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January 2007 ArchivesTrading Idaho as USC's opener next season for a Hawaii team with Heisman Trophy quarterback candidate Colt Brennan from Mater Dei in his senior season seemed like a good idea for a while. Especially to USC fans who aren't all that excited about opening against a Vandals team that was coached by USC defensive coordinator Nick Holt when the contract was signed. It seemed such a good idea that the Honolulu Advertiser was reporting that ESPN was working hard to make the new game happen so it could have a USC-Hawaii feature telecast that first weekend of the season. But as it turns out, USC could only play Hawaii as the allowed 13th game if the game were played in Hawaii Sept. 1 and the Idaho game moved back to Sept. 8 to give USC a home opener of its own. Teams are allowed an extra-game exemption if they play a game in Hawaii. But for USC to make that move, the Trojans would then open the season with games 11 straight weekends and no weekends off, then an 11-day break for the Arizona State Thanksgiving Day game and UCLA the next week. It's not going to happen. Idaho may not be all that strong an opponent for the Sept. 1 opener but with a road game at Nebraska Sept. 15 and games at Washington, Notre Dame and Oregon the next six weeks, don't look for USC to pull the trigger on an ESPN-backed opener at Hawaii next season. USC plans to take the open date Sept. 8 and go with a 12-game schedule, it appears. UCLA has dropped its matchup at San Diego State from its schedule in 2008, and replaced the game with Fresno State at home. San Diego State had wanted out of the Sept. 20 game and UCLA agreed, but had to wait til it found a new opponent. The Bruins will now open the season against Fresno State on August 30 at the Rose Bowl. The move works in favor of the Bruins, who now play their three non-conference games (Fresno State, Tennessee, at BYU) before getting a bye week prior to Pac-10 play. The move also gives UCLA a seventh home game that season. Don't Worry About Carroll' writes USC reporter Dan Weber. USC fans need not worry that they haven't heard about Coach Pete Carroll receiving a new contract or a big raise in the last year. While Carroll's contract does not have an "official" escalator clause to be paid more than the next highest-paid coach the way Nick Saban's did when he coached at LSU, but that's the idea, a top USC athletic department official told Weber. "His contract has been adjusted several times in the last year or so," the official said. The issue of Carroll's contract came into play recently as the reported salaries of three other colleges coaches appeared to exceed Carroll's last reported annual salary of just under $3 million a year: Alabama's Nick Saban at $4 million, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops $3.4 and Notre Dame's Charlie Weis $3.3. Just a day after the release of the USC football schedule for 2007 with Idaho remaining as the Sept. 1 opener, it appears that the long-rumored possibility of Hawaii with Heisman hopeful Colt Brennan, the Mater Dei alum back at quarterback, is still alive. The Honolulu Advertiser reported Saturday that ESPN, which successfully managed the USC-Arizona State switch to Thanksgiving Day, is at it again. The network is attempting to convince Hawaii to move into the slot against the Trojans on national TV and to open the network's new contract with the Pac-10. Idaho wants out but the Vandals will have to find a game to replace USC. With Coach Pete Carroll in tow, USC linemen Ryan Kalil of Corona and Sedrick Ellis of Chino accepted their Morris Awards for the Pac-10's best offensive and defensive linemen Thursday at the Washington Athletic Club in Seattle. In comments reported in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Carroll and Co. attributed the honors to the everyday practice competition that benefited center Kalil, a senior, and nose tackle Ellis, a redshirt junior back next year for his final season. The pair were voted tops at their positions by opposing league linemen. "Competition, it's the main theme in our program,'' Carroll told the PI. "The illustration couldn't be more obvious.'' It's official. No need for USC fans to respond to the athletic department survey on whether they'd like to see this season's away game at Arizona State moved to Thanksgiving Day for national television. It's been moved. The USC-ASU game in Tempe will be played Nov. 22 and get national exposure in a new ESPN TV contract the Pac-10 has struck with the network starting next season. Moving the USC-ASU game from Nov. 17 means the USC-UCLA game will also be backed up to Dec. 1 from its original date of Nov. 24. That back-loading the schedule has had benefits in both bowl