SB Nation - Taylor Mays

Five Good Minutes: Conquest Chronicles

Brian @ BCI — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:53:38 -0000

about 1 month ago: USC quarterback Matt Barkley (7) hands off to running back Allen Bradford (21) against Arizona State during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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To preview this weekend's Emerald Bowl matchup between the BC Eagles and the USC Trojans, we welcome the SBNation USC blog Conquest Chronicles for Five Good Minutes.

In exchange, we also answered some questions for Conquest Chronicles and they will be posted later in the next day or so.

BC Interruption: Any line of questions regarding USC and the Emerald Bowl has to start with star running back Joe McKnight. Can you update us on this situation? Do you expect him to play? Should he play?

Conquest Chronicles: As of writing this Monday night, the common thought here in Los Angeles is that McKnight will likely not be able to play in the bowl game against the Eagles on December 26th. USC beat writer Scott Wolf of the Los Angeles Daily News reported earlier that McKnight did not accompany the team buses to the airport for their flight to San Francisco despite the fact that Carroll already said he would be making the trip up north with the rest of the team. But despite the rumblings, we are all still waiting for an official word from USC regarding McKnight’s status for the game.

While I think McKnight may in fact be innocent of the accusations for Scott Schetner seems to be a somewhat honest fellow and has a legitimate side of the story at this point in time, I highly doubt that number four suits up for the Emerald Bowl on Saturday. As we all know, USC is presently under investigation by the NCAA for a "lack of institutional control" so playing a possibly ineligible in McKnight, even if it yet to be proven, risks further damage to USC’s already partially tarnished reputation. I don’t see Carroll and company taking such a risk considering where they are as a program.

BCI: Are there other scratches for USC for the bowl? Do you expect the Trojans to successfully balance possible losses of McKnight, TE Anthony McCoy, and DT Averell Spicer with Carroll’s desire to treat this game as a springboard to the 2010 season?

CC: Spicer was just a reserve so I don’t anticipate his absence to make a huge difference for Troy, but some of the others will. McKnight was the team’s leading rusher with just over 1,000 yards so if he is unable to go, it will force backups Allen Bradford and C.J. Gable to take on larger roles. Bradford rushed for 596 yards this season and Gable remains the only true freshman in the history of the USC football program to ever start a season opener at running back. So, both have the experience necessary to be effective against the Eagles.

I think ‘SC will be most challenged to replace McCoy and offensive tackle Tyron Smith, who was also ruled ineligible for the game due to academic issues. McCoy served as one of Barkley’s favorite targets this season due to his size and catching ability. Lacking a pass-catching tight end is only going to make things harder on a freshman quarterback, especially considering that there is a significant drop off between McCoy and his backup Rhett Ellison. The absence of Smith will force an inexperienced but still talented redshirt freshman Matt Kalil to take over the tackle position. At this point in time, it is yet to be seen whether he can be effective.

BCI: At quarterback, there seem to be similarities between the play of freshmen Matt Barkley (13 TDs, 12 INTs) and Dave Shinskie (14 TDs, 13 INTs). Both had up and down seasons in their freshman campaign. What are your expectations for each QB’s performance on Saturday?

CC: I have yet to see Shinskie play an entire game (I’ve only seen bits and pieces and a few highlights) so I will reserve judgment on BC’s "young" signal caller. However, when it comes to Barkley, I certainly expect him to play well. No, I don’t anticipate him to finish with numbers akin to a Texas Tech quarterback, but I do think he is capable of putting together a solid performance against the Eagles. While he has struggled at times this season (a 31.8 completion percentage against Arizona State and 3 interceptions at home against Stanford), he has compiled solid numbers for any freshman quarterback. 2,385 passing yards and 13 touchdowns while playing in arguably the nation’s toughest conference are nothing to cause a first year starter to put his head down.

In a perfect world, it would be nice for Barkley to play much like he did during USC’s best stretch of the season, early October, when they soundly defeated Cal and Notre Dame. During those games, Barkley threw 283 and 380 yards respectively while leading the offense to over thirty points each time. On Saturday, he doesn’t necessarily need to throw a bunch of touchdown to be successful. What he needs to do to be effective is to limit the interceptions and be efficient with the football (i.e. no errant passes on first down). If he can simply complete passes and keep the chains moving, then USC has a great chance of success.

BCI: Were the preseason expectations for USC too high this year? What are your expectations for next season with a win in the Emerald Bowl? If USC loses to BC, do those expectations change at all?

CC: I think it has become quite clear that a top ten preseason ranking for the 2009 Trojans may have been a bit too high. While the team does have an impressive track record of success, it would be more than fair to say that the media was a little too generous when bestowing USC’s preseason ranking. In short, the expectations were too high, even for a Pete Carroll coached team. And to be honest, that isn’t necessarily a disappointing thing. Look, it was entirely unrealistic for anybody to truly expect the Trojans to be the fourth best team nationally at season’s end. Not only did they have to replace starting quarterback and Rose Bowl MVP Mark Sanchez with a true freshman, but they also needed to find suitable replacements for eight starters on defense. There was just too much talent departing - eleven Trojans were drafted in the first six rounds of the NFL Draft - for anybody to reasonably expect Carroll’s bunch to seriously contend for the national championship.

With that said, because this is a lower-tier bowl, I’m not going to base my thoughts on the upcoming 2010 season entirely on this one game. Yes, Saturday’s contest will serve as some indication in regards to how next year’s bunch will perform, but to frame a prediction off of one good may be borderline crazy. Nevertheless, I still expect the Trojans to be much better in 2010 simply based on the fact that this team will be a year older. Matt Barkley will no longer be a freshman quarterback, sophomore Chris Galippo will not be a first year starter at middle linebacker, and play caller Jeremy Bates will have a year of coaching in college football under his belt. Greater experience and continuity across the board should enable this team to bounce back, and fully challenge for the Pac-10 title and a BCS bowl appearance once again.

BCI: This is the first time in 7 years that USC hasn’t played in a BCS bowl. This game is the day after Christmas in a baseball stadium. Do you expect these factors to limit attendance? Will Trojan fans show up for this game?

CC: Yes, some Trojan fans will show up for the December 26th Emerald Bowl, but don’t anticipates flocks of them to make the journey up to San Francisco. While I don’t have the numbers in front of me, I find it hard to believe that USC is going to sell out its ticket allotment as it is accustomed to doing. Over the past few days, I have received dozens of e-mails and text messages from the USC Ticket Office reminding alumni, students, and fans that there are still plenty of tickets remaining. Well, the game is about four days away and occurs one day after Christmas so I find it hard to imagine that a swarm of fans swoop in to purchase last minute tickets. ‘SC fans can be a bit fickle so that lack of interest in tickets is not surprising in the least.

BCI: Last one, make a prediction. Who ya got in this one? What’s the final score?

