West Coast/Pac-10 Week 02

[born2gamble]

That is the same information I got from people very close to the USC program. SC didn't think he would qualify and told him so.

I'm pretty close to the SC program. My uncle is Tino Dominguez the equipment manager. I go to a ton of their games.

 

[Conan]

Conan-

No problem. Your post just seemed like it was directed at me for some reason and I couldn't figure out why. I'm definately anything but a tout hence the name "sportsmonitor". If you read my first posts several years ago they were all directed toward those scumbag touts and sportsmonitor services who bilk and cheat people out of everything they have. I know for a fact some of those sportsmonitor services take money under the table and doctor the results to make certain touts look like they can hit 70% of all their plays. I hate those pricks with a passion. I could go on and on but what's the use it's like beating a dead horse. If I can help a guy save a thousand dollars or more by not purchasing scamdicapper picks then that's all I care about.

Anyway, about the USC game......my initial thought when the lines came out Sunday night was to pound USC hard, but then I started hearing and reading about everyone else wanting to do the same thing. I thought man "where have I heard this before". Every year something like this happens where guys are making their "Game of Year" two weeks into the season and end up pissed off the rest of the week because they just lost their entire paycheck on one game. I love USC this game but I gotta go against the public on this one. Just like last week when everyone's best pick of the week was Minn. and Penn st. and look what happened. I liked both of them as well but couldn't decide which game I liked more so I ended up teasing the two teams. I had a suspicion one of the two teams were definately not going to cover straight up since Joe public was all over both of them so that's why I ended up teasing them. Pure luck.
On paper it looks like USC is a no brainer and should win by 21-28 pts. but I just think something smells rotten in Denmark on this game. If I'm wrong then that's great. Everyone else in the world gets rich. That doesn't bother me one bit when the books get smashed....I love it! I really don't think Ohio st is that good this year and won't even win the Big Ten. I don't think Ohio st. will win the game but for some crazy reason I think some how....some way.....they cover.

By the way.....your one of the best if not the best Pac 10 guy around so keep those picks coming. I for one appreciate it. Thanks.

SM, I know exactly what you mean about finding one's self on the heavy side of the action and how often that goes down the tubes. But, for my sake, I try not to allow anything but my own opinions and observations go into making my decisions. Lately though there have been some very well reasoned logic and opinions expressed by other people in these Pac-10 threads that are very compelling arguments, more than I can remember in any recent year. But back to the point, it does worry me when I find myself on the "public" side. But the way USC tends to dominate everyone they play no matter where they play them (except for some conference games) puts this one into the most favored category.

**********************

Something interesting I just read about the Beaver-Las Vegas connection that I wasn't aware of, both Richard Siegler and Stephen Jackson were recruited from the Las Vegas area when the Beavers were in town. How about them beans?

I've read a lot about LV's offense lately, being that they did lose a player or 2 from last season, but it looks like their passing attack remains in full force and I think we will see a bunch of scoring for that reason and also because the Beaver secondary still has questions to answer. I don't think that will amount to enough to mess this one up though and I still think the Beavers will win via the ground and pound, hopefully by more than a TD which is the most I would lay here.

As a team they outclass UNLV but UNLV does have some formidable weapons on offense. Their secondary is perhaps the weakest part of the Beaver team at this point in time so they are vulnerable to being bitten trough the air, but they will bite back, I'm sure of it. I just hope they bite back decisively enough to put the Rebels in their rightful place which is a ways down the pecking order in the MWC.

The over may be the smart play here. I have to think about that one but we'll see by game time what shakes.

 

[cacheman]

UCLA up to +10. Maybe the news of Hester (starting corner) breaking his leg is making the rounds. This is going to be a tough test for the Bruins.

 

[asudevil88]

shouldn't be a problem at ASU where they don't have to go to class.

Yea they have different rules than every other school in the nation. Clueless.

 

[shale]

USC is (64-26-2) against Big_10

Average score: USC 22.9 - Big 10 14.0

In bowl games: USC is (17-8) against Big_10
Average score: USC 21.9 - Big 10 18.8

Per decade
W L T Win % PFPG PAPG
2000's 7 0 0 100.0 35.6 14.0
1990's 4 4 0 50.0 26.9 22.3
1980's 8 4 0 66.7 21.7 12.8
1970's 16 1 0 94.1 33.1 11.5

