Bleacher Report - Articles by Doug Urschel

USC's Next Ten Games: "A Forecast In Brief"

Doug Urschel — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:55:28 -0400

I preface this forecast with a couple of facts and some common sense. I don't claim to be a wizard, but I do claim to have honed the skill of common sense to an art. I had to, because I wanted to stay alive. I'm in my sixties and I've been shot at by everything from a BB gun to a SAM (missile).

Common sense has kept me from getting hit, except once, with a knife in the back. I learned from that too.

Pete Carroll has a ton of college and NFL coaching experience. He prefers to hire coaching assistants with NFL experience. That's why I firmly wrote that it was impossible for Ohio State to beat USC.

I didn't care if there were 200,000 fans throwing batteries at the Trojans on the field. I didn't care if this or that Trojan had been replaced for the game.

Carroll has the highest percentage of wins of any active coach with more than five years on the job. He's now 90-15 at USC and frankly it would be stupid to bet against his teams. Remember, six of those losses were in his first year.

In my mind, Ohio State's coaches were not up to the game. The second factor was the Ohio State quarterback. The "hike me the ball and I'll run with it" will fail against good defensive players and a good defensive coach.

That's a look into how I look at things, so let's begin.

USC at Washington: The defensive coordinator and the offensive coordinator worked in the same positions on last year's USC team. Also, the QB coach from last year's USC team is at Washington.

Steve Sarkisian is last year's OC and new head coach, but he didn't design USC's offense. Pete Carroll did.

Nick Holt is the DC at Washington and was the DC for the Trojans last year.

The primary reason Holt left to Washington was to be "his own man." He didn't design USC's defense and didn't have much control over it either. Pete Carroll designed it and it was always been his "baby."

This will be a test of the above. After all , they should know more about what USC is doing than Pete Carroll, right?

USC will win by as many points as Pete Carroll wants to hang on his old buddy Sark.

USC vs Washington State: This is a slaughter from the get-go. The only way this isn't 60-0 is if Carroll doesn't want the coach to look as bad as he did last year. Everyone holding a ticket stub will play.

USC will win.

USC at CAL: Last season's score was 17-3 USC. CAL's great running back, Best was 13 carries for 30 yards. It was the first time that a Tedford coached CAL team had never scored a touchdown.

What has changed from last year? Each team has lost some players. CAL lost some of their best players. They replaced them with new players who may end up good. CAL gets few Blue Chip recruits, so it's hard to say how they will turn out.

USC lost some good and great players then replaced them with good and great players. These are all Blue Chip recruits or players waiting their time to play.

Pete Carroll also hired a new OC and DC, as well as a great defensive line coach.

The same offense that CAL faced last year is back. I have always said that USC has improved their defensive line. That remark is now cast in stone from Ohio State.

Best may face the fastest defensive line and linebackers he will ever see in college. I give any CAL receiver, backs included, my regards if they should make it to USC's defensive backs.

USC wins by a modest score. I refuse to believe in CAL. Tedford and CAL are brothers to Weis and Notre Dame. If you are their fans, they will break your hearts.

USC at Notre Dame: Much of the Notre Dame's perfect season is gone, isn't it? Didn't they actually lose the second game they played? There is nothing and I mean nothing that describes Notre Dame more than YOU Tube's "Real Men of Genius, Notre Dame."

If you watch that you will understand why I can't take too much stock in a Notre Dame team. They had two wins in a row and were laying their meat-hooks into the National Title. Even though the teams they played were girl volleyball teams given football uniforms, Charlie didn't care! We won, we won, we won and that was Jimmy screaming.

USC wins in a laugher. I will say that the Notre Dame QB will get hit, hit, hit, and hit again.

USC vs Oregon State: This will be a much different game. I have alluded to some of the reasons why USC's defense is better than last year's , but I must explain. Otherwise how would USC beat Oregon State?

The Beavers are well coached, by Mike Riley. He has college and NFL coaching experience, some as an assistant at USC. The trouble with Oregon State is that they have very few Blue Chip athletes. Therefore, Riley must coach a perfect game and a team like USC must be flat for it.

After beating Ohio State last year, USC waltzed into Beaver-land, wanted to watch the movie on the plane, have dinner, and return to Los Angeles. Oops! Wasn't there a game to be played?

USC stunk on ice for most of the game. This time it will be totally different. USC has nothing but defensive players who are fast, very fast, and they will not allow the lanes that allowed for the runs last year. These players are still playing for their positions in the most competitive of ways.

This USC defense is very deep, hungry and will not be caught flat.

USC wins by a comfortable margin.

Oregon: This will be a test and maybe the final difficult one. The "stadium and fan" noise factor was painted in the end zone of the Horseshoe. The Ducks can't come up with that many people in their state.

If the game was held right now, USC would win, hands-down. There's time for Oregon to get better. On the other hand, there's time for USC to get worse.

USC always seems to manage to lose to a team they should beat and this is it. USC may have a QB issue by the time they play Oregon. There is nothing that will screw with the minds of the coaches and players like a QB issue will.

The locker-room could be divided, as well as the coaching staff. Right now, there isn't any such issue. Everything is peachy dandy, but people are already on Pete Carroll to be "fair" and play Arron Corp against Washington.

The word is that Matt Barkley has a shoulder bruise from the Ohio State game. If he isn't perfect by Tuesday, some say that Arron Corp should start. They're saying, "Isn't that the way Corp lost his job in the first place, through an injury?"

If Corp starts against Washington, will Barkley be a starter again?

Oregon is that part of the season that just invites that sort of problem. However, it's also a time that the issue could have already been resolved.

USC will always have more talent and better coaching than their opponents, but that isn't all of the story.

I expect USC to win and they should win. It's going to be close.

USC at Arizona State: There is no way that ASU will beat the Trojans. Besides having an overrated coaching staff, they yearly overrate their players.

ASU will have a freshman linebacker that believes he is good, but wouldn't get playing-time at USC. Their QB is pedestrian at best. This will be a cake-walk.

USC will win as big as they wish to.

USC vs Stanford: This is an automatic Trojan win of pride, revenge, hate, vows, and promises made. There's a better chance of Kate Beckinsale handing me a glass of wine in the next 30 seconds than Stanford has of winning that game.

There's nothing more to it.

Thirty seconds have past and the Trojans will win the game, moderate to large.

USC vs UCLA: Rick Neuheisel just doesn't have enough talent on his team to threaten the Trojans. By this time, USC will be looking at a 12-1 or undefeated season.

UCLA will be road kill.

USC wins big.

USC vs Arizona: Judging by history, Arizona will put up a good fight, lose a couple of their players from hard hits and hang in there. In my opinion, Stoops (Arizona) is a better head coach than his brother, Stoops (Oklahoma).

Coach Stoops at Arizona does more with non Blue Chip Athletes and Bob Stoops does with his Blue Chip ones at Oklahoma. Stoops (Oklahoma) is losing the big games while his brother is winning them at Arizona.

I don't believe Arizona has a chance of beating USC in the Coliseum, but Stoops' teams rates watching, careful watching.

USC wins comfortably.

That is my very best forecast for the remainder of USC's regular season. There is something else. If USC, Texas, and Florida go undefeated, Florida will play Texas in the BCS Championship game. That's a matter of fact. You can either write it down, or the bank will accept it now.

The quality of coaching is so important because:

The best coaches make the best recruiters. They know without having a good team, the better players won't come to their team. Their recruiting is in their interest.

When the coaches have the better players, they can have confidence in their team to do what is needed. Pete Carroll went for a touchdown on fourth and goal. Ohio State did not.

Pete Carroll has a staff with the majority having NFL experience. Tressel didn't and he will handle this loss than would Pete Carroll.

Tressel assured his staff and players that they played hard and yadda, yadda...

While most of the Trojans were leaping from joy, there is one that I can guarantee you had a terrible trip back. The special teams coach came from the Raiders and he is not a happy man. Pete Carroll can approach his special team's coach as a professional, not just a friend.

Pete Carroll: Smart, Aggressive, Or Just Plain Lucky?

Doug Urschel — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:35:33 -0400

Napoleon (not the ice cream) Bonaparte was asked if he wanted his generals to be smart or aggressive. He replied with just one word, "lucky."

Think whatever you want about Pete Carroll, but his record with the Trojans is 88-15. That includes six losses his first season. He has the highest winning percentage of any active coach with five years experience.

There is some luck in play there.

There's something else about Pete Carroll that everyone who wants to criticize his decisions should consider.

Everything in Carroll's life is a contest. He'll make throwing a piece of paper into a trash can a contest.

It really doesn't matter what's behind door No. 2, because he's already figured out how to best use it in life.

I saw an article in the Los Angeles Times severely critical of his decision to start Barkley, but I know that Carroll laughs at such things.

Pete Carroll's motto is "Win Forever." Win Forever signs are posted all around the USC campus. Pete Carroll invented that motto, that phrase.

Does anyone really believe that Pete Carroll is going to do something that hurts his team's chance of winning?

