Must be Hokie math you speak of where 1 bad ref call counts for more then 11 points.Sava700 wrote:A bad ref call can change alot of things.
USC/Michigan thread
I'm not going to argue this with you... cause with this post and others you agree there was a bad call per the video.Roody wrote:Must be Hokie math you speak of where 1 bad ref call counts for more then 11 points.
I guess when Marty Mcfly went into the past and changed his mom and dad in the past they didn't change EVERYTHING in the future? LOL
pretty much one call can change the whole out come of the game, hell USC may have scored 22 points over VT - we shall never know but it was a bad call and clearly changed something.
Your team lost because USC was better that day and no 1 bad call can't make up 11 points. Your inability to have common sense take precedence over emotion continuously backfires on you.Sava700 wrote:I'm not going to argue this with you... cause with this post and others you agree there was a bad call per the video.
I guess when Marty Mcfly went into the past and changed his mom and dad in the past they didn't change EVERYTHING in the future? LOL
pretty much one call can change the whole out come of the game, hell USC may have scored 22 points over VT - we shall never know but it was a bad call and clearly changed something.
Btw, if you aren't going to argue with me about this then don't respond. Otherwise don't say you will not argue.
Final game recap for the season.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/footba ... recap.htmlSAN FRANCISCO(AP) Matt Barkley threw touchdown passes to Stanley Havili on Southern California's first two possessions and added a touchdown run in the fourth quarter to help the Trojans beat Boston College 24-13 in the Emerald Bowl on Saturday night.
The victory was far from impressive but it did put a positive ending on a disappointing season for USC (9-4). The Trojans lost three of their final five regular-season games to fall out of the national rankings for the first time since Pete Carroll's first season as coach in 2001.
That left USC in an unfamiliar bowl setting after making it to the Bowl Championship Series the past seven years, including four straight Rose Bowl bids. But the Trojans made the most of it, handing Boston College (8-5) its second straight bowl loss after an eight-year bowl winning streak.
Damian Williams caught 12 passes for 189 yards in what could be his final game for the Trojans, grabbing long passes to set up Havili's second score and Barkley's 1-yard sneak that gave USC a 24-13 lead with 11:53 remaining. Williams is expected to skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft.
The Eagles stayed close with the Trojans for most of the game before Dave Shinskie threw an interception to Shareece Wright early in the fourth quarter. On the next play, Barkley connected on a 48-yard pass to Williams, who made a leaping grab between three defenders. Barkley scored on the next play.
The Trojans won despite playing without leading rusher Joe McKnight , who was not cleared to play as the school investigates whether he violated rules by using an SUV that doesn't belong to him. McKnight is USC's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2005, with 1,014 yards on 6.2 yards per carry and eight touchdowns.
USC struggled on the ground without McKnight but was able to move the ball consistently through the air as Barkley often found open receivers on slant patterns. Barkley completed 27 of 37 passes for 350 yards in the second 300-yard game of his freshman season. He also threw two interceptions that allowed Boston College to stay close until the fourth quarter.
The Trojans got a fast start by scoring touchdowns on their two possessions with passes from Barkley to Havili to go up 14-0. But USC didn't score again in the half, with Barkley throwing an interception deep in BC territory to end one potential scoring drive.
The Eagles got right back into the game with a 7-yard run by Montel Harris . Steve Aponavicius hit the upright on the extra point attempt, ending a streak of 81 straight makes since late in the 2007 season.
BC got help from a big mistake by USC to get another score late in the half. Michael Morgan was called for pass interference on a third-and-21 toss to Chris Pantale that went only 2 yards. But the infraction gave the Eagles an automatic first down and Shinskie connected with Rich Gunnell on a 61-yard TD pass on the next play to make it 14-13.
Gunnell finished with six catches for 130 yards, breaking Pete Mitchell's school record for yards receiving with 2,659 in his career.