CC: Generally speaking, bowl games can be rather tough on prognosticators simply from the standpoint that it is tough to tell whether a particular team will show up or not. While I have little inside information, I do have the feeling that USC, led by seniors Jeff Byers and Taylor Mays, takes this game seriously for they have too much pride as a team to lay an egg against Boston College. Provided they can play mistake-free football, I think the Trojans are a far better football team talent-wise to get steamrolled by a middle of the road ACC foe. In the end, I like USC 28-14.

BCI: Thanks for joining us.

For more information on the USC Trojans, be sure to check out Conquest Chronicles.

We're All Americans, But We're Not All All-Americans

Oops Pow Surprise — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:51:28 -0000

by Charlie Neibergall - AP

Iowa's Pat Angerer (43) celebrates with teammates Allen Reisner and Dace Richardson, right, after Iowa blocked a Northern Iowa field goal on the final play. Iowa won 17-16. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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As is usually the case after a 10-win season, the accolades are beginning to pour in for the Iowa Hawkeye football team. Everyone and their mom has an all-conference or All-American team, but the two that actually matter--Walter Camp and the AP--are now out. And for the 33th year in a row, the unanimous selection for player of the year is Frank Stallone*.

More importantly, the AP named three Hawkeyes to their All-American teams. While nobody made it onto the first team, thanks to Ricky Stanzi's ankle injury--come on, you know if he stays healthy and Iowa goes 11-1 and finishes at #5 or so, even the guys on defense get a little bit more of a bump--both Bryan Bulaga and Pat Angerer made it to the second team, while Tyler Sash made third-team AA as a sophomore. A fine moment for all three players (two of whom, as we insular and provincial types are quick to point out, are native Iowans).

Meanwhile, the Walter Camp Foundation agreed with the AP, naming Bulaga and Angerer to their second team as well and effectively establishing the two as the de facto MVPs of their respective sides of the ball. We have a little beef with each designation, but for wholly different reasons.

First, though Bulaga is by far the best pro prospect on the line as of right now and was utterly dominant in 2008, the reality is that even notwithstanding the 3-week absence as he recovered from thyroid issues, he struggled in 2009. Brandon Graham and O'Brien Schofield manhandled Bulaga. And while those are two very good defensive ends, so was Aaron Maybin, the 11th pick of the 2009 by the Buffalo Bills and Bryan Bulaga's personal prison bitch after Iowa-PSU 2008. There was a substantial dropoff in play by Bulaga in 2009, and voters just didn't notice it when it came time to hand out awards.

Meanwhile, Dace Richardson was actually very good in his return to the line, and he got a fair amount of media attention when mid-season awards were being handed out. Then his ankle was rolled up on against Michigan State, and he disappeared from both the depth chart and voters' attention. But why should he have been punished for an ankle injury while voters looked past Bulaga's absence of a similar length? It's all past reputation, and that's not really fair to guys who come from nowhere and work their butts off--especially in their senior year, where there's no chance for any payoff in the "rewarded in Year X for play in Year X-minus-1" system that's come to be when it comes to honoring offensive linemen.

What this comes down to is that if the AP were to select an Iowa lineman for All-American this season, we'd have preferred it be Dace--though we'll certainly "settle for" Bulaga instead. If both men are playing their last game for Iowa next month, as lots of speculation suggests, then they've both had stellar careers in the black and gold and we wish them well.

On defense, on the other hand, Pat Angerer didn't really establish himself as the most dominant player for that Iowa defense, but that's hardly through any fault of his own. After all, one usually does so by being simply better than his teammates, and the talent level on the Iowa defense this year was both so high and so consistent that it was hard to see Angerer as someone who was the best player on defense. After all, you could always come back with, "well why not Sash? Or Adrian Clayborn? Or Amari Spievey? Or A.J. Edds? Or, hell, Jeremiha Hunter?" We're not saying that Angerer was the 6th best player on the Iowa defense by any means--just that ranking the top 5 or 6 or so would be impossible, because the gaps would be so miniscule that personal preference could easily mean a 3- or 4-spot swing here or there and it wouldn't even be objectionable.

Angerer's accolades, then, come from two areas: 1) his name, which is everything you could ever hope for times infinity; 2) and his stats, which sort of sneak up on you for the same reasons mentioned in the previous paragraph. As mentioned before, he was 5th in the nation in tackles at 11.3 a game. That's pretty outstanding, especially since--as TRE noticed during the season--Angerer's real strength might have been in pass coverage, not run support.

Still, absent game-changing plays, it's somewhat difficult to notice the overall impact a player has on a game. And all of those game-changing plays seemed to happen to other players--most notably Sash and Clayborn, and to a lesser extent Spievey.

Thus we have a weird ambiguity about how we look at Angerer's standing as the most highly-lauded member of the 2009 Iowa defense. It's not that he didn't deserve it--far from it--but with a defense like Iowa's, you could basically pick a name out of a hat and feel relatively confident that you made a good choice. It was that kind of year. Effectively singling out Angerer for praise, then, seems unusual and almost a little unfair. Oh well. There are worse problems to have.

Full AP All-American teams are after the break.

