Merry Christmas to one and all!

Hey Football Fiends!

I’ve been enjoying a little extended Holiday Break here on Gridiron Goddess. Licking my wounds, so to speak and hoping for better things for my beloved USC Trojans next year!

Tomorrow, I’ll be watching my San Diego Chargers kick Vince Young and the Titans asses. What a good Christmas present that will be. I always enjoy seeing Young go down. Call it a four-year hangover from the 2006 Rose Bowl, whatever.

I’ll also be watching USC’s men’s basketball team take on my hometown UNLV Runnin’ Rebels in the Championship Game of the tournament going on in Hawaii this week.

Then of course on Saturday, USC vs Boston College in the Emerald Bowl. Friends, I don’t even want to hazard to make a guess on the final outcome there. I watched Oregon State implode vs BYU live at the LV Bowl on Tuesday. Cal’s performance against Utah in the Poinsettia Bowl on Wednesday left a lot to be desired. For it being such an up year for the Pac-10 with one of the most exciting conference races in the country, we’re sure not showing our strength so far in Bowl games.

I’m not even going to get into the Joe McKnight crap right now. Or the three Trojans declared academically ineligible for the Emerald Bowl. It makes my head hurt to think about it. Have we not suffered enough this season?

Perhaps Santa can bring my Trojans a much needed season ending victory on Saturday? Maybe if I leave Santa and extra special treat tonight?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Football Fiends!

-Your Gridiron Goddess

Thoughts on USC at the Horseshoe…

USC QB Matt Barkley

Hey there Football Fiends-

We’re less than 24 hours away from kickoff in Columbus. USC vs Ohio State. The Rematch. Collision in Columbus. Showdown at the ‘shoe. Call it what you will, but fully expect USC to dominate on both sides of the ball.

Oh sure, there are articles all over the internet that call up the Ghosts of Seasons past and bring up GASP Vince Young and the 2006 Rose Bowl. Which, I feel the need to point out was FOUR SEASONS AGO.  Do you not think that Pete Carroll, one of the finest and craftiest coaches in the NCAA, hasn’t changed the way his team prepares for a mobile QB? I can assure you that he has. And that the speed and agility of USC’s defense will knock the isht out of Ohio State’s already holey and suspect Offensive Line.

Terrelle Pryor – We’ve got your number and we’re coming for you.

Let’s just run down a few stats. I’m not going to go into a whole USC vs Ohio State by the numbers thing. That’s not my style. I’m just going to throw a few facts out and then we’ll see what happens tomorrow.

USC has 22 consecutive non-conference victories.

USC has won seven straight road openers – Colorado, Auburn, VA Tech, Hawaii, Arkansas, Nebraska and Virginia. Not a FCS team amongst them (Take notice Florida, Texas, et al)

The scores of those seven straight road openers:

• 2002 USC 40  Colorado 3
• 2003 USC 23  Auburn 0
• 2004 USC 24  VA Tech 13
• 2005 USC 63  Hawaii 17
• 2006 USC 50 Arkansas 15
• 2007 USC 49  Nebraska 31
• 2008 USC 52 Virginia 7

QBs Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, John David Booty and Mark Sanchez were all brand new at one point. Carroll did not play them conservatively in their first road openers and do not expect him to play true freshman Matt Barkley conservatively, either.

In 2003 Matt Leinart made his road debut at Auburn. The Tigers were heavily favored. Leinart went 17 for 30 passing with 192 yards.

In 2006 John David Booty made his road debut at Arkansas. He made bacon out of the Hogs, throwing for 261 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs.

In 2008 Mark Sanchez went into his first non conference road game at Virginia and set Charlottesville on fire with 338 yards and 3 TDs. Not to mention what he did to the Buckeyes at the Coliseum 2 weeks later.

Do I even need to mention the score of last year’s USC v Ohio State game? It was 35 – 3 for those who may have forgotten.

Let’s take a look at USC vs the Big Ten in this decade:

• 2002   The 2003 Orange Bowl vs Iowa.  USC 38  Iowa 17
• 2003  The 2004 Rose Bowl vs Michigan  USC 28 Michigan 17
• 2006 The 2007 Rose Bowl vs Michigan  USC 32 Michigan 18
• 2007  The 2008 Rose Bowl vs Illinois USC 49  Illinois 17
• 2008  The 2009 Rose Bowl vs Penn State  USC 38  Penn State 24

Matt Barkley is young sure. But he also steps into a program that has proven it can reload year after year with barely a hiccup. Big games are not where USC struggles.  USC excels in Big Games.

