Tebow. Locker lacks the surrounding talent that Tebow has, but he still has the qualities that make him a great leader as just a freshman. Even though they lost their last two games, Locker was able to lead the Huskies to a halftime lead against Ohio State, and led 3 impressive drives in the fourth quarter against UCLA. Hopefully, Coach Pete Carroll has learned how to play against a running quarterback, with QB Mitch Mustain emulating Locker in practice this week. I like Carroll's move of LB Keith Rivers to the strong side to help stop Locker from running, as he has a very impressive 6.6 yards per carry. If the Huskies other offensive weapons can step up, the Trojans will have trouble stopping Washington. I think if Locker is forced to pass the ball, we're in pretty good shape since the Huskies do not have receivers that pose a threat to us.

Can't forget about when we have the ball. I really like how our passing game developed in the last game against Wazzu. QB John David Booty threw for 4 touchdowns, but he still needs to eliminate the interceptions and other mistakes he's making, like the tipped passes. OC Steve Sarksian called a really good game to help the passing game along, as he knew that if we could run the ball on Nebraska, running against Wazzu would be no problem, at it wasn't; we surprisingly ran for over 200 yards in the game. Washington had trouble stopping the run against UCLA in the fourth quarter, and they even knew that the Huskies were running because the Bruins had a walkon at QB who's job was the turn around and hand off to a running back. Now imagine our offense with Booty finally on track and our 5 headed moster of Chauncey Washington, Stafon Johnson, C.J. Gable, Joe McKnight, and Allen Bradford at running back and probably the best dual threat fullback in the nation with Stanley Havili. Our offensive line only gets stronger with the return of Matt Spanos, but Kris O'Dowd, Jeff Byers, and Sam Baker have been opening up some gaping holes for the backs to run through while keeping Booty off his booty (sorry, couldn't resist). As for the prediction, I'm fairly confident USC will win, and from the rundown I just gave, you would think that I expect USC to cover, but I think 21 points is a lot to give up to Washington in Seattle. But it seems that Carroll finally has the guys jacked up for every game of the season after last year's debacles against Wazzu, UW, ASU, Oregon State, and UCLA. If the Trojans come out focused like they were against the Cougars, then expect a rout. But if we come out sluggish like in our past Pac-10 road openers, the Huskies have a chance for the upset. My prediction, USC (-21) 42, Washington 17

Here are the rest of my picks for this week:

Friday, September 28th
#5 West Virginia (-7.5) 42, #18 South Florida 31

Saturday, September 29th
#1 Southern California (-21) 42, Washington 17
#2 Louisiana State (-41.5) 45, Tulane 0
#3 Oklahoma (-24) 56, Colorado 21
#4 Florida (-18) 35, Auburn 14
#11 Oregon (-6.5) 42, #6 California 35
#7 Texas (-15) 38, Kansas State 14
#8 Ohio State (-24) 38, Minnesota 7
#9 Wisconsin (-7.5) 21, Michigan State 17
#10 Rutgers (-18) 42, Maryland 10
#12 Boston College (OFF) 42, Massachusetts 3
#13 Clemson (-3) 34, Georgia Tech 24
#14 Kentucky (-24) 49, Florida Atlantic 31
#15 Georgia (-15) 31, Mississippi 10
#16 South Carolina (-17) 31, Mississippi State 17
#17 Virginia Tech (-17) 42, North Carolina 14
#19 Hawaii (-25) 66, Idaho 28
Illinois (+3.5) 28, #21 Penn State 24
#22 Alabama (+3) 24, Florida State 16
#23 Arizona State (-14.5) 42, Stanford 21
#24 Cincinnati (-15) 42, San Diego State 13
#25 Nebraska (-21) 49, Iowa State 35
Washington State (+3) 28, Arizona 17
UCLA (-2) 15, Oregon State 10

USC tames Cougars

#1 Southern California 47, Washington State 14

Finally, for the first time in a while, the Trojans played a complete game, dominating on both sides of the ball, with the offense clicking in both the passing and running aspects of the game and the defense shutting down the run and more or less preventing the big play. Offensive coordinator called 25 pass plays in the first half to get QB John David Booty going, which worked, as he threw for 279 yards and 4 touchdowns, though it still seems the threat of the deep ball is still missing, which may develop as WRs Vidal Hazelton and David Ausberry grow into their roles. But TE Fred Davis had a monster game, catching 9 balls for 124 yards and 2 scores. The run game seemed to be absent in the first half, but we still managed to gain over 200 yards on the ground. The offensive line again was dominant, and there were also a couple of surprises in the backfield. RB Hershel Dennis had a nice cameo at running back, but it was really nice to see Joe McKnight get some touches and be productive with them, and it was exciting to see the potential we have in the punt return game with his long return in the second half. No real complaints from me on the offense here.

The defense gave up two long drives to start each half, surrendering a touchdown on both. But between that, the Trojans locked down the Cougars, especially in the second half, when they forced 6 straight three-and-outs or turnovers, including a gift from Wazzu P Darryl Blunt, who mishandled a snap which resulted in a field goal for USC. LB Keith Rivers was all over the field, getting 13 tackles. The D-line again dominated, and they held the Cougs to 64 yards on 27 rushes. The pass defense again was a little suspect, especially on the 50 yard bomb they gave up on the first drive, but more or less, they held strong all game long. DE Kyle Moore picked off another pass as teams look for the slant, they have to think twice and look to see if Moore has dropped back into zone coverage. And it was nice to see that Wazzu did not score garbage time touchdowns like Nebraska did last week. Special teams was solid, if not spectacular, but Joe McKnight looked great on his punt return.

And now for the game balls:

Offense - It was nice to see Booty open up (kinda) in the pass game, but the benefactor, TE Fred Davis, really broke out today with 9 receptions for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Defense - The front seven all played solid tonight, but WLB Keith Rivers was all over the field, collecting 14 tackles, including 9 solo and 2.5 for loss. He really is earning that #55 jersey he got as a freshman.

Special Teams - No real star here, but RB Allen Bradford had a couple of crushing hits on kickoff coverage. If his return would have stood, McKnight would get the ball here.

Some quick thoughts:

• Man, Louisville got stunned by Syracuse this week. Even though most knew the Cardinals' defense was suspect, Syracuse? Really? It seems like no team the Big East plays defense.
• Michigan has officially bounced back and could be a favorite to play in the Rose Bowl. I didn't see a lot of the game, but I felt that Penn State had a shot to win the Big Ten this year. But now, if Chad Henne is healthy in time for the Ohio State game, and Mike Hart hasn't broken down after carrying the ball 500 times in the next 7 games, they have a shot. The Big Ten looks really bad right now, as Wisconsin again struggled to put away a weaker opponent, though Ohio State finally got the fast start they needed against a hapless Northwestern team.
• Man, the ACC is screwed up. I think there are two teams at 3-0 in conference play, while there are other teams that haven't even played a conference game yet. Boston College and Clemson have to be the favorites right now, but nice comeback win by Wake Forest to shock Maryland.
• Pac-10 roundup, California outruns Arizona 45-27, Arizona State rallies from 19 down in the first quarter to defeat Oregon State 44-32, Oregon struggles in the first half against Stanford before pulling away 55-31, and UCLA won 44-31, but I am critical of the Bruins after they beat us last year, and well they've got quarterback issues. And allowing 21 fourth quarter points doesn't help their defense either.

And how my picks fared (I should give up;;;):

Straight up: 20-4 (91-14/86.7% overall)
Against the spread: 9-12 (33-45-4 overall)

And my top 25 after week 4

1. Louisiana State (4-0)
2. Southern California (3-0)
3. Oklahoma (4-0)
4. Florida (4-0)
5. West Virginia (4-0)
6. Ohio State (4-0)
7. California (4-0)
8. Texas (4-0)
9. Oregon (4-0)
   
10. Rutgers (3-0)
11. Boston College (4-0)
12. Wisconsin (4-0)
13. Clemson (4-0)
14. Virginia Tech (3-1)
15. Kentucky (4-0)
16. Penn State (3-1)
17. Hawaii (4-0)
    
18. South Carolina (3-1)
19. Missouri (4-0)
20. South Florida (3-0)
21. Georgia (3-1)
22. Arizona State (4-0)
23. Nebraska (3-1)
24. Alabama (3-1)
25. Cincinnati (4-0)
    

Time to win the Pac-10

Well, week 4 in the college football season is here, and boy how time flies. In the young season, we have seen the mighty fall (Michigan, Notre Dame) while the contenders are starting to build their resumes for the push for New Orleans. This week, the Trojans host the Washington State Cougars in the Pac-10 opener for both schools. The Cougars are 2-1 on the season, but only played impressively against Wisconsin, though with the Badgers recent struggles against UNLV and the Citadel, that game is looking less impressive. They beat San Diego State, but the Aztecs aren't going anywhere, and they beat Idaho by 17 points. QB Alex Brink leads a scrappy Wazzu squad that played the Trojans tough last year, falling when S Taylor Mays picked off Brink on the game's final game This year, USC looks to improve their performance in Pac-10 play, where they played in 5 games that were decided by 7 points or less (WSU, UW, ASU, OSU, UCLA) and none, other than Stanford, were decided until the fourth quarter. Hopefully we'll face the Cougars of old, with Bill Doba going for an onside kick to start the game and trying to survive the first half without falling behind by 28. With our offense being dominant on the ground and sluggish in the air, SC really needs to get the offense moving in their home games, with tough road matchups coming up. In this one, I say that DT Sedrick Ellis and DE Lawrence Jackson dominate the line on defense, while C Kris O'Dowd and G Jeff Byers hold on offense, and that the Trojans (-25.5) win 38-17.