The Eagles missed a golden opportunity to score after intercepting Barkley on the first play of the second half to give them the ball at the 9. Harris fumbled a handoff two plays later, costing BC a chance to take its first lead of the game.
Harris finished with 102 yards on 23 carries for his fifth straight 100-yard game, but BC struggled to move the ball in the second half. The Eagles had just 19 yards in the third quarter and never mounted a sustained drive in the second half until the game had been decided.
Shinskie was 14 for 33 for 218 yards and the interception.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft10/n ... id=4773500Trojans' Griffen says he'll enter '10 draft
SAN FRANCISCO -- USC junior defensive end Everson Griffen said after Saturday night's 24-13 Emerald Bowl victory over Boston College that he will skip his senior season to enter the 2010 NFL Draft.
"I've known for a while," Griffen said.
Griffen, who has rare speed for a 6-foot-3, 280-pounder, is viewed in most draft projections as a late-first or early-second round selection.
"I'm ready," Griffen told ESPN.com's Joe Schad. "I know it's the right decision because I've talked it over with my coaches. I will bring speed, a pass rush and the ability to stop the run."
Griffen injured his ankle in Saturday's game and watched much of it from the sideline.
"I think I was prepared for this game, but stuff happens and I've just got to bounce back and be strong," Griffen said.
He made the All-Pac-10 second team this season, recording 44 tackles and a team-high eight sacks.
Junior receiver Damian Williams, who was the game's offensive MVP with
189 receiving yards, said he is undecided about whether he will return for his senior season. Williams said he will fly home to Arkansas Sunday and talk it over with his family.
Most observers expect Williams to enter the upcoming draft.
Junior running back Allen Bradford said he will return.
It's always the innocent ones who suffer. In this case that would be this years team and O'Neill.
http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/n ... id=4792634
USC has self-imposed sanctions on its men's basketball program for NCAA rules violations, including a ban on postseason competition at the end of this season, a reduction of scholarships and vacating all of its wins from 2007-08.
The university said the sanctions resulted from an internal investigation that found NCAA rules violations related to O.J. Mayo, who played for the Trojans during the 2007-2008 season under former coach Tim Floyd. Mayo is now with the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies.
The sanctions are connected to Mayo's involvement with Rodney Guillory, whom under NCAA rules became a USC booster due to his role in Mayo's recruitment.
In 2008, on ESPN's "Outside The Lines," a former associate of Mayo accused Guillory of providing Mayo with improper benefits while the guard played for USC.
Current USC coach Kevin O'Neill said he first learned of the self-imposed sanctions from USC athletic director Garrett after last night's game against Arizona State. O'Neill says he met with the USC players Sunday morning and called his recruits after that.
The players were "stunned, shocked, disappointed" to learn that they won't be playing in the a Pac-10 Tournament, let alone the NCAA tournament or the NIT, O'Neill said. The Trojans were 10-4 overall and 2-0 in the Pac-10 as of Sunday.
" told them what the situation was and it was our expectation that they do the best job they can in the classroom and on the court moving forward," O'Neill said. "Nothing changes in our daily lives; it's just unfortunate that our last game is March 6th."
"The only real emotional part of this, this team has won eight in a row, has battled adversity all year long," O'Neill said. "It will test our mettle but I'm convinced they'll respond very well ... or as well as you could."
USC said it will vacate all wins during the 2007-08 regular season, which was when Mayo competed while ineligible. It will also return the money it received through the Pac-10 for taking part in the 2008 NCAA tournament.
The sanctions affect only the men's basketball program. The university football program is also under investigation for allegations that Reggie Bush received improper benefits while he played at the school.
"USC takes allegations of NCAA rules violations very seriously. When allegations were made regarding our men's basketball program we immediately began an investigation and worked closely with the NCAA and the Pac-10 in an attempt to ascertain the truth," Garrett said. "When we've done something wrong, we have an obligation to do something about it and that is exactly what we are doing here."