Ohio State is a Big Game.

My prediction: USC 31  Ohio State 13

-Your Gridiron Goddess

Harem of the Gridiron Goddess: Walker Sports’ AFC South Preview

Football fiends, friend of the Gridiron Goddess Walker Sports is back to share his views on the AFC South with us.

Walker-Sports:AFC South Preview

Welcome back everybody, Walker-Sports is back to continue our previews. Our last edition on the NFC South certainly got a solid rise out of Panther nation. Did not realize there were that many Carolina Panther fans on the net. Nonetheless, today we are back and we are talking about the AFC South. This may be the toughest division in league and it will be an entertaining one to watch.

Indianapolis Colts: I don’t care that Peyton had his knee worked on 8 weeks before the season starts. He will be back and at 100% by the time opening day comes around and that is all that really matters. The Colts had a great year last season and that was with two Pro-Bowlers going down with injuries. This year they should have everyone back and ready to play at their highest level and they will need it. Their division is stacked and it’s going to take a lot out of the Colts to win it all. However, they have everything to play for. The energy with the new stadium is good for two maybe even three wins this season. Add in the fact that this is likely head coach Tony Dungy’s last season and you can chalk that up for another two wins.

Bottom line is the Colts can win this division. The key will be avoiding the injury bug.

Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags have been knocking at the door since about 2005 and this season they will be oh so close to breaking through. Matter of fact if the Jags can sweep Indy (and it’s very possible) I have no doubt that they will win the division and more importantly get a buy in the playoffs. David Garrard stepped up huge last season when he was awarded the starting job during training camp. He made his coming out party in the playoffs last season against the Steelers. I have no doubt he will build on that going into the 08 season. Garrard also has some amazing help in the backfield with him. Fred Taylor is coming off a Pro-Bowl season and despite his injury prone past he will have another great season. Even if he is a bit slow to it, Jacksonville is blessed to have another great back in Maurice Jones-Drew, the toughest little man in the game. Don’t believe me? Just ask Shawne Merriman what this guy can do.

Houston Texans: This is the Texans year. I know that sounds strange, but watch they will make the wild card this season. Last year they showed great improvement, and those young players are finally getting it. The key to the Texans success will depend on them getting stability at the quarterback position. Last season Matt Schaub got the start but injuries sidelined him midway. Sage Rosenfels is there as well, but I can see the Texans dealing him pretty soon especially if Schaub can just be steady. The Schaub to Johnson connection can be dangerous if developed properly. On the other side of the ball, the Texans don’t look so dumb now picking up Mario Williams with the first pick. Williams has matured into a Pro-Bowl caliber player and O-Tackles across the league will have their hands full trying to contain him.

Tennessee Titians: The Titians made it to the playoffs last season, but in 08 they will e the only team in this division to miss out on the post season. This is the make or break year for Vince Young. He showed a lot of promise his rookie season, but failed to advance on that in 07. Now it is year three and it is time to put up. Young is already responsible for Norm Chow going back to the college ranks now we get to see if he is a balla on the field or a coach killer (my guess is the later). Now granted the blame cannot be completely places on Vince, he has no one to throw the ball to. The Titian receivers are amongst the worse in the league. Not to mention the running back situation is not ideal. LenDale White is another 07 draft pick that has failed to live up to expectations (see why that Mario Williams pick was so good now?) and is in danger of eating himself out of a job. The Titians defense will keep them in plenty of games this season and they will probably have a close to .500 record but they just won’t have enough talent to get into the post season.

Chow time!

The Tennessee Titans fired offensive coordinator Norm Chow today after his third season with the franchise. You know the one where they made it to 10-6 and the Wild Card round of the playoffs — the furthest the Titans have made it since 2003, by the way. It makes so much sense to blame the offensive mastermind that is The Chow rather than QB Vince Young and his 17 interceptions to 9 touchdown ratio.

Now we all know I am biased towards The Chow and the National Championships he brought to my USC Trojans. And we know I am slightly biased against the Wonderlic challenged VY and the loss he brought to my Trojans in the 2006 Rose Bowl. But this firing does not make a whole hell of a lot of sense people.

