Just a few thoughts on this Super Bowl Sunday
USC over ASU
Briefly, I missed the 2nd half of last nights win over ASU. A long morning with my accountant coupled with those Saturday errands that always seem to pile up wore me out after what I thought would be a light work week, so I fell asleep with remote in hand and laptop on my chest. Needless to say I am happy that SC won but without actually seeing the game it would be pointless to do a game write-up. Moving on...
Trojans in the Super Bowl
Even though I live in the NYC area I don't root for the local teams, except the Jets because that's my wife's team, so I am fairly ambivalent about tonight's game. Frak wrote up a great diary that probably expresses how we all feel about success and those who would criticize success. I really only care to see former SC players do well. It would be great for Junior Seau and Matt Cassell to get a ring, but it would also be neat to see Steve Smith get one as well. If New England pulls it off you have to tip your cap for that incredible accomplishment. I will watch some of it but I'm not really interested, but I wish any former SC players luck.
Neuheisel's Comments
I saw in a couple places where it was rumored or speculated that Slick Rick may have made an unsavory comment about USC during halftime of ucla's win over Arizona last night. I usually don't pay too much attention to that sort of thing but when I saw a few of the regulars over on BN asking about it I knew something must have been said. RN can say what he wants; I realize that as an alumnus RN may get caught up in the rivalry and spout off but I'm not sure that, if true, he should making statements that might not only embarrass his program but also might be tough to back up next season. I am also not sure what this big obsession with USC has to do with what he needs to fix at ucla. Call me crazy but I was always taught that its ok to mindful and wary of your rival but to worry about their every move is counterproductive and it could cause to make a mistake somewhere down the road. Surely he has more important things to worry about than us.
Chow=Championship?
Also at last night's ucla/Arizona game Norm Chow made a comment during that halftime "pep rally" that "we're going to bring you a championship." OK I get it, what else was he going to say? But lets get the team together and the playbook set before we start making those types of promises. IF ucla doesn't win a championship does that mean that Chow is a bad OC? Of course not but it sure will look funny if it doesn't happen. A lot has been made of Chow and how SC hasn't won an MNC since he left and that's true but it wasn't all because of Norm Chow so he needs to put up or shut up now.
Recruiting
With National Signing day just around the corner the rumors are flying and the speculation is beginning about just how well SC and Pete Carroll will do this year in recruiting. I am really not that worried about it as SC always seems to pull in a great class and PC always finds a way to pull a rabbit or two out of his hat. Yes, some of the other programs may have "better classes" base on what recruiting rag or site you read but for my money it is not always about quantity but more about quality. The big question to me is did SC fill all of its needs with this class. To me that's the sign of a good recruiting class. Simply having big numbers with a lot of stars behind those names is more about flash and not necessarily about substance. SC continues to be at or near the top of the CFB mountain because of their consistency, so until all the signatures are in I don't place much stock in all the hype and speculation once the class is assembled then I will start to speculate on just how good the class is.
Feel free to discuss as you wish, enjoy your Super Bowl Sunday.
FIGHT ON!