The self-imposed sanctions include:
• No postseason play in 2009-10, including the Pac-10 Conference Tournament.
• A reduction of one scholarship for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years.
• Reducing the number of coaches permitted to recruit off-campus by one during the summer of 2010.
• Reducing the number of recruiting days for the 2010-11 academic year, to 110 from 130.
http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/n ... id=4792634
Awesome news!
http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/n ... id=4793216Less than four months after suffering potentially fatal injuries in a weightlifting accident, USC running back Stafon Johnson has accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 30 in Mobile, Ala.
Johnson's senior season with the Trojans abruptly ended after a weight bar crushed his throat in September.
"This is a great opportunity for Stafon with all that he's been through and he's excited to play with some of the greatest players in the country," USC coach Pete Carroll said in a statement. "He's grateful to the Senior Bowl for giving him this chance. He's been a great player for us and everybody is ecstatic about him showing his playing ability there at the Senior Bowl."
Johnson has undergone several operations since leaving the hospital Oct. 14. His right vocal cord was torn away from its mooring and his larynx was crushed, leaving him unable to speak and swallow or eat solid foods. Johnson has since regained both abilities.
"This decision was made after extensive conversations with Stafon's family, coaches, medical team and personal trainer so that we were assured of his physical conditioning and readiness to participate in the Senior Bowl," Senior Bowl president and CEO Steve Hale said in a statement.
Johnson, a 5-foot-11, 210-pound senior from Compton, Calif., rushed 32 times for 157 yards and five touchdowns this season. He entered the year with 1,395 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4797623Cushing named top defensive rookie
Brian Cushing, LB, Houston 39 Jairus Byrd, S, Buffalo 6 Clay Matthews III, LB, Green Bay 3 Brian Orakpo, LB, Washington 2
NEW YORK -- Brian Cushing has become the second Houston Texans linebacker in four seasons to win The Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
The tackling machine from USC, drafted 15th overall last April, is a runaway winner in balloting by a nationwide panel of 50 sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the league. Cushing received 39 votes, easily beating Buffalo safety Jairus Byrd, who had six.
Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans won the award in 2006.
Cushing is the seventh straight linebacker voted top defensive rookie and the ninth in 10 years.
Score a TD get a free pizza. 
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=4797284Michigan names Brandon as AD
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan is turning to former football player and Domino's Pizza CEO David Brandon to lead its athletics program.
"The company is doing terrific, 2009 was a great year for us, and it would take a very special opportunity for me to leave that job," Brandon said Tuesday during a conference call with reporters. "I can't think of very many jobs in the world that I would leave that great company and great brand for, but this is one. I love the University of Michigan."
If approved by the Board of Regents later this month, Brandon will take over as athletic director in March.
He replaces Bill Martin, who said last year he would retire. Martin will serve as a special adviser to university President Mary Sue Coleman until his retirement.
"It is my distinct honor and privilege to have this opportunity to serve the university in yet another way," Brandon said in a statement. "My participation as a student-athlete at U-M has made a profound impact on my life and career, and I fully understand and respect the important role our athletic programs play in helping to shape the culture and image of our University community."
The university said Brandon will have a five-year contract.
Coleman said Brandon, 57, is the "ideal candidate" and will carry on the university's "tradition of excellence."
Brandon begins his new job during a time of change for the school's sports programs.
The football team will play this fall in a newly renovated Michigan Stadium, and plans are under way to build a new basketball practice facility next to Crisler Arena.
On the other hand, though, there are two issues that still linger.
The school launched an internal investigation in August into allegations that the football program regularly violated NCAA rules limiting how much time players can spend on training and practice. The athletic department also has to find enough well-heeled fans and corporations in a tough economy to fill luxury boxes at the Big House that cost as much as $85,000 per season.
Brandon has been chairman and chief executive of Ann Arbor-based Domino's Pizza Inc. since 1999. He graduated from Michigan in 1974, where he played football for the late coach Bo Schembechler.
