Pac-10 Power Rankings: Week 6

1. USC: 3-1 (1-1)
The Trojans stumbled over a minor speed bump in a loss to Oregon State that not only hurt their chances for a National Championship, but Sanchez’s chance at being the next in a long line of Heisman QB’s coming out of Southern California. This weekend they posted an impressive win over Oregon who most thought would be the only team giving them a run for the conference. We know USC is good and better than their loss to Oregon State looked but we also know they have weaknesses. I’d put my money on the Trojans losing at least one more game before this season is over.

Next Game: vs. Arizona State

2. Cal: 4-1 (2-0)
It is still unknown how good Cal really is. They have one loss against a surprising Maryland team who has beaten two ranked teams but has also lost to Middle Tennessee State. Not only but the Bears were shut out this weekend by Virginia. The quarterback controversy has done nothing to help this squad, who luckily has a bye before having to travel to Tucson to take on the Cats. That will be the game that separates the conference.

Next Game: 10/18 @ Arizona

3. Arizona: 4-1 (2-0):
Arizona is tied with Cal for the conference lead thus far, and the next two games will speak volumes. There is plenty of information on the site, and a Stanford Preview coming up. More then.

Next Game: @ Stanford

4. Oregon: 4-2 (2-1)
Oregon is not doing anything to help the frustration that is the Pac-10. No team is giving us clear cut signs of where they stand or what their real strengths are. So far the ducks one convincingly against Washington (really in just one half of play), beat up on a bad Utah State team, took home the W in OT against a good Purdue squad, lost to a young but talented Boise State, beat WASU by 49, and then took a 34 point loss to USC. All of this why rotating QBs from injured to back on the field and back again. Their next stretch against UCLA, at Arizona State and at California should speak volumes. Well at least I hope it does. In reality they will probably beat UCLA in a close game, win convincingly against Arizona State, and go into overtime against Cal leaving us just as confused as when we started.

Next Game: vs. UCLA

5. Oregon State: 2-3 (1-1)
The Beavers may be better than everyone thinks. They may be 2-3 but they have had a pretty tough schedule so far. They have played three Top 10 teams in Penn State now #6, BYU now #9 (3 point loss) and # 8 USC (6 point win). If Oregon State can learn from these games and continue to fine tune against their next two opponents which luckily for them are Washington and Washington State, they could be headed to a bowl game this year.

Next Game: vs. Washington

6. Arizona State: 2-3 (1-1)
The Sundevils have only looked good in one game this season when they beating Stanford 41-17. Since that victory they have lost three straight to UNLV, Georgia, and Cal. Carpenter may be one of the best QB’s in the conference, but his supporting cast is not getting it done. I think it is safe to say that they have three more losses on their schedule.

Next Game: @ USC

7. UCLA: 2-3 (1-1)
I really don’t know what to say about the Bruins. I was never on this Band Wagon, even after a win over the highly overrated Volunteers. I think they are a year or two away from having a good team, and it is tough to say how many losses they will end up with this year.

Next Game: @ Oregon

8. Stanford: 3-3 (2-1)
Stanfords only notable win this year was against Oregon State, which the Beavers should have won if weren’t for a fumble at the last second. Other than that they beat Notre Dame, who still have not earned my respect. The Cardinal are in the same boat as UCLA.

10.
Washington State: 1-5 (0-3)
Washington: 0-5 (0-3)
The State of Washington is ranked 10th. The Huskies lost Locker, and it appears that they will also be losing Willingham. I think this is only going to set them back even more than they are, but I do understand that changes need to be made. As for WASU, their only win came over Portland State. I think a lot of teams, especially in the Pac are looking forward to playing teams from the Evergreen State.



More after the jump...

Searching for Roses: Pac-10 Woes

The weekend was bad. The kind of bad where six of the loudest, most obnoxious guys are watching in silence. The kind of weekend that makes you remember the reason why being a fan is so hard, where your perfect season is taken away from you and replaced by the backhand of reality. It can’t really be that bad though can it? The Pac-10 went 0-4 against the Mountain West this weekend, while USC put on a clinic against two time defending runner up Ohio State.

To Recap:
UCLA’s ego takes a huge hit when they fall 59-0 to BYU in their worst loss since 1929.

Arizona State proves talent isn’t everything when they lose in OT to UNLV at home 23-20.


CAL, one team I have been talking up as a rising stock in the Pac got manhandled by
Maryland in a score that was way closer than the actual game looked live: 35-27

Washington State 45 Baylor 17: There is really nothing to say here, WASU who may be one of the most underrated teams in the last 10 years doesn’t look like it now.

Washington not to be outdone by their State School counterparts takes a 55-14 beating from Oklahoma.

