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2009 USC Football: What's Your Deal, Coach Carroll?

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:19:23 -0500

By now most of the rest of America who aren't USC Fans-which is just about everyone outside of the Greater Los Angeles, California Metro Area-have gone into full schadenfreude mode over the Trojans season of woe.

With three ugly losses to the University of Washington (16-13 at U-Dub), Oregon (five bajillion-not many three weeks ago...okay, so it was only 47-20) and now by the jaw dropping, eye opening final score of 55-21 to the sudenly dangerous Stanford Cardinal, the fall from the rarefied air that the Trojans have been breathing for the better part of the past decade has been as shockingly swift as it was resounding.

Perhaps the most tell-tale sign of just how far the mighty have fallen was the Fighting Harbaugh's of Stanford going for a two point conversion...after Stanford's 7th-I repeat, seventh-touchdown of the game on Saturday.

Admittedly, Harbaugh does have a bit of history with tweaking SC's head coach, and the tweak of the two-point conversion was not lost on Carroll during their post-game meeting. After meeting Harbaugh at mid-field for a somewhat terse exchange, Carroll uttered, "What's your deal? What's your deal?"

To which Harbaugh went all Joey Tribbiani on Carroll by replying, "What's your deal?"

Not exactly a lot of love lost between these two coaches-and, by extension, their teams-over the past three years, as Harbaugh is the only coach in the PAC-10 to be able to claim multiple victories over Carroll's Trojans (Oregon's won twice in the last three seasons, as well, but their 2007 win was with now Athletic Director Mike Bellotti at the helm; this year Chip Kelly was the head headset for the victory over SC).

I did some digging, & came up with this video of the post-game exchange between Harbaugh & Carroll. My favorite part is where they catch Harbaugh with the, "Look at 'em all runnin' in [to the locker room]! Look at 'em all runnin' in!" referencing SC's quick exit from the field of play at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum post-pistolwhipping.

It'll be interesting to see this Stanford team develop. Even more interesting will be whether or not Harbaugh sticks around for it. Lots of bigger tickets with lower admission standards & deeper pockets in terms of their ability to pay for a proven head coach are taking notice of what Harbaugh's been able to build in Palo Alto. A hard nosed guy whose not afraid of confronting the big kid on the block head-on, and has instilled the same mindset in his team, Harbaugh has brought in a very good quarterback in Andrew Luck, & Toby Gerhart has muscled his way into the Heisman Trophy discussion the same way he punishes Safeties on the 2nd level.

The bigger-and most interesting-question, however, remains: What in the blue you-know-what has happened to Southern Cal? Yes, we know Stefan Johnson was hurt in a freak weightlifting accident earlier this year. Yes, we know Matt Barkley is an 18 year old true freshman starting at quarterback for USC. Yes, we know that SC lost their Defensive Coordinator to the same team that handed them their first lost this year in Washington.

But, again...This is USC we're talking about. The team that's won double digit games each year since Carroll's second in Los Angeles. The team that went 5-deep at tailback with 5-Star mail-toters. Matt Barkley was the #1 player in America as a schoolboy signal caller last year. Yes, Nick Holt was a good DC for Troy, but after all, the Trojan defense was Carroll's baby.

Right?

So, again, the question remains for Carroll...What's your deal?

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USC, Texas scheduling game with flying cars?

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:58:24 -0500

Think back ten years....

Pluto was still a planet. An unknown named Lance Armstrong was in the Tour de France and Sega was still producing video games. Boris Yeltsin was the president of Russia and the world was panicked by the Y2K problem. TigerEducated was dancing to "Mambo Number 5" and American Beauty was in theaters. You were using dial-up internet, and Florida State football was still relevant.

Seems like a long time ago, doesn't it?

Now imagine ten years into the future.... I don't know about you but I'm thinking... flying cars?

But not the folks in Austin. No, sir. The Longhorns are thinking... home-and-home series with USC.

