I am who I am

The stage is set for a fantastic Thanksgiving Day battle between the No. 8 (BCS) ASU Sun Devils and the No. 11 USC Trojans that likely holds a BCS bowl game for the winner. The teams sit in second and third place respectively in the Pac-10; whichever wins the rest of their games this season will probably get an invite to the granddaddy of them all: The Rose Bowl. Keep in mind that for this to happen for either team, they’d have to win their rivalry game, which doesn’t always happen, no matter how talented a team is.

When the season began, I never thought this game would have the importance it has now. USC was primed to make a run at the national championship behind 10 returning starters on defense and a Heisman candidate. ASU was breaking in a new head coach following a disappointing previous season and was picked to finish fourth in the Pac-10. Now, 12 weeks into the season, both teams are in positions I could have never imagined.

This will be a tough game… competitive, but also difficult for me personally. It’s the first time in five seasons that I haven’t been completely sure that the Trojans would win.

Though I’ve been a Sun Devil since enrolling at ASU in the fall of 2003, I’ve spent most of my life watching USC football. Growing up in California, if you watch college football you’re either a Trojan fan or a Bruin fan. And I sure as hell am not a dirty Bruin. My step father grew up watching USC football because his father watches USC football (he graduated from the school back in the day); I grew up watching it in a similar situation.

No matter who wins on Thursday — I’ll be a bit happy and a bit sad.

Duck hunt

By dominating Cal in the second half of a 31-20 win, the ASU Sun Devils have set a date with the Oregon Ducks that will have Rose Bowl and possibly national championship implications. This Saturday, the Devils will travel to Eugene for a second consecutive matchup between top-10 teams in Autzen (only the second in history).

According to Stewart Mandel, Oregon is still the team to beat in the Pac-10 despite ASU’s unbeaten and conference-leading status. If the team is to come out of Autzen unscathed, Erickson should take note of USC’s miscues last week, and follow my strategy on beating the Ducks.

Oregon runs the option better than any team in the country. Like Pat White and Steve Slaton at West Virginia, the Ducks boast a fantastic quarterback/running back combo in Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart. Both run the ball extremely well and Dixon isn’t too bad of a passer as well.

To beat Oregon, ASU will have to try and contain the running game and force Dixon to rely on his injured receiving corps. The spread option running attack is based largely on a series of fakes; the quarterback will either fake the handoff to the running back, or hand the ball off and run the opposite direction as a decoy. This attack makes it extremely difficult for the defense to get any sort of pressure on the quarterback because it’s predicated on speed and making quick decisions.

The best defense against this type of running attack is to hit Dixon on every running play, even if he hands the ball off to Stewart. Oregon’s offense runs through Dixon; he calls the plays at the line after reading the defense in a no-huddle setup. Hitting Dixon will do two things: 1) it’ll wear him down physically as the game goes on, and 2) it’ll wear him down mentally as the game goes on.

If you put him on the turf enough times, Dixon will make mistakes. He’ll start getting rid of the ball early and will likely hesitate when running. Just knowing that he’s going to get hit is going to affect his play, and the Devils can’t be penalized for it because of the nature of the Oregon run game. I’m not saying I want him to get hurt, but he’ll think twice the next time he runs up the middle.

On rankings

I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult it is to be Stewart Mandell, or any AP poll voter for that matter. While the Bowl Championship Series has made major college football more of a national sport than it ever was in the pre-BCS days, it still remains largely a regional sport. As a voter, is it really possible to know enough about the 120 major football programs to be able to pull the 25 top teams and put them in order?

Consider Mandell’s recent “Five Things We Learned This Weekend” post. He notes that “reports of the Pac-10’s ascendancy were premature,” based on recent losses Cal has suffered to Oregon State and UCLA as well as USC’s loss to Stanford.

This is quite puzzling, considering that the common justification of the strength of the SEC is that it’s almost impossible for teams to make it through the season undefeated. It certainly was the rational last year, when a one-loss Florida team creamed Ohio State in the National Championship game.

The general consensus of the Pac-10 the past few years has been that it’s USC and nobody, therefore it’s easy for the Trojans to get to the big game. Yet this year, when any Pac-10 team can beat any other on a given Saturday, it’s just proof that the conference is weak.

