Bowl Preview: EagleBank Bowl

EagleBank Bowl
RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
Temple vs. UCLA
Date: Dec. 29
Time: 4:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Line: UCLA -4.5

About Temple (9-3): A perennial powerhouse, the Owls...oh wait, Temple? In a bowl game? Get the hell out of here. That coach deserves a raise from the $18,000 they're paying him.

Intangibles:
John Chaney: +2
John Chaney angry: -4
Bill Cosby: -1

About UCLA (6-6): I'm not sure what's lower - not going to a bowl game or flying across the country to play freaking Temple in the EagleBank Bowl. Criminy, Slick Rick, does not seem to have things going in the right direction for the Bruins.

Intangibles:
Fight song: +2
Cade McNown: -3
the cojones to hire Slick Rick: -1

Impact player: Temple RB Bernard Pierce averages almost six yards a carry and 118 yards a game - and get this - he plays for TEMPLE.

Bowl slogan: "There's nothing like RFK in the winter. Really, who would want this?"

Little Known fact: Temple's bowl history (which has five pages dedicated to it in the postseason media guide) consists of the 1935 Sugar Bowl and the 1979 Garden State Bowl. That's it.

Watchability (1-5): -3 in lieu of watching rip eyes out of sockets with BBQ tongs.

The Pick: Temple 21, UCLA 17 (what the hell)

Another pointless UCLA video

Another day and another pointless video from UCLA.

I guess getting to see a shirtless Rick Neuheisel leap off the high dive is entertaining, and maybe a few 300-pounders displace some serious water is fascinating. But the folks over at UCLABruins.com are doing a lot of video filler this week. For that, I thank them.

(Hat Tip: EDSBS)

UCLA dealing with acrophobia

Hey recruits,

If you go to UCLA you not only get to play for Rick Neuheisel, get owned by USC each year and be the last team in the nation invited to a bowl game, but you also get to hang out with a bunch of good guys who are afraid to ride a rollercoaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain.

What appears to be a nice report on a day off for the team is more like a poor PR/recruiting tape. Unfortunately, one of the players featured in the piece (offensive lineman Stanley Hasiak) was booted from the team.

They would have been much better off going to Disneyland.

USC-UCLA rivalry intensifies

Let's be clear ... the USC-UCLA rivalry is back.

At least the contempt for one another is back. In case you missed it (and most of you probably did), USC coach Pete Carroll dialed up a long play-action pass play with less than a minute to play and a 14-point lead. Of course, Matt Barkley threw a perfect pass to Damian Williams for a 48-yard TD.

Today, most of the columnists and other pundits are telling you what a jerk Carroll is and how this broke some sort of etiquette or unwritten rule. I'm here to tell you they are wrong.

Carroll was prepared to let the game end when he had his offense take a knee. But UCLA's Rick Neuheisel called a timeout. So Carroll just responded and made a statement with the TD call. What happened next wasn't pretty, but it's what makes college football rivalries special.

The Trojans were celebrating and jumping around on their sideline. OK, maybe they were taunting the Bruins a bit. Of course UCLA's players were pissed and started to cross the field. No punches were thrown, but the players exchanged some pleasantries.

This game wasn't pretty. UCLA actually slowed the Trojans and were in this game, but the Bruins couldn't overcome self-inflicted mistakes. So the Bruins may not be too far from closing the gap with USC.

Now USC-UCLA is a must-see game again next year instead of being relegated to FOX Sports with a 10 p.m. (EST) kickoff. That's right, the rivalry is back.

Observations from Saturday's games (Sept. 12)

Another great Saturday of College Football. Upsets, close calls and breakout performances. Oh yea, how much longer can Notre Dame officials think everything is OK with Charlie Weis?

So let's get to 'Eer's observations.

1. "How much did I pay for that?" At least that's what I think T. Boone Pickens is saying about Oklahoma State's stunning 45-35 loss to Houston, just one week after beating Georgia and moving to No. 5 in the polls. Houston is a decent Conference USA squad, but this is the early favorite to be the biggest upset of 2009.

2. Whew!! This goes for Wiconsin, North Carolina, Wake Forest, and especially Florida State. But for those who didn't watch last Monday's FSU-Miami game you may not truly understand why the Seminoles were primed for an upset Saturday. After the hard-hitting affair with the Canes, FSU had to be worn out today.