The Austin American-Stateman reports that the Longhorns are in negotiations with Southern Cal for a shot to pair the two schools in 2019 and 2020 for the first time since the 2006 BCS title game. USC has confirmed the talks.

"USC is talking to a lot of schools — including Texas — about future football scheduling," USC spokesman Tim Tessalone told the Statesman. "Nothing has been decided or finalized."

Hey... I'm all for this game. I would hope it could be done sooner - you know, before there's teleportation - but as long as they still have football tailgating in the twenty twenties... I'm in.

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2009-2010 College Football Bowl Game Television Schedule

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:09:51 -0500

Despite what you may hear from skeptics, there's no better season in all of sports than college football bowl season and the complete television schedule for the bowl games is right here on Fanblogs, brought to you by BangTheBook.com.

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Date/Time/TV	Bowl	Site	Matchup
Saturday Dec. 19 2 :30 pm ET ESPN	New Mexico Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Albuquerque, NM University Stadium	Mountain West vs. WAC
Saturday Dec. 19 8:00 pm ET ESPN	St. Petersburg Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	St. Petersburg, FL Tropicana Field	Big East vs. C-USA
Sunday Dec. 20 8:00 pm ET ESPN	R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	New Orleans, LA Louisiana Superdome	C-USA vs. Sun Belt
Tuesday Dec. 22 8:00 pm ET ESPN	MAACO Bowl Las Vegas Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Las Vegas, NV Sam Boyd Stadium	Mountain West vs. Pac Ten
Wednesday Dec. 23 8:00 pm ET ESPN	San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Diego, CA Qualcomm Stadium	Mountain West vs. Pac Ten
Thursday Dec. 24 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Honolulu, HI Aloha Stadium	C-USA vs. WAC
Saturday Dec. 26 4:30 pm ET ESPN	Meineke Car Care Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Charlotte, NC Bank of America Stadium	ACC vs. Big East
Saturday Dec. 26 5 :00 pm ET ESPN	Little Caesars Pizza Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Detroit, MI Ford Field	Big Ten vs. MAC
Saturday Dec. 26 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Emerald Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Francisco, CA AT&T Park	ACC vs. Pac Ten
Sunday Dec. 27 8:15 pm ET ESPN	Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Nashville, TN LP Field	ACC vs. SEC
Monday Dec. 28 5:00 pm ET ESPN	PetroSun Independence Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Shreveport, LA Independence Stadium	Big 12 vs. SEC
Tuesday Dec. 29 4:30 pm ET ESPN	EagleBank Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Washington, DC RFK Stadium	ACC vs. U.S. Military Academy
Tuesday Dec. 29 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Champs Sports Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Orlando, FL Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium	ACC vs. Big Ten
Wednesday Dec. 30 4:30 pm ET ESPN	Roady's Humanitarian Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Boise, ID Bronco Stadium	Mountain West vs. WAC
Wednesday Dec. 30 8:00 pm ET NFL Network	Texas Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Houston, TX Reliant Stadium	Big 12 vs. U.S. Naval Academy
Wednesday Dec. 30 8:00 pm ET ESPN	Pacific Life Holiday Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Diego, CA Qualcomm Stadium	Big 12 vs. Pac Ten
Thursday Dec. 31 Time TBA ESPN	Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Fort Worth, TX Amon G. Carter Stadium	C-USA vs. Mountain West
Thursday Dec. 31 12:00 pm ET CBS	Brut Sun Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	El Paso, TX Sun Bowl Stadium	Pac Ten vs. Big East / Big 12
Thursday Dec. 31 5:30 pm ET NFL Network	Insight Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Tempe, AZ Sun Devil Stadium	Big Ten vs. Big 12
Thursday Dec. 31 7:30 pm ET ESPN	Chick-fil-A Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Atlanta, GA Georgia Dome	ACC vs. SEC
Friday Jan. 1 11:00 am ET ESPN	Outback Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Tampa, FL Raymond James Stadium	ACC vs. Big Ten
Friday Jan. 1 1:00 pm ET CBS	Konica Minolta Gator Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Municipal Stadium	ACC vs. Big East / Big 12 / Notre Dame
Friday Jan. 1 1:00 pm ET ABC	Capital One Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Orlando, FL Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium	Big Ten vs. SEC
Friday Jan. 1 5:00 pm ET ABC	Rose Bowl presented by Citi Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Pasadena, CA Rose Bowl	BCS (Big Ten) vs. BCS (Pac Ten)
Friday Jan. 1 8:30 pm ET FOX	Allstate Sugar Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	New Orleans, LA Superdome	BCS vs. BCS
Saturday Jan. 2 12:00 pm ET ESPN2	International Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Toronto, Canada Rogers Centre	Big East vs. MAC
Saturday Jan. 2 2 :00 pm ET ESPN	PapaJohns.com Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Birmingham, AL Legion Field	Big East vs. SEC
Saturday Jan. 2 2:00 pm ET FOX	AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Arlington, TX Cowboys Stadium	Big 12 vs. SEC
Saturday Jan. 2 5:30 pm ET ESPN	AutoZone Liberty Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Memphis, TN Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium	C-USA vs. SEC
Saturday Jan. 2 9 :00 pm ET ESPN	Valero Alamo Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	San Antonio, TX Alamodome	Big Ten vs. Big 12
Monday Jan. 4 8:00 pm ET FOX	Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Glendale, AZ University of Phoenix Stadium	BCS (Big 12) vs. BCS
Tuesday Jan. 5 8:00 pm ET FOX	FedEx Orange Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Miami, FL Dolphin Stadium	BCS (ACC) vs. BCS
Wednesday Jan. 6 7 :00 pm ET ESPN	GMAC Bowl Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Mobile, AL Ladd Peebles Stadium	ACC vs. MAC
Thursday Jan. 7 8:00 pm ET FOX	BCS National Championship Game Bowl Tickets Flights + Hotels Odds & Picks	Pasadena, CA Rose Bowl	BCS #1 vs. BCS #2

