Beavs may be playing without the Quizz

Oregon State heads into one of the most important games in the school’s history on Saturday, and they may be playing without a key contributor. Jacquizz Rodgers, who fans of the Empire know very well, could sit out the “uncivil war” against Oregon with a sprained shoulder. That shoulder was injured early in the first quarter of the Arizona game that showed the Wildcats less than 2 minutes away from victory and the Trojans nearly sniffing roses.

Rodgers’ performance against USC is the difference between the Trojans being No. 1 in the country and currently sitting 5th. He followed his 186 yard performance in the big upset by continuing to excel in conference play to lead the Pac 10 in rushing, and rank 12th overall in the nation. His probable absence from the Beavers roster this Saturday may heighten Oregon’s chances of winning their in-state rivalry, as well as increase Southern Cal's possibility of clinching the conference title and a Rose Bowl birth.

Penn State wants USC

Now that Penn State is locked into January’s Rose Bowl, they have the luxury of formulating opinions on possible opponents. Unless Oregon State stumbles this weekend, the Nittany Lions are looking at a rematch of an earlier season College Station rout of the Beavers. OSU is playing better football these days, but Penn State receiver, Deon Butler, has already indicated that he’d like to pass on a second meeting. "They're a great football team, don't get me wrong, so if they deserve to be there, they'll be there. But obviously if you go to a bowl game, you want to play someone that you haven't played all season," says Butler. If you don’t want Oregon State, you’re asking and hoping for USC, with the Trojans being the only other possibility.

Ohio State wanted the exposure of playing USC, so they were added to the regular season schedules of ’08 and ’09. The September meeting only exposed the Buckeyes as a fraud. In the last 3 Rose Bowls against Big 10 opponents, The Trojans have outscored the Midwestern boys 109-49, and let’s not forget the thrashing of Iowa in the Orange Bowl. In the spirit of accomplishment and excitement of a conference title, you may call out the big boys on the block. But when the dust settles in coming weeks, and you descend from that cloud, what you’re asking for will become clear. With Branch not wanting Oregon State, he’s asking to travel to Southern California to play USC in the postseason, and in their house. The Bruins may rent that space for home games, but the Trojans own the joint. For a program celebrating one of the best season's in recent years, that's a lot to ask for. It's an invitation to the woodshed, with the Trojans holding the paddle.

The Lions’ receiver said it’s about not playing the same team twice in the same season. I’m sure the Buckeyes would have loved the Rose Bowl invite, to have another crack at the Trojans and an opportunity for redemption. If Penn State and USC opened the season, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind closing it the same. It’s all about being on the grandest stage and playing the biggest programs. His statement isn’t about playing a team for a second time, and his thoughts are likely shared by the Rose Bowl committee. It’s about Oregon State not being USC, the biggest test for any program, and one of the biggest financial draws in the country. And of course, I'm sure the Beavers wouldn't care who the Rose Bowl opponent would be, considering the program hasn't played in that game since 1964. Just making it there would be special.

Pasadena in January appears more likely

Sometimes there’s just no getting around that “oops”. Last year, with the madness of the season, USC nearly had the opportunity to overcome the horrible loss to Stanford and still qualify for the BCS championship game. It was the second loss, to Oregon, that ultimately did them in. And even then, it was still close. Two years ago, it wasn’t the slip up against Oregon State that kept the Trojans out of the National Championship game, it was the “oops” at the end, losing the regular season finale to UCLA. This year, it’s appearing more and more likely that the bad outing against the Beavers will stick and deny USC another title opportunity.

There’s still a lot of college football to be played, but if you look at the current BCS standings, and the games to be played by those ranked opponents, it would take a couple of heavy hitters to also fall flat on their faces against lesser opponents for the Trojans to have a chance. A big blow was Ohio State losing to Penn State on Saturday. Not only did the Buckeyes serve as a road block for lower ranked programs nipping at the Trojan heels, but their loss may have granted Penn State a free pass to Miami.

