2007 Opening Edition - 9/4/07
It has been far too long, and I am ever so grateful to be back, once again, annoying you with my weekly musings on this weekend's events in what is undoubtedly the greatest element of pop culture - college football. This is the single most special time of year - like a Christmas season that goes four months long - so buckle up, and enjoy the ride.
Without further adieu ...
- Much of today's musings are going to center around Coach Miles of LSU's comments over the summer regarding USC and the SEC/Pac-10 issues. I had intended to write a separate piece about this over the summer but never quite got to it. On top of that, ESPN.com published something far better than anything I could write here:
But I think the real reason I delayed in getting my piece done is because I know that there is something about it everyone will hate. Well, that has never stopped me before, so here goes:
I couldn't care less when an SEC fan berates the quality of the Pac-10. It means nothing to me whatsoever, and shouldn't to any Trojan. The fact of the matter is that, first of all, from top to bottom, the SEC is a better conference in the aggregate than the Pac-10. Period. Secondly, it misses the entire point. Coach Miles joins a long list of SEC ignoramuses in not understanding that the quality of the programs at Stanford and UCLA and Washington right now has nothing to do with what USC has done the last five years. USC has played among the toughest schedules in the country each of the last five years, and has done something that has never been done before (and possibly will never be done again). Does this cajun idiot want to name one SEC team over the last five years that comes close to doing what USC has done? Has he seen what USC has done when it played the SEC West champion, as well as the #4 in the country Auburn, at THEIR places? Does the 1-11 Stanford have anything to do with USC beating Michigan twice in the Rose Bowl, blowing Oklahoma out of the water in the Orange Bowl, and beating Iowa to smithereens in the same? Does this ass-clown really want to discuss strength of schedule, when the SEC leads the country in games against 1-AA teams, while USC has NEVER played one, EVER, in their history? Judging strength of schedule exclusively on conference play, while ignoring non-conference play, is like judging someone's philanthrophy on the taxes they pay instead of also on their level of charitable giving. We chose to schedule Nebraska, Ohio State, Notre Dame, BYU, Colorado, Kansas State, Auburn, and Arkansas. We went to a plethora of bowl games and blew out Big-12 and Big-10 champions (with the one exception being a tragic three point loss to Texas). LSU, and all the other SEC whiners, choose to schedule Southeastern Junior College of the Deaf and Blind (who just beat Michigan, by the way) every year to fill out their schedule, and complain that USC does what it does. Coach Miles can complain when he schedules perennial powerhouses in non-conference games like USC does, and also walks away with conference championships. In the meantime, to make the comments he made in July show what a pathetic system the BCS is, that an SEC coach is making a defense for a conference loss four months before it has happened. He is a classless clown, and I pray that somehow USC gets its day with him. That may not happen, but I assure you that one thing Coach Miles is doing is praying that he never has to prove on the field how weak USC's conference is.
Now, with that said, and all my animosity for SEC whining out of the way, I still acknowledge the basic statistical truth that Florida, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, Auburn, and Arkansas (etc.) in the aggregate represent a tougher batch than the Pac-10 has the last several years. He is actually not right by much, but he is right. This is what distinguishes me as a pure USC fan, and not a Pac-10 fan, per se. I couldn't care less if the SEC pounds the Pac-10 every single game, with the exception of my beloved Trojans. I am a USC fan, and I have no interest in bringing myself to root for the Cal's and UCLA's of the world who exist for the purpose of hating USC, just because they are up against an another conference team. "You won't get any respect if you don't see the other conference teams improve". That is ridiculous. USC is in a league of its own - period. We do not need to shy away from this any longer. The bottom third of the SEC is atrocious as well. The top team has not been as good as USC over the last five years. The #2-#5 teams have been mostly better. The rest is a waste of conversation. It is political posturing from a conference that tries to win with the sportswriters and polls rather than on the field.
Develop a playoff system, and the whole thing goes away. In the meantime, I am not going to defend Cal and UCLA and Oregon, who do mostly embarrass the Pac-10 every time they play in a bowl game anyways, just because a loudmouth coach is doing a preemptive strike on the fact that he thinks his own team will lose a game. As for me and my house, we are neutral-SEC, neutral-Pac-10, pro-USC football fans - period.
- John David Booty is far and away the best QB in the Pac-10, and I mean FAR and away, but he will need to show more improvement and crispness against Nebraska than he did through most of Saturday.
- Biggest highlight for me - Stefan Johnson running the ball !!!! Wow ....
- Biggest lowlight for me - USC's secondary giving up as many passing yards as they did to a true freshman QB
- Lloyd Carr is done, and I confess to being wrong here. I have said for a year or two now that losing to your rival several years in a row is not enough to get you fired when you (a) Also had a run of wins against them in the past, (b) Won a national championship, and (c) Have been in the Rose Bowl three of the last five years (although all were losses). However, losing to a 1-AA team in the Big House is unforgivable. I can not believe he will be there to play Ohio State this year, but if he is, a dramatic win there is his only hope.
- Charlie Weis is the most overrated, overpaid, anomaly I have ever seen in a lifetime of loving and watching college football. I still have absolutely NO idea what he has done at Notre Dame, other than ALMOST beating USC one year. USC has a chance to do what USC, and no one else, has ever done: Beat Notre Dame six years in a row!!! I can not wait. South Bend, we are coming ...
- UCLA is going to go third or fourth in the Pac-10 this year. They will lose one or two to better teams, and one or two to worse teams, which is still better than losing three to better teams, and three to worse teams. Don't cry for them - they don't care, and either should you. Long live the round ball ...
- Cal is likely going to be USC's hardest game this year, but I refuse to look ahead. This Nebraska game has me worried. With that said, anyone who punts to ME-shaun Jackson deserves to be scored against. That Cal team is good. Their fans are still animals.
- The bye week is huge for my Trojans. With seven starters out to injury, we need the time to heal. Who knew that all that depth would come in so handy ... Expect a whole new batch of offensive plays on the 15th. I also do not anticipate this Nebraska TB running for 200+ yards against Keith Rivers and Ray Malaluga.
- Does anyone know if the ACC is keeping their football program?
That's it for this week. I hope you enjoy reading me. I sure enjoy writing you.
Until we meet again,David L. Bahnsen
DLB4USC