Never Too Early To Talk About The Granddaddy Of Them


October 17th, 2012

Seven weeks into the 2012 college football season, we finally have our first BCS rankings and, with that, it’s time to project the biggest bowl of them all…The Rose Bowl. This year’s Rose Bowl, to be played on January 1st as usual, will feature the traditional Big Ten/Pac-12 matchup. But, who will represent each conference? Sure, it may be too early to tell, but let’s take a look at the possibilities.

Big Ten
With Ohio State and Penn State out of the Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl pictures this year due to NCAA penalties, the Leaders Division is all Wisconsin’s. Surprisingly, both the Buckeyes and the Nittany Lions are unbeaten in league play so far. Take away a poor half and a kicking debacle in week two and PSU might be unbeaten on the season as are the Buckeyes.

The Wisconson Badgers have five league games remaining, the toughest of which may very well be against Ohio State and Penn State. Regardless, the bottom three in the Leaders Division will most likely have at least three losses. Even if Wisconsin ends up with three league losses, they will hold the edge on Purdue and Illinois, and should beat Indiana in week 10.

Play in the Legends Division is much tougher with the Michigan Wolverines and Nebraska Cornhuskers the favorites, although Iowa is currently 2-0 in league play. Don’t forget Northwestern, which ripped off six straight wins to start the season and Michigan State, last year’s Big Ten champ. The way it pans out in the Legends Division, though, is up to the Wolverines and the Cornhuskers. Iowa must play both and also must face Penn State and Northwestern. That doesn’t make it easy for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Michigan and Nebraska play each other in two weeks, but the ‘Huskers have Northwestern, a team they lost to last year, Michigan State, Penn State, and Iowa. Michigan will face pretty much the same road to a division title and cap off the season with the year-end rivalry game at Ohio State.

Look for superior defense and the play of Denard Robinson to propel the Wolverines to the Legends Division championship and look for them to face Wisconsin for the Big Ten title.

Pac-12
The interesting thing with the Pac-12 is the Oregon Ducks. Currently the BCS No. 3 team, Coach Chip Kelly’s squad is projected to be playing in the national championship game and if current No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Florida win out, they will play each other in the SEC championship game. The loser is likely out of the BCS title game which would pave the way for…the Oregon Ducks, should they too win out.

Oregon still has USC and Stanford remaining on the schedule along with a Thursday night trip to Tempe, AZ, to take on a rejuvenated Arizona State team that is currently 5-1. And don’t forget the Civil War. Oregon must play in-state rival Oregon State, ranked eighth in the BCS, in Corvallis on Thanksgiving weekend.

Should Oregon head to the BCS title game, that leaves USC Trojans, Stanford Cardinals, and Oregon State. Todd Graham’s Sun Devils just won’t cut it this year as they head down the stretch. Of the three remaining teams, the Trojans will have the easiest road as their test will come Nov. 3rd when they face the Ducks. Even if USC loses to Oregon, which will be looking for payback for last year’s 38-35 loss, a two-loss Trojan team wins the South Division and the right to play in the Pac-12 championship. With Oregon winning the North, it’s either the Ducks going to the BCS title game or to the Rose Bowl. If Oregon plays for all the marbles, then USC steps in and represents the Pac-12 in the Rose Bowl.

Rose Bowl Projection

Look for the teams with the easiest routes to get to Pasadena and for the Ducks to be playing for a national title… Wisconsin vs. USC

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By Chris Cabrera
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USC UCLA A Rivalry Unlike Any Other


October 1st, 2012

Two schools located in the same city, Los Angeles, separated by just twelve miles makes
for one interesting rivalry. The likelihood that alumni and students from the schools
will interact with each other on a daily basis is very high. Ohio State-Michigan and
Army-Navy are two other huge college football rivalries that come to mind, but neither
features the kind of proximity that is seen by the Trojans and the Bruins.

The schools have competed against one another in a variety of sports since the early
1900s. USC, long recognized as a “football school” and UCLA, the “basketball school,”
both have storied traditions in other non-revenue sports as well, such as track & field,
volleyball, and water polo. UCLA actually holds the NCAA record for most team national
championships with 107 and most overall national titles with 128, more than any other
school in the nation. But, it’s on the football field where the real rivalry begins.