The 2009 college football season will be capped by exciting college football bowl games, including the 2009 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, the 2009 Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona, the 2009 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana, the 2009 Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida and the 2009 BCS National Championship Game in Pasadena, CA.

The best college football teams from the major conferences, including the Big10 conference, Big 12 conference, Pac 10 conference, ACC conference, Big East conference, SEC conference, and Mountain West conference will face off in college football bowl games throughout December and into January.

If you're looking for updated matchups, odds, insights, betting lines and online wagering for the college football bowl games, please be sure to try BangTheBook.com.

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simulated BCS Standings: Week 2

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:37:44 -0500

Our friend Samuel Chi at BCS Guru has published this weeks simulated BCS standings. For a more detailed explanation of how the ranking is simulated follow the link provided.

For an explanation for why the computers are hating on Florida see his writeup for the current week.

Bold indicates the highest ranked teams from automatic qualifying(AQ) conferences, a strike represent additional teams from the SEC and Big 12. Teams vying for a final AQ awarded to the highest ranked team from a conference without an AQ if at least one makes the final top 12 are in italics. The remaining teams (including those in italics not selected) are fighting for the last remaining BCS openings. Gaps represent large differences in the BCS standigns.

1) USC 0.8727

2) Texas 0.7882
3) Alabama 0.7870
4) ~~Florida~~ 0.7540

5) ~~LSU~~ 0.6655
6) California 0.6460
7) Boise State 0.6097
8) Penn State 0.5992
9) BYU 0.5987

10) ~~Ole Miss~~ 0.5240

11) Ohio State 0.4332
12) ~~Oklahoma~~ 0.4050
13) Georgia Tech 0.3727
14) TCU 0.3651
===BCS Eligibility Line===
15) Utah 0.3505
16) Virginia Tech 0.3500

17) ~~Oklahoma State~~ 0.2552
18) North Carolina 0.2460
19) ~~Nebraska~~ 0.2176
20) Cincinnati 0.1979
===Watch Line===
21) Houston 0.1880
22) ~~Georgia~~ 0.1697
23) Miami(FL) 0.1467
24) ~~Missouri~~ 0.1375
25) Pittsburgh 0.1284

As usual the Big 12 and SEC dominate the standings with 5 teams each, many near the top.

