T1B

Well, the real Pac-10 game of the year is almost upon us. Cal sits it out, as always.

If USC is going to get knocked off its throne during the Pete Carroll era, this is the year its going to happen. And Saturday will be the moment.

I could see this game going any number of ways. But I do think Oregon should win. Doesn't mean we will, but we are playing better football right now. USC's track record over the past 7 years has been phenomenal, and real challengers in the Pac-10 have been very few and far between. But I like our chances in this one better than I did in 2007.

What is probably the most impressive thing about USC has been their confidence over the past 7 years. In every situation, I don't think the Pete Carroll Trojans have really known any fear or even any doubt. And when they've lost, its been just barely. But, I wonder if there isn't just the slightest hint of doubt creeping in the back of their minds this week in the film room.

The Trojans get to watch Oregon beat Cal 42-3, WSU 52-6 and Washington 43-19. While those same teams, the Trojans faced with scores of 30-3, 27-6 and loss of 13-16. I realize that comparative scores don't always tell the story, but I would have to bet that its never happened to the Trojans that they've faced a team that whipped all common opponents by signifanctly more than they did.

Is that enough to shake their unbreakable confidence? I don't know. Does it hurt or help that they haven't won in the state of Oregon in 3 years, and that it keeps getting brought up? I don't know. It sure didn't help them knowing that they always play poorly in their Pac-10 road opener, when they did so again in their loss at Washington.

But the Autzen crowd will be right on top of them from the get go, and yes, it will be the most instense atmosphere they've played in this year. I think, for perhaps the first time in the Carroll era, this could be a game, an enviroment, an opponent and a situation that truely rattles them. They've always risen to the occasion in the past, so we'll see, but I don't think this USC team is comparable to those teams of the past handful of years. And this Oregon team is still better than they've been given credit for. I've been content to just stay mostly silent all year. I don't give a shit what they say about us, because I think it helps us to be underrated. Looking back now, the Boise debacle was probably the best thing that could have happened to us. It was so bad and so bizzare that a lot of people have just been unable to get past it. Its the first thing that they think of and they just can't reconcile that team with really being a great team now.

Now, that confidence can come back in an instant, so starting this game fast will be key for Oregon. If we can get out to a quick start, I do think some doubt will seep in to the Trojan psyche. And Autzen is just a different experience for a QB. Ohio State and Notre Dame can hold a lot more people, but there's more of a buffer. At Autzen, the crowd is literally right on top of the field. I know what he says publicly, but how confident is Carroll in Barkley right now, really? While putting up great yardage numbers, late against both Notre Dame and Oregon State, he's thrown pics that let them back into the game. While he's had moments of brilliance, I've also seen a lot of wide open receivers that have had to make incredible diving, or reach-back, catches on balls that have been a bit off target. I think Carroll will try to pound us on the ground and mix some playaction early.

We should try to bring a lot of pressure on Barkley, and there may be some big plays avaliable for receivers, if he can get it to them. We have some young corners, and they may be asked to do a lot of solo covering. But I think Carroll plays it safe, to start the game, anyway. If McCoy isn't playing, that's a huge advantage that I'll take too.

On offense, we need Masoli to be sharp passing the ball. I don't think we can run it against the USC defense as much as we like to. But, there's definitely been some major plays to be made in the passing game against them the last few weeks. I think we'll see a lot of passing on 1st down to try and prep the USC defense for the run game. And I'm sure Chip's good for a couple suprises this week as well.

I'm calling 32-21 Oregon, matching USC's biggest loss under Pete Carroll.

JayDuck wrote:But the Autzen crowd will be right on top of them from the get go, and yes, it will be the most instense atmosphere they've played in this year.

As you've probably heard, Duckfan has a little Halloween thing going, in the form of a "blackout" -- instead of the Green and Lightning, everyone's planning on wearing all black. The "Autzen Reaper" teeshirts are selling like hotcakes (for charity).

Evening game, with Gameday in town, on a party-holiday -- like Duckfan needs an excuse to get even more drunk than usual (one of the local sports honks has called out Duckfan for rapidly gaining the reputation as the biggest drunks in all of CFB, and challenged us/them to tone it down. Can't say I've really done my part when I've gone to games).

Autzen's gonna be a rockin', for sure.