A past finance chairman of the Republican Party, he won a seat in 1998 on the University of Michigan's Board of Regents and was re-elected in 2006.
His grandfather and father, both farmers, were supervisors in Washtenaw County's Salem Township. In 2005, he weighed a run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Debbie Stabenow but decided instead to seek re-election to the Board of Regents. Brandon also headed Republican Dick DeVos' unsuccessful 2006 campaign to unseat Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
Brandon previously was been chairman and CEO of Valassis Communications Inc., a printing company whose advertising booklets at the time were inserted into nearly 58 million newspapers a week nationwide. Brandon spent 20 years at Valassis, including 10 as its CEO.
If true this could signal Pete isn't leaving.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/f ... ?eref=sihpIf Pete Carroll takes the Seattle Seahawks head coaching job, he will not have the final say on all football matters that he is seeking, according to one person who has spoken with team CEO Tod Leiweke.
John Wooten, chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which promotes diversity and equality in coaching, said Friday night that Leiweke informed him that Seahawks owner Paul Allen is against entrusting total control to one person.
"Tod told me that he has informed Pete Carroll's people that Paul Allen has been through that once with Mike Holmgren and is not going to go through that again," Wooten said.
Wooten raised the issue with Leiweke amid reports that Carroll is close to leaving his job as head coach at USC for the Seahawks. Leslie Frazier, the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator who is among the candidates being recommended by the Fritz Pollard Alliance for the Seahawks coaching job and who would fulfill the Rooney Rule requirement that teams must interview a minority candidate before making a hire is scheduled to interview with Leiweke on Saturday morning in Minneapolis.
However, Wooten said Frazier will not interview for the job unless Leiweke first assures Frazier that Carroll will not have total control.
That is critical because if the Seahawks are not willing to draw a line with Carroll over GM responsibilities, that is a clear indication he is their guy. Therefore, there would be no reason for Frazier to interview, other than to satisfy the Seahawks' need to comply with the Rooney Rule. According to the rule, which was instituted in 2003, NFL teams are required to interview minority candidates for head coaching opportunities.
The Seahawks are in the market for a head coach after firing Jim Mora on Friday. Mora went 5-11 in his first season as head coach. The Seahawks are also without a general manager after Tim Ruskell resigned during the season.
Leiweke could not be reached for comment.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4810861Pete Carroll has reached agreement with the Seahawks on a deal to be their next head coach, multiple NFL sources confirmed early Saturday morning.
Carroll was fully expected to be introduced by the Seahawks as early as Monday, assuming they comply with the Rooney Rule this weekend.
The hangup could be locating a candidate to interview that would put the Seahawks in compliance with the rule, which requires teams to interview a minority candidate for head-coaching hires.
On Friday, Jim Mora became the first Seahawks coach to be let go after one season.
Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier could agree to interview, but he is unwilling to do so if Carroll has been promised full control of the Seahawks -- and multiple sources say he has.
Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke told Frazier that Carroll definitely does not have Seattle's job.
Believing Leiweke, Frazier will interview for the Seahawks head coach job Saturday morning.
Seattle also contacted the agent for Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, but as of Saturday morning nothing had been set up.
But the bottom line is, Carroll's agreement with Seattle is "100 percent done," one NFL source close to the situation said.
In a text message to ESPN's Chris Mortensen on Friday, Carroll said, "You know I haven't responded to a NFL question in two years."
But a league source told Mortensen that Carroll was trying to persuade USC offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates to join him in Seattle -- as opposed to Bates pursuing the same position with the Chicago Bears.
Mora attended a meeting Friday morning with management, at which time he was told by Leiweke, the Seahawks' CEO, that he did not win enough games to save his job.
The Seahawks ended the season on a four-game losing streak to finish 5-11.
