Initial Thoughts on the USC Loss: Superstitions at work

Football Fiends-

I just don’t have it in me right now to do anything but spew unintelligible expletives towards Aaron Corp and Pete Carroll and question play calling and keep reasserting that this team needs Taylor Mays and Matt Barkley healthy and Joe McDroppersonKnight needs to stop coughing up the ball and really? Right now? We’re looking at two or three losses by the end of the season and our seven year reign at the top of the Pac-10 will come to an end. (Wow how’s that for a run-on sentence?)

See? No perspective, just emotion. I do have to say though, for the record, a loss is a lot easier to take when you’re dating a fellow Trojan. At least I know my guy is not going to be gloating.

So for now, let’s talk superstitions.

As you know I entered the Hershey’s Biggest Fan Contest and I am one of this week’s top 5 finalists. My video is called USC’s Lucky Charm. I look like total crap in it, but WHATEVER. I wanted to get it uploaded by the deadline, not spend time doing my hair. Please go vote for me as I could realllllly use the $1,000 prize.  As some of you know, I’ve been unemployed for 2 years. SO I REALLY NEED THE MONEY. Voting closes at 11:59pm Eastern time on Monday, September 21st.

In my video I talk about MY superstition. If I don’t watch USC in real time (no Tivo, no watching 5 or 10 or 30 minutes behind, no missing it) we lose.  I watched this one. In real time.

However, my superstitions must directly align with the successful execution of my friend Oakley’s USC football superstitions as well or all is null and void and USC loses. You can laugh as hard as you want, it IS funny. But its also a pattern that she and I have seen play out over YEARS of friendship. (What is it now Oakz? A DECADE?!)

So obviously I have to be watching the game.

But also I cannot watch it WITH OAKLEY. Not in the same room, not on the same couch not even in the same bar. Something about the combination of our combined crazy USC Loyalty sets things all wrong. Also, Oakz has found our team has more success if she is, well, let’s just say sans an undergarment.

Also:

(from Oakley’s blog)

And from Twitter earlier:

So yeah. Not only did USC’s offense look anemic and impotent and pathetic;  not only did the defense sorely miss Taylor Mays; but Oakley’s superstitions and my superstitions did not line up.

Oh and I just got off the phone with my boyfriend, who is in Chicago this weekend and missed the game. He takes responsibility for his part in our loss by not viewing the game as well.

So there you go football fiends. This is how we console ourselves. We look for any silly reason we can to explain why our supposedly elite team keeps losing these games in which they are highly favored.

Right now, well I think a good nap is in order. Maybe I can forget for an hour what just transpired in Seattle.

Also? Jake Locker is a hell of an impressive QB. One wonders what the Huskies’ 2008 season would have been if he had not gotten injured.

One more thing – Pete Carroll just lost to two of his former Assistant Coaches.  Steve Sarkisian is UW’s new head coach.  Nick Holt is UW’s Defensive Coordinator. It makes one think, doesn’t it?

Oh and BTW, my prediction for the rest of our season? USC will lose two of the following three games: Oregon, Cal, Notre Dame.

ETA: Oakley admits it (via Twitter)

Is it too late to call this year a rebuilding year?

-Your Gridiron Goddess

Your 2008 Pac-10 Preview

by Amy Lamare of www.gridirongoddess.net

I can make this real quick football fiends: USC will win its 7^th straight Pac 10 championship and head to a BCS bowl game.

And that concludes your 2008 Pac-10 Preview. UCLA, Stanford, Cal, Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, Arizona and Arizona State – all y’all might as well stay home. Rey Maualuga, Mark Sanchez, Joe McKnight and the boys have got this one sewn up.

In all seriousness though, the Pac-10 does not back down from a challenge when scheduling its non-conference games. This year teams in the Pac-10 face: Ohio State, Georgia, Tennessee, BYU, Boise State, Oklahoma, Penn State and Purdue, just to name a handful. No 1-AA cupcake rivals here!

ARIZONA WILDCATS:

It’s do or die time for Coach Mike Stoops. He’s going to have to get his Wildcats to win 6 games to at least have a shot at keeping his job. If he can do this, Arizona will get to Bear Down for their first bowl game since 1998. I’m betting in Stoops’ favor since his non-conference lineup is fairly easy with games against Idaho and Toledo and at New Mexico.

Senior QB Willie Tuitama is going to have to step it up and generate some scoring this season for the Wildcats to be competitive in the Pac-10. The defense returns only 3 starters, and that’s not the only bad news for the Wildcat D. Their most experienced defensive lineman, Jonathan Turner, was suspended from the team’s summer practices after being charged with sexual assault last spring. He is awaiting his trial.

Junior college transfer Nick Booth hopes to boost the Arizona running game. This 225 pound running back joins Nic Grisby, Xavier Smith and true freshman Keola Antolin on the Wildcat depth chart.

Arizona‘s Non Conference Schedule: Idaho, Toledo, New Mexico

Arizona reports to pre-season camp on August 4^th

ARIZONA STATE SUNDEVILS:

ASU was picked to finish 2^nd behind USC in the pre-season Pac-10 poll. The Sun Devils are prepping for their second season under Coach Dennis Erickson and they have one MAJOR issue: The Offensive Line. They don’t have one. Seriously, last season QB Rudy Carpenter spent so much time on his back that I started to wonder if those were not linemen lined up in front of him, but rather, Fatheads.