3. Viva LeFevour. Central Michigan's Dan LeFevour is not a household name, but the big QB may be a first- or second-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. The Mid-American Conference's best player led the Chippewas to a big upset of Michigan State on the road. Don't overlook LeFevour or CMU this fall.

4. Slick Rick. Did you see that awkward halftime interview between Erin Andrews and UCLA's Rick Neuheisel. Did he actually say, "How you doin?" He's either real smooth or slimier than Lane Kiffin. Slick got the win, though, while Tennessee fans are wondering about Lane.

5. What can Brown do for you? QB Jarrett Brown is doing everything he can to help WVU fans forget Pat White. The senior threw for a career-high 334 yards and four touchdowns as the Mountaineers exacted a bit of revenge with a 35-20 victory over East Carolina. Now the Mountaineers have to solve the turnover issue to be a legitimate Big East contender.

6. Boulder, we've got a problem. And his name is Dan Hawkins. The man who once ranted "It's Division I football!!!!!", should consider finding a Div. I quarterback. Otherwise he won't be coaching Division I football any more. Are there any openings in Colorado's intramural program?

7. Not so offensive. What little I've watch of South Carolina-Georgia one thing is clear ... both teams can play a little offense. After managing just seven points apiece last week, each SEC team has eclipsed 26 points in the third quarter.

8. LeSean who? Pitt doesn't look like it will miss LeSean McCoy quite as much as many feared. Dion Lewis has stepped right in and played extremely well again Saturday, rushing for 190 yards in a 54-27 victory at Buffalo. His presence is also taking pressure off the much-criticized QB Bill Stull.

9. Nice rebound. The ACC went 9-1 this weekend after an embarrassing 5-7 last week. Poor Virginia and Al Groh. However, North Carolina, Wake and Maryland were all lucky, so 'Eer still believes the ACC is the worst BCS conference.

10. Nice first half. Despite what happens in the second half, Ohio State has played USC better than 'Eer expected. Just hope 'Eye has sobered up enough to enjoy the game.

Rick Neuheisel likes to poke bears with sticks

Why do college football coaches talk to booster groups?
So, PAC-10 coaches decide to vote to let family members under the age of 18 on the sideline. Only one coach votes no and that ticks Neuheisel off enough to yap to his boosters about it and take some shots at Petey Carroll.

yes, Rickster, this is certainly the issue that should put you over the top in your pursuit of USC. Let's worry about putting together an offense capable of getting a couple of first downs this year.

Besides, can you blame Carroll for voting against this? Would you want your kids hanging out with Snoop? Nobody can get on the 'SC sidelines without a SAG card anyway.

Podcast: Episode 27

It appears only Tom is ready for College Football to get going again (spring practice doesn't count). Phil is enamored with the Columbus Blue Jackets and their first appearance in the NHL playoffs. But the big guy still made time to talk about his real love. So your two favorite podcasters predict two surprise winners in 2009, breakdown the Big 12 and SEC as well as ponder what could have been if Mitch Mustain had never left Arkansas. During Quick Hitters we call out Pete Carroll and Jim Leavitt and look at the NFL draft again.

Instead of a podcast ...

With Phil and I taking a week off from the podcast, we decided to have an online discussion about some topics that are of interest to us right now. Email us any questions you would like us to answer in two weeks.

Here we go ...

In 2008, Alabama, Utah and Ole Miss were big surprises. Who do you believe could be the surprise team or teams of 2009?

Phil: Based on the second-year coach at a national power theory that seems to have some legs over the past decade (Ohio State, Oklahoma, Alabama last year) I'll take Nebraska and Bo Pelini. That mix of a new coach, players who have been losing and new infusion of talent always seems to pay off in the second year. The 'Huskers had a nice win over Clemson in the Gator Bowl, seem to have a nice core returning and a coach in his second year. Oh yeah, and they play in the Big 12 North which won't exactly be confused with the SEC East any time soon. Mizzou is really the only challenger.

Tom: This is a bit of a stretch, but I'm going with your theory of second year coaches and taking UCLA and Rick Neuheisel. The Bruins have a lot more to overcome than Nebraska, but Neuheisel is a great recruiter and the Pac-10 is a thin conference. This would allow UCLA to move up quickly. Getting past USC, Oregon and Arizona could still be a challenge, but that's what it takes to be the surprise team. So I'm rolling the dice with the Bruins.

What coach is on the hot seat in 2009?