Wish I could get my grimey paws on some tix. Last Gameday appearance in Eugene, my buddy got Corso's autograph on a Ducks hat, then just about puked on his shoes... was pretty sweet. You'd think the Gameday crew would get their own porta-potty or something.

And Autzen is just a different experience for a QB. Ohio State and Notre Dame can hold a lot more people, but there's more of a buffer. At Autzen, the crowd is literally right on top of the field.

Just a freaking BRUTAL place for a frosh QB to try and bust a nut.

I think Carroll will try to pound us on the ground and mix some playaction early.

Werd.

And I'll tell you what -- I was worried about the losses up front going into the season -- Reed is missed. But Matthews, Payse, and Will are doing an amazing job taking away the outside with their speed -- very fast LB corps. With that coverage of the outside, it's easy for the line to take away the between-the-tackles running game.

And if McKnight does his usual confusing-a-football-game-for-an-episode-of-Dancing With The Stars, SC is in trouble. Hell, dude may be carried off on a stretcher if he pulls his dance moves -- wayyyyy too much speed for that crap to be æffective.

The depleted secondary seems like they've played better than such an inexperienced, ragtag outfit has a right to... but TJ Ward should play, which should sure(shore?) up the secondary.

On offense, we need Masoli to be sharp passing the ball. I don't think we can run it against the USC defense as much as we like to.

It's like 2008 all over again -- Masoli looks like Jerimiaheisman again.

And thanks to Riley Up The Road for showing once again that SC's weakness is running it up the gut. LaMichael James is pretty darn good between the tackles for a smaller RB (all of the media covering the team all say he's freakishly strong for a guy his size).

I'm calling 32-21 Oregon, matching USC's biggest loss under Pete Carroll.

I see 42-24. I have a hunch (based on very little) that the first half will be close, then we'll see what we've been seeing lately -- a couple of breaks taken full advantage of, and a sudden opening of the floodgates to tear their hearts out early in the second half.


Maybe then, the pollsters will realize there's a body-of-work, rather than being defined by one bad opening game with a bunch of new guys.

Either one of these teams would shred most of the chumps rated above them.


Is it Saturday yet?

Jsc810 wrote:
USC only giving up 3.5 points? I'll take that no matter who they play or where.

And that explains why the line is what it is...Vegas is begging people to bet SC.




wonder why...

JayDuck wrote:Ohio State and Notre Dame can hold a lot more people, but there's more of a buffer.

Not to ruin your thunder before the big game, but I have to disagree 100% with regard to the Horseshoe. That crowd is right on top of you and the noise gets trapped in the C-deck (second deck)-- and that's without the use of a PA system recirculating all the crowd noise. I remember a few USC players noting after the game that it was the loudest stadium they have ever played in and by a long shot. Vince Young echoed the same comments in '05.

Ok, that's all I have since my team can't take advantage of the best home-field advantage any team would ask for. Carry on.

38-20 Ducks.

JayDuck wrote:

Jsc810 wrote:
USC only giving up 3.5 points? I'll take that no matter who they play or where.

And that explains why the line is what it is...Vegas is begging people to bet SC.




wonder why...

You lost me on this "line" thing. Doesn't it mean that Vegas thinks SC will win by 3-4?

Sin,
Wags



A few days ago, the line started at UO -3.5.

Sounds like Vegas is looking to absolutely work some degenerates.

And at SC -3.5, I just read that 59% of the action is still on SC... sucker born every minute, I guess.

When 59% bet against a home dog, Vegas becomes pretty happy campers.

L45B wrote:

JayDuck wrote:Ohio State and Notre Dame can hold a lot more people, but there's more of a buffer.

Not to ruin your thunder before the big game, but I have to disagree 100% with regard to the Horseshoe. That crowd is right on top of you and the noise gets trapped in the C-deck (second deck)-- and that's without the use of a PA system recirculating all the crowd noise. I remember a few USC players noting after the game that it was the loudest stadium they have ever played in and by a long shot. Vince Young echoed the same comments in '05.

Ok, that's all I have since my team can't take advantage of the best home-field advantage any team would ask for. Carry on. 8)

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_l ... ll_stadium


Look for the record to go down Saturday -- night game on a drinking-holiday, probably for the PAC marbles?

