Saturday, September 13, 2008

A one-sided Coliseum collision

A few thoughts about the day of college football games post-Coliseum beatdown:

Having watched USC absolutely flatten Ohio State tonight, I can't help but think Jim Tressel might want to bring in Mike Barwis to close the intensity gap between the two teams. The Buckeyes looked like they were going to a funeral; the Trojans were ready to party.

As good as USC looked tonight, there's going to be a chilly afternoon in October when a conference rival plays them closer than they should. Unlike last year, I don't think the Trojans will lose that game. It wasn't exactly a profile in courage, but I stick by my preseason pick of USC as the nation's top team.

Sheesh. Beanie Wells is real nice. But he's not worth 32 points.

I think tonight's loss officially ends the Buckeyes' run of BCS championship game appearances at two. No one could want to see them in the title game again.

I think Ohio State fans might want to hold off on calling for the start of the Terrelle Pryor era after tonight's game. The Buckeyes should still be favorites in the rest of their games this season. No need to roll the dice on a true freshman who's not quite ready for the responsibility. Todd Boeckman is still the man for the job.

Outside of USC, the PAC-10 had a horrific weekend. UCLA, Washington, Arizona, Washington State, Cal. And, uh, Stanford got rolled right out of Fort Worth just ahead of Ike. Thanks for stopping by.

The SEC doesn't just have great defenses. It has horrendous offenses. That Auburn-Mississippi State game set back offensive football four decades. And Georgia-South Carolina wasn't much better.

I may have said this already but it bears repeating: Oklahoma will be a force next year and in the years to come. Once Mike Stoops loses his job at Arizona, his brother will almost certainly welcome him back to Norman with open arms. And the Sooners will be whole on defense again.

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