Tom: There will be a handful of coaches whose jobs are on the line. I could see Rich Rodriguez at Michigan, Bill Stewart at WVU, Charlie Weis at Notre Dame and Al Groh at Virginia all needing improved seasons over 2008 to save their jobs. But Louisville's Steve Kragthorpe. Following a second straight losing season and a late-season collapse, the Cardinals fans are restless. By all accounts Kragthorpe is a good person and good football coach. But this wasn't supposed to be a rebuilding job. The news didn't get much better for Kragthorpe after heir-apparent at quarterback, Matt Simms, announced he is transferring.

Phil: Obviously the big name on the hot seat is going to be Charlie Weis at Notre Dame - especially if Jon Gruden doesn't get another job. Those rumors are already floating around. Another name that might be on the hot seat, for retirement purposes anyway, is Bobby Bowden. The NCAA is about to come down somewhat on the 'Noles for academic improprieties and with Jimbo Fisher there and drawing a nice salary, you have to think the FSU administration will send Bobby riding into the sunset.

What are your thoughts on your rival, Michigan, hiring former Syracuse coach Greg Robinson as the Wolverines defensive coordinator?

Phil: Not sure what to make of it, yet. Robinson was a fairly successful DC at Texas and in the NFL, but his stint at Syracuse was such an unmitigated disaster, it's hard to say what he'll accomplish at UM. Is his confidence shattered? Have offenses changed too much since he was calling signals? Or maybe he'll relish the chance to not be the man in charge anymore and be excited about not having that pressure. One thing is for sure, the UM defense will have a difficult time being worse than it was by the end of last season.

Tom: Robinson has been a successful D-Coordinator and I think he'll fit right in at Michigan. You're right, the Wolverines can't get any worse. He's still very well respected in coaching circles and he'll prove that he's a strong coordinator and miserable HC.

Speaking of coaches potentially on the hot seat, as an old-timey 'Canes fan, what do you make of Randy Shannon firing his offensive coordinator and now losing his defensive coordinator and then saying is he can't find the right fit at DC, he'll just be the DC himself?

Tom: So what he's saying is he wants to be the D-Coordinator. He probably was anyways and explains why the guy left. This is going to have a negative long-term impact on the Hurricanes, though. Who wants to go to Miami now and be a coordinator? Not anyone who is any good. Shannon is proving why he shouldn't be the head coach at the U.

Phil: Shannon's judgment just gets more and more questionable in my eyes. The whole saga surrounding the Robert Marve transfer when Shannon wanted to limit what schools he could go to and then firing Patrick Nix. Now, Bill Young leaves after a single season as DC? Granted it was for a big paycheck at his alma mater, Okie State, but it still sends an interesting message - and to me it seems that perhaps Randy Shannon is feeling the heat and not responding well.

Let's talk about the Buckeyes a little. It seems Jim Tressel's decision to go with freshman Terrelle Pryor over senior Todd Boeckman may have divided the locker room a bit this season. Now that the senior class is gone and a few juniors, can Tressel and Pryor garner the respect they need to lead the Buckeyes in 2009?

Phil: Certainly having the Pryor/Boeckman issue behind this team will help next year. I don't think there's anyone who is going to question Pryor as the quarterback and the 2009 edition of the Buckeyes will have a heavy emphasis on underclassmen. I think what might help is that this group won't have many players who were involved in the Florida or LSU losses or that played much in the loss to USC. I thought last year's group really had some confidence issues that came with those big losses.

Tom: You are way more in touch with this issue than I am, but I have to believe that this was a bigger distraction than anyone involved at OSU led on about. It seemed that many seniors underperformed for the Buckeyes this year and that players had picked sides. I believe Tressel is excited to see a changing of the guard taking place in Columbus.

Speaking of Bill Young going to Okie State for $700K, Illinois tried to hire Larry Johnson Sr. away from Penn State for $400,000. USC hired the former Denver offensive coordinator and rumor had it that they had budgeted up to $1 million for the gig. Are assistant coach salaries out of control?

Tom: The assistants who are getting the big bucks come in two forms. The first group is made up of the nation's top recruiters — WVU's Doc Holliday and Penn State's Johnson. The second group is made of the coaches in waiting — FSU's Jimbo Fisher and Texas' Will Muschamp. It's out of control when you put into perspective the economic times we are living in right now. But honestly, the assistant coaches were woefully underpaid for many years. I think it's about time for them to get paid. However, with the big paycheck come bigger expectations and less tolerance for short-term failure.

