No Te’o, No problem

Manti Te’o would have been an additional charm to the 2009 class of Trojans, but the absence, though somewhat unsettling, isn’t crippling to the structure. USC’s loss became Notre Dame’s gain, and everyone was aware of the possibility. But realistically, as much as Te’o is an outstanding 2009 prospect, he’s a more logical projection for 2011. During the recruiting process, Te’o made it clear that his plan is to embark on a 2 year Mormon mission, when he reaches the age of 19. Unless Charlie Weis suits and places him on the field this fall, the name may not be mentioned again for another two years. In fact, though Weis scored big in pulling one of the top linebackers in the country from Hawaii to South Bend, there’s a chance the hot seat coach may not be around when the time comes to coach him.

The Signing Day crew on ESPN was surprised by Vontez Burfict's decision to de-commit from USC and jump on board with Arizona State. I guess they didn’t have their ears near the grapevine, because it’s been swirling for days that he apparently didn’t have the grades for Southern Cal and would become a Sun Devil. He became the second big hit to Trojan expectations, but all is well.

Randall Carroll selected his hat, and chose to go across town to UCLA. Again, it’s not a problem. Carroll has aspirations of playing wide receiver, and the Trojans contemplated using his services as a corner. The last time a top receiver faced the possibility of conversion, he also chose to attend a rival school. That player was DeSean Jackson, who snubbed the Trojans on Signing Day and chose Cal. In all his greatness, Jackson completed his amateur career without a victory or touchdown against USC.

Signing Day may not leave a satisfying taste in your mouth, but that’s because the majority of the class was already set. The top player in the country, Matt Barkley, was enrolled before signing day ever came along. There were strong verbals from others, which made it less dramatic. Pete Carroll and his staff managed to cash in on some of the top talent in California, while also pulling Starling and Telfort from Florida, and Jarvis Jones from Georgia. Would Te’o and Burfict have been nice additions? Sure, but nevertheless, the Trojans are reloaded and ready to roll.

Fight On!

Irish show little fight in 38-3 drubbing by USC

In the spirit of rivalry, the Irish came into the Coliseum fighting. Unfortunately for the Domers, pre-game skirmishes aren’t recorded and don’t appear on stat sheets. Though Notre Dame appeared pumped and fearless in an early scuffle that led to the two teams being separated before the game ever kicked off, they had no punches to throw on the negative side of a 38-3 Trojans rout.

From the first series of the game, and carrying to the end, Charlie Weis proved there’s no “genius” in his coaching or offense. For four quarters the Trojan domination made the visitors appear no better than the two Pac 10 programs playing in the state of Washington. The Irish may have come in at 6-5, playing the 107th ranked strength of schedule in the country, but Pete Carroll gave them a better measure of their so called improvement from last season, by revealing that nothing has changed. Clear the smoke from their schedule and you see Notre Dame outscored in the last two meeting 76-3 by their biggest rival. That isn’t South Bend progression. That’s a program idle in futility.

To put their misery in perspective, the Irish failed to achieve a single first down in the first 30 minutes of play, and 45 minutes passed before they established one. Their offense totaled just 9 first half yards, 11 passing and -2 rushing. They finished the game with 91 total yards, 4 first downs, and 3 points on the scoreboard. The field goal appeared as an act of desperation, with Weis refusing to be shutout by USC in consecutive years, and for the 4th time versus Irish opponents in the past two seasons.

It was a homecoming for Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen, who lost his first game in the state of California, after going 46-0 at Oaks Christian High School. The former Parade All-American went just 11 of 22 for 41 yards and 2 interceptions. Meanwhile, his counterpart, Mark Sanchez, also a former high school All-American, connected 21 times on 32 attempts for 267 yards and two scores. Sanchez threw an interception on the Trojans’ first series of the game, and another in the end zone in the second half, on a first and goal play that would have increased the swelling of the Irish’s black eye.

USC rushed for 175 yards, including a 55 yard first half burst for a touchdown by Joe Mcknight. 8 different Trojans caught passes in the blowout, with Damian Williams’ 8 receptions for 76 yards and a score leading the way. Carroll cleared his bench in the fourth quarter, and the determined Weis left his starters on the field for further embarrassment. Be it starters or reserves, the Irish hit a Trojan wall of defense, and have now gone 8 consecutive quarters without a touchdown against Southern Cal. The victory is the 7th straight for USC in the series.

With Oregon defeating Oregon State in Corvallis, The Trojans now lead the Pac 10 and can earn a Rose Bowl birth and automatic BCS bowl bid with a victory over UCLA in next week’s season finale.

Preview | Notre Dame at (5) USC

Depending on the articles read and lists compiled, several rivalries will appear as the “greatest”. Be it the bias of the author and his or her loyalties holding weight, difference of opinion will bring about a different order. But without a doubt, USC and Notre Dame is the greatest intersectional rivalry in the nation, because of the simple fact that they share no conference and exist in separate regions of the country. Even so, the Trojans and Fighting Irish will collide on a football field for the 8oth time, in a series only discontinued by world war, and never because one program or the other declined in prowess.