preparation and Heisman exposure for USC and a national TV game on Thanksgiving won't hurt. And yes, USC is still listed as opening at home against Idaho Sept. 1 in a game neither team is crazy about playing. But with no replacement able to be found after flirtations with both Miami and Hawaii, the Vandals will roll into the Coliseum against a USC team almost certain to be preseason No. 1. The 2007 schedule gives USC a pair of byes. The first is Week 2, between Idaho and the away game at Nebraska Sept. 15. The second will now be the Nov. 17 weekend after the Nov. 10 game at Cal. Interesting footnote for this schedule is that USC archrival Notre Dame will be in LA to play UCLA at the Rose Bowl Oct. 6, two weeks before USC heads to South Bend for the annual matchup with the Irish. Not much more than a month ago, a number of USC fans were debating whether to allow the braintrust of offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin and assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian to be allowed to do the playcalling at the Rose Bowl after the Trojans' anemic effort in a 13-9 upset loss to UCLA that cost USC a spot in the BCS title game. But Thursday, after a big win over Michigan in the Rose Bowl, here they were together in Oakland interviewing with Al Davis. According to the Contra Costa Times, former Raiders quarterbacks coach Sarkisian, 32, appears to have emerged as the favorite to be named Oakland head coach after earlier interviews. The 31-year-old Kiffin, meanwhile, after interviewing for the University of Minnesota head coaching job a week ago, was brought into town reportedly to interview with Davis as the top candidate for the offensive coordinator job. USC fans down on the duo may get their wish but hardly the way they thought if the pair depart for greener pastures and much more NFL money. Both were reported on their way back to Southern California today to be a part of the last big recruiting weekend for the Trojans, who seem on their way to their best recruiting class ever despite the loss of five-star offensive line prospect James Wilson, an early USC commitment from St. Augustine, Fla., to the homestate Gators this week. Sure, they're awfully young to be taking their act to the NFL. That's what they heard at USC after replacing 33-year coaching veteran Norm Chow. But they may be going into a perfect situation. Oakland has been so awful on offense, any improvement -- and the Raiders can't get any worse -- will be credited to the new guys. UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell announced today that offensive coordinator Jim Svoboda has been let go. Svoboda was UCLA's quarterbacks coach for three seasons in addition to holding the OC duties last season. UCLA struggled to move the ball, especially in the red zone, which led to Dorrell taking over some play-calling at mid-season. Svoboda, 46, was a finalist for the Broyles Award in 2005, given to the nation's top assistant coach. With Colt Brennan and Brian Brohm both opting to return for their senior seasons, it only strengthens an already deep quarterback crop for the '07 fall. Among signal callers returning are 10 of the top 15 yards-per-game leaders: Record-setting Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan pulled his name out of the NFL draft and will return for his senior season. Brennan, who passed for a NCAA record 58 touchdown passes, is the second quarterback to buck the trend and decide to remain in college. Louisville's Brian Brohm also opted to stay in school. LSU's JaMarcus Russell is the only quarterback among the 29 players leaving college early for the NFL draft. Russell very well could be the No. 1 overall pick. USC assistant head coach Steve Sarkisian was back in Oakland for a second interview with the Raiders, AP reported. The Raiders are looking for a head coach to replace fired Art Shell. They also need an offensive coordinator. Sarkisian, a former Raiders assistant, was the first to interview with the team. Since, Chargers receivers coach James Lofton, former Giants coach Jim Fassel and Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan have interviewed. Freshman quarterback Mitch Mustain will transfer from Arkansas, the AP reported. Mustain, who was undefeated as a starter last season before losing his starting job, was the Parade magazine player of the year in 2005. He could end up at Tulsa where his high school coach, Gus Malzahn, has been named assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator. Malzahn had left the high school ranks to coach at Arkansas after the 2005 season, before Mustain signed with the Razorbacks. Mustain is the second freshman to transfer from coach Houston Nutt's program since the end of the season. Receiver Damian Williams previously left