Bob T. told me that the Bruins won three of the four years he was at UCLA. I told him, "That's funny, most of my friends who went to UCLA tell me that USC beat them five or six times while they were in school!"

Go Trojans!

I predict that UCLA comes out very slowly with its timing thrown off by the long layoff. USC's timing doesn't matter when Reggie Bush can just carry the ball through the UCLA defense.

Trojans go up 28-0 enroute to a 52-28 win.

UCLA goes on to the Sun Bowl to play their Big 10 doppelganger: Northwestern.

USC goes on to play in El Abuelito de Todo!

That said, Go Bruins!

(My Spanish is oxidado)

However in this case, I don't think Oregon is getting a raw deal. I really don't think Oregon is all that good. I think Oregon is on a par with UCLA and I don't think UCLA deserves a BCS unless it were to beat USC today.

And even then, UCLA won't get a BCS bid.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram says "The Los Angeles Dodgers are emerging as strong suitors for Alfonso Soriano." I'm not quite sure why we would want him. Even if we were going to trade Kent, Soriano is worse defensively and offensively, and whatever we got for Kent would be balanced out by what we give up for Soriano. I'm hoping this is a worthless rumor

The NY Daily News reports a Well-Loretta swap could happen, because the Padres want Nomar to play 2B. I guess they want to block Barfield some more

Sorry to interupt the football chat, we can get back to that now

The teams have uniforms that look quite similar. Tulsa is wearing with gold helmets. Central Florida is wearing white pants with pale gold jerseys and helmets.

Central Florida leads 7-0!

Go ...... Knights.

The winner goes to the Liberty Bowl to play Fresno State, which has lost three straight games.

2 - Isn't Northwestern the doppelganger of Stanford?

Northwestern: Most annoying fans in America! Running into them in around town before they played in the Rose Bowl made me pulling for the Cardinal and Gold that year.

You would think people who pulled for a historically bad team would have a sense of humor or some perspective. But they were all jerks.

Wait, I'm making a sweeping generalization there.

They were most all entirely jerks.

SC should crush them, but they should have crushed Notre Dame too. My un-killable paranoia fears that UCLA will play it very close. I will not be anywhere close to the coliseum today because I'm a jinx. The only two SC games I've seen in person were losses. To UCLA in 1965 (I will always hate Kurt Altenberg) and to Notre Dame in 1966 (51-0!)

The NY Times is even giving big coverage to the game however the paper calls the schools U.S.C. and U.C.L.A.

I don't think anybody anywhere puts periods in the names of the schools.

Just say no to Soriano. He's not that good and will be blocking someone next year. I am starting to feel like Ned is trying to make moves just for the sake of making moves. On the other hand, he hasn't made a single move yet, so disregard that statement.

As for Nomar and Wells to Pods, that would be disappointing.

Go Ducks!

I'm a huge Pac-10 fan, but I just don't see what big wins the Ducks have. They beat Fresno State by 3 at home. They beat Cal by 3. Those two schools have shown each other to be merely above average, but nothing special.

If Oregon were 10-1 and had beaten UCLA during the season, then I would be more impressed with them.

21
The NY Times Sports Section does not use the "Mr." and "Ms." convention for last names. They just use "Olson", "Leinart" and "Bush".

All the other sections do I believe. The only exceptions are with minors who are usually referred to by their first names only unless they are very famous.

We have U.S.C., U.C.L.A., S.E.C. (the government agency), but also CBS, TIAA, and FEMA.

http://www.yesnetwork.com/yankees/pinstripedblog.asp

It did seem funny that while Bush was demonizing Saddam Hussein all to heck and back the NYT referred to the man as Mr. Hussein.

anyway, the argument isn't really between oregon and ohio state, it's between oregon and notre dame. notre dame who had a rough time against stanford. and especially since the pac-10 always gets the short end of the stick, the bid should go to oregon.

And I'll have to face the unenviable task of hoping UCLA can win in South Bend next season and read Mr. Naccarato's taunts.

What bowl wants that team and its fans?

There is a book out by a man who claims that all the problems with the Colorado football program are all just part of a liberal media conspiracy however.

Infamous is too nice of a word for the 1998 UCLA-Miami game.

Brad Melsby DID NOT FUMBLE!

ND will continue to get a bid as long as it is "good enough" because it continues to have a stellar national reputation and following. "Better" teams will always get the short end of the stick. The only way to change this is to have a playoff system with strict seeding based on rankings of the top 4 or 8 teams.

I will have to disagree with that. It amazes me that I grew up in Ohio and became a Dodgers and Lakers fan. However, my football loyalities remain Ohio. Besides with Palmer at the helm, how can the Bengals go wrong? Curses on the Browns!

Ohio State should have beaten Texas. My Texas fan friend and I watched that game. Ohio State blew it. Texas didn't beat Ohio State, Ohio State gave that game to Texas. The Buckeyes gave Texas an early Christmas present.

I will say that Penn State beat Ohio State though.