Per year
W L T Win % PFPG PAPG
2008 2 0 0 100.0 36.5 13.5
2007 1 0 0 100.0 49.0 17.0
2006 1 0 0 100.0 32.0 18.0
2005 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2004 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2003 1 0 0 100.0 28.0 14.0
2002 1 0 0 100.0 38.0 17.0
2001 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
2000 1 0 0 100.0 29.0 5.0
1999 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1998 1 0 0 100.0 27.0 17.0
1997 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1996 1 1 0 50.0 31.0 13.5
1995 1 0 0 100.0 41.0 32.0
1994 0 1 0 0.0 14.0 38.0
1993 0 1 0 0.0 20.0 21.0
1992 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1991 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1990 1 1 0 50.0 25.5 21.5
1989 2 1 0 66.7 24.0 9.0
1988 0 1 0 0.0 14.0 22.0
1987 0 2 0 0.0 15.0 23.5
1986 1 0 0 100.0 31.0 16.0
1985 1 0 0 100.0 20.0 10.0
1984 1 0 0 100.0 20.0 17.0
1983 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1982 1 0 0 100.0 28.0 7.0
1981 1 0 0 100.0 21.0 0.0
1980 1 0 0 100.0 24.0 7.0
1979 2 0 0 100.0 32.5 15.0
1978 2 0 0 100.0 23.5 9.5
1977 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1976 3 0 0 100.0 33.3 6.3
1975 2 0 0 100.0 23.0 11.0
1974 2 0 0 100.0 29.5 10.0
1973 0 1 0 0.0 21.0 42.0
1972 3 0 0 100.0 49.3 14.3
1971 1 0 0 100.0 28.0 0.0
1970 1 0 0 100.0 48.0 0.0


All games
2009/01/01 USC 38 - Penn St 24 W !! Rose Bowl !!
2008/09/13 USC 35 - Ohio St 3 W
2008/01/01 USC 49 - Illinois 17 W !! Rose Bowl !!
2007/01/01 USC 32 - Michigan 18 W !! Rose Bowl !!
2004/01/01 USC 28 - Michigan 14 W !! Rose Bowl !!
2003/01/02 USC 38 - Iowa 17 W !! Orange Bowl !!
2000/08/27 USC 29 - Penn St 5 W
1998/08/30 USC 27 - Purdue 17 W
1996/09/07 USC 55 - Illinois 3 W
1996/08/25 USC 7 - Penn St 24 L
1996/01/01 USC 41 - Northwestern 32 W !! Rose Bowl !!
1994/09/10 USC 14 - Penn St 38 L
1993/09/11 USC 20 - Penn St 21 L
1990/12/31 USC 16 - Michigan St 17 L !! Sun Bowl !!
1990/09/29 USC 35 - Ohio St 26 W
1990/01/01 USC 17 - Michigan 10 W !! Rose Bowl !!
1989/09/23 USC 42 - Ohio St 3 W
1989/09/04 USC 13 - Illinois 14 L
1989/01/02 USC 14 - Michigan 22 L !! Rose Bowl !!
1988/01/01 USC 17 - Michigan St 20 L !! Rose Bowl !!
1987/09/07 USC 13 - Michigan St 27 L
1986/09/13 USC 31 - Illinois 16 W
1985/09/07 USC 20 - Illinois 10 W
1985/01/01 USC 20 - Ohio St 17 W !! Rose Bowl !!
1982/09/18 USC 28 - Indiana 7 W
1981/09/19 USC 21 - Indiana 0 W
1980/09/27 USC 24 - Minnesota 7 W
1980/01/01 USC 17 - Ohio St 16 W !! Rose Bowl !!
1979/09/22 USC 48 - Minnesota 14 W
1979/01/01 USC 17 - Michigan 10 W !! Rose Bowl !!
1978/09/29 USC 30 - Michigan St 9 W
1977/01/01 USC 14 - Michigan 6 W !! Rose Bowl !!
1976/10/02 USC 55 - Iowa 0 W
1976/09/25 USC 31 - Purdue 13 W
1975/10/04 USC 27 - Iowa 16 W
1975/09/27 USC 19 - Purdue 6 W
1975/01/01 USC 18 - Ohio St 17 W !! Rose Bowl !!
1974/10/05 USC 41 - Iowa 3 W
1974/01/01 USC 21 - Ohio St 42 L !! Rose Bowl !!
1973/01/01 USC 42 - Ohio St 17 W !! Rose Bowl !!
1972/09/30 USC 51 - Michigan St 6 W
1972/09/23 USC 55 - Illinois 20 W
1971/09/25 USC 28 - Illinois 0 W
1970/09/26 USC 48 - Iowa 0 W
1970/01/01 USC 10 - Michigan 3 W !! Rose Bowl !!