There Will Be Blood... coming from eardrums.


After the Kal game 2 years ago, my ears were still ringing Monday morning.

And the "PA" thing is something of a myth -- the stadium announcer doesn't use a directional microphone, so it reverbs a little through the huge corner speakers. But doesn't do much to increase the total volume.

Nope, it's the universally-drunk fans coupled with the actual stadium design, which really holds the sound in and makes a big freaking echo chamber.

But bear in mind, that according to multiple eyewitness reports I heard, the fans that made the Big House roadie drowned out the "110,000 quitest fans in CFB."


Regardless -- Duckfan takes the audible game away from their opponents, and this doesn't jibe well with SC's offense (although it will be less of a factor, what with Barkley being handcuffed).

Dins, you're seriously predicting USC will lose a must-win game by eighteen?

Alrighty then!



Football is two things: blocking and tackling.

Amid all the talk about the skill people, there is one area where USC holds a decided advantage over Oregon, and it's the single most crucial area on the football field: the trenches. USC is better on both sides of the ball, up front. That is usually where games are won and lost, and that's usually where USC is better than their opponent.

Okay, now, on to the specifics.

-As of yesterday, Anthony McCoy is still wearing a boot on his sprained ankle. It's not the more troublesome high-ankle sprain variety; nonetheless, he's still questionable for the game, and even if he does play, how effective will he be?

The McCoy thing is a big issue, since he's become Barkley's favorite go-to guy on third down. He's also become quite the big play weapon. If he doesn't play, USC will still throw to the back up TEs, but the chemistry between Barkley and those back ups isn't nearly the same.

-The atmosphere for the Ohio St game was electric. So too was the ND crowd, and so was the Cal crowd, at least until the game actually started.

Point being, yes, Autzen will be wild, but USC is not going to be rattled by a crowd. That simply does not happen. They'll feed off it, which is good, because they need to get back "up" following their flat fourth quarters of late.

-Ed Dickson is going to be a pain in the ass. I'm sure Chip Kelly will notice from the game films that USC chooses to give up some things while taking others away, and the TE over the middle is one of those things they've habitually given up. If Kelly is smart, which I'm sure he is, Dickson will have a big day.

If Pete is smart, which I'm sure he is, he'll key on Dickson, forcing some other receiver to beat him.

-Oregon will have to run between the tackles. They will not be able to get to the edge, not with any degree of regular success. Fortunately for Oregon, reading and running between the tackles is what they do.

Fortunately for USC, that fucker Dennis Dixon is now a Pittsburgh Steeler.

All this being the case, expect USC to sell out against the run, as they did early against Oregon St. This tactic exposed them to those medium depth passes over the middle, so it'll be on Masoli to get his Canfield on. If Masoli is unable to hurt USC with Dickson then Oregon will be unable to run the ball with any real effectiveness.

-Turnovers and penalties. USC never seems to win the turnover battle anymore, and more often than not they lose the penalty battle as well. The Autzen crowd is sure to cause the occasional illegal procedure from the USC offense. The no-huddle Oregon O is also sure to cause the occasional bout of confusion leading to missed assignments from the USC D.

It's what happens between those expected bouts of errors which will tell the tale. Will USC begin every drive following a kickoff with their habitual horrible field position, due to clipping calls on the kickoff and holding calls on the first play of the drive? Will USC extend multiple Oregon drives with stupid personal foul penalties?
USC will not be able to afford to be chippy and sloppy in ths one. They'll need to tighten up and play their most poised game of the season, in terms of limiting unforced errors. Barkley will likely get picked at some point, but what he can't do is get picked three or four times. Joe McKnight can't fumble.

USC will need to play a steady, clean game.

-Speaking of Joe McKnight, and knock on wood, but he seems to have finally left behind his penchant for fumbling, and for dancing too much. In recent weeks he's actually become a solid and even rugged runner. In the absence of Stafon Johnson, McKnight has been used even for short yardage carries, and he's proven to be a very tough out of late.

-Maybe some of that has so do with the emergence of Allan Bradford, who is just a fucking beast. Maybe McKnight has been watching Bradford just blow people the fuck up, every single game of late.