Stanford traveled to TCU to come home with a 31-14 loss.

Finally, our own University of Arizona went into Albuquerque and left with a 36-28 loss, their second consecutive loss to the Lobos.

How do you pick contenders for the Rose Bowl? Oregon looks like a legit contender for the honors, but a close game against Purdue doesn’t exactly bode well for their longevity. The main cause for concern for the Ducks is the fact the Roper left the game with an injury, again. Masoli has looked solid, and I’m not sure that he isn’t the better option regardless of Roper’s health.

If Oregon is at the top, then the entire state of Washington is at the bottom. The Huskies and the Cougars have no chance at contention at this point.

Then we have the middle of the pack: Cal, Arizona, Arizona State.

How the Schedules look:
Cal only has three road games remaining, having to travel to USC and Arizona.
Arizona State has to go on the road to face Cal, Arizona, and USC.
Arizona has four road Pac-10 games this season: UCLA, Stanford, Oregon, and WASU.

At this point it is almost impossible to differentiate, but it looks like Arizona State has the toughest road ahead of them especially after how they looked this weekend. Cal has a lot of home matches this year, but their two road games will be no easy task. Arizona has a difficult road ahead of them as well, but I think those games are more manageable than the other two programs.

Pac-10 play really kicks in this weekend and it will be interesting to see what kind of damage the programs can do to each other’s records. This season is looking rough.

4Real Out....




More after the jump...

Pac-10 Power Rankings: Week 1

Week one is in the books and it didn’t disappoint. Taking off from where “The Year of the Upset” left off we saw one top 10 team fall to a ranked opponent, and three other top 25 squads get upset to unranked foes. The Pac-10 is especially interesting, and after this weekends games a lot of questions that were up in the air were finally answered. That is why I give you the Pac-10 Power Rankings:

1. USC: After what was a relatively close first half against Virginia (24-7), the Trojans pulled away for a big 52-7 win. Sanchez looked great, and didn’t appear to have any problems with the leg. He ended the game completing 26/35 passes for 338 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT. We also got to see the depth of the backfield with six different backs getting touches. The Trojans look really tough, they are not only the frontrunner in the Pac but a legitimate national contender as well.

Next Game: The Ohio State University, Sept 13th

2. Oregon: There was a lot of concern surrounding the Duck’s QB situation with Costa out another season and Roper taking over a spread style offense. After handling Washington 44-10, Oregon’s defense might have put some of those concerns to rest. Roper who was named the starter ended up suffering a concussion early in the game, leaving Jeremiah Masoli behind the helm. Masoli took over in the second quarter to complete 7/11 attempts for 126 yards and 2 TD. The Duck’s D is helped the cause tremendously by pitching a second half shut out, and will have to continue to play tough to stay on pace with the best in the Pac-10. For now they are #2, but I don’t foresee that lasting very long.

Next Game: Utah State, Sept 6th


3. CAL: The Golden Bears debut at number three because they played a tougher opponent than most everyone else in the conference. Cal took on Michigan State and took home the win 38-31. The game was close and took an 81 yard run with a little over 4 minutes left in the game by Shane Vereen to secure the victory. Cal still hasn’t broken into the Top 25 yet, but are on the bubble. A couple more W’s and I think we can pencil them in for the time being.

Next Game: @ Washington State, Sept 6th

4. Arizona: Granted the Wildcats were going up against a bad Idaho team, but they did what any good team should do against a much more inferior squad. Tuitama’s Cats pitched a shut out en route to a 70 point romping of the Vandals. Willie completed 17 of his 21 passes for 179 yards and 3 touchdowns. Willie now has 47 career touch downs which sets a school record previously held by Tom Tunniclife. Big congratulations to our star. In the backfield Nic Grigsby also had a big game rushing for 169 yards on 19 carries and putting the ball in the end zone twice. On the defensive side of the ball the Wildcats looked solid all the way around allowing only 112 yards. It is hard to argue with a near perfect performance by our Cats, and so for now they sit at #4.

Next Game: Toledo, Sept 6th


5. Arizona State: Despite their position at 15 in the AP Top 25, the Sun Devils didn’t exactly look like a top tier team. A warm up game against 1-AA Northern Arizona should have been a walk in the park. The real score of the game was closer to 30-0, but the B squad allowed the Lumberjacks to put up 13 points late. Carpenter looked impressive completing 22/28 passes for 388 yards and 1 TD. The biggest problem that we can see is with the running game. Dimitri Nance had only 11 attempts for 30 yards despite his two TDs. If the Sun Devils hope to crack the top 10, or even compete in the Pac-10 they are going to need a substantial running game that as of right now doesn’t appear to be very effective.