Teams in the Big-12, Big-10, SEC and throughout the PAC-10 might have a yearly saying or verse. Win Forever is much more than that.

It is what Pete Carroll has become.

Pete Carroll knows that he might well be in the best moment of his life. He celebrates each second in an effort to have it last as long as he can.

This special moment comes, but once in a lifetime. He found that out. Carroll's moment is on and off the field. He has never experienced this before. He wants it to last forever, but it won't.

You may find Carroll touching the ground, a building or a fence. He wants to keep that moment, that place.

He's not going to do anything that will risk that moment. He's not done with his special time.

John Morton took over for Sarkisian as the offensive coordinator. This will be Morton's third year at USC. He had been with the Saints of the NFL.

Jeremy Bates took over as the quarterbacks' coach. He was at Denver in the NFL last year.

Carroll, Morton, and Bates came to the conclusion that Barkley should start.

USC will be just fine.

USC Coaches: The Smart Play Would Be To Start Matt Barkley

Doug Urschel — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:31:14 -0400

The photo I selected has not been tainted. The photo depicts Mark Sanchez and Matt Barkley shaking hands following a game.

Is it me, or does Barkley look about 20-pounds heavier and two inches taller than Sanchez? Sanchez is listed as taller and lighter than Barkley in most printed guides.

Sanchez and Barkley share an important quality about them. The quality is just about impossible to describe, until you see the results.

The "it" factor is the quality of which I speak.

The "it" factor is not taught, and you don't learn the quality from books. A person will have the quality or not.

Sanchez and Barkley have an abundance of that quality. They each ooze the quality from their skin. That is something that shouldn't be ignored by a coach.

That quality binds teams. The "it" factor allows a person to become the natural leader of the team. He becomes that special person who leads by example and personality.

Personality and a trait that cannot be adequately described is not all that describes Matt Barkley.

Matt Barkley started for four years at prestigious Mater Dei High School. Mater Dei has had a nationally respected football program for years.

The fact that Barkley started for four years should be praise enough, but he also became the first junior to be named the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year. He was also awarded as the Most Valuable Player of the Under Armour All-American Game.

His award list is long, to be sure. His future is endless.

Barkley enrolled at USC early so he could not only begin college studies, but also begin learning USC football.

Barkley attended Spring Camp and impressed coach Pete Carroll. Carroll called Barkley the fastest offensive learner he has ever had.

Barkley was moved into the second-team position, after a very close battle for first-team.

Barkley has a proven strong arm. It's hard to imagine another Trojan quarterback (QB) with such arm strength. His size is greater than the other QBs, making him less likely to get injured.

The selection of the starting QB may go beyond the playing field.

The other two QBs have had two full seasons ahead of Barkley. Each may elect to return for an additional year. If they do, Matt Barkley may not have the ability to start until 2011.

Somehow, I don't believe that's what Barkley signed on for.

USC already has a verbal commitment from a 2010 QB and who knows how many more are coming? Folks, there is some history here.

The USC QB position came open when Matt Leinart was drafted into the NFL. There was a decision to be made at QB and the the decision made was an unwise one.

There was a QB available, who had a few years in the USC system, but had little game-time. He didn't participate in Spring Training, due to an injury.

There was another QB on campus that was the High School Player of the Year. He completed Spring Training, but was directed to the bench for two years.

The other QB started, but didn't do as hoped. He broke his finger during one game and attempted to play through the injury. This poor decision led USC to a one point loss, which cost them an appearance in the BCS National Championship game.

The decision to continue with the hurt QB was credited as the reason USC lost the game. Pete Carroll later stated that he had made a bad decision.

There was another QB available during that game. His name is Mark Sanchez. It was felt Sanchez didn't have the experience.

Currently, the QB who has been named the starter from Spring Training has a broken bone in his leg. The coaching staff is hoping that this QB will be ready to practice the week of Aug. 24.

Does any of the above sound familiar?

The QB is about to have missed just shy of two weeks of fall practice. Hello! There is a top flight QB that is available now. Why is there a question about who should start?

When does "If you don't learn from history, you're doomed to repeat it" kick in?

I've often asked myself about how a player sitting on the bench feels, watching another in his position playing with arm cast.

What's the word I'm looking for to describe the above? Oh yes. It's called "disrespect of talent."

I'm looking at the 2009 USC season as follows:

- USC will have the advantage of a running game over any team they will play.

- USC is deeper in quality running backs than any team in the nation.

- USC will have the advantage in their wide receivers over any team they play.

- USC's offensive line is superior to any team they face.

- USC's defensive line will be as good or better than any they face.

- USC's defensive backfield clearly has the deepest and best defensive backfield in the nation.

- USC's linebackers will be faster and hit as hard, if not harder, than any team they will face.

So what's the problem? Why is anyone considering playing QBs with less playing time at USC than I have?

The only consideration should be given to the future. Matt Barkley is the future and the now of USC.

Barkley hasn't thrown for a touchdown at USC. Neither has the other QB who is being considered as a starter. However, the other QB has hardly seen the playing field for two years.

Does this sound familiar?

Start Barkley while all of the support players are there and seasoned. Don't begin a project of giving a backup QB a chance to play.

By not starting starting Barkley, you reduce the chance that the Trojans, as a team, will win a National Championship.

Pete Carroll's National Championships were won with Matt Leinart at the helm and not either QB projects. I might add that one of the projects decided to leave after a year.

His leaving left the entire Trojan team holding his luggage and waving good-bye.

Someone needs to get to coach Carroll and show him a schematic of his choices for QB.

Pete Carroll has chosen a path of making another QB a project, if he doesn't make Matt Barkley the starting QB.

Mark my words on that Trojan fans. I'm as proud as anyone of being able to grasp the obvious.

I have heard over and over about how long a player at USC has waited to play and "deserves a chance to play."

Then I recall a Clint Eastwood line in "Unforgiven." Clint looked down at the guy on the floor and said, "Deserves have nothin' to do with it."

2009 USC Trojans: The Year To Beat Them...or Not

Doug Urschel — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:48:06 -0400

What part of seven consecutive years of PAC-10 Titles, BCS Bowl appearances, 11 win seasons, and AP Top Four finishes don't you understand?

The above will be asked by many. The PAC-10 media voters thought so. They almost unanimously voted USC to win the PAC-10 again.

That's only part of the story.

For the rest of the story there is also seven consecutive years of battling to win the PAC-10 Title. There were many games that USC considered a victory, whatever the score, was good enough.

Do you want to hear more?

Even the best of Pete Carroll's teams had trouble with certain PAC-10 teams. Oregon State is not spoken of in Pete Carroll's home.

Oregon State has given USC their greatest trouble under Carroll. He knows it and it bothers him. Carroll believes that most every loss can be attributed to coaching.

Pete Carroll is a coach who awakes, lives, breathes, works and even sleeps while competing. Carroll brings that fringe insanity to the football field everyday. He wants to make his players greater than what anyone else considers best to be.

His approach to coaching is no different.

Mike Riley had been an assistant coach at USC, prior to the arrival of Pete Carroll. Riley is now the head coach of Oregon State.

In fact, Riley was offered the vacant head coaching position before Pete Carroll. Riley didn't want to be the head coach at USC.

When their teams play against each other there might be some animosity, maybe some envy present. I've heard both, but don't really believe it.

Mike Riley is a gentleman and student of the game of college football. I've heard his name mentioned as one of the best coaches in the nation.

The bottom line here is that both Carroll and Riley are part of the "Trojan family" and that's not going to change.

Every announcer I've ever heard has commented on the fact that the CAL Bears give USC their toughest games. The record sure doesn't show that, but maybe so.

Coach Jeff Tedford has been mentioned as one of the finest quarterback mentoring coaches in the nation. The NFL has had plenty of his quarterbacks get drafted, but only a few made it.

People all have an opinion about why great college players don't make good NFL players. Their opinions are like noses, everyone has one. I say, give it a name.

There are enough serious reasons to choke an elephant. How many great players refuse to sign contracts because of their agent ? Some don't like the team they're going to and just stop playing or thinking.

My favorite is that their newly formed posse, requires more money to be able to function to what is expected in the NFL. So I let Tedford off the hook on that one.

Tedford's Bears have beat Carroll's Trojans once. CAL won that game in triple overtime. I can think of only one other CAL game that even gave USC a problem.

Mike Bellotti had been the head coach of the Oregon Ducks. I could do a book on Coach Carroll and Mike Bellotti, but it's time to forgive and forget..., maybe.

The new coach of the Oregon Ducks is Chip Kelly. I don't know too much about what trouble he might cause the Trojans, but USC's 44-10 pounding of the Ducks last year should be a greater cause of concern to USC.

Oregon was said to have at least as good of a defensive backfield as USC. USC sliced and diced that group beyond recognition.

The Duck's running game was stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage. USC's final touchdown pass, by their third team quarterback, was thought to be unnecessary by Mike Bellotti.