-Speaking of which, and this will come as no shock to anybody, but guess how USC intends to win this game? Steady doses of Bradford and McKnight running downhill, leading to easy play-action passes by Barkley to Damian Williams, the TE - hopefully McCoy - and a finally healthy Ronald Johnson. It starts with that O-line, and the ability to allow Bradford to beat up fuckers. Then McKnight steals their lunch money. If Oregon is unable to stop the USC ground game, they're going to get lit up by Barkley.

With most teams, the idea is to force one aspect of their O to beat you. Shut down Colt McCoy, and take your chances with the Texas running game. Shut down Mark Ingram, and see if Greg McElroy can get it done.

Not so, with the USC O, now that the USC coaching staff is finally seeing fit to open up the rest of the field, with the medium to deep passing game. That component of the USC O was completely absent from the first part of the season, but it's coming on now. Because of this, there's nothing to specifically key on in terms of trying to shut down the USC O. Sure, it begins with shutting down the USC running game, but if a team sells out to stop Bradford and McKnight then they're going to get burned by Barkley. Conversely, they clearly cannot focus on shutting down the USC passing game, while neglecting the running game.

Shut down that running game, and see if Barkley will beat you, seems to be the prevailing wisdom. That prevailing wisdom will see a lot of teams doing precisely that: getting themselves beaten by Barkley.

-Yes, Oregon has been more dominant of late than USC. This is true, and it matters precisely squat, once the two teams meet on the same field. The key for anybody playng USC is this: Can they beat USC, when USC needs the game just as much as they do? Can they beat USC when the Trojans treat the game as their Super Bowl too?

So far, that's happened exactly once in seven years, courtesy of the Texas O-line, along with some really fucked up shit.

Nobody has been able to beat USC late in the season, when doing so would knock USC out of the Rose Bowl. History and basic muscle memory say that in a game like this one someone will crack, and it won't be USC. USC comes hard, late in the year.

Look for USC in this one to put together their most complete game of the season. It won't be flawless, but it will be thorough.

Put it this way: Whatever the USC potential, whatever they're capable of bringing to bear, Oregon is going to face it this Saturday. Is Oregon talented enough and just plain good enough to take down USC's athletes, when USC has no room for error?

I don't think so. This is the one. This is when USC shows up big, spoiling for a fight, ready to defend their title before the entire nation.

They'd better show up that way, too. If they don't, i.e., if they play disinterested, unfocused, sloppy ball, they're going to lose. I highly doubt they lose by eighteen, but unless they show up with their "big game" mentality, they're going to lose.

This game is make-or-break for their season. During this current run they've never failed in such a game. Don't look for them to start now.

The question isn't so much whether USC will be handle to handle the Autzen atmosphere; no, the question is what will the Oregon Ducks do when faced with the real USC Trojans.

Van wrote:
-Yes, Oregon has been more dominant of late than USC. This is true, and it matters precisely squat, once the two teams meet on the same field. The key for anybody playng USC is this: Can they beat USC, when USC needs the game just as much as they do?

Nobody has been able to beat USC late in the season, when doing so would knock USC out of the Rose Bowl. History and basic muscle memory say that in a game like this one someone will crack, and it won't be USC. USC comes hard, late in the year.

well, except for the fact that Oregon did just this 2 short years ago. I suppose handing USC its second loss on October 31st is "much later" in the year compared to hadning them their 2nd October 27th, though...

Basically what I got from your post is the same thing I get from a bunch of the talking heads. There is no reason to expect, based on play on the field this year, that USC will win. All of the reasons given that they will win are because of how they have performed in 2008 or 2005 or 2004 or some other year. That's not to say that they can't win, but you are hoping that they morph into a team that they haven't shown to be this year, because Pete's going to shoot pixie dust out of his cock and give a "believe you can fly" bukkake to the team in the locker room.

Its Barkley vs. Masoli, not Leinert vs. Clemens. Its Not Bush and White but buterrfingers McKnight and Doughboy Bradford. The Mathews family linebacker is lining up on the Oregon side of the field, this year...That's why I'd say it means a little more than "squat" how the teams have done this year. This years' two teams are playing each other, not some other years'.

Arrogant Trojanfan is always good for a chuckle.

JayDuck wrote: well, except for the fact that Oregon did just this 2 short years ago. I suppose handing USC its second loss on October 31st is "much later" in the year compared to hadning them their 2nd October 27th, though...

