UCLA/USC Reports (A Change Is Gonna Come Cause of the Takeover!!!)

Well, well, well. UCLA has done what I expected. They got that payback. They stomped USC for not just that 50-0 beating but for the last 6 years of embarrassment. So needless to say, I had a lot of fun shooting this UCLA video to the sweet sounds of Sam Cooke and the Solid Gold sound of the UCLA marching band.

At 9-2, UCLA are the Pac-12 South champs and still have to face Stanford on Saturday. Beat them, we might have a rematch with Oregon from last year (assuming the Ducky Boys don't lose this week in the Civil War game vs. Oregon State).

Kudos to big games from Joe Fauria, Johnathan Franklin, Shaq Evans, Brett Hundley and the coaching staff, led by Jim Mora. If Mora isn't in the conversation for Coach of the Year, I don't know who is.

Meanwhile, USC went from Top 10 to not mentioned at all. Had a spark when they started and now they're just garbage. No. 1 with a bullet and now have to recover as their captain, Matt Barkley, will miss their regular season finale against Notre Dame. Lane Kiffin's job might be safe but will his pops, Monte Kiffin, return next year?

As a devoted listener of The Morning Jones, I know exactly what Trojans fans need today and I give to them in the video. A shot of reality chased down with some cold truth and D'Angelo in the background. I hate to say this but when Notre Dame finishes them off next week, it's going to end this glorious reign. The future does look bleak, especially as those reduced scholarships start to take effect.

Oh yeah, it was a great weekend for UCLA overall as Shabazz Muhammad was finally declared eligible by the NCAA. If you missed any of my stories on it, head over to Rant and check the profile. Or just click on them here. But I'm happy to see the NCAA do the right thing after they were shamed by their hypocrisy.

UCLA/USC Report: The Battle of Los Angeles

For the first time, I'm actually excited about this game. Past years, I've always been hyped but just because it's what I do. But now, I actually believe UCLA will make this a competitive game against USC. 2006 was a great win but nobody saw it coming. This time, it'll be even sweeter I believe.

But as I say in this week's video, I can't pick UCLA any more cleanly than I can say USC will lose spectacularly. Both teams are evenly matched (with obvious differences at WR) and while UCLA has the younger quarterback, he's way more steady I believe than Barkley, who's as polished as anybody and still has the tendency to force his decisions.

Anyways, enjoy the video. Apologies for the music shorting out early but we made up for it at the end.

And as always, if you miss me writing more on the Gumbo, feel free to check me out over at Rant Sports, where I've been serving up some goodness on UCLA and the drama surrounding Shabazz Muhammad. You know how I feel about saying "Free (Insert Name)" so while I won't say that, I'll just say the NCAA once again shows how lack of common sense hurts the players they're supposed to protect.

Now pardon me while I try to figure out how I'm supposed to start liking Mike Antoni as the Lakers' next coach. As my man Keith said, the Lakers have become the Suns but much older (and somewhat better defensively).

UCLA Rising and USC Falling.

Maybe I was wrong about UCLA all this time. All the apprehension I had this year is gone as they put the most points since I was in junior high watching them put up 66 on Texas and Houston. For the first time in 14 years, I'm confident saying that they will not only compete with USC, they're going to beat them in 2 weeks.

They dismantled a good Arizona team like they wanted payback for Arizona dominating them last year. I said they'd go 2-3 over the next 5 games and now 4-1 seems the safest bet. I might be crazy suggesting even 5-0 but I won't go there yet. I did fun trying to hide my glee in that video.

I'd also like to extend a personal congratulations to RB Johnathan Franklin, who became the school's all-time leading rusher during the game. As somebody who's been impressed with his leadership and skill since he was in high school, I salute him for being a model of hard work, faith and dedication.

Meanwhile, USC's practice should be live this week since they need to practice tackling and all the basics. I took some aim at defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin being the problem the last two weeks but I also praised Oregon (esp. Kenjon Barner) for putting the Trojans through the ringer.

Marqise Lee is on his way to perhaps winning the Biletnikoff Award as the best WR in the country and he can't save this team. They've abandoned going to Robert Woods more consistently and perhaps have hurt his draft stock in the process. The Trojans should be lucky that Nelson Agholor gives them hope for this season and the next 2 because after this year, the fall could continue even more.