Texas has just one obstacle remaining, and that’s this weekend’s opponent, Texas Tech. Even if the Red Raiders bring down the Horns, with USC’s dismal performance against Arizona, and a winless opponent in Washington this week, there stands the chance that Tech would leap-frog Southern Cal in the BCS standings. For Trojans fans, the game in Lubbock is a “lose-lose” situation, unless you believe the Red Raiders wouldn’t win out.

Then you have a softened SEC, and Alabama rolling through it. The SEC West is the Tide’s to win, and the lone obstacle may be Florida in the SEC title game. Then again, depending on this weekend’s results, it may be Georgia, and we already know what Bama did to the Dawgs. But again, it’s another “lose-lose” situation, because the SEC champion, regardless of who it is, will likely finish ahead of USC.

This leaves us viewing the postseason through Rose colored glasses, and that isn’t even certain. For USC to even have a date in Pasadena, they need Oregon State to lose another game in conference, as a tie-breaker would be the head-to-head meeting with the Beavers, and they would receive the automatic bid. The most important thing is to not lose again. Even if Oregon State was to win out, a one loss Trojans team would surely pick up an at-large BCS bid and appear in a BCS game. If you really look at it, that may actually be better for the fans, if we can’t play in the championship game. Just imagine, Penn State rolling into the National title game, and a USC Pac 10 champion drawing Big 10 runner up Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Why not? Illinois had 3 losses and got there. It would mean the Buckeyes and Trojans would meet 3 times in a two year span. I don’t know about you, but give me someone else. After all, the drubbing of Big 10 opponents becomes…well…boring.

Damage Assessment: Maualuga, Mays, Cushing, and Heberer

Besides for taking an obvious hit in the rankings, the Trojans also suffered some physical damage in Corvallis. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the injury list is as follows:

Rey Maualuga: Sprained Knee (Examined today with results pending)

Brian Cushing: Broken bone in hand

Taylor Mays: Chest injury that caused him to cough up blood.

Zack Heberer: Toe Injury

The Oregon Ducks come to town in 8 days.

It’s Déjà vu in Corvallis as No. 1 USC falls to Oregon State

For the third time in the past four trips to Corvallis Oregon, the USC Trojans will ride the loser’s bus home. Fans of the empire can cancel your reservations to Miami, unless you plan on watching two other programs play there in January. And as for Pete Carroll, how much money did Mike Riley just take from his wallet, when you put it into the perspective of incentives and bonuses? Best team in the country? Scratch that for the moment, because you certainly can’t be the best nationwide while sitting at the bottom of the Pac 10. And if they needed a reminder of how they got there, a scoreboard reading “Oregon State 27, USC 21” is it.

Even in the one victory scored by USC in the span of 4 games at Reser stadium, it would be tagged more as a “2004 escape”, since the Matt Leinart team also failed to dominate the Beavers, but did manage to win the game. Why have the Beavers been so dominant over the Trojans, when very few can say the same? Mike Riley. Since Riley took over for Dennis Erickson in 2003, no coach in the nation has been better prepared to face USC and use their home field advantage as Riley has done.

1. Keep the Trojans offense off the field. (check)
2. Patiently and conservatively move the ball. (check)
3. Limit Mistakes (check)
4. Keep the 12th man in the game. (check)
5. Storm the field (check)

Containing the Trojan offense wasn’t difficult, as USC has become more and more predictable over the years. Not since Norm Chow departed have the Trojans shown difference in each outing. Ironically, not since Norm Chow departed have the Trojans finished an entire season undefeated, though that was several times the projection. No one sees this offense more than the Pac 10, so is it really a surprise that the Trojans have more struggles in conference than out?

The last 5 conference losses:

(2008) Oregon State 27, USC 21
(2007) Oregon 24, USC 17
(2007) Stanford 24, USC 23
(2006) UCLA 13, USC 9
(2006) Oregon State 33, USC 31

At the time of each defeat, only Oregon was a ranked program. The Trojans struggled offensively in the first half of each of those games, still having a shot in the end, while falling short. In the same period, they scored early and often against their out of conference foes, forcing them into a game of “catch up”, and making it easier for the defense to tee off on quarterbacks. Pete Carroll claimed this year’s defense is the best he’s ever coached. After watching Oregon’s freshman Jacquizz Rodgers rush for 186 yards, I’d say they are really missing Sedrick Ellis, Lawrence Jackson, and Keith Rivers.