Dennis Erickson is incorporating a quick release spread offense this season to help Carpenter’s protection. A good portion of his 55 sacks last season were due to him holding onto the ball too long. Five players have left the team since the conclusion of spring practices, including tight end Dane Guthrie. (Academic reasons for former defensive end Guthrie.)

ASU plays a doozy of a non conference game when it faces Georgia on September 20^th. If the Sun Devils do not solve their offensive line woes before then, they will not get out of that game alive. Ditto for their conference games against USC and Oregon.

If Carpenter gets the protection he needs either from his O-Line or the new offense, look out Tempe, your Sun Devils could crack the AP/USA Today top 10 with potentially their only losses coming at the hands of Georgia and USC. A Holiday Bowl berth, or should USC play for the BCS title, a Rose Bowl berth is yours for the taking.

ASU’s Non Conference Schedule: Northern Arizona, UNLV, Georgia

Arizona State reports to pre-season camp on August 4^th

CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS:

Last season Cal went from #2 in the country to losing six of its eight final games to end up 7-6. A QB controversy rages in Berkeley, and it’s looking at the moment like we have a Sam Keller/Rudy Carpenter ASU flip flop of QBs brewing.

At the Pac-10 Media Day, Coach Jeff Tedford said:

“We’ll pick a starter probably the week of the first game… It may take both of them to help us reach our goals…They are both going to get some game time.”

Really Tedford? Look I know Longshore flailed around a lot in the second half of last season while he battled his ankle injury. And Kevin Riley lit it up in your Bowl Game. Against Air Force. Air Force. Is Riley really the guy you want facing USC and Oregon, or is seasoned senior Longshore your guy? Just remember Arizona 2006, Coach Koetter, Sam Keller and Rudy Carpenter and what a mess that whole situation was.

It seems from all I’ve heard and read that Tedford is leaning towards Riley. And sure, he knows things we do not know. Whoever gets the nod as QB has a whole new group of WRs to throw to. Juco transfer RB Javid Best comes with hype, but he’s also undersized.

Tedford and Co have a lot to address offensively. That said, they should finish in the top ½ of the Pac-10s final standings.

Cal‘s Non Conference Schedule: Michigan State, Maryland, Colorado State

Cal reports to pre-season camp on August 4^th

OREGON DUCKS:

Oregon lost their star QB Dennis Dixon to the NFL, but expect to reload quickly with new QB Nate Costa.

Oregon has a powerful defense with one of the best secondaries in the nation. Last year, Oregon ended up 9-4, largely due to Dixon’s season ending injury against Arizona, sending the Ducks into a 3 game losing streak.

Three Ducks are recovering from off season knee surgeries and are expected to be good to go by the first game. (QB Costa, TB Jeremiah Johnson, LB John Bacon) Tight End Na’Derris Ward, a UGA transfer joins juco transfers Jeremiah Masoli (QB) and Ellis Krout (WR) as new Ducks this season.

Oregon’s secondary is scary. Three Ducks are on the Thorpe Award Watch list: Patrick Chung, Walter Thurmond III, and Jarius Boyd.

Oregon was voted #3 in the Pac-10 pre-season poll. Look for them to challenge ASU for #2 behind USC.

Oregon‘s Non Conference Schedule: Utah State, Purdue, Boise State

Oregon reports to pre-season camp on August 4^th

OREGON STATE BEAVERS:

Oregon State’s program has put up an impressive 19 wins in the past 2 seasons, including a 2006 upset of USC. Their strong defense has been the key to their success of late. The Beavers face a challenge going into this season as they have to completely rebuild the front seven on their D, including S Brian Payton. Payton left the program this summer with no explanation. Beavs and Trojans alike may remember him as the player who had the key interception in the Beavers 2006 upset of Troy. So, good news for Trojans! (Like we need more good news, eh?)

Big things are expected of true freshman WR Jordan Bishop from West Salem (OR) H.S. Ditto to DE and juco transfer Simi Kuli, he is being touted as the key to making the new D-Line gel.

Good news for the OSU Squad: Guard Jeremy Perry is expected to be ready to play by the start of the season. He is one of, if not the best guards in the Pac-10. Perry missed most of 2007 with a broken leg and is recovering from knee surgery this spring.

The Beavers have a tough schedule, not only do they face conference rivals USC, ASU and Oregon; they have a rough non-conference schedule this year as well. I expect the Beavers to finish near the middle of the Pac. (Pun intended)

OSU’s Non Conference Schedule: Penn State, Hawaii, Utah

Oregon State reports to pre-season camp on August 1^st.

STANFORD CARDINAL:

Yes I know. We were 41 point favorites. Yes I know, biggest upset in college football. (but? Really? Michigan-Appalachian State comes to mind as being a bigger upset.) But I point out that John David Booty should have sat out when he broke his finger, not thrown 4 interceptions.

Bygones.