Since the formation of the old Pacific Coast Conference, which is now the Pac-12, USC
and UCLA have shared or won 54 conference football championships. The rivalry
game, normally played the last week of the regular season, has had conference title
implications as well as, on some occasions, national title implications, and has served to
determine the conference’s Rose Bowl berth on several occasions.

One of the most memorable was the “Game of the Century” played in 1967 pitting #1
UCLA led by QB Gary Beban against the second-ranked Trojans and a phenomenal
young running back named O.J. Simpson. USC won 21-20, beat Indiana in the Rose
Bowl, and claimed the national championship. Beban did win the Heisman Trophy that
year. Simpson won it the next.

Recently, though, the game has lost some of its luster. While USC has flourished,
winning national championships in 2003 and 2004 and losing in the title game in 2005,
UCLA has struggled. The hiring of “golden boy” former QB Rick Neuheisel in 2008
was to signal the return to prominence. It was not to be as the former Rose Bowl MVP
produced only one winning season and a 21-30 overall record.

USC has dominated the rivalry of late. The Bruins’ last victory in the series was in 2006.
With another BCS title game berth on the line, UCLA pulled one of the great upsets in
college football with a 13-9 victory denying the Trojans the chance to play for another
national championship. USC still won the Pac-10 and went on to the Rose Bowl that
year.

Since the ‘06 win, the Bruins have not fared well in the “Victory Bell” match-up, losing
miserably last year, 50-0. USC has won 12 of the last 13, holds a 46-28-7 advantage in
the series, and in the last five meetings has outscored UCLA, 158-35. USC has owned the

Victory Bell for the better part of the past two decades. The bell, originally from an old
Southern Pacific railroad locomotive, has traditionally been awarded to the winner of
the USC-UCLA game every year since 1942.

If there is a year to mark a turning point in the rivalry, it may very well be 2012. With
new coach Jim Mora, Jr., the Bruins are off to one of their best starts in recent history.
UCLA is 4-1 with a big win over then 16th-ranked Nebraska. Their only loss was a 27-20
setback to 18th-ranked Oregon State.

The Bruin offense has become more consistent and it starts with the play of freshman
QB Brett Hundley. Hundley is completing 66 percent of his passes (121-for-183),
has 1,480 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and has a passer rating of 150.6. And, led
by Jonathan Franklin, UCLA has one of the top 15 rushing offenses in the country.
Franklin, a 5-11, 195-pound senior, has 693 yards rushing including two 200-yard
games already this season.

If the Bruins continue to improve and stay healthy, it’s possible that this year’s Nov.
17th match-up with the USC Trojans could be for the Pac-12 South Division championship.
USC, however, has it a little tougher meeting two ranked opponents, Washington and #2
Oregon Ducks, prior to the cross-town rivalry.

The Trojans are led by senior QB Matt Barkley, who stunned the football world last year
declaring he would return for his senior year at USC. With Barkley, the country’s best
receiving tandem in Marqise Lee and Robert Woods, and the addition of Penn State
transfer Silas Redd, the Trojan offense is its strength. The vulnerability lies within the
Trojan defense as Stanford proved as they handed USC its only loss of the season, 21-14.

While it may not be a “game of the century” this year, the Victory Bell tilt will be one to
watch as the regular season winds down. The UCLA Bruins will be looking for a signature win
as they enter the Mora era and will desperately want to end the Trojans’ dominance in
the rivalry. USC, on the other hand, may need the victory as it fights for to keep a BCS
bowl bid alive. The 2012 edition should be a good one, a return to the gridiron battles of
the 1960s and ‘70s.

You can purchase USC Vs Ucla tickets now

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By Chris Cabrera
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The Impact of the New Helmet Rule on College Football


September 13th, 2012

When the NCAA announced its rules changes for the 2012 college football season, it was the kickoff adjustments that were creating the most uproar. Now two weeks into the new season, it’s the helmet rule that has coaches, players, and fans questioning its merit.

The NCAA’s new “Helmet Rule” requires a player who loses his helmet during play to leave the game for one play (unless the helmet was removed as the result of a penalty), much like what occurs when a player is injured and cannot leave the field immediately following a play. The player who loses his helmet is also barred from further participation during that play. If he continues to play without the helmet, he will be penalized 15 yards for a personal foul.

