Now Bandwagon USC Fans Like Me Know How Paul Hackett Era Felt.

If you don't know who Paul Hackett is, he is the last coach for USC that didn't lead the Trojans to a bowl game, and if you didn't hear today the Trojans will not be in the postseason for the next two years.  Oof, I have a bunch of random thoughts about this one due to this being the first powerhouse since Auburn to get the harsh postseason ban. 

Did anyone not expect this though? Kind of like how people all knew that Lindsey Lohan would violate her probation multiple times.  I knew the hammer was coming down on USC because they gave them more strikes than Carmella Soprano, it had to happen.  Is this the death of USC Football?  No way, but it still means that there will be some rebuilding to do.  You might say 'no way' but I am willing to bet my piggy bank that there will be flux of USC recruits who a.) will not go there and b.) players who will transfer.  Trust me, USC will have to rebuild that stature of being a top 5 program unless they dominate the Pac-10 in the coming years. 

Something tells me these guys will not try as hard as Lane Kiffin would want them to.  I don't think Matt Barkely came to USC to spend two years watching teams play in the Rose Bowl and the BCS while he sits at home. There are only so many times that Kiffin will be able to play up the fact that the "Trojans are the spoiler this week guys, we are going to ruin their season." I just cannot see the effort being there for the Trojans all year but I do think this gives Kiffin a two-year window to do really whatever they want. 

I almost believe USC knew this was going to happen or something close to it.  That's why they didn't try too hard to keep Pete Carroll, a laid-back guy who I cannot see handling all of this very well. In addition, Carroll called up John Calipari to ask how to get the hell out of dodge before the NCAA comes down on me?  To me, he is the best coach of the 2000 and now his reputation definitely has to come into question like Calipari. Carroll will go down as a "guy who cheated but won a lot because of it." Bobby Bowden agrees with this statement.

A better question is did Lane Kiffin know that USC probably wouldn't be playing in the postseason? I am going to say no, but they probably warned Kiffin it could happen and they pitched the idea that this team needed to get hard. Therefore the Trojans transformed into this hard-ass program with Lane Kiffin who will not take shit from anyone. Then he calls out his offense in the spring game and Kiffin seems to be the right fit for what is going on at SC, I still believe his players won't buy in yet a hard-ass in this situation is so much better.

My title would say I am a USC fan. I like the Trojans and really liked the teams who cheated. I guess this is how it feels to like a team who didn't do it the right way. But let's be real, what team or coach does it the right way anymore?  People pamper these recruits like they are the King of Dubai and it's the old adage of it's not called 'cheating unless you get caught.'  USC got busted red-handed.

-Charlie.

Welcome to Snake Club Lane Kiffin

Bobby Petrino, Nick Saban, and Lane Kiffin, all of them have screwed programs/franchises by leaving at the drop of a hat.  Kiffin is the newest member by him leaving good ole Rocky Top to become the head coach of USC... What?  http://chuckcorner.blogspot.com/2008/11/lane-kiffin-headed-south.html

My roommate Seth who is the biggest fan of the Trojans I knew and his words via text "Now I'm pissed." I am still trying to figure out why USC would want Kiffin who is still unproven, yet has a top five job in college football where last year he had a top ten job last year, just a stunning development for Kiffin and USC. I am going to look at both sides of this argument trying to determine what the hell is going on with the Trojans.

A part of me believes that Kiffin will be successful at USC, it might not be at the level where now Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll dominated the Pac-10.  But I think he can win a couple Pac-10 titles and usually end up in a legit bowl game in years they do not win the Pac-10 title. Add to the fact, if they steal Norm Chow from UCLA, that could be the difference maker.  Mark Sanchez is the only quarterback who didn't have Chow and was very successful as a quarterback in his short college career. Matt Barkley would benefit greatly from Chow helping him out.  (That didn't happen, Chow is staying at UCLA)

Another key point about Kiffin is the fact that the man knows how to recruit especially at USC.  He was one of the key cogs in creating the USC dynasty bringing in guys like Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, and Mike Williams.  Despite what you might feel about him, he can flat out recruit and keep USC on the right path of winning football games.

