USC versus UCLA - two programs headed in two different directions

The classic LA rivalry game wasn't decided yesterday when Matt Barkley went down in the 4th quarter with 2 minutes left. It wasn't decided when UCLA decisively pulled ahead by 10 in the 4th or when UCLA was up by 24 points before USC ever scored a point in the 1st half.
It was decided much earlier than that.
It was decided for USC on December 22, 2011.
USC not winning not being anywhere near the National Championship discussion was decided that day.
USC finishing outside the Polls was decided that day.
USC losing the Pac-12, and also the Pac-12 South Division was decided that day.
What happened that day?
Matt Barkley and USC held a press conference where he announced with a sneaky smile, he was returning for one more year because they had "unfinished business."

After that moment, USC was only doomed to fall hard and fall dramatically.
There's something that's not always talked about in sports and especially college football.
Humility has a place in sports and there is a power in possessing it.
It starts in who you recruit and how you recruit them. It's off the field, in the halls and rooms before teams ever take the field. Then it continues with game preparation and finally with how you play the game.
It's effects are seen in the number of penalties a team gets, in how they handle a loss, in how they handle their plans being disrupted.

Humility is about shutting your mouth and working. Never thinking you're better than any team, no matter a rivalry or a team like Western Carolina. Humility is putting your head down and working. It's never in any words you can ever say.

USC lost before the season ever started. With those two words and that sly smile, Barkley was continuing a tradition at USC that's been hounding them for decades; pride. That tradition used to exist at the likes of Notre Dame, Alabama, and every other school with a winning tradition. But this year, what's separating the teams with any sort of pride and the ones that are winning: a humility that comes from shutting your mouth and going to work. Where are Notre Dame and Alabama now?

Year in and year out, what wins? The talent that USC obviously has or the work ethic the likes of which Jim Mora has brought to Westwood? This year it was clear.

What it took to beat Alabama

The four "toughest" teams (besides LSU) Alabama has faced all year have been very similar. They are either spread teams or have a dual threat quarterback. And each time Alabama faced them, there was talk of upset alert. But the Crimson Tide stayed the course, ground them out, didn't let things get wild and forced mistakes.
Until this week.

Alabama did that in the beginning with Michigan. They contained Denard, forced him to make mistakes and just weakened the Wolverines down.
Tennessee has a great offense, with some good speed. But they pressured the quarterback and made him made mistakes.
Mississippi State. Bama just burst the bubble on their perfect season. The Bulldogs were a paper tiger.

Then Johnny came marching in. Spread team. Quick. Dual-Threat Quarterback. Scrappy underdogs.
One thing had been holding the Aggies back even since last year. Playing horrible in the second half.
But this game was different.
They got out to an early lead. Which they are apt to do.
They played pretty good defense.
But then in the second half, Bama started to creep back up.
Texas A&M missed a field goal in the 4th quarter, that was a portent for doom.
Alabama was given the chance twice to come back. But Texas A&M not only shut Alabama down with defense, they scored again in the 4th quarter. They actually scored in the 4th quarter. Unheard of for a Texas A&M team.

Best game since the Boise State-Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl. Maybe.

So it begs the question. Did Texas A&M pull a huge upset, or is Alabama actually not that good?

I never thought the Crimson Tide were the number 1 team. (That's Oregon.)
In the beginning it just seemed like all of college football was down this year, like really down. But then Oregon emerged, and Kansas State. And Alabama still seemed like the best defense. But they weren't playing anybody. Until LSU, and they looked really vulnerable. They probably provided Texas A&M with some good film to use.

My assessment. Alabama probably has the most disciplined team and the best defense. And they're getting a lot better on offense. I think they're the number 3 team ahead of Notre Dame.

Oregon obviously has the best offense and Kansas State could be the best coached team right now. Neither of these teams make mistakes. That stems from coaching. Johnny Football made Alabama make mistakes finally. So when the going got tough, Alabama folded and made mistakes. Do the math.

A few predictions:

Johhny Manziel will win the Heisman within the next two years.
Texas A&M will win the SEC within the next two years.
Texas A&M will go to the BCS game within the next two years.
Kevin Sumlin becomes the new Pete Carroll and despite being in College Station and not LA, the Aggies become the new "it" team of the 2010's.

Why The Coaches Poll Is Poop

Awesome and crazy weekend for college football. None more exciting of course than....San Diego State's win on the blue turf over Boise State!!!!
Also, wild finishes in the Notre Dame-Pitt game, huge scores in the Oregon-USC game and a game I'm sure no one cared about in Alabama's last minute come from behind victory over LSU in Death Valley.

There was not much change at the top. Even though a couple games were close, the top 4 teams beat who they were supposed to, and there weren't any major upsets. Except the Aztecs defying the odds and delivering the Broncos to one of their very few loses on their home field.

But it's easy to get the rankings right at the top when the top teams win. But it's the rest of the rankings that concerns me and why the Coaches Poll is ridiculous. Here's a few examples:

1. Boise State - They were somehow ranked 14 last week. Which, if anyone has seen or knows anything about this team this year, they should not have been ranked so high. They are struggling and trying to re-build. I know if a team keeps winning they usually rise in the polls, but this team was barely getting by and it finally showed in the loss to SDSU. So it begs the question, why is Boise State still ranked at all?

2. How did Louisiana-Monroe get 4 votes? - ULM was on the fringe of getting any votes. They've been winning over their Sun Belt compatriots, teams like 2-7 Florida Atlantic and 2-7 South Alabama. To be fair, the Sun Belt seems better than normal with already 4 bowl eligible teams so far in the league. But they just lost to Louisiana-Lafayette. So, if ULM was on the fringe as is, and they lost, who is still ranking the War Hawks in their rankings? Is there 1 coach ranking them 22nd, or are there four coaches ranking them 25th? I would love to see these coaches individual rankings. Because these are supposed to be the brilliant college football minds, so they must be seeing things in all the free time they have to watch all the games happening.

3. Who has seen enough of Middle Tennessee? - These guys have a decent team this year. But here's some highlights from the year so far. They lost 45-3 to Miss State. Their other FBS lost was to Louisiana-Monroe, a team that obviously should still be getting votes. Oh and the only FCS loss they have of the year, a loss to McNeese State of the Southland Conference. McNeese State must be the best FCS school in the country. Nope, not even in their conference, they're currently in 5th place in the Southland Conference. Who is giving Middle Tennessee votes in their rankings?

4. Another Odd Choice for a Team receiving votes - Tulsa has been having a decent year. They had a pretty good few years under coach Todd Graham, and now it seems like Bill Blankenship is keeping that going. But they haven't been having a year where they should be ranked in the Top 25. Their most impressive win was over Fresno State. This week they played Arkansas close, but lost. Who is still giving them 4 votes after a loss to Arkansas? Are other C-USA coaches giving them the votes? Is there a problem with that? Is that bias or does that mean, the other C-USA coaches can see things other people can't? Either way that's not an accurate picture, and proof that the Coach's Poll is extremely flawed.

I don't know if it's confirmed or not if the Coach's Poll will continue after the BCS changes, but that selection committee can't seem to come soon enough.