Maybe it was Pete Carroll's way of saying good-bye and good luck to Coach Bellotti, but he didn't seem to take it that way.

Will this be a revenge game this year?

Rick Neuheisel is the head coach of UCLA. He's the person in the magazines and newspapers around Los Angels pointing. I've seen photos of him pointing in the air, to the ground, to his left and to his right. He just loves to point.

Coach Neuheisel, ET AL, have yet to make a point with anyone they play.

UCLA is still picking up pieces of Bruin uniforms that were shredded in last year's 59-0 defeat at BYU.

Maybe Rick Neuheisel is pointing out pieces of uniforms to pick up.

Mike Stoops is the head coach of the University of Arizona. He has returned respect to a team in a short amount of time. Coach Stoops recruits well and has built his team around defense. His teams should never be overlooked.

Jim Harbaugh is the head coach of Stanford. His one point victory over the Trojans guaranteed losses to USC until Carroll's cold, dead fingers are pried from the football program.

The aforementioned teams represent the hiccups that many have projected for the 2009 season.

The 2009 USC Trojans Schedule

- San Jose State: This is what it is. Nothing more to say. USC WINS!

- @ Ohio State: Pete Carroll's Trojans have never lost to a BIG-10 team. Why would it be now? USC WINS!

- @ Washington: This will be an interesting game, of sorts. Former USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian is the new head coach at Washington. USC WINS!

- Washington State: The head coach is Paul Wuiff. USC WINS!

- @ CAL Berkley: Just in the last few years, Tedford has had his famed running backs stuffed and his greatest of all time wide receiver's head almost ripped off. Only ESPN believes CAL will win. That's not enough for me. USC WINS!

- @ Notre Dame: See "real men of genius - Notre Dame fan." The end. USC Wins!

- @ Oregon: USC lost some players and Oregon lost some players. USC is much deeper in talent than Oregon. Playing at Oregon is tougher than player at Auburn? I don't think so. Besides, one of my sons just moved to Portland, Oregon and he'll be at the game intimidating the Duck fans. USC WINS!

- @ Arizona State: Did I hear something? USC WINS!

- Stanford: Someone is about to be taken to the woodshed to appease a crowd of 93,000 plus. Nothing but a total beat down will do. The Cardinal fans cheered once at the Coliseum and that was their last. USC WINS!

- UCLA: The Bruins don't even rate the distinction as USC's final regular season game. Rival, you talk'n rival? As a seasoned, no, middle-aged citizen, I can honestly say that UCLA is no longer a team that competes to win the PAC-10. It's become a team of players who didn't want to compete for a position at USC. USC WINS!

- Arizona: This will be USC's final season home game and the last to complete a perfect regular season. USC WINS!

All of what I've written is true. All of the aforementioned should happen. There is nothing to prevent it from happening.

Have you ever heard of Murphy's Law? How about hiccup, snake bit or beat themselves?

Whatever you wish to call it, the Trojans have had it the last few years. So much so, that their fans are about to turn into one of those health care town meeting mobs you've heard so much about.

I would like to turn on the news this year and not see USC students throwing their sandals at the statue of Tommy Trojan.

It may happen if the Trojans blow one of their games.

I know Pete Carroll's teams don't lose by over seven points and only a total of fifteen at that. I know Pete Carroll has the best staff and has recruited the best players in the nation.

That's the point! Am I missing something here?

I guess I don't want to be a part of the angry mob screaming, "What have you done for me lately," but I might. I'm too old for these unexplained blips to happen.

I don't know if they have a wide screen where I'm going.

I might have to wait until another Trojan fan joins me there and he'll tell me what happened. Is that anyway to spend eternity?

I might have my plate full where I'm going and I won't have any leisure time. If that's the case, they probably won't have any podcasts either.

In any event, that's my unbiased look at the 2009 USC season..., seriously,

College Football And USC: Is It Respect, Fear Or a Little Bit Of Both?

Doug Urschel — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:08:55 -0400

Can you believe this? Pete Carroll hasn't yet announced who will start the first game as the Trojans new QB, but one of them is already on the watch list for the Davey O'Brien Award.

At first you may be surprised and ask if this could be true. However, why not? In fact, its becoming expected for a Pete Carroll USC team.

Carson Palmer was Pete Carroll's first quarterback at USC.

Carson would be the first to say his first few years at USC were not very productive. Pete Carroll made that change the second he arrived at USC.

Pete Carroll took notice of all of the talent that USC had and immediately wondered why they had been losing during the previous decade. He knew he could make them better.

Carroll also knew he didn't want to fail. He had been fired from his last two jobs in the NFL and didn't want that to happen again.

Carroll had some time to think about what may have caused the two firings. He began a personal search for ways to succeed. He knew that if given the control of a program, he would succeed.

Mike Garrett was the Athletic Director at USC and he gave Pete Carroll the opportunity to succeed. Pete Carroll took that opportunity and ran with it.

USC went six and six in Pete Carroll's first season. The Trojans only lost one game by more than seven points and that was by 11.

Carson Palmer immediately saw the difference that Pete Carroll made at USC and decided to return for his last year.

Palmer's decision to return was a wise one. He was awarded the Heisman Trophy and a multi-million dollar NFL contract.

Matt Leinart followed Palmer as the quarterback for the Trojans. Matt had yet to throw a college touchdown pass. Many people looked at him and announced the end of Pete Carroll's short, yet successful run at USC.

The history is clear on Matt Leinart. He threw his first touchdown pass at Auburn. Auburn had been rated in the Top Ten when USC shut them out.

Leinart went on to become one of the most successful quarterbacks in college history. He was the Trojan quarterback through a 34-game winning streak.

Matt Leinart became the second Heisman winning quarterback in USC history.

Matt Cassell was the backup quarterback for Matt Leinart. Cassell never threw a touchdown pass at USC and never started a game.

Cassell was drafted into the NFL and is currently a starting quarterback. He has signed two multi-million dollar contracts with NFL teams.

Matt Cassell blows-up the "no plaques for second best" theory.

John David Booty followed Matt Leinart at quarterback for USC. He thought of himself as a college backup with three years of experience.

John David Booty went on to lead the Trojans to two more PAC-10 Titles and two consecutive Rose Bowl wins. Booty holds the record for the most touchdown passes thrown in the Rose Bowl.

A year later, the PAC-10 media were writing that it was the best time to beat USC for the PAC-10 Title. USC was weak at quarterback. USC had a "new guy."

The "new guy" was Mark Sanchez. Yea, "new guy" who would lead USC to another record setting Rose Bowl game, a continuation of record setting PAC-10 Titles and consecutive NCAA records.

Sanchez had another year of eligibility, but decided to go to the NFL. Sanchez was the New York Jets first pick and fifth pick overall. He signed for a 50 mil, five year contract.

Not bad for a one-year starter. He is set to be the Jet's starting quarterback this season.

The 2009 season is approaching and the media is going hysterical. The same questions are being zoomed from computer to computer, from one television screen to another.

The same old, tired sports news is being fed out of the sewer machines. The media shouts, "USC is going to lose at least four, maybe five games!"

Does anyone really believe that? There's a better chance of Bridgit Moynahan bringing me a beer in the next two minutes than USC suddenly turning bad.

Pete Carroll has had four starters at quarterback at USC. All four of them, plus a backup are currently in the NFL. Three of them are starting.

Pete Carroll has had three out of four years of Heisman winners. There were two years under Carroll, that multiple Trojans went to the Heisman Award final.

There is no coach in football with that record. None. Pete Carroll walks in very rare air.

Pete Carroll created the largest anti-gang Community Network that the City of Los Angeles has ever had. The project is called A Better LA.

Carroll drives into some of the toughest neighborhoods in Los Angeles to talk to gang members and non gang members alike. He does this late at night, with only a driver with him.

He not only started A Better LA, but he supports it with his time and money. Pete Carroll exemplifies what it means to not only talk the talk, but walk the walk.

Why would the Davey O'Brien organization place a USC quarterback, who is only challenging for the starting position on their watch list?

Is it possible that it's due to any of the things I have written in this article? Did they do it out of respect, fear, or a little bit of both?

The NFL and College Football Fans: Reality Comes Between Them

Doug Urschel — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 13:38:07 -0400

They might use the same face paint and might go to the same costume store. They set off the same metal detectors and eat their stadium's suspect food.

But, they live in parallel universes, neither knowing the other exists.

They experience the same lines to the restrooms and god-awful prices at the gate. They all go home with a headache, not knowing what they just ate.

They watch their teams song girls, though not the same age.

They all watch their teams play and that's where it all begins. That's when they separate and reality checks in.

In the year of our Lord, 2009, it is money that makes the world go around and nothing is more demonstrative of that than professional sports.

In college, it's school pride and shitz-boom-bang. In the NFL, it's can you play and the bling, bling, give me more bling.

College football awards more trophies to more people for doing the same thing than Carter has pills.