My major concern with Kiffin is the fact he is completely unproven.  He hasn't work anything, just been a good recruiter so far but he had a 7-6, plus a losing season with the Oakland Raiders. I think give him a year but by 2011, I expect bigger things from Kiffin because then you will have Barkley as a junior with possible Heisman hype going in.  The other thing, the Pac-10 has got so much better since Carroll began there. Washington, Oregon, Oregon State, California, Stanford, and Arizona are all teams that could be very good in the next coming years.

Honestly, I think Kiffin will not get fired at USC but if there is any way that Kiffin leaves the program, it will because he lands in deep shit with the NCAA then you have the Tim Floyd situation all over again.

-Charlie.

Pete Carroll Trading in Sun for Rain?

If you missed it yesterday, the NFL and College Football world were all a buzz with the Seattle Seahawks firing their Head Coach Jim Mora Jr. then how they are targeting USC Head Coach Pete Carroll who every reporter said was something that was "going to happen" and to me, it makes the most sense in the world for Carroll to leave the college football once again. By the way, it is happening he agreed in principle today.

1. He is worried about sanctions with the Joe McKnight situation- I think this is the biggest factor why he wants to leave for the NFL because he knows damn well that the hammer could be brought down on the football program.  Not to mention, the basketball team at USC self sanction themselves putting pressure on USC football to make a decision on whats going on. I believe Carroll knows something bad will happen with the Trojans and he wants to get the hell out of dodge. 

2. USC is a year away- The Trojans had such a young team this year with Freshman Quarterback Matt Barkley and their defense was also very young.  If Carroll thought he had a chance at winning the National Championship next year, I believe there is not  a chance that he takes the job.  In addition, they might have another down year with no BCS game losing some of Carroll's luster maybe.

3. Jeremy Bates was leaving- He keeps losing Offensive Coordinators like it's a second job. First, it was Norm Chow to the Tennessee Titans, then Steve Sarkisian to Washington, and it appeared that Bates may have went to the Chicago Bears to run their offense for Jay Cutler. Now, the reports are if Carroll leaves he wants to bring Bates along with him.

4. He has something to prove- I personally love Pete Carroll, top five coaches that I would play for and I honestly believe Carroll wants to go back to the NFL to show that he can do it at both levels.  The reason why is because Carroll does have somewhat of an ego but in a good way if you believe that's possible. He knows the Seahawks would give him time to create a team because they really do not have a future, most of their team is old. 


-Charlie.

Get an NFL Team in LA ASAP

Well I do not think its truly a college football year without having a USC controversy.  It appears this program can never keep its nose clean and the funny thing about this one, it isn't their coaches' fault rather the alumni and fans that surround the Southern Cal campus. 

If you new to this story which broke on Friday... Joe McKnight USC running back has been seen driving around campus in a Land Rover that owned by one Scott Schenter who happens to have a website called 4joemcknight.com. Hmm interesting.  Now McKnight says that it belongs to his "baby mama." 

I am a USC supporter and I like the way Pete Carroll runs his program for the most part although bottom line this shit cannot keep happening.  People treat these kids in Los Angeles and the other areas of SoCal like they are NFL superstars.  This is the only football that people see in that area and it doens't hurt that minus this year they have been a pro factory for the past decade.  Therefore this leads to people like Schenter thinking it's okay to shower these college kids with Land Rovers.

The Reggie Bush investigation is still going on and now they have to deal with a new case.  I realize that Carroll wants to play the part of the laid-back old guy who a guy my age could have a beer with and have a great conversation... one of the reasons why I like him so much. But he has to tighten the rules on the players to make sure that this sort of stuff isn't happening.  Because honestly, if you give me a Land Rover more times than not, I am taking that Land Rover no question about it.

I feel that the NCAA really wants to stick it to USC because they would have given up on this fight a year ago that's why they keep searching for things in the Bush/OJ Mayo investigation.

-Charlie.

USC Hates Grudge Music

Now I do not know if that's true at all but I feel the title is fitting because the Trojans cannot win in the Pacific Northwest for whatever reason. I have a theory personally and I feel its very fitting with what went on.