Don't fucking confuse him with facts, dammit... he's a fucking SC fan...


they're entitled, you know.


And Vannar -- while SC's front 7 on D is very very good -- it ain't Oregon's. Your SC Goggles have apparently done a good job insulating your eyes from reality.


Although I'm almost looking foprward to you trying to spin your way out of the stupidity (or "lying," call it what you like) that Jay just thoroughly busted you for.

Van: "SC NEVER loses a must have conf game late in the season during the Petey Era!"

Jay (aka "Facts"): "Uhm... 2007 ring any bells?"



Awesome.

Spin away, DB.

Did that game in '07 knock USC out of the Rose Bowl?

Did it??

No, it didn't.

A loss in this year's game would. See if you can spot the difference.

Fuck it. Here, I'll help you out...

This time, should USC lose, Oregon will effectively be three games up in the conference standings, so USC would be done. No Pac 10 championship this year, not if they lose this week.

That makes this an elimination game for USC, which they've never lost.

Also, USC won't be without their starting QB this time. They won't have their playbook miniaturized down to nothing this time, the way it was in '07.

I also didn't merely mention historical reasons. My very first points were blocking and tackling, and USC's superiority this season in the trenches vs Oregon. USC's O-line is better than Oregon's D-line, and USC's D-line is better than Oregon's O-line.

I could've sworn that I also mentioned Dennis Dixon is now a Pittsburgh Steeler, and for that matter, Jonathan Stewart and Max Unger are no longer Ducks either.

Van wrote:Did that game in '07 knock USC out of the Rose Bowl?

Did it??

No, it didn't.

A loss in this year's game would. See if you can spot the difference.

The '07 loss would have knocked you out of the Rose Bowl if Dixon didn't get injured the following week.

Likewise, a loss Saturday won't neccessarily knock you out of the Rose Bowl if Masoli is injured the following week.

We lost 3 games when Dixon went down. at Arizona, at UCLA and OSU.
If we beat you, lose Masoli, and lose at Stanford, at Arizona and to OSU, guess what...Trojans are in the Rose Bowl if they win out. If anything it was less likely that you would come back from the '07 game, because Arizona and UCLA weren't even bowl teams and we still have 3 bowl teams left on our schedule this year. We should have been able to win 2 of those games, even without Dixon. It was the fact that we also lost Lief and Costa at the same time that kept your string of Rose Bowls alive.

Same fucking shit. This is for the Pac-10 title, just like the game in '07 was. You backed into it with Dixon's injury after the fact, and you can still back into it this year too. You're high as a kite if you are seriously saying it wasn't a must win game in '07. Total revisionist history.


EDIT: P.S. - I'm still seeing the scaled down playbook this year, much like in Sanchez's couple games in '07. Barkley, as a true freshman, is not all that more competent (if any) than Sanchez was after a couple years in the system, even with limited actual starts. And the times when the playbook is getting opened up, its been pic-city for Barkley. Carroll's playcalling will look a lot like it did in '07, IMO.

Jay, in '07 Oregon had already lost to Cal by the time they played USC. This year, Oregon is all alone in first place. They'll have a full three game lead if they win on Saturday.

Also, don't even begin to compare Masoli to Dixon. He's nowhere near as important to this Oregon team as Dixon was to the '07 team. Oregon gets a Heisman and probably the national title if Dixon doesn't go down. If Masoli goes down Oregon will not completely fall on their faces the way they did when Dixon went down. If Oregon wins this week but Masoli gets hurt Oregon will still cruise to the Pac 10 title.

Anyway, I never gave my score prediction. I'm torn between USC 30-24 and USC 31-23. I expect Oregon to get some points, definitely. I just expect USC to get more.

All I know is that I'm something like 1-48 in the history of "Game 1" picks in the Pick'Em.

And I took USC.

TrojanFan should be afraid. Very afraid.

Van wrote:This year, Oregon is all alone in first place. They'll have a full three game lead if they win on Saturday.

Your math ability is about as astute as your football analysis.


BTW -- on the local gab, even the freaking Beaver fans don't think USC has much of a chance in this one... speaks volumes, since Sheepfucker doesn't think Oregon could beat UC Davis.

