Bleacher Report - Articles by Scott Burrola

Sooners to Cement Fate as the New Buckeye BCS Storyline

Scott Burrola — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:01:58 -0500

While Ohio State has cemented their status as a BCS punching bag, the Oklahoma Sooners will look to join the Buckeyes, and possibly discount the entire Big 12 conference in BCS games tonight when they play the Gators. Aside from what Vince Young has done, the success of the Big 12 is treading dangerously close to that of the Big 10.

Go back the last six years, and it’s hard not to argue that the two best teams at the end of the year were USC and whoever the SEC had to offer—Auburn, Georgia, LSU or Florida depending on the year.

Bob Stoops has been routinely out coached in his bowl games, and there is no reason why tonight will be any different.

I offer eight reasons why Florida covers easily against the Sooners tonight in South Florida:

1) Urban Meyer is one the best three coaches in college football. Give a good coach ample time to prepare and their teams win. Maybe Stoops’ offense was his best yet this year, but his halftime adjustments will come a half too late.

2) Stoops is 0-4 in BCS games, and he is not playing Boise State this year. He is also not playing a team coached by Bill Stewart in his overalls and straw hat.

3) The rhythm the offense showed down the stretch for Oklahoma will have a harder time finding their groove than a defense will. Time and time again, a great offense that is slowed down will ultimately derail that team’s success as Florida will frustrate and attack Sam Bradford.

4) A good offense will look outstanding versus a terrible defense. That is exactly what Oklahoma has been doing all year in racking up absurd numbers. Florida’s offense is also a good offense, but they get to play a defense that may be worse than Florida’s last four opponents when they were absolutely throttling teams.

5) Is it not a coincidence that the SEC is 3-0 in BCS title games. When a team represents the SEC conference, they are pretty darn good (the SEC has also never had to play a Pac-10 team for the title). Tonight they go to 4-0 as Oklahoma becomes the first team to be 0-3 in BCS Championship games.

6) Pull tape from the Orange Bowl in 2004 and you will see all the Gators employ a similar game plan to that of the Trojans versus Oklahoma.

Oklahoma’s huge offensive line will look slow and have trouble protecting Bradford as he matches Jason White for most time spent looking into the South Florida night sky from his back. Speed killed Oklahoma in losing to Pat White and West Virginia, in losing to LSU, and USC and tonight will be no different. They are not playing a fast team, but probably the fastest team they have seen all year.

7) Percy Harvin is playing, DeMarco Murray is not. Don’t let talk of no Murray not affecting Oklahoma fool you. Harvin was missed versus Alabama and would have been a much-needed asset in stretching the field against Alabama. Tebow’s favorite weapon comes back tonight.

8) Tim Tebow is not an NFL quarterback, but he is a college quarterback and he wants to prove that he will not be upstaged by Sam Bradford. He will take what the Sooners will give him whether it's with his arm or feet. Playing in Florida, its his stage and Tebow is not relinquishing his microphone tonight.

A 2008 Rose Bowl Retrospective: A Live Diary from Last Year's USC-Illinois Game

Scott Burrola — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:47:25 -0500

USC enters this season as the almost unanimous pick to play in the BCS title game. John David Booty breaks his finger, throws four interceptions against Stanford, the Trojans lose to Dixon and the Ducks, and still on New Year’s Day as a ho-hum consolation end up in the “Grandaddy of Them All,” the Rose Bowl. Because I attended this game, I decided to break out my first diary. Here is what transpired:

8:08 a.m. PT: While waiting to leave the house the Rose Parade starts. We were informed that the parade will be broadcast to all the troops abroad. My brother asks if I thought a rift might break out between the troops watching the Rose Parade and those wanting to watch football. (The day’s first bowl game has started. The Outback Bowl: Tennessee vs. Wisconsin)

8:10: The plan today is to meet at Stephanie’s house, who lives close to Pasadena, where we will all meet and caravan to the Rose Bowl. (“We” is 20 people consisting of brother Nick, dad, three uncles, USC alumni friends, spouses, and a couple Illinois fans)
In the car to Pasadena. Now catching up on some sleep from New Year’s Eve night…

9:32: Arrived in Sierra Madre. We are packing 20 people in three SUVs. Those Desperate Housewives of Orange County would be cringing at how many people are in each vehicle.

9:43: Stopping at the market for the last of our tailgating needs which include steaks. (Inside joke about the last time we stopped for food before a bowl game, referring to the Orange Bowl against Oklahoma. I didn’t make that trip, but apparently it took over an hour to unearth some crappy sandwiches. These kinds of stories resurface when you have zero leg room and you’re the group waiting in the car.)