At first when I saw Erik Folk hit the field goal that toppled the mighty Trojans, I thought well you really cannot blame this lost on USC. They didn't have Matt Barkley, Taylor Mays, they had a sick Joe McKnight, and it was a cold/rainy day in Seattle. Then I came to a realization today, even with all those aspects there should be no reason why the Trojans should lose to the Washington Huskies.

Now people were making a big deal about the fact they were 0-12 last year. I say bullshit because they played teams like Oklahoma, tough one-point loss to BYU, and Notre Dame plus add to the fact, the team gave up on Tyrone Willingham all make for disaster. In addition, Jake Locker is a year older who might be one of the more underrated players in the nation.

Still, I think the Trojans shouldn't have loss on Saturday and Pete Carroll has to fall on some of the blame. He is one of my all time favorite coaches but I feel that he might be too loose for his own good. Carroll seems like the one guy who I would want play for but I think players become too content with the name. Now the Trojans will likely end up in the Rose Bowl again which is still a great honor but doesn't it become tiring after awhile?

-Charlie.

The Year of the Frosh QB?

I could say that overall in terms of sports plus my own fun this could have been a top ten weekend of my life. One of the things we did learn on Saturday is that maybe freshman quarterbacks can get done for big time programs.

In the afternoon as I was napping from the day of drinking and cliff jumping, Michigan was in a complete dog fight with the then number 18th team in the nation Notre Dame. It seemed like the Fighting Irish had full control of the game but that would be proven wrong in the fourth quarter with the Wolverines freshman quarterback Tate Forcier dominating down the stretch. He was facing blitzes up the middle like none other and was handling it like he was a senior. Forcier seems to be the perfect player for Rich Rodriguez's system. The juke move that sprung him for a touchdown was another great play. Any of you who was looking forward to another bad Michigan year, you are going have to look forward to another year.

The other game featured two top teams in USC-Ohio State and no one really knew what they were getting. A lot of players from last year's game were not there and the Trojans had a freshman quarterback in Matt Barkley heading to the Horseshoe. He can say whatever he wants but Barkley appeared rattled throughout most of the game. Although when it mattered the most, he guided his team down the field for a game-winning touchdown. When you see an 18-19 year old kid do that on the biggest stage of the night, you have to wonder what else Barkley has in him?

-Charlie.

Your College Football Preview

I wish I could give you a full rundown of each conference but thanks to my drinking habits I have not had time for it. This will have three key players, big games, and where they will end up. Also I will just the AP Top 25 just like last year until the BCS comes out. I will say this if I do not make my picks in time that the Fighting Mitch Pratts (Oregon Ducks) will beat Bosie State on the Smurf Turf Thursday Night. HERE WE GO!!!

1. Florida Gators: KEY PLAYERS: QB Tim Tebow (AKA God), ILB Brandon Spikes, S Major Wright KEY GAMES: vs. Tennessee (9/19), at #11 LSU (10/10), vs. Georgia (10/31), vs. #18 Florida State (11/28). OUTLOOK: Say hello to another National Championship for the Gators who face a pretty favorable SEC schedule avoiding Alabma and Ole Miss. They must get by Death Valley in Week Five. 12-0 Nat'l Champs.


2. Texas Longhorns: KEY PLAYERS: QB Colt McCoy, WR Jordan Shipley, WLB Roddrick Muckelroy. KEY GAMES: vs. Texas Tech (9/19), vs. 3. Oklahoma (10/17), at 9. Oklahoma State (10/31), at Texas A&M (11/26). OUTLOOK: I have a BCS bid for the Longhorns but I really do believe that OU will get it done in the Red River Shootout if not, a big game at Stillwater looms as well.


3. Oklahoma Sooners: KEY PLAYERS: QB Sam Bradford, TE Jermaine Greshman (hurt), RB DeMarco Murray. KEY GAMES: vs. #20 BYU (9/5), vs. 2. Texas (10/17), at 24. Nebraska (11/07), vs. #9. Oklahoma St. (11/28) OUTLOOK: I also have a BCS bid for the Sooners, it might be one of those years where a one loss team gets in. I have a tough time seeing Boomer Sooner going untouch in the Big 12.