What’s next? Time to regroup, tend to the wounded, and prepare for another run at the Pac 10 title.

Virginia’s Lalich headed to Oregon State

Call him a glutton for punishment or a person looking to get as far away from Virginia as possible, but either way, it appears the Wahoos’ exiled quarterback is on his way to Corvallis Oregon to become a part of the Beavers’ roster. It was just 5 weeks ago that Peter Lalich played the role of punching bag for an aggressive USC defense, in Virginia’s 52-7 opening loss. Now he’s serving himself up for at least two more years of the same, by becoming a member of the Pac 10.

Lalich was removed from the Virginia football program last week for violating terms of his probation, after starting the first two games of the season. He considered Cincinnati and UCLA, before filing the paperwork at Oregon State. Why would Oregon State be a draw? Coach Mike Riley is one reason. The former NFL head coach has developed quarterbacks for the next level. Matt Moore went from a reserve role at UCLA to starting QB at Oregon State, before reaching the NFL. Riley also coached Derek Anderson in his senior year.

Preview: (1) USC at Oregon State

(1) USC at Oregon State

Quickie: In 2006, the top ranked Trojans traveled to Reser Stadium to take on the unranked Beavers of Oregon State. As history had it, The Trojans just needed to score to win the game, since Oregon State had never beaten a USC team that they didn’t shutout. Well, the Trojans scored, and No. 1 still fell like the John David Booty pass on a tying two point conversion attempt that was batted to seal their fate. Last year, USC got their revenge, overpowering the Beavers, with Mark Sanchez making only his second collegiate start. Now it’s a flip of venues, and the top ranked Trojans head back to Corvallis and the scene of the crime.

BEAVERS (1-2)
Last week: BYE

Last year, OSU featured one of the nation’s stingiest defenses, ranking 8th in the nation overall. Now we have a complete reversal, with Oregon State only able to contain one of their first three opponents, and that was a miserable Hawaii team. The Beavers surrender 36 points in their opening loss to Stanford, which was followed up by Penn State hanging 45 on the scoreboard and wracking up 454 yards of offense.

The Beavers didn’t suddenly forget how to play on the defensive side of the ball. The 2007 season ended with the loss of their entire defensive front seven, quickly casting the program into a defensive rebuilding mode. But even with a nationally ranked defense last year, a downscaled Trojan offense managed to score, with Sanchez picking up a 24-7 victory after being thrust into the starting role.

The offense of Oregon State has been equally woeful. Rumor has it that quarterback Sean Canfield will return to the Beavers line up for Thursday night’s game. Canfield had missed the first 3 games recovering from off-season shoulder surgery. Lyle Moevao opened the season as the signal caller, and in the case of OSU QBs, it’s a question of which is the lesser of two evils. Moevao and Canfield combined for 11 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions in 2007, and are hardly the strength of the Beavers offense. This program is typically powered by a running game, and they also lost leading rusher Yverson Bernard to graduation. Freshman Ryan McCants will look to be Mike Riley’s 3rd freshman to rush for 1000 yards in a season. By far, the biggest offensive weapon they possess is WR Sammie Stroughter, but it becomes an issue of getting him into space, which they haven’t found to be easy. Stroughter missed the majority of the 2007 season, while suffering with depression.

TROJANS (2-0)
Last week: BYE

If there’s one thing certain, the Trojans love the national spotlight. Not only have they managed to dismantle their first two opponents (Virginia, Ohio State) in nationally televised games this season, it continues a trend of dominance, with the exception being the nail biting loss to Texas in the 2006 BCS Championship game. Now here they come again on Thursday night, televised before a national television audience, and looking to use the Oregon State Beavers as another statement game.