Here are the rest of my picks, including for last night's game between Texas A&M and Miami.

Thursday, September 20th
Miami (Florida) (-3) 34, #20 Texas A&M 17

Friday, September 21st
#4 Oklahoma (-24.5) 42, Tulsa 25

Saturday, September 22nd
#1 Southern California (-25.5) 38, Washington State 17
#2 Louisiana State (-18.5) 42, #12 South Carolina 10
#3 Florida (-24) 63, Mississippi 7
#5 West Virginia (-24.5) 31, East Carolina 10
#6 California (-14) 35, Arizona 14
#7 Texas (-38) 38, Rice 14
#8 Ohio State (-23.5) 35, Northwestern 7
#9 Wisconsin (-7.5) 14, Iowa 3
Michigan (+3) 21, #10 Penn State 17
#13 Oregon (-17.5) 42, Stanford 18
#14 Boston College (-27) 49, Army 10
#15 Clemson (-7.5) 31, North Carolina State 13
#16 Alabama (-3.5) 23, #22 Georgia 17
#17 Virginia Tech (OFF) 31, William & Mary 0
#18 Louisville (-37) 70, Syracuse 31
#19 Hawaii (OFF) 63, Charleston Southern 21
Arkansas (-7) 24, #21 Kentucky 21
#23 South Florida (-13.5) 34, North Carolina 19
#24 Nebraska (-23.5) 42, Ball State 10
#25 Missouri (OFF) 45, Southern Illinois 0
Arizona State (-11.5) 24, Oregon State 7
Washington (+6) 27, UCLA 20

Trojans pop Corn (Huskers)...

#1 Southern California 49, #14 Nebraska 31

Well, the Trojans made a statement in Lincoln against the Cornhuskers, winning 49-31 in a game that was not as close as the final score. The Trojans led 49-17 in the fourth before Sam Keller padded his stats with two late touchdown drives against USC's prevent defense. The offense, especially the running game and the offensive line looked very impressive. USC rushed for over 300 yards against a very respectable Nebraska defense, with the o-line, led by C Kris O'Dowd, opening up gaping holes for Stafon Johnson and co. to run for long gains. Many times, the backs would get five yards past the line of scrimmage before they would even be touched. Johnson looks like a legit #1 back, with C.J. Gable there to provide the spark and Chauncey Washington to punch it in around the goal line. The passing game was disappointing though, but I'd take running the ball effectively over a big passing day for John David Booty. Booty finished 19-30 for 144 yards and a couple of scores, but many of the passing plays were set up by our effective run game. And I don't think it's great having our FB, Stanley Havili, lead the team in receiving, though Patrick Turner did really struggle in his return from injury.

The defense was so-so at best, but if there were some bright spots, it was our ability to really stuff the run and force Nebraska to be one dimensional... which meant Keller throwing 55 times to try and make the score more respectable. It was also nice to see us win the turnover battle, with Terrell Thomas and Kyle Moore picking off Keller once. But it was disappointing to see Nebraska throw for over 380 yards against us, with the defense not being able to stop the short routes. Then again, we did defend against the big play, so we were better off.Sedrick Ellis looks really impressive, but I still think that he can't hold Glenn Dorsey's jock yet, no offense to Ellis.

Anyway, here are my game balls:

Offense - No obvious choice here, with Stafon really moving the ball to help us get the big lead, but I think that FB Stanley Havili deserves some props, leading the team with 3 catches and a score, as well as his 50 yard run on the first play of the game for USC which really set the tone for the game.

Defense - NT Sedrick Ellis really caused problems for the Nebraska front and was one of the few bright spots on the field, though I may have to look at the defensive stats before I make a true decision.

Special Teams - Ugh, fire Desmond Reed! Time to put C.J. Gable back there, especially since we don't have to worry about him being our #1 back with Stafon and Chauncey. But a big Fight On to Vincent Joseph for a speedy recovery. But my game ball goes to LB Malcolm Smith, who had the awareness to pick up Joseph's fumble and return it 50 yards which led to a TD drive which gave us the lead for good.

Here are some thoughts from other games:

• Florida looked really impressive today, defeating Tennessee 59-20. They look ready to enter the grunt of the SEC schedule, and that LSU game should determine who's playing in the BCS championship.
• Texas again looked sluggish in their 35-32 win over Central Florida. Colt McCoy is definitely experiencing a sophomore slump, and if they had not played TCU last week, they would be much lower in my eyes.
• The Big Ten continues to struggle in out of conference play. Wisconsin edged the Citadel 45-31 in a game that was tied 21-21 at the half. This is the second straight week where Wisconsin had problems against a weaker team, as last week they outlasted UNLV 20-13. Ohio State had a early scare, but eventually pulled away from an upstart Washington team 33-14. Michigan did show some promise, shutting out Notre Dame 38-0, but the Irish are such a mess, I would not be surprised if they were 0-7 heading into our matchup. Michigan State had problems putting away Pitt 17-13, but the Spartans are 3-0 heading into their game against Notre Dame, so they'll be 4-0 heading into next week. Penn State gave up some points to Buffalo in their win, 45-24. Florida International defeated Minnesota, which is really struggling. Iowa lost to Iowa State, who lost to a FCS team last week. And Northwestern lost to Duke(!) ending the Blue Devils 22 game losing streak. Unbelievable.
  
• And UCLA. Hahahahaha. Sorry, it wouldn't have been bad if they lost. But the way they lost, 44-6 to a Utah team without their starting QB and RB. Man, Olson needs to get hurt soon so Joe Cowan can be their QB again, cause he just isn't getting it done. And what happened to the Bruin defense? If Utah can do that to UCLA, what will Oregon, Cal, and Arizona State do to them
  

And here's how I did this week...

Straight up: 21-5
Against the spread:5-12-2

And so far...

Straight up: 71-10
Against the spread: 24-33-4

And finally, here's my top 25 after week 3:

1. Louisiana State (3-0)
2. Southern California (2-0)
3. Oklahoma (3-0)
   
4. Florida (3-0)
5. West Virginia (3-0)
6. Ohio State (3-0)
7. Penn State (3-0)
8. California (3-0)
9. Rutgers (3-0)
10. Wisconsin (3-0)
11. Texas (3-0)
12. Oregon (3-0)
13. Boston College (3-0)
14. South Carolina (3-0)
15. Louisville (2-1)
16. Texas A&M (3-0)
    
17. Clemson (3-0)
18. Missouri (3-0)
    
19. Hawaii (3-0)
20. Virginia Tech (2-1)
21. Alabama (3-0)
22. Nebraska (2-1)
23. Georgia Tech (2-1)
24. South Florida (2-0)
25. Arizona State (3-0)
    

Time to chew some Big Red...

Well, huge test for the Trojans this week as USC travels to Lincoln, Nebraska to face the #14 Cornhuskers. Nebraska is 2-0 on the young season, blowing out Nevada at home and inching by Wake Forest on the road. A lot of people are picking upset here, and even more experts are putting USC as the #3 team in the country after our lackluster performance against Idaho two weeks ago with LSU and Oklahoma looking very good so far. I can't disagree with that statement, as if the three teams were to play round robin right now, I'd say the Tigers go 2-0 and the Sooners 1-1. I'm not sure what the hell was wrong with our team against Idaho, but if we play like that against the Huskers, we'll be lucky to keep the game close. I hope Pete Carroll and the coaching staff really got into the boys this week, as the offense needs to be sharp and the defense needs to force turnovers.

On offense, QB John David Booty played a reserved game against the Vandals two weeks ago, throwing for a little over 200 yards and 3 touchdowns with an interception. Most of his passes were short, safe routes, with the big plays being created by the receiver and not by Booty's throw. He really looked a lot to Stanley Havili, many times as the first option, but maybe with the return of Patrick Turner and maybe more reps with Vidal Hazelton, he can look to stretch the field against Nebraska. Of course for the passing game to work, the running game needs to get going. The first half against Idaho was solid, but when the backups (Joe McKnight and Desmond Reed) got into the game, the offense stalled. Where's the fire to blow our opponents out of the water? It seems we race out to a 21 point lead and coast of the way. We need the petal to the metal, its not like we're going to wear out our better running backs. And Chauncey Washington returns this week as well, splitting carries with C.J. Gable and Stafon Johnson, so I look for better things from our offense. The lone bright spot was the offensive line, giving Booty all the time to throw and opening up some nice holes for the backs, especially with Kris O'Dowd holding his own as a true freshman center.