First team
Offense
	   Quarterback -- Colt McCoy, senior, 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Texas.
	   Running backs -- Toby Gerhart, senior, 6-1, 235, Stanford; Mark Ingram, sophomore, 5-10, 212, Alabama.
	   Tackles -- Russell Okung, senior, 6-5, 301, Oklahoma State; Trent Williams, senior, 6-5, 318, Oklahoma.
	   Guards -- Michael Johnson, senior, 6-6, 305, Alabama; Mike Iupati, senior, 6-6, 330, Idaho.
	   Center -- J.D. Walton, senior, 6-3, 305, Baylor.
	   Tight end -- Aaron Hernandez, junior, 6-2, 250, Florida.
	   Wide receivers -- Golden Tate, junior, 5-11, 195, Notre Dame; Jordan Shipley, senior, 6-0, 190, Texas.
	   All-purpose player -- C.J. Spiller, senior, 5-11, 195, Clemson.
	   Kicker -- Leigh Tiffin, senior, 6-2, 212, Alabama.
Defense
	   Ends -- Jerry Hughes, senior, 6-3, 257, TCU; Derrick Morgan, junior, 6-4, 272, Georgia Tech.
	   Tackles -- Ndamukong Suh, senior, 6-4, 300, Nebraska; Terrence Cody, senior, 6-5, 365, Alabama.
	   Linebackers -- Rolando McClain, junior, 6-4, 258, Alabama; Greg Jones, junior, 6-1, 228, Michigan State; Eric Norwood, senior, 6-1, 252, South Carolina.
	   Cornerbacks -- Joe Haden, junior, 5-11, 190, Florida; Javier Arenas, senior, 5-9, 198, Alabama.
	   Safeties -- Eric Berry, junior, 5-11, 203, Tennessee; Earl Thomas, sophomore, 5-10, 197, Texas.
	   Punter -- Drew Butler, sophomore, 6-2, 201, Georgia.
Second team
	   Quarterback -- Tim Tebow, senior, Florida.
	   Running backs -- Ryan Mathews, junior, Fresno State; Dion Lewis, freshman, Pittsburgh.
	   Tackles -- Bryan Bulaga, junior, Iowa; Chris Marinelli, senior, Stanford.
	   Guards -- Rodney Hudson, junior, Florida State; Mike Pouncey, junior, Florida.
	   Center -- Maurkice Pouncey, junior, Florida.
	   Tight end -- Dennis Pitta, senior, BYU.
	   Wide receivers -- Mardy Gilyard, senior, Cincinnati; Danario Alexander, senior, Missouri.
	   All-purpose player -- James Rodgers, junior, Oregon State.
	   Kicker -- Kai Forbath, junior, UCLA.
Defense
	   Ends -- Von Miller, junior, Texas A&M; Brandon Graham, senior, Michigan.
	   Tackles -- Gerald McCoy, junior, Oklahoma; Jared Odrick, senior, Penn State.
	   Linebackers -- Pat Angerer, senior, Iowa; Brandon Spikes, senior, Florida; Sean Weatherspoon, senior, Missouri.
	   Cornerbacks -- Perrish Cox, senior, Oklahoma State; Kyle Wilson, senior, Boise State.
	   Safeties -- Taylor Mays, senior, Southern California; Rahim Moore, sophomore, UCLA.
	   Punter -- Zoltan Mesko, senior, Michigan.
Third team
Offense
	   Quarterback -- Kellen Moore, sophomore, Boise State
	   Running backs -- LaMichael James, redshirt freshman, Oregon; Jacquizz Rodgers, sophomore, Oregon State.
	   Tackles -- Dennis Landolt, senior, Penn State; Ciron Black, senior, LSU.
	   Guards -- Brandon Carter, senior, Texas Tech; Jeff Byers, senior, Southern California.
	   Center -- Chris Hall, senior, Texas.
	   Tight end -- Dorin Dickerson, senior, Pittsburgh.
	   Wide receivers -- Freddie Barnes, senior, Bowling Green; Demaryius Thomas, junior, Georgia Tech.
	   All-purpose player -- Dexter McCluster, senior, Mississippi.
	   Kicker -- Hunter Lawrence, senior, Texas.
Defense
	   Ends -- Jeremy Beal, junior, Oklahoma; Brandon Sharpe, senior, Texas Tech.
	   Tackles -- Brian Price, junior, UCLA; Dan Williams, senior, Tennessee.
	   Linebackers -- Sergio Kindle, senior, Texas; Cody Grimm, senior, Virginia Tech; Navorro Bowman, junior, Penn State.
	   Cornerbacks -- Brandon Harris, sophomore, Miami; Alterraun Verner, senior, UCLA.
	   Safeties -- Tyler Sash, sophomore, Iowa; Mark Barron, sophomore, Alabama.
	   Punter -- Matt Reagan, senior, Memphis.

*Did you know he was in Tombstone, a.k.a. the SINGLE GREATEST MOVIE IN HISTORY? And in a phenomenal scene, to boot.

USC Football News and Notes 12/14 - Emerald Bowl Prep, Team Banquet and C.J. Gable News

Paragon SC — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:00:59 -0000

So, the team is back at it this week as they go into bowl prep.

A couple of interesting story lines are taking shape as the season comes to a close.

I noted yesterday that Safety Josh Pinkard is out for the Emerald Bowl because of a knee injury. That makes things very interesting as Pete Carroll will now be giving us a small glimpse into the future as to what players may have a role in 2010.

With Pinkard out, sophomore T.J. Bryant, who has been the nickel back, probably will start. But redshirt junior Shareece Wright and redshirt freshman Brian Baucham also are in the mix.

Wright, a projected starter, is expected to be available for the game after sitting out the regular season because he was academically ineligible.

Baucham, who was ahead of Bryant coming out of training camp, returned to practice Sunday after missing several weeks because of a foot injury related to a September motorcycle accident.

I am not really sure as to just how effective Wright will be after not playing for almost four months. His loss really became apparent in the second half of the season when SC's defense started to struggle. I was not pleased that Wright did not take his classwork seriously...his not being on the team really changed the dynamic of the defense.

The question I have for everyone is academically eligible does Wright deserve to play or should he wait for spring ball? Wright definitely should not start but should he see some playing time? Playing in a bowl game to me is privilege not a given. I know he is talented but is missing the regular season enough of a punishment? It is a fine line but what is the message that needs to be sent?

T.J. Bryant already has some playing time under his belt but we really have not seen anything of Baucham after his motorcycle accident...will he be game ready?

- - -

Last night USC held their Team Banquet and handed out a number of awards...

Sixth-year senior Jeff Byers was named offensive lineman of the year, while Christian Tupou and Jurrell Casey shared defensive linemen of the year honors. Senior quarterback/wideout Garrett Green was recognized as special teams player of the year. And, for the third consecutive year, Green also won the Howard Jones/Football Alumni Club Academic Award for having the highest GPA on the team.

The night wasn't lacking thrills. Cedric the Entertainer performed standup comedy and linebacker Marquis Simmons led a rendition of "Lean on Me" -- along with the tear-jerking presentation of Johnson's award by Jake Olson.

Here's a look at the full list of winners from the 2009 USC football awards ceremony on Sunday night:

Most Valuable Player: Wideout/punt returner Damian Williams

Most Inspirational Player: Tailback Stafon Johnson

Linemen of the year: Center/guard Jeff Byers (offense); defensive tackles Christian Tupou and Jurrell Casey (defense)

Special teams player of the year: Quarterback/wideout Garrett Green

Service team players of the year: Center Michael Reardon (offense); linebacker Marquis Simmons (defense)

Player of the game versus Notre Dame: Tight end Anthony McCoy

Player of the game versus UCLA: Tailback Allen Bradford

Jack Oakie "Rise and Shine" Award (year's biggest hit): Safety Taylor Mays

Howard Jones/Football Alumni Club Academic Award: Quarterback/wideout Garrett Green

Bob Chandler Award (underclassman with outstanding athletic ability, academic achievement and character): Defensive tackle Christian Tupou

John McKay Award (underclassman with the most competitive spirit): Linebacker Devon Kennard

Courage Award: Cornerback Josh Pinkard

Co-Lifters Award: Offensive lineman Jeff Byers, safety Will Harris, safety Taylor Mays

Recognition of the 22 graduating seniors

The awards for Stafon Johnson, Garrett Green and Damian Williams are no surprise.

Speaking of Garrett Green...

Garrett Green has been cleared to hold on placements despite a torn ACL in his right knee.

How cool is that! He definitely deserves it. He has probably been the most under the radar player on this team over the past few seasons. It sucks that he won't have a bigger role on kick returns like he has had but at least he will get a chance to have a hand in his final game as a Trojan.

- - -

So, what about C.J. Gable?

No player has been as much as an enigma as Gable has during his time at USC.

He had the hot hand before going out with an abdominal injury and he had a pretty good season in 2008 until he saw the bench after putting the ball on the turf against ucla and Penn St. At times his attitude has been questioned in the press but that is hard to really know. He made some statements in the past that probably put him in the doghouse but this season he has been completely off the radar.

Last season there were some rumblings that he might go pro but he stuck it out...