The various college "Coach of the Year" awards include those from George Munger, Paul "Bear" Bryant, AFCA, Walter Camp, Bobby Dodd and Home Depot. Everyone has an opinion, I guess. I hope every part of the nation has been covered by the awards.

The college players have a confusing set of standards to measure up to.

Is it really too much to ask for the Walter Camp Player of the Year be the same as the AP Player of the Year? Would it be a stretch to wonder why those two would be different than the Heisman winner? Doesn't the Heisman go to college football's best player?

The combinations of the numbers of different players winning different awards, for doing the same thing seems endless. It's almost like one award winning player asking a teammate, "What, you didn't get an award?"

Reality people, reality.

College football players hoping to carry their trophies into the NFL are shocked to discover that many were awarded their best of trophies by... agenda?

How is it possible that the very best football player in college can't even get a NFL team to look at him? I'm talking about taking his Heisman Trophy and going to a NFL team and telling them that he was the very best player in college.

Finding out that no NFL team even wants him on their practice squad is a shock. Don't you think? I'd call that a stiff fist of reality to the Heisman winner's chin.

The NFL only wants results. If you never before played football, but can do so at the NFL workout, they will pay you to play.

If you come to the NFL workout with a trailer full of trophies, but a one-second slower run, the NFL will show you the door.

The NFL doesn't care about who voted for whom while you were in college. The NFL doesn't care if you fed the hungry masses of the Sahara. They don't care if you smashed your face on a wall to get a bloody face for the camera.

The NFL just deals in reality.

The NFL fans don't care about your alleged pedigree or your name. They want to see you perform and win or get the heck out.

The NFL fans will normally be demonstrative of a bad review by showering you with D- size batteries, beer bottles, or in Philly, an occasional brick.

Reality will check-in or the player will get hit with it.

College fans will never understand why their player that they erected a statue for is not playing in the NFL. How wrong could the NFL be?

The question is, who should be asking that question...the NFL or college football? In our world, money talks and ...

The NCAA is organized to give as many colleges and communities the opportunity to experience a holiday season football game For doing this, the NCAA, colleges and the communities are rewarded in cash.

The NCAA, under very heavy pressure, allowed for the Bowl Championship Series to be created. The BCS was created to place the best two college teams in the final game of the season. The winner of that game would be awarded the BCS National Championship.

There's a slight hiccup to the BCS. The AP is also recognized as an entity that awards their own National Championship. If there is a split title, each team will be recognized as the National Champions.

Each will be received by the President of the United States as the National Champions of college football. Each team will be rewarded National Championship rings and trophies by the individual sponsors.

Both teams are considered as National Champions by television, media and historical references.

The BCS is responsible for the split title. At the end of the 2003 season, USC was voted by the two human voting blocks as the No One team in the nation. Those two human blocks were the AP and the Coaches' Polls.

However, the insanity, or maybe, the agenda based computer block ranked USC so low that USC went to the No. 3 position.

The AP removed itself from the BCS voting system and voted USC as National Champions. Some of the coaches, even though under contract to vote for the winner of the BCS game, refused to do so. Instead, they voted USC as National Champions.

There was further revolt. Disgusted with the BCS, USA Today warned the BCS that another such mockery of the Championship would cause their paper to permanently disassociate itself from the BCS.

The NFL would not have permitted the aforementioned to occur. In fact, the NFL doesn't even understand where the word series in BCS comes from. What series? The NFL knows that a playoff is involved in a series. Doesn't everyone know that?

The NFL Superbowl doesn't have a couple of teams that some "good old boys club" vote for. No, the NFL has a Championship that is decided on the field, not in a local bar or between relatives at a family dinner.

I can't even imagine a guy who screams "They are who we thought they were" to just sit still as a few coaches make a secret ballot for team rankings. How about if he found out that the Harris Poll of faceless voters made decisions about his team? Do you think he would stand for it?

The owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Yosemite Sam without a moustache, would take a couple of shotguns to a BCS meeting and say that he there to "tan some hide!"

That's the difference between the NFL and college fan.

$ Reality $.

The Sooners And the Buckeyes: Two Peas From the Same Pod

Doug Urschel — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:40:27 -0400

No two college teams mirror each other more than the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oklahoma Sooners.

Both used to be football powers. The operative word is used.

Jim Tressel has coached Ohio State for eight years. Bob Stoops has coached the Oklahoma Sooners for ten years.

Jim Tressel's Buckeyes won the National Championship in his second year at Ohio State. Bob Stoops' Sooners won the National Championship in his second year at Oklahoma.

Both football programs have become worse since winning their National Championships.

Jim Tressel has won four bowl games and lost four at Ohio State. Bob Stoops has won four bowl games and lost six at Oklahoma.

The Sooners and Buckeyes have lost their last three bowl games.

Tressel and Stoops are the only two coaches ever to lose two consecutive BCS Title Games.

The Ohio State Buckeyes and Oklahoma Sooners are the only two football programs to lose two consecutive BCS Title Games.

Neither team were much of a factor in the two BCS Title Games they lost.

Ohio State and Oklahoma continue to be listed near the top of the Coaches Poll in preseason rankings.

Insanity has been described as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. The coaches are not alone in the aforementioned insanity. Major sports magazines continue to rank both teams with blind obedience to their hopes and desires.

Apparently, facts, history and reality will never get between the experts and their personal desires.

Is it insanity or love?

Could there be something that would cause the people who keep placing teams in the National Championship Game to use facts, instead of fantasy? Is it possible that the voters don't take their responsibility to place the two best teams in the country in the BCS Championship Game?

Doesn't the BCS claim the above to be their primary role?—They talk the talk, but sure don't walk the walk.

Currently, the entire nation is looking at a repeat of last year's BCS Championship Game. Florida vs Oklahoma? Try to get the taste of that out of your mouth.

Is it much of a stretch to believe that the voters of the BCS have an Ohio State, Oklahoma and SEC love affair going? The BCS might start to consider that the viewing public would consider an Oklahoma appearance as a fix. Common sense doesn't even have to be applied.

Failure upon failure should hurt a football program. The operative word here is should.

This past season USC was completely written off by the BCS voters because of a loss in their third game. USC lost at Oregon State by six points in a mid-week night game.

Florida became No. One by losing a Saturday home game to OLE Miss by nine points.

What do you think? Does it make sense to disqualify USC from playing in the BCS National Championship Game after that six point loss?

USC had a defense second to none. Announcers repeatedly expressed how many USC players were going to be drafted into the NFL That spoke to the quality off players.

Maybe it was too much quality. Maybe that's why USC was kept below Texas and Oklahoma for the remainder of the year.

Why give the voters any credit for voting on merit. The voters had to be voting on agenda.

USC went on to defeat five bowl teams and win their seventh consecutive PAC-10 Championship. They also had their seventh consecutive 11 or more win season and seventh consecutive AP ranking of No. Four or higher.

All of these were either NCAA or PAC-10 records.

USC also won their fourth consecutive Rose Bowl win. This was a Rose Bowl record.

USC finished the 2008 season ranked No. Three in the AP Poll and No. Two in the Coaches' Poll.

I guess the voters only felt safe to call a spade a spade after the season was over.

The best that the BCS people can say is they didn't know who was good or bad. They might say they tried their best, but without a playoff the teams are selected subjectively.

The BCS people can't say that they had no idea how the Oklahoma and Ohio State teams would do. What about bowl losing streak is difficult for the BCS and coaches to understand?

The Sooners and Buckeyes have given us about a half of a decade of BCS Championship Game failures. Do the voters want to make it an even decade?

How about this. Have Oklahoma and Ohio State stand aside and allow more qualified teams to play in the "big game?"

The two of them can lose in any bowl game. Why make it the BCS Title Game?

The Wizard Of Oklahoma: Bob Stoops

Doug Urschel — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 23:55:41 -0400

The above photo says it all. Bob Stoops is looking up at the scoreboard during the 2004 BCS National Championship Game against USC. USC won the game 55-19 and Bob doesn't look too happy about it.

Oklahoma came into the game undefeated and considered a monster of a team.

The two announcers were talking before the game about how the Sooners had displayed total superiority over the teams they had played, while USC had "struggled" in many of their PAC-10 games.

An announcer actually said that USC quarterback Matt Leinart had no supporting players. However, he said the Sooners were superior to the Trojans in every position.

I like a good mystery. I enjoy a good "who done it" as well as anyone. As a kid, I recall being shocked to find out about the "man behind the curtain" in the Wizard of Oz.

I was shocked and a little embarrassed to find out that people can be deceived so easily. Is it any different with the Wizard of Oklahoma?

The USA Today Coaches' Poll just came out and Oklahoma was ranked at number three. Is that a misprint?

Bob Stoops' record at Oklahoma screams out that his teams fail in bowl games. When a Bob Stoops' Sooner team plays in a bowl game, bet on the other team.

I don't care how great a Bob Stoops' Sooner team appears in the regular season, they are a dumpster fire in a bowl game.

The 55-19 USC win over Oklahoma was just a typical example of Bob Stoops being the man behind the curtain when the BCS ranks teams.