Mora was shocked by his dismissal, believing that when he was called to Leiweke's office that he would be in a discussion about the team's vacant general manager's job, Seahawks sources told Mortensen.
"This team, more importantly this community, means so much to me that it hurts not being able to see this through," Mora said in a team-issued statement. "I am disappointed I did not get the chance to complete my contract. This is a tough business that sometimes demands immediate gratification."
Get ready for Jack Del Rio to sign on as the new Trojans coach soon. Also, USC is attempting to court Norm Chow back as OC and Ed Orgeron to the team also. Orgeron has been one of USC's best recruiters in past stints and arguably one of the best in the country who isn't a HC.
-EDIT-
Some contradictory information out there right now. Guess we will see what happens.
-EDIT-
Some contradictory information out there right now. Guess we will see what happens.
Lane Kiffin just announced as the next USC coach.
http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/n ... id=4820737Tennessee's Lane Kiffin has agreed in principle to become the next head coach at Southern California, sources close to the situation told ESPN.com's Chris Low on Tuesday.
Kiffin would replace Pete Carroll, who jumped to the NFL as coach of the Seattle Seahawks.
Kiffin, the former Oakland Raiders coach, led the Volunteers for only one season.
According to the sources, Kiffin will bring his father and defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin, and assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron to Southern Cal with him, and wide receivers coach Kippy Brown will be named interim head coach at Tennessee.
Official press release.
http://www.usctrojans.com/blog/2010/01/ ... coach.htmlBREAKING NEWS: Lane Kiffin named new head coach
Lane Kiffin, the one-time USC offensive coordinator who then became the head coach of the Oakland Raiders and at Tennessee, has been named the Trojans' head football coach, USC athletic director Mike Garrett announced today.
Joining Kiffin's staff as assistants will be Ed Orgeron and Monte Kiffin. Both were on the Tennessee staff in 2009 with Kiffin.
Orgeron, one of college football's top recruiters and defensive line coaches, previously served seven seasons at USC before becoming Mississippi's head coach and then an assistant with the New Orleans Saints. Monte Kiffin, Lane's father, is a longtime NFL and collegiate coach known for his defensive prowess.
"We are really excited to welcome Lane Kiffin back to USC," Garrett said. "I was able to watch him closely when he was an assistant with us and what I saw was a bright, creative young coach who I thought would make an excellent head coach here if the opportunity ever arose. I'm confident he and his staff will keep USC football performing at the high level that we expect.
"Lane brings a lot to the table. He has a coaching background both in the pros and in the best collegiate conferences. He has a great command of the X's and O's. He is familiar with the Trojan landscape and will be a great representative of our university. He keeps the game fun. And, very importantly, he has proven to be one of the finest recruiters anywhere.
"Lane has surrounded himself with others of similar talent. I can't tell you how delighted we are to have Ed Orgeron back on staff and to have Monte Kiffin join us. They are some of the preeminent coaches in the game. Ed did a marvelous job during his previous time at USC and we all know that Monte is a defensive guru. I know Lane will fill out his staff with other outstanding assistants like them, ones who Trojan players and fans will really like."
Kiffin replaces Pete Carroll, who resigned on Monday after nine seasons at USC to accept the head coaching job with the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.
Looks like recruits that were thinking on leaving are starting to come back. LK himself still has a way to go to get where he needs to be as a coach, but his situation in UT wasn't a good comparison. He was there for one year and was dealing with a drop off in top notch recruiting at UT at the end of Fulmer's time.
As for LK's staff he's got his father, Ed Orgeron, Dat Nyugen and possibly Norm Chow. Talk about a first rate staff.Late Tuesday, Kyle Prater, ranked the nation's No. 1 receiver and No. 2 overall prospect by Rivals.com, texted Rivals reporter Mike Farrell and said he plans to enroll at USC on Monday. Just this past weekend, Prater canceled his flight to Los Angeles and headed home to suburban Chicago after learning Pete Carroll had bolted Heritage Hall for Seattle. Prater had Tennessee in his final five before he committed to Carroll, so now he gets a program he likes and a coach he likes.