10:02: Distance to the Rose Bowl is only ten minutes but today’s traffic will make it close to an hour. Exited freeway off Lincoln as we are just barely staying with the lead car in the caravan. Just passed the Karate Bible Counseling College. Do not remember being told about that when applying to colleges.

10:06: Barriers set up on side streets to keep traffic on main roads. They are being patrolled by “Explorer” cops and they look riveted.

10:10: My brother got into a staring contest with a brotha in the next car over. Without knowing what to do, Nick head nodded, and in return received a head nod back. Yes the traffic is crawling!

10:19: Husband and wife out doing yard work on this New Year’s morning as thousands of cars crawl by on the semi-residential four lane road.

10:25: Escalade on 22’s next to us, apparently belongs to Tricia, as noted by the “Tricia’s Escalade” insignia. It also has a 11-99 Foundation license plate frame. A discussion ensues about what it is with my guess being something to do with Police or CHP, due to always seeing it on fast and usually expensive cars. (Thankfully with a Blackberry in the car we find out it is a CHP charitable foundation helping fallen CHP officers and CHP families. For $1800 you get that license plate frame and a wallet with the 11-99 foundation badge right next to where your ID goes. This does not sound corrupt at all.)

10:31: People offering between $50-$75 to park on their front lawns. (The Rose Bowl itself is $30. Good for tailgates, bad for traffic.) Some of us in the car are skeptical about the valet parking services offered at these houses.

10:40: Now parking at the golf course adjacent to the Rose Bowl where they rope off the greens. We got a nice spot in the rough under a tree.

10:45: The unpacking ensues: tables, chairs, BBQ’s, TV, food, beer, and a football.

11:30: I am now awake after a Bloody Mary breakfast, complete with horseradish. Thanks to Jeff (although he was an Illinois fan) for the splendid first drink.

11:37: After some toying with the rabbit ears, in which I helped by staying far far away, the TV was set up. Right now we have Michigan and Florida going in the Capital One Bowl. Good back and forth action in this game thus far.

12:07 p.m.: Playing catch with Nick. There are some open areas as you might imagine on a golf course but the game of catch still requires some accuracy to stay away from windshields and other tailgaters. Just hit a car as we look around to see if that person has already made the trek to the Rose Bowl.

12:30: Getting ready to depart to the game as a group of us find a row of port-o-potties. Nick, Neal (A Scotsman who Nick and I were showing the difference between kicking footballs and soccer balls), Illinois fan, and my uncle Alex are the last to go the bathroom before we leave.

12:40: Long lines for every port-o-potty in sight. Woman at the front of the line is doing an awkward pee-pee dance with her legs crossed. Obviously bursting at the seams, she barely waddles to the next available port-o-potty.

While standing in line, Neal, who coaches girls’ soccer, explains the difference between coaching girls and guys soccer:

“When I sit my team down after a game we lost and explain to them how terribly they played, each girl thinks I am talking specifically to them and takes it personal. With guys they always think you must be talking about some other player. Girls are much more coachable.”

1:40: After some last minute beers by everyone, a long walk to the stadium entrance, and a long line to get in. We have arrived at the game!

1:43: Illinois is well represented here as it’s their first Rose Bowl since 1984. The fans are loud and passionate and do this cool thing where they put their hands over each of the neighbors’ shoulders and hop around, not to mention the militaristic overhead clap.

1:46: The countdown on the video board shows 23 minutes till kick-off. Just enough time to go brave one more bathroom line before the game starts.

1:57: We have a converted women’s restroom at our section as there are only stalls, zero urinals… and a tampon machine.

2:01: 8 minutes till kickoff as the great USC marching band plays the national anthem. USC fans love their band, but does every other school get sick of our hearing our fight song every other play?

2:07: I am very happy about the uniforms. I hate when two teams with obviously contrasting uniforms don’t wear them. Illinois is in all white road uniforms, with orange trim and an orange helmet. USC has their home cardinal tops and gold pants with cardinal trim and helmets. Earlier this year Georgia Tech played Notre Dame. White pants, gold tops playing gold pants and white tops, and both with gold helmets. What is the purpose of uniforms?

2:10: USC wins the coin toss and defers as usual. Winning the coin toss always seems to elicit much more cheering than necessary. Maybe it’s the first thing that can go in favor for your team before the kickoff that excites fans.