Mgo, why'd you take USC? What was your reasoning?

Oh, and for the record, no, it's not like I'm wildly confident USC will win this. I predicted earlier in the year that if USC beat Ohio St they would also beat Cal, but lose to Oregon.

I wasn't expecting Oregon to be leading the conference by this point, however. I was counting on Oregon-USC to be another one of those games USC loses lately, where the oddball loss would kill them for the national title, but not the Pac 10 title.

Now that this game is essentially for all the marbles, that's what made me change my pick.

Dinsdale wrote:

Van wrote:This year, Oregon is all alone in first place. They'll have a full three game lead if they win on Saturday.

Your math ability is about as astute as your football analysis.

I'm referring only to their lead over USC, so my math is spot on as always.

Van wrote:Also, don't even begin to compare Masoli to Dixon. He's nowhere near as important to this Oregon team as Dixon was to the '07 team.

Yet another marginal take from The Entitled One.

Masoli is very much the engine that pulls the locomotive.

And I'm now thinking back to the Pryor Sweepstakes -- and how lucky Oregon is that he didn't opt for here. Masoli is a much better player (by far), and we never would have got him in a game had Pryor been here. Heck, based on his few snaps last year, I'm not sure Derron Thomas isn't a better player than Pryor.


This is SWEET. Masoli is going to give Vannar a crash-course in his QBing ability this weekend.

He's quite Dixon-like, without nearly the recieving corps Dixon had. Matter of fact, Masoli is a better runner than D Squared was (but not nearly the passer). While Masoli makes Bubby Brister's arm look weak by comparison, he just doesn't quite have DD's touch yet, and isn't quite as consistant yet (although DD pretty much sucked donkey balls before his senior year).

Mace, what a lot of people will do is simply question Oregon's validity if USC wins, rather than give credit to USC for gaining a great road win against a great team.
It always works that way, with the Pac 10. Conference wins prove the inferiority of the league, and conference losses prove the same thing. It's the Anti Meatgrinder.

Mgo, why'd you take USC?

I had a "feeling" about the ND game...and I was wrong. I'm not going down that road again. USC may lose, but I don't think it's smart to bet against them in an "all or nothing" game. Pete Carroll has been in these situations so many times, and that other dude who cuts checks to fans because his team gets worked by Boise? Not so much. Carroll will have his boys ready.

But, again, my Game 1 picking prowess makes YAFJ look like Nostradamus...so be weary.

Dins, you're on crack. Even more than usual, in fact.

Yeah, this Oregon team is even anywhere near as dependent on Masoli as the '07 team was on Dixon.

Shit, you can barely even type that with a straight face.

:D

Van wrote:

Dinsdale wrote:

Van wrote:This year, Oregon is all alone in first place. They'll have a full three game lead if they win on Saturday.

Your math ability is about as astute as your football analysis.

I'm referring only to their lead over USC, so my math is spot on as always.

Uhm...


Dude -- are you trying to set a new record for number-of-plungers-in-a-rectum?


We'll add "simple rithmahtic" alongside "objectivity" and "knowledgebility" to things USC fan ain't none too good at.


But since I actually made it past third grade, I'll help you out -- anything to enlighten our oh-so esteemed neighbors to the south...


At present, Oregon is 4-0 in conf (the best conf in the country-BTW).

USC is 3-1.

OK, now see if you can follow...


Assuming Oregon wins Saturday, they go to 5-0, right?

With me so far?

Good.

That would make USC 3-2 in conf.


OK, so we add 0.5 for every win more than SC has, which would be a total of 1.0. We then add another 0.5 for every loss USC has beyond those of Oregon, which would be 1.0.

We then add the 1.0 from the wins, and the 1.0 from the losses, giving us a total of 3?

Or, in layman's terms... 3 doesn't equal 2, you fucking idiot.

Thinking more on this...


You can't successfully count to three, and you're accusing others of being on crack?


That's really what you're going with?


Or are you simply trying to emulate a USC player going against an Oregon player?

Oregon also would own the head to head, which is worth another full game, but since you're just playing Dins on the internet - which means you're just playing the contrarian dick - we both know you already knew that's what I meant.

I really don't give a fuck about co-championships. The winner of the head to head wins the championship. Oregon goes to the Rose Bowl.

