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"School dinner Jimmy"

2006-09-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

Cllr. Foreman caught eating again!

Being the Lead Member for Lifelong Learning on South Tyneside District Council must be like enjoying a second childhood for Cllr. Jimmy Foreman. He really is working his socks off promoting the benefits of his departmental brief. Despite a lull in publicity (last week) in the local newspaper, the publicity machine came up trumps with another good one in tonight's edition.

Jimmy was found lurking on page 5 with a silver rose bowl and - wait for it -two school dinner ladies! What a surprise!

The two ladies, Lesley Cusworth and Alison Reid were being presented with awards from Cllr. Foreman for their outstanding contribution to South Tyneside's education catering service. Yes, it's a hard life judging all of these school meals. Let me just say that Junior Curly loves them, "even better than mother's cooking" he says.

Next time you bump into Jimmy Foreman, ask him what his waist size was before he became Lead Member for Lifelong Eating!

He, he, he! (He's a good sport really.)

Saturday Gleenings

2006-08-15T18:54:00.000-07:00

The Huskies had their first day in pads today followed by the traditional picture day after practice. Picture day is prett cool.

The first player of note is Daniel Howell who wore the Gold jersey for the 4th consecutive day. He wins it for special teams one day, and defense the next, quite an early accomplishment, and it seems to cement the reason that one of the top returning starters, Scott White, is trying to play catch up on second string. It is no easy task to pass by a returning senior who is mentioned on most pre season all conference lists. The competition is going to make both of those guys better.

The uniforms still suck according to witnesses I spoke to this afternoon, very little color or numeral font change, just a more comfortable version. The Weasel must eventually go, I am sure Turner is working on it and just needs to approve something new with plenty of lead time for next seasons manufacturing. (See Todd, I gave you an out.)

Marcel Reese seems to be as good as advertised according to the coaching staff, look for him to make an early impact creating mismatches in the middle of the secondary. Reese may be the best receiver we have had since Reggie Williams. The other receivers aren't too shabby either.
If we can get these guys the ball we will be in good shape.

The early reviews on the offensive line are positive which means nothing till we actually see them in action. Ossai has been profiled lately and says his bench is up to 375. Not bad for a RS frosh, but 50-75 lbs away from where it needs to be. In the old days he would be a backup this year and finally see regular playing time as a sophmore.

Stanley Daniels say's the OL will surprise, and they are collectively the quickest and most athletic group he has seen since he has been here. I like Stanley, always have, and I hope he is right. The coaches seem optimistic, and this staff doesn't BS, so maybe they have something going.

The word is Chad Macklin is just huge, between 6'8 and 6'10. He is a Neu guy, and came in with Berglund in the infamous 2 man OL class. Remember they were waiting for guys like Bush, Bulyca, Ashby, and Flowers the following year, so they took a ton of WR types. Macklin seems to be rounding into solid shape and insiders are now targeting him for a breakout year.

Rosbourough is going to see some time this year. At 370 pounds he takes awhile to run around. I anxiously await the arival of Sir Mason, not only for depth he provides, but because of his quickness which may help him overcome his 278lb weight. He could really use a redshirt year to put on 25-35 lbs of muscle. Chances are that when he gets in it will take almost until mid season till his presence is felt. If Berglund and Rosbourough are capable of quality minutes Mason could redshirt, but I wouldn't count on it. I would love to see Berglund contribute this year.

On the interior no word about Kava, Bulyca, or Bush yet. These guys need to be worthy of being in the rotation for the OL to have any depth. Walker, Garcia, and Daniels, are solid, let's hope they stay healthy. Most people have written off Kava, but I expect him to surprise.

Matt Sedillo has been the most impressive Frosh lineman so far which is apropo since he was the least recruited out of the HS threesome. Nice to see a darkhouse pick show signs of working out early. All there HS guys will redshirt unless injuries come up.

Out in the seconday Goldson is back to going at full speed again which is good news. I think we are going to have the best corner rotatation this year since our last Rose Bowl season. Ashlee Palmer needs to get in or we are going to have problems again with depth with Darin Harris out for the season with a chronic back injury.

On offense Mosley is the frosh RB, he got his bell rung so he won't be back to full speed till Monday. I am thinking that when Meyers gets back in he may head to Safety rather than RB, or WR. Just a guess on that, but the Hukies have some depth holes to fill at DB, moving him or Mosley over would help now, and in the future.

Daniel Te'o Nesheim is in a big time position battle with Brandon Ala to play opposite Greyson Gunheim at DE. Word has it that Ala is bigger, and meaner this year. White Frisbee is coming along, seems to be participating in most drills, but they are bringing him along slowly to make sure he is healthy when the season begins.

Not much news at QB, and RB yet. IS is still firmly #1, they feel Bonnell is a good backup and even a potential challenger for the starting job.

It's finally time for Booty to emerge from shadows

2006-08-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

MATTHEW KREDELL
LA Daily News

John David Booty watched intently from the sidelines at spring practice in 2003 as USC quarterbacks Matt Leinart and Matt Cassel made their throws.

With each misplaced ball and poor read, Booty remembered the words of then-offensive coordinator Norm Chow: He could start for the Trojans right away.

No senior year of high school. No need to go through the recruiting process. One of the most respected quarterback gurus in the game saying he could move right in to replace Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer.

Three years later, Booty began fall practice Thursday still waiting for that first start.

The next few months will determine whether Booty's unprecedented decision to skip his senior year of high school for college football damaged a promising career or works out in the long run.

"It's there for the taking," Booty said. "I'm getting my opportunity, and that's all you can ask for. The last three years have gone so fast, though there were times when a day seemed like it lasted forever. I'm sure these next two years will be like that, too."

Booty didn't become the first known high school football player to forego his senior season with the expectation of sitting on the bench for three years. But no one knew at the time that Leinart, considered third on the depth chart entering that spring in 2003, would turn into one of the greatest college quarterbacks of all time.

"It was tough on him," said John David's brother, Josh, a former LSU quarterback who was drafted in the seventh round by the NFL's Seattle Seahawks. "He loved his teammates and loved that they were winning. But the guys he came in with - like Reggie (Bush) and LenDale (White) - were playing, and he was not. He was bummed at times, just not feeling excited. It's hard to feel excited when you're not playing, especially when you could be at any other university and starting for sure."

One of the days that seemed to last forever was Jan. 14, 2005. That's when Leinart stepped up to a podium in Heritage Hall and announced that, despite the possibility of being the top overall NFL draft pick after winning two national championships and a Heisman Trophy, he would return to USC for his fifth and final year of eligibility.

It was as if Booty was about to cross the finish line, only to find out he had to run another lap.

At the time of Leinart's decision, Sports Illustrated was putting together a story on him taking over the most talented team in the country, the next in the line of great Trojans quarterbacks. It was all put on hold.

That was the only time Booty thought about transferring. He talked to his brother about the possibilities - perhaps LSU or Florida. But he would have to sit out a year to go to any Division I school, and he wasn't about to go Division II. In that time, Leinart would be done and he would have his chance at USC.

"If he could have gone and played right away somewhere, that would have changed everything," Josh Booty said.

But John David loved USC - the school, the beach nearby, the coaches, his teammates. It would have been difficult for him to leave.

He earned the respect of his peers by never complaining about his lack of playing time or acting as though he were entitled, neither publicly to the media nor privately to the team.

"He didn't want to bring the team down by pouting," receiver Steve Smith said. "That just makes us appreciate him more as a leader for what he's been through."

Booty's life took a sharp turn in the spring of 2003 when his father, Johnny, was fired as quarterbacks coach at Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport, La. John David, who had led the school to two consecutive Class 5A state titles, decided he wouldn't return without his father.

Booty was expected to be the top quarterback in most recruiting publications and Web sites. He was the best player from a family of athletes. Another brother, Abram, was a standout receiver for LSU. Johnny also played quarterback in college.

Before those recruiting rankings came out, Booty committed to USC in March 2003. He had been leaning toward Miami until the top quarterback of the previous class, Kyle Wright, signed with the Hurricanes over USC in February.