Currently three teams from outside the BCS AQ conferences have crossed the #14 ranking needed to become BCS eligible. Two have made it into the top 10. A total of five are present in the top 25. This all suggests that a robust push by the MWC, WAC and C-USA to earn their AQ is underway.

If BYU wins this week against FSU they should take the lead from Boise State and hold it until they lose a game.

California (or USC) and Ohio State (or Penn State) are the only obstacles blocking the BCS from being forced to take a second team from outside the six AQ conferences. Virginia Tech and North Carolina are on deck to fill any vacancies, despite the media bombardment directed at the ACC so far this year.

The ACC certainly is not looking to be as even across the board as it was last year. If they are, it will be serious trouble for them.

The Big East also advanced further into the standings with Cincinnati entering the watch list and Pittsburgh joining them in the top 25, reflecting a strong early performance against mostly outmatched opponents. This week should be a good barometer of how good the Big East really is. Have we all really forgotten 2006 and 2007 already?

Comment on simulated BCS Standings: Week 2...

sim-BCS Standings: Week 1

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:00:04 -0500

Here are the top 20 in this weeks simulated BCS Standings. Since no official standings come out yet, this is as good as it gets. Samual Chi at BCS Guru does very good.

The highest ranked team from each BCS conference is in bold. Remaining teams from the SEC and Big 12 are in italics, as a second team from each should be expected. BYU, Boise State, TCU and Utah are in contention for the final automatic qualification (as long as at least one finishes in the top 12). The remaining teams are fighting for the lone remaining BCS slot. Gaps represent large seperations in rankings.

1) FLorida
2) USC
3) Texas
2) Alabama

5) Oklahoma State
6) Ohio State
7) Penn State

8) BYU
9) Boise State
10) California
11) LSU
12) Mississippi
13) Oklahoma

14) TCU
=== BCS Eligibility Line ===
15) Utah
16) Virginia Tech
17) Georgia Tech

18) Georgia
19) Missouri
20) Cincinnati
=== BCS Watch List ===
21) Miami (FL)
22) Nebraska
23) Notre Dame
24) Texas Tech
25) North Carolina

BYU at #9 this early, with a win over a top 15 team and 2 teams left in the top 20, is looking like a far better chance at the championship game than any team from outside the BCS has seen. The fact that TCU and Utah are not far behind indicates the MWC has drawn significant credibility in the BCS formula. CSU and Air Force also got some points towards the bottom of the listing.

Boise State has to hope Oregon turns things around this season. No other WAC or MAC team is earning any BCS points, and other than UC Davis this is all Boise State has remaining. Unlike BYU, Boise State does not have a schedule that will prevent significant numbers of teams from passing them in the standigns as the year goes on.

With four teams from outside the BCS conferences already in the top 15, and 2 in the top 10, I think we can assume at least one will make it in this year. It appears that Penn State (or Ohio State) and California (or USC) are the only impediments currently foiling a second such team from securing a BCS berth. The ACC is down. but not completely out here and Notre Dame is lurking just outside at #23

The Big East has emerged in the top 25, with Cincinnati breaking into the top 20.

Comment on sim-BCS Standings: Week 1...

Texas A&M inks home-and-home series with USC, Oregon

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:25:42 -0500

Texas A&M has announced two big home-and-home series with perennial Pac10 powers - USC and Oregon.

"I am happy to report we will be adding two west coast schools to our football schedule, the USC Trojans and the Oregon Ducks," Byrne said. "When you combine USC and Oregon with the non-conference games we have planned with Arkansas, SMU and others in the coming seasons, I think our future football schedules will be challenging and highly entertaining."
The Aggies are finalizing a series with USC for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Meanwhile, A&M will make the trek to Eugene in September of 2018 and the Ducks will head to Kyle Field in September of 2019.

These are great inter-conference games and smart plays for all three teams, as a home date with A&M virtually guarantees a sellout for both USC and Oregon.