On defense, oh boy. We did force Idaho to punt the ball several times, but the Vandals still were able to move the ball against the supposed best defense in Division I. But after giving up 10 points and recovering one fumble (which wasn't forced), teams like Washington, Oregon, and Arizona State are going to carve us up on the road. It's fine to give up some yards, but when we can't turn the tide with a turnover, the defense starts to get frustrated and the offense cools down on the sideline, giving the momentum to the other team. The D-line hardly got any pressure on the Idaho QB. There is no excuse for that with All-American candidates Sedrick Ellis and Lawrence Jackson holding down the line. The linebackers did their best, but with no turnovers, their effort was average at best. The only downside was Brian Cushing going down with an injury, but with our depth, Clay Matthews was able to stand in and be the defensive MVP for the game (no game ball though, heh). The secondary did the best they could have out of a cover 2, but the Vandals were able to exploit the zone and move the ball. Right now, I wouldn't even give this unit a top 10 ranking.

As for my prediction, geez. USC wasn't very good in covering the spread last year, but they did cover against the better teams. Here's the breakdown from last year:

Covered @ Arkansas, vs. Nebraska, @ Stanford, vs. Oregon, vs. California, vs. Notre Dame, vs. Michigan
Lost @ Arizona, @ Washington State, vs. Washington, vs. Arizona State, @ Oregon State, @ UCLA

With that out of the way, I'll go USC (-10) 24, Nebraska 13, with the game down to the wire til a David Buehler 42 yard field goal puts the game out of reach late in the fourth quarter (I hope I'm wrong...)

And here's my picks for this week's other games:

Thursday, September 13th
#4 West Virginia (-17) 42, Maryland 31

Saturday, September 15th
#1 Southern California (-10) 24, #14 Nebraska 13
#2 Louisiana State (OFF) 41, Middle Tennessee State 0
#3 Oklahoma (-46) 59, Utah State 7
#5 Florida (-8) 42, #22 Tennessee 24
#6 Texas (-17.5) 35, Central Florida 13
#7 Wisconsin (OFF) 49, The Citadel 3
#8 California (-33) 56, Louisiana Tech 21
#9 Louisville (-6) 62, Kentucky 54 (Pitino edges out Tubby in a defensive battle, lol)
Washington (+3.5) 24, Ohio State 21
#11 UCLA (-15.5) 35, Utah 10
#12 Penn State (-35) 38, Buffalo 0
#13 Rutgers (OFF) 45, Norfolk State 7
#15 Georgia Tech (-7) 31, #21 Boston College 21
Alabama (+3) 12, #16 Arkansas 10
#17 South Carolina (OFF) 72, South Carolina State 14
#18 Virginia Tech (-21) 23, Ohio 6
#19 Oregon (-16.5) 35, Fresno State 31
#20 Clemson (OFF) 31, Furman 6
#22 Georgia (OFF) 35, Western Carolina 3
#24 Hawaii (-17.5) 49, Nevada-Las Vegas 38
#25 Texas A&M (OFF) 42, Louisiana-Monroe 17
Arizona (-10) 32, New Mexico 17
Arizona State (-28) 56, San Diego State 21
Stanford (-7.5) 28, San Jose State 20
Washington State (-25.5) 35, Idaho 7

Week 2 in Review

A week of big match-ups turned into a series of games where ranked teams fought to survive. Michigan and Notre Dame both lost again, while LSU is my new #1 with an impressive performance against Virginia Tech. First, here's how my picks panned out for the week:

Straight up: 23-3 (missed Oregon State, Texas Christian, and Boise State)
Against the spread: 8-14-2

It's always easy to pick winners in college football early in the season, but as shown, its hard to pick against the spread (also I really suck...). Anyway, I tried to watch some games on and off, but it was hard to keep track of them without a USC game. Here are some of the highlights of a pretty good slate of games:

• LSU obliterated the Hokies 48-7, showing both the Tigers dominance on defense and VT's ineptness on offense. I stopped watching after halftime, when LSU led 24-0, but from what I saw, I have the Tigers as #1 in my top 25 (it also doesn't help that USC didn't play this weekend). What I do know, the Trojans have to start playing defense like LSUor we will be beat down the road, whether by Oregon (more later) or UCLA. Another scary thought is that the Tigers have the same two-headed quarterback that Florida had last year in Matt Flynn and Ryan Perriloux, with the former being the pocket passer and the latter being the designated runner (though I don't see any jump shot touchdown passes in Perriloux's future). Glenn Dorsey is as advertised, and they have a very opportunistic secondary, yanking down any picks that float back there. The only thing that may stop LSU is their difficult schedule, playing in the SEC.
  
• Oklahoma destroyed Miami 51-13 with another strong performance by QB Sam Bradford. The Sooners look very good so far this season and look to be the early favorite in the Red River Shootout. If they can get past Texas, they may finish undefeated.
  
• Texas looked flat again until TCU faltered late as the Longhorns pulled away 34-13. TCU looked primed for the upset, leading 10-0 at the half, but Texas finally kicked it into gear 6 quarters into the season for the win. The Horned Frogs didn't help matters with turnovers. After their first two performances of the season, it looks like Texas could face at least a couple of losses on the season.
• My two upset specials were South Florida over Auburn and South Carolina over Georgia. Neither Auburn or Georgia looked impressive in their season openers, and after both lost at home, they are both out of my top 25. South Florida just wanted it more, while South Carolina just took it to the Bulldogs.
• UCLA hung on for dear life against BYU, seeing a 20 point lead shrink to 3 before the Bruins finally sustained a drive that led to the final score of 27-17. Had the Cougars not fumbled at the UCLA 13, it would have been a different story. The Bruin defense looked decent, but their offense needs to get it together as they enter Pac-10 play. They have a game against a Utah team without their starting QB and TB, so they should use this game to get their offense going.
• Hawaii avoided the upset, as the 28 point favorites sweated out a failed two point conversion in overtime to escape with a 45-44 win over Louisiana Tech. Colt Brennan hurt his Heisman chances with 3 turnovers (pick, 2 lost fumbles), as he needs to play flawlessly, as well as avoid games like these to even have a chance.
• Boise State finally lost, this time to a very promising Washington team led by freshman QB Jake Locker, 24-10. I couldn't watch the game, but its hard to imagine the Husky defense stopping RB Ian Johnson. While its tempting to put Washington in my top 25, if they defeat Ohio State in Seattle, oh boy, the Trojans might be in trouble. In an era of college football where mobile QBs are popping up in smaller schools, Locker will look to give tOSU and USC trouble, like how App State and Oregon did to Michigan with mobile QBs.
• A third WAC team, Fresno State, made some noise as well, taking Texas A&M to the limit in a near upset, 47-45 in three overtimes, failing on the mandatory 2 point conversion after trailing 19-0 at halftime. Had they made that play, who knows, the Bulldogs could have done more damage against the Aggies, as both teams looked gassed at the end.
• Michigan and Notre Dame will face off in the pillow fight of the week next week. Michigan got creamed 39-7 while the Irish mustered only 3 offensive points again in falling to Penn State, 31-10. The Wolverines look done for the season. They may win a few games (only five guaranteed wins that I can count), but Oregon did their job, repeatedly kicking the Wolverines while they were done. I think Michigan can rebound to beat Notre Dame, only because their offense is so bad, but then again, the Michigan defense hasn't stopped anyone since, er, um, yeah... The Fighting Irish on the other hand, has looked equally bad on both offense and defense. Their star defender, Tom Zbikowski, looks nothing like he did against USC in 2005 when he returned that punt for touchdown, and their offense has mustered 6 points in two games (their touchdown was a pick-6). The Irish are realistically looking at a 0-8 start, though Michigan State is always good for one inexplicable loss, and at least Notre Dame can finish strong against Air Force, Duke, and Stanford.

And here's my top 25 after week 2:

1. Louisiana State (2-0)
2. Southern California (1-0)
3. Oklahoma (2-0)
4. Florida (2-0)
5. West Virginia (2-0)
6. Wisconsin (2-0)
7. Louisville (2-0)
8. Ohio State (2-0)
9. Penn State (2-0)
   
10. Texas (2-0)
11. California (2-0)
12. Rutgers (2-0)
13. UCLA (2-0)
14. Nebraska (2-0)
15. Georgia Tech (2-0)
16. Missouri (2-0)
17. Arkansas (1-0)
    
18. Oregon (2-0)
    
19. Hawaii (2-0)
    
20. Boston College (2-0)
21. Virginia Tech (1-1)
22. Texas A&M (2-0)
    
23. Clemson (2-0)
24. South Carolina (2-0)
25. Appalachian State (2-0) (because I can...)
    

Week 2 of College Football...

Hmm, no USC game this week, but there are other huge games that will take place. Here are my picks, though I missed Thursday and today's games, I'll give who I thought was going to win...