We can all give our opinions of great rivalries, and even my own bias will surface. But I challenge anyone, and everyone, to give me another college football rivalry where the programs combine for greater history and achievements on a football field. The Irish and Trojans have amassed 23 national championships and 14 Heisman Trophy winners. The rivalry produced more All-Americans and NFL draft selections than any other. These college gridiron greats have gone on to excel on professional fields, yielding more Pro-Bowl selections and members of the NFL Hall of Fame than any other rivalry can boast. The names are as legendary as the coaches, and each visitor will grasp that legend by touring the opponent’s trophy halls, before ever taking the field. Today’s players are an extension of yesterday, preparing to gallop with ghosts on a modern surface. They are new faces aligned with old, each looking to carve their names aside rivalry greats. They are young men hauling the pride of generations past, existing beneath the Golden Dome and behind the Walls of Troy. It's more than just one game in a college football season. It is college football. It's USC and Notre Dame.

FIGHTING IRISH (6-5)
Last Week: L-Syracuse

Notre Dame enters the 80th meeting as a program in trouble. Even with high expectations, the Irish have struggled. They’ve defeated just one program with a winning record (Navy), and faced the embarrassment last week of losing to an 8-loss team (Syracuse) for the first time in their long history. Charlie Weis promised 9 wins in 2008 and he’s currently stuck on 6, with only their greatest rival remaining. It’s a promise he couldn’t keep, and even more unpredictable was that the Irish would be pelted with snowballs in their own stadium, and by their own fans. We have a coach and a program desperate for a quality win to legitimize the season and possibly save a job.

TROJANS (9-1)
Last week: Bye

Southern California will be the best team Notre Dame has faced on the '08 slate. And to make it more difficult for the Domers, it’s a hungry bunch, still hoping for pieces to fall that would launch them into the National Championship game. If there were ever a game for style points, a nationally televised prime time affair with a storied program is it. Some say there’s that “rivalry” factor, where the underdog will excel and shock the world. But though the Trojans are known for sleeping on teams that are average or worse, they’re always fully awake for Notre Dame. This is a USC farewell to seniors playing their last home game in the Los Angeles Coliseum. It’s a senior class that has never lost to the Irish, and looking to continue the trend. Notre Dame was shutout 38-0 in South Bend last year, and will face an improved Trojans defense on Saturday night.

Analysis: It's no secret that each team that somehow managed to slow the Trojans were either equipped with a productive rushing attack or defensively found a way to limit the USC stable of backs from consistently chewing chunks of yardage. Notre Dame provides neither, as the Domers rank 91st in the country running the ball, and 58th defending it. Unless there is that "luck of the Irish", it can get ugly, as in previous games played in this series and venue. In the last 3 trips to the Coliseum, the Irish have been outscored 129-47.

All Time Series: Irish lead 42-32-5
Streak: Trojans won 6

DOH-mer Of The Week- Name Calling Again

We all know Lou Holtz. Well, at least most of us do. If you follow college football at all, you know he was one of the great coaching names of his time, now works as an analyst for ESPN, and recently had a statue in his likeness unveiled on the Notre Dame campus. Some people love him, and others hate him. If you’ve heard his opinions on college games, you realize he represents “homerism” to the extreme. The man has a doctorate degree, and has a segment called “Dr. Lou” that airs during halftime of college football games broadcast on ESPN. And though I’ve always admired his coaching skills, I’ve never been a fan of his commentary. To hear him, my belief is that he dips into the cooking sherry before going on air. But last week, he made one of the biggest no-no’s of broadcasting, referencing the infamous German dictator Adolf Hitler in comparison to a college coach.

Is the entire thing overblown? All he said was, “ya know, Hitler was a great leader too”. Some people think something was made out of nothing, but I’m not one of those people. Nothing is going to ruffle feathers more than the use of Hitler in a positive light. Great? He was about as great as the first lemming that leads the others to the cliff, before they all plunge to their death. As I see it, he led his country to be conquered, divided, and controlled by other powers. Leader? If anything…“cowardly”. He sent 12 year old boys to fight his enemies, while he refused to suffer the consequences of his actions, choosing suicide, instead. It reminds me a lot of the huffing and puffing “leader” of Iraq, who ordered his citizens to fight off the invading Americans with their kitchen knives and what-not, only to be found cowering inside a farm hole with candies and small children. There was nothing “great” about Adolph Hitler. Even his artwork was a piece of sh**.

If Dr. Lou is going to use Hitler as a comparison to Michigan’s Rich Rodriguez, who will he choose to be Pete Carroll’s leadership mirror? Is it Charles Manson, leading an entire cult to fulfill his desires. Maybe Jim Tressel can be compared to Jim Jones, who had so much influence over his congregation that he led them out of the country, before leading then to drink cyanide laced Kool-Aid. Maybe Nick Saban has so much success in his short time in Alabama, because like David Koresh, his leadership has his football team believing he’s Jesus Christ.