6. UCLA: The bruins took down 18th ranked Tennessee in their opener. First and foremost I understand the following: It was an emotional win for Rick Neuheisel. The Volunteers were tanked 18th. An ugly win is still a win. That being said, I may be alone in thinking this was a completely unimpressive win and that Bruins fans have a lot to be worried about. For starters, Craft looked terrible in the first half. You can probably count on one hand how many times your starting QB threw 4 picks in the first half and you were still only down by 7 points. It is a big win for a Bruins team that is rebuilding, but I think the real story here is how bad Tennessee’s offense is/was. Can’t capitalize, can’t win. Don’t get ahead of yourself and think that UCLA is about to start a Cinderella run. The Bruins won’t get off so easy next weekend.

Next Game: @ BYU, Sept 13h


7. Stanford: The Cardinal got away with one and stole a W from Oregon State 36-28. A win is a win and that is the only reason they are ahead of the Beavers at this point. Stanford somehow found a way to win a game in which they had 18 first down to OStates 29 and 301 (91 passing, 210 rusing) yards to 491 allowed. Their passing game is going to need a tune up in order to make that running game all the more effective. It will be interesting to see how their season progresses, especially with a big match up next week.

Next Game: @ Arizona State, Sept 6th


8. Oregon State: The Fumble. It was almost a miracle of a comeback for the beavers, but it ended just a couple yards shy. The story of this game for Oregon State was turnovers. Moevao might have thrown the ball 54 times for 404 yards, but he also threw two key interceptions. The beavers were on the flip side of Stanford’s offensive problems; they need a more effective running game. Next week doesn’t get any easier either.
Next Game: @ Penn State, Sept 6th


9. Washington: I had high hopes for the Huskies this year, and debated taking them in an upset over Oregon. Luckily, I had a moment of clarity. Oregon’s defense completely shut them down, holding Locker to only 103 yards passing and 57 yards rushing. If this was any indication of what is to come, then it will be a long season for the Washington faithful.

Next Game: BYU, Sept 6th

10. Washington State: The cougars looked terrible against Oklahoma State in their 39-12 loss. Their 196 total yards (82 passing, 114 rushing) is cause for concern. They will need to find a rhythm on offense in order compete the rest of the season. I worry for WASU. If they work out some kinks against Cal next week, which should be an easy win for the Bears, they may have a chance at evening up at 2-2 after they play Baylor and host Portland State.

Next Game: Cal, Sept 6th.








More after the jump...

Big Games, Absurd Trophies: College Football Rivalries

The collegiate world provides the best setting for spirited competition and rivalry in all of sports. Debating rivalries is definitely a difficult task and brings you to points that steer the argument towards which is the biggest, which has the most tradition and of course which is the most relevant now. I looked into College Football’s rivalries to determine where I stand on these issues, and came up with some categorizations to help myself in future debates.

The Biggest:

The Ohio State University vs. Michigan
All Time Record: Since 1897: 57-41-6 (Michigan)
Trophy: N/A
Reasons Why:
1. All Time Wins: #1 Michigan 869 vs. #5 Ohio State 798
2. Annually played as both teams last game, the match up has decided the Big Ten Championship 23 different times and subsequently Rose Bowl bids (Michigan reactivated in the Big Ten in 1916, Ohio State Joined in 1912).
3. The game goes beyond the collegiate world, it is a phenomenon that is not seen in other parts of the country. The State of Ohio revolves around Buckeye Football, regardless of alma mater or collegiate affiliation, same can be said for Michigan on a slightly smaller scale.
4. Bo vs. Woody: Ten Year War, followed by friendship and show of class that is unrivaled in coaching before or since.
I could write a 100 articles on Ohio State Michigan Rivalry, but those are the top five to come to mind.

Honorable Mentions:

Alabama vs. Auburn: “Iron Bowl”
All Time Record: Since 1893: 38-33-1 (Bama)
Trophy: Foy-ODK Sportsmanship Award
Why: Rooted in deep southern tradition revolving around football, this game is always gritty. State bragging rights are on the line between two teams that have traditionally been very competitive.

Oklahoma vs. Texas “Red River Shootout”
All Time Record: Since 1900: 57-40-5 (Texas)
Trophy: Golden Hat (Exchanged between Teams)
Red River Shootout Trophy (Exchanged between Student Bodies)
Governors Trophy (Exchange between Governors)

Army vs. Navy
All Time Record: Since 1890: 52-49-7 (Navy)
Trophy: Commander in Chief’s Trophy (which is given to the winner of the series between Army, Navy, and Air Force)
Why: It is a patriotic thing. It has a long and storied tradition. Neither team has been relevant in terms of football, but those playing have never been so important. Most will never play after this game, but will join each other as brothers in arms and there is a very emotional aspect of the game that comes along with that. It will continually be televised and watched by countless of Americans every year.

