Official 2007 NCAA Football Season

[TheSqauredCircleMessiah]

Hiring Neuheisel is just begging for trouble, it just is. The guy is an admitted liar and trouble just seems to find him.

[HailtotheYo]

That's the thing though, a winner ? Believe me, I see your standpoint in so far as the fact that he's a UCLA guy. That in itself will do wonders. Outside of that though ... a winner ? He'll win recruiting battles ? At both Colorado and Washington, he won with the previous coaches players, but fell off once his guys were the Juniors and Seniors. With his connection to UCLA it might be different, but his previous stops both showed that he wasn't that wonderful once the team became "his."

Don't get me wrong though, I'd LOVE for someone to come in and bring them back to prominance. The Pac-10 and college football both would only benefit from a powerhouse UCLA program.

[DMN in the House]

I honestly think a lot of his drawbacks are overblown. He only spent four years at both schools. Colorado, you can blame him for leaving, its a valid critiscm, but he only had three years of his own players. Thats not long enough to really get a grasp on a guy (I, personally, am of the 'give a man five years' school of thought). Even then, he had a winning record in all but one year, and that year he went 5-6 (although, technically 0-11, due to an ineligible player).

At Washington, he was basically forced out, wrongly, as well, as proven by the fact he beat the accusations in court, to the tune of millions of dollars. He won a Rose Bowl, and in his last year there went 7-6. In fact, in his final years at both schools, he had an overall record of 15-10, so he wasn't a loser with his own players.

Yes, he is a winner. He has a near 70% winning percentage, he has a Pac 10 (co) championship, a Rose Bowl win as both a player, and a coach. He's a UCLA alum, which should kill some of the 'he's going to jump' fervor. He hasn't been a head coach in a few years, so he's fired up to be one again, especially at his alma mater. He'll take it to Pete Carroll both on the field and off the field, and, it might not look like it, but USC is not the team it was just a few years ago, they're beatable. I truly believe he's the man for the job, due to his personality, his history as a Bruin, and his run as a head coach.

Edited December 20, 2007 by DMN

[TheSqauredCircleMessiah]

I honestly think a lot of his drawbacks are overblown. He only spent four years at both schools. Colorado, you can blame him for leaving, its a valid critiscm, but he only had three years of his own players. Thats not long enough to really get a grasp on a guy (I, personally, am of the 'give a man five years' school of thought). Even then, he had a winning record in all but one year, and that year he went 5-6 (although, technically 0-11, due to an ineligible player).

At Washington, he was basically forced out, wrongly, as well, as proven by the fact he beat the accusations in court, to the tune of millions of dollars. He won a Rose Bowl, and in his last year there went 7-6. In fact, in his final years at both schools, he had an overall record of 15-10, so he wasn't a loser with his own players.

Yes, he is a winner. He has a near 70% winning percentage, he has a Pac 10 (co) championship, a Rose Bowl win as both a player, and a coach. He's a UCLA alum, which should kill some of the 'he's going to jump' fervor. He hasn't been a head coach in a few years, so he's fired up to be one again, especially at his alma mater. He'll take it to Pete Carroll both on the field and off the field, and, it might not look like it, but USC is not the team it was just a few years ago, they're beatable. I truly believe he's the man for the job, due to his personality, his history as a Bruin, and his run as a head coach.

[DMN in the House]

Because:

- He's a better offensive mind than Dorrell

- Will get rid of the overly complicated version of the WCO that UCLA has been trying to run.

- Will solidify the offense, instead of a rotating door at the OC position.

- Is a better recruiter than Dorrell was, this will be especially good if UCLA keeps DeWayne Walker.

- Brings personality to the program, something Dorrell visibly lacked.

- Has shown that he can develop QBs, something that Dorrell couldn't do, as evidenced by the lack of improvement in Ben Olsen.

Also, USC isn't the team they were just a few years ago. Their offense isn't as explosive, and while they're defense is very, very good, they can't win games on their own. If UCLA had any type of offense, they would have been able to beat USC again this year. USC is a great team, but they aren't an unbeatable team. Besides, the Trojan fanbase is already scrambling to try and discredit Neuheisal, before he even has the job. He scares them, thats a good sign.

The other candidate I'm hearing now is Pat Hill, the HC of Fresno State. I'd have no issue with him coming in either. He'd bring a toughness that UCLA has been lacking for a long, long time. They're two different types of coaches, Hill is a tough nosed guy, and his teams play like that, Neuheisal is more of a finesse guy, and his teams tend to play like that. Both styles work for those guys. Either one could turn UCLA around.

Oh, and nevermind the fact that USC is going to get hit with sanctions, sooner or later, for the Bush deal. I'm not talking about it because I don't want to sound like a bitter Bruin, which I'm not. Its becoming clear, and has been for awhile, that Pete Carroll, while a great college coach, motivator, and recruiter, dosen't run the cleanest program. Sooner or later, its going to bite USC in the ass, and, chances are, when it happens, Carroll's gone, and with him will go the USC dominance of the Pac 10. They don't have anyone who can step in and replace him, so its either promote, and lose the recruiting edge they have with him, or hire another big name from elsewhere, and lose continuity. I'm not saying that USC is going to fall off the map like they did in the 90s, but the program is on the downside of its upswing.

[OGpistolpete]

God damn, now that Rodriguez went to Michigan, Terrelle Pryor added Michigan to a list of potential commitments. God damn, just please go to Ohio State!