Josh had been working out in Orange County, trying to get back into the NFL. He knew Chow, who had tried to recruit him to Brigham Young in 1993. He urged John David to consider USC.

John David saw greatness on the horizon for the team that had just signed what many considered the top freshman class in the nation. He was thinking of transferring to Mission Viejo to finish high school close to his brother and future college. But Chow planted the seed, and it had been growing in his head:

He could start at USC right away.

He checked on his academic status and found out it was a possibility. He could finish his high school degree over the summer and be at USC in the fall.

He arrived at USC full of bravado, expecting to compete for the starting job. It wasn't much of a battle. Coming in four weeks before the season started, Booty was at a huge disadvantage. He needed to learn the offense and get used to the collegiate level. Coming from a high school offense that he ran out of the shotgun, he needed a lot of work.

"Physically, he had the chance to start," said Chow, now offensive coordinator with the Tennessee Titans. "Obviously, he had to work through a lot of other issues, mentally and all that stuff."

Booty didn't take Chow's words as a promise or guarantee. He knew he would have to earn playing time. The way Leinart was playing, winning a share of the national title with LSU by beating Michigan in the Rose Bowl, he couldn't complain.

"I think the beauty of having big brothers who have been there at least prepared him," Johnny Booty said. "Some guys come in with a lot of hype and don't know the reality of it all. John David is a realist. He knew he had to earn his stripes, and that it might take a couple years."

The wait, as difficult as it was, may benefit John David. He got the opportunity to observe Leinart, how he controlled the game, his poise in crucial situations and the way he limited mistakes.

He got game experience, last season, even if it was in garbage time, throwing for 327 yards and the first three touchdowns of his career.

And he recovered from a chronic back injury, which hasn't bothered him since surgery, that kept him out for most spring practice.

"It was a big jump for me, and I wasn't ready," Booty said of the move to college. "(The three-year wait) gave me time to get settled down. A lot of stuff had happened in my life, and it was really quick. I didn't want to put myself out there when I couldn't be the best player I could be."

If Booty doesn't succeed, redshirt freshman Mark Sanchez is waiting. He won't be allowed any hiccups. Despite the losses of Leinart, Bush and others, expectations are high for USC, which is ranked third in the nation in the preseason coaches' poll.

Booty is listed as a 20-to-1 shot to win the Trojans a third consecutive Heisman Trophy, astonishing odds for a player yet to start a college game.

"He's more of a cross between (Palmer and Leinart)," USC quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian said. "I think he might throw the ball better than Matt, but I don't know if the game comes to him as easy as it did for Matt."

Booty's ability to throw an accurate deep ball should create a more dangerous vertical game.

"I'm not taking anything away from Leinart, but I'm excited about Booty," Smith said. "I think there will be a lot of opportunities for the team to make some big-time plays downfield this year in comparison to last year, when Reggie was making most of the big-time plays."

If Booty doesn't meet expectations, his decision to leave high school early will be scrutinized. Maybe, if he stayed for his senior year, he would have seen that Leinart was established at USC and done better elsewhere.

It could go down as another costly decision in the Booty family. Josh signed with LSU out of high school, but then decided to focus on baseball when the Florida Marlins made him the fifth overall pick in the 1994 amateur draft. After failing to make it in baseball, he went back to football in 1999, starting for two seasons at LSU. He was a backup with the Cleveland Browns until 2003, but never attempted a pass in a regular-season game.

Now 31, Josh works for a title insurance company in Irvine.

"If he had gone to LSU straight out of high school, he would have had a lot more time and been more of a prospect," John David said of Josh. "There's no doubt about that. I think that had a lot to do with it."

If he performs well in USC's pro-style offense, John David shouldn't have such a problem in the NFL. Carroll said he is counting on the transition from Leinart to Booty being as smooth as the one from Palmer to Leinart.

The coaching staff will test him in fall practice by putting him up against the No. 1 defense as much as possible to prepare for that first start, Sept. 2 at Arkansas.

"He's going to be fine," Carroll said. "I'm not worried about him. We just need to get everything around him ready, and I think he's going to do his part."

Fathers ... can't live with them and wouldn't be alive without them

2006-08-03T18:47:00.000-07:00

So when I was about 5 my Dad started taking me to his alma mater's football games. This time with my Dad was special, it was only him and me and none of my sibs were allowed. (It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized that there was no way in hell they wanted to go, but still, it was a big honor and my special time with my Dad.)

And every year at the start of the season he'd say the same thing, "By god Bonson if they go to the Rose Bowl we're going!" And once again I didn't realize till much later that this was a pretty sure bet to tell your 5 year old son since our team had never, ever been to the Rose Bowl!

Heck, our team was so bad we didn't even say 'wait till next year,' we just said 'well, there they go again.'

But when I was ten lightning struck. During the regular season they pulled every game but one out their collective a$$es, usually by some last second bizarro play. Hell, they gained yardage on fumbles! They were nicknamed the 'Cardiac Kids', looking back, I would have called them 'Satan's Spawn'; nobody could have a season like that if they hadn't made a deal with the devil.

That season ended with a 3 way tie for 1st place in our conference. I remember waiting in the car for the announcement of which team was going to the Rose Bowl. Then it came, our team was going to the Rose Bowl ... and my Dad told me we we were going too!

All those years of watching losing teams together, eating frozen malteds in sub-zero weather, (the malteds were my idea, not Dad's), sitting in the snow, the rain, driving hours to away games, watching every last second of turf pounding misery, (did I mention that my Dad thought leaving early, no matter how lopsided the score, was disloyalty?), and finally we were going to a bowl game ... and it was in sunny SoCal!

Just my Dad and me, going to Disneyland, going to the Rose Parade and going to the Rose Bowl!

Ahh, good times, good times.[/wistful]

My Dad passed away some time ago, so if you still have yours give him a hug. And then give him a hug for me.

Happy Father's Day.

YOU CAN SEE SUPERLATIVES AT THE ROSE BOWL

2006-07-31T22:39:00.000-07:00

A concours d'elegance is the sort of car show you'd expect F. Scott Fitzgerald to host — world-class cars displayed on carpet-like lawns. Each year, there seem to be more of these elegant affairs, from Miami to Pebble Beach. Such shows have ringed L.A. for years. Now one is coming to the heart of the area.

On Sunday, the Rose Bowl will host its inaugural Concours d'Elegance, featuring 300 vehicles — American classics, European exotics and five classes of Ferraris. Organizers, hoping to make it an annual show, have mapped out four future dates at the stadium and adjacent golf course. This year, there are "a lot of winners from Amelia Island and Pebble Beach, including a 1904 Pope Toledo and a '36 Bugatti (shown in the photo above)," said Pat Spears, president of the Assistance League of Southern California, sponsor of the event. An earlier posting on December 12, 2005 featured the newest Bugatti Veyron which sells for $1.25 million.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; $30 (free to children younger than 12); (323) 469-1973, Ext. 239, or http://www.laconcours.com .
1949 Ferrari 166

MHS band students to march in Rose Bowl Parade Carol Brimm Three ...

2006-07-29T17:15:00.000-07:00

MHS band students to march in Rose Bowl Parade

Carol Brimm

Three Mustang High School band students were selected for the 2007 Oklahoma All Star Centennial Marching Band. Cory Johnson, trumpet; Brian Kriegh, trumpet; and Megan Coatney, clarinet; each faced stiff competition as they auditioned to become a part of the band which will represent the state of Oklahoma at the Rose Bowl, Disneyland, and numerous parades throughout Oklahoma. The 150-member band will participate in opening ceremonies at the Rose Bowl and will be the first marching band to lead the parade on Jan. 1, 2007. Oklahoma will also have two floats in the parade.

Students were required to be in the ninth, tenth or eleventh grades in April 2006 and maintain a 3.0 grade point average to be eligible for the band. Johnson received a waiver because he will not enter ninth grade until school begins this fall.