The Cardinal has some questions in this second season under showboating Coach Jim Harbaugh. Sure they return a conference high sixteen starters from last year’s squad, with seven of those on offense, but who is their QB? And let’s not forget that despite their (fluke) upset of Southern California, this is the offense ranked last in its conference in yards and points per game. So yeah, the Cardinal, he has some questions to be answered. Such as will injured starters Allen Smith (OT, kneecap) and Jim Dray (TE, knee) be ready to play at some point this season. Cardinal blogs report that we may not see either of these players in 2008.

Notre Dame transfer Konrad Reuland is expected to take on the Tight End duties this year; Oct 4 should be interesting for him. (Stanford faces the Fighting Irish on this day.)

The QB slot is a three man battle between Tavita Prichard, Jason Forcier and Alex Loukas, but highly touted freshman recruit Andrew Luck could be the man the Cardinal needs at QB.

This program faces an uphill battle with the high academic standards required just to achieve admission to Leland Stanford Junior University. Can Harbaugh bring wins to Palo Alto? Sure he can-but he’ll need several years of recruiting to do it. After all, he’s not just looking for explosive athletes, he’s also looking for exceptional academics as well.

Look for Stanford to finish 7^th or lower in the Pac-10.

Stanford’s Non Conference Schedule: TCU, San Jose State, Notre Dame

Stanford reports to pre-season camp on August 1^st.

UCLA BRUINS:

High up in the hills of Westwood, offensive to the lumberjack’s eyes, Lies the Cal extension campus known as Westwood High. Fight! Fight! Fight! Home of all the Bruin bear cubs, UGLY is its name. The student body’s vile, The campus is a pile, and the football team’s a shame! Fight! Fight! Fight! U. G. L. Y, UGLY Eat my shorts!

At least that’s the way we sing it at USC. In all seriousness though, this is not looking like a good year for those Bruins who wear the powder blue jerseys. It could be considered a successful season if UCLA is bowl eligible at season’s end.

I mean, what are you going to do without a QB or an Offensive Line? Or, more accurately, a just coming off his umpteenth injury QB and no O-Line? Norm Chow may be the guru that helped Coach Carroll resurrect the storied tradition of Trojan football, but you’ve got to have PLAYERS to build a football team.

I am biased, that is not a secret. There is not a lot of love for the Bruins from this Trojan. So let’s just look at some of the facts.

• They have the 10^th ranked offensive line in the Pac-10
• Both Ben Olson and Patrick Cowan were injured on the same day in Spring practice. Patrick Cowan is out for the season with his injury.
• Olson is insanely injury prone himself.
• Rick Neuheisel is in his first year as Head Coach in Westwood. Norm Chow is in his first year as Offensive Coordinator in Westwood (traitor!). Much of the rest of the coaching staff is brand new.
• The pitiful O-Line needs to replace 4 starters from last year’s so-so squad.
• Projected starting RT Sean Sheller is out for the season with injuries sustained in an ATV accident. That’s 5 Offensive Linemen needing replacement now.
• Junior tailback Christian Ramirez will miss the season because he did not meet NCAA eligibility requirements.
• If QB Olson somehow remains healthy all season and makes it to the USC game, he will most assuredly be Maualugaed.

Do I need to go on? Neuheisel, Chow and co. walk into a bit of a mess over there in Westwood. Do they have the chops to turn it around and return UCLA to glory? Yes, they do. It’s just not going to happen THIS year.

UCLA’s Non Conference Schedule: Tennessee, BYU, Fresno State

UCLA reports to pre-season camp on August 5^th.

USC TROJANS:

Look for USC to meet Georgia for the BCS Title. We were anointed the pre-season #1 at the Pac-10 media day today and we are a favorite to win the Nat’l Championship. Not only do we face formidable conference rivals Oregon and ASU but we’ve got a September 20^th date with the Buckeyes of Ohio State at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum too.

Do it better than it’s ever been done before and never stop competing. Win Forever. Always Compete.

These are but a few of our team mottoes.

Consider these facts. Under Pete Carroll, USC has:

• Six Consecutive Pac-10 titles
• A record Six straight BCS bowls
• A record five BCS bowl wins
• Three Heisman Trophy Winners
• Two National Championships
• A Nationwide high 10 players drafted into the NFL in the 2008 Draft
• An NCAA record of 63 straight games scoring 20 or more points
• A national record of 33 straight weeks as the AP #1
• Six consecutive AP finishes in the top 4.
• A 76-14 (84.4%) record

The question is not: Will USC be good? The question is: Can USC be beat? And if so, how?

Mark Sanchez, the 6’3″, 223lb junior takes over as QB this year. Coming out of high school in 2004 he was everybody’s All American. One Pac-10 coach said Sanchez was the best QB he’d ever seen on film.

Now he gets a chance to show the Nation how good he is.

Folks, not much needs to be said about my Trojans. We will dominate if we stay focused. And focus is not something Pete Carroll’s teams lack.

In Pete We Trust.

Fight on!

USC’s Non Conference Schedule: Virginia, Ohio State, Notre Dame

USC reports to pre-season camp on August 6^th.