Thursday, September 6th
#8 Louisville (-38) 69, Middle Tennessee State 21
Oregon State (-3) 32, Cincinnati 17

Friday, September 7th
#15 Rutgers (-17) 38, Navy 14

Saturday, September 8th
#2 Louisiana State (-11.5) 14, #9 Virginia Tech 10
#3 West Virginia (-25) 51, Marshall 21
#4 Florida (-27) 35, Troy 14
#5 Oklahoma (-11.5) 42, Miami (Florida) 28
#5 Wisconsin (-25.5) 49, Nevada-Las Vegas 14
#19 Texas Christian (+9) 34, #7 Texas 28
#10 California (-14.5) 38, Colorado State 10
South Carolina (+4) 24, #11 Georgia 22
#12 Ohio State (-29) 45, Akron 9
#13 UCLA (-8) 28, Brigham Young 21
#14 Penn State (-18) 35, Notre Dame 7
#16 Nebraska (-9) 42, Wake Forest 21
South Florida (+7) 31, #17 Auburn 28
#20 Hawaii (-28) 59, Louisiana Tech 21
#21 Georgia Tech (OFF) 49, Samford 0
#22 Boise State (-3) 35, Washington 27
#23 Texas A&M (-17) 45, Fresno State 17
#24 Tennessee (-11) 35, Southern Mississippi 21
#25 Clemson (-27.5) 42, Louisiana-Monroe 8
Arizona (OFF) 31, Northern Arizona 14
Arizona State (-15) 45, Colorado 21
Oregon (+7.5) 49, Michigan 45
Washington State (-14) 31, San Diego State 15

Straight up: 2-1
Against the Spread: 0-2-1

Results from the weekend

#1 Southern California 38, Idaho 10

It was a ho-hum performance for a pretty mellow sell-out crowd of over 90,000 fans in the Coliseum as the Trojans jumped out to a 21-0 first half lead and coasted the rest of the way. I'm not sure what it was, but it seemed like the offense used methodical drives and the defense was in their base cover 2 defense the entire night, maybe to not tip their hand to Nebraska or to avoid big plays and the unthinkable, pulling a Michigan (more on that later). John David Booty threw for three touchdowns and a pick, but was off several times, including two tips on five wide sets on third downs and two drops when we were at the 2 yard line by David Ausberry. But the highlight of the night was this touchdown pass to Vidal Hazelton:

Stafon Johnson was by far the most impressive on the night, constantly moving the offense and scoring two touchdowns, while C.J. Gable had one impressive run and a touchdown catch. It was encouraging to see Stanley Havili be that fullback option in the passing game after missing it so much last year. The defense was pretty disappointing in the fact that we only had one takeaway, which looked even worse as the offense gave up three (!) turnovers. Hopefully Brian Cushing can use the bye week to recover from this ankle sprain. The kicking game looked solid, and it was a nice tribute by the Trojans to Mario Danelo, with the missing man formation on the first point after attempt of the game. Of course most of the LA fans and the students did not notice what was going on. Here's the clip:

Here's my game balls:

Offense: RB Stafon Johnson. Solid effort in his first start, going for 64 yards on 12 rushes with 2 touchdowns. Booty tossed 3 TDs, but did not look impressive at all.

Defense: LB Clay Matthews really stepped up and played solid defense after Cushing went down with an injury.

Special Teams: K David Buehler was solid in his debut, making 5-5 PATs and a 36 yard field goal. He also booted some kicks into the end zone, which was solid especially with the kickoff being pushed back to the 30 this year.

And ho boy, don't forget about the Michigan game. Too bad it wasn't on TV (probably because Appalachian State is a FCS school). But Lloyd Carr had a brain fart when he went for 2 in the third quarter. But Michigan had a chance twice in the last two minutes to clinch a win, but two blocked kicks led to their demise. Also, WTF Texas? That would have been a bad loss to Arkansas State at home. At least our game was never in doubt. Here's how I did this weekend"

Straight up: 27-2 (missed Michigan and Tennessee)
Against the Spread: 11-7

I'll post my top 25 after the Clemson/FSU game.

Update: Here's my Top 25...

1. Southern California (1-0)
2. Louisiana State (1-0)
3. West Virginia (1-0)
4. Wisconsin (1-0)
   
5. Florida (1-0)
6. Oklahoma (1-0)
7. Louisville (1-0)
8. Virginia Tech (1-0)
9. California (1-0)
10. Ohio State (1-0)
11. Georgia (1-0)
    
12. UCLA (1-0)
    
13. Rutgers (1-0)
    
14. Texas (1-0)
15. Nebraska (1-0)
16. Penn State (1-0)
17. Auburn (1-0)
18. Arkansas (1-0)
19. Texas Christian (1-0)
20. Hawaii (1-0)
21. Boise State (1-0)
    
22. Georgia Tech (1-0)
23. Missouri (1-0)
24. Boston College (1-0)
25. Texas A&M (1-0)
    

Guess who's back?

Well, after a 8 month hiatus, college football returns tonight with a couple of interesting games. For now, here's my picks for all top 25 games and Pac-10 games (winners in bold)...

Thursday, August 30th
#2 Louisiana State (-20) 34, Mississippi State 3
#10 Louisville (OFF) 56, Murray State 0
#16 Rutgers (-32.5) 42, Buffalo 6
#24 Boise State (OFF) 63, Weber State 0
Oregon State (-6.5) 32, Utah 21

Friday, August 31st
Washington (-3.5) 22, Syracuse 21

Saturday, September 1st
#1 Southern California (-46) 52, Idaho 3
#3 West Virginia (-24) 42, Western Michigan 17
#4 Texas (OFF) 70, Arkansas State 3
#5 Michigan (OFF) 35, Appalachian State 0
#6 Florida (OFF) 66, Western Kentucky 0
#7 Wisconsin (-14) 42, Washington State 31
#8 Oklahoma (OFF) 49, North Texas 0
#9 Virginia Tech (-28) 35, East Carolina 14
#11 Ohio State (OFF) 66, Youngstown State 0
#15 Tennessee (+6.5) 32, #12 California 28
#13 Georgia (-6) 31, Oklahoma State 27
#14 UCLA (-17) 24, Stanford 6
#17 Penn State (OFF) 47, Florida International 7
#18 Auburn (-14) 23, Kansas State 7
#20 Nebraska (-21.5) 45, Nevada 14
#21 Arkansas (OFF) 31, Troy 13
#22 Texas Christian (-21) 38, Baylor 0
#23 Hawaii (OFF) 69, Northern Colorado 28Monda
#25 Texas A&M (OFF) 52, Montana State 6
Oregon (-16) 35, Houston 21
Brigham Young (-4) 21, Arizona 16
Arizona State (-15) 56, San Jose State 21

Monday, September 3rd
Clemson (+3.5) 19, #19 Florida State 18

My Final Top 25 of the season

Yeah, took a while to recover from the devastating loss to UCLA in Pasadena over a month ago, but a win over Michigan in the Rose Bowl was quick to remedy that. Until tonight's game, where the Florida Gators demolished the Ohio State Buckeyes 41-14 to win their second national championship. Kudos to the Gators from locking down Heisman winner Troy Smith, holdng him to 4-14 passing for 35 yards with an interception and a lost fumble.

First the Rose Bowl, great win by the Trojans, with the coaching staff showing the ability to modify their gameplan from trying to establish the run to fuck it, we're going to throw the ball until they can stop us. Which Michigan could not, allowing QB John David Booty to throw for 391 yards and 4 touchdowns, all to three players playing their last games as Trojans, assuming Dwayne Jarrett leaves for the NFL riches. Nice to see Chris McFoy back in the mix with his touchdown that got things rolling. And the defense did its job too, forcing Michigan to abandon the run and to go to the pass, which did help QB Chad Henne to get the ball rolling. But when it was all said and done, USC had won another Rose Bowl with a dominating second half performance. But the Trojans' impressive showing in Pasadena was outdone by the Gators in Glendale tonight.

The Gators didn't seem to be doing anything too impressive. It was the Buckeyes getting off the first big play of the game, Ted Ginn's 93 yard opening kickoff return for a touchdown, which would be Ohio State's lone bright spot of the game. The Gators quickly answered with a couple of touchdowns while their defense limited the Bucks to 82(!) total yards of offense, with Troy Smith getting very little time to look for an opening and Ginn knocked out early in the game. But our win over Michigan loses some of its luster after the Gators were able to run all over Ohio State. No question, Florida is the best team this season, but Boise State fans will never know how their team will stack up against the Gators, as despite having the best record this season at 13-0, will not have a chance to play for the national championship.