But with the season almost over the questions are now being asked...will he stay or will he go?

Gable is one of several draft-eligible Trojans underclassmen who must decide by Jan. 15 whether to go pro or return to school. Unlike many of the others, Gable has played only a bit role this season after being a major contributor a year ago.

Gable started all but one game last season and tied for the team lead with 10 touchdowns. This season the redshirt junior has no starts and just 21 carries as Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford have shared most of the workload.

"It’s been frustrating," Gable said Sunday after USC’s second practice in preparation for the Dec. 26 Emerald Bowl. "Anybody would be frustrated. … Why would you play if you don’t care whether you get in or not?

"I care because I want to play. But I can’t do anything about it but keep on doing what I’m doing, which is work hard and let everybody see what I can do."

Gable made quite an impression Sunday, when, according to USC coach Pete Carroll, "he was the best guy on the field." But being a good practice player — and a good soldier after complaining about playing time last season - hasn’t translated into a greater role during games.

We have heard how great players have performed in practice only to see them disappear when game time comes around so I am not taking Gables strong performance as nothing more than just a snapshot in time.

Personally, I think he goes pro. SC will still have a glut of running backs, four off the top of my head, and that is before LOI Day where SC is in the mix for a couple of more top RB's

Here is a little more for the DN...

After rushing for 617 yards on 107 carries with eight touchdowns last year, Gable has been buried behind Joe McKnight and Allen Bradford in the running back rotation during his redshirt junior season, causing him to contemplate whether he'll return to play for the Trojans in 2010 or explore his value in the NFL draft in April.

"(In the past) I've always been basing my decisions off anger, but now I'm thinking clearly," said Gable, who has seen action in 11 of 12 games, but has rushed for only 98 yards on 12 carries with no scores.

"The most important thing is graduating. I've learned that football isn't everything. There is life after football. It's been difficult, but I just get in a rhythm in practice and I forget that I'm not playing anymore. I don't talk about it unless somebody brings it up."

Gable needs three more classes to graduate, but intends to sit down and talk with coach Pete Carroll following the Dec. 26 Emerald Bowl against Boston College in San Francisco about his future prospects.

"Allen is coming back too, but it also depends on who they might bring in," Gable said. "The only thing I know I'll benefit from by coming back is that I'll graduate. But (this year) they were better than me. The best man won the position."

Gable's mature approach hasn't been lost on Carroll, especially following the Trojans' second practice in as many days since a 21-17 loss to Arizona on Dec. 5.

You know Carroll is going to try and get him stay...but he may be in the same as Mark Sanchez. He can take those three classes and be done next semester so his commitment in my eyes is fulfilled...he has no obligation to stay once he has his degree...

It should be interesting.

Should Eric Berry win the Thorpe Award?

Will — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:17:00 -0000

More photos » by Wade Payne - AP

2 months ago: Auburn's Tommy Trott (5) is tackled by Tennessee's Eric Berry (14) during the first half of a NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009 in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

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Yes, yes he should. Because he did. WOO!

In 2008, Eric Berry turned in one of the most impressive seasons we've ever seen at Tennessee. He was the lone bright spot in a season of despair, the team's lone highlight reel star who positioned himself to earn national recognition even though the Vols went 5-7. Berry was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a first team All-American at strong safety, and was a finalist for the 2008 Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation's best defensive back.

Berry was joined by Taylor Mays of USC and Malcolm Jenkins of Ohio State as award finalists. Vol fans quickly pointed out that based on statistics and overall value to the team, Berry should've taken the award easily. However, it would be Malcolm Jenkins' name that was called when the award was announced, and Berry was denied.

Take a look again at the statistical comparison of Berry and Jenkins from 2008:

Eric Berry: 7 INT, 265 ret yds, 2 TD, 72 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 3 sacks
Malcolm Jenkins: 3 INT, 7 ret yds, 0 TD, 57 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 1 sack

This was an injustice, we said. Berry was clearly the best defensive back in college football in 2008.

This year, Eric Berry is once again a Thorpe Award finalist. He joins Joe Haden from Florida and Earl Thomas from Texas, and the winner will be announced during ESPN's College Football Awards show, live tonight from 7-9 PM EST. Berry's Heisman campaign fizzled, and thus far his quest to become the NCAA's all-time leader in interception return yardage has come up short, with EB just eight yards away from the record. In Monte Kiffin's defense, Berry has been moved closer to the line of scrimmage in a safety/linebacker hybrid role (which Berry likes to call "sacker"). This move, combined with opposing quarterbacks' knowledge of his presence and efforts to keep the ball out of his airspace, have kept Berry's interception numbers and opportunities down this season.

So as Berry journeys to Orlando once again to await the announcement of the Thorpe Award winner, one year after we all raised our fists over an injustice...is it fair for Berry to win it this time around?

Let's compare Berry's 2009 numbers to the other two finalists (note that Thomas and Haden played an extra game):

Eric Berry: 2 INT, 7 yds, 0 TD, 83 tackles, 6 TFL, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries
Earl Thomas: 8 INT, 149 yds, 2 TD, 59 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 1 forced fumble
Joe Haden: 4 INT, 20 yds, 0 TD, 62 tackles, 5 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

The statistical gap between Earl Thomas and Eric Berry isn't as wide as the one last year, where Berry had a significant edge on Malcolm Jenkins in every major statistical category and still lost. In fact, Berry and Thomas have become two very different types of players, making this award somewhat about style preference. If you go the traditional safety route and like interceptions, Earl Thomas is clearly the choice. If you want to emphasize tackles, then you lean towards Eric Berry.

I think if you removed the names and just showed the numbers, the vast majority of voters would give this award to Thomas. He is second in the nation in interceptions (no invite for UCLA's Rahim Moore, who had nine picks and got Jon Crompton twice?) and joins eight others as the only players in college football to run two back for touchdowns this season. If you included the fact that Thomas plays for 13-0 Texas and Berry plays for 7-5 Tennessee, it would further help his cause.

And look...I don't like Texas. At all. I'm still not a fan of Chris Simms, beating them in basketball didn't help, and everytime someone calls them "the real UT", I want to remind them that they're actually the "would be speaking Spanish if not for us UT". They are the non-conference team I want to play the most, now that Virginia Tech is on the books.

But shouldn't Thomas win this award?

And based on last year, shouldn't we expect Berry to walk home with the prize tonight?

Thomas, like Berry last year, is a sophomore. Berry is a junior and is destined for the Top 10 of the NFL Draft in April. And if this becomes a career or seniority award as it did for Jenkins last year, Berry has the edge. What's more, Berry has the greatest advantage over both Thomas and Joe Haden in name recognition: with over 100,00 votes, EB is currently running away with the Thorpe Award poll on ESPN's SportsNation.

If Berry wins, I'm going to be incredibly happy for him, and for us. The Vols haven't had an individual award winner since John Henderson brought home the Outland Trophy in 2000, and watched Travis Stephens get robbed of the Doak Walker in 2001, Berry get robbed last year, and we've made it this far in this post about defensive backs and individual awards without bringing up our friend from Michigan. This would be a great thing for Berry and for Tennessee.