No one questions the intent or spirit of the rule. Clearly, the helmet rule was implemented for player safety, but the rule has created some interesting results. The new rule promotes and rewards tackling high since the removal of the headgear will mean that player must leave the field for a play. It also creates a situation where players may be wearing helmets that are fitted improperly. Equipment managers may over-tighten helmets to make sure they stay on defeating the purpose of the helmet.

Fans noted the impact of the rule during Week One in two nationally televised games. Clemson Tigers QB Tajh Boyd lost his helmet three times during their game with Auburn Tigers and his backup, Cole Stoudt, was forced into the game in his place. “I understand the rule, but for us it’s a little bit of a challenge when you run your quarterback, he gets hit and sometimes he gets in some piles, and sometimes helmets find their way from getting off their head,” said Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney.

Swinney wasn’t the only coach expressing concern about the new helmet rule. In Georgia Tech’s Labor Day match-up with Virginia Tech, GT quarterback Tevin Washington lost his helmet prior to a crucial third-and-eight play from the Hokies’ 21-yard line. Washington’s backup, Synjyn Days, entered the game, ran for four yards and the Yellow Jackets kicked a field goal.

Johnson commented, “Well, clearly you don’t want to lose your starting quarterback on third down but that’s the rule. It looked like the helmet came off when he was on the ground. … It’s just one of those things.”

It will be interesting to see how the helmet rule plays out. Sooner or later, though, this rule change is going to affect the outcome of a game. Think about it. With under two minutes remaining in a game and facing a third-and-goal from inside the 10-yard line, your team’s quarterback is on the sideline because a defender ripped his helmet off on the previous play. Definitely not the intent of the rule, plays like that (deliberately removing headgear) are an unfortunate result.

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By Chris Cabrera
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Top Ten College Football Coaches of All-Time


May 14th, 2012

Who is the best of them all? The greatest football coach of all time…there are many to choose from, but here is your Top Ten. The best of the best college football coaches in history

10)  John Gagliardi, St. John’s University (MN)
Only the purest of football fans have even heard mention of Gagliardi, who at age 85, still patrols the sidelines of the small Division III school where Gagliardi has amassed 484 wins, the most ever by a college coach at any Level. His teams have won four national championships the most recent coming in 2003. He is one of two active coaches (Nevada’s Chris Ault the other) in the College Football Hall of Fame and is known for his unique approach to coaching. He does not use a whistle, his teams do not tackle during practice, and he keeps his practice sessions to 90 minutes and under. Hey, it has worked for him

9)  Bobby Bowden, Florida State University
After six years at West Virginia, Bowden inherited a Florida State program that had won just four games over the previous three years. To say he turned the program around…well, he had only one losing season, his first when he went 5-6, in the 34 years hspent in Tallahassee. Bowden took the job because he likedthe climate plus he could be closer to his family in Alabama. He spurned offers from other schools and built a dynasty. From 1987 to 2000 his Seminoles finished every season with at least 10 wins and in the top 5 of the final AP college football poll. In 1993 and 1999, he took home national championships. In 44 years as a head coach, Bowden had 40 winning seasons. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006 and coached his final game on January 1, 2010, in the Gator Bowl against, ironically, his former school, West Virginia.

8 ) Wayne “Woody” Hayes, Ohio State University
In 28 years as the head coach of the Buckeyes, Hayes won five national championships, 13 Big Ten titles, and won 205 games. Hayes started his coaching career at Denison, where after struggling his first year, reeled off two consecutive undefeated seasons in 1947 and ‘48. He then became the head man at the “Cradle of Coaches” Miami (OH) University, where he went 14-5 in two years leading him to Ohio State. Hayes coached 58 All-Americans and the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner, Archie Griffin. His teams were well known for their toughness as evidenced by their strong rushing attacks and powerful defenses. Hayes often said that three things happen when you pass the football…and two of them are bad. Little known was Hayes post-game interview dress after losses or ties…he opted for his birthday suit. As you can, reporters didn’t stick around long.

7) Glenn “Pop” Warner
Youth football leagues around the country bear the name of this legend who helped lay the foundation for the game we love. Warner coached at six different schools and compiled a career record of 319-106-32. He won four national championships and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954. He took his first head coaching job at the University of Georgia in 1895, hired for a whopping $34 per week. Warner coached quite possibly the greatest athlete of all-time, Jim Thorpe, while at the Carlisle Indian School in PA from 1899-1903. Among his many innovations that he brought to the game were the screen pass, the spiral punt (as opposed to end over end), the single- and double wing formations, and the use of shoulder and thigh pads.

