Just some quick thoughts on something that has been bugging me.
There have been a few stories in local papers that SC was less than thrilled with Illinois being selected to ply in the Rose Bowl. I think it's a little late to worrying about that now had we not lost to Stanford the point would be moot. It isn't a glamour match-up that some would have liked to see but in the end this the match-up that the Rose Bowl wanted.
Illinois is a good team, they have a very mobile QB with a very solid defense and it would be a mistake for anyone to not take them seriously. I can understand how some can feel that way, we have been in the mix for a national title for the past 4 years and with that comes a certain level of expectation. I would simply say that had we taken business against Stanford we would be in the title game. SC needs to worry about the next game not who they thought they should play they also need to put the past in the past we can't go back and change what happened in October we just need to move forward.
If it mattered that much then should have taken the situation more seriously. Winning kills all ills. I realize that some of it is due to injuries but injuries don't drop passes, injuries don't commit stupid penalties or commit turnovers. Reduce the incidence of all of those and we are looking at a different season. Those who were disappointed should be thankful that we are in this position, if it weren't for Dixon going down and Oregon`s season blowing up who knows where we would have ended up.
Pete Carroll's goal has always been to get to the Rose Bowl...mission accomplished. But he can't control who SC plays only how SC plays.