4. USC Trojans: KEY PLAYERS: S Taylor Mays, RB Joe McKnight, WR Daimen Williams. KEY GAMES: at Ohio State (9/12), at #12 California (10/3), at #23 Notre Dame (10/17), at #16 Oregon (10/31) OUTLOOK: I trust that Pete Carroll knows what he is doing with quarterbacks but for the Trojans having four tough road games in a row... eh. I dont know if they can escaped that. They will lose one if not two this year .


5. Alabama Crimson Tide: KEY PLAYERS: DT Terrence Cody, WR Julio Jones, RB Mark Ingram. KEY GAMES: vs. #7 Virgina Tech (9/5), at #8 Mississippi (10/10), vs. #11 LSU (11/07) OUTLOOK: The Tide have a pretty favorable schedule and they could find themselves in a rematch with Florida in the SEC Championship game. Also Cody is a no doubt about it the best run stopper in the NCAA.


6. Ohio State Buckeyes: KEY PLAYERS: QB Terrelle Pryor, DE Thaddeus Gibson, CB Kurt Coleman KEY GAMES: vs. #4 USC (9/12), at #9 Penn State (11/07), vs. #22 Iowa (11/14), at Michigan (11/21). OUTLOOK: I honestly was ready to put the Buckeyes in the Nat'l Championship game but honestly their defense will need some time to get it together. Also the Nittany Lions/Hawkeyes back-to-back is tough.


7. Virginia Tech Hokies: KEY PLAYERS: QB Tyrod Tyler, RB Darren Evans, CB Stephan Virgil. KEY GAMES: vs. #5 Alabama (9/5), vs. #24 Nebraska (9/19), at 15. Georgia Tech (10/17), vs. #21 North Carolina (10/29). OUTLOOK: Easily the toughest non-conference schedule in the Top 25 and if they could power through that they could be in the top five. The ACC is one of the lesser divisions in the BCS too.


8. Mississippi Rebels: KEY PLAYERS: QB Jevan Snead, RB Dexter McCluster, DL Ted Laurent KEY GAMES: vs. #5 Alabama (10/10), vs. #11 LSU. OUTLOOK: They have a couple other road blocks that aren't top twenty-five but who knows they could get past these two teams both in Oxford setting a rematch with the Gators.


9. Penn State Nittany Lions: KEY PLAYERS: QB Daryll Clark, RB Evan Royster, LB Sean Lee. KEY GAMES: vs. #22 Iowa (9/26), vs. #6 Ohio State (11/07) OUTLOOK: I like the Nittany Lions schedule, they have a couple games that could result in an upset like last year but if they keep their head straight, they should head back to the BCS.

10. Oklahoma State Cowboys: KEY PLAYERS: QB Zac Robinson, WR Dez Bryant, RB Kendall Hunter KEY GAMES: vs. Georgia (9/5), vs. #2 Texas (10/31), at #3 Oklahoma (11/28) OUTLOOK: This year's Texas Tech? I think so, I will be watching intently to see how they do against Georgia tomorrow which will be the tell-tale sign of if the Cowboys are for real.

11. LSU Tigers: KEY PLAYERS: RB Charles Scott, WR Brandon LaFell, S Chad Jones: KEY GAMES: at #13 Georgia (10/03), vs. #1 Florida (10/10), at #5 Alabama (11/07), at #8 Mississippi (11/21) OUTLOOK: Pretty challenging schedule for the Tigers who really don't have a quarterback and I wouldn't be surprised if they are barely in the Top 25 by the end of the year.

12. California Golden Bears: KEY PLAYERS: RB Jahvid Best, DE Tyson Alualu, DE Cameron Jordan KEY GAMES: at #16 Oregon (9/26) vs. #4. USC (10/03) OUTLOOK: They could have a successful year with Best being the top running back in the nation and they have great D-Line as well. I see second in the Pac-10.

13. Georgia Bulldogs: KEY PLAYERS: WR A.J. Green, S Reshard Jones, LB Rennie Curren KEY GAMES: at #9 Oklahoma State (9/5) vs. #11 LSU (10/03) vs. #1 Florida (10/31) at #15 Georgia Tech (11/28) OUTLOOK: Who knows what in store for this team, Joe Cox has done some nice things when Stafford went down in years past and they have a some solid defense. Should be an interesting year.