Oklahoma’s All Star Centennial Band was created by the Oklahoma Centennial Commission in celebration of Oklahoma’s Centennial in 2007 and the state is paying all expenses for the band. Each student will receive uniforms, instruments, special music, a band camp, travel costs, room and board, a scholarship to Northeastern State University and have the opportunity to work with Michael Davis who recently retired as the Band and Orchestra director for the Walt Disney World® Resort.

The students will attend a band camp at the University of Oklahoma, July 24-28, 2006 in preparation for their first performance at the Oklahoma State Fair on Saturday, Sept. 16 with subsequent appearances at the Tulsa Parade on Nov. 11, 2006, Armed Forced Day at Fort Sill on May 18, 2007, the Bartlesville Centennial Parade on Aug. 1, 2007, the Oklahoma City Centennial Parade on Oct. 14, 2007, the Chandler Veterans Parade on October 14, 2007, and the Guthrie Inaugural Parade on November 16, 2007.

The trip to southern California for the Rose Bowl is from Dec. 28, 2006 – Jan. 2, 2007. The band will march over 6 miles and play a medley of Oklahoma, How the West Was Won, and Our Good Nature, an original composition commissioned especially for the Centennial Celebrations. They will play the medley approximately 56 times during the parade.

Revisiting 2001: A Seasonal Odyssey

2006-07-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

Journey with me to the 2001 college football season. Oh how things were different just 5 short years ago. USC was beginning a new era under NFL failure Pete Carroll, Mack Brown still couldn't beat Oklahoma, Florida State had yet to finish outside the top 10 in 2 decades. Heading into Thanksgiving weekend, it looked as if the Rose Bowl's first turn to host the BCS title game would be a historical rematch of Miami versus Nebraska. Then all hell broke loose. Colorado thumped Nebraska by 26 points on the Friday after Thanksgiving. That opened the door for several one-loss teams to step up and assume the #2 ranking in the BCS. The very next day Oklahoma (10-1) was upset by archrival Oklahoma State (4-7). That loss coupled with their earlier loss to Nebraska enabled Texas put Texas into the Big 12 Championship Game. The next weekend, two more one-loss teams would play what amounted to an elimination game in the swamp. Florida (9-1) would host Tennessee (9-1) in an early season game that was postponed thanks to September 11th. Tennessee upset the Gators and looked to be in control of their own destiny heading into the SEC Championship game the next week against LSU. On the same day, Oregon (10-1) quietly concluded a superb regular season by squeaking by archrival Oregon State (5-6). On Championship Saturday, two more one-loss teams went down. Texas was upset by a Colorado team they had throttled by 34 points 6 weeks earlier in the Big 12 Championship Game. Tennessee was also upset in their title game by LSU. This left the BCS standings in absolute chaos. When the dust cleared, a team that didn't even win its half of the conference, would face Miami in the grand-daddy of them all for the national championship. Nebraska edged Colorado by five hundredths of a point (7.23 to 7.28) for second place. Oregon was a distant fourth at 8.67. So who deserved to play Miami for the national title? Determining who deserved to play Miami is not easy. Historically teams that play for the national title cannot have more than 1 loss. That limits the possibilities. Instead I will try to determine which team was the second best in the nation in 2001, not necessarily who deserved to play Miami. In my opinion, there were 12 candidates, some of them much more legitimate than others. We'll start with the best of the non-BCS teams, then examine the BCS pretenders, and finally examine the legitimate BCS contenders. Under each team 8 pre-bowl game statistics are listed: their record (conference record in parentheses), number of points scored and allowed, point differential, Pythagorean record, record in close games (those decided by 8 points or less), record against winning teams, road record, and finally opponent's cumulative winning percentage. This is all followed by a brief synopsis of their season summing up their case to play Miami.

Non-BCS

BYU
Record: 12-1 (7-0)
Points Scored Points Allowed: 608 396
Point Differential: +212
Pythagorean: 9.54-3.46
Close Games: 5-0
Winning Records: 3-1
Road Games: 6-1
Opp Win%: .399 (59-89)

I left them out of the discussion earlier, but the Mountain West champion Cougars were actually undefeated heading into their season finale against at Hawaii on December 8th. Prior to the showdown with Hawaii (who finished 9-3), some BYU administrators had publicly contemplated suing the BCS if an undefeated Cougar squad were left out. After the game, such talk was moot. BYU scored 45 points which is good. However, they allowed 72 which isn't so good. In that game, Hawaii quarterback Nick Rolovich threw more touchdown passes (8) than Heisman winning quarterback Eric Crouch (7) had thrown all season. It was fitting BYU lost their final contest by such a large margin against the best team they would play in the regular season. They played a ridiculously easy schedule, and struggled to put away some bad teams. They beat UNLV (4-7) by 4, New Mexico (6-5) by 4, Wyoming (2-9) by 7, and Mississippi State (3-8) by 3. Their best win was over Utah (8-4). A BCS appearance by BYU would have likely been both a blowout and most undeserved.

Fresno State
Record: 11-2 (6-2)
Points Scored Points Allowed: 525 300
Point Differential: +225
Pythagorean: 10.27-2.73
Close Games: 2-2
Winning Record: 4-2
Road Games: 6-1
Opp Win %: (.489) 74-78

The Bulldogs weren't really a contender for the #2 spot in the BCS rankings, but I left them on here for 2 reasons. Foremost, they beat a team we'll discuss later, Colorado, in the Jim Thorpe Classic during the season's first weekend. Secondly, they were probably the best non-BCS team in 2001. Although the Bulldogs did defeat 3 BCS teams in 2001, 2 of those teams were having down years (Oregon State finished 5-6 and Wisconsin finished 5-7). Still give Pat Hill credit for his scheduling cajones. Unfortunately, 2 late October losses to Boise State and Hawaii prevented Fresno from even winning the WAC. Still, its fun to play the what-if game. What if Fresno managed to knock off those 2 teams and stood as the only other undefeated team besides Miami when the regular season ended? Would there victory over the Buffaloes allow them to jump both Nebraska and Colorado or would their weak schedule do them in?

BCS Pretenders

Maryland
Record: 10-1 (7-1)
Points Scored Points Allowed: 390 210
Point Differential: +180
Pythagorean: 8.94-2.06
Close Games: 3-0
Winning Record: 6-1
Road Games: 3-1
Opp Win %: .473 (61-68)

Under rookie head Ralph Friedgen, the Terraphins doubled their win total and won the ACC outright. Their success was the product of a down ACC (every other team had at least 4 total losses), some good luck in close games (3-0), and the victories by North Carolina and NC State over perennial league champion Florida State. The Terps were handled by 21 in Tallahassee, but did not stumble again in ACC play. The Seminoles on the other hand lost to both the Heels (in a stunning 41-9 rout) and the Pack. Maryland was a good team in 2001, but nowhere near elite status.

Illinois
Record: 10-1 (7-1)
Points Scored Points Allowed: 356 238
Point Differential: +118
Pythagorean: 7.94-3.06
Close Games: 4-0
Winning Record: 3-1
Road Games: 4-1
Opp Win %: .488 (62-65)

Aside from the fact that their head coach was not in his first season, the Illini owe much of their success to the same factors as Maryland. A down Big 10 (no other team had fewer than 4 losses), some good luck in close games (4-0), and some upsets over the league's best team helped the Illini capture the Big 10 crown. After being handled by the Michigan Wolverines in late September 45-20, the Illini looked to be playing for second place. However, the Wolverines lost to Michigan State by 2 in early November, and followed that up with a loss to Ohio State at the end of the month by 6. Illinois kept winning and took the Big 10 title outright. Like Maryland, they were good, but not elite.

LSU
Record: 9-3 (5-3)
Points Scored Points Allowed: 371 268
Point Differential: +103
Pythagorean: 8.20-3.80
Close Games: 2-1
Winning Record: 4-3
Road Games: 3-1
Opp Win %: .567 (80-61)

Despite 3 conference losses, the Tigers won the SEC by upseting Tennessee in the championship game. Clearly not the best team in the conference, they lost at home to Florida by 29 points.