Overblown? If you’re calling Rich Rodriguez a bad coach and leader, who will eventually lead to the demise of the program, that’s one thing. But the Wolverines look to defeat their opponents, and not to exterminate them based on prejudices. In some countries it’s unlawful to name a child “Adolf Hitler”, and that certainly doesn’t reflect the opinion of “greatness” in his leadership.

Dr. Lou takes this DOH-mer home, and not for just making that asinine mistake, but also for not knowing better. In June, Jamele Hill, also employed by ESPN, was suspended for Hitler comments. I guess Lou doesn’t pay attention to what goes on in the office, while he's refilling his flask.

And in case you haven't seen any of those horrible "Dr. Lou" segments, here's my offering:

Rearview: Is Tennessee the biggest disappointment?

Looking back at the preseason polls, I was nearly tempted to call Clemson the biggest disappointment of the 2008 season. But even with the misfires and miscues of the Tigers, the Tennessee Volunteers are by far more deserving of the tag. Sure, Clemson had a top 10 preseason ranking and loads of expectations. But when you look at the Volunteers, the preseason No. 18, their 2-4 start doesn’t even tell the entire story. The Vols have yet to defeat an opponent from the SEC (0-3), or anyone from a BCS conference (0-1). Of their two victories, only the 35-3 clobbering of UAB was impressive. Not so impressive was the 13-9 nail biter over Northern Illinois. Next week, Tennessee will host Mississippi State. And though I never thought I’d be saying this, it may be a battle to prove the worst program in the SEC.

What about Phillip Fulmer? Is it difficult to terminate a coach with a BCS championship under his belt? The last I checked, Larry Coker was still unemployed. The loss to UCLA in the opening week was telling, and merely a premonition of things to come. It wasn’t the awful Bruins shockingly beating a very good team. There wasn’t a good team on either side of that Rose Bowl field.

COACHING 1, 2, 3

The coaches are often criticized for the casting of their ballots. They can’t possibly watch all the games to even begin to place programs in an order of power. What’s worse than seeing Steve Spurrier vote Duke No. 1 at the start of each season? Maybe it’s watching the coaches’ numbers 1, 2, and 3 all fall on the same football Saturday. Oklahoma, Missouri, and LSU all failed to hold their positions. I guess if you’re Alabama, it was a great week for a bye.

SCRATCHING MY DOME

How crazy was the ending in Chapel Hill? I’m not talking about the reception, fumble, recovery, and the endless review with no time on the clock that marked the games end. I’m talking about the Notre Dame call on that final play. You need a touchdown, you have no time outs remaining, and you have 11 seconds on the clock. Why do you throw a pass 10 yards short of the end zone in the middle of the field? Isn’t it a sidelines or end zone pass that allows you to live for another play?

DIGITS

-The USC offense committed 4 turnovers on 4 consecutive possessions. QB Mark Sanchez alone committed 2 turnovers in back-to-back possessions deep in his own end, and Arizona State was still denied points by having 2 consecutive field goal attempts blocked by the Trojans.

-Chase Daniel hurt his Heisman campaign, by throwing 3 interceptions in the 2nd half of the loss to Oklahoma State.

-Florida’s 51 points marked just the 5th time in LSU’s history that they’ve surrendered 50 or more points in SEC play.

-The Buckeyes defeated the Boilermakers 16-3 without scoring a single offensive touchdown. The total offense for Ohio State was 222 yards. They totaled 211 yards on 6 punts.

-The 80 combined points scored by Texas and Oklahoma is a record amount for the 103 years of the rivalry.

-Michigan State is now 6-1, and Javon Ringer is 12 yards shy of 1000 on the season. In the lone loss to Cal on the opening weekend, Ringer recorded his lowest rush production (81 yards).

-In 4 quarters between the hedges, the Tennessee Volunteers rushed for just 1 yard.


THE GALLOPING FINISH
Michigan- sometimes you have to sink before you can swim.
West Virginia- even in victory, still struggling.
Virginia- huh?
Rutgers- A bowl of Rice. No Rice. No Bowl.
Northwestern & Vanderbilt- Reality check
Auburn-Guess who Franklin was rooting for?
Arizona- back on the burner for Mike Stoops.
BYU- creeping. Shh.
Florida- explosive
Oklahoma- lost their best defender for the season. Uh oh!
Texas- Hooked’em
Week 7- Outstanding!

Witness the Willingham farewell tour

When Tyrone Willingham was hired by the University of Washington in 2005, he took over a program with a 1-10 finish the previous year, but not one that existed in prolonged futility. The Huskies were just one year removed from a .500 record, and 2 years from a bowl game. It was a program boasting 15 conference titles, and 2 national championships. It was a program interlocked with the history of the great Miami teams, noted as the team that ended the longest home win streak (58) in college football history. They flew their royal purple and gold with pride, and had hopes of regaining dominance and a grip on the Pac 10 conference.