Phil: It seems as if the battle for assistant coaches is getting as brutal as recruiting. Realistically, as much as head coaches make, it was only a matter of time until assistant coach salaries skyrocketed, but this seems silly. Staff continuity used to be a huge thing, but now coaches seem more intent on bringing in all-star coaching staffs. Sounds good on paper, but you have to wonder if it will backfire. There are a lot of big egos in those rooms.

Ken Norton is pissed

Rick Neuheisel has ticked off a lot of people during his rules-breaking career at Colorado and Washington. He says he's learned a lot from his past and he'll do things by the book at UCLA.

According to a story in the LA Times, now comes word that former UCLA great and current USC assistant coach Ken Norton is accusing Neuheisel of using Norton's name in recruiting pitches. Neuheisel's response was printed in Adam Rose's blog All Things Trojan.

It seems only natural that UCLA would love to have Norton leave the Trojans and return home. However, this seems like an odd way to achieve that goal. Norton may be at USC for a lot longer now.

Good job Rick.

Tradition restored

Tradition and history are what make college football the greatest game on the planet. I love all of them ... from dotting the "I" at Ohio State to touching Howard's Rock and storming down The Hill at Clemson to Chief Osceola and the Flaming Spear and the Running of Ralphie.

But one tradition that escaped me, until this week, was the wearing of home jerseys by USC and UCLA when they play each season. It seems this one hasn't happened in about 25 years, but it will return this Saturday thanks to the cooperation of Pete Carroll and Rick Neuheisel (in more ways than you may realize).

Carroll said his Trojans were going to wear their cardinal jerseys even if it meant losing a timeout each half (stupid NCAA rule). The NCAA relented a bit, announcing today that USC would be penalized just one timeout. Neuheisel, who played at UCLA, wants the tradition restored so much that he made a gentleman's gesture by committing to wasting a timeout at the beginning of the game to put the two teams on equal footing. Carroll has agreed to return the favor in 2009 by inviting UCLA to wear its true blue unis in the Coliseum and wasting a timeout.

Good for Carroll and Neuheisel. This isn't some Black Out, White Out or one of the other pointless gimmicks we've witnessed this fall. This is a back to the roots kind of tradition that makes college football so special. Now if the NCAA could figure this out and just suspend the meaningless rule for a game.

Picks of the Week

OK. My little experiment last week was a complete and utter failure. I took four huge favorites, and not a single one covered. I also went with Marshall at East Carolina, and despite the Herd's best effort they fell in OT (however, they did cover but I can't count it).

This week I'm going back to a more traditional selection method (flip a coin). If that doesn't work, I'm asking my 3-year-old next week to help. So here are this week's picks.

Connecticut (-9.5) over Syracuse
Syracuse's season has sort been up in smoke. Thank that's a stretch? Did you see where two Orange players opened a hookah bar and the grand opening was Friday night. UConn's players are a little more focused than this. The Huskies win big in the Carrier Dome.
Pick: Connecticut 32, Syracuse 9

UCLA (-7) over Washington
OK, maybe this isn't fair. Picking against another team with a coach who won't be back next year. You'd think the Huskies might get fired up to play against former coach Rick Neuheisel. Only problem, the current UW players have no idea who Slick Rick is. UCLA should execute better and pull out an easy win in Seattle.
Pick: UCLA 21, Washington 3

South Carolina (+22.5) over Florida
Not picking the straight up upset, but the Gamecocks have one of the nation's best defenses. If Steve Spurrier could learn to coach an offense again South Carolina could be a factor in the SEC. Tim Tebow will lead the Gators to a win, but it should be a slugfest in The Swamp.
Pick: Florida 28, South Carolina 10

Nebraska (-6) over Kansas State
If Bo Pelini thinks the defense deserves the Black Shirts again (despite giving up 35 last week) then I'll bite. If the Cornhuskers defense lives up to the Black Shirt tradition they should rolle past K-State in Manhattan.
Pick: Nebraska 32, Kansas State 14

Upset of the Week
Rutgers (+8) over South Florida
This is a match up of teams going in opposite directions. The Bulls know a Big East title is out of reach now, but they've been talking all week about finishing with 10 victories. But the numbers don't lie. USF has lost 3 of its last 4, while the Scarlet Knights have won three straight. Also, Matt Grothe is so overrated. Not only does Rutgers cover, but they upset the Bulls in Tampa.
Pick: Rutgers 18, South Florida 15

Last Week: 0-5
Season: 17-23