Colorado
Record: 10-2 (7-1)
Points Scored Points Allowed: 396 280
Point Differential: +116
Pythagorean: 8.33-3.67
Close Games: 2-1
Winning Record: 5-2
Road Games: 3-1
Opp Win %: .589 (86-60)

Despite the fact that they won the Big12, Colorado was not the best team in the conference, and definitely not the second best team in the nation. Before upsetting Texas in the Big 12 Championship Game, they had lost to the Longhorns by 34 points. In 4 of the 6 BCS conferences, the best team clearly did not win (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, SEC).

BCS Contenders

Oregon
Record: 10-1 (7-1)
Points Scored Points Allowed: 374 240
Point Differential: +134
Pythagorean: 8.15-2.85
Close Games: 5-1
Winning Record: 3-1
Road Games: 5-0
Opp Win %: .508 (64-62)

Finally a deserving BCS champion. The Ducks did have some good luck in close games (5-1), but were clearly the best team in the Pac 10. Still, their point differential was not that great and their schedule strength was pretty weak. I'm not including the bowl game because this writing is intended to be a summation of the regular season. However, they did trounce Colorado by in the Fiesta Bowl.

Nebraska
Record: 11-1 (7-1)
Points Scored Points Allowed: 449 189
Point Differential: +260
Pythagorean: 10.63-1.37
Close Games: 0-0
Winning Record: 5-1
Road Games: 3-1
Opp Win %: .546 (77-64)

Ah the team that started this whole mess. Before their loss to Colorado, this looked like the Nebraska of old. They hadn't really been challenged except by Oklahoma in a game they eventually won by 10 points. Of course, besides Oklahoma, the best team they had played prior to Colorado was either Iowa State (7-5) or Texas Tech (7-5). That coupled with the Colorado curb-stomping keeps prevents them from landing the #2 slot.

Oklahoma
Record: 10-2 (6-2)
Points Scored Points Allowed: 387 166
Point Differential: +221
Pythagorean: 10.58-1.42
Close Games: 1-1
Winning Record: 4-1
Road Games: 3-1
Opp Win %: .510 (73-70)

The defending champs had their chance until an unthinkable slip up at home against Oklahoma State. Oklahoma had a solid point differential and defeated Texas, but the slip up to a team as bad as Oklahoma State seals the argument against them. Those Cowboys finished 4-7 and their other victories were over Louisiana Tech (7-5), Baylor (3-8) and non-Division IA Northwestern State.

Texas
Record: 10-2 (7-1)
Points Scored Points Allowed: 470 164
Point Differential: +306
Pythagorean: 11.09-0.91
Close Games: 0-1
Winning Record: 4-2
Road Games: 5-0
Opp Win %: .510 (73-70)

The beneficiary of Oklahoma State's upset over Oklahoma. The irony in everything is that Texas was likely headed for a BCS bowl if Oklahoma hadn't been upset. Instead they got a rematch with a Colorado team that previously beaten by 34 in the Big12 Championship. A win there could have propelled them to the Rose Bowl. However, the upset loss relegated them to the Holiday Bowl. A very good point differential keep them in the conversation despite the upset by Colorado.

Tennessee
Record: 10-2 (7-1)
Points Scored Points Allowed: 355 234
Point Differential: +121
Pythagorean: 8.74-3.26
Close Games: 4-1
Winning Record: 6-2
Road Games: 5-0
Opp Win %: .594 (85-58)

Before their loss to LSU, the Vols only blemish was to Georgia by 2 points. That was the only close game the Vols would lose. They scraped by LSU the first time by 8, beat South Carolina (9-3) by 7, beat Kentucky (2-9) by 2, and narrowly escaped Florida in the Swamp by 2. The Vols are a solid candidate, but their relatively small point differential keeps them out of the #2 slot.

Florida
Record: 9-2 (6-2)
Points Scored Points Allowed: 482 155
Point Differential: +327
Pythagorean: 10.3-0.70
Close Games: 0-2
Winning Record: 5-2
Road Games: 3-1
Opp Win %: .557 (73-58)

Florida was good in 2001, very good. In Steve Spurrier's final season they whipped Marshall (11-2) by 35. They won at LSU by 29. They won at South Carolina (9-3) by 37. They beat Florida State (8-4) by 24. Unfortunately, the bounces in close games did not go their way. They lost to Auburn (7-5) by 3 and to Tennessee by 2. 5 points separated Florida from an undefeated season. Despite their 2 losses, in my opinion Florida was the second best team in 2001. They had the highest point differential of any team besides Miami, they played a tough schedule and dominated several good teams, and their losses were close games to good team. Would they have beaten Miami in the 2001 Rose Bowl? Probably not, Miami was on another level in 2001, but Florida had the best chance of any other team.

The Next National Champion: Notre Dame

2006-07-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

Bold predicttion from covers.com

The Notre Dame bandwagon is packed tighter than a Tokyo subway car at rush hour, but there’s a good chance backers could ride along with the legions of South Bend straphangers all the way to the National Championship.
A nine-win season in 2005, a head coach rapidly approaching Knute Rockne status, and a returning senior quarterback who could very well be posing with the Heisman Trophy at year`s end – these are just a few reasons a school-record 41,279 fans showed up to check out this year’s annual spring game at Notre Dame Stadium to get a glimpse of the team picked by many to kiss the crystal football this winter.
It’s also why oddsmakers like the Irish at +600 to win their first championship since 1988.
But before we all go off painting the town green, maybe everybody should forget about Rudy and the Gipper for a second and ask if this Notre Dame squad is for real, or do we have another 2003 scenario on our hands?
College football aficionados have been guzzling coach Charlie Weis’ Kool-Aid like it was free beer at frat party ever since the former NFL coordinator took over last year and brought the glory days back to Notre Dame.
It also doesn’t hurt that the school, which hasn’t produced a first-round draft pick in 12 years, has the most promising pivot in the nation in Brady Quinn and a Biletnikoff Award finalist in Jeff Samardzija – arguably the most potent offensive combo in the nation.
Things haven’t looked this good in South Bend since Joe Montana rallied the Blue and Gold to a national championship in 1977.
But even though there seems to be a rainbow leading straight to the Golden Dome, the shadows of 2003 have to be hanging somewhere in the back of every bettor’s mind. That year, Ty Willingham was a promising sophomore coach at Notre Dame just like Weis. He was coming off a 10-3 debut season in which the Irish didn’t blow a pointspread until Week 11.
Then it all fell apart.
Willingham, who came off like Ulysses S. Grant in his inaugural campaign, looked more like a Chevy Chase impersonation of Gerald Ford when Notre Dame followed up the 2002 season by stumbling to a 5-7 straight up record that hurt bandwagon bettors even more thanks to a 4-8 ATS record. Another bad performance in 2004 spelled the end of Willingham’s stay in South Bend.
It was all bad news for Irish Nation until Weis turned up last spring.
There might not be much comparison between these two coaches or their respective teams, but it’s one of those things that has to make you think twice about Notre Dame futures.
More than any other school in the country, playing for the Fighting Irish brings heavy baggage for players – especially in a season like this one with such high expectations. A renewed television deal with NBC means no team gets more airplay than Notre Dame. Don’t think that won’t affect 19 year-old kids on the field.
But a repeat of the 2003 Irish collapse in 2006? Don’t bet on it.
You only have to look to last year’s Rose Bowl to realize what ingredients it takes to win a college football championship. You don`t want to oversimplify the equation, but both Texas and USC were lead by mature quarterbacks who knew how to grab a game by the stones and squeeze out a win.
If you were a college football coach and had the chance to choose any player in the country to run your offense, you’d have to be crazy not to take Quinn this season. His numbers last year were brilliant, he has the arm to stretch defenses and the smarts to protect the football, but he’s got something else too – that magical je ne sais quoi that separates the Tom Bradys of the football world from the Ryan Leafs.
Quinn is a winner.
Under Weis’ wing, Quinn dropped the baby fat and blossomed into the kind of quarterback that can take his team on his back and charge to the end zone. He nearly did it against USC last year with a fourth quarter drive that was capped with a courageous run to put the Irish ahead against the No. 1 team in the nation.
That game was ultimately won on a last-second touchdown by SC’s Matt Leinart, but with Leinart and his Rose Bowl nemesis, Vince Young, off to the greener pastures (as in greenbacks) of the NFL, the college gridiron should belong to Quinn this year.
People might tell you that Notre Dame’s defense couldn’t stop the cheerleading team from putting up 28 points, but that situation will also improve this season. The star power is considerably less lustrous on the defensive side of the ball, but with nine returning starters and some promising recruits, things can only improve on defense.
Notre Dame’s biggest competitor, on the other hand, took a big hit to its vaunted defense when the NFL came knocking.
With last year’s top teams in rebuilding mode, Ohio State (+600) is one of Notre Dame’s few serious challengers for the National Championship. But you can’t expect the Buckeyes to rebuild the defensive stonewall that permitted only 15.2 points per game without the assistance of what was perhaps the best trio of linebackers in school history (A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel).
Oklahoma and West Virginia are the only other teams listed with comparable odds to win the National Championship, but the Sooners looked at least a couple of years away from a return to prominence and it’s tough to take West Virginia seriously coming out of a Big East conference that’s sorely lacking in serious competition.
That brings us back to Notre Dame with its overplayed fight song and overhyped history. Some people might not appreciate the pomp and circumstance that follows this team around like they were the crown princes of college football, but unlike the Irish teams of the last few years, this one is the genuine article.
Last fall was a high point at Notre Dame, but don’t expect things to go downhill this year. Every move Weis has made since taking the reins of this program has been positive. His recruiting class was one of the best in the country and with a schedule that doesn’t take the Irish anywhere too dangerous until a trip to L.A. in late November, the path to the National Championship will certainly go though South Bend.