Willingham was fresh off the controversial firing at Notre Dame, with the demise of the program bringing cause. This came two years after beginning his career with the Irish at 8-0, and becoming the first coach in the history of Notre Dame to win 10 games in his first year. The achievement earned him several “coach of the year” honors in college football, but accolades were short-lived. A 41-10 lopsided loss to intersectional rival USC in '04 marked the end of the Willingham stay in South Bend. Ironically, it was a near victory over those same USC Trojans in 2005 that awarded his successor (Charlie Weis) a contract extension.

Now here we are in what appears to be Willingham’s final year in Washington. We see a program that is 0-5 to start the season. What we don’t see is the combined 21-6 record of the teams that defeated them. 3 were nationally ranked opponents. 2 remain among the nation’s top 10. As a result, the Huskies have gathered these national rankings:

Total offense- 105th
Total defense- 118th
Scoring offense- 104th
Scoring defense-117th

Already winless, before meeting the conference powers of Cal, Arizona State, and USC, the season outlook is dismal, with the only true expectations being an Apple Cup victory over their equally woeful in-state rivals of Washington State. Now 11-30 in his tenure at Washington, we witness the likely farewell tour of Tyrone Willingham. Administrators, boosters, and fans are looking for more legends of the lake, and more trophies to boast. In January, one booster offered $100,000 for the firing of their coach. Perhaps they should have taken it.

Rearview: Can Georgia Tech win the ACC?

Looking back at the end of the 2007 season, I wouldn't have pondered the possibility that Georgia Tech had the potential to win the ACC. After all, transitioning teams often play poorly in their first year, especially when you’re changing an offense. The most logical explanation would be the program not having a roster equipped for the new playbook, with future recruiting being of the utmost importance. Just look at Michigan, Auburn, and Arkansas. Those are better examples of how transitioning offenses normally appear in the introductory season.

But the Yellow Jackets have a different story, able to provide just enough offense, in support of an outstanding defense, to win games. They are currently 4-1 (2-1 in conference), with the lone loss coming on the road to Virginia Tech by a mere 3 points. They still have a few landmines awaiting, with road games against Clemson and North Carolina. But overall, I really like their chances.

Now, do I even dare ask the next question? Can Vanderbilt win the SEC?

KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR

BYU is a team likely to roll from here to there without a blemish. With just 7 games remaining, the undefeated Cougars are cruising, with the lone obstacle appearing to be the season finale against Utah. If we get more shake ups atop the polls, and the Cougs finish as the only unbeaten, it’s going to be pretty hard to justify leaving them out of the BCS title game. Isn’t it?

BUY OR SELL THE IRISH?

Offensively, Notre Dame seems to be clicking, but there’s still some mystery surrounding the team. Are they as good as their 4-1 record would indicate or is that a reflection of their opponents? I think we’ll get a better indication in the coming weeks, but maybe that 11 win season is a possibility? They have some tough road games remaining with North Carolina and USC, while also hosting Pitt. By the time they get to Navy on November 11th, we should know exactly what they’re all about.

DIGITS

Illinois QB Juice Williams set a Michigan Stadium record with 431 all-purpose yards.

Alabama rushed for 282 yards against Kentucky, with Glenn Coffee accounting for 218 of that total on 25 carries.

Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell has passed for 12, 709 yards in his 3 years as a starter.

An interception thrown against Arkansas snaps Tim Tebow’s string of 203 pass attempts without a pick.

Purdue’s loss to Penn State marks the Boilermakers’ 15th consecutive loss to ranked opponents.

After hanging 49 points on Baylor, the Oklahoma Sooners are now 10 points shy of being the first program to reach 30,000 points.

With 4 rushing TDs, Antone Smith tied a Florida State school record.

After trailing Oregon 10-3 in the second quarter, USC scored 41 unanswered points in their 44-10 victory.

Mizzou wins their 1st game in Nebraska in 30 years, by drubbing the Huskers to the tune of 52-17. It also marked Nebraska’s most lopsided loss since 1955.

By edging the Badgers, Ohio State snapped Wisconsin’s 16 game home winning streak.


GALLOPING FINISH

Virginia- Peter Who?
Fresno State- Aloha?
Oklahoma- solidified their ranking
USC (west)- Actually looked like USC (west)
USC (east)- stick with Smelley and build on it.
Texas Tech- Anything you can do, I can do better.
Mizzou- see comment above.
Vanderbilt- The best team in Tennessee? Who would have thought?
Ohio State- The Pryor arrangement is working out well.
Oklahoma State- 5-0. “I’m a man!”
North Carolina- Any Butch Davis doubters still lingering?
Miami- I thought defense was the anchor.
Florida State- see comment above.
Week 6- eh. It was so-so.

Root for the Buckeyes this weekend

It's no secret that USC needs a lot of help if they're going to make an appearance in the BCS title game. They can certainly help themselves by not losing anymore games, and putting on a show with each victory. But winning alone won't get them in. They need help from some programs that a Trojan fan wouldn't normally root for. The Beavers caused more damage by losing again, this time to Utah. So, if you support the empire, these are your allies on Saturday.