Let’s just ignore the fact that previously No. 6 South Carolina, who was leading the southeastern division of the SEC, lost to lowly Vanderbilt(see photo). Let’s also ignore the fact that two-loss UCLA, in their loss to Notre Dame (ND’s only win on the season), was starting a walk-on at quarterback because of injuries.

Fans and the media alike were floored by USC’s loss to Stanford, yet they seem to conveniently forget (or are simply unaware of) the large number of injuries the Trojans had picked up in the last few games. They’d loss several linemen, two running backs (including their leading rusher, Stafon Johnson), two great linebackers and a number of cornerbacks.

The Pac-10 is tough this year, I guarantee that. Just wait until bowl season.

Failure, thy name is Booty.

I didn’t think it would happen this year, but USC lost. Not only did they lose, but they lost at home. And it was to Stanford, the worst team in the Pac-10. How did this happen, you ask? Three words (names, actually): John David Booty.

I’ll never understand why quarterbacks try to play through injuries that clearly affect the way they play. Sam Keller did it a few years ago for ASU, when he played with two broken fingers against (again) Stanford. The Devils ended up losing. Booty did the same thing, playing through the majority of the game with a broken middle finger. While the Trojans crushed the Cardinals in total yardage, Booty threw four interceptions, one of which led to Stanford’s last scoring drive.

Many of Booty’s passes ended up sailing high over receivers’ heads, which is saying a lot considering two of them are around six-foot four-inches tall. I’ll admit that the Trojan’s woes are not all Booty’s fault. Junior wideout Patrick Turner hasn’t matured as quickly as his predecessors Dwayne Jarrett or Mike Williams did. However, I have had some definite problems with Booty since about this time last year when USC lost to Oregon State.

First: Booty has a problem with touch. He throws the ball with the same velocity in almost every situation; receivers could be five yards away, and he still chucks it like he’s throwing down field. Because of this, his passes tend to be low enough that linemen can knock them down at the line of scrimmage, which is what ended game-winning drives against UCLA and Oregon State last year.

Second: I think opposing coaches have figured out how to play Booty – blitz the hell out of him. He panics under pressure and has trouble moving out of the pocket unless the play specifically calls for a bootleg. A lot of quarterbacks are immobile; the better ones will stand tall in the pocket and deliver a catchable ball knowing that they’ll get hit. Booty, however, is content to get rid of the ball just to avoid getting hit.

For example: Former Heisman Trophy Winner and USC quarterback Carson Palmer was injured in the playoffs against the Pittsburgh Steelers when he held onto the ball as long as necessary to allow Chris Henry to get open along the sideline. Palmer completed the pass, a 66-yard bomb that went for a touchdown, but tore his ACL and MCL when hit by Kimo von Oelhoffen. Following successful surgery and physical therapy, Palmer returned and is now considered one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

Third: I don’t think Booty has “it.” If you look at the collegiate careers of both Palmer and Matt Leinart, you’ll notice that they were both able to make plays when the game was on the line. In recent memory, consider Leinart’s audible to get the Trojans out of 4th-and-9 in their own territory against Notre Dame or even his quarterback sneak to win the game. Booty has yet to show that he’s a confident leader who can make plays to win games.

This loss also falls on the coaching staff. There is absolutely no reason that Booty should have been left in the game. Even if they’d pulled Booty after interception number three, the defense is good enough to hold on to win a game against a team like this. Giving a team a short field is the worst thing you can do when your offense isn’t clicking.

I’m sure it’s hard for Coach Pete Carroll to move away from Booty. The guy left high school a semester early to come and join the team, thinking that he might get the start over Leinart; since then he’s waited patiently for his time in the spotlight. And perhaps the standards have been set too high, following two Heisman-winning quarterbacks.

By the way, the picture of Booty was taken from a facebook group. Hilarious.

Fight on.

For those of you who caught the USC-Washington game, I don’t need to tell you how big of a bullet the Trojans dodged on a day when five of the top ten teams in the country were upset.  Following two dominating performances on the road at Nebraska and at home against Washington State, the Trojans showed that perhaps they shouldn’t be the number one team in the country by barely beating the Huskies 27-24.