With Oregon State not presenting much of a pass rush, chances are Joe McKnight (9.2 per rush) will get the starting nod at tailback. He’s surrounded by the usual suspects, including QB Mark Sanchez who has quickly emerged as a solid Heisman candidate. One of the unsung heroes of the first two games has been offensive lineman Jeff Byers, who created his own personal highlight film by pancaking two Ohio State Buckeyes on a single play. This line that was supposed to be the Achilles heel has proven otherwise, and if anything, represents a strength. 11 different Trojans have scored in the two games this season, with only WR Damian Williams scoring twice. The spreading of the wealth should continue, with USC easily possessing more talent than their opponent.

The Trojans defense has been phenomenal. In the two games against BCS opponents, they’ve only surrendered one touchdown, which was aided by penalties that drove Virginia down the field, and held the defending Big 10 champions and national championship runner up Buckeyes to just a field goal. Now in game three, the unit may be looking for a shutout. Another body returns for the defensive squad, as LB Chris Gallipo will rejoin the team after missing the opening games recovering from back surgery. One player to watch is rising star Clay Matthews. The seldom noticed member of the linebacking group made it a habit of calling opposing backfields home in the first two games.

Xtra Points: After suffering the shocking loss to Oregon State in 2006, it was the first time since 2003 that I’ve seen a Trojan team without swagger, even if short-lived. It was a reality check in the worse way, ending a streak of domination over not only the Pac 10, but also against regular season opponents. Historically, USC has had their struggles early, and usually against their first Pac 10 opponents on the road. If you recall, they again struggled with Washington in Seattle last year, before being upset by Stanford at home. But this time there is no looking past Oregon State. There are still players on the roster with that bitter 2006 taste in their mouths. And just like all road revenge games in the past, they usually end with the embarrassment of the home team.

All Time Series: USC leads 58-9-4
Streak: USC won 1

Rookie tips for John David Booty

John David Booty was the 4th Vikings quarterback to enter the game on Friday night, but he played the majority of the second half. If you’re someone that watched Booty play at USC, you saw very little difference in his NFL debut. That relates to both the good and the bad.

Booty did complete 9 of 18 passes for 82 yards, but he was also sacked once, produced a fumble, and threw one final interception, assuring that no statistical category would go untouched. But if I’m the Minnesota Vikings, there is one major area of concern when it comes to their first year quarterback. Some areas can be improved on with time, but there is one particular statistic that has plagued J.D. since his playing days at Southern Cal, and it’s followed him to the purple city.

Booty had 3 passes tipped at the line of scrimmage, and surely tips are not a rare occurrence in football games. But Booty has a lot of passes tipped, and so many that USC’s Steve Sarkisian experimented with working him from the shotgun, looking to deflate those statistics. Watching Booty play, I came to a point where I would exhale, once the ball traveled beyond the line, knowing that he cleared defensive linemen.

And this isn’t something that took long to uncover, because tipping was immediate, in his replacement of Matt Leinart. The Trojans were riding winning streaks against the Pac 10 and regular season opponents in 2006, and looking to make a third straight appearance in the BCS National championship game. They were still talented and surging, but on Booty's watch they were derailed twice, first by Oregon State, and then by UCLA.

Booty passed for 406 yards and 3 touchdowns against the 2006 Beavers, as USC made a tremendous comeback on the road. With little time remaining, USC scores a touchdown to bring them within 2. The pass on the two point conversion, intended for the 6’5 Dwayne Jarrett, fell harmlessly to the turf, batted at the line of scrimmage.

On the final week of the regular season, USC still had a chance, ranked No. 2 in the polls and needed just a win against their crosstown rivals to make a championship game appearance. It was a defensive struggle, but USC roared down field with time quickly expiring. They were in striking distance, down 13-9 and in the red zone. Booty dropped back, threw forward, and had the pass batted in the air and intercepted.

Three more tipped balls in Booty’s first NFL game? That’s nothing new. In fact, it’s getting pretty old. Trojans fans were pretty forgiving, but it’s still something never fixed. USC managed to win the majority of their games and win their conference, despite the flaw. But as an NFL quarterback, your stay won't be very long, if clearing the line is problematic, consistent, and damaging to the franchise and future hopes of success.