The new series marks A&M's first regular season games with a Pac10 opponent since 1992's Pigskin Classic win over Stanford.

Hat Tip: Ryan, who eats these games up like chocolate pudding

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USC Song Girl Tribute Video

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:43:57 -0500

Welcome to the college football season... brought to you by the USC Song Girls, America's most beloved cheerleaders:

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2009 Preseason BCS Standings (Simulated)

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:46:08 -0500

The legendary BCS Guru has his simulated preseason BCS standings posted for the 2009 season. With the Coaches poll on the books along with three computer polls already posted, it's never too early to dig deeper on the BCS implications.

The results? No big surprises, but a few interesting notes....

BCSGURU.COM Simulated BCS Preseason Standings
For the purpose of this preseason simulation, BCSGURU uses AP, Coaches, and three computer polls. Remember that AP poll is *not* a BCS component. This is a simulation.

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. Oklahoma
4. USC
5. Ohio State

BCSGuru already sees a lean for USC in the computer polls over Texas and Oklahoma. It will be interesting to keep an eye on this trend, especially when you factor the bump that the USC-Ohio State winner will get after week one.

Three non-AQ teams are lumped together in the simulated BCS, just as they are in the human polls. Boise State (#15), TCU (#16), and Utah (#17) all have an outside chance to make a run into an qualifier position.

Finally, Notre Dame is *not* getting any respect in the computer polls. The Irish average a #47 ranking, which means they will really need to prove it on the field this year. It seems unlikely that UND will crack the BCS top 15 without some really strong performances against what has the appearance of a soft (by UND standards) schedule this year.

For much, much more analysis, check out the entire preseason simulation at BCSGuru.com.

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Grading the contenders non-con schedules

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:06:51 -0500

Eric Sorenson, who seems to have quite the little man crush on Florida head coach Urban Meyer, details the non-conference schedules of the consensus contenders for CBS Sportsline.

The results? Well... pretty interesting, unless you're a Texas, Penn State, Florida, or Ole Miss fan. But - then again - if you're a Texas, Penn State, Florida, or Ole Miss fan, you probably already know that your non-con sucks this year.

Some highlights:

Florida: D+
Sept. 5: vs. Charleston Southern, F
Sept. 12: vs. Troy, D+
Nov. 21: vs. Florida International, D-
Nov. 28: vs. Florida State, B-

Oklahoma: C+
Sept. 5: vs. BYU (In Arlington, Texas), B
Sept. 12: vs. Idaho State, F
Sept. 19: vs. Tulsa, C
Oct. 3: at Miami, B

Texas: D-
Sept. 5: vs. UL-Monroe, F
Sept. 12: at Wyoming, D
Sept. 26: vs. UTEP, D+
Nov. 7: vs. UCF, D

Ohio State: C
Sept. 5: vs. Navy, C-
Sept. 12: vs. USC, A+
Sept. 19: vs. Toledo (at Cleveland), D
Oct. 31: vs. New Mexico St., D

Alabama: C
Sept. 5: vs. Virginia Tech (at Atlanta), A
Sept. 12: vs. Florida International, D-
Sept. 19: vs. North Texas, D
Nov. 21: vs. Chattanooga, F

Virginia Tech: B
Sept. 5: vs. Alabama (at Atlanta), A
Sept. 12: vs. Marshall, D
Sept. 19: vs. Nebraska, B+
Nov. 5: at East Carolina, B-

Florida State: B-
Sept. 12: vs. Jacksonville State, F
Sept. 19: at BYU, B
Sept. 26: vs. South Florida, C+
Nov. 28: at Florida, A

LSU: D
Sept. 5: at Washington, D
Sept. 19: vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, D-
Oct. 31: vs. Tulane, D-
Nov. 14: Louisiana Tech, D

Utah: D+
Sept. 3: vs. Utah State, D-
Sept. 12: at San Jose State, D
Sept. 19: at Oregon, B+
Sept. 26: vs. Louisville, D+

Just a side note: Why the hell is FSU considered a contender this year? Heh....