and has enrolled at USC. Both players must sit out the 2007 season. One guess what current college coach is starting to gain internet rumor momentum to replace Marty Schottenheimer as the Chargers coach? Yep, Pete Carroll. One report said it would take $7 million and total control, meaning the Spanos ownership would need to find a way to make it work with Executive VP-GM A.J. Smith. Smith, who has built a young and solid roster, could take on more of an advisory role to Carroll. If offensive coordinator Cam Cameron were to leave, could you see a Philip Rivers-Norm Chow reunion? Chow, you recall, coached Rivers at NC State in 2000 when Rivers was the ACC Rookie of the Year. ... Today is the deadline for college underclassmen to declare for the NFL. Here's what the top players are deciding today (with updates throughout the day as they are announced): Going pro: Staying in school: Not sure: In a refreshing move contrary to the trend, the wire is hot this afternoon with college football players announcing their intention to REMAIN in school for their season seasons. This short but very sweet list includes: **Arizona's Antoine Cason, an all-Pac-10 cornerback and Thorpe Award semifinalist. " ... I was always taught patience in my life, and there are still some goals I want to achieve. The Thorpre Award is one. That has been a goal of mine since high school." **USC's Keith Rivers, the Trojans leading tackler. "I felt like we have a chance to be really special next year. ... I felt like with a year of growth, I have the potential to be a top 10 or top 15 pick instead of a late first or early second round." **UCLA's Shannon Tevaga, a fixture on the Bruins offensive line. "I feel like we have the chance to do something special next year and I want to be part of it. I also want to earn my degree and have the chance to play in a game with my brother (Sonny, a redshirt freshman)." **Previously Michigan's Chad Henne, Mike Hart and Jake Long announced they would return to the Wolverines. Long, an offensive tackle, is listed as a senior but has a year of eligibility remaining. **Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson is undecided but was clearly upset at a Dallas Morning News report that he would indeed come out. "My meetings with coach (Bob) Stoops and my parents have been to discuss all the scenarios. I see a lot of options in both so I am still undecided on what I want to do. The Morning News cited two sources saying Peterson would turn pro by Monday's deadline. Notre Dame running back Darius Walker and Ohio State receiver Anthony Gonzalez are the latest college football stars to declare for the NFL draft. Walker rushed for 3,249 yards in three seasons in South Bend and was on pace to break the school record of 4,318 yards set by Autry denson from 1995-98. Walker holds the school's recrord for receptions by a running back (109). Walker is the first junior to leave Notre Dame since cornerback Bobby Taylor left after the 1994 season, according to the AP report. Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis announced that nine players with another year of eligibility have asked permission from the school to return (fifth-year players aren't guaranteed enrollment at Notre Dame), including safety Tom Zbikowski, linebacker Travis Thomas, tight end John Carlson, center John Sullivan and defensive end Trevor Laws. Gonzalez was the second-leading receiver for the Buckeyes with 51 catches for 734 yards and 8 TDs. Two other Ohio State underclassmen, running back Antonio Pittman and receiver Ted Ginn Jr., have yet to announce their decision. Pittman has a news conference scheduled Monday at his high school, according to the AP report. Ginn, who sprained his foot during a touchdown celebration in last Monday's BCS title game and missed the rest of the game, has not made up his mind, his father said, according to the AP report. College juniors and eligible sophomores have until Monday to decide if they will remain in college or make themselves eligible for the NFL draft. The biggest name yet to announce is Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson. "I have spent the last few days considering my options ... The facts are that I have not hired any representation and I have not declared for the draft,'' Peterson said in a statement released Thursday by Oklahoma. The 32-game bowl blowout season has concluded and the final totals are in. The average margin of victory for all bowl games was 12.75 points. The average score was 32.09 to 19.34. The average margin of victory in the five BCS bowls was 16.0 points. The average score in the five BCS bowls: 36.2 to 20.2. 