Bob Stoops' Sooners have been in 10 bowl games and lost six. His teams have lost their last three bowl games. He's lost bowl games to BCS and non BCS conference schools.

The year 2003 was a particular embarrassment to Bob Stoops. The Sooners were again everyone's darling in the BCS computer system.

The computers had Oklahoma ranked so high they could have lost a game by a million points and remained number one. The BCS computers must have been behind the curtain, because the above theory was put to a test.

The BCS was a combination of the AP Poll, Coaches' Poll and the computers. The AP and Coaches had USC as the number one team. However, the computers had USC ranked so low that Oklahoma finished number one.

The story didn't end there. It got much worse for Bob Stoops.

The Sooners had yet to play their BIG-12 Championship game. On December 6th, Kansas State found Bob Stoops behind the curtain and destroyed the Sooners 35 -7.

The nickname "Big Game" was promptly removed from Bob Stoops name. He went on to lead his Sooners to a BCS Championship thrashing by LSU.

The coaches were under BCS contract to vote the winner of the BCS game as the National Champions. Some coaches refused to do so. That was a first in BCS history. Some said they wouldn't be involved in a fraud and voted for USC as National Champion.

The man behind the curtain made it worse.

The AP awarded USC the National Championship. USC received 48 votes and LSU received 17. The AP told the BCS that they were disgusted with the BCS operations and broke away.

USA Today advised the BCS that they would no longer have an association with the BCS system if anything like that happened again.

The man behind the curtain had struck again.

Last year was amazing. After having lost five out of his last six bowl games, Bob Stoops was back. Everyone from ESPN to Santa Clause thought Oklahoma was way too powerful for other college teams.

The BCS computers were heard whirling away behind the curtain and everything appeared fine. The trouble was, ESPN wasn't any better at picking a winner than Santa was. Bob Stoops remained the man behind the curtain and the season was sealed.

Why do the coaches insist on jamming Bob Stoops down the nation''s throats? Seriously, are that many coaches that dumb? They can't be.

USC wins too many games. They travel across the country to play any OOC team. Pete Carroll's Trojans have never lost to a SEC or BIG-10 team. They continually finish the season as the AP or the Coaches' number two team.

How do you stop a team like that? Simple. Take the Championship game away from them. Come up with an excuse not to place them into the game. Bruce Feldman did just that a couple of days ago.

Bruce Feldman works at ESPN. He made an incredibly inaccurate statement in an article. He wrote that people really wanted to see a USC-Florida game last year, but USC made it impossible.

Mr. Feldman wrote that USC had only beaten one ranked opponent and had lost to an in-conference team which wasn't ranked. He must have been listening to the man behind the curtain.

Mr. Feldman missed the fact that the final Coaches' Poll ranked Oregon number nine. USC beat them 44-10. They had Ohio State at No. 11. USC beat them 35-3. Mr. Feldman wasn't aware that CAL's final ranking was No. 25. USC beat them 17-3. That was the first game that a Tedford coached CAL team failed to score a touchdown.

However, Bruce was incorrect about USC's one loss. USC lost at Oregon State by six points. Oregon State finished the season ranked No. 19. USC went on to win the PAC-10 and destroy a highly ranked Penn State team.

Mr. Feldman would say that those were the final rankings. I don't care. It proves my point. In order to keep USC from winning the National Title year after year is to keep them out of the game.

Feldman and others keep saying that the PAC-10 is weak. Penn State, Miami, Oklahoma State, Pitt and BYU all lost to PAC-10 teams in bowl games last year. The PAC-10 went 5-0. They were the only undefeated conference.

I might add that the current "National Champions" haven't been west of the Mississippi River to play an OOC game for over 20 years. The current "National Champion's" continue to schedule FCS teams, but refuse to travel to play them.

Mr. Feldman not only overlooked the above when writing his article, but didn't mention the fact that the current "National Champions" lost a home game last season to Ol'e Miss by nine points.

Could there be two men behind the curtain? There are so many questions and no plausible answers.

Here we go again. The man, or men, behind the the curtain have arranged it so that there are two BIG-12 teams ahead of USC to open the season. USC must fight through those two before they even get a chance at Florida. Yes, Oklahoma is one of them.

Florida's FCS opponent this year is Southern Charleston or vice-versa. Again, they will play their FCS opponent in Florida. Why take a chance?

USC road games against ranked opponents include CAL, Oregon, Ohio State and Notre Dame. Ohio State and Notre Dame are actually out of USC's Zip Code. That's something not in the playbook of the current "National Champions."

Mr. Feldman wouldn't take something like that into consideration. The BCS computers wouldn't either.

I'm just wondering when the saying "fool me once, shame on you...etc.," comes into play. Is it possible that there is a Civil War taking place in the United States that us westerners aren't aware of?

In 2008, the man behind the curtain placed Alabama as the SEC king. He carried Alabama along at number one until losing to Florida. Then he placed Florida at the top and that was that.

The man behind the curtain insisted that the other BCS Championship game team be from the BIG-12 and no one questioned it. That is, no one with the power to change a thing.

The season ended with Alabama being stripped of their dignity by Utah. Excuses came in from every major sports information organization. The most popular was that Alabama just didn't want to play in the game. What?

If Alabama didn't want to play in the game then they should have said so and a worthy team would have replaced them. That excuse didn't approach the level of "the dog ate my homework."

Utah went undefeated and they were the masters of the mighty SEC Alabama. Alabama also plays FCS teams on a regular basis. Alabama also looses to some.

Oklahoma only made it into the BCS Championship by a coin toss and help from the man behind the curtain. It didn't matter. Oklahoma was proven to be a loser, again.

This is my suggestion for 2009. The BCS should eliminate the man behind the curtain from deciding on who gets to play in the final game. Is that too difficult?

Also, I'm not asking for the voters to look at the "big picture," but only look past their eye lashes.

It's pretty obvious that the voters rank some teams low to prevent their opponents from playing a "ranked" team. The results of the bowl games proved that the voters ranked poorly or listened to the man behind the curtain.

The voters then give their final rankings and pat each other on the back. However the damage is done. The "fake" BCS Championship game is about to be played and Bob Stoops is in it again.

Mr. Feldman, is that about how you see it? Maybe you can solve the puzzle and identify the man behind the curtain.

USC Wins Their First One In 2009: PAC-10 Media Day

Doug Urschel — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:17:48 -0400

Pete Carroll is the football coach of the University of Southern California and he is all smiles. Why not? The PAC-10 media picked USC to win the PAC-10.

This was the seventh consecutive year that USC was selected to win the Conference Championship. USC received 28 of 32 first-place votes.

Pete Carroll has only coached USC for eight seasons, yet he has the highest winning percentage of any active FBS coach with at least five years on the job. No, that's not all. In fact, it's far from it.

The losses of Pete Carroll's Trojans would make even the most confidant of coaches jealous. The few teams that managed to win against USC, did so by only a couple of points.

Pete Carroll began coaching USC in 2001. The Trojans lost six games. They lost by four, two, three, five, eleven and four points.

In 2002, USC lost a game by seven and one by three.

In 2003, USC lost one game by three points in triple overtime. USC shared the National Title when the AP awarded them their National Title. The BCS considers an AP National Championship a shared or split Title.

In 2004, USC didn't lose a game. USC won both the BCS and AP National Titles.

In 2005, USC lost the BCS game to Texas by three points. Texas scored on fourth down in the final twelve seconds.

In 2006, USC lost one game by two points and another by four.

In 2007, USC lost one game by one point and another by seven.

In 2008, USC lost one game by six points.

Even a casual observer can appreciate that just a few points would give Pete Carroll and his Trojans an even more unbelievable record.

Pete Carroll's Trojans have also had a winning streak of 34 games. The Trojans also set a NCAA record of 65 consecutive games of scoring 20 or more points.

This year, Pete Carroll is looking forward to seeing his Trojans extend their NCAA records to eight consecutive: BCS Bowl appearances, a final AP ranking of four or higher and eleven or more-win seasons.

Pete Carroll also wants to see his Trojans win or share their eighth consecutive PAC-10 Championship. This would be a continuation of their PAC-10 record of seven consecutive years.

Following the PAC-10 Media Day, reporters approached Carroll and asked him questions about an accusation against the USC football program. The accusation dealt with USC using a NFL consultant in violation of a NCAA rule.

Carroll denied that his use of a former NFL special teams coach violated any NCAA rules. Carroll stated that USC went through all of the proper channels and documented it. Carroll stated, "We did our homework before we used him."

This is accusation season at USC. Pete Carroll knows that unnamed sources make accuasations against the Trojans at three specific times of the year. The first is recruit Signing Day. The second time of the year is during fall practice. The third time of the year is during the first game.

I spent 30 years in law enforcement. There are certain things that a detective experiences which can relate to any investigation.

Detectives know that an unnamed source is usually the writer of the article. It has been my experience that the longer the investigation, the weaker it is. Apply those two things to anything you want.