Check out the full grades at CBS Sportsline.

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2009 Preseason USA Today Coaches Poll

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:41:35 -0500

The 2009 USA Today Coaches Football Poll, released August 7, 2009.

1. Florida (53)
2. Texas (4)
3. Oklahoma (1)
4. Southern California (1)
5. Alabama
6. Ohio State
7. Virginia Tech
8. Penn State
9. LSU
10. Mississippi
11. Oklahoma State
12. California
13. Georgia
14. Oregon
15. Georgia Tech
16. Boise State
17. TCU
18. Utah
19. Florida State
20. North Carolina
21. Iowa
22. Nebraska
23. Notre Dame
24. Brigham Young
25. Oregon State

Others receiving votes (with 2008 records):
Kansas (8-5) 138; Michigan State (9-4) 136; Texas Tech (11-2) 114; Cincinnati (11-3) 90; Pittsburgh (9-4) 64; West Virginia (9-4) 55; Rutgers (8-5) 51; Miami (Fla.) (7-6) 46; Missouri (10-4) 44; Illinois (5-7) 38; Clemson (7-6) 30; South Carolina (7-6) 18; UCLA (4-8) 14; Auburn (5-7) 12; Nevada (7-6) 11; South Florida (8-5) 11; Kentucky (7-6) 9; North Carolina State (6-7) 7; Arkansas (5-7) 6; Wisconsin (7-6) 6; Northwestern (9-4) 5; Southern Mississippi (7-6) 4; Wake Forest (8-5) 4; Arizona (8-5) 3; Boston College (9-5) 3; Central Michigan (8-5) 3; East Carolina (9-5) 3; Colorado (5-7) 2; Maryland (8-5) 2; Navy (8-5) 2; Tennessee (5-7) 2; Houston (8-5) 1; Michigan (3-9) 1; Minnesota (7-6) 1; Troy (8-5) 1.

I know what you're thinking? Where's the ritual preseason vote for Duke? I have no idea. Although South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is voting this year in the coaches poll, he did not cast his annual vote for the Blue Devils. Perhaps the uproar of blaming his assistant for snubbing Tim Tebow hit a little too close to home.

And not to beat a dead horse, but I *hate* preseason polls. They are *not* accurate indicators of success. Case in point? Last year's preseason coaches poll failed to rank 14 of the 25 teams in final season coaches poll. That's right. The 2008 preseason coaches poll failed to rank 56% of the teams in the 2008 final poll.

So... if you like you're football indicators with a 44% accuracy, then - by all means - go nuts over this one.

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Who has the toughest football schedule in 2009?

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:22:19 -0500

College football guru Phil Steele has published his toughest schedules for 2009 in his annual College Football Preview.

Steele's methodology differs from the NCAA's own strength of schedule calculation in that it factors changes to the team for 2009. For example, Steele takes into account a variety of factors including number of starters returning per team, whereas the NCAA just looks at each team's record from 2008 and projects it into this coming season. The difference? historically, is that Steele's projections tend to be more accurate at this point in the season.

Without further ado....

PHIL STEELE'S 2009 TOUGHEST SCHEDULE RANKINGS

1. South Carolina 2. Florida St 3. Oklahoma 4. Mississippi St 5. Minnesota 6. Arkansas 7. Georgia 8. Virginia Tech 9. Tennessee 10. Michigan St

...

115. Ball St
116. Florida Atlantic
117. Boise St
118. Army
119. Ohio
120. Kent St

A couple of trends jump off the page right away:

First and foremost, the top ten is stacked with SEC East teams. Three big factors are at play here.
- The SEC returns an great percentage of starters almost across the board. There are a few key holes to fill, but no team is remotely close to starting from scratch.
- The SEC East scheduling in 2009 brings strong divisional matchups this season.
- And last but in no way least, the Florida Gators are hugely rated by Steele this season and six of the top ten teams have games scheduled against UF.