Before my final top 25, I'll create other lists to help recap this great season of college football:

Top 10 Games:

1. 1/1/07 - Tostitos Fiesta Bowl - Boise State 43, Oklahoma 42, O/T: Shame on you if you missed this game, or at least the last 30 minutes of it. Oklahoma tied it at 28 on their third two point conversion attempt, and on the next play from scrimmage, the Sooners took a 35-28 lead on an interception return for a touchdown. The Broncos battled back, sending the game into overtime with a hook and lateral play on fourth and long. Oklahoma had the ball first in overtime, and Adrian Peterson took the first handoff for a 25 yard touchdown run. But Boise fought back again, having a receiver throw for a touchdown on fourth down, then running the statue of liberty play to win the game on the two point conversion. Whew. Here's the rest of the list, don't take the order too seriously:
2. Ohio State 42, Michigan 39
3. Kansas State 45, Texas 42
4. Oregon State 33, Southern California 31
5. Rutgers 28, Louisville 25
6. Notre Dame 40, Michigan State 37
7. Oregon 34, Oklahoma 33
8. Oregon State 39, Missouri 38
9. Texas Tech 44, Minnesota 41, O/T
10. West Virginia 41, Rutgers 39, 3 O/T

More lists to come as I can think of them/become bored

And my final Top 25 rankings:

1. Florida (12-1)
2. Louisville (12-1)
3. Boise State (13-0)
4. Louisiana State (11-2)
5. Ohio State (12-1)
6. Southern California (11-2)
   
7. Wisconsin (12-1)
8. Auburn (11-2)
9. West Virginia (11-2)
10. Michigan (11-2)
11. Oklahoma (11-3)
12. Rutgers (11-2)
13. Texas (10-3)
14. Brigham Young (11-2)
15. Arkansas (10-4)
16. California (10-3)
17. Wake Forest (11-3)
18. Notre Dame (10-3)
19. Boston College (10-3)
20. Oregon State (10-4)
21. Texas Christian (11-2)
22. Virginia Tech (11-2)
23. Hawaii (11-3)
24. Georgia (9-4)
25. Penn State (9-4)

And finally, the Trojan family lost a member over the weekend, K Mario Danelo. Fight on #19, you will be missed. Here's to 13-0 for Super Mario in 2007.

One more to go

Well, USC might have to settle for one trip to the Rose Bowl this season, as a 6-5 UCLA team is the only thing standing between USC and Glendale on January 8th. The Trojans dominated from the start, going up 21-3 before Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn and the Irish knew what hit them. Charlie Weis sent out his team for 6 fourth downs, of which they only made two, which really set the tempo for the game. Notre Dame had a hard time adjusting to USC's speed, and may have figured out things in the second quarter, but the Trojans pulled away in the fourth. Quinn made the game close, 37-24 with about 3 minutes remaining, before DE Brian Cushing returned an onside kick attempt 42 yards to the house for USC's first kickoff return since Reggie Bush did it against UCLA in 2003. John David Booty started off on fire, leading the Trojans to touchdowns on their first three drives, but looked a little stagnant after we went up 21-3, as on three consecutive drives, the Trojans had a punt blocked and threw two interceptions. But with a few halftime adjustments, USC was able to pull away to move one game from the big one. Booty really took advantage of Dwayne Jarrett's height and the mismatch with the Irish secondary, hooking up for three touchdowns. The defense was solid even in giving up 24 points, they made Quinn earn each touchdown and really clamped down in the red zone. Any rushing attempt Notre Dame tried inside the 5 was shut down for a loss, forcing Quinn to go to the air for the touchdown. It wasn't a 31 point blowout of the Ty Willingham era, but it still was a statement heading into the season finale. Time for the game balls...

Offense: WR Dwayne Jarrett really stepped up today, catching 7 passes for 132 yards and 3 touchdowns. Booty would have got it, as he really tore apart the Notre Dame secondary, but those two picks, even though they didn't result in points, should not have happened. Honorable mention to C.J. Gable, who had over 100 yards rushing.

Defense: LB Dallas Sartz may have heard a lot of critics this year, starting in front of a lot of talented linebackers, but he came up in his final game in the Coliseum, making 8 tackles and recording a sack and playing all around solid defense out there. The secondary deserves huge props as well, containing the Notre Dame receivers as well as limiting Quinn to 22-45 passing.

Special Teams: Desmond Reed turned the tide of the game with his huge 40 yard punt return, which resulted in Jarrett's second touchdown of the game. There was no way Reed was going to fair catch that one, especially after the grass incident in South Bend last year.

And I had USC (-7.5) 31, Notre Dame 24. Off on the spread again...

Season-to-date:
W-L - 10-1
Against the spread: 5-5-1 (well, blowouts are good, right?)

And my top 25...

1. Ohio State (12-0)
2. Michigan (11-1)
3. Southern California (10-1)
4. Florida (11-1)
5. Louisville (10-1)
6. Boise State (12-0)
7. Louisiana State (10-2)
8. Wisconsin (11-1)
9. Oklahoma (10-2)
10. Arkansas (10-2)
11. Notre Dame (10-2)
12. Auburn (10-2)
13. Rutgers (10-1)
14. Virginia Tech (10-2)
15. Wake Forest (10-2)
    
16. West Virginia (9-2)
    
17. Hawaii (10-2)
18. Brigham Young (10-2)
19. Texas (9-3)
    
20. Tennessee (8-3)
21. California (8-3)
22. Nebraska (9-3)
23. Georgia Tech (9-3)
24. Texas A&M (9-3)
25. Boston College (9-3)
    

Yeah, Hawaii at #17 is primed for the upset... USC will be #2 if they beat UCLA... What a coaching job by Bob Stoops, getting the Sooners back in the Big 12 Championship after losing QB Rhett Bomar and RB Adrian Peterson... And what a collapse by Texas, losing their last two games to fall from the BCS to either the Cotton Bowl or the Holiday Bowl... ACC Championship Game: Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech, ugh... SEC Championship Game: Florida vs. Arkansas, go Hogs!... LSU, coulda, woulda, shoulda, best two loss team in the land... Boise State, BCS bound, now go represent the WAC in the Fiesta Bowl... Notre Dame to the Sugar Bowl, looking to extend their bowl losing streak...

The Rose Bowl!

Weird, how we've been so successful over the past four years that most of the student section doesn't give a crap about the Rose Bowl. Me, I'm excited for it, for a team that lost two Heisman winners and several All-Americans to win at least a share of the Pac-10 championship and get into another BCS game, it shows how great this year's team is too. Our team goal is always to shoot for the Rose Bowl, regardless of where the National Championship is being played, and I agree with the team's aspirations. I won't be upset if we don't make the big game, though I do feel like we deserve it, but Michigan, Florida, Notre Dame, Arkansas, and West Virginia all have valid points on why they should be in Glendale on January 8th. Right now, we have to worry about Notre Dame, who has rolled over every service academy in the United States, and comes into the Coliseum with their own National Championship hopes. I believe they are pretty much guaranteed to go to a BCS game as well with 10 regular season victories, but after yesterday's game was for a berth in the Rose Bowl, this game may reduce the teams in contention to meet Ohio State in the BCS Championship game.

But back to the Cal game. Our first half offense was nonexistent, especially in the red zone, where we had to settle for two field goals, and could not capitalize on two Nate Longshore turnovers. But our defense, save for the lone touchdown drive we gave up, was solid all night. To hold an offensive team like the Bears to one touchdown was really encouraging to see. We only sacked Longshore once, forcing a fumble, but we did not give him many open targets to throw to, forcing him to go 17-38 with two interceptions. One of his big play options, DeSean Jackson, seemed to be out of it after taking a monster hit from Kevin Ellison on the first drive of the game, though he did turn a 35 yard gain out of a missed tackle, and was not able to return many punts after P Greg Woidneck punted the ball 20 yards and out of bounds on most of his second half punts. Marshawn Lynch did have a solid game, but not a breakout one. He did give the crowd a scare when he scampered 60 yards to the end zone late in the fourth quarter, but it was called back after his knee touched the turf. The Bears defense did their part for most of the game, save for the 4th and 2 touchdown, as they did hold us to three field goals before our fourth quarter burst. Speaking of field goals, what about David Buehler! His 49 yard field goal, the first attempt of his career, changed the momentum of the game, as the crowd was dead when we decided to go for the long kick. But when he nailed it, it was all Trojans after that. Our defense really shut down the Bears after that, forcing three three-and-outs leading to our two touchdown drives. John David Booty really took over the game from that point, hitting Dwayne Jarrett on a post route for our first touchdown, and not overthrowing a wide open Steve Smith on a 4th and 2 conversion which punched our ticket to the Rose Bowl. It was a fun game to watch, and I'm really looking forward to Notre Dame in 6 days (as well as finding a ticket...). Well, now for the game balls...

Offense: Well, Booty had the touchdown numbers, but RB C.J. Gable was really our offense last night, running for 91 yards on 19 carries, catching a pass for 35 yards, and returning a kickoff 33 yards, having a mini-Reggie Bush night out there. Now if he could only return punts as well...

Defense: I'm not sure if I want to cop out and give 11 game balls today, but I think DE Lawrence Jackson deserves another one, with his 6 tackles (1.5 for loss), sack, and forced fumble, but it was the things that don't end up in the box score that earned him this ball, pressuring Longshore into quick decisions that usually didn't work.

Special Teams: K David Buehler. Don't make me explain this to you.

Well, I'll take 23-9 and a loss over 34-31 and a win....