Eyes On A Foe: Show Us Your Beavers

The Oregon State football program no longer features the names Derek Anderson, Steven Jackson, Chad Johnson or T.J. Houshmandzadeh. But for some odd reason, the networks still think they can be sold nationally. 8 of the Beavers 12 games for the upcoming 2008 season will be on national television.

Maybe the nation has a desire to see “what’s his face” run the offense, and “what’s his name” carrying the ball. Wide Receiver Sammy stroughter is somewhat of a household name, but he made more news for battling depression than battling any gameday cornerbacks. It’s not that the Beavers are a bad team, but my curiosity stems from the program being virtually unknown on the national stage. It’s hard to imagine television execs saying “Here’s some money, now give us Oregon State.”

Versus will carry 4 of those games, and the Beavers should be the greater opponent in at least 3, considering the lineup is Utah, Washington, Arizona, and Oregon. The Oregon game represents the state “Civil War” rivalry, which has local drawing power, but outside of the state of Oregon, most couldn’t give a damn.

ESPN/ABC will carry the Beavers against Penn State, USC, and Stanford, with another game to be determined.

Rutgers? Are You Serious?

Rutgers University made a name for themselves in football, but seriously, when do we ever mention Rutgers on the hardwood and not refer to players that have breasts? The Scarlet Knights' mens team spent the past week playing the role of "giant killers". First they take down No. 18 Villanova, and follow it up with the toppling of No. 13 Pittsburgh. We are talking about Rutgers, right?

The Pittsburgh victory represents the highest ranked opponent the Scarlet Knights have ever beaten on the road in their history. The two victories bring Rutgers to 10-11 on the season, and 2-6 in the Big East. If we pattern this to football, who's the next Big East surprise, South Florida?

Run out of the gym: After starting the year 16-0, Vanderbilt is now 7-3, and with the way the Gators ran them out of the gym, they aren't deserving of any ranking digits preceding their name. I'm not sure which was more embarrassing this weekend, the 23-0 run Florida put on Vandy, or Kansas proving they are far greater than Nebraska, in an 84-49 rout. I guess it would be the Kansas/Nebraska game, because a 23-0 run is embarrassing, but a 40 minute a$$ whoopin' is just painful.

No Place Like Home: UCLA's Kevin Love made his first trip to Oregon, since rejecting his home program and choosing the Bruins instead. The fans were quick to show they have no love for Love, as he was greeted with a chorus of boos. But sticks and stones may break his bones, but the Ducks can never hurt him. The Bruins got the victory, as Love got the last laugh. To make matters worse, Oregon then turned around and lost to USC, giving the Southern California teams a sweep in the State of Oregon. The lowly Beavers proved to be even less of a match, getting their a$$es handed to them by both squads.

Will The Real Contender Please Stand Up: Does the Big 10 have a favorite? If they do, can they make themselves known. Initially, I thought it was the Spartans. Then it was Indiana. Suddenly it became Wisconsin, before going back to the first thought, Michigan State. Looking over the field of the 10+1, I would say the Spartans have the better build to make a final four run. But looking at the schedules and records, whoever reps the 10 will have a tough road, because I doubt any will hold top seeds.

The Digits

AP Top 25
1. Memphis (46) 19-0 1,774

2. Kansas (26) 20-0 1,754

3. Duke 17-1 1,625

4. North Carolina 19-1 1,596

5. UCLA 18-2 1,500

6. Georgetown 16-2 1,377

7. Tennessee 17-2 1,339

8. Michigan State 18-2 1,320

9. Washington State 17-2 1,261

10. Texas 16-3 1,129

11. Indiana 17-2 1,065

12. Butler 19-2 948

13. Wisconsin 16-3 848

14. Stanford 16-3 786

15. Xavier 17-4 638

16. Drake 18-1 616

17. Marquette 14-4 513

18. Pittsburgh 16-4 464

19. Vanderbilt 17-3 397

20. Florida 18-3 374

21. Saint Mary's 17-2 310

22. Kansas State 14-4 281

23. Texas A&M 16-4 277

24. Mississippi 15-3 217

25. Baylor 16-3 166

Others Receiving Votes

Mississippi State 112, Connecticut 108, Arizona 102, Dayton 69, Notre Dame 63, USC 63, West Virginia 63, Louisville 40, Purdue 34, Oklahoma 28, Villanova 27, South Alabama 22, Clemson 20, Rhode Island 17, Gonzaga 17, Arizona State 16, Houston 9, Miami (FL) 7, UNLV 4, Saint Joseph's 3, Virginia Commonwealth 1.

