Thursday, September 01, 2005
This college football season holds little interest.
For me, that is. The season starts today and I have to admit that I'm nowhere near excited. Then again, I'm not USC fan. I still can't get back into a sport with no outright champion. Every game counts, right? Without rehashing too much, which games counted for Auburn last season? Or Utah? Both unbeaten and neither even got to compete for the title. Just saying. But hey, whatever. That's college football. We couldn't possibly implement a playoff system because that would disrupt these "student-athletes" (puh-lease) from their studies. However, we have no problem extending the number of games on a regular season schedule, beginning earlier, finishing later, and making sure there is time for conference championship games. After all, there's no money to be made there. Oh wait...
Anyway, the game itself. I'm of the opinion (as is everyone with a functioning brain) that USC can do it again this year. Every analyst has them at least competing in the Rose Bowl, this year's national title game. They lost Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson -- probably their two best defensive playmakers -- to the NFL this year, possibly exposing their run defense a little, but this team is set. The offense, Norm Chow or not, will roll this year and the Pac 10 still isn't very deep. Arizona State and Cal (like last year) look to be the biggest threats to the Trojans. So, you know, they'll be fine. I'm just hoping for a respectable year from Arizona and a win in one of the exhibition-it-doesn't-matter-who-plays-here-since-there's-nothing-at-stake bowls. I think a top five conference finish would be huge for the Wildcats.
But as I said, USC is the only game in town. Pat Forde has a good write-up of why no one else matches up this season. There's a slew of #2 teams out there. I'd say about five of them end up with one loss on the year and of those five, only one can be voted in to the title game. It's a sham and, damn it, it's not the best college football can do. Who is the Rose Bowl loser this year? I don't know. Pick anybody. Michigan? Sure, them. Whatever.
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Anyway, the game itself. I'm of the opinion (as is everyone with a functioning brain) that USC can do it again this year. Every analyst has them at least competing in the Rose Bowl, this year's national title game. They lost Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson -- probably their two best defensive playmakers -- to the NFL this year, possibly exposing their run defense a little, but this team is set. The offense, Norm Chow or not, will roll this year and the Pac 10 still isn't very deep. Arizona State and Cal (like last year) look to be the biggest threats to the Trojans. So, you know, they'll be fine. I'm just hoping for a respectable year from Arizona and a win in one of the exhibition-it-doesn't-matter-who-plays-here-since-there's-nothing-at-stake bowls. I think a top five conference finish would be huge for the Wildcats.
But as I said, USC is the only game in town. Pat Forde has a good write-up of why no one else matches up this season. There's a slew of #2 teams out there. I'd say about five of them end up with one loss on the year and of those five, only one can be voted in to the title game. It's a sham and, damn it, it's not the best college football can do. Who is the Rose Bowl loser this year? I don't know. Pick anybody. Michigan? Sure, them. Whatever.
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