On the bright side, USC was able to win a game in which almost everything went wrong.  The Men of Troy committed 16 penalties for 161 yards, compared to Washington’s  190 total yards.  Add those penalties to two interceptions thrown by John David Booty, the loss of two offensive linemen and the loss of yet another cornerback, and you have the makings of a close game.  In pure productivity, the Trojans dominated the Huskies, putting up 460 total net yards, 224 of which were picked up on the ground mostly by tailbacks Chauncey Washington and Staffon Johnson.

This year’s USC squad, with a preaseason ranking of No. 1, is a team that was supposed to be defined by 10 starters returning on defense.  Following a litany of injuries, the Trojans are down to their third or fourth string cornerback on one side and are missing their best pass-rushing linebacker, Brian Cushing.  It’s nice, however, to see that if one aspect of the offense isn’t working for the Trojans, they can always fall back on the other.  It’s a luxury that they didn’t have last year when Washington was often hurt and with four true freshman in the rotation.

People may think I’m crazy, but I still see this team easily handling Oregon and Cal.  Stewart Mandel called their weekend matchup one of the best games of the season, but I still think that USC is a way more physical team on defense and offense.  Many people question USC’s defense against Oregon’s deadly spread offense, citing that the Ducks would have beaten the Bears, if not for three turnovers in the red zone on their last three drives.  Stewart Mandel makes an excellent point on how to beat the spread following SFU’s victory over former No. 5 West Virginia.  Pete Carroll has gone on record saying this is his speediest defense yet…

I think Arizona State looks to be the toughest game for the Trojans.  Football fans know that Dennis Erickson, no matter where he’s coaching, should not be underestimated.  The Sun Devils have shown that they’re a physical team and that they can play tough through four quarters.  They’ve played two games this year where, in the first quarter they were down by at least two touchdowns, only to fight back and win.  One of these wins came against a Colorado team that just downed former No. 3 Oklahoma.  ASU’s next two matchups will show a lot about what type of team Erickson has.  The Devils play on the road at Washington State, a team they should beat easily (the test is that it’s on the road), and at home against Washington and the future of the Husky program, quarterback Jake Locker.   For those unfamiliar with Jake Locker, he’s called the Tim Tebow of the west…

Ducks fly together. (Remember that from The Mighty Ducks?)

A week after losing to I-AA Appalachian State, Michigan lost yet again at home to an unranked team. The Oregon Ducks absolutely manhandled the young Michigan defense, dropping a total of 624 yards of offense on the Wolverines, 331 of which were on picked up on the ground. If ever there were a game that illustrated just how much defensive talent the Wolverines lost to the NFL, this was it. The win has catapulted Ducks into the AP top 25 at No. 19, bringing the number of ranked Pac-10 teams to four. Luckily Dan Fouts wasn’t one of the commentators; I can only imagine how delighted he was.

As glad as I am that Oregon won one for the Pac-10, I must say that I have little respect for Mike Bellotti. While the guy certainly produces consistently talented teams, he has almost no class as a play caller. With Oregon up 32-7 at half, there was little reason for Bellotti to come out with guns blazing in the third quarter. Though the Ducks put up only 7 points in the third, they played their starters on offense until the last five minutes of the game. In my mind, there is no reason for this, except to rub salt in the wound and impress the pollsters. Not only had Michigan failed to even sniff the goal line since the first quarter, but both Chad Henne and Mike Hart were injured. There’s simply no reason for Oregon to have their starters in the game at this point!

I was also unimpressed with Bellotti allowing the team to use the hammer in the Michigan end zone during halftime. That shows no respect for the other team’s field. I love when our teams can dominate non-conference opponents, but I want us to be respectful as well. Mark my words: this one’s going to come back to bite Oregon in the ass. Michigan may be down now, but a team like the Wolverines won’t be down forever. And they’ll remember this the next time the meet the Ducks.