“First”, “Longest”, “Most” Rivalries:

“Lafayette vs. Lehigh: FCS: “The Rivalry”
“The Most Played Rivalry in College Football”: 143 Games
All Time Record: Since 1884: 76-62-5 (Lafayette)
Trophy: The Rivalry was established before trophies became a staple. Instead, the winning team receives the game ball which is painted with the teams colors and the score of the game. This is especially interesting because it gives a historical view of the evolution of the football that is enshrined at both schools.

Arizona vs. Arizona State: “Duel in the Dessert”
All Time Record: Since 1899: 44-36-1 (Arizona)
Trophy: Territorial Cup: The Oldest Rivalry Trophy in College Football
Harvard vs. Yale: “The Game”
“Oldest Rivalry in College Football”:
All Time Record: Since 1875: 65-51-8 (Yale)
Trophy: N/A

Best Name for a Rivalry Game:

Georgia vs. Georgia Tech: “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate”
All Time Record: Since 1893: 56-38-5 (Georgia)
Trophy: N/A
Why: There is something to be said for being blunt.

Honorable Mentions:

Arizona vs. Arizona State: “Duel in the Desert”
Why: Nothing is harder than a duel, especially in the Wild West.

Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia “Backyard Brawl”
All Time Record: Since 1895: 60-37-3 (W.Virginia)
Trophy: N/A
Why: There is something about the word Brawl. Add in the idea that its taking place in the Backyard and you get that rough no holds bar kind of love to hate situation.

Best Rivalry to Party at Regardless of Affiliation:

Florida vs. Georgia “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” or simply “The Cocktail Party”
All Time Record: Since 1912: 46-37-2 (Georgia)
Trophy: N/A
Why: Neutral Site. Two States. Tailgating that starts nearly a week in advance. Look it up, it is on my list of things to do before I die college football list.

Best Rivalry Trophies:

Wisconsin vs. Minnesota
All Time Record: Since 1890: 33-24-3 (Wisconsin)
Trophy: Paul Bunyan’s Axe
Why: When it comes to instruments of forest destruction, Bunyan’s Axe stands alone.

Purdue vs. Indiana
All Time Record: Since 1925: 68-36-6 (Indiana)
Trophy: Old Wooden Bucket
Why: Quite honestly, because it looks homemade. It resembles the 1920’s version of a fraternities trophy made from a keg shell.


Absurd Rivalry Trophies:

Fresno State vs. Boise State “Battle for the Milkcan”
All Time Record: Since 2005: 2-1 (Boise)
Trophy: Milk Can
Why: Milk Can? I understand you are two of the top dairy producing states in the nation. Idaho you are potatoes. California you are a lot of things, in the dairy world maybe you are cheese. Seriously, a Milkcan? If the trophy originated over 50 years ago I would have given you the tradition excuse, but in 2005 I think we can do a little bit better don’t you?

Bowling Green vs. Toldeo “Battle of 1-75”
All Time Record: Since 1980: 15-13 (Toledo)
Trophy: Peace Pipe
Why: If a rivalry is to be truly gritty, you can not hit the peace pipe after it is over knowing full well that it will happen again next year. The losing team should be fired up and wanting to take back something that was taken from them. The only thing worse than the peace pipe would be playing for an olive branch.

Oregon vs. Oregon State: “ Civil War”
All Time Record: Since 1894: 55-46-10 (Oregon)
Trophy: First awarded in 1959 Platypus Trophy
Why: As far as the state of Oregon is concerned the result of breading a Duck and a Beaver would produce a Platypus. That is really what is happening here, and I don’t think I need to add anything of my own.

Iowa State vs. Missouri
All Time Record: Since 1959: 58 -34-9 (Missouri)
Trophy: The Telephone Trophy
Why: The story goes something like this: The phones from the coaches box were wired so that that the teams could listen in on conversations happening on opposing sidelines. They fixed it before the game started. To immortalize their inability to wire the stadium correctly Northwestern Bell created the trophy.

I bet there was at least one of these that you didn't even know about....



More after the jump...

A Little Last Minute Late Bowl Season Breakdown.

Bowl season is over and there are a lot of teams happy with the results, and a few who were not. The Big Eleven continued to struggle in the Bowl Games going 3-5 and losing both BCS games to superior conferences. Illinois was thrashed by USC and Ohio State lost to an SEC contender for the second straight year. Here are a few wrap up thoughts on the Bowl Season that was.