Season-to-date:
W-L - 9-1
Against the spread: 5-4-1

And my Top 25

1. Ohio State (12-0)
2. Michigan (11-1)
3. Southern California (9-1)
4. Florida (10-1)
5. Notre Dame (10-1)
6. Arkansas (10-1)
7. West Virginia (9-1)
8. Boise State (11-0)
9. Louisville (9-1)
10. Wisconsin (11-1)
11. Texas (9-2)
12. Louisiana State (9-2)
13. Oklahoma (8-2)
    
14. Georgia Tech (8-2)
15. Auburn (9-2)
16. Rutgers (9-1)
17. Boston College (9-2)
18. Virginia Tech (8-2)
19. Hawaii (9-2)
20. Brigham Young (9-2)
21. Wake Forest (9-2)
22. Tennessee (8-3)
23. California (8-3)
    
24. Nebraska (8-3)
25. Clemson (8-3)

Though I have Michigan still at #2, it's because I think they are currently the 2nd best team in the country, but I don't think they should be in the National Championship. In my eyes, Ohio State should not have to beat Michigan twice to win the championship, and if Michigan beats the Buckeyes later, we'd have a moot point with each team having a victory over each other. And I think that it should be a requirement that a team must be a conference champion to make the National Championship game. As of right now, I don't know who Ohio State will be playing. If USC wins out, beating Notre Dame and UCLA, we deserve to be in the discussion. Assuming Florida beats Florida State and Arkansas pulls off a semi-upset over LSU, the winner of the SEC championship also can make a case. An 11-1 Notre Dame team, regardless of their schedule, will always have shot to play for a National Championship. West Virginia still has to take care of Rutgers in the last week of the season before being mentioned as #2. And Michigan still can lay claim to be the #2 team in the nation, but have they missed their opportunity? But in two weeks, the picture will either clear up, or still be as cloudy as it is today.

And Hawaii deserves to be in the top 25. Eight wins in a row, regardless of their opposition (hey look at Notre Dame...) should get some national attention. The ACC is in a mess. So is the Pac-10, with Arizona coming on strong following wins over California and Oregon(!). But three things are set as of right now. Hawaii is going to the Hawaii Bowl. Ohio State is going to the National Champion. And USC is in its rightful place as the Pac-10 champion.

Another solid win

Well, another good win by USC last week, beating the Oregon Ducks 35-10. That game sets up this week's one as a winner takes the Rose Bowl game, where the winner is assured of at least a berth in the Rose Bowl with both Cal and USC going in with one loss in the conference. But back to the Oregon game for now. With all of the upsets happening last week, it was great for us to come out and blow out a team like the Ducks and show that we are close to the top of the one loss teams. Texas, Auburn, West Virginia, and Cal, all top 10 teams, lost last week, allowing us to jump from #7 to #3 in the BCS polls with Ohio State and Michigan playing tomorrow, with the winner pretty much guaranteed a spot in the National Championship Game. Our offense still wasn't as sharp as possible, with us throwing three interceptions, though we were able to pretty much move the ball at will en route to scoring 35 points. Our defense was good, but not great, though we did play off of Oregon's strength as a spread team, giving up short plays all the way down the field until they reached the Red Zone, which nullified their ability to spread the ball. They were only able to score one touchdown in the red zone, and that was on a controversial fourth down play that resulted in a reversal of the reversal of the original call. I still don't get why it took the refs so long to figure out what happened. I'm with Coach Carroll on this one, I didn't mind the touchdown as much as I was bothered by the length of the stoppage of the game. Lawrence Jackson finally had a breakout game, collecting 10 tackles and three sacks, showing the form that made him a preseason All-American pick.

But now here's our season, and essentially Cal's season too. The winner of this week's game will at worst go to the Rose Bowl as the Pac-10 Champion. The loser gets relegated to the Holiday Bowl or worse. The Trojans' five year BCS bowl streak is on the line, while the Bears look to get into the Rose Bowl for this first time since 1959 (I think). Right now, I can't see USC losing this one, though it may be a close game. Nate Longshore's confidence may have taken a hit in the Arizona game, when he threw three picks. But I am weary of their running backs, Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett, and their burner at wideout, Desean Jackson. I think we should shut down the run like we always do, but with Jackson, if we punt the ball to him once, we are in trouble. We can't give him the entire field to work with. I'd take 30 yard punts over a very good chance of Jackson taking one back to the house. He's also a very good receiver, though I think one solid shot from Taylor Mays (geez I miss Scott Ware) may make him think twice about coming over the middle. And I'm not too worried about their defense. One of their cornerbacks has 8 interceptions on the year, Daymien Hughes (can't spell his name...), but their other corner will be really tested by Steve Smith and Patrick Turner, though Dwayne Jarrett does need to have a solid day for us to win this one. My verdict? USC (-5.5) 34, Cal 31

Last week I had USC (-8) winning 28-21. Doh...

Season-to-date:
W-L - 8-1
Against the spread: 5-3-1 (I don't mind my streak ending with a 25 point win...)

My top 25 (before West Virginia's win last night)

1. Ohio State (11-0)
2. Michigan (11-0)
3. Southern California (8-1)
4. Florida (9-1)
5. Notre Dame (9-1)
   
6. Arkansas (9-1)
7. Rutgers (9-0)
8. West Virginia (8-1)
9. Boise State (10-0)
10. Louisville (8-1)
    
11. Wisconsin (10-1)
12. Texas (9-2)
13. Louisiana State (8-2)
14. Wake Forest (9-1)
    
15. Oklahoma (8-2)
16. Georgia Tech (8-2)
17. Auburn (9-2)
18. California (8-2)
19. Boston College (8-2)
20. Hawaii (8-2)
21. Virginia Tech (8-2)
22. Brigham Young (8-2)
    
23. Tennessee (7-3)
24. Maryland (8-2)
25. Nebraska (8-3)
    

That was a fun game

Well, I wanted a 49-0 win, but 42-0 will do just fine. It's great to get a shutout, even if its against a team like Stanford who is in a down year. This was USC's first shutout in two years, since we beat Washington 38-0. But it was great to see the offense do their thing in the first half, with QB John David Booty engineering four touchdown drives, and another that was cut short due to a non pass interference call. In the third quarter, both offenses stalled, but Stanford had a chance to put points up on the board, but that just ended up with their field goal being blocked and returned 71 yards by CB Terrell Thomas for USC's first non-offensive touchdown of the year. And QB Mark Sanchez scored his first collegiate touchdown on a quarterback keeper in the fourth quarter. But Stanford QB T.C. Ostrander had a much more difficult time, getting hit on almost every pass and getting cracked whenever he tucked the ball and ran with it. The Trojan defense was solid against the run, allowing only 30 yards on 30 rushes, or one yard per carry. And they actually caused turnovers today, going to either even or +1 on the year in turnover margin. The first was on a fumble on a kick return, on which the Trojans scored on the next play on a Steve Smith touchdown catch. One interception led to a turnover on downs, while the other occurred at the end of the first half. Overall, this Stanford game was the perfect remedy after last week's loss, though the Trojans start their November home stand with a dangerous Oregon team. Duck QB Dennis Dixon had some trouble passing the ball, but their running game is sure to cause problems, especially with their misdirection games. Coach Pete Carroll best leave LB Rey Maualuga and his overpursuit on the bench for this one. Now for the game balls:

Offense: QB John David Booty continues to be accurate and efficient in the pass game, going 12-21 for 203 yards and 3 touchdowns, all of which came in the first half. He's showing great understanding of the offense and after falling behind 33-10 against Oregon State, he has really been making the right decisions out there. Just don't have him throw any more slant passes that will be batted down at the line of scrimmage.

Defense: The entire defense came up today, pitching a shutout and giving up only 30 rushing yards, but I'm giving the game ball to CB Terrell Thomas, who returned the blocked field goal for his first career touchdown and also had a sack and interception.

Special Teams: Um, these guys also came up huge today. LB Clay Matthews forced a fumble on a kick return, which was recovered by CB Shareece Wright. And DT Sedrick Ellis blocked the field goal to keep the Cardinal off the board, which was returned by Thomas. I guess I'll let you make the decision here. The only problem I had today was the the Desmond Reed experience. Man we need someone else fielding punts out there. And no kick returns today. That doesn't happen much...

As I said before, I wanted, or had, USC (-29) winning 49-0. This was USC's first time covering the spread since the Arkansas game. Go figure...