14. Boise State Broncos: I wont give them the full run down because I think we saw last night that they are a very good team that should run the table in the WAC with a possible BCS birth at the end of the year. You never know which Bronco team you are going to get with Head Coach Chris Peterson's trickery.

15. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: KEY PLAYERS: RB Jonathan Dwyer, QB Josh Nesbit, S Morgan Burnett KEY GAMES: at #18 Florida State (10/10) vs. #7 Virgina Tech (10/17) vs #13 Georgia (11/28) OUTLOOK: Despite their old school offense, they could have a huge year but I am concerned about the back-to-back against FSU/VT though.

16. Oregon Ducks: Once again, no need to give them the full treatment because I think they might not be the team we expected. Also with their returning 1000 yd. rusher LaGarrete Blout may get kick off the team, not good news at all for the Fightin' Mitch Pratts.

17. TCU Horned Frogs: KEY PLAYERS: QB Andy Dalton, DE Jerry Hughes, WR Jimmy Young KEY GAMES:at #20 BYU (10/24) vs. #19 Utah (11/14) OUTLOOK: They have a couple tough games and a pretty young team, I doubt that TCU has the same success as last year.

18. Florida State Seminoles: KEY PLAYERS: QB Christian Ponder, LB Dekoda Watson, CB Patrick Robinson KEY GAMES: vs. Miami (9/7) at #20 BYU (9/19) vs #15 Georgia Tech (10/10) at #21 North Carolina (10/22) at #1 Florida (11/28) OUTLOOK: The Noles have a tough schedule with a lot of road games but if they could blow out the Cougars in two weeks that would be a big sign.

19. Utah Utes: Once again, they played on Thursday and now have a fifteen game winning streak. That will likely come to the end when dealing with Ducks, Colorado, TCU, and BYU all on the road this year doesnt look good for the Utes.

20. Brigham Young Cougars: KEY PLAYERS: QB Max Hall, TE Dennis Pitta, DE Jan Jorgenson KEY GAMES: at #3 Oklahoma (09/05), vs. #18 Florida State (09/19), vs.#17 TCU (10/24), vs. #19 Utah (11/28) OUTLOOK: Hall is a beast but the true question is can they win one of their two non-conference games? If that happens, the Cougars may be the real deal.

21. North Carolina Tar Heels: KEY PLAYERS: QB T.J. Yates, CB Kendric Burney, RB Shaun Draughan KEY GAMES: at #15 Georgia Tech (9/26) vs. #18 Florida State (10/22) at #7 Viriginia Tech (10/29) OUTLOOK: Butch Davis knows how to flat out win and Yates is the real deal. The Tar Heels could possibly win the ACC this year.

22. Iowa Hawkeyes: KEY PLAYERS: QB Ricky Stanzi, WR Derell Johnson-Koulianos, LB Pat Angerer KEY GAMES: at #9 Penn State (9/26), at #6 Ohio State (11/14) OUTLOOK: I would love to say for my buddy JS that they will be in the BCS but I just cant see them winning in Happy Valley and the Horseshoe. They will finish third in the Big Ten though.

23. Notre Dame Fightin' Irish: KEY PLAYERS: QB Jimmy Clausen, WR Golden Tate, RB Armando Allen KEY GAMES: vs. #4 USC (10/17) vs. Boston College (10/24) OUTLOOK: Probably the easiest schedule the Golden Domers have had in years and if they dont get to a New Years Day bowl then its bye bye to Charlie Weis.

24. Nebraska Cornhuskers: KEY PLAYERS: RB Roy Helu Jr. TE Mark McNeill, DT Ndamukong Sun KEY GAMES: at #7 Viriginia Tech (9/19), vs. #3 Oklahoma, at #25 Kansas (11/14) OUTLOOK: I think we will find out where the Cornhuskers stand after the Virigina Tech game and the Sooner game should be a big-time showdown.