The Top 8 in the coaches' poll- This is pretty obvious. In this game of musical chairs, and the Trojans needing another seat, it's easiest to obtain if someone above them gets booted. It's improbable that Oklahoma would lose to Baylor, as it is Kentucky beating Bama. But Colorado presents a possibility, playing host to the Horns. The Buffs scored an upset against OU last season, and they're much improved in '08. LSU has a bye, so they can't lose, and BYU has already won. Texas Tech plays Kansas State, let's hope the Wildcats have a defense.

Ohio State- Root for the Buckeyes to beat Wisconsin. In 2006, USC throttled the Arkansas Razorbacks in the opening weeks of the season. Arkansas went on a run, and even though the Trojans dropped a game to Oregon State, voters couldn't find it in them to rank the Trojans lower than an Arkansas team they had beaten 50-14. So as the weeks wound down, Arkansas was among the nation's top 10, but despite the loss to Oregon State, the Trojans always remained ahead of the Hogs in the rankings. Make sense? USC needs Ohio State to keep winning and making a push towards the top of the polls.

Maryland and Cal- Although the Terps are playing Virginia this weekend, and the Hoos were an early opponent, Virginia winning this game wouldn't do USC any good, because they just won't win enough ballgames to matter. The better option is to root for Maryland. If Maryland continues to win, Cal's loss to the Terps is on a lesser scale. USC still has Cal on the Horizon and needs their schedule strength. With that said, also root for the Golden Bears over the Sun Devils. If Arizona State wins that game, they may push themselves closer to the rankings, but it does no good, since they play USC next week. If a team is at the bottom of the rankings when they play USC, a loss to USC will surely knock them out. It's better for Cal to win and gain momentum in the polls, before the Trojans meet them in November.

Notre Dame- Voters love The Irish. Notre Dame plays Stanford, but you don't want to root for this Pac 10 team, because the Domers are likely to wrack up more season victories than the Cardinal. A 4-1 Notre Dame team has a great possibility of snagging the bottom of the coaches' poll.

UCLA and Tennessee- This is another obvious choice. You need Tennessee to start notching some wins, while also needing UCLA to start rolling. If the Vols can gather some key victories, the Bruins' victory in the opener will appear more credible. Tennessee is playing a cream puff this week, but they desperately need some positives in the win column, and I'll take whatever they can get.

Bold prediction by a Golden Domer

Cierre Wood won’t play a down for Notre Dame until he graduates High School in 2009, but that didn’t stop him from making predictions. Ranked as the top running back prospect in the nation by Rivals.com, Wood has high expectations for the Fighting Irish. Charlie Weis made a bold prediction earlier this year, by announcing that the Dame would win at least 9 games in the upcoming season. As Kevin Garnett says, “Anything is possible”. That may be true, but everything isn't probable. Wood went one step above Weis’ "probability", and gave a future prediction about USC.

“We are going to be good, and Notre Dame will be back. And I guarantee we will beat USC the next three years.”

Beat USC, the next three years? Where does his count begin? In 2008, before his arrival? Why the odd Nostradamus type number? You have 4 years college eligibility, so in which of your years are you predicting defeat? I think Cierre should have started with predictions about the service academies, and then worked his way up to the big boys. Plus, we all know how those high school formulas go. You join a program, win the Heisman, break every collegiate record, and win the national championship every year, without ever losing a game. At least that's how I remember them.

For anyone keeping count, which I certainly am, The Trojans have won the last six against the Irish. I realize that at some point it has to come to an end, but with the way recruiting has gone, I can’t even imagine 3 consecutive losses to the Domers. Yes, anything is possible. But evaluating and comparing the next three years of talent, it’s highly improbable. USC is not on probation, as they were in the 80s.

The current streak of six marks the longest against Notre Dame, since the series began in 1926. Notre Dame enjoyed a streak of 13 consecutive games without a loss to USC, from 1983-1995, playing to a tie in ’94.

Brady Quinn is umm…busy on Sundays

The need for an NFL rookie salary cap is a hot issue, and I can’t find an argument against one. But there’s another that no one seems to talk about, and they also have a history of handing over large sums of money to the unproven.

Corporate America will latch on to players entering a draft, already looking to sell products with their names and faces. Sometimes it works out great, as LeBron James is a marketing phenomenon. But other times, well, let’s just say Adidas would love to beat Sebastian Telfair with a size 12 sneaker.

But what happens when you find a name, and begin to market the face, without ever acknowledging the players game status? The answer is easy. Your marketing project becomes the butt of jokes, and believe me, I won’t hold back.

Sure, that’s a fabulous Brady Quinn commercial, up until he says he’s “busy on Sundays”. The next shot should show Brady working the concession stands at Browns stadium.

How about making it more realistic? For instance, selling clipboards for Staples would be perfect. The Snickers commercial also comes to mind….”Not going anywhere for a while?” And let's not forget the, "Wanna get away?", from Southwest Airlines. If Subway felt Quinn was a “must have” name and face, at least use his lack of activity accordingly. The absolute truth is, the cheerleaders and referees are more physically active on NFL Sundays, and the low calorie Subway diet keeps him from ballooning to 300 pounds on the bench. Let's market that!