And in case you've been missing the work I've been doing for the good folks at Rant Sports, here's the link to my page. The most recent story is a homecoming for former All-State/McDonald's All-American Larry Drew II, the best high school PG I've covered so far in my career. I'll be doing stories later this week on the Pac-12's top players and freshmen to watch.

I'd also like to send thoughts and prayers to the 4 victims of the Halloween shooting at USC's campus. One of them was former City Section Player of the Year/All-State 1st Teamer Geno Hall, formerly of Crenshaw HS. Hall was shot 7 times according to reports and remains in critical but stable condition. I got to know Hall and his Crenshaw teammates very closely in 2009 when the Cougars went to the state bowl game so it saddens me more than usual that he was not only shot at, but may have been the target.

Fortunately Hall will survive, but it reminds me of athletes who aren't as lucky. Dannie Farber was killed 3 years ago and seeing his old high school Narbonne 2 weeks ago reminded me of being at his funeral. Jamiel Shaw was killed 4 years ago and his killer just received the death penalty over the weekend. I pray Hall and the other 3 victims will recover and grow to be grateful of that second chance instead of bent on revenge.

Week 9 UCLA/USC Report (And BIG News)

The UCLA Report (above) is a lot more fun considering we just watched the most exciting win of the season. UCLA's 45-43 at Arizona State is one to definitely hang your hat on and big ups to Kai'mi Fairbairn, Brett Hundley, Johnathan Franklin and the coaching staff for doing the Lord's work against the Sun Devils.

Meanwhile, the USC report (below) goes in on Lane Kiffin, his poor playcalling, his undisciplined coaching and wasting one of the greatest WR performances I've ever witnessed - Marqise Lee and his 16 receptions for 345 yards. A bit much? Nah. Long overdue if you ask me. He's no Pete Carroll - a coach who could win the games he was supposed to, recruit and develop talent and keep everyone focused AND loose at the same time.

Finally big news to share. I will be writing for Rant Sports this season for UCLA and USC hoops. It's a paid gig so I'll be glad to make some extra coin for the good folks over there. It's also a great way for me to stay focused as a sportswriter who knows the LA sports scene.

Here's my 1st story, a preview on UCLA's season. I'll be writing every day for them so every few days, I'll post several links in a separate entry here in case you can't keep up with them all on Twitter. I'm excited and truly grateful for this opportunity and you know how much I love hoops.

UCLA/USC Report (And Some Housekeeping)

As I introduce my weekly UCLA/USC report, there will be a change on the blog. The football wrap that I've written for 3 years will be discontinued and instead every Monday, I'll be uploading my video here on the blog. I enjoyed writing the wrap and finding cool tidbits, but I think to better focus myself as a writer, I need to invest more time in what works for me, which are short articles and videos.

I'll still be offering football-related thoughts as they come to mind, but they will be articles. Besides, it also frees me up to write something else on Monday or Tuesday if it comes up instead of being hamstrung to do the wrap.

Enjoy the video, where I salute Robert Woods and Matt Barkley's record-setting day against Colorado. I'm especially proud of Woods who I've covered since he was a HS junior. Here's a story I wrote about his work ethic and character back in high school.

Football Wrap Week 5B: Mark Sanchez and the USC QB Curse

I start this week’s NFL wrap with a proclamation.

Mark Sanchez has thrown for less than 50 percent of his passes in every start this year. His passes were inaccurate Monday night. His decision-making was suspect. At this point, there’s nothing that says he should be keeping his job. But he is because the alternative is a cult hero in Tim Tebow who isn’t much better.

I don’t care if Sanchez went to two AFC title games and has no help around him. He’s not a NFL starting quarterback right now and he’s barely a capable game manager. But to be honest, it’s not his fault. It’s the USC QB curse.

In the 10 years that USC has been relevant, all of their quarterbacks haven’t panned out well in the NFL. Matt Leinart? Mentally wasn’t ready despite his gifts. John David Booty? Barely got any burn. Sanchez is next in line and unless something changes, so is Matt Barkley.

Football Wrap Week 2A - Down Goes USC, Michigan State and Arkansas.