I still think that a playoff system is necessary in college football. Whether it’s a 4 team, 8 team, or my super special 16 team bracket is up for discussion. Unfortunately for some, Georgia stomped on Hawai’i in the Sugar Bowl. Hawai’i, and really the WAC in general over the last 2 years was a major catalyst for my reasoning of a playoff system. The irony is after that game was over Georgia President, Michael Adams is saying we need a playoff. Mere days after his victory suggested otherwise. But he’s still right, the 3 loss Bulldogs deserved a chance as much as Oklahoma, LSU, Ohio State, West Virginia and others.

It was only mildly mentioned by me, and I haven’t read it any where else but the irony is amazing in Tallahassee. The Noles were playing in the Music City Bowl. They lost because about 20 of their players were academically ineligible. They were ineligible because they cheated in a Music History class. Irony.

Because of this seasons flip flopping of the rankings every week the folks in El Paso, TX got to witness the Brut Sun Bowl as they have every year since the Depression. The Oregon Ducks soundly defeated the South Florida Bulls. Why is this important, it’s a December Bowl game. It wasn’t even a BCS game. It’s important because both of these teams were ranked #2 at one point in the season and they played their last game in 2007. Had this game taken place during the season prior to November this would have been the game of the week by far. Instead it was a pre-New Years Bowl Game. That is rare, but I suppose it will happen when there are 8 different #2 seeds (I don’t feel like going back and re-researching this I’m just guessing 8 seems about right to me).

Does the name Tony Temple mean anything to you? Probably not unless you follow Mizzou. The Senior back rushed for a Cotton Bowl record 281 yards and 4 TDs. He only had 3 games over 100 yds all season and actually finished with 40 of less in 7 of the season’s contests.

The Alamo Bowl was the 500th game of JoePa’s career and his 23rd Bowl Win. With the Penn State semi-success over the last couple seasons and Florida State slowly slipping into futility, it looks like JoePa and Bowden will be going head to head until one of them actually does die on the sideline. JoePa has 3 more Bowl Wins and 1 less win overall. JoePa could pass Bowden before conference play opens up next year.

Colt Brennan looked a little less than Heisman worthy against Georgia. It will be interesting to see how far he falls in the draft and if the chip on his shoulder can make him a really good NFL QB, or if he’s gonna be the biggest bust since Leaf. Time can only tell on that one.

Notre Dame did not play in a Bowl game. This was a big story in one of the worst seasons in ND Fighting Irish history. It however isn’t all that uncommon for the Irish who have gone from unstoppable to laughable in the last decade. From the 1987 (‘88 Bowl) season to the 1998 (‘99 Bowl) The Irish played in 11 Bowl games. Since the 2000 (‘01 Bowl) season they have played and lost in 5, 3 times in BCS bowls. They have also lost they’re last nine. Next year is not looking that promising either for Touchdown Jesus’ tribe.

The Pac-10 went 4-2 in Bowl Games this Bowl Season. UCLA had an interim coach, was still hampered by injuries, and barely lost to BYU. Look out for the Pac-10 next season with parity (except for USC) becoming more prevalent in the conference the Pac could surprise some folks next year.

And on that note it is becoming more and more obvious that the SEC and Pac are becoming the top two conferences by far. Environmentally more people want to live in California (4 schools) and Arizona (2 schools) then in Ohio or Nebraska. There is also better football being played at the High School level in the western states. We are looking at a major paradigm shift in the college football world. They play is much better in the SEC and Pac-10 and the recruits are going to these schools for a reason. And if USC gets hit with sanctions because of the Reggie Bush fiasco and if Carroll leaves the Pac will be stealing a lot of those recruits further evening out the Pac-10. It could be the beginning of a good decade for the West Coast teams. There is an outside shot that there could be as many as 5 (USC, Oregon, ASU, UCLA, Oregon State, Arizona, and Cal all have a chance) Pac-10 teams in the top 25 at some point next season, perhaps all at once, and at least 3 (Oregon, USC, ASU) in the preseason rankings.
More after the jump...

No love

I hate homers (def. noun. 1. someone who roots for their home team and follows blindly into believing their team is always right. 2. biased 3. incapable of seeing things through an unbiased eye). With that said I have some beefs with College Football analysts and reports, specifically centering around the UA vs. Oregon game.