I guess you take the good with the bad in any endorsement deal. He’ll have to endure all the jokes, until he finally gets on the field. But at the same time, he did make a pretty Penny.

Football Factories: The 33rd Team of the NFL

I recently viewed the NFL Network’s “top 10 list”, and the subject was “NFL football factories”. And though I had no doubt that the Trojans would top the list, some of the choices or positions in the order were debatable. The list is based on the all time production of programs, when it comes to generating NFL talent. Here’s the list, along with their resumes and my own commentary on each. At first glance, you may see something noticeably missing. This list from the NFL Network doesn’t include a single Big 12 program.

1. Southern California Trojans

With 11 NFL Hall of fame inductees, and 59 Trojans making 201 Pro Bowl appearances, USC is placed above all others in terms of NFL production. If we’re ranking programs based on their talent levels, there’s no greater measure than reaching the NFL’s highest plateaus. Trojan players have made 97 Superbowl appearances, with WR Steve Smith being the most recent to wear a championship ring. In 41 Superbowls, a Trojan has appeared in all but 3, which supports the old adage that if you want to be an NFL champion, you increase the odds with a Trojan on your roster. If Smith’s Giants would have failed in their upset bid, another Trojan, Junior Seau of the Patriots, would have earned his first Superbowl ring.

Aside from spitting out players, this factory also produces coaches. Current NFL coaches from USC include Lane Kiffin (Raiders), Jack Del Rio (Jaguars), Norv Turner (Chargers), Jeff Fisher (Titans), Rod Marinelli (Lions), and Mike Holmgren (Seahawks). Former NFL coaches are Joe Gibbs, Steve Mariucci, John Robinson, John McKay, Wayne Fontes, and of course, Pete Carroll.

2. Miami Hurricanes

If this list was limited to modern football factories, the U would occupy the top spot. Even sitting in the second position is questionable, with their span of excellence only extending 25 years. But without a doubt, the Canes have more impact on today’s NFL playing fields than any other college program.

Miami has produced Jeremy Shockey, Kellen Winslow Jr., Michael Irvin, Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, Frank Gore, Jonathan Vilma, Warren Sapp, Ray Lewis, Devin Hester, Sean Taylor, Jim Kelly, Bernie Kosar, Vinnie Testeverde, Andre Johnson, and Antrelle Rolle, just to name a few. They produced 19 first round picks in a 4 year span, which stands as a record. In the past 20 years, no school has sent more players to the NFL than the Miami Hurricanes (136).

3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Here come the Irish, but they should have already arrived. Realistically, if you’re not going to punish the Canes for arriving late, how can you punish the Irish for building their factory early? The Irish have 10 members of the Pro Football Hall of fame, compared to Miami’s 4. Notre Dame had 461 players drafted. Miami had 293. Giving a fair assessment, based on “all time factories”, Miami isn’t even in the same ballpark as Notre Dame.

Notre Dame’s production includes Joe Montana, Joe Theisman, Tim Brown, Rocket Ismail, Jerome Bettis, Julius Jones, Bob Golic, Dave Casper, Chris Zorich, Ryan Grant, Justin Tuck, and Reynaldo Wynn. Montana and Theisman combine for 5 Superbowl victories by Irish quarterbacks.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes

If you want to erase the Big 10 and Ohio State “lack of speed” myths, then all it takes is some name dropping. Tedd Ginn Jr., Cris Carter, Joey Galloway, Santonio Holmes, Anthony Gonzalez, and Terry Glenn are all Buckeyes. THE Ohio State has produced 53 NFL pro bowl players. 7 Heisman Trophies have been won by 6 players. Other notable NFL names include Eddie George, Mike Vrabel, A.J. Hawke, Orlando Pace, Chris Spielman, Shawn Springs, Paul Warfield, and Jim Marshall. What’s obviously missing from the list of Buckeyes is a great quarterback. In terms of quarterback production, OSU is nowhere near a factory, but manages to fill all other positions in the sport.

5. Michigan Wolverines

Here’s something we’ve become familiar with over the years, “The wolverines trail the Buckeyes”. The NFL Network’s number four and five teams are actually interchangeable, and you probably wouldn’t get an argument from anyone outside of the states of Michigan and Ohio.

The Wolverines have produced 7 Hall of Famers, and 36 Pro Bowlers. Braylon Edwards, Ty Law, Brian Griese, Dan Dierdoff, Desmond Howard, Anthony Carter, Todd Collins, Steve Hutchinson, Marlin Jackson, Cato June, Amani Toomer, Chris Perry, Jon Runyan, LaMarr Woodley, Charles Woodson, and Mr. Tom Brady are all U of M alum.

6. Alabama Crimson Tide

Montana and Theisman may have given Notre Dame 5 superbowl rings, but the Alabama Crimson tide boasts 3 quarterbacks, Bart Starr, Ken Stabler, and Joe Namath, that have led their NFL teams to championship victory. With 6 Hall of Fame inductess, the Network rated the Tide as the top football factory in the SEC.

7. Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State is the third Big 10 program to make this list, giving the conference the most representatives of all conferences. Credit Joe Paterno for his ability to consistently recruit NFL caliber talent throughout the years. The count is 5 Hall of Famers and 34 pro bowl players for the Nittany Lions.

8. Syracuse Orange

Syracuse? The Orange never struck me as a football factory, despite their production of Jim Brown and Ernie Davis. Marvin Harrison, Daryl Johnston, Donovan McNabb, Art Monk, Larry Csonka, David Tyree, Keith Bullock, Dwight Freeney and John Mackey are also Syracuse products. And in case you’re reading this and scratching your head, consider that the Orange’s 6 Hall of Fame members are more than Texas, OU, and Florida State combined.

9. The Mid-American Conference

This is by far their worst choice, because it’s totally unfair. You can’t pit an entire conference against individual programs. Where would the MAC rank, if matched against other conferences?

The conference produced Randy Moss, Chad Pennington, Ben Roethlisberger, Byron Lefwich, Antonio Gates, Jason Taylor, Jack Lambert, Chester Taylor, and Josh Cribbs. But if you compare rosters to those of other conferences, the MAC would severely slump in numbers. Bad choice.

10. Tennessee Volunteers.

With 37 Pro Bowl players and 2 Hall of Famers, the Vols secured the final spot on the list. Peyton Manning and Reggie White may be the biggest Tennessee headliners, but other names of note are Jason Witten, Bill Bates, Albert Haynesworth, Travis Henry, Carl Pickens, Jamal Lewis, Eric Parker, Peerless Price, Jack “hacksaw” Reynolds, Heath Shuler, Donte’ Stallworth, Al Wilson, and Gibril Wilson.

Eyes On A Foe: Scapegoat Wanted Inquire Within

Ever since Kevin White tucked his tail between his legs and fled South Bend for the AD job at Duke, the Irish are still without a person to sign Charlie Weis’ paychecks. It’s a strong indication of how much times have changed. In the past, candidates would have been jumping out of the woodwork for the opportunity to head Notre Dame Athletics. Nowadays, it seems the Domers are waiting for the first person to call back, and the phone isn’t ringing.

It shouldn’t really be a surprise, and maybe they should have viewed their earlier coaching search as a bad omen. They failed to land Steve Spurrier or Urban Meyer, and ended up digging deeper than expected, before Charlie Weis' name was called. Not that I can ridicule them for that, considering that back in 2000, Pete Carroll wasn’t the first choice for USC, but happened to be one of the few willing to accept the position. But the difference between Weis and Carroll has made the Notre Dame AD search a little more difficult.

Pete Carroll came out of the box strong, and continued to roll as the years progressed. Weis had success, with Willingham’s leftovers, before bringing the Irish to one of the lowest points in their proud history. With a positive outlook, an AD search is swift. But as it stands, no one is readily jumping up to be Charlie’s boss. It speaks volumes that White fled one of the most prestigious programs in America to lead the athletics at Duke, of all places. You can have your football team go 3-9 at Duke, without feeling any pressure or having anyone look twice. But 3-9 at Notre Dame, with your signature endorsed on the coach’s paycheck, and you’re the scapegoat.

Anyone can confidently join the Notre Dame staff, knowing they will not be responsible for the hiring of Weis. But as the new sheriff in town, and if failure continues, you bear the burden of firing him and having the University eat his contract. If this occurs, you’re also in charge of a new coaching search, when you already know that no one wants that job. Which money hungry X’s and O’s man still finds the Notre Dame coaching job attractive enough to willfully dive into the pressure cooker? Rich Rodriguez is on a slow boil in Michigan, so he won't be available.

And then there’s the commitment with NBC, who recently extended their contract with the Irish to run through 2015. NBC won’t be willing to tolerate many losing seasons and poor ratings for long. The contract is executed, but if losing becomes the Irish way, the new head man would have to consistently check the caller ID, and treat NBC execs as he would a telemarketer.

The function of the Notre Dame athletic director is to continue the marketing of his product. In a sense, as it stands right now, it would be like trying to sell Atari game systems in this age of PS3. At one time, they owned the market, but now the others have passed them by. And take it from a Trojans fan, who suffered through the misery of the 90s. If you don’t stop the slide now, and manage to fall too deep, the climb back to the top can be very long and painful. Notre Dame is not a place where one would likely choose to accept a new position of darkness, because it's a very tall reach to grasp a glimpse of light. Is an extended AD search surprising? No. Big names have always dreamt of robbing the Irish of their riches, but no one wants to get caught holding the bag.

Trojan Trio listed for Heisman in 2009

Where else but Heismanpundit.com would you find a list of potential Heisman candidates for 2009, when a single game of the 2008 season has yet to be played? They’re projecting players based on the assumption that Florida’s Percy Harvin and Tim Tebow, along with Ohio State’s Beanie Wells will be entering the 2009 NFL draft. Some of the names are obvious choices, if you look back on the past season. But other names show the site has high expectations for some players I believe to be extremely overrated.

