A Re-Pete of 2003? Be very afraid

If you’re a Trojan fan you have to be happy with the program’s current position, but you also have to be worried about the future. Sitting atop the national rankings with the majority of first place votes can make you feel comfortable, but if you view the path for the remainder of the season, you have to wonder how long they can cling to those votes, as well as considering how long before voters begin to lose interest.

If you look at the top 25 rankings, noticeable absences are Pac 10 programs other than USC. Not only are there no Pac teams ranked, but neither is Notre Dame, the Trojans’ only remaining out of conference opponent. When you stare upon the paved path to season’s end, if there are no changes in coming weeks, USC will play no more ranked opponents this year.

If 3 or more BCS teams finish the season undefeated, USC could possibly be in danger of being snubbed from the BCS championship game. With no ranked opponents, they won’t receive a favorable score from the computers. Meanwhile, the Big 12 and SEC have all the ranked guppies aligned in a row, and would be the clear computer favorites in an undefeated season. We should remember this from the 2003 season, when the top ranked Trojans were left out of the BCS title game because of what they lacked in strength of schedule, and was forced to play in the Rose Bowl instead. As the Victor in the 2004 Rose Bowl, the AP awarded the Trojans a national championship trophy, giving us the first and only split of the BCS era.

Since then, changes have been made in the system, obviously recognizing the ’03 blunder. Now the human element makes up two thirds of the equation, but that also does not work automatically in USC’s favor. By December, most voters will have forgotten the Trojans’ body of work to begin the season. What they’ll remember is the number of unranked victims they stepped over down the stretch. To leave a lasting memory of each from beginning to end, and hold the interests of voters, USC will have to “leave no doubt”, leaving a path of destruction behind them.

The polls are never Pac 10 friendly, and the coaches’ poll usually shows preferential treatment to the SEC. Vanderbilt entered the coaches’ top 25 by going 4-0, but their opponents combine for a record of 7-9, and two were mid-majors. Alabama shot from the bottom of the polls and into the top 10, by only posting wins over Clemson, Western Kentucky, Tulane, and a very bad Arkansas team. And the worst ranking for the season, so far, had to be Florida State jumping into the top 25 last week, after only scoring 2 lopsided victories over FCS opponents. You should never reward a program for victories outside the FBS, and definitely not a program that scheduled FCS programs in consecutive weeks.

Pete Carroll claims to not pay attention to the polls, and doesn’t even have a vote. He always says all he can do is play the games and let others sort it out in the end. To avoid a repeat of 2003, it’s time to pay attention to those polls. It’s time to be unsportsmanlike and leave no doubt. It’s time to make a statement each weekend or face the probability of being omitted from the championship game. They say you should never look too far ahead, but if you're a Trojan, you look back at the history, and it's really hard not to see what has happened and fear a re-occurrence.

Paterno vs. Bowden

I don't care who you are or which team you support, you have to admire the longevity of both Penn State's Joe Paterno and Florida State's Bobby Bowden. This coaching pair have dedicated a lifetime to teaching young men the game of football, and preparing them for careers in the NFL. With the Nittany Lions Alamo Bowl victory, just one game separates these two men on the all time wins leader board, with the 78 year old Bowden holding a 373-372 lead over the 81 year old Paterno.

Although these coaches appear to be in somewhat of a dogfight to end their careers as the overall leader, there's somewhat of a catch to it all. Joe Paterno's 372 victories were all posted against Division 1-A opponents. Bobby Bowden scored 49 victories against programs no longer playing Division 1-A football.

If making the comparison of greatness, you also have to take into consideration the quality of the opponents. Bowden began by coaching Howard and West Virginia, before taking the FSU job in 1976, and one can argue the quality of those schedules. For many years, Penn State played outside of conferences, scheduling as an independent, and that quality can be debated as well.

In 1976, Bowden took over a Seminoles team that had won only 4 games over a 3 year period. He won 5 games in his first year, before posting 10 wins in his second campaign. In comparison, Joe Paterno grabbed the reins of a Nittany Lions team that managed to win only 5 games in his first year, before going 8-2-1 in his second, and having back to back undefeated seasons in Paterno's 3rd and 4th years. Under Bobby Bowden, The Noles were crownded National champions in '93 and '99. Under Paterno, the Lions were the national champions of '82 and '86.

The Seminoles are 19-8-1 with Bobby Bowden coaching bowl games. During his tenure, FSU went 14 straight seasons with a finish among the nation's top 5, unmatched by any other program. Paterno has appeared in, and won more, bowl games than any coach in history, posting a mark of 23-10-1. Paterno led Penn State to 5 unbeaten seasons, and though 4 of those unbeatens went on to win major bowl games, none were awarded the national title.

It's nearly impossible to choose one over the other, when the career paths are mirrored with success. And outside the greed and disloyalty displayed in today's coaching carousel, we can look at Joe Paterno's Nittany Lions and Bobby Bowdens Seminoles, and remember not only how things used to be, but how they should be.