Usually I discuss USC and UCLA in a separate video so y’all can hear me discuss the local scene (which is still here) but I had to speak on something I noticed in the AP poll. USC’s steep decline from No. 2 to 13. 

*Also of note,  Stanford QB Josh Nunes and Matt Barkley came out of HS at the same time. I remember hearing a lot about Nunes in Upland despite Barkley getting all the hype. Almost funny how that worked out with them seeing each other*

Now as a UCLA fan, this is where I’d laugh and say they deserved it because they struggled most of the game. But a thought occurred to me. If these were two SEC teams playing a similar game and the higher seed lost on the road by only 7, would that team drop so steeply?

On Justin Combs, his UCLA scholarship and misguided anger

For some reason, there’s uproar over Justin Combs, the son of Sean “Diddy” Combs, getting a scholarship to play at UCLA. National Signing Day was months ago and yet now it’s a big deal??

                              

According to scouting reports, the younger Combs is a decent cornerback (2-star recruit on Rivals). He wasn’t a top-flight recruit but after a great showing in a 7-on-7 camp, he got attention from a few major schools. UCLA decided to offer and Combs signed his letter of intent.

I didn’t think much of it because if the school wanted to offer a scholarship, so be it. I didn’t think he’d get much playing time but a chance for a young man to live out his dreams and get a top-flight education is worth much more.

But apparently some people are crying foul. They ask why is he taking a scholarship from somebody less privileged? Why take money when his family can afford to pay his way? To them, I say shut up and listen to yourselves. You are angry that a young man earned his scholarship and that the school decided to recruit a famous person’s son.

2011 Year in Review: January and Everything After

The Year that the Populace revolted. Egypt, Middle East, Occupy Wall Street. It was a year of major and minor uprising that showed the voice of the people still mattered. The Middle East and Africa saw their people overthrow their governments and it was a powerful reminder that people still have power. Occupy Wall St. may have had mixed results but their voice was a vital reminder of enough being enough.

That’s probably what led to the rise of Wikileaks, Julian Assange’s crusade to reveal the hidden truth. I don’t know if he’s doing this to speak truth or if he’s saying too much for no point except to be a TMZ-like figure, but he had a dramatic impact this year with his documents.

Blackberry’s Death. The king of smart phones has become a pauper because Research in Motion failed to innovate and be forward thinking like Apple. Despite their full keypad, their quality lagged behind iPhone and Android and folks began abandoning ship. It didn’t help that a 4-day power outage, poor apps, not making sure all phones had the capacity to upgrade and delaying their new phones til late 2012 were all bad signs.

The Death of Osama Bin Laden, Kim Jong Il, Qaddafi – a year of uprising saw three of the most famous villains meet their end. Kim Jong Il was the last but perhaps the most significant considering nobody knows what direction N. Korea will take. Bin Laden was a key victory for US foreign policy, but not the end of terrorism or Al Qaeda. And you know who’s still around? Castro.

Consider this: Fidel Castro has been in charge of Cuba for 50 years. He’s been in charge longer than Obama’s been alive and has long outlived the fall of communism in Russia. You thought Koreans were bugged about Kim Jong Il dying? When Castro finally passes, it’s going to be a crazy domino effect.

For President Obama, 2011 had some successes. The war in Iraq has ended. Bin Laden was killed on his watch. The recession is slowing. The GOP candidates are a weak bunch that wouldn’t beat Hillary Clinton. Yet somehow someway, he has to deal with a Congress that refuses to work with him. 2012 is shaping up to be a crazy end game for his first term but I still think much must be done 

2011 also brought us Good Ole Herman Cain. Let Herm Cook was one of the popular sayings on Twitter as Cain got popular with his catchy sayings, plainspeak and frankly being a comfortable Black Republican. Unfortunately, he proved to be all hype with no backbone and no clear plan and when he proved to be unready for Prime Time, his unraveling was great. Even Sarah Palin thinks he needed to shut up and get smart.

Sports

Penn State. The fall of a legend for the sins of another. As I stated here earlier this year, Joe Paterno committed no moral crime. He is perhaps the 4th worst offender in all this. But no man is bulletproof. He was aware of what happened to those boys and it's sad that a legend has to leave like this but it's sadder that Jerry Sandusky abused his privileges. He took advantage of two organizations for his disgusting behavior.