He also appears to be assembling another all-star staff. Orgeron returns to the town where he helped procure some of the sport's most loaded recruiting classes in recent memory. Monte Kiffin -- whose Tennessee defense performed admirably against SEC powers Florida (23 points) and Alabama (12) before fading down the stretch -- will have no shortage of raw athletes at his disposal. And in perhaps the biggest surprise of all, Chow is reportedly heading back across town to reprise the role he played on Carroll's 2003 and '04 national title teams and possibly groom another quarterback protégé, Matt Barkley.
You know the coaching world has gone mad when a coach defects from UCLA to USC and barely generates a blip on the controversy meter.
As for Kiffin himself, there have been a few small signs he might know what he's doing. Tennessee improved by two wins in his first and only season, which included routs of Georgia (45-19) and South Carolina (31-13). He performed a somewhat miraculous resurrection of quarterback Jonathan Crompton. And he left on the verge of signing a second straight top 10 recruiting class.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiti ... id=4821355From a recruiting standpoint, the hiring of Lane Kiffin could not be better for Southern California, especially when you consider who he is bringing with him.
Ed Orgeron, who served as Tennessee's assistant head coach this season and is a former USC assistant, will return to Los Angeles with Kiffin. Orgeron is one of the nation's finest recruiters and the duo helped to save the Vols' 2009 recruiting class, which ended up as a top 10 class.
Kiffin will also be able to sell two of the very best coordinators in the country. His father Monte Kiffin is following him as well and reports late Tuesday night indicate that UCLA offensive coordinator Norm Chow could be Kiffin's offensive coordinator. It was the combination of Kiffin and Orgeron that sold many recruits on the Vols. Now USC will be able to sell those two, plus the innovative offenses of Chow.
Kiffin will inherit a recruiting class that is in far better shape than last year's Tennessee class was in when he took over. Despite having only 14 commits, USC has the nation's No. 11 class and is still in the mix for many of the nation's top uncommitted players. It's the kind of hire that has recruits buzzing. "I was a little shocked with the news. I had never heard his name in connection with the job, so I was quite surprised. I think it's a good deal, though, because it will bring a lot of great recruits to USC," four-star tight end Xavier Grimble (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman) said. "I am looking forward to talking with coach Kiffin."
Grimble is the nation's top-ranked tight end prospect.
Four-star receiver Robert Woods (Gardena, Calif./Serra) previously stated he was solid to the Trojans despite the departure of Pete Carroll.
Indications are that four-star receiver Kyle Prater will also stick with USC.
Getting Kiffin as a Head Coach is like catching crabs IMO... He only cares about himself and we have now seen this after only one year at Tenn... check it out:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/s ... id=4821890
more at the link below...but man I almost feel sorry for USC at this point.If there were a stock car race between all the frauds, egomaniacs and two-faced weasels I've ever covered, Lane Kiffin would have the pole position all to himself.
Kiffin is a spin doctor without a medical degree. He thinks truth comes in different shades of gray. He demands loyalty, but gives none himself.
Kiffin is a used car salesman with a whistle. Wait, that's not fair to used car salesmen. He ditched Tennessee for USC after just 13 games. The remaining five years on his contract, the players he left behind, the nine high school recruits who planned to enroll early, they all meant nothing to Kiffin.
According to someone who was in the room, the Tuesday night farewell meeting between Kiffin and the Tennessee players was "very, very, very hostile." Kiffin told them that coaches come and go, that USC was his dream job. The players, orphaned after less than 14 months, responded angrily.
If not for interim coach Kippy Brown, who calmed the players down after Kiffin's appearance, the tension and anger could have redlined. Put it this way: Kiffin is lucky no one took a swing at him. That was the level of betrayal felt by the players in that meeting room.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/s ... id=4821890