By Julian Dickinson

Booth movement and some major college football news.....in MAY

2006-07-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

So because they no longer have the rites to Monday Night Football, ABC is pooling their resources to put together a major college football primetime package beginning this season with Notre Dame at Georgia Tech.

The goal is to pair some of the top match-ups of the season in this package, and get the "big named" teams their primetime slot. Among the teams featured, Notre Dame will be on three times, against Tech, Michigan State and USC (and maybe again in the Rose Bowl if they fall there), Ohio State is featured twice, Michigan twice, and USC three times.

(Editors note: The highlight for me personally is that October 14th game with the Alma Mater extracting revenge on Mecheatagain at Beaver Stadium. Finally we get them at University Park for the first time since 2001. Go ask THE Ohio State's Troy Smith how much he enjoyed last year's primetime game at the Beav. Oh, and your homegrown referees won't save your ass this year either.)

But the package itself is a great idea, it's the first time that network television will carry a college football primetime series, and the weeks where there is a dual broadcast, the other game will be picked up by either ESPN or ESPN2 meaning you get three primetime games likely in one weekend.

ABC is smart in the sense that they have picked college football "cash cows" USC, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan to lead this new adventure and they are also going with a 12-day selection package too, meaning that games from November 11 on, they will select the games they will air 12-days before hand. Good choice, this way, much like the NFL Flex schedule they can get the best match ups from the conferences they choose to air.

ABC is also carrying the Rose Bowl (only) during the BCS, so they keep some of the traditional Rose Bowl teams like Ohio State, Michigan, and USC close to the vest in the hopes that maybe they can land a match up with any one of those three in their lone BCS game. Remember the other three BCS games move to Fox beginning this season.

There are other movments in the college football world as well.
NFL Network will air the Insight.com bowl beginning this year, this to go along with their airing of live regular season NFL games for the first time. That, plus they will take the top five games from each week and re-air them in full, it's the network broadcast too.
Keith Jackson announced his retirement weeks ago, so ABC will scramble to fill his shoes and the booths are being switched around right and left. Brent Musberger will work with Bob Davie on the ABC Primetime game, Mike Patrick and Todd Blackledge (who moved from CBS) will do the ESPN primetime game, and former ABC'er Gary Danielson takes Blackledge's roll as lead analyst on CBS' coverage of the SEC this season. This means that (my idol) Brad Nessler and Bob Greise will be the lead afternoon team on ABC and they will keep Gary Thorne on the other game during the afternoon (Since Mike Tirico is now the MNF guy)All we know about Fox's coverage of the BCS is that Thom Brennaman will call one of the games (the title game, maybe the "Plus-one" game?) and the rest of the crew, analysts and all will be named later. You could stay in house and get guys like Joe Buck or Troy Aikman, but it might be wise to go outside and get someone else. As long as it isn't the guys they use on the Fox Sports Net studio show during Saturday telecasts, it'll be OK. But Fox definitely has the shallowest of broadcasting talent pools, specifically when it comes to play-by-play and college sports.
Those changes are inline with what the NFL booths look like with Greg Gumball moving back to play-by-play, James Brown jumping from Fox to CBS and Michaels and Madden jumping to NBC, Collonsworth and Bryant Gumball jumping to NFL Network.
It just goes to show that the booth movement is almost as crazy as free agency in other sports.

Athlon ranks USC No. 3 as new talent takes the reigns

2006-07-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

AthlonSports.com

Let’s review the last four years at USC, shall we? A record of 48–4, including a 34-game winning streak. A still-active 27-game home winning streak. Four BCS Bowl appearances. Four AP Top 4 finishes. Four Pac-10 titles. Two national titles. And rivers of talent rolling in.

Graduation and the lure of NFL riches stripped the USC offense of most of its lineup on offense, leaving only two linemen and the receivers. However, the two returning linemen — tackle Sam Baker and center Ryan Kalil — both earned All-America accolades in 2005 and will anchor another great unit in 2006, and the Trojan receiving corps, featuring All-American Dwayne Jarrett, is a showpiece. For a new quarterback to deliver the ball to them, coach Pete Carroll turns to junior John David Booty, although the Shreveport, La., native is coming off back surgery. Mark Sanchez is also in the the mix, but after running into some legal trouble in late April, his status is uncertain.

Tailback Hershel Dennis will miss his second straight campaign with torn knee ligaments, Desmond Reed also has a major knee issue, and Chauncey Washington, still struggling with academics, hasn’t played since ’03. Don’t be surprised to find recruits Stafon Johnson and C.J. Gable sharing the job.

Carroll’s specialty is defense, and the unit will be held together by the nation’s top linebacking corps, with Oscar Lua, Rey Maualuga, Keith Rivers, Thomas Williams, Dallas Sartz and Brian Cushing all back in the fold. All-conference end Lawrence Jackson, with 10 sacks last fall, leads the way on the D-Line.

The Men of Troy travel to Arkansas to open the season, followed by a visit from Nebraska in Game 2. The late season slate shows consecutive home games against Oregon, California and Notre Dame before the finale at UCLA.

Athlon’s Pick: Pac-10 champions

Returning starters
4 offense, 6 defense, placekicker

The streak
USC’s 34-game winning streak, which slammed to a halt in the 2006 Rose Bowl, is tied for sixth-longest in Division I history.

The streak part two
Going into the 2006 Rose Bowl, USC had been ranked No. 1 in a record 33 straight AP polls.

’Tis better to receive
The 2005 Trojans finished second nationally in turnover margin with a mark of plus-1.62 per game.