The coverup of Penn State (combined with the scandals at Ohio State, Miami and the Fiesta Bowl fiasco) showed me that college football's facade is slowly being revealed. It's the last place where loyal fandom elevates individuals to god-like status (that doesn't happen in the pros anymore) and we are seeing the dangerous results of that.

Taylor Branch said it best in one of the year's finest stories, college football is a cartel where players are product and institutions make millions off them. If I may add, fans are customers and it's about time we see not just what we're given but the bigger picture.

1. The Packers win the SB and then go 15-1 as a followup.

2. The NBA in transition to a new era from my youth to the LeBron/Durant/Rose era (kinda how old heads must have felt in 1998/99 when Shaq, Duncan, Kobe, KG and Jason Kidd took over)

3.  Game 162 of the baseball season (Magical), Game 6 of the World Series (Un-BELIEVABLE, Pujols coming to the Angels*

4. Realizing that my Lakers are headed for one last run.

5. NFL/NBA lockouts, David Stern’s killing the CP3 trade – I was glad to see fans support the players and realize that the owners care mainly about making money instead of their satisfaction.

6. Cam Newton’s great year/Tim Tebow’s hype

7. The return of USC/the fall of UCLA to new lows

8. The Dallas Mavericks winning the NBA Title/The Heat's collapse

9. A weak college basketball year gave us two mid majors in the Final Four but also Kemba Walker being the definition of a leader in leading UConn to the title. 

I watched more soccer this year than I did in a non-World Cup year. The good news was appreciating the genius that is Lionel Messi and learning to understand the beauty of great soccer teams. Messi is without question a joy to watch but also discovering the future genius of Mexican wunderkund Chicarito will make me more intrigued to grow into a game I dismissed for so long. 

USC is poised to have make 2012 just like 2004 when they won the title. They are going to be loaded while UCLA welcomes a new coach, a shaky offense and not much to look forward to.

Everyone talked about the Heat, few people made a lot of sense when discussing them. They weren't built to win the title in Year One. Meanwhile Dallas didn't tell us that Dirk Nowitzki was poised to play possessed in one of the best postseasons I've seen in giving the Mavs - a longtime joke of my youth - and Mark Cuban that ring.

No matter what, I'll remember Game 162 and Game 6. Two magical nights of the 2011 season. I'll remember Albert Pujols' Game 3 as one of the greatest offensive performances in World Series history before he electrified Los Angeles coming to the Angels. 

The Dodgers had to deal with the end of the Frank McCourt era and his divorce from his wife. This season was supposed to be a downer of low expectations but I was able to see two young players I watched from the start develop into stars. Thank you Matt Kemp and Clayton "Cy Young Prince" Kershaw for saving this season. 

Television watched me fall in love again with Treme and Boardwalk Empire. Boardwalk ended on a shocking note while I enjoyed seeing the slice of New Orleans through the eyes of my favorite musicians and Treme folk. I enjoyed getting into Modern Family and peeking at Happy Endings but I really didn’t have too many new shows that I enjoyed.

The last season of Entourage was a mixed bag to some but I liked it. To me, it showed that everyone on that show had to grow up and realize what mattered. The fairy tale ending felt a bit much but I liked seeing Ari Gold brought to his knees and a reminder that Vince is at his core, a loyal friend that Drama, E and Turtle benefit from. I always saw Entourage as a show about not just Hollywood, but about friendship and relationships. Even Ari with Lloyd showed that as much as Ari crapped on his assistant, he needed him in more ways than he thought.

Moviewise, this was a pretty weak year filled with plenty of sequels and unimaginative superhero plots. I only saw a few films and my favorite was Midnight in Paris, a Woody Allen nostalgia trip that showed the glamour and danger of nostalgia as well as teaching people to appreciate the present.

I realized this year, Hollywood showed the essence of what it made attractive. Imagination, creativity, uniqueness, adding something extra to the product. As usual, the later films of the year brought that in time for Oscar bait (Hugo for one, looks like that from the surprising touch of Scorsese) but it seems like everyone is waiting for the greatness to emerge in 2012.

That said, I enjoyed crossing a few films off my list. Die Hard, Dog Day Afternoon.

