The Bowl Post Mortem

Even the most ardent Pac-10 haters would likely admit -- begrudgingly -- that USC is obviously the best team in college football right now. You can't say otherwise and expect to be taken seriously. The Trojans find themselves in a similar situation as they were in Carson Palmer's senior year when they destroyed Iowa in the Orange Bowl and likely had the best team in college football, but only a bowl win to show for it.

There now even seems to be some thought that USC could win the AP title. That seems like a bit of a stretch. That would require the AP voters to actually think objectively about the games, and you know that won't happen. Although, that would be a great big "F - You" to the BCS. Not that it would matter. Do you think the NCAA wants to do the right thing here? All of this controversy keeps people talking about college football well past the final whistle of the season. If we had a satisfying end to the season, what would people have to complain about?

SOME EASY CONFERENCE
How does the SEC always seem to get Big Ten teams in its bowl games? No wonder its bowl record is inflated. But New Year's Day was dismal for the SEC. Michigan ran up and down the field against Florida. Maybe Urban Meyer can recruit some defensive players. Arkansas was destroyed by Missouri. That's right. Missouri.

The SEC did get a couple of wins. Tennessee defeated Big Ten mid-carder, Wisconsin. And then Georgia destroyed a WAC team. Figures that the SEC would get the WAC team in its bowl. What will the SEC do next year, played in the Division I-AA playoffs?

At least the SEC can revel in the fact that LSU will be crowned the BCS champs on Monday, win or lose. Two Loss Miles has the media so whipped, there can be no other outcome.

• The WAC will likely never get another invitation to the BCS again. Not because Hawaii embarrassed itself in front of a national audience. But because the big schools can't risk losing to teams from the WAC. Could you imagine what would have happened if the Warriors had won? The BCS dodged a bullet and will now likely use Hawaii's lose as the reason. But really, Boise State's win and the anxiety of having these teams from smaller conferences winning is the real reason.

• And for the record, Hawaii did deserve to be in the BCS title game. Hey, it's not like they were the only team to get blown out in its bowl game. Illinois, Florida, and Arkansas were all embarrassed in its bowl games. The Raiders were blown out of Super Bowl 37, but they still deserved to be in the game. Come on, you have to be smarter than that.

• Is it time to consider Bob Stoopes as one of the worst bowl coaches, like, ever? Maybe it's time for Oklahoma to sit out a few bowl games. And let this be an illustration why coaches should cash in while they are hot. Stoopes was once considered to coach the Dallas Cowboys. Now, SMU probably wouldn't take him. And speaking of the Mustangs' job, June Jones had better make the cash grab because nobody is going to take the Hawaii program seriously again.
  

AND FINALLY
DeWayne Walker is staying at UCLA, and that is a good move. Rick Neuheisel should have the Bruins back in the national title hunt in three years. And they will be on probation in four. Just kidding. The wrap on Neuheisal is unfair. He actually won his settlement against Washington. And hell, who doesn't play in an illegal office pool?

Neuheisel can coach. And unlike Jim Harbaugh, when you hear the rhetoric about competing with USC you tend to believe it. This guy has made some mistakes in the past, but he has (hopefully) learned from that and will be better now than he was at Colorado and Washington. And he was pretty good there. This was probably the best hire UCLA could make for the money they were offering and you could probably start to see the result immediately.