Season-to-date:
W-L - 7-1
Against the spread: 5-2-1 (4 in a row, not bad)

And this week's top 25:

1. Ohio State (10-0)
2. Michigan (10-0)
3. Louisville (8-0)
4. Texas (8-1)
5. Auburn (9-1)
6. Florida (8-1)
7. Notre Dame (8-1)
8. California (8-1)
9. Southern California (7-1)
10. West Virginia (7-1)
11. Arkansas (8-1)
12. Boise State (9-0)
13. Louisiana State (6-2)
14. Rutgers (7-0)
15. Wisconsin (9-1)
16. Tennesse (7-2)
17. Oklahoma (7-2)
18. Wake Forest (8-1)
19. Georgia Tech (7-2)
20. Oregon (7-2)
21. Texas A&M (8-2)
22. Boston College (7-2)
23. Hawaii (7-2)
24. Virginia Tech (7-2)
    
25. Oregon State (6-3)

Even with sloppy wins, Ohio State and Michigan are so far ahead of everyone else right now that they remain 1-2 in my poll. Louisville jumps to #3 over Texas only because they are undefeated right now. 5-9 could be in any order right now, and with USC playing Cal and ND in a couple of weeks, the order may not matter. I dropped West Virginia so far because they haven't played anyone yet. If Louisville had lost, I wouldn't have dropped them as much, because they at least have a win over a Miami team that was still feared at the time. Even with their strong win today, I still have LSU behind Arkansas and Boise. I have Arkansas ahead as they are the only undefeated team in the SEC, though that may change next week when they play Tennesse. And Boise is only ranked ahead because I can't have a two loss team ahead of an undefeated one, and I will jump Rutgers over LSU if they beat (hopefully) Louisville next week. Clemson and Tulsa drop out with losses, making way for Virginia Tech and Oregon State in my poll.

Well it finally happened....

We got caught. Oregon State blitzed us early in the third quarter and we did not have enough time to catch up. Texas fell behind to Texas Tech by 21 in the first quarter, but they had three quarters to come back to win 35-31. The Trojans fell behind 33-10 in the middle of the third, and the Trojan Nation was in stunned silence. It was worse when we did not get any points on the board from the 10 yard line with four minutes left. But at the time it seemed like the right move to go for a touchdown, but at the end, a Mario Danelo field goal would have given us the win. It seemed like an unusual move, Pete Carroll usually doesn't chase points, and any points at that point of the game was better than nothing. But it was really encouraging to see the team tighten up to rally for 21 straight points to close the game to 2 points, but at the end, we could not finish the deal. I think it was good for us to finally lose. We do not have the pressure of trying to remain undefeated for the rest of the year, and I think it will really loosen the team up. I think its the same thing with the Cal game three years ago, after that, the offense scored 40 or more points for 8 straight games and the team made the Rose Bowl and won the AP national championship, which also carried over for the next two seasons. I really hope the coaches will loosen their grip on the team and just let them have some fun. Stanford seems like a great place to start, but could also be a mini trap game with Oregon, Cal, Notre Dame, and UCLA to finish up the season, but I hope USC wins that game 49-0. I can't say that I'm pissed about the loss, I'm glad that we didn't get blown out and were able to come within a two point conversion of overtime, and John David Booty really grew up in the second half. His only interception was a killer, but it wasn't the worst pass he's thrown, and Steve Smith will be making money on Sundays next year, with his 10 reception, 257 (!) yard game to go along with 2 touchdowns was really clutch. I guess something in the Northwest sets him off. After having a solid game two weeks ago, Chauncey Washington really disappointed with his two fumbles, but did atone for it a little bit by converting on our first two pointer. And the defense really wasn't that bad after the first touchdown drive by the Beavers. The defense gave up only one more touchdown (the other was on a punt return) and held Oregon State to six field goal tries. Too bad they also have the Lou Groza winner Alexis Serna on their team, who drilled a 53 yarder which was also a difference in the game. But its over now, the 38 game regular season win streak, the 27 game Pac-10 win streak, and so much more. But I'm not upset. I'm proud of the team. For a rebuilding team, they showed a lot of guts to regroup and rally together, and it took 4 turnovers on the road to defeat us, and with all that, we still lost by only two points. I know there's no such thing as moral victories, and I don't think this was one of them, but the second half shows a lot of promise for the team in the remainder of the year. We still have a shot at the Rose Bowl, though we'd have to beat Oregon, Cal, and UCLA to do it, as Notre Dame is not a conference opponent, so if it fell out that way, we'd finish 10-2 with a 8-1 record in conference (tied for first with Cal), but we'd hold the tiebreaker over Cal with a head to head victory. Not bad at all for a rebuilding year. Even in defeat, I'll give out the game balls:

Offense: Steve Smith may have had the big explosion, but I really admired QB John David Booty's poise and leadership to rally for the three late touchdowns. And for passing for 406 yards. His one interception was on a bad pass, but Dwayne Jarrett still had a shot to catch it, or at least prevent it from being intercepted.

Defense: LB Dallas Sartz hasn't played the best football this year, but he came up huge today, making 8 tackles, including 3 for loss, and 3 sacks which forced the Beavers to punt or go for long field goals in the second half which kept the game in striking distance for the Trojans.

Special Teams: Nothing really stood out again, especially with the bad punt coverage on the return, but for now I'll give it to DE Lawrence Jackson, who came up with his second blocked field goal of the year in the first quarter, which kept the game tied.

As for the season picks, I had USC (-10.5) 28, Oregon State 20. So much for that...

Season-to-date:
W-L - 6-1
Against the spread: 4-2-1

And my current Top 25:

1. Ohio State (9-0)
2. Michigan (9-0)
3. West Virginia (7-0)
4. Texas (8-1)
5. Louisville (7-0)
6. Auburn (8-1)
7. Florida (7-1)
8. Tennessee (7-1)
9. Notre Dame (7-1)
10. California (7-1)
11. Southern California (6-1)
12. Arkansas (7-1)
13. Boise State (8-0)
14. Rutgers (7-0)
15. Wisconsin (8-1)
16. Louisiana State (6-2)
17. Boston College (7-1)
18. Oklahoma (6-2)
19. Texas A&M (8-1)
20. Clemson (7-2)
    
21. Georgia Tech (6-2)
22. Wake Forest (7-1)
23. Oregon (6-2)
24. Tulsa (7-1)
25. Hawaii (6-2)
    

Yeah, it's a little late...

But there's no game this week anyway. Which is good, as I have a whole lot of homework to do this weekend... Last week's game was another disappointment, not because it was close, but because we led 21-0 at one point and let Arizona State tie the game in the third quarter. Nice final stand by the defense to force a Sun Devil punt (doh!) where USC, behind Chauncey Washington, ran out the clock. Hopefully the Trojans can use this bye week to figure something out to prevent close games like this. But as I've said before, I can't really complain, as long as we win, but if we continue to play like this against Oregon, Cal, or Notre Dame, there will be some complaining going on.

Season so far:
W-L - 6-0
Against the spread: 3-2-1

Here's my updated Top 25, not including West Virginia's win tonight:

1. Ohio State (7-0)
2. Michigan (7-0)
3. West Virginia (6-0)
4. Southern California (6-0)
5. Texas (6-1)
6. Louisville (6-0)
7. Florida (6-1)
8. Tennessee (5-1)
9. California (6-1)
10. Notre Dame (5-1)
11. Aubutn (6-1)
12. Clemson (6-1)
13. Georgia Tech (5-1)
14. Nebraska (6-1)
15. Boise State (6-0)
    
16. Louisiana State (5-2)
17. Oregon (5-1)
    
18. Arkansas (5-1)
19. Rutgers (6-0)
20. Wisconsin (6-1)
21. Texas A&M (6-1)
22. Oklahoma (4-2)
23. Missouri (6-1)
24. Pittsburgh (6-1)
25. Wake Forest (6-1)

I realize that I had LSU a little low last week, but after teams like Iowa, Georgia, and Va Tech racked up their second loss with LSU winning, I had to move the Tigers back up. Oklahoma remains low after losing Adrian Peterson for the rest of the season. Teams 22-25 I don't really care about any more...

Acutally getting a prediction in...

So yeah, time for another heart attack this weekend... Though the last time the Trojans played in back to back single digit victories, USC played Arizona State the next weekend and led 42-7 at halftime. But I don't see that happening this week. If Sun Devil Coac h Dirk Koetter has even seen the highlights of USC/WSU and USC/UW, he would know to have QB Rudy Carpenter to utilize a three to five step drop with quick routes to beat the Trojans. Arizona State also has a couple of running backs, led by RB Keegan Herring, who rack up gaudy numbers in the yards per rush category. If in the right scheme, Carpenter has a lot of weapons through the air, led by arguably the best tight end in the nation in Zach Miller. The difference between the Washington schools and Arizona State is that coming into their game with USC, the Huskies and Cougars were on a roll, with Washington having won three straight, and four out of five, including wins over Fresno State and Arizona, and Washington State winning four straight after dropping their road opener at Auburn. The Sun Devils come in on a two game losing streak which saw them being taken to the barn by the class of the Pac-10, being blown out at California and at home against Oregon. Arizona State started off the season on a three game winning streak, but those wins weren't that impressive, needing two fourth quarter touchdowns to pull away from Northern Arizona, blowing out a mediocre Nevada team, and just getting by Colorado.