Troy Davis became a big story because we watched the justice system kill a man who potentially was innocent. Reasonable doubt wasn’t enough to prevent a man from being executed. I’ll remember how angry I felt and how sad I was that night. I’ll remember how many folks rallied together and remember that the justice system is set up against certain folks so I have to remain vigilant.

Rest in Peace to the many we lost. A new year means remembering those who didn’t make it this far and we all know somebody who unfortunately got called home. Let’s honor their memory however you see fit. Play a song, watch a movie, just keep living.

I’ll have more to say when I officially cap my thoughts on this year but I can’t say how much I appreciated my blog this year as change came.  I’ll end this with 10 of my favorite posts of the year.

http://virgogumbo.blogspot.com/2011/01/huck-finn-and-slave-jim-dangerous.html - The problem with censoring the past (Jan)

Tribute to Bill Russell http://virgogumbo.blogspot.com/2011/02/black-history-month-bill-russell.html

Writing on LCD Soundsystem http://virgogumbo.blogspot.com/2011/03/electric-relaxation-lcd-soundsystem-all.html (This became one of my most popular blogs and I’m grateful for that)

Reminding Folks the World Won’t End when Man says it http://virgogumbo.blogspot.com/2011/05/its-end-of-worldno-its-not.html

Celebrating White Heroes of the Struggle http://virgogumbo.blogspot.com/2011/02/black-history-month-celebrating-white.html

A Eulogy for Troy Davis and Part 2 http://virgogumbo.blogspot.com/2011/09/eulogy-for-troy-davis-lament-for-broken.html

Frankenstein http://virgogumbo.blogspot.com/2011/06/genius-of-frankenstein-and-why-its.html

Sharing Grief http://virgogumbo.blogspot.com/2011/07/grief-share-in-it-understand-it-but.html

How I became a Sports Fan http://virgogumbo.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-i-became-sports-fan.html

Destroying Herman Cain http://virgogumbo.blogspot.com/2011/11/breaking-down-herman-cain-and-why-he_04.html

50-0: A Downtown Beatdown for UCLA

Last month, I said UCLA hit rockbottom when they lost to Arizona after trailing 42-6 at halftime. Well now, it's officially reached lower than that after Saturday.

It all starts with the game I pretend didn’t happen because I was at a wedding. Instead of worrying about the score, I enjoyed meeting my girlfriend’s family and hearing a few jokes about when’s our wedding (Slow Down! © Brand Nubian or Chris Rock).

Of course, that didn’t happen. The last part did but of course, I had to watch the game because I had hope UCLA would at least make it respectable considering this was a difficult season. This is the only game that matters on the schedule because the city turns out in force for it.

Needless to say, the game got worse as it got longer. 1^st shutout since 2001 – Pete Carroll’s first year. Worst blowout to USC in 71 years. A 50-point beat down where UCLA looked overmatched from the jump.

It was poetic justice that UCLA wore all-White uniforms. It waved a white flag on their season and Rick Neuheisel’s coaching tenure. They didn’t bother showing up and proceeded to get embarrassed like a little brother. Since 1998, UCLA has only won once (not counting USC vacating wins in 2004 and 2005). The eight-game winning streak I enjoyed in my youth is a distant memory.

Worst of all, UCLA has only scored more than once in a game since 2007, the first year I covered the game. It’s not even a rivalry anymore – USC is recruiting better players while UCLA has barely had a decent quarterback since 1998. Sure we had Maurice Jones Drew during my college years, but it's been up and down since then.

Since I’ve been in the media, the best player UCLA recruited was current NFL rookie Rahim Moore or 2nd year man Brian Price. They recruited some great players but outside of their 2007 class, it’s been disappointing. I don't believe the players have been used well and that's all on the coaching staff.

Oh yeah, Rick Neuheisel might as well get his walking papers. He’s done and that football monopoly he said was over 4 years ago? It’s over alright. It’s now a dynasty that isn’t showing any signs of letting up. And it’ll be fitting when UCLA gets their pants waxed by Oregon next week in the Pac-12 title game. That’ll be a nice way to send off this season and Slick Rick’s tenure at Westwood (which I’ll write off for good when his firing is official)

Meanwhile, USC is back to where they were in 2002. A two-loss team playing like the best team in the conference and on an incredible roll. They have the best 1-2 WR combo in maybe the nation high school teammates George Farmer and Marqise Lee and next year will possibly add their 3^rd mate in George Farmer to go along with Curtis McNeal at tailback.