25. Kansas Jayhawks: KEY PLAYERS: QB Todd Reesing, WR Dezmon Briscoe, S Darrell Stuckey KEY GAMES: vs #3. Oklahoma (10/24) vs. 24 Nebraska (11/14), at #2 Texas (11/21) OUTLOOK: I was amazed to see Reesing still playing and Briscoe is a hell of player too. Although they have too many tough games to be a contender in the Big 12 North.

Other teams to watch: Oregon State, Michigan State, Illinois, Texas Tech, and West Virigina

If I got something wrong here well its been a long week and now you get picks.

-Charlie.

A Warrior Becomes a Trojan.

On Saturday, the USC Trojans mens basketball team made a decision on who would be their next coach and they decided the best guy for the job was the former Marquette Warrior head coach Kevin O'Neill. I personally am unsure about this hire but I do wish the best success for Coach O'Neill.

The one thing that USC likes about this hire is that he has always been known for his discipline. That is something that the Trojan basketball team has lacked for a long time with that they hope that USC can stay on course of being a successful basketball team. The one problem I could see O'Neill having is dealing with players who had Tim Floyd's loose style and now converting to a disciplinarian. Usually that leads to a couple players leaving the school. The other thing that O'Neill brings to the table is he is a great coach on the defensive end. That has seem to be a new theme in the Pac-10 with scoring being down from years past and UCLA their big rival recently has always had a top ten tenacious defense.

The big question that will be raised will the NCAA take away scholarships or even worse ban them from postseason tournament? I think scholarships will the worst that could happen because it wasnt something that would led to a tournament ban. I know giving a guy a grand so one player could play a year isnt good although when you look at what Clem Haskins did at Minnesota (ended up with a postseason ban), it doesnt seem that bad.

-Charlie.

Floyd Fails to Fight On

Today, the coach of the USC Trojans Tim Floyd decided to step down as men's basketball coach only after three years with the team. This is the latest in the long story lines about Floyd and the shady recruiting that has been going on at USC especially with O.J. Mayo.

I had ripped Floyd a new one when I heard he took the Arizona job which turned out to be false but it does make one wonder why didnt he? My guess is Floyd felt that he could outsmart the NCAA and somewhat swipe these Mayo allegations under the floor. He didnt do anything remotely close to that as they found out about the supposed 1000 dollars Floyd gave to one of O.J. Mayo handlers which I wrote about it in this article. As I said in the end of that article, I truly believe now that the NCAA has gather enough evidence and is prepared to bring the hammer down on the program. Andy Katz wrote an awesome article himself on many reasons why this could have happened.

I think this also raises the question are these uber one-year wonders really worth having in college basketball? We have now seen two programs (USC and Memphis) deal with a mountain of problems because of these one year guys who provide great excitement but in the end it is all trouble. The NCAA and the NBA need to take a closer look at the one year rule to see if its really worth having when you have programs consistently having problems to attempt to get ahead in the college basketball world.

Floyd I feel should never coach again at a major program a lot like Kelvin Sampson due to the fact that they are proven dirty coaches. Iowa State had a heap of issues when Floyd left and now USC is facing those same sort of issues. He can enjoy being an assistant or working for a small team although no team should ever take the risk of having Floyd be their head coach.

I find it hard to believe that many big name coaches will want to coach at USC. I think they will probably go inside their program with someone who has USC ties since they are destined to be some sort of trouble. Whoever they find needs to have a clean record and no one that can cause the problems that Floyd did.

-Charlie.

Tim Floyd is in Trouble.

I beat up on Tim Floyd earlier on in April for "supposedly" taking the Arizona job then decided to come back to USC. Now I wonder if he wishes he took the job because the O.J. Mayo story will not die, its comparable to the zombies that Doz and I slayed all week so far.

The recent story that came out earlier this week was that Tim Floyd gave $1000 dollars to one of OJ Mayo's handlers to basically convince Mayo to go play for USC. Now I have always said the NCAA needs to finally come down hard on the Trojans. Although I think we all have learned that USC seems to be the untouchable team when it comes to avoiding NCAA violations.