WASHINGTON HUSKIES:

Tyrone Willingham is another Pac-10 coach on the hot seat. He meets his former team, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame on October 25^th at Husky Stadium but the discomfort of that is nothing compared to the November 15^th date the Huskies have with the Bruins. See, Rick Neuheisel is the Anti-Christ to Husky Nation. His very existence reminds U Dub fans of how elite their program once was and what his role was in dismantling it.

Washington has been slow in improving under Willingham’s tutelage. And slow is not what Husky fans want. They want a return to the days of glory. To winning the Pac-10-which they haven’t done since Rick Neuheisel’s second season in 2000. To winning the National Championship-their last was in 1991. Not to another 4-9 season and bottom of the Pac-10 finish.

This is the program Neuheisel destroyed in the eyes of Husky Nation. I hope he has bodyguards for the November 15^th game in Seattle.

Look at it like this: Willingham is going into his third season and is 9-16 overall. When Pete Carroll ended his second full season at USC, he was 17-8 overall and coming off an 11-2 season and top 4 AP finish. In his 3^rd season USC won a share of the National Championship with a 12-1 record.
This is the sort of thing Husky fans expect from their Coach. Miracles.

For Willingham to be successful at retaining his job-which we’ll define by a 6 win season and bowl berth-he will have to instill confidence in his squad. He will have to imbue them with the will to win. That’s going to be hard to do if he starts off 0-3 which is very likely considering the first three teams the Huskies face are Oregon, BYU and Oklahoma.

Ouch.

On the one hand, you’ve gotta respect a guy with a program trying to battle it’s way up from the doldrums of the conference who goes out and schedules BYU and Oklahoma as two of his team’s three non-conference games. (The third being his date with Notre Dame.)

On the other hand, you’ve got to wonder if he’s drinking some spiked Kool-Aid that makes him think his 2-7 in the Pac-10 last year team can post a winning season with these kinds of odds stacked against them.

It’s going to be interesting to sit back and see how it unfolds this season. Husky fans, you have my sympathy-after all, USC Football in the 1990’s was very painful, I know how it feels.

Washington‘s Non Conference Schedule: BYU, Oklahoma, Notre Dame

Washington reports to pre-season camp on August 4^th.

WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS:

41 year old Paul Wulff is new to the Wazzou coaching job. He’s inheriting a team with issues up the Wazzou. (pun intended.) What Cougar fans will like is that Wulff is a former Cougar player himself. He played offensive line for the Washington State Cougars from 1986 to 1989.

The Cougar’s have a stellar receiver in First Team All Pac-10 senior Brandon Gibson. They have a new QB in 6’7″, 233lb Gary Rogers. And Coach Wulff is bringing a new offense to Pullman. Will Gibson and Rogers be up to Wulff’s no-huddle attack? We’ll know soon enough.

Wulff also has inherited a team with a bunch of off-field issues. They lost eight scholarships when they failed to meet the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate Standards. 25 Cougar players have been arrested in the past 18 months. Safety Xavier Hicks is spending 45 days in jail, and missing the first 3 games of the season after pleading guilty to 2 gross misdemeanors. Defensive lineman Andy Roof’s troubled past has left his fate as a Cougar player up in the air.

But signs of change are already apparent. Coach Wulff cut QB recruit Calvin Schmidtke from the team because of a number of controlled-substance violations.

With the kind of problems this team faces, a former Cougar may just be the man to clean up the face of the program while steadily improving the team. The Cougars were 5-7 last year. I don’t expect much of an improvement this year, though it could be said that maintaining a 5-7 record would be an improvement with all the changes that need to be made and questions that need to be answered in Pullman.

Wazzou’s Non Conference Schedule: Oklahoma State, Baylor, Portland State

Washington State reports to pre-season camp on August 5^th.

And that concludes Your 2008 Pac-10 Preview my football fiends. Next up is the Big 10. Give me a couple of days, this one took 2 days to do. (I’m betting because it is MY conference. I’m HOPING because it is MY conference. And because it is over 3,000 words maybe?)

-Your Gridiron Goddess

CFB wrapup: MADNESS, I tell you, MADNESS

Hey there football fiends-since my BRONCHITIS (lovely, right?) is keeping me up I figured why not write the CFB wrap up now? A win-win…at least until I start coughing up internal organs with this painful bronchial cough thing I have. Ah…fun times here on the couch of your Gridiron Goddess. Fevered dreams of Matt Leinart being madly in love with me aren’t bad, though….

But I digress. I blame the Ny-Quil and diet Coke combo.

College Basketball season kicked off last night around the country with Midnight Madness. Now, had your Gridiron Goddess not been coughing up a lung, I would have trucked my butt down to Southern California’s Galen Center to report on all the O.J. Mayo goodness. But there is plenty of time for that once CFB season is over.

Two weeks ago we had the Wacky Weekend of Upsets. Then #3 Oklahoma lost to an unranked Colorado. Then #7 Texas fell to an unranked Kansas State. Then #10 Rutgers took a dive against unranked Maryland. Then #21 Penn State got beat by unranked Illinois. #22 Alabama got beat by unranked Florida State. Then #4 ranked Florida fell to unranked Auburn. #11 Oregon got beat by then #6 Cal. And my then #1 ranked USC Trojans squeaked past UDub.