10 teams scored at least 40 points (nine on the winning side) The best game of the bowl season was the Jan. 1 Fiesta Bowl, where Boise State completed its undefeated season (the only undefeated team among 119 Division I programs) with an unthinkable 43-42 overtime victory over Oklahoma. The Broncos led 28-10, gave up 15 points in less than 30 seconds to trail 35-28, scored a game-tying TD on a fourth-and-forever hook-and-lateral play in the final seconds, scored an overtime TD on a fourth-down receiver-option pass and won the game with a two-point conversion on a statue of liberty run that ended with running back Ian Johnson's marriage proposal to his cheerleader girlfriend on live TV. The second best game was the Dec. 29 bowl in Tempe (sorry, not pubbing the sponsor, Dog) where Texas Tech overcame a 38-7 lead with 7:47 left in the third quarter to defeat Minnesota in overtime, 44-41. It was the biggest comeback in Division I bowl history. The Red Raiders scored 31 unanswered points in less than 20-minutes to force overtime on a 52-yard Alex Trlica field goal as time expired. Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell attempted 55 passes, completing 36 for 445 yards and 2 TDs. The best individual performance was by Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan who completed 33 of 42 passes for 559 yards and 5 TDs in a 41-24 victory over Arizona State. The bottom 10 bad games of the bowl season, in no particular order (odor?): Stunning stat of the bowl season: The afterthought Big East went 5-0, the only conference to win all its games. The overrated Big Ten went 2-5 and the amazing SEC went 6-3, including a national title. LSU monster QB JaMarcus Russell confimed a weekend report that he will leave for the NFL. Russell, 6-foot-6, 257 pounds, is getting a lot of buzz as the potential No. 1 overall pick to the Raiders, assuming the Raiders keep the pick and that they don't select a defensive back. Future head coach Steve Sarkisian must be drooling. Russell, who according to his LSU bio, can throw a football the length of the 100-yard field, is being compared to Daunte Culpepper. Only Russell is three inches taller and has proven through two years of SEC competition to be a more accurate passer. Jarrett becomes the fourth junior from the AP All-America first and second teams (out of 12) to leave school a year early. Jarrett joins Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson (1st team), Michigan defensive tackle Alan Branch (2nd team), and Arizona State tight end Zach Miller (2nd team), who previously announced they were going pro. USC junior receiver Dwayne Jarrett confimed at a news conference Wednesday that he will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft. One of the Southern California teams has a close tie to new national champion Florida, which captured the BCS title on Monday night. UCLA tight end Adam Heater is the son of Florida running backs coach and recruiting coordinator Chuck Heater, who helped coach the Gators to the title over Ohio State. Chuck Heater is also a former assistant at Ohio State, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Notre Dame, Wisconsin and several other stops. Chuck Heater played at Michigan, where he was a star runing back before moving onto the Saints. Adam Heater was a 6-foot-5, 260-pound redshirt freshman tight end who hails from Snohomish, Washington. His playing time this season was very minimal. Saw this in an AP story about Florida holding both the football and basketball titles: 'Nonetheless, only six Division I schools -- including Florida and Ohio State -- have won championships in the NCAA's two marquee sports. But none of those had come closer than eight years apart -- until now. The others are Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State and Syracuse.' In fact, UCLA should be on that list, too. The Bruins obviously own 11 NCAA hoops titles, but they also won the 1954 football title, in which the Bruins were the No. 1 team in the United Press International poll, the same season in which Ohio State won the AP poll. That UCLA team did not play in the Rose Bowl, as it had done following the 1953 season. At the time, there was a "no repeat" rule, meaning a team could not play in the Rose Bowl in consecutive seasons, so the 9-0 Bruins were left out. That team led the nation in scoring offense (40.8 ppg) and scoring defense (4.4 ppg) and are the only team to ever accomplish that feat in the same season. 