2:11: The USC song girls are looking good. In front of them are the spirit girls in their track suits. Did they really want to be spirit girls or are they like the Clippers cheerleaders who missed the cut for the Lakers cheer squad?

Don’t forget about the guy spirit leaders. Earlier this season Nick and I ran into one of them who looks like Napoleon Dynamite at the Starbucks across the street from our tailgate spot. This is the closest we have ever been seated to our cheer man in action!

2:22: After a quick defensive stop, USC scores the first touchdown of the game on a swing pass to Chauncey. It also marks the first time the crowd around us has sat down since the game started. USC looks real sharp so far which is what we have come to expect from a Pete Carroll coached team in a bowl game. USC: 7 ILL: 0

2:33: Isaiah “Juice” (the USC DL said they refused to call him Juice unless he earned it against them) Williams stares down his receiver and Maualuga makes an easy pick as he jumps the route.

2:36: First play after the pick is a lateral pass to some white guy, #14 (later find out is Garrett Green), who then throws it downfield to a wide open Desmond Reed. That was a huge trick play call coming off the turnover. USC: 14 ILL: 0

2:48: The Illinois fans erupt as Booty throws an interception. I think the receiver slipped coming across the middle because there is no way he didn’t see the DB on that play.

2:52: The Trojan red-zone defense is playing very stout. After the turnover they hold Illinois to a field goal attempt which is missed just short of 30 yards.

3:00: Making a beer run. Some idiot near the front of line proclaims they are out of beer and finds another stand. They were actually just changing the keg. I’m pretty sure they went through a couple kegs in this game even if they were selling $8 kids cups of Bud Light.

3:12: After USC punts inside the Illinois half (not very Pete-like but Illinois can’t move the ball) Maualuga makes consecutive plays on Juice forcing Illinois to punt again.

3:22: Very quick and almost methodical drive by USC after the ensuing punt. Drive ends with a Chauncey run up the middle for his 2nd touchdown. USC: 21 ILL: 0

3:38: Illinois is opening up the passing game near the end of the half. More yards on this drive then for the whole game thus far results in a field goal. Again the USC red-zone defense steps up to keep Illinios to a field goal. USC: 21 ILL: 3 Halftime

3:45: The GameDay tent pops up in the corner of the opposite end zone. Herbstreit, Corso, and Fowler are all on hand for this game. On the pregame show, Corso picks the winner of each game by putting on the mascot’s outfit. Corso dove under the table to put on his USC armor and helmet. Neither Kirk Herbstreit nor Chris Fowler could talk because everyone on-set was cracking up. The normally calm and collected Herbstreit just might be human as he couldn’t even get his words out.

4:08: Best tight end in this year’s draft, Fred Davis, is again tearing up the Illinois defense. Two big consecutive pass plays to Davis.

4:12: Turf appears to be a bit slippery. Another receiver falls as USC punts to the Illinois 11-yard line.

4:13: Two rows in front of us a guy in a #41 USC jersey has “The Hitman” on it. His neck is thicker than his head. TV timeouts have us on pace for almost a four hour game.

4:17: One play that has been working for Illinois works again for a huge play. Mendenhall runs up the gut off a shotgun option for a 79 yard touchdown. He just outran everyone on the Trojan defense. More importantly gets the Illini crowd back in this game.
USC: 21 ILL: 10

4:24: Illinois stops USC on their next possession and they are forced to punt. Really feels like a game right now as the momentum has shifted.

4:30: After a big pass play down field, USC comes up with a huge turnover. The USC linebacker uppercuts the ball loose from the Illinois receiver as he was eyeing the goaline. USC ball recovered in the end zone. This is the opportunistic Carroll defense that has come along the latter half of this season. Red zone defense comes up huge again. That would have made it a 21-17 game.

4:35: Joe McKnight is showing why he was so highly coveted coming out of high school. The lateral pass out of the back field is thrown behind him. It then hits the ground as he scoops it up and sprints for a huge gain.

4:41: Just plays later, Booty with a play-action pass to Fred Davis in the back of the end zone. The fumble recovery and the McKnight play changed this game in a hurry. USC: 28 ILL: 10

4:47: McKnight finishes off a 5 play, 68 yard drive, in only 1:21 after an easy pick from Cary Harris. The floodgates have opened. USC: 35 ILL: 10

4:58: USC is running the ball a lot now and wearing down the Illinois defensive front which has really played quite well up to this point. USC is just bigger and stronger.