At the end of the weekend the top 25, but the top 10 especially, were in disarray and heading into the 5th weekend of the CFB season the top 10 were:

1. LSU

2. USC

3. California

4. Ohio State

5. Wisconsin

6. South Florida

7. Boston College

8. Kentucky

9. Florida

10. Oklahoma

Then LAST WEEKEND, tragedy struck in the heart of Your Gridiron Goddess and her fellow Trojan fans. And I am sure other things went on too, like Florida losing to the hated LSU, but all was eclipsed by my melodramatic heartbreak.

Heading into this weekend, the top 10 was:

1. LSU

2. California

3. Ohio State

4. Boston College

5. South Florida

6. Oklahoma

7. South Carolina

8. West Virginia

9. Oregon

10. USC

Today, more insanity occurred. LSU lost to Kentucky. Cal lost to 3-3 Oregon State. Oklahoma handed Missouri their first loss today in Norman. Penn State drilled Wisconsin. Ohio State and BC won–but Ohio State’s quality win comes against one of the teams at bottom of the Pac-10 ladder: UDub. And who has BC played to convince us they are as strong as they look? No one yet. South Florida beat Auburn at Jordan Hare and beat WVU, so IMO have a more legitimate claim on the #1 position this week.

Now, concerning USC, interestingly enough we’re in about the same position as 2003. 1 loss, ranked 10th. That was the year we ended up winning the AP Nat’l Championship while fellow 1 loss teams LSU and Oklahoma played in the BCS Title game.

Um, deja-vu anyone?

This Trojan team we have now is not as strong as 2003’s squad but only for one reason: INJURIES. Our vaunted O-Line is now made up of back ups and in many cases the back ups back up. Our D is decimated, and today we lost the lynchpin of our defense in Rey Maualuga after primo O-Line go to guy Sam Baker went down for duration of the game.

BUT, while our loss last week to Stanford shows the world we ARE beatable, doesn’t this week’s loss by Cal to Oregon State show the same thing and shouldn’t they fall to 10 or below in the rankings while we move up to 9 or higher? I don’t know. LSU, I’d keep them in the top 6 or 7 at the lowest, since their sole loss comes from a strong Kentucky team.

Consider this–every single AP pre-season top 10 team now has at least one loss and it is only October. This is the craziest college football season ever, people.

The first BCS rankings come out in the morning.

It’s not going to be pretty for many of our teams. I have a feeling traditional power houses like LSU and Oklahoma will fare better than South Florida and BC, even though those two teams remain unbeaten.

Is it fair? Nope. But when did I ever proclaim the BCS fair? LSU and Auburn fans would agree with the USC crowd, though for their own reasons, on that statement.

Oh, but I did go 11-5 today, which considering the #1 and #2 ranked teams losing, is pretty flipping good IMO. And now, I must sleep.

-Your Gridiron Goddess, signing off with a picture representative of how I feel right now with this bronchitis thing

Tap those kegs, it’s time for some CFB action

Hey there Fellow Football Fiends!! Happy Friday!!! I just got home from my stint on the radio and it was so much fun!! Many many thanks to the gang over at KROQ and The Kevin and Bean show for having me in. And, if you’ve found your way here after listening to me dork out on all things football on 106.7 this morning–WELCOME to my corner of Al Gore’s Internet. I hope you enjoy it!!!

Let’s get down to the business of my college football picks for the weekend.

32 teams. 16 games. 16 winners. 16 losers. Here’s how I think it will all shake down:

Purdue over Notre Dame — The season of atrocity continues for fans of the Irish UPDATE: Pudue wins 33-19

LSU over Tulane – Like taking candy from a baby, this pick is. UPDATE: LSU wins 34-9

Penn State over Illinois – JoePa and his Nittany Lions keep on rollin’ along. UPDATE: Illinois wins 27-20

Michigan over Northwestern – You know, I would not be too surprised if Northwestern pulls off the upset. UPDATE: Michigan wins 28-16

Oklahoma over Colorado – The Sooners look stronger and stronger and Sam Bradford is developing into way more of an offensive leader than former Heisman winning QB Jason White was. UPDATE: Colorado wins 27-24

Rutgers over Maryland – Greg Schiano’s Scarlet Knights are a force to be reckoned with in the Big East. UPDATE: Maryland wins 34-24

Michigan State over Wisconsin – I just have a feeling about this one. UPDATE: Wisconsin wins 37-34

Texas over Kansas State – Bevo’s Boys will rack up another win UPDATE: KSU wins 41-21

Louisville over NC State – Look for the Cardinals to stop their downward spiral and avenge their loss to Syracuse. UPDATE: L’ville wins 29-10

Bama over FSU – some hoopla is being made about Alabama Native Son Bobby Bowden coaching against Bama for the first time in his career. But Saban’s Crimson Tide will be too much for FSU’s broken offense to handle UPDATE: Florida State wins 21-14 and welcomes in the era of QB Xavier Lee.

