Posted on 08/03/2007 5:31:12 AM PDT by GOP_Raider
Whether or not you like the Pac-10, you have to give the left coast league its just due for being the BCS conference that does the most for college football
Beyond getting it right by scheduling all the teams to play each other (wake up Big Ten: figure out how to make this happen), it does the best job of pushing itself out of conference.
Outside of Arizona (who’s making a respectable trip to BYU), every Pac-10 team plays a non-conference game against a BCS-league team or Notre Dame. And we’re not talking about showdowns with Duke and Baylor here.
California vs. Tennessee, Oregon vs. Michigan, USC vs. Nebraska, Washington vs. Ohio State and Washington State vs. Wisconsin highlight the non-conference match-ups, and there are plenty of other juicy ones throughout the year. There’s only one embarrassment against a D-IAA team when Oregon State hosts Idaho State.
But does the league get any love east of the Mississippi for playing it tough? No. The national perception is that it’s still USC and a bunch of other teams. That will only change once the Pac-10 starts winning some of these big match-ups.
Oh sure, Cal blew away Texas A&M in the Holiday Bowl, but the Bears were all but dismissed by the SEC after an opening-day loss to Tennessee. UCLA is remembered for choking late against Notre Dame and being the one team Florida State was able to run over. Even when the non-USCers pulled off a seemingly really big win (Oregon over Oklahoma), it wasn’t exactly a clean victory.
It doesn’t matter; the league should be applauded for having teams willing to put themselves on the chopping block. This year, the tough games aren’t going to be limited to the non-conference showdowns.
(Excerpt) Read more at cfn.scout.com ...
Probably 2 that thought Michigan belonged in the championship game.
They didn’t choke. They chased the ND QB all over the field for 58 minutes. Then their brilliant coach went into a prevent defense, and ND picked them apart. My blood still boils over that one.
Random observation: The University of Tennessee has the hottest cheersqealers. I think an investigtion would confirm.
“They do have one easy road game at Notre Dame where the final score will be something like USC 143, Notre Dame 0”
That post will surely get you flamed by our Irish friends - How about 43 to nothing? I’d be happy with that one...
That’s ok, at least UCLA won the one game that mattered.
My prediction. USC vs Michigan in the BCS Championship Game.
I just think the SEC is going to be too brutal this year for any SEC team to emerge unscathed.
-hijack thread-
I see you are back. Did you ever post a report on your trip?
-/hijack-
Really clever picture, but I just can’t remember USC ever claiming the 2003 season BCS Championship. I guess I must have missed it.
That's kind of indefensible when the #8 team demolished them in the Rose Bowl 32-18.
Well, anything can happen in South Bend, but USC will bringing in a bunch of juniors and seniors to play a rebuilding Irish team.
At least on paper, here in August, it shouldn't be a close game.
Not yet, buddy. I wanted to “come down off the mountain” a little bit and then put together a nice report for all of you that were kind enough to pray for me and my kids during our time there. Some remarkable things happened...
With trying to get caught up at work and not publish a draft resembling a 19th century novel, my report has been a little delayed. I’ll have something by the end of next week, though, and will ping everyone that responded to that thread. (Except for the troll that got zotted.)
Well, technically, they are in the Pac-10 :)
I would like to agree with you, but I won’t for fear of jinxing my Trojans...
This is the best one so far IMO. The Mike Stoops “Oh My God, They Killed Wilbur the Wildcat” Face is classic!
And why Dirk Koetter is there also.
And why Dirk Koetter is there also.
I’d already posted a pic of the LA Coliseum earlier and thought that this one was...well, better. :)
I work with a few Wazzu alums and they've been somewhat disappointed with Doba. His replacement though might be Robb Akey, who just got hired 8 miles down the road at the University of Idaho.
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