NCAA Rearview: A Beaver Shot

Jabber HeadNov 17, 2008

Weeks ago, it was laughable. No. 1 USC lost to an unranked and struggling Oregon State team. Now we fast forward to the present, and those same Beavers have reeled off 5 straight victories, and have the inside track to the Rose Bowl.

Mike Riley is known for strong finishes, and his 21st ranked Beavers are two victories away from the Pac-10 crown. Remarkably, this achievement comes to a team that lost their entire defensive front seven a year ago.

But what does it all mean for the Trojans? Unlike the past two seasons, this early trip-up may be more costly than first imagined. Their hopes now rest on Arizona and Oregon to derail the Rose Bowl bound Beavers.

But then again, is it really an awful thing for USC not to see roses? Maybe it would be more beneficial to appear in another BCS bowl game as an at-large. That was the scenario in 2002, when Washington State represented the Pac-10 in the Rose Bowl, and USC was selected as an at-large by the Orange Bowl committee.

With the way the Big 10 is shaping up, the Rose Bowl may potentially be a rematch of early season blowouts. The results in coming weeks could set the stage for another Ohio State/USC or Penn State/Oregon State match up in Pasadena. Does America really want a repeat of those games?

RUN UP THE F*#*ING SCORE!

I’m hoping all the advocates for sportsmanship learned something in Saturday’s game between Navy and Notre Dame. The Irish led the Midshipmen 27-7 with 8 minutes to play in the 4th. It’s about the time we saw Clausen leave the game and Notre Dame make other substitutions.

Navy refused to surrender, and embarked on a comeback that fell a hair short, losing 27-21. The way I see it, it’s better to be criticized on Sunday for running up the score on an opponent, than to be a great sportsman on the losing end of an amazing comeback. Am I wrong? The Irish escaped, but what if …

DOES ANYONE WANT TO WIN THE ACC?

The ACC favorite changes weekly. In past weeks, I’ve personally gone from Clemson to Wake, and then to Georgia Tech. Now enters Maryland and Miami. I think it’s best to stop with the predictions and just let the conference play it out.

Another thing, the conference is desperate for a BCS bowl win. Which of the likely ACC contenders appears best fit to get it done?

DIGITS

*Mississippi State’s loss to top ranked Alabama was their 16th straight against top 10 teams.

*Kansas’ loss to Texas on Saturday moved them to 5-48-1 all time against programs ranked in the nation’s top 5.

*The 50 point loss to Florida is the worst ever suffered by Steve Spurrier. His Gamecocks also moved to 0-12 all-time in the Swamp.

*USC handed Stanford their 1st home loss of the season. Stanford is now 1-21 against ranked teams since 2002. The 1 victory came last year, when the Cardinal shocked the Trojans on the road.

*Boise’s Ian Johnson rushed for his 53rd career touchdown, tying LaDainian Tomlinson for 2nd most in WAC history. Marshall Faulk is the leader in the category.

*Georgia gave Auburn their 6th loss of the season. It’s the first 6-loss season for Auburn since 1999, Tuberville’s first year.

*In defeating North Carolina, Maryland won its 6th straight game over ranked opponents, and is the only team in the country that can boast 4 wins over top 25 programs.

*North Carolina State is 3-0 against North Carolina schools, and 0-6 against FBS programs outside the state.

THE GALLOPING FINISH

Syracuse- finally makes the coaching change
Troy- imploded
LSU- staves off embarrassment
Washington- 0-10
Notre Dame- Bowl eligible
Michigan- most losses in school history (8)
Texas- rooting for OU next week?
Missouri- Big 12 North Champion
Oregon State- smelling roses
Oregon- introduced uniform combination 2,875
Miami- welcome back
Ball State- irrelevant, sorry
Heisman front runner- ?
Maryland- feared by ranked opponents