And Berry has sacrificed his individual opportunities for the team this season, moving to a position on the field where his interception chances are very low, and still making an incredible difference for this defense. He has more tackles than any other defensive back in the SEC except Sean Richardson at Vanderbilt, who gets more opportunities to make tackles because he plays for Vanderbilt. Eric Berry is a once-in-a-generation talent who should go on to do incredible things in the NFL.

Should he win? I don't know. Will he win? I hope so.

Saying Good-bye to Taylor Mays...

Paragon SC — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 15:00:25 -0000

More photos » by Amy Sancetta - AP

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Even though there will be a bowl game to play after today's season finale against Arizona there is no question that many of us will miss Taylor Mays...

One person who will be looking for a big game today against Arizona is senior safety Taylor Mays.

Mays has been one of the most recognizable players in the program in the is four years at USC. There was no question that he is a tremendous talent.

Freakish is a word that comes to mind.

But to me the term that most describes him is "physically complete."

Mays is a hybrid player...you can either play him at safety or move him to linebacker...but no matter where you put him he will be a force and he will be successful.

It wasn't a matter of whether Mays would have been a first-round pick in the 2009 NFL draft but how high he would have gone. Even Pete Carroll might not have put up a fight (OK, maybe a small one, but it wouldn't have been Sanchez-sized).

But Mays decided to come back, seeking self-improvement and citing unreached goals. Based on the way the season has turned out, the question had to be asked:

Did he ever second-guess himself?

Mays says he never did.

"I don't regret coming back," the two-time All-America safety said. "It's kind of been perfect, the amount of time I've been here.
"I feel like I learned more about football. I learned how to play safety. I learned what the best safeties do in every situation. Working with Coach Carroll and Coach (Rocky) Seto, mentally I've been able to take my game to the next level."

Outside of not playing for an MNC there will be a few that will say that Mays coming back was a mistake. I don't, it is amazing how Mays has been maligned in some circles. He could have left last season for the NFL for some big money but he enjoyed college life, promised to finish school and get his degree and wanted to continue to play at USC.

A cursory look at Mays' season could lead to a different conclusion. He isn't a finalist for any of the major defensive awards. USC has three losses – its most in the past eight seasons. And Mays has only one interception.

But his contributions aren't easily quantifiable. This is how Carroll described the way Mays has improved:
"He's made it in what he's seeing. He's able to diagnose what's going on really well. He's in really good command of the system such that he can correct guys, position guys, place guys in the right spots, give the heads-ups and alerts – the kind of awareness that's necessary for really being a contributing factor to other guys' play."

There was a lot of pre-season hype about just how good Mays and what his impact would be as the leader of the defense. The USC secondary was going to look very different with all the shuffling of players, but once CB Shareece Wright became academically ineligible that changed things around significantly and I think it showed on the playing field.

As a 3-year starter and as the fastest guy on the team Mays was the last line of defense out there. It changed his role but I also think there is some legitimate criticism that Mays' tackling technique could use some improvement. I think he would be better served to wrap guys up instead of always going for the big hit.

There are some saying that Mays staying probably hurt his draft stock for 2010...

But for Taylor Mays, the pre-draft roller-coaster ride started 11 months ago when the two-time All-American safety made the surprising announcement that he was returning to USC for a fourth and final season.

"It's funny," Mays said this week. "I've been, what's the word? Scrutinized."

Picked apart might be more accurate.

The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Mays was projected as a possible top-five pick in 2009, a key player for a dominant defense who was too physically gifted for teams to pass up.

As he prepares for today's game against Arizona, his last appearance at the Coliseum, Mays' stock has fallen, though not precipitously.

NFL scouts cite a lack of interceptions. They question his hands, tackling and playmaking skills.

The Seattle native's play this season has elicited criticism from media and fans, and even earned him an unnamed, and unflattering reference in the congressional record regarding late hits.

Well, criticism from the media and fans is immaterial.

Regardless, the extra year definitely gave him more experience for him to take to the next level and whatever flaws there may be in his game the coaches at the next level will work those out...Mays has too much talent and potential not too improve his game.

No one really knows what NFL teams need what, so I think it is very premature to say that his prospects aren't as good as they were last year. I see no reason not to think that he won't have a solid NFL career...but we have to get through today (and the bowl game) first.

Part of Mays' struggles this year were because of the knee injury that he suffered against Ohio St. I do think that the injury was a direct result of a poor tackling technique and it probably affected Mays' quality of play all season. Of course there was the one play that Mays made against Jahvid Best when he ran Best down to deny him a first down up at Berkley.

Mays will go down in USC history as one of the great Trojans. He has meant so much to this program and he has represented it very well. He has always been one of my favorites in this incredible run that Pete Carroll has had.

Lets hope he goes out with a bang!

Game Day Notes - Arizona

Paragon SC — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 13:48:56 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

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USC has a lot on the line today when they face Arizona...

Lost in all the hype and emotion of last weeks win against ucla is the fact that SC needs to win today if they expect to play in the Holiday Bowl as the 2nd place finisher in the Pac-10.

Arizona was a bit of a sleeper team this year.

But they are puzzling as well.

Arizona has played some great football this season but they have also laid some eggs against UW and Cal. They were quietly rolling along until their loss to Oregon. That is when people really started to take notice. Now, that is probably a little self-serving but I certainly wasn't paying attention to them...SC had their own issues but after their game against Oregon I took notice.

Arizona's Nick Foles is certainly able to throw the ball and Arizona can run the ball, the question is how effectively can they run it? With Arizona RB Nick Grigsby for a good portion of this season it would appear that the Arizona running game hasn't had very much of a drop off.

Arizona is looking to come in under the radar today and catch USC on a letdown from last weeks win against ucla.

Arizona has given SC fits the past few years. They have kept the last couple of games close and with SC's defense struggling a bit this season, especially against the spread, SC could be in for a tough day if they are not on their game.

When it comes to No. 20 USC, the less said — at least publicly — the better.

Privately, however, the Wildcats (7-4 overall, 5-3 Pac-10) believe today marks their best chance in a decade to pull off the upset.

The Trojans lost seven Pac-10 games between 2002-08; this season, they've lost three. USC (8-3, 5-3) was exposed in losses to Washington, Oregon and Stanford, and was less-than-impressive in wins over Arizona State and UCLA.

USC's recent struggles and Arizona's recent success — or, rather, its lack of abject failure — against the Trojans gives the Wildcats reason to hope.

"The past few years, it's been close in every game," UA cornerback Trevin Wade said. "I think this year is our year to beat them. It's at their house, so it should be interesting. It should be fun."

Arizona has more to play for, at least by the program's standards of excellence.

A win today would cap the UA's most successful regular season since 1998, and likely place the Wildcats in the Holiday Bowl, held Dec. 30 in San Diego. Their opponent, depending on what happens in today's Big 12 Championship Game, would be either Nebraska or Oklahoma.

A victory could also mark a fitting jumping-off point for Mark Stoops, who is being considered for the vacant head coaching job at Football Championship Subdivision Youngstown State.