2006 Schedule
S. 2 at Arkansas
S. 16 Nebraska
S. 23 at Arizona
S. 30 at Washington State
O. 7 Washington
O. 14 Arizona State
O. 28 at Oregon State
N. 4 at Stanford
N. 11 Oregon
N. 18 California
N. 25 Notre Dame
D. 2 at UCLA

2005 Results (12–1, 8–0 Pac-10)
S. 3 at Hawaii W 63–17
S. 17 Arkansas W 70–17
S. 24 at Oregon W 45–13
O. 1 at Arizona State W 38–28
O. 8 Arizona W 42–21
O. 15 at Notre Dame W 34–31
O. 22 at Washington W 51–24
O. 29 Wash. State W 55–13
N. 5 Stanford W 51–21
N. 12 at California W 35–10
N. 19 Fresno State W 50–42
D. 3 UCLA W 66–19
J. 4 #Texas L 38–41
#Rose Bowl

Ye Old Swimming Hole

2006-07-06T18:24:00.000-07:00

Up until now, I've been the kind of girl who was in the pool from June until Spetember. I would still like to be that kind of girl, but unfortunately, living in Monrovia doesn't give me a lot of options, pool-wise. There isn't a community pool and that's all the more unlucky because right now, it's hot. Muy, muy caliente. Sticky, too. And our house, cute as it may be, is not a champ when it comes to maintaining a reasonable temperature. Sometimes sitting in my house feels like watching that "Temperature" video where most of the video consists of a thermometer climbing and falling until it looks on the verge of exploding at both points.

You would think that a house built back in good ole 1906 B.C.E. - before (air)conditioning expected - would have all sorts of funky little features that would keep it temperature stable. Things you see in the Gamble House, like ceiling windows that encourage air flow. Unfortunately for us, this seemed to be rustic winter house of rich family who probably felt it was charming to put in lots of air-stopping walls, a fireplace, and a big, stuffy attic just for kicks. Since they only used it during the few winter months, they probably had the option of high-tailling it to the Northern California coast when the heat got a little kicky. I'm thinking it cost about $800 for a summer of luxurious coastal living.

Ah, to be a rich person in 1906.

I once got a fortune out of a cookie that said "Lucky is coming your way." I always loved that -- I think it meant luck is coming your way, but maybe it meant some person/canine/time traveller named Lucky was soon to be arriving on my doorstep. So lucky was ambiguous -- it could've meant anyone, anything. What made me think of it is two-fold: one, that I just recently wrote a section in a novel-chapter that I've been working on that spends time on luck(y) and two, that when it comes to pools and other full-body submersion tanks of cool-cold water, I've always been lucky.

I grew up as poolside royalty at a swim club called Westwind. What made me royalty was the fact that my grandpa just happened to own the joint and so, my family got free summer admission to both Westwind and the tennis club next door which - again - my grandpa just happened to own. You knew we were like the scholarship kids because we were the only people that rolled in ten-year old Cadillac without a muffler and with the windows down, since the air-conditioner was usually broken. Oh, and my little sister was usually hanging her whole head, neck, and sometimes chest out the window as we made our way to the parking lot. Believe it, Gloria Allred.

My cousin Cathy just reminded me a few weeks ago about what terrors we were because of this royal status. It was probably the first and only time that any of us had a sense of entitlement, i.e. our grandpa owns this place so we should be allowed to get on the P.A. system and us girls should be allowed to run through the guys locker room. Which I never did, I swear, except once when I took part in the "All-Female Westwind Sleepover," an event where we hunted ghosts, slept on lawn chairs in sleeping bags, and yes, took that coveted all-access tour through the crappy boys locker room. But my sister and Cathy - never ones to let mere lifeguards get them down - took some excursions through the locker room during regular hours. They also waited for every chance to jump on the P.A. system and when it came, they would page our moms with phony messages. My sister and Cathy were three years younger than me, but I learned everything I ever needed to know about prank calling from listening to them on the P.A. system.

If you've ever spent any amount of time in the Midwest during the summer, you'll understand why we spent almost every day at the pool. Temperatures can and do reach 100 degrees by 10:00 a.m. and that's without the humidity. One thing I enjoy about living in the desert climate - California, in other words - is that no matter how hot it gets during the day, the temperature always goes down at night. In Illinois, that's not so much the case. You can spend the night in toasty 90 degree + humidity sweats. The years of my Illinois life seemed to fluctuate between winter and mosquito season.

When I came to California, I heard what I can only call now a very vicious and hurtful rumor that there were NO mosquitoes. I was told that they couldn't survive, that there just wasn't enough water for their viral reproduction patterns. I was overjoyed. I was the girl who (apart from always being in the pool) always had dozens of small red bumps on her arms and legs as a child, the one who the mosquitoes always attacked first. And I was the one who doesn't just get bit, but whose bites swell up to astronomically red and itchy proportions. So I came to California, bright eyed and like so many others, was deceived by the rumors of this golden land. Because IT'S NOT TRUE. Mosquitoes live, jive, and survive all over this place. And it turns out, that in a way, my saving grace is partly to blame. (But that comes later.) And yes, there are less mosquitoes here than in Illinois, but it's not saying much since there are less mosquitos everywhere compared with Illinois. Right now, I've logged a total of nine bites in the last week. Which is a lot compared to zero.

Sadly, by my last years of high school, Westwind was a shadow of its former glory days. Aurora got the bright idea to open kick-ass community aquatic centers, which were a fraction of the membership it cost to hang out at Westwind. Plus, the aquatic centers had cool slides, wave pools, and the classic mom favorite, the lazy river. So Westwind closed. My mom and aunt Janie got subversive one year by sneaking us into an exclusive neighborhood-only pool by using our grandparents address as their membership address in order to get a key. Of course, their high class version of fence-hopping only made me nervous. I've never much had the constitution for getting in trouble. It gives me gas. We spent one good summer there before a certain Benedict Arnold ratted us out to the community center. We were thenceforth banish-ed. Now that I think back on it, I feel a certain sense of pride that my mom and Janie were cool enough to pull the wool over the eyes of an entire neighborhood community center for a summer. I'll be calling them if I ever have the urge to check out one of those exclusive hipster clubs like LAX or Bungalow 8.

So here's the later part: Russ and I have spent some miserable days in the heat, shutting ourselves up in dark rooms, and sitting in front of fans with our bellies exposed. I once heard that if you put your belly in front of the cold air, it will cool down the rest of your body, which, like the no-mosquitoes-in-California thing, seems to be untrue. Even for all that, it was still so hot and sticky inside. Just when we were considering taking up that old tradition of sneaking into pools, Russ had a brilliant idea.He figured out how foothillers, like ourselves, beat the heat without spending a fortune to drive to the beach or join the Rose Bowl's Aquatic Center. He discovered the hidden pools of the foothills inside all the canyons on a hike last week. Some of the water from the late-melting snow in the mountains is still coming down this way and so, the pools of the foothills are high and beautifully cold. Whole families gather with picnic baskets and coolers and spend the day in the water. Some of the pools are over six feet deep; some are beside waterfalls; the one Russ and I relaxed in on Saturday was about four feet deep and full of tadpoles. We sat on the rocky bottom, reclined against rocks, and let the chilly mountain water make up for the 100 degree heat, the weird humidity, houses without central air, and of course, all those damn mosquitoes.

2006-05-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

Pasadena voters to decide Rose Bowl-NFL initiative

PASADENA, Calif. Pasadena voters in November could help decide whether L-A gets a pro-football team.

Pasadena City Council voted unanimously to place a measure on the ballot aimed at luring a team to the Rose Bowl.

It proposes giving the league rights to play at the stadium for 25 years in exchange for a 500-(m) million dollar stadium renovation, 500-thousand dollars a year in rent, and other considerations.

City Councilman Chris Holden says passing the measure would relieve Pasadena of paying 200-(m) million dollars for renovations he said are needed at the Rose Bowl.

But the initiative is opposed by West Pasadena residents, preservationists, and other city leaders, including Mayor Bill Bogaard.

Meanwhile, a committee of N-F-L owners heard stadium presentations last week from Los Angeles, Anaheim and Pasadena.

They could decide later this month whether to approve a Southern California franchise.

2006-04-16T16:51:00.000-07:00

rosebowlmvp04 new articles for Sunday, April 16, 2006Maisel: No hangover for Trojans after Rose Bowl loss
You couldn't blame Pete Carroll and USC if they were still agonizing over their Rose Bowl loss to Texas three months ago. But that's not happening, writes Ivan Maisel.

Glenn’s 1st Annual Good TRI-day Sprint Triathlon
The plan was to go to the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center to do 400-800 meters, transition to my car to get my bike and do 10 miles, then transition back ... It’s raining now which means I might not be able to do my bike ride at the Rose Bowl. ...