I can guarantee you that Pete Carroll's smile causes other coaches to frown. Pete Carroll is pumped, excited and looking forward to seeing his team, and new coaches in action.

In many ways, Carroll will see more enthusiasm in the 2009 team than the one last year. There will be more competition in the air. The will be more slug-fests to get that extra inch of ground.

ESPN sends their reporters all around the nation to watch teams practice. All of them say the same thing. Without question, USC conducts their practices with more enthusiasm and intensity than any other team in college football.

While some see USC as having lost ten players to the NFL last year, Pete Carroll just watches the next group fight their way to the top. Don't get me wrong. When Pete Carroll saw his ten players go into the NFL, he was hurt. He was hurt for a New York second.

USC: The Best In The West and All Of The Rest

Doug Urschel — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:37:17 -0400

They're baaack! The University of Southern California football team will soon begin their 2009 fall practice. There will be much on the table for the 2009 team and the coaches, as well as the fans, will be looking forward to all of it.

USC is clearly the most successful football program in the history of college football.

There is no school that has a combination of national titles, Heisman Trophy winners, overall wins, All Americans, College Hall of Fame members, longevity and NCAA records in football.

Notre Dame and USC both have seven Heisman winners, but USC has all of their winners since 1965.

USC currently has the most NFL Hall of Fame (HOF) members. This is notable, since some of those years came when USC had NFL HOF players. However, the Heisman Trophy was awarded to someone who was not even drafted into the NFL.

This season, USC will be playing for it's eighth consecutive: BCS Bowl appearance, 11 or more win seasons, and fourth or higher ranking in the final AP Poll. The aforementioned will all be added to the NCAA records USC already has with seven consecutive seasons.

USC will also be seeking it's eighth consecutive win or share of the PAC-10 Championship. This is also an ongoing PAC-10 record for USC.

Those that believe that USC can't continue with their winning ways should take a deep breath and look at Pete Carroll's record at USC. His record speaks for itself and it's loud, and clear.

Coach Carroll recruits like no other coach in the nation. He can go into the state of Louisiana and recruit their most outstanding player. He recruits him when USC already has four Five-Star running backs in his position.

Pete Carroll is able to do that each year, across the nation, and he makes it work.

Coach Carroll's method of recruiting allows USC to lose players to the NFL, but then have NFL caliber players replace them. Many thought that losing Carson Palmer would slow USC. It Didn't

Matt Leinart followed Palmer and so did a 34 game winning streak. People really believed that USC would begin a slide after Matt Leinart went into the NFL. John David Booty replaced Leinart and the winning continued.

John David Booty was drafted into the NFL by the Vikings and the rumors began. Some still believed that USC would begin to slide. Mark Sanchez proved them wrong.

Mark Sanchez was drafted into the NFL and now it's time for magazine writers, TV reporters, etc., to begin their stories of how USC will now begin to lose games. Who really believes that?

There are many at USC who believe that the Trojans have improved over last year. Some of these people should be paid attention to. Pete Carroll and Ken Norton, Jr. believe it.

The coaching staff has improved. There are three well known and well respected NFL coaches that are new to the Trojan staff. This will continue Pete Carroll's style of NFL coaching techniques. These techniques have been very helpful to Trojans wanting to go into the NFL.

USC needs that NFL edge to keep everyone alert and competing at their highest possible level. Players at USC know that their second and third team players have been drafted into the NFL.

The single thing that USC must fight is complacency. If given the chance, I would sit the players and coaches down and say, "I've seen the enemy and it is us."

It may have appeared that I was in some type of delusion glue, but not so. There is absolutely no reason for a Pete Carroll USC team to lose a game.

Just look at his record and the team accomplishments under his guidance. How could Stanford beat them by a point? How about UCLA defeating them 13-9? How about Oregon State by six points, last year? Oregon State? Losing with that talent is inexcusable.

I've seen the 2009 team. I've seen some of the recruits who have reported, but it is obvious that talent will not be a problem this year. Experience won't be a problem. USC has the ability to place an outstanding player at each position and make it three to five deep at some.

I remember watching John McKay stock players like Mike Garrett and Sam Cunningham. Pete Carroll has taken a few pages out of McKay's book and may have written a few of his own.

I certainly hope that 2009 is the year that the players are issued alarm clocks.

THE 2009 HEISMAN TROPHY: The Fix Is In

Doug Urschel — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:35:04 -0400

In 1935, the Heisman Trophy was created by New York City's Downtown Athletic Club. The award was first known as the DAC Trophy and it was awarded to the "best college football player east of the Mississippi River."

The club's athletic director, John Heisman, died in 1936 and the Trophy was renamed in his honor. Other than the name, not much has changed.

The Heisman people decided to include schools "west of the Mississippi" when shown proof that the United States, did, in fact, control those lands.

The Heisman Committee even decided to divide the newly discovered lands into six regions. These are the North East, Mid Atlantic, Mid West, South, South West, and Far West regions.

The Heisman folks even selected six regional representatives to appoint voters in their states. Each region has 145 media votes. What their names are is anyone's guess.

Just a minute. Did anyone give maps of the new lands to the Heisman people? I guess not.

The last person able to include Ohio and west in the same sentence, without laughing, was John Adams. Are you kidding me?

You don't have to be Daniel Boone to understand it takes at least three days to drive to Ohio from Los Angeles, but only a half a day from Ohio to Atlantic City. Where does Mid West come from?

It may be time to upgrade school geography books.

Let's put the myth of geographical fairness to rest right now. Where is the term Mid Pacific? How about the American Mid East? Don't people understand that California has a North West, Mid Pacific, South West and South? Did the Heisman folks not think of the term Far East? What, did they think it had already been taken and therefore couldn't be used?

Apparently, the Heisman folks didn't get the map of the New World. Other than USC, the Heisman has only made it west of the Pecos five times since 1935. OK, I understand that it was created to make it an "east of the Mississippi River," award, but really.

If the aforementioned was all that was dubious about the Heisman, I wouldn't be taking my fourth and fifth Excedrin. There are questions that neither John Adams, nor John Heisman can answer about this award.

"Best college football player" has absolutely nothing to do with the Heisman Trophy. That's as false as a courtroom in the United States claiming it's there to "find the truth of the matter in question."

I'm old enough, experienced enough, and have enough common sense to know that neither of the above are the primary goals of the entities involved.

In the courtroom, it's a game between the defense, and the prosecutor, with the judge as the ref. The jury is a Harris Poll. That should keep some people from breaking the law.

The Heisman is a running back or quarterback's trophy. Tell me I'm wrong.

No lineman has ever won the Heisman. There have been two ends (1936 and 1949) to win the Heisman. There were two wide receivers (1987 and 1991) who won the award. The lone defensive back won the award in 1997.

There have been 42 running backs and 27 quarterbacks who have won the Heisman Trophy. Since 2000, eight quarterbacks and one running back have won the Heisman. I believe that's referred to as a modern day trend.

The three Heisman finalists last year were Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy and winner, Sam Bradford. All three are quarterbacks. All three return this season. Tim Tebow won a Heisman Trophy two years ago.

McCoy is the only one of the three without a Heisman Trophy. What do you think?

The vast and I do mean vast majority of voters are from Texas and east. East. You know, as in east toward the Mid West? What? Where's my Excedrin?

CA>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>TX>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Ohio>>>>>>NJ

Is Ohio really Mid West? Really? I'm not asking for Lewis and Clark to be on the Heisman committee, but just look at a map.

There's something else that's seldom discussed. Most people in California come from somewhere else. People in the east move to California for various reasons. Few people are actually born, raised and die in California.

The reason Los Angeles doesn't have a NFL team is that the people don't support the idea. Most of the citizens already have a favorite team and they're from outside of California.

The same can be said of any other sporting team. There are thousands, upon thousands of fans of the SEC, BIG-12, BIG-10 and other college conferences.

To say that any school in the Far, Far, Wild West has a voting block would be incorrect.

So, do you think the top of the Heisman Finalist List will be McCoy, Tebow and Bradford? Considering there's only 2,670 possible selections in the FBS, who else would it be?

For USC Trojans, Nothing Less Than Perfection Is Acceptable

Doug Urschel — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:22:16 -0400

There is no other team in college football that expects perfection more than the University of Southern California Trojans. All of the coaches expect perfection, they don't demand it. If a player does not perform as expected, he is replaced. It's that simple.

The USC players compete for playing time, in the classroom and on the field. If a player misses a class, it is reflected in his status on the team. Coach Pete Carroll is often heard saying, "team first." The quickest way into Carroll's doghouse is to violate that rule.

Coach Carroll cannot stand turnovers, unless it's USC getting the ball. USC rarely turns the ball over to the other team, but there are consequences when a player does. When you see a running back fumble, watch him walk to the bench, remove his helmet, and look like he is done for the game. Most likely, he is.

Carroll has been as successful as any coach in the nation in recruiting. He has been able to put together a depth chart that is unmatched by any other team. Carroll will not recruit a player who is concerned about a depth chart.