Norm Chow has made no secret of his desire to be a Head Coach. Hey Atlanta? Hey Washington? Give Mr. Chow a call. For references call Pete Carroll, Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and the rest of the Trojan Nation.

Or you know, he could always rejoin the Trojan coaching staff. That wouldn’t be hard to handle at all. 😉

-Your Gridiron Goddess

MNF: Gridiron Goddess stinks up the joint with her pick

Well fellow football fans, the time has come once again. When I am wrong, I am wrong. As you well know, the Young-Bush (heh heh I am twelve, apparently.) rematch once again went Vince Young’s way. Titans win 31-14. And the Saints have become the ‘Aints again at 0-3 on the season.

Was nice to see LenDale White and Reggie Bush in same game again, even if on different teams.

The Saints loss brings my weekend NFL record to 10/16. UGH. And you know what that means, right? Another goof-tastic picture of Your Gridiron Goddess will close this post.

Interesting tidbit the fellows at ESPN rolled out during the game. Was a chart showing Most Rushing Yards in NFL by College. Here’s how it shook down:

1. USC with 79,597 yards. -They don’t call us Tailback U for nothin’ you know?

2. Notre Dame with 77,432 yards

3. Miami (FL) with 72,530 yards

4. Ohio State with 71,475 yards

5. Penn State with 70,499 yards.

Nothing to say about those stats right now, just found it pretty interesting and thought my fellow football obsessed pals here would as well. Especially those of us with allegiances to any of those five schools, right?

Well folks, I am wiped out. You know how this week is supposed to be my “decompress from 8 1/2 years” time? Yeah well let me tell you how to decompress Gridiron Goddess style. Write for 10 hours, then get on phone with creditors. Then secure part time gig helping out a friend’s business. Then spend 3 hours or so scouring “writer wanted” ads and finding self wanting to beat those who feel they can hire good writer and pay them nothing about the head with my Nerf bat. Violently. hee hee. I need sleep. Or wine. Maybe wine, then sleep.

-Your Gridiron Goddess, pictured below at midnight as her birthday dawned in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands–why the face, I am guessing idea of being another year older was distasteful at that moment. (not really, but that is the face I was goofily hammily making.)

A Gridiron Goddess Administrative Note: Changing MNF pick and introducing Mammy!

Hello Football Fiends! Just a couple of notes here as it is way late for Your Gridiron Goddess to be up. Oh wait, I don’t have to go to the former Day Job in the a.m. THIS SITE is now my job. Well, then… HA HA HA

First, I am officially changing my MNF pick. It is now:

Saints over Titans. UPDATE Titans win 31-14 Note to self, stop second guessing picks.

I just am feeling like Monday night is when Reggie Bush, Drew Brees, Deuce McAllister and co. will break their winless streak. 0-2, the Saints? This does not compute. They will win Monday night.

Second, I AM SO HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE a new contributor here at Gridiron Goddess. Please give a hearty welcome to Mammy, of Mammy’s Playbook. She grew up a Redskins fan, went to UVA, married a Florida Gator, and now supports the Panthers like her boys. The world needs more female football gurus such as Mammy, and if I do say so myself, ME. hee hee

-Your Gridiron Goddess, very tired but on a writing streak of epic proportions tonight

Sunday night is football recap night – UPDATED 10pm

I have a confession to make, fellow football fiends. As stoked as I am to have football back in our lives, I have a hard time mustering up the enthusiasm to care about the outcomes of the pre-season games too much. Are you with me on that? Cause rarely does the better team win, or if they do win, win by much more than a field goal. Rarely do we see the stars of the team play and when we do, we’re holding our breath and hoping they don’t get hurt.

So as much as I am enjoying these pre-season games for the pure football-ness of them, that je ne sais quoi quality of OMFG my team MUST WIN is missing from the viewing experience, know what I mean?

Now that said, here is my Weekend of Football Update, which I will be adding to all day long as I get to it.

New York Jets beat Vick-less Atlanta Falcons 31-16.

Tampa Bay Bucs beat New England Patriots 13 -10. Pats backup QBs saw some play. Even former USC backup QB and 7th round draft pick by the Pats Matt Cassel saw some play.

Buffalo Bills over New Orleans Saints 13-10

St. Louis Rams beat Minnesota Vikings 13-10

Miami Dolphins pull out the win against Jacksonville Jaguars 18-17. Trent Green struggled in his first start for the Dolphins and the hometown crowds was vociferous in their booing. The backup QBs stepped in and were a bit more effectual, pulling out the win for the Dolphins.