Mike Silver On Vince Young
No reason for Young's stock to fall since Rose Bowl Posted: Friday April 14, 2006 12:04PM; Updated: Friday April ... Now let me start by offering a two-word rebuttal: Rose Bowl. Oh yeah, remember that game? My new friend LenDale White ...

Rose Bowl Swap Meet
I lost my Rose Bowl Swap Meet virginity today and I can honestly say, like my first loss of virginity, it didn't go too well. It's all kinda hot and sweaty and I ... So really, the Rose Bowl Swap Meet is just like losing your virginity. ...

Remember the Rose Bowl, we'll win then...
Southern Cal at the Rose Bowl. Southern Cal won the toss and elected to receive, which was fine by me. Being the SEC neandrathal that I am, playing defense and sitting on a lead pretty well sums up my coaching strategy, and getting the ...

Looks Like My daughter will not get to be a Longhorn
Yeah, you were pumped as you watched the Longhorns take the field at the Rose Bowl in January. And when they won? Burnt orange ecstasy. But that thrill of victory may have cost your kid a coveted slot in this fall's freshman class at ...

Code poker room. Vernon for a semester to play baseball fight ...
She do that at the Rose Bowl.After spending and partly to keep up pressure on Mr Her Modernhaggadah site links to it and New Orleans was losing population even jobs overseas, Dell said the hiring is At stake are potentially lucrative ...

On Jason Lane and Reggie Bush...
It's hilarious that you were so pro-Bush, pre-Rose Bowl and so pro-Vince, post-Rose Bowl and now you're back to pro Bush again only because the Texans brought in Mario Williams to do due dilligence? No way in hell they take the guy and ...

The LenDale White conspiracy
6.6 yards per carry, 124 yards on 20 carries in the Rose Bowl, and six 100-yard games as a change-of-pace back for Reggie Bush are not small feats. For some reason, though, White has been a total non-factor during the offseason. ...

Lost and Found
The Doctor passes the sugar bowl over silently and hands her the milk. Rose shakes her head. 'No, not me, you. That's what you take.' He eyes her suspiciously. The sensible Doctor, he thinks vaguely back to his sixth and seventh lives, ...

Trojan Huddle Recap: OFF2 beats OFF1 22-19
In front of a crowd of some 25000 at the LA Memorial Coliseum, the Men of Troy took the field before an audience for the first time since the Rose Bowl some three months and five days before. But these were by no means the same USC ...

Fic: In the dark (1/?)
Pairing: Ten/Rose Spoilers: None Summary: Sometimes you wish you hadn't bothered waking up. ... She ran a tired hand through her hair, and then splashed some cold water from the near-by bowl onto her face, trying to wipe away the ...

You Too, Eh?
It was mentioned that he played "overweight" in the Rose Bowl. That's the same Rose Bowl he shredded Texas' vaunted defense for well over 100 yards and three touchdowns, right? He looked just as quick at 253 pounds as he did his ...

My Confirmation and Reflections on Light Shining in Darkness
For the adults and children being baptized tonight, there was a bowl of water at the front of the church. Msgr. Purcell loves to talk ... I had phoned the store, and they suggested a rose colored rosary that they already had in stock. ...

Ultimate Guide to the Final Spring Practice
You have games where he'll hit any kick, like the Rose Bowl against Texas; but, then you have games where he just misses about everything. And when Garrett misses, it's not even close. Throw in that missed extra point every few games, ...

NFL draft approaching...
If that's true, then how did he get dominated in the Rose Bowl by the Texas defense even with his supporting cast? ... All I need to know about Vince Young is that he came up with one of the greatest performances ever in the Rose Bowl. ...

Priceless! (Rose Bowl Photo)
Cheerleading, tumbling lessons and camps since age 3: $30000 Annual cost of attending USC: $50000 Annual cost for staying just the right shade of blond: $10000 Cheering when the other team scores: Priceless I know that this photo has ...

Day 109 - Sunday April 16
We went down to Compass Rose. Debbie did not want any of the dishes that were being served in CR or LaVeranda (except no leg of lamb at CR) and just wanted a sandwich instead. She got a turkey sandwich and a bowl of chilled cream of fig ...

T-Wire's Rose Bowl Gift Guide '06
So without further ado, we're proud to give you our Rose Bowl Gift Guide '06. Jerseys ... Reggie Bush 2006 Rose Bowl Jersey These are not going to be easy to come by. ... Yeah--we know, it probably won't be cold at the Rose Bowl. ...

Rose Bowl gets highest college football ratings since '87
Rose Bowl: Highest college football ratings since '87 NEW YORK -- Texas' last-minute victory over Southern California in the Rose Bowl drew the highest rating for a college football game in 19 years. ABC Sports' broadcast of Texas' ...

2006-04-10T22:26:00.000-07:00

rosebowlmvp04 new articles for Tuesday, April 11, 2006Rose Bowl Swap Meet
I lost my Rose Bowl Swap Meet virginity today and I can honestly say, like my first loss of virginity, it didn't go too well. It's all kinda hot and sweaty and I ... So really, the Rose Bowl Swap Meet is just like losing your virginity. ...

Reggie Bush vs Vince Young
Because Vince Young came into my radar when I watched him dominate Michigan in the 2005 Rose Bowl and then the ESPN saying that USC was the best team ever really pissed me off. In my opinion what is happending to Vince Young is similar ...

Rose Bowl loss to Texas all but forgotten by USC
A victory in the Rose Bowl would have raised the possibility of a challenge to Oklahoma's record of 47 consecutive victories, the Holy Grail of college football records. That's the kind of loss that would stick with most people. ...

#152: Rose Bowl, Pasadena
Rose Bowl, Pasadena.

Testing, testing
His stock skyrocketed when he lit up Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl and beat the unbeatable team pretty much single-handedly. But his stock fell when he didn't score well on the NFL's version of the SAT, the Wonderlic. ...

AN ABSURDLY PREMATURE ASSESSMENT OF: SOUTHERN CAL
PAST FIVE SEASONS: 54-10 (35-5 PAC Ten) / 2005: 12-1 (8-0 PAC Ten, Champions), Lost Rose Bowl STARTERS BACK, ROUGHLY: 11 (4 Offense, 7 Defens e) WHAT'S CHANGED: Several hundred pounds of hardware is gone en route to the NFL, ...

Farewell to Taco Tuesday...for a while.
He will be taking classes at the School of Visual Concepts, and if all goes well will lead their football team to the Rose Bowl this fall. Now the bad news, the classes will take place on Tuesday meaning that Taco Tuesday will be put on ...

Where are the USC championship t-shirts?
When USC played Texas in the Rose Bowl, both sides had freshly minted championship t-shirts and hats ready for on-the-field celebration. But what happens to the loser's merchandise? In the case of USC's incorrect merchandise, ...

All good things must come to an end, but not all good things have ...
It's the 1997 Rose Bowl, at No. 66. Two notes on this game: I got so trashed the night before, my pancreas shut down for a week. (I haven't touched a drop of alcohol on a New Year's even since.); and my VHS tape of this game is labeled ...

God of the miraculous. God of the breakthrough. No limts...No ...
In the first half of the 1929 Rose Bowl game between Georgia Tech and the University of California, UC player Roy Reigels dealt the Georgia Tech tailback a bone-crushing tackle. Roy scooped up the ball and sprinted toward the goal. ...

The weekend that never ends
I finally got to eat at Lawry's on Saturday as I had told everyone I refused to eat there until Michigan made it to the Rose Bowl and I just hadn't gone because we had lost the two Rose Bowls and I didn't want to be reminded of it but I ...

Things to do before leaving LA
Attend a Dodgers game; Attend an LMU basketball game; Attend a UCLA basketball game at Pauley Pavillion; Attend a UCLA football game in the Rose Bowl; Attend a Notre Dame/USC football game in the Colliseum; Attend the Grand Prix of Long ...