UCLA over Oregon State – Olson returns to the lineup as QB as Cowan has a partial tear of his MCL. UPDATE: UCLA wins 40-14

UVA over Pitt – Al Groh and the Cavaliers are off to a 3-1 start this season. UPDATE: UVA wins 44-14

USC over Washington – does anyone out there doubt this one? The spread is USC -21. ‘Nuff said. UPDATE: USC wins 27-24 and looks like crap doing it.

Florida over Auburn – Tim Tebow and the Gators will preside in this SEC matchup. UPDATE: Auburn wins 20-17

Ohio State over Minnesota – Buckeyes are too much for the Golden Gophers to handle. UPDATE: Ohio State wins 30-7

Oregon over Cal – I struggled with this one, it could go either way and should be a HELL of a good game. UPDATE: Cal wins 31-24

Special Bonus Friday Night Pick ‘Em:

South Florida over West Virginia – yeah I said it. USF did it last year, and are a stronger team this year so I am throwing my support behind the Bulls of South Florida. UPDATE: USF wins 21-13

Those are my picks, as usual I will update them tomorrow as the day develops. And now my football fiends, I am off to San Diego with Nacho Friendly to see the Dave Matthew Band concert tonight. If there is one thing I love as much or almost as much as football, it is DMB concerts.

-Your Gridiron Goddess

Harem of the Goddess: Marcus on Conferences, Cupcakes & Kent States

I’m a Pac-10 dude, but this conference comparison post is not to hype the Pac vs. SEC – the two are neck-and-neck the best, period. Neither can make a superiority argument, and the two are in a league of their own, so to speak, far above all other confs. Football is cyclical, but as out-of-conference play winds down, we’ve got to note the horrendous state of football in the Big Ten. Evidenced by its elite teams’ much-discussed foibles – Michigan’s infamous humiliations, Ohio State crushed by Florida, Citadel (Citadel!) scoring 31 at Wisconsin – the Big Ten is playing old school football and  it’s not working against faster, more dynamic offenses and defenses. Writers at ESPN, SI, Fox, CBS, etc. have the conference ranked 5th of 6 major confs, below even the very off-year ACC. The conference’s standard of recruiting and coaching is obviously not happening. Writers at ESPN, SI, Fox, CBS, etc. have the conference ranked 5th.

 

Could the Big Ten’s embarrassing, now-routine cupcake scheduling have anything to do with that standard?

Over the past few years the Big Ten has stooped to such heavy non-conf patsy scheduling Commish Jim DelaneyAppy St., or Minnesota against Florida AtlanticBowling Green, Northwestern against Duke (Duke!). I mean, Ohio State racked a whole 20 at home against… Akron. ought to be humiliated… almost as much as Michigan was against and

The Buckeyes’ other non-conf before Washington? Youngstown State. Penn State dared host Buffalo and Florida International, whatever that is, when not hosting nouveau cupcake Notre Dame.

Look at the Big Ten’s recent “real” games: Ohio State was clueless against Florida in the title game, Michigan was humbled four consecutive times before “rebounding” against the Pacifist Irish, Wisconsin survived a squeaker at UNLVCitadel. then hosted – hey, wow! –

 

The conference web site boasts, “The Big Ten is one of only two conferences with six undefeated teams through three weeks of action… with 26 non-conference victories.” The Big Ten somehow neglects to mention that 17 of those wins came against Division I-AA or bottom tier teams, and zero of them came against ranked teams.

 

It gets better in the weeks to come: The new Big Ten Network will have us glued to our tubes for Eastern Michigan at Michigan, Kent State at Ohio St., Northwestern at Eastern Michigan, Ball St. at Illinois … and how ‘bout that October barnburner, North Dakota State at Minnesota?

Maybe weak scheduling is part of the Big Ten’s problem: Ya think if you schedule so many teams so far below the elite level, you might not play at the elite level? And for fans, how do 100-something thousand cram into Michigan Stadium or the Horseshoe or Penn State for showdowns with Appy St., Kent St. and Buffalo?

When USC plays at Nebraska, LSU hosts Va Tech and Oklahoma takes on Miami… the Big Ten’s slide into cupcake addiction seems a mockery of big time football. But hey, at least the conference now has its own TV network. Them and Notre Dame. Fans can watch Big Ten teams take on cupcakes for the rest of the season… now that they start playing each other.

 

Harem Member Marcus.

Your Gridiron Goddess says: Thanks Marcus and good job of tempering our tendency towards Homerism. Once again, I could not agree with you more. See you Monday!

Coming Next Week: A Battle for the Bottom of the Barrell

Well, as I suspected Michigan lost to the Ducks of Oregon 39-7 and Notre Dame got spanked by Penn State 31-10 and Notre Dame’s impotent offense has yet to score a touchdown.

It could be heard on the sidelines of the Big House “Well I’m pretty sure we can beat Notre Dame next week.” Pretty sure, is that the best you can do Michigan? They are totally demoralized and the fault lies with the staff. It’s been clear over the past 3-4 years that the once proud Wolverine program which boasts the best all time winning percentage in college football has failed to evolve with the times.

While other marquee programs such as Ohio State, Texas and USC have adopted the spread and developed lightning fast runners on both sides of the ball, Michigan has stayed mired in Bo Schembechler’s past era of football strategy. This certainly portends some major coaching changes in Ann Arbor by season’s end.