Dropped From Rankings

Dayton 16, Villanova 18, Arizona State 24.

ESPN/USA Today Poll
1. Memphis (20) 19-0 764

2. Kansas (11) 20-0 755

3. Duke 17-1 700

4. North Carolina 19-1 663

5. UCLA 18-2 650

6. Georgetown 16-2 605

7. Michigan State 18-2 584

8. Tennessee 17-2 567

9. Washington State 17-2 515

10. Texas 16-3 473

11. Indiana 17-2 450

12. Butler 19-2 405

13. Wisconsin 16-3 395

14. Stanford 16-3 348

15. Xavier 17-4 252

16. Marquette 14-4 223

17. Drake 18-1 220

18. Vanderbilt 17-3 219

19. Florida 18-3 201

20. Saint Mary's 17-2 183

21. Pittsburgh 16-4 165

22. Mississippi 15-3 157

23. Texas A&M 16-4 136

24. Kansas State 14-4 62

25. Mississippi State 14-5 60

Others Receiving Votes

Arizona 40, Connecticut 35, Notre Dame 35, Baylor 30, Rhode Island 29, USC 29, Villanova 25, West Virginia 25, Louisville 18, Gonzaga 10, Purdue 9, Miami (FL) 8, South Alabama 6, UNLV 5, Arizona State 5, Davidson 3, Clemson 3, Kent State 3, Dayton 2, Brigham Young 2, Houston 1.

Dropped From Rankings

Villanova 18, Dayton 19, Clemson 25.

Pounded Beavers And Sitting Ducks

Trojan cagers are riding a 3 game road win streak. What began with a victory over UCLA, continues with a sweep of Oregon. After pounding the hapless Oregon State Beavers on thursday night, by a score of 68-44, the Men of Troy completed the sweep with an overtime victory over the ducks. USC blew a 10 point lead with 2 minutes to play, giving Oregon an end of regulation tie. But after putting up 21 points in the overtime period, the Trojans rebounded to a 95-86 win.

The Trojans are rolling, with what seems to be like a different contributor each night. Of course, there's always O.J Mayo, but Jefferson and Hackett stepped up and chipped in over the weekend. USC currently stands in a 3 way tie for 4th in the Pac 10, and will be hosting the Arizona schools in the coming week.

You may not like the Oregon Ducks, their team, mascot or colors, but their rah rah girls are unbelievably hot. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to post a babe, so there you have it.

Beavers Get One

The Pac 10 finally put a "W" on the board, as the Oregon State Beavers continued their bowl winning ways, topping Maryland by a score of 21-14. This game featured 3 storylines, the running of Oregon State's Bernard, the Beavers defense, and the Pac 10 avoiding embarassment.

The nation finally got a glimpse of NFL prospect Yvenson Bernard. Once a Pac 10 secret, Bernard is now out in the open. In this battle of who could accumulate the most turnovers, Bernard was the offensive star, running around and through the Terps for 177 yards. With speculation surrounding the rust on his legs, after finally coming back from injury, I think Bernard gave an affirmative answer.

Another Pac 10 secret was revealed on Friday night. The Beavers play great defense. USC has the most celebrated defense in the conference, but the Beavers just slapped Maryland with the realization that they've got a pretty good unit of their own. The Terps struggled to move the ball all night, positioning the turnover happy Beavers for the victory.

It was embarassing enough to see UCLA defeated by a Mountain West squad, then to see the Texas dominance over Arizona State. But if the Pac's No. 3 team would have lost to the ACC's No. 8, we would be burying our heads in shame. We've saved ourselves....for now.