No one is reporting about how UA won that game, only how Oregon lost it. Last time I checked Oregon's defense and special teams allowed 27 points (27 = 34-Cason's INT TD return), and Dennis Dixon does not play for the Ducks defense or special teams. Oregon's defense came into the game (as I reported last week) in the lower third in every defensive category and I thought UA could win before Dixon's knee decided that Dennis needed to rest a torn ACL. (On a side note I do commend Dixon for playing on a torn ACL and I don't think it had anything, or at least had less to do with, his Heisman hunt than his team winning and I do give him credit for that.) I believe I also said UA could win by stopping Dixon and Stewart, now was I implying we should hurt both of them, absolutely not, but if that's how it goes that's how it goes. When Dixon left the game he had run for a 39 yd TD on a surprise 4th and 3 attempt and followed it with a surprise 2 pt conversion for the Ducks. Then on his next possession, 1st and goal on the 4, he threw a pick in the end zone to Nasty Nate Ness to end that drive. (He threw 3 to the Cats last season, who is to say that the UA outstanding defensive backfield wouldn't be teeing off on his passes all night) Arizona took that and made it 7 to make the score 8-7.

Then he drove them 65 yards back into the red zone and went down with his injury on 2nd down, on a play that wouldn't have gained yardage and would have made it 3rd and 10+. So we'll say the Field Goal can be attributed to him to, when he left the game they were up 11-7 UA's next drive also resulted in a field goal making it 11-10 Oregon before Brady Leaf took the game over. There is no guarantee that Dixon would have made that big of an outcome in this game, other than a pair of 20+ yd completion and a 39 yd TD run, he didn't do too much while he was in the game. During the same time Willie Tuitama had a couple of 30+ yd passes and a big 18 yd first down run to keep their 1st scoring drive alive. He was playing head to head with Dixon and some might say he was a little more impressive. Losing Dixon did not mean Oregon was going to lose they had a Senior back up who has thrown over 150 passes in Div. I football.

Arizona won this game but apparently no one thinks so. I guess with Dixon out Pima Community could have beat Oregon. UA gets no love. Ever. Another issue of non-love, the guys on ESPN giving out helmet stickers for performance. Here were the winners (and their stats) followed by my winner (and his stats):

PK Austin Starr, Indiana: 49 yard Game Winning Field Goal (2/3 FG on the day, 3/3 XP)

DE Vernon Gholston, OhSt: 4 tackles for loss, (3 of which were sacks)

QB Tim Hiller, W. Michigan: 367 in the air on 45 attempts and 3 tds vs 6-6 Iowa.

WR Michael Crabtree, TxTech: 12 catches for 154 yards 1 TD

WR Jeremy Maclin, Mizzou: 360 All-Purpose Yards (115 PR, 194 KR, 143 Receiving, 8 Rushing)

CB Quintez Secka, La-Monroe: 5 tackles (5 solo) 2 INTs, 42 total yards, 0 Passes Defended

and My Helmet Sticker who we can compare to Mr. Secka

CB Antoine Cason, Arizona: 9 tackles (7 solo) 1 INT, 5-7 passes defended (depending on the source) 1 PR TD, 156 total yards (PR and INT return), and a TD saving FF late in the game.

WR Mike Thomas (2 TDs), QB Willie Tuitama (266 Yds 2 TDs), and PK Jason Bondzio (2/2 from over 40, 1/1 from 50+ yards) oh and let's not forget MLB Spencer Larsen who added 16 tackles (12 solo), 3 TFL, 1 Sack, and 1 FF in Thursday nights game, they all had similar stats to these helmet sticker winners and Cason's were far and above Quintez Secka, but as usual UA gets no love. No player of the week awards have surfaced yet but someone need look at Antoine to have the answer to that question.

Why does the U of A football team receive no credit for such an outstanding victory. Appalachin State took down #5 Michigan and they changed the AP voting rules, and still received votes even though they lost in a FCS match-up. Our boys have had outstanding weeks, Any one of Tuitama's THREE 5 TD games, or his two games of over 400 yards passing (446 and 510), Nic Grigsby's 262 yard performance (rushing and receiving), Mike Thomas' game this week or his 10 Rec 3 TD 165 yard game, True Freshman Rob Gronkowski's 4 Rec 115 yd, 2 TD game, and Bondzio's 12 pt game (6/6 XP, 2/3 FG), or Larsen's game vs. Oregon or his 17 tackle (10 solo), 2TFL, 1 FF, and 1 INT performance. Not one helmet sticker between them.

Where's the love for Tucson.

P.S. for those of you who are sick of my posting of fans rushing the field, you're gonna have to stop UA upsetting ranked teams first each of these pictures posted have come from different games over the last 4 years.

More after the jump...

People like you

Sorry, work was slow and I decided (after some reading) a rant was in order.

To you Jacob Levine, English Major (my guess is you are a 5th year senior) shame on you and your whole family (of course there is the slight chance you still live with your parents).

Quoted in today's Arizona Daily Wildcat:

Jacob Levine, a senior majoring in English and creative writing, had his Thursday night poetry class cancelled due to parking issues."I'm upset because the priorities of the administration are on the football game, and I didn't go to college to be a football fan," Levine said. "I came to be a student."

