Trojans Back On The Warpath…

If you were worried about the USC Trojans this year, worry no more.  On Saturday, the Trojans traveled east towards Virginia to play the Cavaliers; and boy did they play them, to a tune of 52-7.  This is the best I’ve seen the Trojans in 2 years. Sure, the Cavaliers are not a top-ranked team, or even a ranked team for that matter, but hey, they were supposed to put up a bigger fight than that.  The running game was rolling, 218 yds and 4 tds. The passing game led by QB Mark Sanchez couldn’t have been more precise, 338 yds, 3 tds and one pick (which wasn’t his fault by the way). The defense, well, they showed by they’re the best in the country. Next up, Ohio State in two weeks.  As for the Buckeyes, sure they spanked Youngstown State, but at the expense of their Heisman RB Beanie Wells.  I hope this won’t slow him down for the showdown in So. Cal. in 2 weeks. We don’t want any excuses.

Trojan Nation Worried???

Is anyone worried about the USC Trojans’ upcoming season or is it just me? Ranked #3 in the AP poll, everyone’s talking about how SC will end up #1 in the country by the end of the year. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a die-hard homer SC fan. But with injuries to their starting quarterback Mark Sanchez and Reggie Bush-wannabe running back Joe McKnight, I’m sweatin’. They start off the season at Virginia which is gonna be no gimme, then come back home to face #2 Ohio State (game of the year b/t/w). Just when you think it’s over, they have to travel to Oregon State to face a Beaver team which has given them some trouble over the past few years. Then they host #21 ranked Oregon (true, they’re not as good as last year) and finish off the 5-game stretch with stud QB Rudy Carpenter and the Arizona State Sun Devils. If they can get through these 5 games unscathed, they should easily breeze through the remainder of the schedule, which includes a total of 0 ranked teams. The only other team in the country with a schedule as hard is Georgia (LSU, Florida, South Carolina, Az St. etc.) These two teams are the best in the nation. They play in the toughest conferences. It would be a shame if they didn’t meet each other in the title game so the Trojans could wax UGA. WE ARE…SC, WE ARE…SC!!!

Illini Run Out of Juice

Sure the game was close in the 3rd quarter (21-10), but then the Trojans mystique took over. Four unanswered touchdowns by USC, and before you know it, it’s game over, 49-17.  The Trojans romped the Illini.  The SC defense proved to be too much for Illinois quarterback Juice Williams, who threw 2 pics, no touchdowns.  His counterpart, John David Booty, had no problem, throwing 3 touchdowns (1 int) and 255 yds. Freshman runningback Joe McKnight also gave the Trojans fans a little preview of what to expect next year, as he racked up 170 total offensive yards.  Same old Rose Bowl, same old Trojans.  It’s just too bad we won’t be seeing them until next fall again.  Fight on Trojans, Fight on!!!

Fantasy Football Superbowl

Well, it came down to the finals in my fantasy football league.  My team the Vig vs. the Cinderella story, Common Sense.  He shocked the world by taking down the favorite in the semifinals.  It we against him, good against bad. Sure I had been in 1st place all year long but I panicked.  I did something that most gamblers would never admit to.  I hedged.  With 1st place getting $175 and 2nd $50, I made a deal with the guy where we would split them and each go home with $112.50.  Heck, I thought to myself why not?  $50 would suck and I would be happy with anything over $100.  Plus I had no confidence in my quarterback Eli Manning and my team was struggling.  He accepted the deal, I got some grief from the other managers, then of course, I spanked him in the finals.  What if..I wish I hadn’t… I knew this was gonna happen anyways.  If I didn’t make the deal, I would’ve gotten crushed, and if I made it, I would’ve won.  I’m OK with the deal, sure $175 would have been nice.  But I’ll take the split and most importantly a fantasy football 1st place trophy in my trophy case.  Now they’ll all be coming after me next year.  That’s what happens when you finish on top, or at least tie for first.

RUN DMC: So Close, yet So Far

2 years in a row, 2 years coming in second place, 2 years disrespected, Arkansas Razorbacks running back Darren McFadden was stopped again on 4th and goal. McFadden was the Heisman runner-up for the second year in a row, losing to Ohio State’s Troy Smith last year. There probably won’t be a next time either. This back is prime for the bigs. After rushing for over 1,700 yards, McFadden should and probably will declare for the NFL. Nothing like an angry back with something to prove. Adrian Peterson did it this year, coming back with a vengeance to prove that he’s not injury prone. I think he broke another record while I wrote this article. So let me warn those who pass on this guy in the pros, he’s gonna come back and bust you in the mouth.