No pun intended, but to add injury to insult QB Chad Henne went out with a leg injury and is doubtful for next weekend’s date with Notre Dame.

Over in South Bend, I don’t know what they are going to do. Charlie Weis has that fat…contract extension (so not what you thought I was gonna say, right? LOL). Notre Dame’s upcoming schedule does not bode well for salvaging their season. Consider:

Sept 15 @ Michigan

Sept 22 Michigan State

Sept 29 @ Purdue

Oct 6 @ UCLA

Oct 13 Boston College

Oct 20 USC

Nov 3 Navy

Nov 10 Air Force

Nov 17 Duke

Nov 24 Stanford

It’s not pretty. Hopefully they can pick up a couple of wins with Duke and Stanford.

Meanwhile, some poetic justice was served when Tyrone Willingham’s Washington Huskies snapped Boise State’s winning streak by beating them 24-10.

South Carolina beat #11 UGA. South Florida beat Auburn @ Jordan Hare Stadium and Les Miles’ explosive LSU defense sent Virginia Tech into apocalyptic fits down in the Bayou of Baton Rouge.

That’s all from here for now fellow football fiends! Tomorrow my marquee game is Bears at Chargers. I am working on my Week 1 picks and will post them later.

-Your Gridiron Goddess

Another Game Most Fascinating – the Goddess and Harem Member Marcus debate it

Your Gridiron Goddess says: Though I grew up in a family with ties to the University of Notre Dame and many older cousins over the years tried to indoctrinate me into the fold of the Irish, my heart has always bled cardinal and gold and so I packed my bags and moved into my dorm at USC and never looked back. That said, the intense respect between USC and Notre Dame for the types of schools they each are and rich tradition of football and their rivalry they share has done more over the years to earn my respect and admiration.

That is, until they fired Tyrone Willingham to hire Charlie Weis.

Harem Member Marcus says: As one who practically grew up in the Coliseum at USC games, I’ve enjoyed a lifelong disdain of Notre Dame. But given the extreme impatience of big time college fan bases and the fickleness of recruits these days, ND’s decision to fire Willingham was a no-brainer – the program simply wasn’t moving forward, and there was no beacon of potential on the horizon. But today, after last week’s drubbing at home courtesy of then-unranked Georgia Tech, the Irish may find themselves in the same hole. Weis grossly mishandled the preseason QB situation, and it seems he’s still figuring out the college game. Three years to recruit talent and a mere 3 points at home to Tech? Ouch!

Your Gridiron Goddess says: Well looks like our disdain of ND and Weis is going to smack of homerism to many who read our little tête-à-tête here, M. But screw it. What is truly homerism is ND’s firing of Willingham to hire Weis. What-Have-You-Done-For-Me-Lately-Weis is an apt nickname for this non-performer who has shown he can win with Willingham’s recruits but now that the era of Weis recruits has begun, what do we have? Oh, that’s right a 33-3 LOSS at home—what was that again, Notre Dame fans? Just the worst opening game loss in the history of the Notre Dame football program. So what does Weis do in preparation for the big weekend showdown with JoePa’s Nittany Lions? He hands the QB reins to freshman Jimmy Clausen of California’s Oaks Christian High School.

What did Jimmy do in the off season folks?

He had surgery on his throwing arm.

Harem Member Marcus says: Yes, it’s hard to envision anything but a grim night for the true frosh QB & co. The Irish are 17-point ‘dogs – I think that’s low. JoePa is going to blitz Clausen all night, and the Nit Lions have the secondary to blanket Clausen’s receivers. The kid’s in for a rough one – in front of 100,000 Lion fans fired up about last year’s South Bend humiliation. Still worse for N.D., can their D that gave up 33 at home keep PSU’s 2^nd year QB Anthony Morelli – who was sharp last week – from connecting downfield all night long?

ND fans, drink your twelve pack before kickoff!

Your Gridiron Goddess says: I must apologize, I am momentarily distracted by the arrival of my Bacon Salt and find myself wandering around looking for something to baconize… I agree M, The Nittany Lions are gonna hang 20+ points on Neutered Dame and hand them their second lopsided loss of the 2 week old season. I can’t legally advocate betting here, of course, but I’d take Penn State plus the spread in a heart beat if it were, you know, legal. The thing that gets my goat—well besides the sour look on his face and gigantic belly (I never said I wasn’t a shallow Gridiron Goddess people), is Weis’s arrogance. Brady Quinn essentially fell apart last year. Oh sure, that description is a stretch even by my standards, but compared to the season he was expected to have coming off 2005’s 9-3 season. Some of his strength, his power seemed lacking last season, and his ego seemed to have grown out of proportion to his completed pass percentage. Heh heh. What has Weis accomplished with Willingham’s recruits? A 9-3 2005 Season and a 10-2 2006 Season. Given the 33-3 loss to start the 2007 campaign, what’s to say Willingham wouldn’t have had the same success given time for his offense to mature and get used to his style?

Weis, like the team he coaches is Overrated.