Mace, USC won't either, nor have they. Were it not for the Washington loss USC would be above Texas right now, sitting in the driver's seat for the other national title game spot opposite the SEC winner. They'd have it locked up with the Oregon win, and a subsequent running of the table. It wouldn't matter what Texas did.

That loss is going to cost them, same as any USC loss always costs them: It keeps them out of the title game, while a similar loss by the SEC winner never ultimately hurts them.

I don't know about you, but I don't really care whether USC finishes the season ranked #3 or #4; above or below Iowa. I only care about two things (and no, not just titties and beer.): 1-Win the national title. 2-Failing that, win all the rivalry games, win the Pac 10 and win the Rose Bowl.

There are no prizes given for finishing second or third in the final BCS standings.

I only care about two things (and no, not just titties and beer.): 1-Win the national title. 2-Failing that, win all the rivalry games, win the Pac 10 and win the Rose Bowl.

So you DON'T care about titties and beer?? That explains a lot.

By the way........

Just like Mace said GO DUCKS! QUACK QUACK QUACK!!! I wonder if I have an old Oregon shirt somewhere in the garage. Probably not, but definitely worth a look.

Oh, and yeah......

Go Cowpokes too!!

Van wrote:
Also, don't even begin to compare Masoli to Dixon. He's nowhere near as important to this Oregon team as Dixon was to the '07 team. Oregon gets a Heisman and probably the national title if Dixon doesn't go down. If Masoli goes down Oregon will not completely fall on their faces the way they did when Dixon went down. If Oregon wins this week but Masoli gets hurt Oregon will still cruise to the Pac 10 title.

I agree with this, but the reason its true is that this is a much better overall team, especially on defense. I think you been a little blind and/or dismissive of the talent Oregon has been piling up over the past few years. Despite fielding a good team most years for the past 15, our recruiting has been mediocre. We've had our best recruiting classes, by far, for 3 or 4 years now and we are really starting to see that in overall team speed. You may be surprised at how well we match up physically, player for player this time.

Other than QB issues (Dixon was better than Masoli and Sanchez instead of Booty) We are better than we were in 07 and SC is not as good.

Also, the gap between Dixon and Masoli isn't quite as big as you are making it out to be. Masoli set our record for QB rushing yards by a wide margin last year in his first year. Dixon wasn't very good until his senior year, even getting benched as a Junior. Dennis has him beat in athleticism, but Masoli fits our offense just as well.

Jon, I said not JUST titties and beer.

I don't care about beer at all though, so you got me there.

Jay, Dixon was completely instrumental to Oregon's success in '07. Masoli isn't remotely as crucial to Oregon now.

As for the athletes, and Oregon having their best recruiting classes in recent years, that's all well and good, but Oregon's best ever recruiting class would still be considered a recruiting class disaster for USC.

Anyway, I know Oregon has athletes. I'm not going to be surprised by them. The difference isn't guys like Masoli or LaMichael. ( ) The difference is in both lines of scrimmage. That's where USC holds a big advantage in talent. At least four of USC's starting five O-lineman will end up playing on Sundays, if not all five, as well as at least a couple of their D-lineman. Oregon can't match USC there.

JayDuck wrote:

Van wrote:Did that game in '07 knock USC out of the Rose Bowl?

Did it??

No, it didn't.

A loss in this year's game would. See if you can spot the difference.

The '07 loss would have knocked you out of the Rose Bowl if Dixon didn't get injured the following week.

Likewise, a loss Saturday won't neccessarily knock you out of the Rose Bowl if Masoli is injured the following week.

We lost 3 games when Dixon went down. at Arizona, at UCLA and OSU.
If we beat you, lose Masoli, and lose at Stanford, at Arizona and to OSU, guess what...Trojans are in the Rose Bowl if they win out. If anything it was less likely that you would come back from the '07 game, because Arizona and UCLA weren't even bowl teams and we still have 3 bowl teams left on our schedule this year. We should have been able to win 2 of those games, even without Dixon. It was the fact that we also lost Lief and Costa at the same time that kept your string of Rose Bowls alive.

Same fucking shit. This is for the Pac-10 title, just like the game in '07 was. You backed into it with Dixon's injury after the fact, and you can still back into it this year too. You're high as a kite if you are seriously saying it wasn't a must win game in '07. Total revisionist history.