And the Heisman Goes Too…

Tim Tebow, Florida Gators SOPHMORE quarterback.  And the bad news for the rest of the SEC, he’s coming back next year. Tebow became the first sophmore to ever win teh Heisman, beating out Chase Daniels, Darren McFadden, and my boy Colt Brennan.  20 years old, at least 20 passing and 20 rushing tds, the future is looking bright for this kid.  Good luck to him, hope he doesn’t suffer the Heisman jinx that has infected some past winners, i.e.  Eric Crouch, Chris Weinke, Danny Wuerffel, Rashaan Salaam, soon to be Reggie Bush (if he doesn’t clean up his act), and many, many more.

Heisman Finalists Announced

Here they are folks, the fab four, the finalists for NCAA’s Heisman Trophy: Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan, Arkansas runningback Darren McFadden, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, and Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel. I don’t think Chase Daniel has a chance to win it.  Hawaii’s quarteback Colt Brennan, while probably the most talented quarterback in the group, played in a week conference so he’s probably out too.  My problem with Darren McFadden is that he seemed to disappear in the middle of the season.  He had 3 games where he was held to under 100 rushing yards. The preseason favorite jumped back into the scene after leading his team to a huge 3OT victory over LSU.  Tim Tebow, Mr. Sophmore, Mr. 51 Total Tds, can be the first in his class to get the Heisman.  He probably has the best chance, given the fact that he wasn’t even the starting quarterback on his team last year.  I’d like to see Colt win it, to be honest with you.  I don’t mind Tebow either.  The Heisman is all about individual performance, and not how your team does.  None of these guys picked their schedule, it was given to them.  And now, the Heisman goes to…

Not So Fast…

So we all know that the LSU Tigers are playing in the National Title Game against The Ohio State Buckeyes. We also know that Les Miles was the frontrunner for the Michigan job, but he has stated that he is staying in Baton Rouge, and will coach the Tigers. So LSU rolls a truck load of money in front of him and signs him to an extension to keep him put. Not so fast though. Miles hasn’t signed the contract yet and officials say that he won’t sign until after the title game in January. Hmmmm? Miles and LSU claim that there just isn’t any time right now. So let me get this straight. All the parameters of the contract were agreed upon. The money, the length, etc. All Miles has to do is put pen to paper. How long does it take you to sign a contract? A minute, maybe a minute and a half if you have a long name. Sounds to me like Les Miles is pulling a Nick Saban. All these coaches are the same, you can’t trust them as far as you can spit. Miles probably wants to keep his options open, and I think if Michigan holds the job open until January, Miles will be the next Wolverine coach. This w  hole situation just stinks. So the next time a coach says that without a doubt he is staying put, take it for what it’s worth, and the next time you have to sign a contract, make sure you prepare, because apparently it takes a bit of time to put your name down.

Fantasy Football: Playoff Time

Well, this is the time everyone has been playing all season for.  For most fantasy football owners, playoffs will either start this weekend or next, either a 4 or 8 team playoff format.  My league has 10 teams, with 8 making the playoffs.  I came in first for my league so I get to play the 8 seed in the first round.  Want me to be honest with you, I’m deathly frightened.  You work all year to get to the top, and 1 loss in the playoffs and it’s Lake Havasu with Nick Van Exel if you know what I mean.  I’ve been there before, getting to the top, then early playoff exit.  I’m the Marty Schottenheimer of fantasy football, unable to win the big game.  I hope this year is different. I hate having a playoff system, it rewards luck as opposed to the good teams.  That’s why I feel the same for college football and the BCS.  Sure it would be more “fair” by giving the top 8 teams a chance to compete for the big one.  But doesn’t the regular season lose some of its intensity and luster?  And what about the 9th or 10th seeded teams, they’re going to get screwed anyways.  Back to fantasy (reality’s a bitch), I have one piece of advice for all of you playing for the money, stick to what you’ve been doing, because if you start to play matchups and mix up your lineup in the playoffs, you’ll be gambling and when you gamble, the house ALWAYS WINS.

NCAA FOOTBALL Rumble Out West: Arizona St. @ Oregon

The spread is 7.5, but there’s a lot more on the line than just the game, Pac-10 bragging rights, and heisman votes: the loser will most likely forgo any chance to play in the National Title game. On Saturday, #4 Arizona State travels up north to Autzen Stadium to face the #5 Oregon Ducks. The Ducks already have 1 loss while the Sun Devils are still perfect. Both teams have studs at quarterback, Rudy Carpenter for the Devils and Dennis Dixon for the Ducks. The problem for the Devils is that Carpenter has a sprained thumb and hasn’t thrown the ball this week in practice. I’m sure Carpenter’s not going to sit this game out, but he’s gonna have to be as close to 100% as possible to beat a sizzling Oregon squad that’s coming off a huge win courtesy of the Trojans. My pick, Ducks to win, but not to cover. 7.5 is way too large for 2 solid teams. One *, if Carpenter doesn’t play, then Ducks to cover and win in a big way. Remember, Autzen stadium is quite possibly the loudest place to play in the country (no offense to the Swamp in Florida), so the 12th man will definitely play a role. Damn you Ducks for beating my Trojans and knocking them into mortality and mediocrity…