Mancheck 1
First off, last time I checked missing class was a good thing. It was one of my favorite things of my undergrad. And to continue on this, Poetry Class? Really, I feel like I know you based solely on your statement. I will preface this by saying I do not know Mr(s). Levine, I have never met him, and my statements are based solely on his statement. You most likely live with your parents, are in your 5th (possibly 6th) year of college, and are definately going to grad school because you don't know what you want to do when you grow up but you used to get B+'s in High School English. Of course the funny thing is the amount of money you spend getting this higher education in English and creative writing will most likely leave you sitting in the cubicle next to me (or someone like me) face it once you get into the real world, your college major or grad school hardly matters. Trust me, I know.

Mancheck 2
Priorities? The schools priorities lie in the bettering of student life and programs. Guess where money comes in to the school from. (O M G he ended a sentence with a preposition) You guessed right (non) sports fan from the sports teams, especially say on a huge Thursday night Pac 10 game vs. the #2 team in the country, perhaps. I don't recall Ralph Waldo Emerson or Walt Whitman doing much for this or any other university for that matter. And you didn't come to college to be a student. You are an english major. Go grab your frisbee and play some ultimate. Being a student is not just grades and bad union food it's the traditions, the bars, the sports, homecoming, march madness, painting your face and/or body, not haikus and couplets.

Mancheck 3
Sports > Poetry

The leaves were as green as her eyes,
But all I cared about was between her thighs.
(I can write poems too, and I didn't even take poetry class)

It is at this point I apologize to Mr. Levine, since I have never met him and he (hopefully) was misquoted and I am wrong....I strongly doubt it though. But this was not aimed directly at him but rather everything he and people like him stand for, unfortunately for him, he gave them a name and an identity to attack. This is what's wrong with U of A football, the quantity of people like Jacob Levine. In Florida you can't get a ticket on gameday at the box office. In Tucson you can get one after kickoff from the box office (60% of the time). This lackadaisical approach to sports by some of the students is the problem. If you didn't want to come to college to be a football fan then why did you come to a Pac-10 school, there are plenty of schools out there who don't even have a football team, and all the dirty poetry reading people just like you are out there too. Stop taking up space on the mall playing Frisbee and hackysack, cut your dreads and leave my school. Only true fans need apply.

Dom graduated in 4 years from the University of Arizona with a B.A. in History Education. You can read him daily/bi-daily on TheBearDown and his book Untitled will be hitting the stores as soon as it is written, published, and printed.
More after the jump...

Why Being Really Lonely Is Sometimes Super Awesome

Well, that's not exactly true but I find that quote from that show so funny I decided to make it the title for an article. And with that some quick hits:

Alone...

...On a Thursday night in an important football game THE University of Arizona Kitty Kats vs Oregon Ducks, all the spotlights are on them. F*&K the Ducks. Don't overlook U of A on this one. Here in the Stoops era the Cats have been very VERY inconsistent, and it seems like they never win when they're supposed to, on the flip side to that they have a habit of winning big when they're not supposed to. Don't get me wrong, I don't really foresee my beloved Kitty Kats taking down the Number 2 team in the country led by Heisman Candidate Dennis Dixon, but our boys know when to show up big for big games. Yeah Stoops record over the last 4 years (12-22) is not the greatest. But upon closer inspection:
2004, His first season defeats #20 ASU
2005, Defeats #7 UCLA 52-14 in a seriously impressive win (as I have mentioned before, great game)
2006, An impressive upset of #8 Cal (as well as a victory @ #25 Wazzu)
These all share a few characteristics:
Ranked Opponent: #20, #7, #8
Huge Games: Rivalry game, Homecoming, Homecoming
Where: Home, Home, Home
TV: Yes, Yes, Yes
Lets look at tonight's game:
Ranked Opponent: Check, #2
Huge game: Check, Big Thursday Night Game
Where: Check, Home
TV: Check, ESPN

And let's not forget Oregon is # 74 in Total Defense allowing over 400 ypg (yards per game) and over 5.4 ypp (yards per play) and they're 105th against the pass allowing almost 13 yards per completion and almost 270 ypg. Meanwhile in lowly Tucson, the Kitty Kats are 9th in the Nation in Passing offense averaging 316 ypg in the air. If the Arizona Defense led by Spencer Larson and Antoine Cason can shut down Dixon and Jonathon Stewart at all, they have a serious chance. Plus Arizona's passing attack centers on a couple of deep bombs to break up the Defense and short passes meaning serious Time Possession, limiting Oregon's time with the Ball will work out for Arizona.
By no means am I guaranteeing an upset, but it wouldn't be the first time Stoops Troops made some noise on the big stage.