The obvious Trojan trio is QB Mark Sanchez and Running backs Joe Mcknight and Stafon Johnson. Of the three, Sanchez is a more likely candidate, with Johnson and McKnight, along with the other stable of backs, limiting the amount of playing time and touches. Unless either McKnight or Johnson is utilized in a full time role, neither will be receiving that trophy.

There’s a Georgia duo on their list, and I’m skeptical of whether Knowshon Moreno will even return to college for the 2009 season. Matthew Stafford is a good quarterback, but appears even greater in a conference thin at that position. Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford is another good choice, but I’m not so sure about Demarco Murray. Bradford made people forget Heisman winner Jason White. Can Murray make us forget Heisman runner up Adrian Peterson?

Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen and Texas’ Colt McCoy are head scratchers. McCoy will be operating this season without Jamaal Charles and Limas sweed, which should make for his toughest challenge yet. He is now set up to fail in Austin, but if he finds success, he’s very deserving of the 2009 list. Claussen worked 2007 behind an offensive line that was unable to provide protection. Former Domer Brady Quinn had Heisman consideration, but unfortunately, I don’t see Clausen possessing those same skills. Well, at least, not yet.

Jake Locker, who we’ve come to know as “Tim Tebow West” made their list. He does have the similarities, but the Washington program is far lacking in the talent Tebow has around him. Unless the huskies recruited some immediate impact offensive talent, Locker won’t be getting an invitation to New York.

One name noticeably missing from the Pundit is Lesean McCoy of Pittsburgh. He’s not even listed as heading to the NFL. LeSean is no longer flying under the radar, so how could they miss him? If this Panther chooses to remain in school, he can easily be a front runner in 2009.

DOH-mer Of The Week- Charlie Weis

My DOH-mer normally reflects on a person or group from the week passed. But this week, I couldn’t help myself and needed to jump to real time. So essentially, some people will get a pass. The Phoenix Suns, and coach Mike D'Antoni, you get a pass. Popovich has put on a coaching clinic in your series with the Spurs, and by the time game 3 rolled around, D'Antoni “accidently” discovered that Boris Diaw would create mismatches on the floor. Let’s thank the ailing Grant Hill for enabling D'Antoni to see something that weeks of tape should have revealed. The Washington Wizards, you get a pass. You may be up 4-0 in the trash talk category, but your team is down 3-1 on the hardwood. Actions speak louder than words. Hmm.

They all get a pass, as I take you to one of my favorite places, Indiana, and the University of Notre Dame. Finally, my DOH-mer is actually a “Domer”. Charlie Weis receives his first, and this certainly won’t be his last, as I foresee a future of idiotic statements flowing from his lips.

Addressing the Notre Dame Club in Gettysburg, Weis spoke of the direction of his team and outlook for the future. When the discussion came to wins and losses, Weis’ comment was as follows:

“I could get hoodlums and thugs and win tomorrow. I won’t do it that way”.

In January, he threw his team under the bus, saying they just don’t comprehend what is being taught to them. Now, the latest comment says several things. You’re either telling your team they need a thug or telling them they can’t beat the thugs. Either way, both are wrong.

Notre Dame has never changed their recruiting process, yet other Notre Dame teams managed to win. They managed to win without thugs. They managed to haul in 12 national championships, without thugs. The thugless team he inherited from Ty Willingham was in National Championship contention in 2006. One year later, they finish with just 3 wins. Was it Brady Quinn or Jeff Samardzija that was the thug?

In their 3 win season, The Irish also lost to two service academies. Navy and Air Force have some of the more disciplined athletes in the nation. Ironically, Weis’ statement brings back memories of an Air Force coach saying they can’t win because they have slow White guys. And of course, BYU responded by saying “our slow White guys are better than yours”.

Let’s also take into consideration that Stanford has the same recruiting criteria as Notre Dame. The 42 point underdog Cardinal, with a coach making a hell of a lot less than Charlie Weis, managed to upset the top ranked USC Trojans. Weis’ Irish were shutout by the Trojans, even though they possess more five star players than Stanford could ever dream of, and have the nation’s top QB recruit.

And finally, to say USC, LSU, Texas, Florida, Ohio State, etc are winning with thugs is just plain ignorant. It’s ignorant to take a few bad apples and allow them to reflect the entire make up of a team. It’s ridiculous to say you’re losses are a result of having disciplined an honorable players, when the Mormon School, BYU, is projected to be next year’s BCS crasher. Florida State and Miami were given titles of “Thug U”, but in the ACC, it was the only other Division I-A Catholic school in the nation to field a football team, the Boston College Eagles, that damn near won the conference in 2007.

The problem in Notre Dame isn’t the players. It’s that DOH-mer of a coach they hired. You can’t hide their tradition and achievements, so you can't give bullsh*t reasons for your failures. In 2007, the Irish lost to some opponents that had better rosters. But in some of those losses, where the Irish were far superior on paper, Weis was simply outcoached. That’s something he’ll never admit, so he’ll just continue to shift the blame, with every opportunity he receives.