[Maisel] Rose Bowl loss to Texas all but forgotten by USC - ESPN ...
The Rose Bowl, as big as it was, amounted to one game, same as the previous 34. USC did the best it could do, and for the first time in nearly three seasons, it wasn't enough. "The way we handled that fits right hand in hand with our ...

And Life Has Slowed Down...
But someone may go after him because it's just hard to completely ignore what he did in the Rose Bowl. In the later rounds, good picks would be: Kellen Clemens from Oregon, Paul Pinegar, Fresno St., Charlie Whitehurst, Clemson, ...

The End of March Madness
An open letter to UCLA fans who rooted for the Trojans in the Rose Bowl against Texas:. I feel your pain. Your team was a great team, and had a great year, and but for one great performance by one great player, you would have been ...

Bush is better RB candidate
I'm not knocking White's ability on the football field - he scored more touchdowns than anybody in the history of Tailback U and had a great performance in the Rose Bowl - but didn't have the right mentality on Pro Day. ...

Soaked in Training
Yesterday we covered 14 muddy miles in and around the Rose Bowl. As I drove to practice, I saw other groups coping with the morning's downpour. The Korean-American Running Club — most noted for their lime, day-glo jerseys that can be ...

Baked Potato Omelette Casserole
Preheat oven to 350 Lightly grease 13x9x2 baking dish. Place hash browns in prepared dish pressing gentlt. Layer sausage,bacon and cheese on top. In meduim bowl whisk together eggs and remaing ingredients. Pour evenly over casserole. ...

CBS Sportsline: Notebook: Tedford ready to unleash spread offense ...
The Rose Bowl. The nation watched Vince Young run one of the most lethal spread offenses in college history. Tedford and others in the Pac-10 have ... Until Texas did it in the Rose Bowl, Tedford's Bears were the last team to beat USC. ...

Easy way to remember football practice schedule
Monday at 7:45 PM (Rose Bowl)Wed and Fri at 4PM (Rose Bowl)Sat at 11AM (BDSHGF) Thru Sat 4/22...

2006-04-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

rosebowlmvp04 new articles for Sunday, April 02, 2006Soaked in Training
Yesterday we covered 14 muddy miles in and around the Rose Bowl. As I drove to practice, I saw other groups coping with the morning's downpour. The Korean-American Running Club — most noted for their lime, day-glo jerseys that can be ...

Rose Bowl Upcoming For UW!!
Reporter: "Um..... you are guaranteeing a bowl game for UW?" Willingham: "Not guaranteeing..... just stating that the expectation of this team should be a bowl game." Stanback: "I see myself in a BIG bowl this year." ...

Rose Bowl Spills Down Under
Needless to say, took this pic in Australia. We made the Aussie Open the anchor of a 2-week vacation that I will prattle on about at great length if you care to write me about it. Never did find the Hook'Em guy in this picture. ...

Rose Bowl Sold
According to the February 25 Tulsa World, the Rose Bowl has been purchased for $295000. According to the article, the building has been significantly vandalized since it was closed. The new owner is uncertain of his future plans, ...

UT-Austin Admitted Students Weekend, in three's:
Hey, did anyone hear that we won the Rose Bowl? Cause we're gonna feel the need to tell you about every 8 seconds, if you haven't. 3. We're a national school! No, really. No, seriously, we are. We're not fucking joking. WE ARE, DAMNIT! ...

National Champion Texas Coach Mark Brown Headlines 2006 Keybank ...
Texas Head Football Coach Mack Brown led his talented Longhorns squad to a perfect 13-0 season in 2005, defeating favored Southern California 41-38 in a thrilling BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl. ...

The travel diary that never ends...
Took him, like, 3 minutes to get the celtic designwork around the edges done and the Irish rose on the bottom. All freehand. An open space at the top of the bowl became a claddagh in about 2 minutes more. I was thoroughly impressed. ...

Random Thoughts on the Regional Finals
I cursed at Bruins who rooted for Texas in the Rose Bowl. What kind of assh*le roots against his school's conference in a national championship game? I expected Pac-10 support for my Trojans at the Rose Bowl, and I'm no hypocrite, ...

QBs in spotlight but defense needs help
What is Pete Carroll doing to improve a defense that was last seen collapsed on the Rose Bowl lawn, wounded and dazed, in the wake of Vince Young's 467-yard rampage in the Rose Bowl? Leinart, Reggie Bush, LenDale White and friends ...

"Late in the Day, and I Ain't Been On The Court Yet...."
Rose Bowl Spills Down Under - Go, Fight, Hell, Texas, Yeah - What exactly is a 1-point safety? And what is with those lyrics? - Some lesser known trivia on Bud Wilkinson's streak at OU Pac-10 - The ASU pornleader - Rose Bowl Spills Down ...

100 Greatest Finishes, part 1 - College Football N...
Ohio State 17, Rose Bowl January 1, 1975 ...USC head coach John McKay, who had been burned in the 1967 Rose Bowl against Purdue by going for two, eschewed the extra point to go for the win... ... No. 55 - USC 27 . ...

Sunday Funnies 04/02/06
I have a rose, and breakfast is on the table waiting for me? ... "Ever since your mother came to dinner, I"ve been unable to find the silver sugar bowl. ... I'm not saying that you "did" take the sugar bowl from my house; I'm not saying ...

A Swell Party - 8/? - PG
“You mean she didn’t simply bowl you over?” The Doctor asked innocently. ... Rose said slowly, after the Doctor and Jack had told her what they’d found last night. ... The Doctor and Jack shared a look, then smiled sweetly at Rose. ...

Amendment
The Rose Bowl is enormous, especially when it's jammed full of Mormons. ... When we arrived at the Rose Bowl, there were thousands of other Mormon teens dressed in various costumes, and a huge contingent dressed like me and Rebekah and ...

Lime Jello Salad
Fold in whipped cream. Pour into serving bowl and chill until firm. Notes: Faye Buoy contributed this recipe to the Jolly Neighbors Extension Club of Rose, Nebraska, for a hand-written cookbook that they made during the early 1960's. ...

every Rose Bowl has its thorn
The Rose Bowl. Texas' 38-37 victory over Michigan last New Year's. Hey, Mack. ... Rose Bowl. Rose Bowl. Rose Bowl. That is Brown's new theme. ... People are walking around with so much pride over the Rose Bowl." ...

How About That Rose Bowl Game? I was in graduate s...
How About That Rose Bowl Game? I was in graduate school at USC, and later worked in its computer center, during the John McKay-John Robinson era of football there. The computer center was right next to the football practice field, ...

HALFTIME
And were we treated to a veritable Rose Bowl parade of cooperating witnesses who did get deals to sing a song for the feds? Uh-huh. But by the time the Task Force rested a few hours ago, the prosecution's case had reached critical mass ...

Morning Musings
Making the NIT is like UM going 6-5 and limping into the Preparation-H Bowl. That might be a step up for Indiana or Minnesota, but they expect the Maize and Blue to vie for a Rose Bowl slot. They now expect Michigan to vie for a NCAA ...

Former Canadian Football League player passes away
A two-time South Florida Sun-Sentinel All-County selection, Rose graduated from Stranahan in 1980 and signed with the University of Michigan. In four seasons with the Wolverines, Rose was part of the 1981 Rose Bowl champions as a ...

Rose Bowl

2006-02-24T17:03:00.000-08:00

Sometimes nicknamed The Granddaddy of Them All, the Rose Bowl is the oldest bowl game and part of the annual Tournament of Roses event. The game was first played in 1902, pitting Michigan against Stanford, but after Michigan's 49-0 win over Stanford, Tournament of Roses officials did not stage another game until 1916, when instead of a football game, chariot races were held. The Tournament also includes the Tournament of Roses Parade featuring floats covered with flowers and plants. Before the Rose Bowl stadium was built in 1923, games were played in Pasadena's Tournament Park, approximately three miles southeast of the current stadium. For many years the game was televised by NBC in a 1 PM PST time slot, the only New Year's bowl opposite no other bowl game; since 1988 it has aired on ABC.