But USC still is the best team in the land. But I have a better opinion of Notre Dame that most are giving. Their offense is sharp. They lack big time players. But they almost beat USC, that counts for something.

I think ND will have a National Championship within the next five years.

I will give you very long odds against Notre Dame winning a championship in the next five years.

Their schedule is always going to be too difficult.

Especially playing USC every year. And usually one or two of the best Big 10 teams.

I think what USC has accomplished the past three years is stunning. They are indeed very good, but they are also somewhat like the Yankees during the last WS run. Anything that could have gone wrong to them didn't. Eventually one game it won't. (That won't be today I fear.) The margin for error is very small in college football.

[50] i would hope so. and i would hope that colletti's response is not:

"sure, but we need to sign somebody. we need a big name that'll grab some headlines and show the fans we're doing something."

How great would it be to have USC, Texas, Penn State, Ohio State, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, and Oregon in a playoff?

At UCLA games at the Rose Bowl, only the private parties can have alcohol outside the stadium.

They do serve beer at the Grandaddy of Them All (presented by Citi!)

http://tinyurl.com/8osur

I'll wait for 2006 to get my hopes up.

406 is the single game record by LaDanian Tomlinson.

I think the number will come up in discussion today.

Tim Floyd will be angry.

It's still not helping.

Reggie Bush turning into Red Grange hasn't helped.

Hubris.

These officials stink

It's a series of educated guesses.

I really wonder what's up with Leinart. He isn't going to get it done against Texas playing like this.

Maybe he's going to wake up later.

Carroll will likely call off the dogs sometime during the third quarter.

Not that it really made any difference, but I don't understand the point of punting (especially into the endzone) when UCLA has the ball on the SC 35-yard line. If you're going to go down anyway, you'd like to go down swinging.

Carroll is a brilliant recruiter and a mediocre coach.

None of the computer polls are allowed to include margin of victory as a component anymore.

All USC has to do is win. They could by 1 point in 6 overtimes and they would be playing in the Rose Bowl.

So, UCLA vs. Northwestern in the Sun Bowl? What do you folks think?

How about the fact that the Dodgers don't have a manager? That they are in major turmoil? That Colletti is chasing him to ease the McCourts? How about the fact that Furcal has best friends in Aramis Ramirez and Neifi Perez in Chicago, and Andruw Jones in Atlanta?

I can see him turning down 3 years, $39 million and the LA nightlife, esp. since he's stopped drinking.

I went to Palms Middle School. I didn't meet a USC fan until after I graduated from college.

They have a combined score for the teams ahead of 108-9.

The football gods are not looking kindly about Mack Brown and Pete Carroll today.

When hubris strikes, it strikes hard.

I used to like Pete Carroll, but today he is really pissing me off.

I'm thinking of updating the list:

Russ Ortiz
Notre Dame University
Pete Car...

USC is up by 46 points in the fourth quarter.
They have already won the conference title.
The defense is hardly giving up any yardage.

So, Carroll is keeping Leinart, Bush, and White still in the game and calling pass plays.

Verily I say unto to thee, there will be a day of reckoning for USC.

Although I keep thinking of the Simpsons episode with Homer yelling at the sky, "No comeuppance! No comeuppance!"

His son, Nate, plays for Peninsula High and they are taking on Dominguez.

My greatest football memory there was entering the last game of the season 0-10 against Culver City who was also 0-10. At least one team would get a win this year.

They tied.

Quick Pete Carroll story.
Pete came to my high school a couple years ago to a recruit player x. Player x is an unbelievable athlete, he was a football and track star (I was on the track team with him- we were both sprinters). I was surprised when he graduated from high school. In his senior year, he had a GPA of around 1.0, so the school put him in a special program where "tutors" helped him graduate. He must have had someone take his SATs for him because there's no way he would be able to score 800. He must be taking PE classes in college because he wasn't even high school material. Nice program that Pete Carroll runs.

I can't find right now where I read that, but apparently after his stint in jail, he told a friend that he had stopped drinking. Take it for what you will. But can you give me a reason why I should "believe you, Furcal has not stopped drinking?"

You would think these athletes who make so much money would just hire a driver.

I just think that he might prefer LA because of the weather, nightlife, and better offer.

I think he's going to LA, unless the Cubs make a better last minute offer.

we should probably match it. i think morris would rather pitch in DS rather than arlington.

In the second half today, USC attempted 24 passes against UCLA.

yeah i know, it's a stretch. :)

One thing that's weird is that in October I got two calls from the Dodgers ticket office asking me if I wanted to renew my mini season ticket plan. I wasn't home either time.

But they've never called back.

Do they not care?

1. Whittier College, 103, in 1920
2. Stanford, 82, in 1925
3. USC, 76, in 1929

and my personal favorite

4. Manual Arts High, 74, in 1919

I hear that the Toilers were pretty tough back then.

1919 was the first year UCLA played football (or existed for that matter). They went 2-6 with wins over the Occidental Freshmen team and LACC.