Like I said a lot is riding on this game today...for both teams.

This will be an emotional game today for USC as they good-bye to their graduating seniors (and maybe some underclassmen?).

Some are saying that the ending of this season is a bit of an anti-climax...

For the first time in eight years, the Bowl Championship Series is revving up without USC in the mix. For the first time in a half-decade, the Rose Bowl will have to go on without the Trojans.

Instead, No. 20 USC (8-3, 5-3 Pac-10) heads into an unusual season finale Saturday against Arizona (7-4, 5-3) simply hoping to salvage a trip to San Diego from what qualifies as a down year for coach Pete Carroll and his Trojans.

[...]

For just the second time this decade, the Trojans will finish a regular season against a team other than traditional rivals UCLA and Notre Dame. USC and Arizona moved their matchup to Dec. 5 to give both schools an extra bye week, but it meant upstaging the finality of the Trojans' crosstown showdown and the Wildcats' Territorial Cup win last weekend.

At least both teams still have strong motivation. USC needs a win to hold onto a face-saving share of second place in the Pac-10, which likely will mean a Holiday Bowl berth against a strong Big 12 team.

"I don't know about how this plays into where we're going, or what other eventual things could happen," Carroll said. "We won't be using that and talking about that at all. We don't need that kind of motivation. We need to go out and play one more great football game to get the season to a complete ending and do it in a fashion that we respect."

Depends on your expectations.

As I have noted before, I am less upset about where we are than I am about how we got here. It's not the overall record but the appearance of Pete Carroll being stretched to thin because he was overseeing too many things on the team because of a number of inexperienced coordinators on the staff. Pete still runs the show so all the moves go through him and because there is so much going on it should surprise no one that a few things fell through the cracks...

Arizona coach Mike Stoops thinks they have a good chance today...

Arizona coach Mike Stoops doesn't expect his team to be intimidated by the Trojans — not after playing them close in recent years while the Wildcats rose in the Pac-10 standings.

"Competing against USC, I think, tells you a lot about where you're at," Stoops said. "I think the maturity and consistency is what we all want in our program, and I think that's starting to show. I think our players reflect that over the last several years — or last couple, let me put it that way."

USC has lost to Arizona just six times in their 32 meetings, winning the past seven straight. Yet Stoops' brother, defensive coordinator Mark Stoops, anticipates an energy boost when his roster laden with California-born players returns home.

"It's going to be their last game of the season, especially playing at the Coliseum, so I don't think they're going to be that vulnerable," said Wildcats right guard Vaughn Dotsy, who's from Ventura. "They're still USC. They still have all the athletes they have. It's going to be a tough game, like any other game, but I think with the team we have this year, it's a good time to get them."

As an aside...Dotsy is another one of those California players who alluded to being disrespected for not being recruited by USC.

To me this game is all on the defense. They need to do what they did earlier in the season for USC to win. I am not too concerned about the offense...we know what we have there. Run the ball and make sure Barkley does not turn the ball over and we should be fine. The defense though needs to keep the Arizona running game contained and they need to get to Foles.

I will have a the game thread up later...

Notable Quotables from USC vs. ucla

Paragon SC — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:19:07 -0000

There are some interesting quotes from last nights game. Particularly about the long bomb that Pete unleashed at the end of the game. Obviously, there are two things to understand when reading these...1) context and 2) honesty. I don't think we will get the real story on both.

Rick Neuheisel's comments betray that he gets it...the coaches always do. But it also betrays the one thing I knew would happen...that this is bulletin board material for ucla. They will have a year of being pissed off.

Anyway here are some quotes from the OCR...

Coach Rick Neuheisel

(On the touchdown)
"I was trying to make them punt. It’s our job to cover. They have every right to throw the ball deep. People draw their own conclusions. It’s our job to stop the play. … I had three timeouts. It was first down, I called a timeout. If they run the ball on second down, I call timeout. I’m trying to get the ball back. If they fumble I got a chance. I don’t blame them for doing it. It’s our job to cover it. I was just trying to keep the game alive."

Like said in the comments earlier...the game goes for 60 minutes. If RN thinks he has a shot then it means he wants to play. Bruins fans who are complaining need to get over it. RN was doing what they wanted him to do since the day he signed on...

Try. To. Beat. USC.

He can't do that if he doesn't have the ball and he can't try if he doesn't try and get the ball.

Like I said, he gets it. And it puts him a box. If he is lying whats that say about his character? If he understands it and would do the same thing what does that say about his character? Bit of a Catch-22

This was Pete's way of saying we heard you! Strong message follows...

Safety Rahim Moore

(On the touchdown)
"I just couldn’t believe it. I just said, Wow. I was speechless. It’s all good. You lose some, you win some. You just got to move on. Of course we were offended. They ended up scoring. We were losing so of course we all were mad. We were shocked how they disrespected and took a shot on us. It caught us off guard. We thought they were going to kneel the ball."

I get this too...this is how Taylor Mays felt when Harbaugh went for two (even though the situations are vastly different). But if Moore has a problem with it, do what SC did on the 2-pointer....DEFEND IT!

All this talk about being disrespected is just that...talk. Mays didn't like it but USC stopped it, regardless of the reasons why Harbaugh did it.

Moore knows the drill...

This one is my favorite...

Linebacker Reggie Carter

(On the touchdown)
"In a way it’s disrespectful but then again their job is to score points, our job is to stop them from scoring points. They did their job, we didn’t do ours. How mad could you be? We called a timeout, we kept the game going, so obviously we wanted to keep playing. We obviously didn’t play hard enough."

Right...this from the guy who said this...

"I don't hate people, I just want to beat them up. I don't hate them (the Trojans), I just want to beat them real bad. It's not hatred, I just want to beat them up real bad. We're just gonna keep throwing punches even if they're knocked out, we'll just keep punching, it don't matter, we're going to keep punching until we cant punch no more."

How does feel when the shoe is on the other foot pal?

Don't be fooled...he gets it too. And if the tables were turned he would not apologize one bit.

All these guys get it...regardless of all their bluster. This is big boy football. Neuheisel hasn't exactly acted with a lot of class since he got to ucla. Pete has pretty much kept to himself unless he has been poked by some of the crap that Slick Rick has pulled.

Pete didn't jump in the mud to wrestle with the pig...he did all of his talking on the field.

Saturday NFL Draft watch notes

Mocking Dan — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:00:10 -0000

by Mary Ann Chastain - AP

View full size photo »

• Ohio State junior guard Justin Boren has turned into one of the more dominant interior linemen in college football. He's a very strong in the run game and is quick off the snap. Playing against Michigan, the team which he transferred from following the 2007 season, look for Boren to play with a lot of heart and tenacity.

• The run-stuffing ability of Ndamukong Suh will be on full display Saturday. Kansas State likes to run the ball and Suh can have yet another banner day. Not that Suh needs to do anything else to improve his stock, but don't be surprised if he gets at least two tackles for a loss and collapses the pocket all day.