6) Amos Alonzo Stagg
Another of the pioneers of college football, Stagg won 314 games, most while the head coach at the University of Chicago. His 1905 and 1913 teams, both unbeaten, were national champions. A phenomenal athlete, Stagg is not only in the College Football Hall of Fame, he is also in the Basketball Hall of Fame as well. He had such a love of the game that he coached until he was 96 years old, serving as a kicking coach at Stockton College in California. The Division III national championship game bears his name as does the Big 10 Championship trophy. Too numerous to name, the innovations he introduced to the game include the onside kick, the T-formation, the forward pass, and men in motion.

5) Joe Paterno, Penn State University

The winningest coach in FBS history with 409 wins, Paterno passed away earlier this year after spending 61 years in Happy Valley, 46 of those as the head football coach. Sure, there is the scandal that ended his career abruptly at the end of the 2011 season, but what he accomplished is nonetheless amazing. He had 38 winning seasons, five undefeated seasons, won two national championships, numerous coach of the year awards, and was the first college football coach ever named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year after leading the Nittany Lions to the national title in 1986. He coached in more bowl games (37) and won more bowl games (24) than anyone in history. Also well known is Paterno’s philanthropy–he donated more than $4 million to Penn State.

4) Eddie Robinson, Grambling State University

Robinson spent 56 years as the head coach at Grambling and, at the time of his retirement in 1997, was the winningest coach in all of college football with 408 wins. Between 1960 and 1990, Robinson coached only one losing season, going 5-6 in 1987. His teams won or shared the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship 17 times. More than 200 of his players went on to play professionally, including Super Bowl XXII MVP Doug Williams, who succeeded Robinson as head coach at Grambling in 1998.

3) Tom Osborne, University of Nebraska

Growing up as a star athlete in Nebraska, Osborne took an assistant job under legendary coach Bob Devaney. After Devaney won back-to-back national titles in 1970 and ‘71, he decided he was going to concentrate on his duties as the AD and named Osborne his successor. What a great choice! In 25 years as the Cornhusker head coach, Osborne won at least nine games in every season and finished with 255 career victories. His teams were known for their potent running game and strong defense, but he couldn’t win the big one. In the 1984 Orange Bowl, the ‘Huskers with a 12-0 record and ranked No. 1 in the nation, faced upstart Miami. Nebraska scored late in the game to trail by a point. Osborne elected to go for two. The pass attempt was batted away and Osborne would not win a national title until 1994. And another in 1995. His teams were the first consensus, unbeaten to win back-to-back national championships since Oklahoma in the mid-1950s. His final five teams at Nebraska went an unbelievable 60-5. Osborne retired in 1997 after winning another national title and currently serves at the AD at Nebraska.

2) Knute Rockne, Notre Dame University

After immigrating from Norway, Rockne grew up in Chicago, then saved his own money to pay his way at Notre Dame. After graduating in 1914 with a degree in pharmacy, Rockne shunned the science world for an opportunity to coach. The football world is grateful. Rockne’s Notre Dame teams went a remarkable 105-12-5 in his 13 years at the helm. He coached five unbeaten teams, three national champions, and his winning percentage (.881) is the highest among all college football coaches…EVER. He introduced the “shift” to college football moving from the T-formation to the Box formation prior to the snap. He also helped in popularizing the forward pass. After winning back-to-back national titles in 1929 and 1930, Rockne was killed in a plane crash in March 1931 while on his way to participate in the film The Spirit of Notre Dame.

1) Paul “Bear” Bryant, University of Alabama
Best known as the man in the houndstooth hat patrolling the Crimson Tide sidelines, Bryant amassed almost 100 wins at Maryland, Kentucky, and Texas A&M before becoming the Alabama head coach in 1958. In 38 years as a head coach, he had one losing season, his first at Texas A&M. While at Alabama he won six national championships and 13 conference titles. When he retired in 1982, he held the record for most victories (323) by a college coach. Bryant started at end on the 1934 Alabama national championship team. He reached the rank of Lieutenant Commander while serving in the US Navy during World War II. Bryant was the National Coach of the Year three times. Rightfully so, the award now bears his name.

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By Chris Cabrera
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