EDIT: P.S. - I'm still seeing the scaled down playbook this year, much like in Sanchez's couple games in '07. Barkley, as a true freshman, is not all that more competent (if any) than Sanchez was after a couple years in the system, even with limited actual starts. And the times when the playbook is getting opened up, its been pic-city for Barkley. Carroll's playcalling will look a lot like it did in '07, IMO.

How is it "we" I wasnt aware thay "you " played on the 07 Ducks team.
in 07 USC was using their back up QB when they lost to Oregon why is the fact that Oregons back up QB caused them to lose 3 games later in the season excusable but USC losing to Oregon with USCs backup QB in the game not?
USC hasnt lost a game in November, sort of an anomoly, they lost on the 27th of October 2 years ago and lost to UCLAbia the first weekend of December the year before.
I think Oregon wins this game, I dont think they win by 18 or 20 points unless USC completely self destructs.
Hopefully next year Pete gets some real defensive coach help, Rocky Seto doesnt get it done.

Ducks 27 Trojans 21

SoCalTrjn wrote:

in 07 USC was using their back up QB when they lost to Oregon why is the fact that Oregons back up QB caused them to lose 3 games later in the season excusable but USC losing to Oregon with USCs backup QB in the game not?

First off, who said anything about it being excusable? I said in that very post that we "should" have been able to win the couple games we needed anyway, since we were playing 2 non-bowl teams. I thought, and stated at the time, many times, that Bellotti's contingency plan was deplorable that year.

With that said, we probably do still win the conference if it was just our "backup QB". That's not what happened. Our backup didn't get to play for us. Costa would have taken over for Dixon, but we lost him the week before in practice. Then we also lost Leaf in the very same game that Dixon went down in.

USC was playing with a QB that is starting, and winning games, in the NFL less than two years after that game was played. It was a QB that USC fans were clamoring for, as they were never in love with Booty in the first place. Oregon finished the year with their 5th string QB.

Pretty big difference. Maybe if USC had to dip down to a QB the caliber of Corp or something, we could talk (and we've seen how well that worked out for them).

Two things there...

-Agreed, Oregon was fucked when Dixon went down. They were totally decimated by QB injuries, all down the depth chart. They were also decimated by injuries elswhere.

That team was just plain snake bitten.

-No, in '07, nobody was clamoring for Sanchez to play in place of Booty. Booty had beaten out Sanchez in '06. Booty was a second year starter. There was no doubt that Booty was USC's choice at QB. He had a nightmare game with the broken hand against Stanford, but he'd already won a Rose Bowl, and going into '07 he was some receiving Heisman talk.

More importantly, the playbook was reduced down to nothing when he went down and Sanchez took over. It wasn't about talent, it was about lack of experience.

Jsc810 wrote:

JayDuck wrote:Well, the real Pac-10 game of the year is almost upon us. Cal sits it out, as always.

Rack.

The two ass-clowns found each other.

What a surprise.


Cal has a PAC 10 title during the Tedford era.... Oregon doesn't.


Cal has clown-stomped Oregon 4 of the last 6 years....





Cal shits the bed once or twice a year... if just happened at the wrong time this year (SuC and the Ducks).



Since I know more about the PAC 10 then anyone on this board...


Cal's little Northern California brother (Oregon)


Wins this one easily.

Oh yeah, Van's an idiot.

Big surprise.


Psst.... When Dixon went down..... Oregon went on to stomp a highly ranked University of South Florida team by around 100 points in a bowl game.

Masoli ( a San Francisco guy) is much more important to Oregon than Dixon ever was.

m2 is again predicting someone will "easily" beat USC.

Whew. I can rest easy now.

Van wrote:m2 is again predicting someone will "easily" beat USC.

Whew. I can rest easy now.

If Cal didn't shit the bed in Arizona by a foot (Desean Jackson) SuC wouldn't even be co- champions that year.


Oregon is going to make a mess of your team this year.

Van wrote:

m2, describing the air in Cal's seasonal balloon at the mere sight of a big game, or his own asshole at the close of the Ren Faire season, take your pick, wrote:pssssst...

Enjoy Saturday....

...I will.

Of course you will. Cal isn't playing in a big game.