The Grizzlies (as they were called then) lost also to Hollywood and Bakersfield Highs that year.

Can we assume that excessive drinking makes one's bones stronger and that JD should be encouraged to do so?

Sorry if I'm repeating something already noted earlier, but one of the Texas papers is saying that the Dodgers are very interested in Soriano. The Rangers are looking for major league ready pitching. What could we possibly give them? Perez, Lowe?

Why I want Furcal: He's an excellent defender, he gets on base at a decent clip, we'd only be committed to him for 3 years, Ned wouldn't have enough money to pursue guys like Jacque Jones, Joe Randa, and Juan Pierre, there's a better chance that the Dodgers will keep Bradley because of lack of money/good options, Ned won't feel compelled to pursue a "real" leadoff hitter like Pierre
Why I don't want Furcal:
The Dodgers probably wouldn't have enough money left to pursue a middle of the order hitter through trade, Perez and Aybar probably wouldn't get a chance to start, he isn't a great player and from what I've seen of him- he has become a more aggressive hitter and too often tries to hit HRs

So, we are probably better off with Furcal.

LACC and UCLA were the same place until UCLA opened in Westwood in 1929. Technically in 1919, UCLA was "The University of California, Southern Branch" then.

LACC's teams are called the "Cubs" because of their connection to UCLA.

I was referring to Carroll's play calling will come back to haunt him in a philosophical sense. Or even mythological sense. It's hubris.

You don't mess with hubris.

I didn't hear it, just read it on numerous message boards. I guess we'll know tomorrow

Are you faster than Jason Phillips? Are you faster than Wilson Alvarez? Do your friends ever call you Hee Seop?

Texas had 57 runs for 268 yards and 19 passes with 16 completions for 218 yards. Colorado turned the ball over four times and blocked two kicks.

Of course, it turns out that Mack Brown was tempting the football gods because when Texas was up 50, they blitzed Colorado's QB Joel Klatt and literally knocked him out of the game.

The football gods will want appeasement from some one. Maybe it will rain on the Rose Bowl.

Just like how they got worse when guys like Palmer, Fargas, and Palamalu left.

Texas gets everybody back next year. Everybody. They will be the prohibitive favorites.

Maybe that explain the drop in Brazoban's effectiveness. People kept nibbling on him.

USC -6 vs Texas

I have watched too much football today. Off to the movies.

i use to read a lot of cs lewis :)

http://tinyurl.com/dvng2

we got furcal

I wouldn't get wrapped up in the position-move speculation about what happens when Izturis returns. It's a long time between now and July. This actually might provide cover for Choi to get a long look at first base.

I could have been seeing things, I'm not sure. Sure does make me look stupid if there never was a mistake

when the contract is over, JtD would only be 24 yrs old.

this is an analysis of furcal from baseball analysts blog:

http://baseballanalysts.com/archives/2005/11/free_agency_pre.php

3. Rafael Furcal - 27 - SS - 2005: Atlanta Braves

.284 AVG/.348 OBP/.429 SLG | HR 12 | SB 46 | 62 BB/78 SO

High on our list because of his blend of age, position, speed and defense in addition to what he provides with the bat. After watching Juan Uribe change the course of Game 4 in the World Series, you can bet General Managers will be salivating with the option of signing the one shortstop with a stronger arm. Furcal also fits great atop a lineup, as his baserunning (82% SB success rate) and patience (averaged 60 walks from 2003-2005) are both assets. This, not his DUI, should be the focus of GMs during evaluations.

2005 was Furcal's second best season ever, despite ending June with a .652 OPS. However, in each of the final three months his OPS was over .800, and his OBP was over .370. There is talk that Furcal was playing injured in the early going, explaining his struggles. His final two months, which were nearly identical -- .286/.377/.439 in August, .320/.383/.437 in September -- indicate when he stands as a player now. Rafael is a better bet to succeed over a four-year contract than Edgar Renteria, who might have made GMs wary of those deals with his mediocre season.

Projection: 4 years, $40 million. Edgar Renteria went from a .728 OPS in 2004 to this exact contract during the winter. Furcal will draw the same deal, and people will again cite that he's a "winner." Both sides will win at this rate.

so why dont just go after nomar?

and yes miltie, i hope we snag the great beared one as well.

190 -- Absolutely. Anything can be survived for three years. Anything.

9/9 2006 at Texas. The Ohio State University gets their revenge.

OK maybe not, with Schlegel, Hawk, and Carpenter gone it might be a different game. But with Quinn Pitcock, the pride of Piqua High School (my alma mater) coming back, you can bet OSU will have a good defense.

which newspaper guy used that argument on here again?

197 - I don't think Beltre/Boras would have gone for three years. The $13.3 million per year isn't that much more than what he got from Seattle.

So do we lose our high 1st Round Draft pick over this. Not that it would matter much, we can't seem to sign our first rounders anyway.

I heard Randa stunk up the place in San Diego though.