Carroll reminds everyone around him that his entire thought process surrounds a belief in competition. He wants players who want to compete each second they are involved in football. A player who asks about depth charts is not that interested in competing.

Carroll's teams continue raising NCAA records involving BCS bowls, number of consecutive 11-or-more-win seasons, and AP records for consecutive rankings of No. 4 or higher. USC also continues in its PAC-10 records.

None of the above will mean a thing if USC loses a game by a single point. The more that USC accomplishes, the more that people expect.

USC's opponents in 2009

San Jose State
@ Ohio State
@ Washington
Washington State
@ California
@ Notre Dame
Oregon State
@ Oregon
@ Arizona State
Stanford
UCLA
Arizona

I don't see any FCS schools in the schedule. However, I do see teams that have preseason rankings. USC will play most of the preseason ranked teams on the road.

There is a fact that some might want to argue about, but it's still a fact. As far as the BCS, Harris, and computer polls are concerned, USC winning at Ohio State will mean no more than Florida winning against Charleston Southern, a FCS school.

Now what's wrong with this picture?

Mike Tyson and the Day That Boxing Died

Doug Urschel — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 23:09:19 -0400

Today, professional boxing just isn't what it used to be. Although that sounds great to some, it's terrible to many.

People who follow boxing know that as the Heavyweight Division goes, so goes all of boxing. There are no Heavyweight boxers out there who appeal to the boxing masses. If you are a boxing fan and you want to find a villain, look no further than your bathroom mirror.

Don't feel bad. You're an accomplice to the killing of boxing, not the one who pulled the trigger. That responsibility goes to Cus D'Amato, an old man who felt he had the right to die.

His death began a sequence of events which led Mike Tyson from holding the Gold Medal in the 1982 Junior Olympics to serving a sentence for rape in an Indiana prison. Between the aforementioned events, Mike Tyson became the youngest Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Tyson was born in Brooklyn, New York. His father deserted the family when Tyson was two years old and his mother died when he was 16. Mike had been arrested 38 times by the age of 13. Most of those arrests were for petty crimes. He also fought those who made fun of his high-pitched voice.

Mike found himself in the Tyron School for Boys, where no one made fun of his voice. He also met Bobby Stewart at the detention center. Bobby was a detention counselor, former boxer and a man who knew obvious boxing talent.

Bobby introduced Tyson to Cus D'Amato, who later removed Tyson from the detention center and became Tyson's de-facto father. D'Amato knew who and what Tyson was. D'Amato often said that Tyson, without a mother or father, became a troubled kid, lived in a tough Brooklyn neighborhood and had made mistakes.

D'Amato and trainer, Kevin Rooney, introduced Tyson to the profession of boxing. Tyson loved it and D'Amato loved Tyson. The two of them became very close. D'Amato was just not a manager to Tyson, but the parents he never had. More than once, Tyson said he fought a specific fight for D'Amato.

Tyson competed in the 1982 Junior Olympic Games and won the Gold Medal. Tyson's knockout of a foe in eight seconds remains an Olympic record.

Tyson's first professional fight was on March 6, 1985, when he defeated his foe in the first round by a knockout. He won 26 of his first 28 fights by knockout—16 in the first round! Suddenly, Tyson was known as "Iron Mike."

Cus D'Amato died on November 4, 1985—the day boxing died. Enter Don King.

King is a boxing promoter, bookie, gambler, ex-felon and murderer. His infamous saying of "only in America" rang profoundly true when Tyson, following the death of D'Amato, signed a contract with King.

King has killed two men in separate incidents, 13 years apart. He killed his first man by shooting him in the back. It was determined to be "justifiable homicide." The people in charge said that King shot the man when he was attempting to rob one of King's gambling houses. What? Like King says, "only in America."

The police said that the second killing involved King "stomping to death" one of his employees. King told the court that the man owed him $600. The first police officer on the scene testified that it was "a very brutal, almost demonic assault." King was found guilty of second degree murder and was released less than four years later. Like King says, "only in America."

King got his meat-hooks into Tyson and it was only a matter of time. Tyson should have felt the dirt being shoveled on his face when he signed a contract with King.

Mike's longtime trainer, Kevin Rooney, was fired. Tyson loses a fight to a 42-1 underdog and met a beauty queen at a hotel. Tyson was accused of rape, arrested and convicted in a "hired" court.

The prosecutor was not an employee of the county where the trial was held. The county hired an attorney as a "special prosecutor." Now let the farce begin.

The female judge would not let favorable evidence toward Tyson to be heard by the jury. Evidence like the female, in question, inserting a birth control device in Tyson's bathroom, even though she testified that she had no idea that Tyson would ask for sex. The judge also wouldn't allow witnesses who would testify that the female, in question, told them that she was going to have sex with Tyson later that night.

The jury, with limited evidence presented it, found Tyson guilty. Tyson served three years in prison. He converted to Islam in prison. He came out a changed man. He didn't come out as, "Iron Mike Tyson, the Baddest Man on the Planet," but as Malik Abdul Aziz. Whatever.

"Aziz" abused alcoholic beverages, dangerous drugs, narcotics and the tattoo parlor. He also didn't display much common sense on where he placed his tattoos.

Once knowledgeable about boxing and his opponents, he began to threaten to eat their children, even though they had none.The referees didn't even take him seriously. When it was obvious that Evander Holyfield was head butting him, the ref ignored it. Even after Tyson made repeated complaints to the ref, he was ignored. Tyson finally took the foul into his own mouth by chomping one of Evander's ears off.

Tyson, err, "Aziz", was the last of the Heavyweight boxers who has captivated the world. The first twenty rows of a Tyson fight was nothing but celebrities. People would pack the Tyson fights and watch on Pay-TV, even though a Tyson fight would, most likely, end in the first round.

Currently, boxing consists of little guys running around the ring, tapping at each other. The heavyweights change by the day. Few people know their names and even more couldn't care less.

It's often said that a man's demise is "wine, women, and song."

Tyson's wine was his abuse of alcoholic beverages and narcotics. is history of dating the wrong woman, a turbulent marriage and a night at a hotel was his woman. The hiring of King and Tyson's inability to say the right things at the right time was his song.

That was strike three for Tyson and the passing of an era for us.

AND I DROVE MY CHEVY TO THE LEVEE, BUT THE LEVEE WAS DRY...

The BCS Champion Is The Champion Of Nothing

Doug Urschel — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:57:02 -0400

The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was created to select a National Champion in College Division IA (now FBS) football. It has failed, and failed in a terrible way.

Now that the BCS is in place, it is unlikely there will ever be the changes made which would give it the least bit of validity. The BCS, by lack of thought or planning, left the control of the teams to the presidents of the schools. The schools will never give up that control.

The BCS first planned to make a fair selection of the top two teams to play for the National Title. Were the BCS planners naive or just lacking judgement?

The BCS is comprised of 120 FBS schools which are assigned to numerous conferences. All of these conferences have different rules which affect how their teams play. The lodging, transportation, and recruiting rules are different in each of the various conferences.

The schedules of the schools are not controlled by the BCS. Therefore, all of the 120 teams play different teams under different conditions. Some of the teams play most of their games in their section of the country. Some teams play small, lower division schools, who are not even eligible to compete in the BCS. Other schools play only BCS eligible teams. The BCS doesn't care.

Some of the 120 schools play in non-BCS conferences. The BCS gives a limited number of those schools access to the BCS bowls, depending on their ranking. It is interesting that a non-BCS conference school humiliated their opponent in a rare BCS bowl game last season. The BCS ranking system had Alabama ranked as their top team for most of last season, and Utah demolished them in their bowl game.

The first system that the BCS attempted was to use a combination of the Coaches' Poll, the AP Poll and a random set of privately operated computers. This system ultimately failed when it became obvious to the AP that the "random computers" didn't work under any guidelines and most of the operators knew nothing about sports.

The AP pulled out of the BCS selection and started selecting their own champion. The BCS decided to find a bunch of people, some knowledgeable and some not knowledgeable about the game of football. They became the Harris Poll.

The voters in the Harris Poll rank the teams by, well, I guess no one knows how they actually do it. The Coaches' Poll decided this past year not to allow their votes to be known to anyone. That might be because one SEC head coach votes for people he knows from high school. He said he did it out of respect. Oh, I get it.

The last of the "three-prong" attack on common sense are a bunch of guys sitting around computers, just "doing things their way." The BCS doesn't control how they operate their computers. The saying goes, "garbage in, garbage out."

Common sense will lead you to a simple fact. If, in fact, the computers are accurate, there should be no need to have more than one. That one computer should be at the BCS "center of technology," or something. No way, no how should a half dozen or so computers decide on who is going to play for the National Championship.

In summary, consider the following:

- The BCS does not control how the game is played, when it is played, or how long it takes to select a champion. The school presidents do.

- The NCAA doesn't care to work with the BCS.