Secondly, if you're Boise State, you not only have to win every game but you need to play some scoreboard pinball in order to make into a BCS game. The Broncos aren't getting any help from their schedule this season.

Third, the WAC & MWC have broken the glass ceiling on the BCS, but don't expect the MAC to join the party any time soon. Seven of the ten weakest schedules are from the MAC. Ouch.

Finally, and this might be the most important item to remember, Phil Steele's rankings have been a good predictor but they don't factor into the BCS in any way. The BCS has its own strength of schedule component within the computer indexes.

Comment on Who has the toughest football schedule in 2009?...

USC fatigue? LA fans boo Pete Carroll

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:29:46 -0500

It's not unusual for college football head coaches to be booed, especially when walking the visiting sidelines; however, it is remarkable when a successful head coach gets booed... in his own town.

USC head coach Pete Carroll attended the Dodgers game on Tuesday night to accept a donation from the team to Carroll's charity, A Better LA.

Twice during the game, Carroll's image was flashed on the jumbotron, resulting in shower of boos being reigned down on the Trojans coach.

From one fan's account:

I was at the game, and when he was first shown on screen and presented with a check (which he will likely use to pay off one of his thugs, I mean athletes) there was a noticeable mix of boos and cheers. I was booing Cheaty Peety, and was mad at Villaretardo for not punching him in the gut. Anyhow, the second time he was shown on the big screen, he was the only one on screen and what happened next was simply delightful. The cheers came first, followed by a much louder wave of boos. These boos were loud enough to easily drown out the cheers from the bandwagon $c fanbase at the Ravine. It was something I truly didn’t see coming, but, it was great.

The Associated Press was slightly more politically correct in referencing the boos:

USC football coach Pete Carroll smiled when he heard himself booed after being shown on the big screen.

It's quite possible that LA fans have USC fatigue... which would put them in line with - well - the rest of the country.

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Where would you play? A fans guide to non-traditional venues

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:22:01 -0500

With the announcement of a resumption of the Notre Dame - Army series, featuring a game in Yankee Stadium in 2010, and all of the hub-a-baloo about non-traditional venues... it got me thinking about y'all: Where would the Fanblogs guys like to see a game played?

To wet your whistle, here's a few ideas:

Tennessee vs Virginia Tech at Bristol Motor Speedway
You can pretty much bank on 170,000+ fans piling into BIS for this game. The high banking in the stands would provide great lines of sight for nearly every seat. Don't even get me started about the tailgating.

Army vs Navy on the National Mall in Washington DC
The crowd would be obscenely large - a boon for the service academies - but the seating would be less than ideal. With satellite screens set up, you could easily attract 300,000+ fans for the game.

Texas vs Southern Cal at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City
Bringing two of the nation's landmark teams to Mexico City would be a boon to college football, in general. The stadium had "only" 103,000 in attendance the last time the NFL was in town, but the capacity would likely be closer to 115,000 without upteen million NFL cameras in the way.

Illinois vs Northwestern at Wrigley Field
The NCAA has outlawed the "offensive" 'Sweet Sioux Tomahawk' trophy, so the Illini & Wildcats are getting a new trophy in 2009, so why not feature the game in a legendary venue? It might be the only way you get me to an Illini game, after all.

Auburn vs Alabama at Talladega Superspeedway
Can you imagine a crowd of 165,000 at the Iron Bowl? Boom!

Florida vs Notre Dame at Wembley Stadium in London
You know that Florida fans would be up for a chance to finally beat the Irish and Notre Dame fans, well, they're everywhere. The Brits love coming to Florida... so I'm thinking 105,000 for this one.

Alright, guys... whatchya got?

Comment on Where would you play? A fans guide to non-traditional venues...

Utah, Boise State in the Rose Bowl?

Fri, 29 May 2009 17:39:46 -0500

Could we see Utah or Bosie State in the Rose Bowl after the 2010 season? Apparently this may be part of the new ESPN contract.