Meanwhile, the Trojans come in having won five straight, but may be looking ahead to the bye week that awaits them after this contest. With nagging injuries to WR Dwayne Jarrett, Steve Smith, and Chris McFoy, they could use the extra week's rest before travel to Corvalis and Palo Alto. QB John David Booty has done the best he is capable of, but if he continues to lock into receivers, USC may be in for a long game. The running game has not established itself either, with Chauncey Washington and Emmanuel Moody doing their best rotating in and out and wearing down the opposing defensive line with short runs. With Jarrett, Smith, and McFoy hampered with injuries, Patrick Turner stepped up his game last week, catching 12 balls for well over 116 yards and a TD. TE Fred Davis needs to be more aggressive out there, he should try to run defenders over instead of trying to hurdle them. The speed of the defense has been neutralized in the last two games with the opposing offenses using it to their advantage. Quick three step drops allow the offense to move the ball with safe routes and prevent the Trojans from creating turnovers. Carpenter will be the most established QB compared to Cougar QB Alex Brink and Husky QB Isaiah Stanback, though he is a more traditional pocket passer that may have to rely more on five to seven step drops.

There's one song the Trojan Marching Band to play on Saturday. It's not "Fight On." It's not "Conquest." It's "All Right Now." USC has only forced one turnover in the last two games, with the one being an interception on the game's final play against Washington State. If this trend continues, the Trojans might be playing in Aloha Stadium instead of the Rose Bowl come bowl season. But for this game, ASU is 0-11 under Koetter in California. Don't look for that to change this week.

USC (-19) 23, Arizona State 7

Top 25 After Week 6

1. Ohio State (6-0)
2. Michigan (6-0)
3. Florida (6-0)
4. Southern California (5-0)
5. West Virginia (5-0)
6. Texas (5-1)
7. Louisville (5-0)
8. Tennessee (5-1)
9. California (5-1)
10. Notre Dame (5-1)
11. Clemson (5-1)
12. Georgia Tech (5-1)
13. Auburn (5-1)
14. Iowa (5-1)
15. Boise State (6-0)
16. Nebraska (5-1)
17. Georgia (5-1)
18. Virginia Tech (4-1)
19. Missouri (6-0)
20. Oregon (5-1)
21. Rutgers (5-0)
22. Arkansas (4-1)
    
23. Oklahoma (3-2)
24. Louisiana State (4-2)
25. Wisconsin (5-1)
    Dropped out: Florida State (#18), Washington (#25)
    

#3 USC 26, Washington 20

Well, I guess I can't really complain until we lose, but two weeks in a row of games like this is hard to stomach. It's like we're the St. Louis Rams out there on offense, good moving the ball until we get into the red zone where we stall and have to settle for a field goal. I know this offense is nothing like last year's one, but when we get inside the opponent's five yard line, we have to score a touchdown. We're too good not to. Granted, we needed all the points we could get, with the defense playing awesome on first and second down before leaving receivers open on third and long, but that's for the second paragraph. Coach "Big Balls Pete" Carroll made a gamble which paid off, kicking a field goal from the four with about a minute and a half remaining for the final score, but at the time, it looked like a field goal would do not good. But the bend and almost break defense allowed the Huskies to get into field goal range with about 11 seconds left, plenty of time for Washington QB Isaiah Stanback to spike the ball so their kicker could have tied the game, but with Mario Danelo's fourth field goal under his belt, the Huskies and Coach Ty Willingham were forced to go for the endzone. This led to a curious call, a pass over the middle with under ten seconds remaining and no timeouts. The play was finally called dead with 2 seconds remaining (thank goodness for the incompetent Pac-10 officials), and Stanback was not able to get off a final play. Speaking of the refs, there were a couple of phantom holding calls, and the blown presonal foul on the last drive almost killed us, as it allowed Washington to creep closer into "Hail Mary" range. As for the offense, they were good moving the ball into the endzone. QB John David Booty did a nice job spreading the ball out, though he locked into the #1 route many times in the game, which led to easy breakups by the Huskie's secondary which could have been easily picked off if they knew, like the 90,000+ in the Coliseum knew, who Booty was throwing to. While many fans may be frustrated with Booty's performance, if you compare his stats with former QB Matt Leinart's in 2003, Booty has been more effiecient, and the key stat that Booty is leading in, he's 5-0 right now while Leinart was only 4-1. The running game was solid, with Chauncey Washington picking up a handful of key first downs on the Trojans' final possession which allowed us to eat up some clock and get into field goal range. Emmanuel Moody also took advantage of some holes in the Washington defense, but he was also stopped cold several times. The receivers corp was depleted again. With WR Chris McFoy already out with an injured shoulder, and Dwayne Jarrett slowed with a bum shoulder on his own, Booty had to look to WR Steve Smith, who starred in last week's game against Washington State. But Smith went down with an injury of his own, though minor, which kept him out for most of the game. So, after a disappointing performance against the Cougars last week when he coughed up the ball and dropped a couple of passes, WR Patrick Turner stepped up as the go-to receiver for Booty, catching more than half of Booty's 23 completions for 116 yards and a touchdown, USC's only offensive TD of the game.

While the Trojan offense may have had problems putting the ball into the endzone, the defense had problems keeping the Huskies off the scoreboard. As I said before, it seemed like the defense was fired up and pretty much limited Washington to 0-3 yards combined on first and second down, but when we got them to where we wanted, in third and long situations, it seemed like DC Nick Holt sent a blitz while the secondary dropped back into a zone, which left the middle of the field open, allowing the Huskie receivers to run past the marker and settle down in the middle of the field. Granted, some of it may hve been the offensive scheme drawn up by Washington, using the plan Washington State used last week, but again, we failed to get pressure on Stanback and did not force any turnovers. This has been a big reason why we are not able to pull away from games. When the defense forces turnovers, two things happen. One is the momentum swings heavily in our favor. And two, it gives our offense great field position that allows for quick and easy scoring drives. When we hit those big three games; Oregon, California, and Notre Dame, if we can't gain extra possessions by creating turnovers, I'm afraid our offense won't be able to keep up with them.

Special teams did a better job than in past games this season. It wasn't Danelo's fault that the offense sputtered in the red zone, but he was Mr. Reliable, scoring 14 points today when we needed any kind of points with our defense unable to stop the Huskies. Troy Van Blarcom was solid as usual on kickoffs, and P Greg Woidneck also was steady in the field position battle. I stil don't understand why opposing punt returners need to try to be heroes on punts, it seems often more than not that if they don't call for a fair catch, they're going to get blasted by one of our gunners. C.J. Gable looks to have found his niche returning kicks, while Desmond Reed has probably fielded two punts all year. The special teams play of, er, forever, though was the fake field goal for our first touchdowb. I'm surprised Carroll used it in this game, though I'm probably more surprised he did it so early in the game. It seemed more appropriate to do after he sent Danelo out for his 15th field goal attempt, but it still was a special play. Third string QB and holder Michael McDonald threw his second career touchdown pass (on his second career throw) to a wide open Smith for a touchdown. A play like that usually demoralized teams in the past, but now, teams are starting to hang with us instead of fading away. A fake field goal for a touchdown usually led to a bevy of touchdowns after that, but instead it was the Mario Danelo show out there. Oh well. Time for the game balls:

Offense - Though WR Patrick Turner may be tempting with his 12 catches for 116 yards and a TD, it was all about RB Chauncey Washington and his solid running, going for 81 yards on 17 carries and pitching in with 2 receptions for 17 yards. Without his third and short conversions, we would have given Washington (the team) the ball back with more than ample time to try and score a touchdown. Turner may have the stats, but Washington (our RB) came up with the big plays when we needed them the most.

Defense - Ugh, not again. I guess I should hand one out, though with the defense not forcing any turnovers or the the secondary picking off any passes, it's really hard to pick out someone from a group that's really struggling. This unit was supposed to be our team's fallback, with an inexperienced offense, out defense should keep opposing teams to under 14 points per game. So our struggling offense has had to find ways to put up more points that the defense allows, which has been more than enough against the Washington schools. But if I really need to give one out, I guess LB Keith Rivers would get it, based on his 12 tackles, including one for loss, and two pass breakups. So basically, the guy with the best stats wins here, though it's not really saying much. Its like winning the NL West.

Special Teams - C.J. Gable really helped with the field position, and Mario Danelo may have scored 14 points today (4-4 FG, 2-2 PAT), but I'd have to give this game ball to QB Michael McDonald, who threw a touchdown to Steve Smith on a fake field goal, only because I'm still giddy about that play. And maybe because McDonald has probably the highest QB rating ever. (2-2, 24 yards, 2 TD).

Overall, another disappointing game for the Trojans. I'm not expecting to win every game against an unranked opponent by 50 points, but I expect to not have a heart attack in the final minute of every game as we conveinently lead by 6 points... Arizona State is next. You think QB Rudy Carpenter has been watching what Stanback and WSU QB Alex Brink had been doing the past couple of weeks? The Sun Devils had a bye to lick their wounds from their beatings from Cal and Oregon, so they may be prepared for the upset in the Coliseum. The only problem, ASU Coach Dirk Koetter is winless in California. Go figure...

No pick'em this week, though I did pick Washington to cover the spread (I'll show you my Yahoo! College Football Pick'em if you don't believe me), with of course USC (-19) winning, so I guess:

W-L - 5-0
Against the spread: 2-2-1