Football Ramblings

A few thoughts after this weekend:

• Football is more fun to watch with friends on a big screen and in surround sound! Thanks Jason Kelley for helping me set up my home theater system in the basement.

• The Trojans D is legit! There are soooo many offensive powerhouses in college football right now. I would put the SC defense up against any of them. The men of Troy have shut down every offensive juggernaut they have seen this year with the exception of those pesky Beavers from the Pacific Northwest; Ohio State, Oregon and Cal are all ranked very high in offensive production, yet struggled against a stingy and dominant SC Defense.

• I hate Charlie Weis. Of course I don't really know Charlie Weis, but for a guy who was a fourth choice for Notre Dame, he sure came in with more swagger than he earned. I am unsure if this new AD at ND knows what he is doing by offering Charlie so much money after two good seasons with Ty's players, but the damage is now done and Notre Dame is forced to try to find a way to get rid of the ego maniacal and losing Weis at the expense of the boosters! Would any coach want to coach there after they mistreated Willingham?! ND is an already difficult school to coach at, yet they managed to make it even less appealing! To look at Weis makes me ill!

• What the heck is Tennessee thinking?! Believe me, I like Kiffin. I think he will be a great coach, but I think his decision to go to Oakland and coach the Raiders was a decision that was ill offered and ill accepted! Sark had it right when he turned it down. There is still a whole life ahead to get to that level. When you get to that level you want to stay there. Somehow, Tennessee is convinced that Kiffin is the guy to lead them back to greatness. I hope he does, but if I were a Vol, I would want someone with more experience to draw from when the going gets tough. Then again, ignorance is bliss. Good luck, Lane.

• SC is on the outside looking in and it is frustrating. I am not stating that the four teams ahead of SC are not good, because they clearly are very talented. I am frustrated that SC is not getting the same props that an Alabama or Florida team gets for running up scores with starters in almost to the end against inferior non-conference competition. Alabama beat Tulane, Western Kentucky and Arkansas State by a total score of 96-13 (combined record of 10-24) while Florida racked up big wins against Hawaii, Citadel and a once good Miami by a total score of 152-32 (combined record of 18-18). SC beat Virginia, Notre Dame and then ranked #2 OSU by a total score of 125-13 (combined record of 22-15) and did so with their starters sitting on the bench by minute two of quarter 3. I realize the PAC 10 is not what it should be this year, but 33% of the PAC 10 is ranked in the top, while 33% of the the SEC is also ranked in the top 25...What's the diff?! Outside of a very fast and talented Florida team and a greatly coached Alabama team, who else in the SEC really matters? LSU, Georgia, Tennesee? They all have sucked too! SC's loss was to a ranked Oregon State. Florida's loss was to a ranked Mississippi team, Alabama is undefeated. The Big 12 is so amazingly talented this year and both Oklahoma and Texas should be ranked ahead of Florida. However it plays out, I can see why SC is on the outside looking in, the four teams ahead of them are just as deserving. Bottom line, I hate Florida and a good friend loves Alabama, so I hope Alabama shuts down that talented Gator team and maybe somehow Oklahoma loses to Missouri while SC manhandles UCLA so overwhelmingly that we jump over Texas...Then it may end up SC and Bama in the championship game. Wouldn't that be nice to see two old school powerhouses have at each other for all the marbles. First things first, U-C-L-Lame! Then off to the Rose Bowl....AGAIN!

• BYU should become an independent. The Mountain West conference doesn't provide anything to BYU but a potential conference championship that isn't respected anywhere anyway! BYU should take it's name and fan following on the road as an independent. Their games would be nationally televised at least five times a year versus a couple times a year on Versus or The Mountain to be viewed by the twelve people in the local area that get those channels! They could sell their name for away games to the highest bidder because other schools know from experience that the Y sells out games and has a built in fan base wherever they go. By becoming an independent, they would not only continue to be a staple in bowl games, but would not have to share their winnings with a conference that, again, provides nothing in return. The added exposure along with the game and bowl earnings would allow them to attract more blue chip athletes and compete, thus placing them in line more often for a BCS bid than they will ever see in the pathetically managed Mountain West Conference.

• The Big Twelve is STACKED!!!! This has proven to be unfortunate for the teams as they compete against each other and often knock each other off, but what a blessing it has been to not have to hear about the SEC all year! My only fear is that Oklahoma will get to yet another National Championship Game to only lay a big goose egg once again.

• Great job Non-BCS Schools with three finishing undefeated in the top twelve. We need a playoff!