Weekly Musings - Colorado Edition

Wow.  What a weekend of college football.  The build-up to this LSU-Alabama game would have led one to believe that, I don't know, just ONE touchdown would be scored???  But it was a close game, and certainly the passion of both teams' fans is what college football is all about.  I don't live in the south, but I do admire the passion for college football that exists there.  I also understand why an 0-11 team in Mississippi would probably sell out every game, being aware of what their dining options are and so forth.  But suffice it to say, though I find the "SEC is God" crowd odd and a bit dentally-challenged, I do enjoy being a USC fan with the same passion for the sport that many in the SEC have.  If I could change ONE thing about the Trojan football world, it would be to permanently banish the massive force of bandwagoners that come along whenever any team in Los Angeles is doing well.  It is the nature of culture in Southern California, and it is too bad.  But the core Trojan family is rock solid, and I wish from the bottom of my heart that we could play a SEC team every year.  Okay - let's go around the country.- 2,300 passing yards for Matt Barkley coming into this game against Colorado, but less than 1,000 of those were to Robert Woods.  I think the fact that the best Wide Receiver in college football represents just 41% of the Trojan passing offense is an extraordinary testimony to the balance and effectiveness of Lane Kiffin's offense.  Having seen some of the offenses in the SEC this weekend, I bet a lot of coaches are happy Lane left Tennessee.  Of course, from a recruiting standpoint, they were elated the day he left.- I mean it, though.  I really believe the story of the Trojan season so far has been the ability to develop a balanced offense.  From the Arizona game in early October all the way through this shellacking of the badly outmatched Colorado team, our offense has been explosive, with downhill running, incredible run-blocking, nearly perfect QB play (with the exception of a few bad throws against Cal), Tight Ends involved in the offense, true freshmen dominating senior defenders, etc.  The wide receiving corps is sick good, as in Colbert -Williams-Kelly and Jarrett-Smith good.  And guess what?  They're all coming back - the receivers, the tight ends, and the three tailbacks you saw last night.- I'm no football genius, but I'm thinking that Colorado's corners were a little out-matched in that tight man-to-man coverage their coaching staff had them play against Robert Woods and Marquis Lee.  I would have maybe double-teamed them, or brought over a safety, or played zone, or pulled their shoes off, or hit them with a bat, or something.  Yikes.- Ultimately, I just don't believe the Pac-12 should have ever let Colorado into our conference.  They can not play at this level.  The conference will regret this decision in a big way.- I am not sure if Andrew Luck is the Heisman winner or not.  In fact, I am very skeptical.  If I were voting and the season ended today I'd be voting for that QB in Boise.- Geez, if the Pac-12 officials are bad, what does that say about the Big-10 refs?  If I'm a Michigan fan this weekend I feel even worse than USC fans had every right to feel last weekend.- I don't care what anyone says; that LSU-Alabama game was not merely "the battle of two stellar defenses"; it was also "the battle of two horrendous offenses".  Never in my football-watching life have I seen the two best teams in America be more inept offensively.  It is bizarre.- There is nothing more re-affirming than watching a football game where I see first hand the validity of the theory I developed in 1995: Two-quarterback rotations are a DISASTER.  For you Trojans, you may be able to guess what inspired this theory based on the year.  But why LSU is trying to keep this Lee in the rotation with Jefferson is completely beyond me.- I had the TV on mute the whole time that play was being reviewed, but from what I saw over and over again, it sure looked like the Alabama receiver had that ball at the 1-yard line.  Of course, even then I doubt they would have scored a touchdown.  - I respect Nick Saban a lot, and think he is one of the top 5 coaches in college foball today.  But I am wondering if he is getting the reputation for being unable to win the big game.  I know he beat Texas two years ago, but the best quarterback in America got hurt on the first play of the game, and Texas still almost won.  Beyond that, he had the unthinkable loss to Auburn last year at home after being up 24-0.  He lost to Florida for the SEC crown the year before their title.  And he lost to Utah in the Sugar Bowl that same year.  I think as a Trojan it just reinforces how blessed we were during the Carroll years: He just didn't lose the big games.  Yes, he lost a few games to bad teams he shouldn't have, an obviously there was that ONE game against Texas.  But that massive unbeaten streak in big games and that 6-1 record in BCS bowl games will probably never be seen again.  Don't get me wrong - Saban is a serious coach, but he is no Carroll.- They say good luck comes to those living clean, and if that is true, Les Miles hasn't smoked a cigarette, sipped a beer, or kissed a girl his entire life.  Because that is the luckiest cat I think I have ever seen.- Both Alabama and LSU do have defenses that hit almost perfectly.  Their defensive schemes and fundamentals are flawless.- Could they rematch in the BCS final?  You bet.  I will almost guarantee you that even if Stanford, Oklahoma State, and Boise State are undefeated, LSU and Alabama will play again for a fake national championship.- It will be really interesting to see if LSU has to deal with the hangover effect next weekend - against, um, Western Kentucky.  LOL.- Arizona State's kicker probably feels pretty bad tonight, but if he calls Alabama's kicker, he will feel a lot better.- I don't really think Oklahoma State, Stanford, and Boise State will all end up undefeated.  I think Oregon beats Stanford and Oklahoma Beats Ok State.  I think Boise gets screwed over.  And I think that leaves us with a rematch - of LSU vs. OREGON, not Bama.  But it will not play out like that.  Who cares.  Have a playoff jackasses.I am excited to get a rematch game against Washington this weekend at the Coliseum.  Losing off of a field goal with no time left on the clock is one thing, but having it happen two years in a row is incomprehensible ...  I like Coach Sarkisian, and I always have.  But we need to punch these guys in the mouth and defend our home field. Fight on - it's great to be a Trojan!