Green Bay Packers over Pittsburgh Steelers 13-9. Neither starting QB- Favre and Rothlisberger–did much to impress in tonights game which saw no scoring by the starting lineup of either offense. Backup Packers QB Aaron Rodgers did manage to look fairly impressive going 18 0f 27 for 168 yards and one touchdown.

Cleveland Browns over Kansas City Chiefs 16-12. Brady Quinn watches from sideline. Charlie Frye got the start and finished 12 of 15 for 122 yards while Quinn watched with a clipboard. Two bad plays by Frye overshadow his good passes, one of which was returned for a Chiefs TD.

Washington Redskins beat Tennessee Titans 14-6. Clinton Portis injury update and Vince Young benched. Titans management keeping Young’s offense under wraps, but some reports say it was Young staying at his home last night rather than the team hotel. Portis reportedly did not play due to knee tendonitis, but docs say he is on the right track to recovery and full playing ability.

Carolina Panthers beat New York Giants 24-21. Finally a game with a little bit of offense. I am personally happy whenever the Giants go down, but my pal Nacho Friendly and his Brethren will be happy their ‘Cats won.

My Chicago Bears begin the Cedric Benson era and beat Matt Schaub in his debut as a Houston Texan 20-19. Sexy Rexy, much as it pains me to admit, didn’t look too bad.

The Oakland Raiders beat Matt Leinart and the Arizona Cardinals 27-23. AZ still needs an O-Line.

The Seahawks beat the Chargers 24-16 and I posted my Madden post at ArmchairGM.com and a lively over 130 comment debate ensued here. No L.T. and only limited Shaun Alexander seen on the field.

-Your Gridiron Goddess

Brady Quinn must think he is Touchdown Jesus…

You know, I don’t know exactly what to think on the Brady Quinn issue. Well, that’s not entirely true– I tend to believe he is a whiny little bitch, possibly even whinier than Eli “Mama’s boy” Manning. But you can see where, well, being such a rabid Trojan fan and all, my derision towards a former Notre Dame player might not be taken all that seriously.

But seriously. He was drafted 22nd and he’s what, a week into his completely ridiculous holdout why? Who does he think he is? Matt Leinart? Vince Young? Eli “Mama’s Boy” Manning? Really, Brady? Really? Did all the hair product and blow drying of your flowing brunette locks fry your brain a little bit? You Are Brady Quinn, 22nd draft pick, you are NOT, I repeat, NOT Touchdown Jesus.

It’s like he thinks he was drafted somewhere in the first ten picks and deserves that kind of money. Delusional. Did no one tell him he would be competing with Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson for the starting QB position on the Browns? Does he not realize if he holds out much longer he will be so far behind that the starting QB job could not realistically be his before mid-season?

Does it seem like I care? Oh, I assure you, I do not. lol I am just baffled by the behavior, by the ego, the blatant rampant arrogance on display here. There must be some sort of strategy behind it. And if I were not so tired right now, I might spend some time wondering what Quinn’s nefarious plan is. Because I am cunning like that, and can appreciate plans – especially those of the nefarious variety.

I just have a feeling this is not going to work out to his advantage if playing time this season is his goal. But maybe it’s not.

Maybe, like the Bears and Thomas Jones, there is more there than meets the eye. Cedric Benson is being paid the big money and Benson and Jones didn’t get along, therefore, Jones is traded away. Now that makes a hell of a lot more sense than just the “T. Jones released by Bears” that came out in the press earlier in the Spring. Or thinking back to the Eli Manning/San Diego Chargers fiasco. Well, being a Chargers fan, I still have ire over the whole “I won’t play for S.D.” (liberally paraphrasing here, lol) behind the scenes dealings with the Giants stuff. And YAY for San Diego, Brees had a kick ass season, Rivers is shaping up awesome and I bow at the altar of LaDanian Tomlinson. But I still think Eli is a whiny little bitch for the whole thing.

I digress, though. I blame the benedryl. There is more here than meets the eye. Even this die-hard Trojan can’t believe Quinn’s holdout is out of sheer stupidity. After all, unlike Vince Young, Quinn passed the Wonderlic test.

-Your Gridiron Goddess, so EXCITED it is AUGUST and weekends of FOOTBALL, nothing but FOOTBALL are right around the corner!