Two years on probation and they’ve been able to muster a squad that will be a national title contender or at least on par with the Pete Carroll teams post Bush-Leinart. Those penalties didn’t hurt anything. Matt Barkley is hailed as one of the best QBs in the country. Woods is one of the 5 best WRs in the country and that defense is as good as any in the Pac-12.

I’m not ready to say they’re about to go on another Pete Carroll type run but after beating Oregon, they have all the confidence in the world. I see a USC football program that’s worthy of swagger and for a UCLA fan, it’s disheartening.

This feels like 2002 all over. I remember watching the brief highlights out in San Diego and feeling sick. That team had Carson Palmer and that proved to be the team that paved the way for USC’s dominance. The only difference is that the 2011 squad won’t be going to a BCS bowl game but they are set up to return to excellence assuming Matt Barkley returns next year.

UCLA is in sad shape though. And it could possibly get sadder when Oregon in all likelihood takes us to the cleaners to get ready for their Rose Bowl tuneup. It still boggles my mind that they've backdoored their way into the title game but this is how screwy the whole conference has been.

The Battle for Los Angeles has been one-sided since I was 15. I'm 27 now. Just a reminder that my days of watching Cade McNown, Freddie Mitchell, Danny Farmer, DeShaun Foster and Robert Thomas are long in the rearview and not coming back for a long while.

The Virgo Speaketh!!! (Finally)

Time to finally put my face and voice out for you all to see. One of my goals this year was to do more video blogs and I explain in the intro why I resisted it for a while. I loved being an anonymous thinker but at some point, you need to let people see you and relate to you. I'm still going to write blogs as usual but I'm going to mix in videos as well.

Here I discuss the state of L.A. sports and why it looks as bleak as ever with no NBA, terrible NFL teams, disappointing college basketball and inconsistent college football. Looks like our hope is with Long Beach State to carry the torch after their huge upset at Pittsburgh!

Sidenote, it's disturbing that UCLA lacks great guard play and watching Casper Ware (LB State) and Cezar Guerrero (Oklahoma State) do work last night. They have let too many great LA players slip out of their backyard to shine somewhere else. On the same note, it's beautiful to see one of LA's best football players - De'Anthony Thomas - get the chance to not just shine at Oregon, but grow up as a man in a different environment from home.

Football Wrap Week 8 - False Gods, Overtime Luck and CLEMSON!!!! (Told Ya So)

Welcome to Week 8 where Philadelphia gave my Boys tricks and the Ravens rose from the grave behind Ray Rice. Here's hoping San Diego doesn't ruin my Halloween in the land of Kansas City.

1. How in the world did the Rams beat the Saints? I still can't believe reading that - no Sam Bradford, the Saints fresh off a 62-7 curbstomping one winless team and the Saints STILL lost?? The Saints were down 24-0 at some point. To paraphrase my dear friend LeAnn, maybe they unloaded too much and had nothing left.

2. It's a shame Cam Newton can't play defense or kick field goals. Nearly 300 yards, 3 TDs, no interceptions, one last minute drive and all for naught.

3. Somebody explain to me how the Bengals are 5-2?????? Did they play Youngstown State, Akron in addition to their NFL schedule.

4. Saw Tony Romo had 52 passing yards at one point in the 4th Quarter. That leash around my quarterback is getting shorter. *looks at Robert Griffin, Kellen Moore's stats a lil closer*

5. I'd like to end the Top 5 by thanking the Detroit Lions for reenacting the 1st century when they destroyed all in the Coliseum. In 60 minutes, they destroyed the Church of Tim Tebow in glorious fashion. For all the fans praying for their false god, they saw once again why he's not ready to be an NFL QB.

These heathens tried to create a trend out of Tebow praying after his comeback win yesterday. Sorry folks, I have no patience for making a trend out of someone praying and not acknowledge what I'm actually doing or who I'm honoring.

The Church of Tim Tebow will continue to be destroyed and disappointed until they come to their senses. Let Tim Tebow be a nice guy but until he becomes a good QB, he'll continue to be overhyped and ripe for the pickings. When you heathens wake up and see this, we'll accept you.