The Trojans had the whole Reggie Bush situation that still has some legs but really I dont think is going anywhere while the basketball case I think might go somewhere. The reason why is the coach was directly involved with the situation. Pete Carroll had nothing to do with Bush's sports agency and it wasnt like he tried to make it happen for Bush. The only thing you can blame Carroll is for being too loose and letting things slip under his nose.

Tim Floyd on the other hand has been proven a dirty coach consistently in the last couple of years. First with all of the Mayo's dilemma and strife that came with it. Then Daniel Hackett having his dad on the sidelines as an assistant coach to make sure he would go to USC. Now Hackett entered the draft and I wouldnt be shocked to see his father not be apart of Floyd's coaching staff. I think by now the NCAA needs to bring the hammer down on Trojan Basketball.

-Charlie.

USC Might Be Cocky...

One of the stories today that was pretty interesting to me was that Pete Carroll agreed to forfeit two timeouts so his Trojan team could wear their Red home uniforms on the road against UCLA on Saturday.

Granted, Carroll and Rick Neuheisel, head coach of UCLA agreed to doing this because in 1982 when both teams played in the Los Angeles Collisum, they would both wear the home uniforms and it was sort of the tradition to have the teams both wearing their home jerseys.

I think its a bit cocky by the Trojans as they are giving them one of their three timeouts in the second half which could prove to be vital if the game is close although that isnt expected as USC defense looks tougher than most UFC fighters. I dont know if I was a coach I would just give up two timeouts when I have a Pac-10 title on the line. Also if I was Neuheisel, this would be a complete motivational tool as the team shows "no respect to us"

Hopefully this wont come back to bite the Trojans

-Charlie.

BCS Gettin' Messy

The new BCS standings have came out today around seven and once again we have some controversy as they rank 1. Alabama, 2. Texas, 3. Oklahoma, 4. Florida, 5. USC.

Now there is a three-way tie for the Big 12 South title and if no one loses their last game then it will be based on the BCS Standings whoever is the highest. As you can see now, its Texas who beat the Sooners by 10 but lost to the Red Raiders. In my opinion, if one team (Oklahoma or Texas) wins by a big amount and the other struggles to win, then its obvious that the team who dominates deserves to play in the Big 12 Championship. Now if both teams win by 10+, I think the team that deserves to play in the Big 12 championship is Texas for the reason I stated above.

Brad Edwards of ESPN.com wrote a great article breaking down the possibilities of still seeing America's favorite Texas Tech Red Raiders in the championship which I had no idea was possible. All that really needs to happen is of course, the Red Raiders beat Baylor, then Oklahoma State beats Oklahoma in Stillwater which is completely possible after the beatdown the Sooners laid on the Red Raiders, a letdown is completely pausable. Also Texas Tech has to get by Missouri in the Big 12 championship game as well.

If this situation happens, I would lose complete hope in the BCS and maybe the United States if USC or Penn State make into the BCS Championship. Granted I like both of those teams but they dont deserve it as much as Texas Tech. I dont care if they got their asses kicked by a whopping forty-four points, they deserve to play if the aforementioned situation occurs.

Another scary situation: What if one of these three loses to Mizzou in the Big 12 Title game? Then does USC (lets remember if the Oregon State Beavers win on Saturday, they are the Pac-10 Champions) or Penn State get in? Or do you allowed the team that didnt play for the Big 12 championship into the mix?

The BCS back again.

-Charlie.

What in the Hell?

USC.

How can you get absolutely embarrassed against Oregon State. A team that barely beats Stanford and a team who got throttled at the hands of Penn State. USC you looked two weeks ago like no one was going to come close to touching you all year and now you piss it away for now? Wow, unreal to me.

I didnt watch most of the game because I was watching Ryan Braun walkin' it off last night. But what I saw was that the defensive line of USC just got destroyed by Jacquizz Rodgers a true freshman. It makes one thing if Beanie Wells had played for the Buckeyes, would they have came closer to winning that game? Also the mighty stable couldnt do shit especially Reggie Bush Jr. (Joe McKnight) which once again is puzzling after they dominated Ohio State front line.

They still have a chance into the BCS Championship but its going to be a mighty climb because I think you will see one of the Big 12 teams in there and one SEC team likely. It is going to be tough for the Trojans to recover.