[tip on Rose Bowl link: OU_Ron]

This would be welcome news on many levels. First, it would signify that the Rose Bowl is moving away from a PAC 10 vs Big 10 match up and more of the East coast-West coast concept they originally embraced. It also suggests that a conference champion may be a better value than the second team from any conference from a tradition stand point.

An East coast-West coast focus would allow the Rose Bowl to maintain a sense of identity in the midst of or as a part of an improved post season structure.

The Rose Bowl would be guaranteed two conference champions, unless the PAC 10 or Big 10 both go to the title game or one goes and no at large champion is available.

That, and this greatly increases the odds of Utah becoming the first team since the BCS was created to win all five BCS bowls (Oklahoma is the only team to have been to all five, winning two).

Teams at least 2 two or appearing in at least 3 different BCS bowls since the end of the 1998 regular season:

Team: BCS Bowls won (Been to but lost)

Miami (FL): Sugar, Rose, Orange (Fiesta)
Oklahoma: Orange, Rose (Sugar, Fiesta, NCG)
Florida: Orange, NCG (Sugar)
Ohio State: Sugar, Fiesta (NCG)
LSU: Sugar, NCG
USC: Orange, Rose
Texas: Rose, Fiesta
West Virginia: Sugar, Fiesta
Utah: Fiesta, Sugar
FSU: Sugar (Fiesta, Orange)

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SEC annual spring meeting and the AFCA did WHAT??

Thu, 28 May 2009 22:25:31 -0500

The SEC met this week at Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa to discuss various topics of interest.

Wait. The SEC, the premier conference in college football, is meeting 45 minutes from my home? What the heck, right? I got ideas, worse case nothing happens right? So after work I went to Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa. This was a time to wear my "Utah Utes perfect season" tee shirt if there ever was one.
I enjoyed a Yuengling Lager at Barefoots Beachside Bar and Grill and a Captain and Coke at Sandcastles Lounge. The SEC was in a meeting, something about their image. Rumor has it the Rose Bowl officials were there.

There was another conference going on also so I wasn't likely to be able to tell who from whom. Anyways, I ran out of drink before the SEC would finish their meetings and would need to drive home eventually, so I went to the outlet malls to sober up fully, as I know the roads between there and home are one continuous DUI trap. That and the view was better. Something about the gender ratio and the warm humid weather. I also enjoyed seeing people do a double take to see if they really just saw a Utah fan. I really need to get more Utah apparel.

No Utah apparel was available at the outlet stores but I do highly recommend Rocky Mountain Chocolate. Didn't get to advance my ideas any, but it was fun. Can't say I didn't try.

Ok, back on track.

Slive laid down the law about the recent public bickering amongst the football coaches. Apparently there is a place to have these discussions, and the media is not that place. Though no names where mentioned it was made clear who was under the gun. Shame on Kiffin, Spurrier and Meyers. Indeed some leaks prior to the meeting suggested a Kiffin rule might be made to handle this.

With the news of the AFCA deciding to conceal the final ballet starting after 2010, Mark Richt and Steve Spurrier both expressed surprise and disappointment at the decision. Though not present for this meeting, BCS commissioner John Swofford appears to feel likewise.

The MWC proposal was discussed. I get the feeling the SEC is sympathetic with the idea, but a plus one appears to be gaining some more support, with Nick Saban publicly jumping on board. So the SEC is inching closer to full support of a plus one.

Which may be why the Rose Bowl was there, as if to say we will take our conferences away if you do.

The Rose Bowl does have a point. USC is a championship caliber team that might compete with an SEC team if they ever actually played one, unlike the Big 10 teams that get decimated every bowl season by whichever SEC team they face.

If the highest paid (and presumably best) coach can't get Alabama's players and fans excited about playing in a bowl with the rich history of the Sugar Bowl, if USC fans contend that it would be better for them to get out of the Rose Bowl deal to actually play one of the top SEC teams in a bowl game rather than beat down another Big 10 team, isn't that the most compelling reason to advocate for a change to the current post season system?

[note: some hyperbole was used in reference to the recent Big 10 vs SEC bowl performance, but not much]

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