[Mofoticon]

BEHIND THE LINES Big Ten crew under cloud of suspicion template_bas template_bas Referee Stephen Pamon is at center of controversy. By Lonnie White, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer December 20, 2007

Although there has not been any evidence linking Big Ten Conference referee Stephen Pamon to gambling on games, Las Vegas oddsmakers are leery of game-fixing at the college football level. Two games from the 2007 regular season have come into question regarding Pamon, an officiating crew chief with a history of bankruptcy and gambling: Penn State's victory over Purdue on Nov. 3 and Illinois' upset win over Ohio State on Nov. 10. "Both games had disproportionate money bet on the teams that benefited from the objectionable calls in those games in Penn State and Illinois," said RJ Bell of Pregame.com. "On average, 70% of teams end games within one touchdown of the Las Vegas spread," Bell said. "Which means that a single corrupt call that results in one touchdown -- or a touchdown denied to an opponent -- would allow a gambler to win 70% of his bets." It will be interesting to see the fallout regarding Pamon, whose officiating crew made several questionable calls in both games.

[gunnar hendershow]

I don't think, given what happened at U Dub, players will really be lining up to play for Neuheisel.

[DMN in the House]

You mean, how Neuhiesal got pushed out because the AD didn't like or trust him, and how he beat the university, and the NCAA in court?

Or are you going to try and bring up the idiotically false 'there were only three scholarship linemen' thing?

[Vendetta]

And Noel..who committed to The U is being rumored to be transfering to FSU. If he does..fuck him.

[gunnar hendershow]

You mean, how Neuhiesal got pushed out because the AD didn't like or trust him, and how he beat the university, and the NCAA in court?

Or are you going to try and bring up the idiotically false 'there were only three scholarship linemen' thing?

Doesn't matter. Coaches who have been parts of scandals of any sort usually have a very hard time redeeming themselves.

I give him 6 years at UCLA until they aren't USC and the fans call for his head.

EDIT - In any case, Bellotti's been talking to UCLA as well.

Edited December 21, 2007 by damshow

[DMN in the House]

I don't want Belotti. When's the last time Oregon went to a Rose Bowl?

[HailtotheYo]

Actually they would have gone in '01 but the national title game was in the rose bowl that year ... he's been more recently than UCLA, it's been what since '98 ? '99 ?

He ain't going anyway, and he wouldn't really have been a good fit.

In other news .... congrats to Schnelly and the FAU Owls, and now maybe everyone else will figure out that you're playing good ball down there.

Edited December 22, 2007 by HailtotheKing

[HailtotheYo]

Well, DMN there's some good news for you tonight. Aundre Dean, the Katy TX RB that's supposed to be going your way had a great night in winning the state title in Texas. He had was 30 224 and a TD.

[OGpistolpete]

UCLA vs. BYU is easily the best bowl game so far.

UCLA's kicker keeps his Bruins in it with two 50+ field goals, and on BYU's final drive they can't score, so they punt it, and they down it for the Bruins on the two yard line. UCLA, and their 4th-string quarterback drive down field, and get all the way to the 10 yard line when BYU blitzed and got burnt, and then everyone that is with UCLA is celebrating. The kicker, who hit five 50+ field goals this season, lines up, and the kick is blocked just by a finger tip with no time remaining, and BYU wins it 17-16. That was great.

Edited December 23, 2007 by SKA

[TheSqauredCircleMessiah]

You mean, how Neuhiesal got pushed out because the AD didn't like or trust him, and how he beat the university, and the NCAA in court?

Or are you going to try and bring up the idiotically false 'there were only three scholarship linemen' thing?

[DMN in the House]

What does comparing UCLA's record during Belotti's run at Oregon have to do anything? UCLA, outside of short stretches, and our dominance of USC in the 90s, has been mediocre, at BEST, for the better part of 20 years. I feel Rick Neuheisal is the man for the job, and he has something Belotti dosen't... a Rose Bowl win as a coach. I don't see why everyone else is jumping on me, when I'm fairly certain that I'm the only Bruin fan here...

And HttK, word is that, depending on who the coach is, Dean might not stay. I think he does if Walker stays, either as DC or as head coach. Other than that, I think he's gone. Personally, the only way I'd NOT want Neuhiesal as the head coach of UCLA is if DeWayne Walker dosen't stay unless he's promoted. He's a risk, not in the same way as Rick, but a risk, but he can recruit, he has the UCLA defense playing harder than it has in... shit... over a decade, and the guys seem to rally around him. I think, sooner or later, he's going to be a great college head coach, I'm just not sure he's ready without a great OC under him. Word is, if he comes back, he'd hire Dorrell as OC, and... yeah... I don't dig that one.

[HailtotheYo]

Wow, he'd hire Dorrell as the OC ? WTF ? That's just dumb. The only thing I have to say on the HC job and Rick, is that you asked when the last time Belotti won the Rose Bowl ... and my answer is that it's a trick question. Oregon won the Pac-10 in '01 and went BCS instead of to the Rose. So, in that instance Belotti has equaled what Rick did in the Pac.

Like I said earlier though, I really want UCLA to get the right person. It would only help the entire conference. With Harbaugh at Stanford the middle of the 'Pac' had better figure it out real quick. Stoops is doing a good job at Zona but needs to step it up in the next two years. UCLA getting the right guy would kickstart the whole league in my opinion. I think it'd be great.

[HailtotheYo]

The 'shitty' Big 12's fourth place team throttled the Pac's co-champs. Hope this bodes well for the Big 12 for the rest of the bowl season. Texas looked good, and just swarmed the hell out of Zona St. The Devils couldn't keep up with the Horns, plain and simple.

[DMN in the House]

Well, I didn't see the game, but, in defense of the Pac 10, ASU wasn't the co-champions (USC was outright champions, and beat ASU), and, to be honest, where a great representation of why the Pac 10 wasn't that good this year (which I now have no defense for, with their poor showings in the bowls thus far).