I think this was a great hire by the Buffs. Hawkins can recruit in CA and will be able to pick up some of the big name in-state (CO) recruits that left for bigger programs like LenDale White at USC or Cory Ross at Nebraska. Look for CU to be back in the BCS mix in 3 years.
whereas I didn't think the Big XII was representative of Texas, I seriously doubt the PAC-10 is representative of USC.
Don't get cocky.
The Sooners, from the same mighty Big 12 conference as Texas, sure thought they had a chance in last year's title game. A 55-19 decision quickly changed all of that crazy talk.
"...the always overrated Pac-10.."
So as usual, where do we begin? Oklahoma played two Pac-10 teams this year, getting blown out by 'overrated' UCLA 41-24, and squeaking by an Oregon team finishing up the year without their quarterback, 17-14. Oklahoma averaged over 30 points a game in their eight Big-12 games, but just 20 per game against the 'lousy, non-existent' Pac-10 defenses they played. You say Oregon was a 'prohibitive' favorite over Oklahoma, but the line was 3 points. When Clemens went out with the broken leg, Oregon limped through three consecutive close games, winning all against Arizona 28-21, Cal 27-20, and Washington State 34-31. It's commendable that they won the games while working in two rookie quarterbacks, but they weren't the same team without Clemens, and this was reflected in the 3 point line for the game, and Oregon missing out on a BCS game. Oklahoma got absolutely screwed by the refs against Texas Tech, otherwise they finish up the season with 7 consecutive wins. So don't try to tell me that it was some huge upset that Oklahoma beat Oregon 17-14.
The toughest game LSU faced all year was Arizona State, who put up 560 yards on that 'powerful SEC defense'. LSU needed two kicking game flukes and a last minute Hail Mary to beat ASU 35-31. Arizona State also played Northwestern earlier this year and beat them 52-21, and UCLA put up 50 on them yesterday. Of the five Pac-10 bowl teams, 3 of them (Cal, Oregon, and Arizona State) lost their starting quarterbacks for the season to injury, and yet still played well.
So gimme a break on this anti-Pac-10 crap. I can understand the frustration of watching USC dominate college football over the past three years, and I can understand your desperate attempt to explain away 34 straight wins as not having come against good competition, but your arguments hold no water. I know they don't hold much water in Norman.
Also, the Pac-10 is 6-1 in their past 7 BCS bowl games, and all six wins were routs. 'Always overrated'? And also, something like 8-3 in their last 11 games against the 'powerful' SEC. How has your conference done in both these categories, by the way?
Nothing would please me greater, as I watch the nightly ESPN coronation of USC 2005 as one of the greatest national champs ever, then to see the Longhorns serve up a big crap sandwich to the Southern Cal boys.
Often challenged? Two teams all season were still in the game in the fourth quarter, ND and Fresno. Fresno played the game of their lives, as their nose dive since then has shown.
USC for the past two seasons has always started slow and then blown out their opponents in the second half. If you look at the first half only, then your statement rings witha small note of validity, but also rings hollow as an attempted slap at a team that has had a tremendous record over the past three years.
The USC average margin of victory this year has been 26 points.