12 UCLA players on that team earned some type of All-American honors following the season. For those of you who are curious -- and those of you who will be in withdrawl for these long months until training camp begins in August and you can once again watch college football -- the countdown is on. Only 236 days until USC and UCLA open their 2007 season, when both will likely open the season in the Top 25, and potentially the top 15. On a side note, some smaller schools will open their schedules a few days before the LA schools, so the wait will be slightly shorter, for those of you who can't wait that long. UCLA opens the season on Sept. 1 at Stanford. The Bruins' non-conference schedule includes a trip to Utah and home dates against BYU and Notre Dame, in the first-ever trip to UCLA for the Irish. Here is UCLA's tentative schedule: In future schedules, UCLA plays host to Tennessee in 2008 with a return trip in 2009. USC opens its season at home against Idaho. Here is the Trojans' preliminary schedule: In future schedules, the Trojans play host to Ohio State in 2008 and go to Columbus in 2009. Congrats to Florida for its victory over Ohio State, but you have to be moved by Chris Leak, who made it through four years of very harsh criticism at Florida to cap his career with this moment. Leak got more criticism than he probably should have, and he handled sharing the duties with Tim Tebow better than most players would have and proved to be a classy individual. I think finally the Gator Nation will stop being so harsh on the man who brough them the national title. Reports are that USC Coach Pete Carroll met with Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga today in Costa Rica, where the USC coach is on vacation. Huizenga is willing to spend big on a coach and give him complete control, which could interest Carroll, who has been a head coach with two other AFC East teams. Some speculate that Carroll would never leave USC, but having complete control over an NFL team and the possibility of USC facing sanctions from the Reggie Bush housing situation that is still being actively investigated could cause Carroll to give the NFL one more shot. It will be interesting to see where this leads in the next week or so and how long it takes Carroll to say that he will remain at USC for the long haul. Then again, in the wake of Nick Saban and Bobby Petrino, we all know that actions speak louder than words. For those of you hoping for a sneak peek at the final AP poll, you will have to wait a few hours. But, here are the top 5 from my ballot I just sent to New York, which will hold up barring an absolute catastrophic meltdown from the Gators. 1. Florida Tim Tebow just plowed over the right side for a 41-14 Florida lead. The freshman quarterback ran through a James Laurinaitis tackle during the drive to get the Gators close. After a DeShawn Wynn blast came up short on third down, Florida coach Urban Meyer decided against a field goal on fourth down, choosing to let the 6-3, 230 Tebow all but put the national title game away. It will be Florida's first football national title since 1996 when Steve Spurrier coached the Gators to a 52-20 rout in the Sugar Bowl produced a national crown. Florida will become the first Division I school to win both the men's basketball and football titles in the same calendar year. The Gators routed UCLA in the NCAA Tournament Championship game in April. ... Ohio State clearly isn't the same team that played during the college football season -- September, October, November -- and was without question slowed by the 51-day layoff. The Big Ten's top two teams, OSU and Michigan, were duds after November. With Tebow and Percy Harvin only freshmen, it's hard to think Florida won't get some strong consideration for 2007 preseason No. 1. USC seems to have all the momentum, but the Gators are pretty young, too. Maybe one day they'll have a playoff where at least the top four teams after the bowls have a chance to play in a tournament to truly determine the best college football team in the land. This was certainly not it tonight. Anyone out there in favor of a playoff? Ted Ginn Jr. is without his shoulder pads and is leaning on crutches. After returning the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown, Ginn was injured on Ohio State's first offensive possession. Ginn, a junior who is likely to leave early for the NFL, led Ohio State with 59 receptions, 781 yards and 9 TDs as the Buckeyes beat up on the clearly undermanned and overrated Big Ten. ... Florida, protecting a 20-point lead, is playing fast and loose on defense, jumping pass routes and coming hard after Troy Smith. Leading tackler Earl Everett had his helmet ripped off by Pittman but that didn't stop him from pursuing Smith for a sack. Smith was turned back into the on-rushing helmetless linebacker by defensive end Javis Moss. Moss, a 6-6, 250-pound junior, is having a dominant night against the plodding Buckeyes. ... What would you give to see a Florida-USC matchup for the true national title? Louisville, Boise State and Wisconsin might complain -- with merit -- but the two most dominant teams in the most important bowl games have been the Gators and Trojans. ... |