As for the Beavers, they could be the second-best team in the Pac 10 which I know isnt saying much this year but doesnt matter, they could really make some noise throughout the rest of the year. Also the future looks very bright with Jacquizz Rodgers in the backfield and hopefully they rock those Orange unis all year.

Who knows we could be on upset alert all day tomorrow.

-Charlie.

You Want Some.... Come Get Some

I basically see the USC football team saying that to whoever decides that they want to miss with the Trojans after their throttling of the Ohio State University who once again made the Big 10 look like shit on the national stage.

The reason for the USC superpower? Their monster defense with players that seem like they have been around for seven years already. Their linebacking crew is the strongest in the nation by far with Brian Cushing, Kaluka Maiavia, Rey Maualuga whose is the leader of the group and will be a high NFL draft pick. Clay Matthews and Everson Griffen at Defensive ends also make a ton of noise in the backfield.

The offense which you would figure doesnt need to score that much but it does. Led by junior Matt Sanchez who will probably gain some Heisman votes if he keeps the pace that he is on. Also they have a 6-headed running attack with guys who all could be starters at all D-1 Schools. It is nicknamed the Stable led by C.J. Gable, Joe McKnight (Reggie Bush Jr.). In addition, they have playmaking wideouts Patrick Turner standing tall at 6'5 and Damien Williams an import from Arkansas (thanks Mitch Mustian).

This team as you can see is loaded with NFL-ready talent and these guys have all the makings of being like the really good USC teams a couple years ago and I really do not see one game on the road that would be challenging for the Trojans. They should roll in the Pac-10.

-Charlie.

Hold the Mayo: O.J in Big Time Trouble

God what a cheesy title but its finals week so I really cannot think of anything better. Lets talk about Mr. O.J. Mayo and how screwed USC will be in a couple years as the hammer will drop down on them.

As a university I have always cheered for the football team and has been rather impartial when it comes to the basketball team because they never had any guys who I liked to watch. Now lets rewind to last spring where O.J. Mayo a guy who was being hailed as the next LeBron James decides to go to USC. Now the media is hyping up the issue of battle for Los Angles between Mayo versus Love.

O.J. Mayo has a pretty productive year for the Trojans averaging 20 a game and led them to an NCCA Tourney bid where they were a six seed only to be knocked out by Michael Beasley and Kansas State. There was even rumors during the Tourney that Mayo would not join the NBA this season and would play another year for USC.... So much for that, he bolted to the NBA and hired an agent.

Here is where the problem lies. According to an ESPN Outside the Lines report, the sports agency BDA and one of their employees Rodney Guilroy who happens to be O.J. Mayo's mentor. Hmm... interesting tidbits about that. O.J. had nice big flat screen T.V. in his USC dorm room, wow how do you afford that when you lived in poor Huntington, West Virgina where according to WSN poster Pistolpetefan23, "Couldnt afford a cellphone." Wow, interesting how he had a high-tech cell phone all throughout the year, maybe he had a kick-ass summer job? Oh wait, he couldnt do that with all the basketball he was playing. All signs in this case point to Guilroy and will put USC in deep shit.

The funny thing about this situation is that Gregg Doyal of CBS Sportsline (hated amongst Badger Basketball fans) wrote an article regrading the character of the O.J. Mayo and this Guilroy character. In this article, Guilroy got in trouble for giving airfare to a USC and Fresno State players in 2000-2001! Cmon, Tim Floyd how does this not set up huge red flags about Mayo and why in the hell do you bring him in? Tim didnt want to be second-fiddle to UCLA anymore so thats why he brought in Mayo. Well now he might be looking for a new job if this gets really serious or not seeing the postseason for the next five years. If I am DeMar DeRozen the big time recruit for USC, I get the hell out of there while I can. Also if his grandfather was still alive, there is no way O.J. steps foot on to USC's campus, no ifs ands or buts about it.

I found an article about Worldwide Wes about a month or so ago who has been involved with some interesting tactics with Memphis and now it seems to be Illinois too. If they find Guilroy to be guilty, they need to at least do some digging about Wes. He sounds too good to be true, just an ambassador. Cmon.

I will say this... the basketball world would be better without AAU.