 

[Conan]

Those 1935 Trojans really stunk. Embarrassing to lose to the B-10 even if there was no such thing.

 

[SantaBarbaraTrojan]

USC injury/illness update

Jurrell Casey and Kevin Thomas both returned to practice on Wednesday. They were playing with the first unit.[both were sick, 2 days]

Brian Baucham also said he was feeling fine and should be available on Saturday after missing several days due to illness.

Pete Carroll said he's in no hurry to make a decision on whether or not Kristofer O'Dowd will start, although he did say O'Dowd has been working with Barkley. "Pretty much the whole time."

After practice, Averell Spicer said he feels ready to play this Saturday and added that he's been taking a lot of reps during practice.

Aaron Corp had several touchdown passes during 7-on-7 work.

 

[Conan]

This is how turn a conference cellar dweller into a top 10 team.

Stanford picks up a big commitment

September 9, 2009 9:06 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh continues to pile up marquee recruits from across the country for what figures to be a top-25 class.

The latest is offensive lineman Torrian Wilson of prep powerhouse Northwestern (Miami, Fla.), who picked the Cardinal over Miami and Michigan.

Wilson, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound Under Armour All-American, is Stanford's 23rd commitment. He had solid offers from at least 20 programs, including Alabama, Tennessee, LSU, UCLA and Florida.

 

[SantaBarbaraTrojan]

This is how turn a conference cellar dweller into a top 10 team.

Stanford picks up a big commitment

September 9, 2009 9:06 PM
Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh continues to pile up marquee recruits from across the country for what figures to be a top-25 class.

The latest is offensive lineman Torrian Wilson of prep powerhouse Northwestern (Miami, Fla.), who picked the Cardinal over Miami and Michigan.

Wilson, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound Under Armour All-American, is Stanford's 23rd commitment. He had solid offers from at least 20 programs, including Alabama, Tennessee, LSU, UCLA and Florida.

It's not just the talent Harbaugh is recruiting and getting, it's that he is getting talent from seemingly everywhere in the country.

So far he has players from:
MD, FL(2), MO, GA(3), CO, AZ, PA, MA, CA(3), TX(2),UT, MN.

Unreal.

 

[Conan]

Stanford and Vanderbilt are the 2 hardest schools to get into academically in the country. Stanford is the tougher but they both are similarly distinguished. I also read that next to Harvard, Stanford has graduated the most billionaires. A Stanford degree is worth a mint after the NFL has had you. Those smart guys are smart.

What I mean to say is that Harbaugh has turned a recruiting disadvantage into an advantage.

 

[GoForIt]

I have a question and I get no clear answer despite asking several different people. Do Ivy league schools give scholarships for athletics?

 

[jbragg10]

good luck this week

 

[SantaBarbaraTrojan]

I have a question and I get no clear answer despite asking several different people. Do Ivy league schools give scholarships for athletics?

Yes they do, in fact I have a co-worker who was a schollie player and running back for Columbia.

 

[Conan]

But then there's Pat Riley, Oregon St.'s HC who takes the players everyone misses and beats USC with them.

Best Recruiters? Here's one man's list.

September 9, 2009 8:57 PM Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Scouts Inc., made a list of the nation's top 25 recruiters who are not head coaches. Three from the Pac-10 made the list.

Says the story, "These are the 25 recruiters that you want on your staff if you are looking to build, rebuild or maintain a program, based on overall recruiting performance and current reputation."

Here are the blurbs from the Pac-10 guys who made the list:

Tosh Lupoi, California

Building relationships and selling the Cal program is a specialty of this former Golden Bear. Lupoi has made his presence known up and down the West Coast this cycle with players like Owamagbe Odighizuwa (Portland, Ore./David Douglas), the No. 37 recruit in the country who is considering California largely because of how Lupoi's recruiting skills. Lupoi has also expanded Cal's recruiting base and got the Bears on the radar of some of the top prospects from other regions like defensive tackle Brandon Willis (Duncan, S.C./James F. Byrnes).​

Ken Norton, USC

Norton brings a ton of credibility to the table as a former NFL player and is a heavy contributor to the juggernaut that is USC recruiting. The 2010 haul includes commitments Kyle Prater (Hillside, Ill./Proviso) and Robert Woods (Gardena, Calif./Junipero Serra). He also is the Trojans' recruiter of record for the nation's top prospect, defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat (Plano, Texas/West), and he landed Under Armour All-American quarterback Jesse Scroggins (Lakewood, Calif./Lakewood) this past summer.​