- The BCS people do not control the system they have in place. The voting coaches, by contract, must vote for the winner of the BCS title game. There have been years that the coaches have refused to do so. Utah received votes last year and USC received votes, including from SEC coaches when a SEC team won the game.

- The coaches have now made their vote secret. Now why would that be?

- The computer people don't work from a set of instructions on how information and what information is fed into their computers.

- The BCS selects people to be in the Harris Poll who have no experience in sports, but do have experience in making friends.

The NFL has a championship based on their teams playing in controlled schedules. All of their games mean something, because they cannot play a lower division team. All of the NFL conferences work from the same rule book. None of this takes place in the BCS.

I'm a man of common sense. I had to develop my common sense over decades of experiencing the bumps, bruises, cuts, broken bones, various projectiles to the body, and a knife to the back. In other words, I've learned to pay attention. Therefore, I know that it is only right to offer a recommendation after making a complaint.

Scrap the BCS. Tear it down. Throw the people and papers out. Sell the furniture and buildings. Cancel the phone service. Don't hand out severance pay, because none of the employees earned a darn thing. Do the same thing to the Harris and computer people.

Next, return to the AP and Coaches' Polls. They are as close to anyone you would call an expert on college football. Let them crown their own National Champion.

The school presidents, bowl committees, and associated communities will love it.

Currently, there is no "Bowl Championship Series." There are just two teams selected by the most faulty method known to man. Just two teams out of 120. The winner of that game is a "champion" of nothing.

The BCS Can't Seem to Get Rid of Its East Coast Bias

Doug Urschel — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:47:09 -0400

Why hasn't the BCS selection process improved over the years? The BCS keeps giving teams who continue to lose more chances. Why?

Why did the BCS allow a team like Oklahoma another chance to prove that they are terrible in bowl games? Did you know that their performance in the last BCS Championship caused the coaches to drop them to number five? The AP dropped them to number five as well.

The coaches voted USC from No. 5 to No. 2 in their final poll. Wouldn't it have been nice to have had two legitimate teams playing for the National Title? Why was it impossible for USC to get any higher than five until the final game?

On the final coaches poll, Penn State was eighth, Oregon was ninth and Ohio State was 11th. USC played and utterly destroyed all three. They weren't close games—they were absolute blowouts.

I also noticed that the Pac-10 finished their bowl season as the number one conference. They won all of their five games. California beat Miami 24-17, Arizona beat BYU 31-21, and Oregon State beat Pitt 3-0. Oregon beat Oklahoma State 42-31 and USC beat Penn State 38-24. USC was ahead 31-7 late in the third quarter.

Yet many kept saying that the Pac-10 was "weak." I guess voters need to say that to keep west coast teams away from some of their favorite programs. That's really too bad for college football fans.

In the last two years, 22 USC players went into the NFL. Some will be starting on NFL teams this fall. A scout from the NFL Colts told Pete Carroll that he had never before seen so many quality players on one college team. He was speaking about the 2008 Trojan team.

Wouldn't it have been nice to have had coaches sharp enough to have not allowed a perennial losing bowl team to play against Florida this past year? Wouldn't it have been great to see what Florida could have done against a team the has their first team move onto the NFL on a yearly basis?

Wouldn't it have been great for these coaches to have voted correctly in the first place? It would really be great if the Harris Poll would have done their jobs and not dismissed all west coast teams.

The first thing that needs to be done is review the members of the Harris Poll. Who are they and what are their qualifications? Where did they go to school and where do they live? It's a known fact that most of the human votes come from the Midwest and east. Is there an east coast bias? Well, yes.

The BCS selection process gave us two consecutive years of an inferior Ohio State team. USC put a dagger in their heart before it became a third year. Then a tired, old, "great" Oklahoma team is forced on us and it's not a good game.

This year, the BCS and ESPN influence will have Oklahoma start near the top. The BCS process will destroy itself and none too soon

Pete Carroll: A Hard Guy To Hate

Doug Urschel — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 13:17:33 -0400

Peter Clay Carroll is regarded as a gift to college football. Many who follow the game know Pete Carroll as the head coach of the University of Southern California. Outside of the sport, he is known as someone totally different.

Pete Carroll is in his ninth year as the coach of USC and his accomplishments are unparalleled. Here is a summary of his program highlights:

- Two BCS Championship Game appearances.

- Two national championships, including the AP 2003 and the undisputed in 2004.

- Seven consecutive AP Top Four finishes.

- A record seven consecutive, BCS bowl appearances.

- A national record 33 consecutive weeks as AP's no. 1-ranked team.

- A NCAA record of 63 straight 20-point (or higher) games.

- Seven consecutive years as PAC 10's Champion or Co-Champion.

- A record six BCS bowl victories.

- Only team in history to win three consecutive Rose Bowl Games.

- In 2007, USC became the first NCAA Football team to achieve six consecutive 11-win seasons. In 2008, USC added an unprecedented seventh consecutive 11-win season.

- Under Pete Carroll, USC is 28-0 in the month of November.

- Three Heisman Trophy winners in four years.

The above is only a portion of what Pete Carroll has accomplished as a coach. I find what he has done as a citizen no less remarkable.

Pete Carroll was not the type of man who would sit in front of his television set and watch the gang problems on the news. It just wasn't in his nature.

Pete Carroll had what is referred to as "street cred." In other words, he not only "talked the talk, he walked the walk." Pete saw the problem and created, what is now known in California, as A BETTER LA.

A BETTER LA is an organization which brings Inner-City citizens, troubled youth and law enforcement together in a way never seen before. The Los Angeles County Sheriff and the City's Chief of Police have congratulated Pete Carroll on making gang members into former gang members.

Nightly, Pete Carroll meets with dozens of gang members. He meets them on their turf late at night. He has gained the respect of gang members and law enforcement alike.

I worked the gang detail on the Los Angeles Police Department. I've been to the same places Pete Carroll visits. The difference is, I had two handguns, one hundred rounds of ammunition, a shotgun, a police radio and a partner who had everything I had.

The main difference between us and Pete Carroll was that we were there to enforce, while he was there to help. Looking back, it becomes clear. We got respect out of fear. Pete Carroll gets respect out of love.

Pete Carroll is one of the most requested speakers in California. He's philosophies of COMPETE TO SUCCEED and WIN FOREVER have caused him to be requested to speak to many groups who are far from the football field.

Recently Pete Carroll gave the keynote address to more than 600 members of the Orange County Business Council. This is especially impressive, since past speakers were President Ronald Reagan, Steve Forbes and numerous politicians.

Pete Carroll not only speaks to the business world, but also to gatherings of university professors. Then, Pete really went national. In fact, what he said factors into world events.

The Pentagon asked for Carroll's help in their training. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Joint Forces Command recently had a three-day conference. High ranking members of the military joined top civilian Pentagon acdemicians to improve and maintain military success.

Pete Carroll's participation in the conference was a first. Never before had a sports figure been invited to, let alone been given the task of teaching and speaking at such an event. Afterwards, Pete was praised by the leaders of the conference and the attendees as well.

"The recommendations will be taken to the military committees and to Congress. They will be on Barack Obama's desk before you know it," said the Harrison, the conference consultant. Harrison went on to say, "Pete is the nuclear power behind this."

Pete is truly a guy who is hard to hate.

USC and the NCAA: The Investigation

Doug Urschel — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:53:42 -0400

Today, the University of Southern California awaits for the next convicted felon to be released from prison. USC's Athletic Department knows that there are many reporters who are waiting for the next criminal to step forward and make an accusation, however ridiculous, against an athlete or a coach.

The question that is sharing the space in the small room, like an elephant should haunt the aforementioned reporters, but they choose to ignore it. Like they have done with the elephant, the reporters have chosen to ignore facts while the NCAA has gone years without making any decision with the investigation of USC.

Why would the NCAA believe the accusers of USC wrongdoing when all of them are, in fact, convicted felons? Why would two reporters wait until one accuser is released from prison before writing a book, based on that convicted felon's word?

Why should the NCAA believe that USC's basketball coach gave $1,000.00 to a man with a criminal history, when the accuser (a convicted felon) is currently under Federal investigation for fraud?

In fact, this criminal told the NCAA that he didn't even witness any exchange of money and no one told him that the USC coach had done it. Does any of this lead you to believe that there could be a reason why the NCAA has been taking years to conclude that anything has taken place?

I retired from the Los Angeles Police Department as a Detective Supervisor. I understand that people can make a mistake, go to prison, serve their time, be released, and continue their lives. I also know that convicted felons lose some of their Constitutional rights as U.S. citizens.

For instance, a convicted felon loses his right to vote. He also loses his right to serve in the U.S. military or work in a job which requires a background check. The most important thing to remember is this. No one should take a convicted felon at his word. The convicted felon needs proof that what he says is true. That is what the NCAA has been waiting for and not been able to find themselves.

Reporters want people from USC to give interviews concerning any and all accusations made against the school. The simple fact is that if they gave 10,000 interviews, 20,000 more would be requested. Where would it end?