• There might be no hotter player in the nation than Stanford running back Toby Gerhart. Against USC last week, he made highly touted safety Taylor Mays look downright silly jumping over him and breaking his tackles. Gerhart may have a hard time breaking the tackles of Cal's Tyson Alualu, one of the most aggressive interior linemen in the country.

• Florida State might not be as good on defense this year, but the Seminoles still do a good job of pressuring opposing quarterbacks. That means Maryland left tackle Bruce Campbell could do well for his draft stock by having a dominant day. The junior is one of the more athletic tackles in the nation but has been injured parts of this season.

• Earlier this week we talked about underrated Tulane wide receiver Jeremy Williams, but he's not the only solid Green Wave prospect. Don't forget about running back Andre Anderson. He's one of the most consistent running backs in the country, but possibly not a No. 1 running back. What he is, though, is a quick and strong back.

• C.J. Spiller is asserting himself as the best running back in the nation. The Tigers have won five-straight games and Spiller is the big reason. In those games, he's rushing for 95.2 yards per game. He's an all-around threat and unbelievably fast. Spiller is looking like the next Chris Johnson, but more on that next week.

USC Recruiting: The struggles of the 2009 team and the correlation to the recruiting class of 2006

Paragon SC — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:19:30 -0000

The Stable

The obvious struggles of this years team has made a few people take a closer look at the make up of this team. It is easy to point to the loss of all the talent on defense as well as the loss of Mark Sanchez last season but does that tell the whole story? There is a lot of talent on this team and many of those players are from the recruiting class of 2006. The overall expectations and production of the class of 2006 as we now know it has been less than what we have been used to from previous years. The class of 2006 may not be a bust but they haven't been lights out either.

This post is not meant to be inflammatory towards any player currently on the roster or any player who has departed the program for any reason or at any time, good or bad. This post is more a general observation.

So much has been made of Pete Carroll's recruiting prowess that it almost seems automatic that PC will haul in a top 5 class year in and year out. That isn't always the case, but I am more concerned about quality over quantity. Pete Carroll has not over recruited like some programs have but he isn't innocent either (I believe he over recruited by 3 or 4 players in 2003, I could be wrong on the year though).

There is no question that Pete Carroll has stockpiled a ton talent, almost to a fault, but he gets a lot out of his talent...but not always the most. That is what is frustrating many fans. Right or wrong, good or bad it is a perception that has taken root among many.

There have been some interesting discussions on the message boards about this subject and when you look a little closer you see some things that just jump out at you.

Here is one observation...

The 2009 USC Trojans is probably the least great of the CPC teams since 01 and will most likely lose 1-2 more games before its all said and done.

One over looked reason for this is this is the senior year for the disappointing class of 2006, which was CPC least accomplished in his tenure. The recruiting was excellent, its just the players either didn't live up to expectations or the coaching was too impressed with the * system and mythical recruiting championship as opposed to building the team around chemistry and functionality.

The 2 following classes 07 and 08 have already produced more dividends than the senior class this year.

Of the 06 class, only Taylor Mays is all conference. Stafon Johnson is a solid running back-but many of the other players failed out, transferred or just didn't pan out for whatever reason.

I have every reason to believe that this paradigm has lead to the dip in overall production and performance. The next few years with substantially better and now more mature skill players, we will be back on the top again.

The class of 2006 was a huge recruiting class for USC as they came off the loss to Texas in the BCS Title game. This class was dripping with talent...some real and some imagined. There were also some head-cases in this class as well. These guys were supposed to get us back to the tile game. They were supposed to fill the void left by the greatest offensive production ever seen in college football...Matt/Reggie/LenDale.

It just has never seemed that this class has ever reached its full potential and that is not something that many of us have been used to seeing from Pete Carroll during his tenure at USC...

And here they are.....(taken from Rivals)

Kenny Ashley	RB	5-8	210	4.45	5.8	Venice, CA
Walker Ashley	DT	6-4	295	4.96	-	Eden Prairie, MN
David Ausberry	WR	6-4	213	4.64	6.0	Lemoore, CA
Allen Bradford	LB	5-11	219	4.54	6.1	Colton, CA
David Buehler	DB	6-2	217	4.5	-	Santa Ana, CA
C.J. Gable	ATH	5-11	180	4.6	6.1	Sylmar, CA
Garrett Green	QB	6-2	190	4.5	5.7	Sherman Oaks, CA
Stanley Havili	RB	6-0	208	4.5	5.8	Salt Lake, UT
Vidal Hazelton	WR	6-3	193	4.47	6.1	Chatham, VA
Zack Heberer	OL	6-4	269	5.2	5.8	San Pedro, CA
Jamere Holland	ATH	6-1	175	4.35	6.0	Woodland Hills, CA
Stafon Johnson	RB	5-11	200	4.4	6.1	Los Angeles, CA
Vincent Joseph	DB	5-8	165	4.57	5.7	Long Beach, CA
Butch Lewis	DT	6-6	280	4.85	6.0	Aurora, CO
Taylor Mays	ATH	6-3	218	4.59	6.1	Seattle, WA
Anthony McCoy	TE	6-4	240	4.6	5.8	Fresno, CA
Emmanuel Moody	RB	6-1	195	4.44	6.0	Coppell, TX
Michael Morgan	LB	6-2	200	4.5	6.0	Dallas, TX
Alex Parsons	DT	6-4	260	4.9	5.9	Irvine, CA
Travon Patterson	WR	5-8	160	4.4	5.7	Long Beach, CA
Antwine Perez	DB	6-1	199	4.53	6.0	Camden, NJ
Alfred Rowe	DB	6-0	187	4.5	5.6	Long Beach, CA
Derek Simmons	DE	6-4	268	5.12	6.0	Fairfield, CA
Joshua Tatum	LB	6-0	219	4.66	6.0	Oakland, CA
Gerald Washington	TE	6-6	253	4.6	-	Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Shareece Wright	DB	5-11	180	4.53	6.0	Colton, CA

As you can see Pete Carroll was able to go after some incredible players...and if you buy into the recruiting rankings there are a lot of stars there!

We also know there was a fair amount of attrition from that class...

K. Ashley
W. Ashley
A. Perez
V. Hazelton
J. Holland
E. Moody
J. Tatum
A. Rowe
V. Joseph
G. Washington

What is left on that original list has either not panned out at all or has not lived up to or come close to their potential.

Obviously, recruiting is a crapshoot...

You can't take what the recruiting services say completely seriously. They get it wrong almost as much as they get it right. The fact is regardless of the amount of stars a player has next to their name that has never shown how hard a player is going to dedicate themselves to improving their game. It doesn't show how hard they are willing to compete. It doesn't show how much of a team player they will be within the program.

Pete Carroll did a great job of selling the benefits of playing at USC to the class of 2006 but it is clear by looking at some on this list that they were either not as talented on the field as advertised or they simply were not prepared to dedicate themselves to the high standards of USC.

I don't have all the answers here. There are some that will say that the coaching staff can't coach players up. Others will say that the coaching staff turnover is to blame and then there are those that will say that Pete Carroll plays favorites or that he got greedy when he took all those running backs.

