The College Football Czar: Week 13

The Shinbone: The Frontier of the Free Press ^ | November 20, 2012 | Daniel Clark

[Fiji Hill]

Even if the mighty Hector (Barkley) emerges from the gates of Troy to take the field (which I wouldn’t put past Kiffin), Achilles (Teo) will be waiting for him. Death to Troy!

But Paris of Troy (Max Wittek) will find Achilles' heel and bring him down. Death to the Domers!

[Sideshow Bob]

I'm torn. I loathe both Notre Dame and the entire SEC.

I don't want to see the Domers or any member of the SEC in the BCS title game. I was all geeked up to watch a non-SEC BCS game with K-State and Oregaon (despite not being very fond of Nike University), but am now resigned to the fact that I will likely NOT watch the title game AGAIN this year.

For that reason, I need:
USC to beat Notre Dame
Auburn to beat Alabama
Georgia Tech to beat Georgia
Florida State to beat Florida (another "Who do I dislike less?" game)
Arkansas to beat LSU
Oregon State to beat Oregon
Texas A&M to beat Missouri
South Carolina to beat Clemson

I'm not sure who would rise to the BCS championship game from this rubble, but I would definitely watch.

[MrChips]

With or without deflated footballs? And oh, is he enrolled at USC? Or does he just have someone taking classes for him?

[Fiji Hill]

With or without deflated footballs? And oh, is he enrolled at USC? Or does he just have someone taking classes for him?

Max Wittek graduated from prestigious Mater Dei High of Santa Ana, so he can handle the academic load at USC. The only thing that will be deflated this Saturday are the egos of the Notre Dame "subway alumni."

Fight on!

[MrChips]

There shouldn’t be any question of him being able to handle the academic load (ahem) at USC. And my apologies; I guess it was only Matt Barkley who deflated his footballs . . . or was that Kiffin’s idea?

[Fiji Hill]

Deflating the footballs was some kid's idea--and he got canned.

By the way, do you hold any sheepskins or units from Notre Dame? If not, then you're a "subway alumnus."

[MrChips]

Some kid’s idea? Yeah, right. I believe that. NOT!

[Fiji Hill]

Seems you subway alumni are feeling cocky, and given given that we're the underdogs, you may have reason to do so. But remember 1931, 1950, 1967, 1970, and 1996, when we were underdogs but wouldn't stay under.

Fight on!

[MrChips]

You know nothing about me, yet assume you do, which is very odd, but ever so typical of USC arrogance. Oh, sure, we remember those years all too well . . . just as we do the infamous (and illegal) Bush push, the beating of ourselves last year, and the beating we took from the Colosseum refs in 1964 . . . watch that film yourself; if you can find a hold on the “winning” ND touchdown, you’ll need to see an optometrist. But, I prefer to dwell on over-inflated USC rankings that we brought down in 1973, and 1977, and ever so gloriously in your own Colosseum in 1988. Go ahead and deflate those footballs all you want, and keep racking up those probations.

[nd76]

USC—the school that knows all about murder.

Come on Irish, avenge Nicole and Ron!!!

[Fiji Hill]

OJ was fine until he moved to Westwood.

[Fiji Hill]

You know nothing about me...

Yes, I do. I know from your posts that you didn't attend Notre Dame.

[Fiji Hill]

I prefer to dwell on over-inflated USC rankings that we brought down in 1973, and 1977...

And I like to reminisce on the sweet revenge that was ours in 1974 and 1978. I was sitting in the student section in '74 and right next to it in '78.

[Alas Babylon!]

SEC all the way!

[MrChips]

And ours in 1965 and 1966 (for the stealth in 64). And then there was that coach whom most people considered a hapless failure: Gerry Faust. But, I loved him, because in his five years, he beat USC three times! :-)

[Fiji Hill]

Important dates in history:

• November 21, 1931--The USC Trojans, down 14-0 in their first appearance in Notre Dame Stadium battle back and win the game 16-14 when Johnny Baker kicks the winning field goal. This was USC's most celebrated triumph of all time.

• November 28, 1964--Fertig to Sherman--Craig Fertig tosses a pass to Rod Sherman to power USC over Notre Dame.

• November 30, 1974--Down 24-0, the Trojans rally to score 55 points in less than 18 minutes of playing time to rout the Domers 55-24. I was there!

• November 30, 1996--On the anniversary of our 1974 triumph, USC quarterback Brad Otten shrugs off injuries to guide the Trojans to a 27-20 upset of the Notre Dame, the first victory over the Domers for the first time since 1982. I was there, too, but I didn't run onto the field, as most of those in the student section did.

  Fight on!

[MrChips]

Interesting that you don't claim 2005 . . but then, I would give you that infamous "Bush push" game if only the NCAA would; they asked you to forfeit it, along with 2004.

And any Trojan fan who still claims the 1964 win is just being dishonet. And, OK, so you get the 1974 slaughter, though there are a lot of rumors surrounding it, and it was, after all, in the middle of your worst probation era. But then, it was also Pat Hayden, whom I respect, and who remains the one bright and honorable standout in USC football; finally, an honorable AD.

After all, aside from Hayden, USC players were not really students during the 70's. In fact, of the 81 teams placed on probabation by the NCAA, USC ranks 2nd only to SMU. Why is that?

[Fiji Hill]

1964? We won. You lost.

I'll see your "Bush push" and raise you "The Spot" (1989).

What do you mean our players were not students? Of course they were. It's true that none of them were taking graduate coursework in international relations, so none of them were my classmates, but I had classmates who knew team members.

Pat Hayden? Don't know of him. You're probably confusing him with Tom "We are all Vietcong" Hayden, who was a Wolverine.

Probation? A lot of schools have gotten away with much more skulduggery.

Fight on!
Deconstruct the Domers!

[Fiji Hill]

Why is the USC-Notre Dame rivalry so intense? Maybe it's because it pits the Catholics against the Methodists.

As you walk through the USC campus toward the Coliseum, John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, with his right hand raised in the air, and Bishop Matthew Simpson, an influential official of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the nineteenth century, are gazing down upon you from atop Bovard Auditorium--named for George Finley Bovard, a Methodist preacher who became the school's president.

[MrChips]

You did not "win" in 1964. Officiating lost, as did whatever good reputation the Colosseum might have had for sportsmanship.

You don't know who Pat Hayden is? What?! Here, from Wikipedia, just for you . . . Patrick Capper "Pat" Haden (born January 23, 1953) is the athletic director at the University of Southern California. He played quarterback for the USC Trojans before playing professionally in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams from 1976 to 1981. He is a Rhodes Scholar, was a practicing attorney from 1982 to 1987, and was a partner at Riordan, Lewis & Haden, a private equity firm, from 1987 to 2010. He is also known for his work as a former sportscaster, beginning with CBS Sports in 1982, and ending his career in that field as a color commentator for NBC Sports Notre Dame football coverage. Very fair coverage, I might add, which is why I respect him.

And you respond to a recod level (other than SMU) of sanctions and probabtions by blaming other schools? The "everybody else does it" excuse? Weak. Very weak. Bu, there's hope. Keep Hayden around for awhile and he just might elevate the school from the level of corruption in which to which it has been accustomed. I hope he succeeds in that . . . but he'll probably have to do it by getting rid of Kiffin.

Good luck tomorrow. Keep those footballs inflated. Go Irish!