Rob Moseley, who covers Oregon football for The Register-Guard, had a bit to say about the hammer in his blog. In response to what he said, I think it’d be different if the Ducks’ mascot had been holding the hammer instead of a player. It also would have been better if this were done before the game started rather than at halftime, when Michigan was already getting blown out. There’s a difference between pumping fans up for a game that is about to begin and showing off when you’re way out ahead. Would Moseley think the same thing if Tommy Trojan stabs center field after USC creams the Ducks in October?

This is just bad karma. I predict that Oregon loses at least 4 games in conference play.

Meanwhile, Washington was able to upset Boise State and Heisma-hopeful Ian Johnson. The Huskies got a solid performance from redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Locker, who threw for 193 yards and rushed for another 84. He’ll be a force in the Pac-10 by the time his junior and senior seasons roll around.

Washington Coach Ty Willingham is now in his third year in Seattle, and the team has shown signs off improvement the last two years. The Huskies started 4-1 last season before quarterback Isaiah Stanbeck suffered a season-ending injury. Considering the 0-2 start of the Fighting Irish this year, one must question if Stanbeck’s firing from Notre Dame was a bit premature.

Consider that this is going to be an “off” year by recruiting standards for the Irish — Coach Charlie Weis hit the recruiting trail late before his first season after helping the New England Patriots win yet another Super Bowl. While mega-recruit Jimmy Clausen was certainly a big win for Weis, don’t forget that Notre Dame’s recent success was built off of players that Willingham had recruited, most notably Brady Quinn and Jeff Samardzija. Quinn is now in the NFL and Samardzija plays professional baseball.

You’re crazy, Les.

It’s that time of year again, folks. That’s right, the college football season has officially begun, and we’ve already seen some fireworks. But before we get into all of that, lets take some time to clarify what this blog is all about.

Most college football fans have heard of the east coast bias; it’s the idea that the east coast AP poll voters and coaches, because of the time difference, rarely appreciate west coast football the way they should. I mean, who’s going to stay up until 1 a.m. to watch USC pummel Idaho? However, it is their job to watch as many games as possible to make an educated and informed vote every week. And while #1 USC has remained largely unaffected by the east coast bias the last four or five years (and not without reason), the rest of the Pac-10 hasn’t fared as well.

Public perception of the Pac-10 is that the conference is soft, a bunch of offensive finesse without the defense or muscle in the trenches to compete with the other BCS majors. It didn’t help the cause when a ranked Cal team went into Tennessee and was embarrassed 35-18 last year.

I, however, disagree with this assessment and, through this blog, will cover the Pac-10 with the respect and passion these teams deserve.

Sporting News ranked the Pac-10 as the fifth toughest conference this season following the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC, respectively. Even LSU coach Les Miles jumped on the bandwagon in July, making the point that the Trojans will have an easy time getting to the National Championship because of the softies in the conference. LSU, he said, would love to have the path that USC has.

But forget all the hype because the season has officially started.

Tennessee made the trip to Berkley where the 12th-ranked Bears avenged last season’s loss while racking up more points on the No. 15 Volunteers than any other team in the past 12 years. Cal put up almost 500 yards of total offense to beat the Vols 45-31. Cal running back Justin Forsett, who weighs only 198 pounds at 5-foot-8-inches, rushed for 156 yards on 26 carries against a respected SEC defense. While Cal was ranked higher than Tennessee, only 46% of Yahoo! users picked the Bears to win, despite their home-field advantage.

This was a must-win game for Cal. Coach Jeff Tedford and his Golden Bears have often been the Pac-10 poster boys for the conference’s lack of toughness. After being passed up for a Rose Bowl berth in 2004, 10-1 Cal (with their only loss to the eventual national champs USC) played flat and lost to a 7-4 Texas Tech team in the Holiday Bowl. At one point during their loss to Tennessee last season, Cal was facing a 35-point deficit. It’s nice to see the Tedford can win a game that counts for something, though he’s yet to really do that outside of Berkley.

Across the board, Pac-10 teams performed well in the first week of the season with only Washington State and Arizona losing non-conference games to No. 7 Wisconsin and BYU. Key matchups for this weekend include Oregon at previously No.5-ranked Michigan and Washington hosting Fiesta-Bowl-darlings Boise State. Let me point out that Oregon has failed to score a single point in three previous trips to the Big House. Perhaps they can take a cue from Appalachian State.