Game Day: Oregon State 2008

Wait a minute … it’s game day today? With all the stupid stuff going on, not to mention the fools continuing to make fools of themselves, it's easy to lose track.

I forgot it was a short week, until Beano sent me a little reminder. It was a handwritten letter – Beano doesn’t type – which made it a little hard to read. But apparently he is very excited that USC will again be featured on national prime time television for a game that promises to require many shots of the sideline in order to keep viewers entertained during the second half.

Here’s what I could decipher from Beano's note:

Dear Mr. Displaced Trojan,

May I remind you that your Trojans of USC are scheduled to play a football game against the Oregon State Beavers on ESPN tomorrow night? As tomorrow is Thursday, I am very excited to know that the Song Girls will be in attendance. I’m hoping for a blowout, which would ensure maximum sideline coverage. You know, I live for this stuff, so I’m hoping you will post some good stuff, if you understand my meaning.

Sincerely,

Your Friend Beano

So, there you have it. Thursday night. USC Football with all the trimmings. Have fun with it, Beano.


Fight On! Beat the Beavers!

Beano Missed The Song Girls

Well, we took a little break from the usual routine last week to chronicle an important issue, and old man Beano got all upset.

So, we're back to the "twirling" business today, this being a Thursday.

Not that I give a darn what the east coast biased, Domer Hype Machine influenced Beano has to say. I just want him to leave us alone ...

Hmmm ... maybe USC "basketball" really does deserve some attention.

Fight On! Beat the Beavers ... in hoops!

Sun Bowl: Riley's Guts? USC Knows Better

A few places around the blogosphere are lauding Mike Riley for his “game-winning” decision to go for two, rather than settle for an over-time-ensuring extra-point in the Sun Bowl yesterday. Guts they call it. But USC fans know better.

Never mind that Riley wouldn’t look so “smart” or “gutsy” if the Beavers had failed to convert two points ... or that OSU running back Yvenson Bernard barely made it into the end zone. USC fans experienced Riley’s “smarts” and “guts” when he was calling plays for the Trojans, and we know it’s just dumb luck.

We saw Riley's "guts" for nearly an entire season in 1995 when he was the offensive coordinator for the Trojans. Anyone who thinks Lane Kiffin’s performance this season is something to complain about doesn’t remember (or wasn’t around) for Riley’s debauchery 11 years ago …

Coming off a demolition of undersized Texas Tech at the Cotton Bowl (in which USC passed for 435 yards) to end the 1994 season, the Trojans were supposed to bring USC Football back to glory in ‘95. SI’s college football preview issue featured Keyshawn Johnson on the cover and ranked USC No. 1. Johnson was a leading Heisman candidate, and L.A. was abuzz with anticipation for the season.

Adding to the hype, 1995 was the third season of John Robinson’s second tenure as USC head coach, and the “experts” were drawing parallels to Robinson’s first stint at SC in which the Trojans won the national championship in 1978. All the pieces were in place, supposedly.

As we know now, Robinson Part Deux was a bad retread, and Riley as OC was a big part of the problem. First, USC decided to go with a two-headed quarterback – Brad Otten and Kyle Wachholtz. Then, Riley decided to use Johnson as a decoy (in a literal attempt to turn USC back into “Tailback U”) rather than throw to the proven prototype 6’ 4” receiver that nobody could cover.

The results, given the hype and expectations, were not good. USC lost to Notre Dame 38-10 and listlessly tied Washington the following week. Sure the Trojans locked up a Pac-10 title, but then USC lost 24-20 to ugla at the Coliseum.

In what may be the worst example of clock management in the history of USC Football, the Trojan offense, needing two scores late in the game, took its sweet time, repeatedly running the ball to score a single touchdown … which left no time for another score. Pathetic and useless.

It wasn’t until the Rose Bowl that Riley got some brains (or guts) … he stayed with Otten for the entire game and got Keyshawn the “damn ball.” As a result, USC came back to beat No. 3 Northwestern … No. 3 Northwestern … 41-32.

It was a great bowl win, but USC fans were left wondering what might have been if Riley had displayed more guts (or brains) throughout the ’95 season. Instead he waited until the last quarter of the Rose Bowl to find his “cajones.” (And, of course, it was all down hill from there, until lightning struck and Mike Garrett won the Pete Carroll Lotto.)

No doubt the Sun Bowl was a nice win for Oregon State. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than smart.

Fight On! Beat the Wolverines!
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Bowl Season: Rooting Only for USC

A friend of mine who happens to be a fellow Pac-10 alum told me recently that he roots for all Pac-10 teams during bowl games. My reaction: Why the hell would you do that?

Why would any fan of any college football team root for other teams in their conference during bowl season?

I can understand pulling for conference mates against non-conference opponents during the regular season, when the perception of conference strength plays into the human polls and computer rankings. But there really isn’t any reason to do so in bowl games. Seriously.

Do you think Oregon’s crude and vulgar fans will be throwing up the “V” for USC on New Year’s Day? No. Is anyone from ugla planning to hand over their parking pass for us Trojans in Pasadena? Not a chance. Can you honestly tell me that any one of Cal’s fans want USC to win any game, let alone the Rose Bowl? No way.

Even if the feelings weren’t mutual, I would still root against every Pac-10 school during bowl season. It isn’t enough to simply win five consecutive Pac-10 championships. If USC wants to continue its conference dominance and enjoy its position as the national power of this new millennium, the Trojans must win the recruiting war in California. The bowl game results play an important part in doing so.

What do you think sounds worse to an ugla recruit: Karl Dorrell after a win versus perennial power FSU, or Karl Dorrell after a loss in a crappy bowl game in a half-filled baseball stadium? Of course, we’re talking about Karl Dorrell, and only a few ugla recruits are on Pete Carroll’s list, so perhaps that’s a bad example … but you know what I mean.

I’m glad that BYU embarrassed the Oregon Ducks in Las Vegas, even though Mike Bellotti should have already been ashamed for letting his kids wear those garish uniforms.

I’m happy Hawaii’s Colt Brennan spanked ASU in Dirk Koetter’s last game.

I hate ugla, and ugla hates us. So what if it’s just the Emerald Bowl. Go, Florida State!

Cal in the Holiday Bowl versus Texas A&M? Forget it. I don’t hear DeSean Jackson talking this week, but I’d love to see him get shut up and shut down again.

Oregon State against Missouri in the lowly Sun Bowl is exactly right. The Beavers should get something for beating USC, but they don’t deserve another reason to celebrate on national TV.

It’s pretty simple really. USC Football is a nationally recognized program. Every team in the Pac-10 wants what we have, and a bowl game victory could get them that much closer to the Trojans. Why in the world would any USC fan root for that?

We Are SC!

Fight On! Beat the Wolverines!
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