5:04: Booty throws another touchdown pass. This time it is to Ausberry in the corner of the end zone. Booty has looked very sharp and prepared for this game. Now has the record for Rose Bowl touchdown passes with seven. USC: 42 ILL: 10

5:17: Quote from the guys behind us as he returns from the bathroom, obviously upset. “Real men need troughs,” in reference to our deceptively female restrooms.

5:36: Three straight runs for Hershel Dennis as he scores on 3rd and goal. Good for him as the crowd acknowledges the tough college career for the senior Dennis. Another unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for USC. USC: 49 ILL: 10

5:42: Touchdown for Illinois as the receiver receives a penalty for tossing the football into the seats where the USC band is sitting. USC: 49 ILL: 17

Carroll lets the game clock run out as USC drove down inside the Illinois 10 yard line. It is another Rose Bowl victory for the USC Trojans. The final score does look a bit deceiving as Illinois had a chance to cut the lead to four, midway through the 3rd quarter. Ultimately the Trojans showed they were the superior team and played the most complete game of the year.

Get Out of Your Basements: BCS Computers Compute Quite a Bit of Garbage

Scott Burrola — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:40:24 -0500

Get these computer ranking nerds out of their parents' basements. The computers and not the human voters year after year prove how ridiculous the BCS ratings and system are. This year it was impossible to determine one game with two deserving teams, so the BCS could not get it right, and did not get it right.

So based on their schedules and wins, it is pretty hard to argue against Florida and Oklahoma in the BCS Championship game. For the most part I don't have too many qualms about how the media has voted. What is a joke that the system that determines the top two teams in uses is part the poll voted on by coaches who could not possibly have the time to properly rank teams.

Take Tech’s Mike Leach—as a side note, he has a very good reason to be upset that Graham Harrell is not at least invited to the Heisman Ceremony—who voted his "can’t play a lick of defense" Red Raiders number two in the final coaches poll.

As well, a computer poll just two weeks ago had Division I-AA (or is it FBS/FCS garbage) James Madison at number 24, whose lone game against a Division I opponent was a blowout at the hands of the football factory Duke Blue Devils.

That sounds like a completely legitimate system where millions of dollars are at stake.

These are two of the more ridiculous examples just on the surface.

Kudos to Utah for going undefeated and getting some of that BCS money, although that’s not fair to Boise State, who also went undefeated and last time in a BCS bowl beat Adrian "I have the NFL’s single game rushing record" Peterson and the Sooners. You think they wouldn’t mind another shot at a major conference program?

Don’t tell them they don’t belong—they only beat everyone on their schedule, including a win at Autzen Stadium against the Ducks, which by the looks of it now would be a tough game for almost anyone in the country, although if your team wears Nike apparel there, Phil Knight agrees you will run faster!

At least the Big Ten can’t complain about the BCS. Oh wait, they have never needed to complain about the BCS. They have perfected the art of putting a crappy team into the BCS, especially the title game, minus the inaugural Buckeye championship team. Tempe, Arizona: Where pass interference on the thugs from the U happens.

Fast forward to 2008, and the Big Ten has two teams in. A healthy Beanie Wells and explosive Pryor should make this Buckeye team more competitive than in past bowl game appearances. Along with Penn State, they can help redeem the image of the Big Ten as an always slower and overmatched major conference when it comes to playing a big boy from out of conference.

Las Vegas is filled with gorgeous and ridiculous hotels because casinos make lots and lots of money. People go to Vegas, spend lots of money, gamble lots of money, and when they win, chances are a good portion of their winnings is spent right back into the Las Vegas economy. I would say they make sure they are on the right side of all things gambling, including sports.

It's no coincidence that according to Vegas there are clearly four college football teams and then everybody else if they were to put together the lines for the national championship or playoff. It is USC, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, and no one else.

Each of these teams would be a double-digit favorite over any other team, with many sources citing USC favored over Florida by less than a field goal in a “Las Vegas Spread” championship. Whether the Trojans have the offensive firepower to score with Oklahoma and Texas is debatable, but their defense would no doubt keep them in any game.

I would like the approach of asking McCoy, Tebow, and Bradford what team they would not want to play. I would be shocked when answered truthfully if the Trojans were not a clean sweep for that answer. Texas is just as qualified, and it’s really a shame we can’t see them play Florida or USC, or at the very least see these four teams play each other.

Good for Oregon, already exposing what Florida will in the BCS Championship, another Big 12 defense.