Willie Taggart, Stanford

Speaking of Georgia, Taggart has built a small pipeline from the state to Palo Alto, Calif. In the 2009 recruiting cycle, Taggart beat out several SEC and ACC programs for Under Armour All-American receiver Jamal Patterson (McDonough, Ga./Henry County) in the Class of 2009. This recruiting cycle, he has another Under Armour All-American receiver, Tai-ler Jones (Gainesville, Ga./Gainesville), plus his teammate, safety Daunte Carr, and talented offensive tackle David Yankey (Roswell, Ga./Centennial), committed. Taking Stanford national is a big boost for a program that's trying to compete with USC.​

 

[Conan]

good luck this week

you too jb

 

[WinOne]

He helped him get the job, but this happened after Sark became the head coach. Sark nabbed Holt and was also trying to get Rocky Seto.
The recruit in question is James Boyd, during his recruitment Sark mentioned to him that SC would be going on probation soon. I know this as fact straight from Boyd's HS head coach. It's pretty common knowledge that SC could be facing probation or some sort of penalties soon, so it's not like that this is earth shattering

If USC was going on probation in football, it would have happened. Everyone uses to negatively recruit against USC in reference to Reggie Bush. Okay, so here's the ugly embarrassing truth. Any monies were taken by Bush's stepdad. The house...stepdad. The NCAA has yet to put anything on Bush. What happened was the person who set it all up got p-o'd when Bush, unbeknownst to his mother and father, went with another agent who did not cut the other guy in. There were threats, that were documented, and the NCAA is aware of these. Considering the average college kid spends "0" time at home during the calendar year as well as summer where they have "voluntary drills" I doubt anything ever sticks with football.

Just my thought, I hear that so much that it's funny. As a matter of fact, I joked this summer with a pretty famous former coach of a team on the other side of the Red River at a golf outing. There were no hard feelings, Pete was going to lose Holt because any DC worth their salt will never get full props because Pete is the "Show". He coordinates the Defense.

WinOne!!

 

[Kiln]

Stanford and Vanderbilt are the 2 hardest schools to get into academically in the country. Stanford is the tougher but they both are similarly distinguished. I also read that next to Harvard, Stanford has graduated the most billionaires. A Stanford degree is worth a mint after the NFL has had you. Those smart guys are smart.

What I mean to say is that Harbaugh has turned a recruiting disadvantage into an advantage.

Not to nitpick but as a Stanferd hater I'm compelled to correct this misconception. Vanderbilt isn't even in the top 20 by any critieria I can find but I don't care about them. Stanferd has a very low admissions rate but that is simply a function of a high number of applicants. It typically ranks in the top 10, but never 1st, in mean SAT score of freshmen. It doesn't rank especially high in the percentage of admits who ranked in the top 10% of their high school class. Is it difficult to get into? Yes. Is it the most difficult? No. Especially if we consider specialty programs like some of the Engineering programs at Cal or MIT. And their graduate schools are, empirically speaking, of lesser quality than their undergraduate colleges. They're also responsible for legitimizing Condoleeza Rice who is, empirically speaking again, a fucking douche bag.

That said, I still think they cover on the road this weekend and your overall point is, as usual, a very good one. Thank you for letting me interrupt your excellent thread. No offense was or is intended.

 

[T Man]

Yes they do, in fact I have a co-worker who was a schollie player and running back for Columbia.

Unlike most Division I athletic conferences, the Ivy League prohibits the granting of athletic scholarships; all scholarships awarded are need-based (financial aid).

 

[Kiln]

Yes they do, in fact I have a co-worker who was a schollie player and running back for Columbia.

Sorry, but that's not right. The entire Ivy League has a proscription on athletic scholarships. All scholarships given by any of the Ivy League schools are need based.

sources? Sure:
http://www.athleticscholarships.net/ivyleague.htm
http://www.collegescholarships.org/scholarships/sports/football.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/17/sports/ncaafootball/17ivy.html?pagewanted=print
and from the official website of the ivy league: http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/whatisivy/index.asp

 

[Conan]

This is after all my selections thread.
Since I've forgotten what they were, here's a recap:

Oregon St.-6½/UNLV*
UW-21/Idaho*
WSU+2½/Hawaii ½*
WSU/Hawaii U50½*
USC -5/OSU*** (GOW)



PS... as I woefully have predicted, UCLA seems to be dwindling away via injuries. I hate to think this is possible but Kevin Craft might end up finishing out the season. It's just some kind of Bruin curse that I'm not sure is done with them. They've lost so many players over the past couple of years it's unreal.