Who knows...

Others are a lot smarter than I am when it comes to studying and evaluating the individual talents and attributes of the players Pete Carroll recruits. I offer this up simply because it has been a topic of conversation elsewhere and I do think that it is an interesting topic. It is relevant...many continue to point to the loss of Norm Chow as the main reason that SC didn't hang a few more MNC pelts on their wall. Others will talk about the losses of Davis or Coach O. I think those are valid questions but other than Chow all of PC's former assistants went on to blaze their own trail, chase their own dreams of running their own show or trying their hand in the NFL. A successful program will have a lot of attrition of assistants and this has happened to SC.

There is no magic bullet when recruiting top talent. There are always some players who don't pan out or who don't live up to expectations.

Unfortunately the Class of 2006 has a higher than normal amount of disappointment. Real or imagined.

Every player has a different reason for picking the the program they choose. I certainly won't question it. And even though the class of 2006 was for the most part pretty much able to get along that has not necessarily meant success on the field.

Pete Carroll's methods and results are fair game...but I won't lie, while it hasn't always been pretty I am pretty happy with the overall result.

Think of the alternative...

Raking The Muck: St. Michael Rises Again

CW — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:36:39 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

about 1 month ago: FILE - In this Sept. 5, 2009, file photo, Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd heads upfield after making a catch during NCAA college football game against Nevada in South Bend, Ind. Floyd will play against Navy on Saturday, six weeks after breaking his left collarbone. Coach Charlie Weis said Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, that the 6-foot-3, 220-pound sophomore was cleared to play Monday for the No. 19 Fighting Irish. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

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A lot ofimportant stuff in regards to injuries in Coach Weis' Tuesday. First, the good:

Michael Floyd is cleared to play for the Navy game (!!!!!). Floyd had 13 catches for 358 yards and five touchdowns before going down with a broken collarbone in the Michigan State game. With Golden Tate playing at the level he is, Jimmy is going to have a field day back there.
Robbie Parris is also back after Taylor Mays' attempted homicide. It's nice to see college football writers across the country starting to realize that Mays isn't actually a top-tier safety in the Eric Berry/Earl Thomas/Kyle McCarthy-mold, but really just a head hunter who we all were led into thinking was good. I was guilty of it as much as anyone, but writers are redeeming themselves nicely in noticing this, although it'll be interesting to see if NFL scouts pick up on it. (Probably not.) Nice to see Parris back, especially since Robby Toma and Duval Kamara have got some reps in his absence. Receiving corps is looking particularly deep now.

And the not so good:

Back-up quarterback and heir apparent to the throne whenever Jimmy leaves, Dayne Crist, is out 4-to-6 months with a torn ACL. He could be back for spring practice, but nothing is certain there. If you were on the Notre Dame message boards this week, you might have been as surprised as I was to find that A) Only Notre Dame players enter the draft early and B) Only Notre Dame players get injured. I should start selling "Hold me, I'm Irish" t-shirts on this site for all of the emo Fighting Irish fans, we'd make a killing.
Trevor Robinson is doubtful for Navy, and Armando Allen is day-to-day. If I had my druthers, I'd try to limit their action against the Midshipmen and get everyone up to one hundred percent for the throwdown with Pitt next Saturday night.

The most important things from these bullets are obviously St. Michael's return and Crist's injury. The offense might almost be unstoppable with Floyd back, but sadly, getting a big fourth quarter lead will mean increased reps for Evan Sharpley, who won't be on the team next season. John Goodman will now be your emergency third string quarterback, so um, Wildcat anyone?

We'll get into a more extensive look at the team in the coming weeks, but I'm very worried about the Irish basketball team this season. Even though they are playing an embarrassingly awful non-conference schedule, the Big East is still really good and Scott Martin's injury was an absolute killer. Martin was the second most important player on the team after first-team preseason All-American Luke Harangody, as was going to fill in the Kurz/Ayers roll as big forward who could shoot perfectly. Now we have a team that goes seven deep and relies on three-point shooting, only there are about two shooters you'd feel comfortable with.

Oh, what is it that you're drinking there, Seth Davis? May I have a sip?

Oh yeah, indeed:

Maybe I'm overreacting to one practice, but this team was bigger, deeper and more talented than I anticipated. Clearly, the Irish do not have much margin for error, and they certainly cannot afford any more injuries. But they've got the best player in the league, if not the country, and that's not a bad place to start. Notre Dame might have a low ceiling, but it also has a pretty high floor. Write it down: The Gody is going back to the NCAA tournament.

During the course of the article, Davis praises everyone on the team for something and compares Tim Abromaitis to Matty Carroll. I obviously hope he's right, but I'm going to maintain some skepticism until we actually see it mesh on the floor. The first non-tomato can for the Irish is Northwestern on November 27. They'll then play either Saint Louis or Iowa State, with the only opportunity for a big non-conference win coming December 19, when the UCLA Bruins roll into town. The Big East slate isn't as tough as it was last year with UConn and Louisville twice, but it's still not going to be easy. I will leave you with my single favorite part of the story:

When Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry told Harangody that the Cavs considered former Louisville forward Earl Clark a better pro prospect, Harangody told him, "I have a f------ problem with that."

Staying over at SI.com, Stewart Mandel spends part of his mailbag advocating a plus-one plan. If you frame the plus-one as a natural step to getting to a playoff, then I can accept it. If you frame it as some sort of cure to the many ills of the collegiate football postseason, you're an idiot. Tell me, if we're using the "Mandel Plan," what do you do in years like 2002 or 2005, when you have two clear, undefeated teams at the top heading into the bowls? Or, even more fun, what about in years like 2007, when it's a giant clusterf*ck? Who would play in the plus-one game then? LSU vs. USC? Or Georgia? Or Kansas? Or West Virginia?

Mandel tacks this onto the bottom:

I'm sure I will now be deluged with 800 e-mails picking my proposal apart, but keep one thing in mind before you hit send: There's at least a glimmer of hope the Mandel Plan could become reality (the SEC and ACC are already open to a plus-one), whereas any larger playoff proposal -- no matter how many political action committees form to support it -- still has a 0.0 percent chance of getting adopted any time soon.

Great, so I'm supposed to be excited your shitty plan has a chance to come into reality? Awesome. Thanks for that caveat, Stewart.

In the latest College Football Is Going To Hell News, they just added the Dallas Bowl for New Year's Day 2011. What esteemed program will you see play on what used to be a holy day for college football? I'm glad you asked!

Jan. 1, 2011 -- Big Ten (No. 6 team) vs. Big 12 (No. 7 team)
Jan. 1, 2012 -- Big Ten (No. 6 team) vs. Conference USA team
Jan. 1, 2013 -- Big Ten (No. 6 team) vs. Big 12 (No. 7 team)
Jan. 1, 2014 -- Big Ten (No. 6 team) vs. Conference USA team

Can I set my Tivo now?! Gee golly, can't wait to see Purdue and and UTEP square off while I'm nursing a hangover. IS NOTHING SACRED TO YOU PEOPLE?!