Harem Member Marcus says: Agree with your point that Willingham may have had a 10-2 ’06 as well, but as I said, given where the program was in 04 most any big time program would have fired him. Looking at ND’s sked this year, it’s possible they’ll finish 4-8. Other factors aside, they likely would not fire Weis as that would crystallize the program as floundering and recruits will go elsewhere. But if he can’t finish in the Top 25 in ’08, Weis will go the way of Tyrone and when we think of ND football we’ll be reminded of the adage, “Hey, anybody can have a bad… century.” Prediction: Penn St. 45, ND 13 – 10 of the 13 being trash time

Your Gridiron Goddess says : I’m with you on that prediction Marcus. I feel like Morelli’s going to have a break out game against the holey – not Holy – ND defense. The cat’s out of the bag ND faithful, the world now knows what the Trojans have known for years – you have no ability to stop the run, no pass defense and offenses can simply blow right by you. I think it is possible they will finish 3-9 even, but I’m gonna go with 5-7, which would equal Willingham’s record at UDub last year. And is worse than the 6-6 record Willingham had at ND in 2004 when he was fired.

-Your Gridiron Goddess (and Harem Member Marcus, tho he has skillfully avoided my camera for over a year now)

A Harem of the Griron Goddess Post: Marcus on the Pac-10

Can August 30^th not get here soon enough, or what? On that Thursday, 7:00pm PST, Utah visits Oregon State and our ’07 Pac-10 season is on, baby! Yo, I’m Marcus, friend of the Goddess. I went to UCLA, the family bleeds Cardinal & Gold, a sib went to Arizona, I’m a Pac man who’s been to all 10 stadiums, and this, G.G. readers, is your highly-opinionated, dubiously-useful preview of the nation’s best top-to-bottom conference, the Pac-10.

The Beavers – remember that batted 4^th-down Booty pass last year? – are the place to start: Returning 15 starters, they’re my unfashionable pick to run their comparably easy sked – except one little road game near the corner of Figueroa and Exposition (Nov. 3) – and whip some overrated Big Ten team in the Rose… if whoever wins the QB job plays like (the departed) Matt Moore, and if they triumph at Cal (Oct. 13).

Tré-vogue Pac-picks are Cal and UCLA. Look for (head coach) Tedford’s Bears to grow cajones at home and avenge, barely, last year’s soul-shredding humiliation at Knoxville (Sept. 1), but fold at UCLA (Oct. 20) and in Berserkley to some other L.A. school (Nov. 10). The Bruins return an insane 20 starters, including both QBs, but baby-blues everywhere are still dome-scratching over (head coach) Karl Dorrell. Like, bro, how does your D dominate the other L.A. school then give up 44 to Florida State… in the same month?!

Let’s not even talk about the Bruins’ 4^th quarter play-calling at South Bend. I suffer palpitations like that giveaway was this morning. If my baby-blues do not go at least 7-2 in conference and avenge against the Irish (Oct. 6), I’m marching Dorrell back to Denver – with the Westwood faithful at my back.

I expect Arizona State, the newest (head coach) Dennis Erickson revival project, to find their inner D, smoke three easy non-confs, maybe edge Oregon State (Sept. 22), a previous Dennis stop, and boast an at least 6-1 Top 25 rec when Cal visits (Oct. 27). The road is washboard from there, but the Devils should earn a respectable bowl… and whip some overrated Big Ten team.

Wazzu opens hard, at Wisconsin (Sept. 1), but QB Alex Brink is a super stud and the Cougs – an incredibly successful program over the past decade-plus – lurk dangerous in the Pac. UCLA’s visit to chilly Pullman (Oct. 27) could be the baby-blues’ diff between the Rose and the Sun Bowl, where they will… (all together now) “whip… some… overrated”…

Head coach Mike Stoops has Arizona in seeming recovery – we’ll know on Sept. 1 when the ‘Cats visit BYU. Yo, Mike – will we finally see some O? Will ya take a 3-0 to Cal (Sept. 22)? Okay, Duck fan, I know you’re all, “Seven ‘graphs in, dude, where’s Oregon?!” The problem, Duck fan, is you and me both are way unsold on QB Dennis Dixon. If newest O coordinator Chip Kelly can get him to revive the ol’ 30-points-before-halftime Quack Attack I’ll be speechless. For once. But don’t look for it to happen at Michigan (Sept. 8) – Pac fans are advised to watch that one under heavy sedation (ABC 12:30pm).

Ditto Ohio State at Washington (Sept. 15). Interestingly, your Huskies debut blue chip QB Jake Locker at Syracuse (Aug. 31) in a made-for-ESPN matchup. Do not miss it (5:00pm). Before September’s out (at UCLA on the 22^nd) we’ll know whether (2^nd year head coach) Ty Willingham is reviving Dawg Nation. According to Dodd at CBS.com, U-Dub only has the toughest sked in the nation.

Have I mentioned Stanford? I hear it’s a nice place to study. And how ‘bout that new stadium? Now if they could only play some football in it. Wait… oh yeah, I was just reminded there’s this other team in L.A. They play in, I think it’s called the Mausoleum? Anyway, they’re going to beat everybody and win another national championship. You heard it here last! Enjoy!