Weekly Musings - Syracuse Edition

It is nearly impossible to say who the dominant teams will be in college football this year. I know Oklahoma and Alabama are good, but Alabama has not been tested yet (at all), and last year after a strong September start they ended up losing 3 or 4 games (including what has got to be the worst meltdown in their rivalry game against Auburn I have ever seen). So I am an Alabama believer this year, but it is early. Oklahoma beat Florida State, and looked good doing it, but I think that says as much about Florida State being overrated as it does Oklahoma being the best team in the country. If Oklahoma State and Texas A&M are as good as advertised, it could be a pretty special year in the Big-12 (and it could be the very last year of the Big-12, so there you go). Could the season end up with a Oklahoma vs. Alabama situation? Absolutely. But there is a long way to go. LSU is a real deal. If there were justice in the world Boise State would have to deserve consideration. I think we will have a clearer idea of who is the real deal and who are the impostors in about four weeks. Onward and forward we go ...I have some thoughts on my 3-0 Trojans and then will skip across town and then quickly cover some things around the country ...- Robert Woods is the best downfield blocker we have had at USC since Keyshawn Johnson (and Key ended up being one of the best WR blockers to ever play football)- Robert Woods may be the best receiver we have had since Keyshawn too. Mike Williams was awfully special that second year, but Woods is really a rare kind of talent. He is faster than Big Mike, and as good of a route-runner. I am adding to my daily prayer list for Woodie to stay healthy. I believe he is the real deal (and a first class person too)- Speaking of Wide Receivers, the following is my top 10 list of USC receivers SINCE 1994. The all-time list would obviously include Swann and Conway and Morton. Also note that this list is based on their play at USC; if NFL accomplishments were included then Jarrett would be out and Billy Miller would be in.(1) Keyshawn Johnson(2) Mike Williams(3) Dwayne Jarrett(4) Robert Woods(5) Steve Smith(6) Kerry Colbert(7) RJ Soward(8) Damian Williams(9) Kareem Kelly(10) Ronald Johnson- Coach took my advice from Monday Morning Quarterback and put Robert Woods back for a punt return. It didn't go well. But special thanks to CLK for listening to me so closely! -) He actually said I had a good point, but predicted that Robey will break one out this year ...- Great use of the wildcat last night. Woods and Tyler involved in that formation is very potent (I remember football ignoramus Scott Wolf saying last year that it would never work without Dillon Baxter).- Like any human with a pulse, I love the long pass plays, and I love highlight reel football. But like anyone who tries to genuinely know and understand the sport of football, I really, really love solid defensive football, and a strong running game. It is very tough to gauge it against the three teams we have played, and there were a couple letdowns, but I think this year's defense is dramatically better than last year's. They are fast. The front seven is containing very well. They are sticking to their assignments with impressive discipline. And they are tackling. It is one of the reasons that our 2008 team being denied their deserved chance to play in the national championship bothers me so much: It was perhaps the best defense in the history of college football. Barkley threw some big passes tonight, and we have some playmakers on offense. But if this year's team is going to outperform expectations, it will be because our defense proves to be a force, and because we establish a serious and consistent running game.- I have a feeling we will not see DJ Morgan very much for a little while. I understand why Lane has the "no fumblers allowed" policy. He has the depth that he should be able to field someone who will not put the ball on the ground. I liked what I saw from Dillon and especially McNeal in garbage time, and I think they will the guys to back-up Tyler for a while.- Coach Kiffin has properly been praised (even by his detractors in a lot of cases) for what has been a remarkable recruiting job since coming to USC. I think we will actually look back one day and say that we didn't even give him enough credit for what he has done (and is doing, and will do) in terms of recruiting. I think he is a great play-caller. And it does seem like the team has improved a lot of the defensive imperfections from last year. He is not perfect, and can do some odd things at times. BUT, the one thing I think that he needs the most credit for is our insane A-team of assistant coaches. Ed Orgeron, Kennedy Pola, Joe Barry, and John Baxter are no joke. Their passion on the sidelines is contagious. I have a lot of confidence that this program is in the right hands, and the proof will be in the individual position improvement being coached by these aforementioned assistants. I always said that one of the huge differences between the 1996-2000 era of USC football and the 2002-2008 era of USC football was the improvement the players made game-by-game and year-by-year. The 1996-2000 teams put TONS of players in the NFL, but we didn't win games, and the players didn't get better (Daylon McCutcheon and Travis Claridge come to mind). But the 2002-2008 years represent the greatest dynasty in the history of college football (nothing comes close), and I think that the collection of Tim Davis, Steve Sarkisian, Ed Orgeron, Todd McNair, Pat Ruehl, etc. saw to it that the talented kids who came in got BETTER (and it didn't hurt that we were three times as deep). Lane's coaching staff is top shelf, and I believe this will be universally recognized in the years to come.- In the battle of the two teams that actually cheated for a real football advantage, Miami beat the tar out of Ohio State (Oregon could not play in the game because of the ongoing rule that only two teams can play at a time).- ESPN LA wrote a scathing piece last week on UCLA's new-found acceptance of mediocrity. His point was that for ten years the team has been poor, and that if they merely rise to level of "mediocre", their fan base and coaching staff appears to now accept it. This is offensive, according to the author, because UCLA in the 1970', 80's, and 90's would have never accepted "mediocre". Well, I guess there is such a thing as "exactly half right". Yes, the program is thrilled to get "up to average" these days, as evidenced by their jubilation in beating San Jose State at home. 7-5 is the goal when 4-8 and 6-6 have become common. But with all due respect to Bruin football, it is just untrue that the Bruins expected something better than mediocrity (in football) in prior decades. They have not won a Rose Bowl since 1986, and their supposed golden years of 1998-1999 produced a grand total of ZERO Rose Bowl wins. They are a basketball school, and they play for one game every single year. That was not different in 1978, 1984, or 1996.- I will not pile on them for their performance against Texas. They do not look very good, but they usually have pretty good skill position players. I just can not believe how long it has been since they have had a quarterback who was even decent. Texas came in and really ran the football down their throars. They seem to have an abundance of really good place-kickers and punters every year too. Neuheisel has time to save his job this year. We all know what game it will take to do it.- Notre Dame looked solid against Michigan State. This is not going to be a very good year for the Big-10. Ohio State is atrocious. Penn State is even worse. Michigan State looks like imposters. Wisconsin is probably their best team.- I am not sure that to make of Arizona State's loss to Illinois, or their win against Missouri. We shall see how the Trojans do in their first road game of the season 9with a very late kickoff). USC's win streak against ASU goes back to the late 1990's, and it would make ASU's season to beat the Trojans (remember my rule of thumb: You can say USC is no longer relevant when every single team that beats us quits rushing the field when they do so). If we run the ball against them, and minimize turnovers, I think we will come away with a win.- Have I ever mentioned that all Reggie Bush had to do was pay off the fake felon agent he owed money to, and none of this would have ever happened?- By the way, google the punishment the NCAA just gave to Boise State, and read the article to understand what they did. If that will not show you the abusive disposition of this insidiuous body of bureacrats, nothing will. McDonalds and a sleepover at someone's house. Read the article. Ay yi yi.I think it is time to call it quits. I am excited to get into conference play and to have a week away from the Coliseum. We have some tough games coming up. But I would rather enter the next phase of our schedule 3-0 than something different. I am out of town on business right now so will miss Monday Morning Quarterback tomorrow. Beat the Sun Devils, Trojans, and stay healthy Robert Woods!