Alone...

...at the bottom of the Eastern Central Division, the Chicago Bulls. It's time to make some noise and move up. No more trade talks, it's time boys you always start slow, well now's the time for that yearly push. Not likely though seeing that they are beginning their tumultuous November Road Stretch.

Alone...

...at the bottom of the NFL, The Miami Dolphins, really pushing for the 0-16, Running the table in the opposite direction, something many of us have been waiting a long time for, we just need a little help from a few teams (the Pats losing, and everyone else beating the Fish) and The Dolphins will not only have the only undefeated team in NFL history but on its' historic 25th Anniversary, they will have the only 0-16 team ever.

Alone...
...Atop the NBA the Boston Garnetts. This team is incredible. Three stars forming together at the perfect time for some outrageous chemistry and selflessness leaving them to dominate everyone else. I knew this team was going to be good, but not this good. And I have always liked Garnett so good for him. On a sidenote my early pick for GM of the year...not Danny Ainge who picked up Garnett and Allen to forge this unholy union, but other Former (and possibly current) Celtic, Minnesota GM Kevin McHale for guaranteeing a successful Celtics team with that trade. How did he let that deal happen. I know what he was thinking, I can take a job in Minnesota, sit around for a few years and the *BAM* ship my best player to the Celtics. I half expect to walk into his office and see a complete replica of the Parkay floors and Celtic Green everywhere. He's like Sting, everyone thinks he's joining the NWO then *BAM* hits Nash (or was it Hall) with a bat and stays a good guy.

Alone...
...at work. I just heard Star Wars Yoda impersonations between two of the guys I work with. Having a conversation. Why do I work at a software company. I'm the only one here under 30. I hate this place.

Alone...
...in the thought that Colt Brennan is not overrated and unfortunately plays for an underrated Hawaii team. This guy is a class act and will be a good pro quarterback in a pass first offense. Expect him to make some waves on Sundays.

Alone...
...in the thought that Reality TV needs to go bye-bye, especially the Dating shows. These people aren't looking for love. There is what one successful one out of all the Bachelor/Bachelorette/Flavor of Love/I Love New York/Joe Millionaire, etc shows. These people are looking for fame, and shame on you, America, for giving it to them.

Alone...
...at the bottom of their storied tradition, Notre Dame, playing for it's second win of the season, and it's not week 3 or 4. There are rebuilding years and there are tear it down, play somewhere else for a year and come back years. This is the latter, everyone knew it was going to happen, but who would have guessed they were going to lose 2 to the service academies. The fact that GaTech (6-4, 3-4) was ranked #21 after beating them and that team hasn't really impressed again all season, and really didn't deserve to be 21st, and especially didn't deserve to be 15th after defeating Samford to go 2-0.

I guess being lonely sometimes is Super Awesome (Pats, Celts, and hopefully another Huge Upset at Arizona Stadium tonight). As Always GO CATS!!
More after the jump...

Weekend Picks (delayed)

Well my weekend has started off just fantastic. I mean that literally, Boston College beat VaTech in a dull game up until the last 5 minutes. Matt Ryan keeps his Heisman hopes alive and my initials are glorified nation-wide. Anyways in hopes of keeping with this my pool will survive this week...

The Big Contenders
Oregon over USC-Dennis Dixon is too much for the USC defense right now, and I applaud the decline. Jonathan Stewart has almost 1000 yards rushing this year, and he's gonna get nasty on USC. Along side Stewart is Colvin, Dickson, and Williams throwing up over 1000 recieving yards combine for this year. Let's not forget the fact that Arizona put up 13 points on this "Pete Carroll" defense...and Stanford put up 24. Trojan Horse defeat thee, cocky bastards

South Florida over UConn - South Florida is pissed about their loss last week, Grothe is a certified badass. UConn also has yet to play a real team...and win.

Cal over AZst- After a two game skid, Cal is an actual program that bounces back correctly. They won't kick Longshore out of the starting spot, fire their coach, and bring in a historical cheater. Then again, I hate ASU and again, they haven't played the top half of the Pac-10. Stop blowing smoke up their ass.

Upset
NCState over UVA - the spread is 3.0 points, NCState has yet to win a game in conference and they've had a NASTY schedule, where UVA has had a middle of the road schedule and with UVA's depressing win margin at 4 points, the Wolfpack actually have a shot.

For Sunday...

Panthers over Colts - It's a stretch, but there's a chance. With Harrison out, Panthers coming off a bye week, A veteran veteran at the helm, there's a damn good chance here.

World Series? Don't really care now...

I leave you with... The last drive of the Boston College game

More after the jump...