NCAA Tidbits

1. While I was busy covering a rare Saturday night HS football game, apparently USC and Stanford decided to keep their tradition of exciting games at the Coliseum. 2007 - Stanford's great upset while I was across town at the Rose Bowl. 2009 - Andrew Luck, Toby Gerhart and that Stanford D destroying USC in spectacular fashion.

And now, we had Triple OT with Stanford's good Luck transcending USC's mistakes. Forget Heisman moment, that was his NFL audition in showing that he could play from behind and lead his team to victory. Andrew Luck added one more notch to his legend and a week after the Game of the Year in East Lansing, the Coliseum just hosted another.

USC had a couple of brain farts in the end and I blame their head coach Lane Kiffin. It's his job to make sure his players know the timeout situation. It's his job to make sure his QB at least knows so he can relay it to his team. That loss is squarely on his shoulders.

2. DOWN GOES CLEMSON! Thank you Georgia Tech for reminding everyone why you can never trust Clemson after a hot start and for ripping a huge hole that's been waiting to tear.

Big ups to Tevin Washington keying Georgia Tech running wild (383 team rushing yards). And Clemson, your basketball team proved me wrong a few times. You may have a couple of ballers in Tajh Boyd and Slammin Sammy Watkins but your program is destined to disappoint until proven otherwise.

3. I've been having fun ripping Ohio State this year because of their karma in handling Terrelle Pryor. It's not personal to my Twitter folks who are diehard Buckeye fans, it's strictly business (c) EPMD. Yet I give them props for beating Wisconsin and proving the Badgers benefited too much from their home cooking.

(Speaking of letdown, Ummm Michigan State. Did you have to let Nebraska hurt you like that???)

4. Oklahoma State did something I hadn't seen before. Destroy a team's spirit after scoring two touchdowns. Went like this. Touchdown, forced turnover, Touchdown called back, touchdown on the next play. Game was over for Baylor before the 1st quarter was halfway over and all that mattered was how bad they'd be beaten.

5. Pac-10 news. Oregon's DeAnthony Thomas is really good and really fast. Happy to hear that Crenshaw HS' Black Mamba has 11 TD's already and is running away with the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year race. If you thought Andrew Luck had a big game vs. USC, wait til Thomas comes homes against his friends.

Virgo's Top 10: LSU, Alabama, OK State, Stanford, Boise State, Oregon, Arkansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech

Top 5 for this weekend

1. LSU-Alabama. Do I really need to explain more? No. 1 vs. No. 2. Two best defenses in the country and I give the edge to LSU because of QB play. Trent Richardson is going to have fits vs. that LSU front 7. This is the most hyped non-bowl game* since Alabama-Florida in 2009 and Ohio State-Michigan in 2006 and I'm sure it'll be a great one.

*Oregon/Stanford and Oklahoma/OK State are still two big games to watch as well.

2. Honestly, nothing else matters this week. Forget the rest of the Top 5. Watch Oregon vs. Washington, Oklahoma State probably expose Kansas State. But there's only 1 game to care about.

3. Ravens vs. Steelers. Once again. Nothing else matters. Sunday Night Football is going to be awesome.

4. The Colts march to 0-16 sees them hosting Atlanta. Taking bets now for a 30 point execution.

5. A shoutout to HS games. The annual Crenshaw vs. Dorsey game is Thursday. One of the great rivalries in Los Angeles where a divided neighborhood comes together. At my old paper, this game was the game that mattered and I loved coming up with different angles for it. Also a quick shoutout to the East LA Classic on Friday - 25,000 come out to support Garfield vs. Roosevelt and it's always one of the biggest games in the city.

Football Wrap Week 7 - Part 1 (MSU/Wisconsin: Virgo's Top 10)

Michigan State!!!!! 2^nd year in a row they’ve given us a Play of the Year candidate and what a play it was. Hail Mary to beat No. 6 Wisconsin after trailing 14-0 in the first game. I gave up on them and then all a sudden, they just dominated the Badgers over the next two quarters.

I swore Michigan State had that game won after a late interception. But Russell Wilson wouldn’t let his team lose. Big ups to him and his late game heroics to lead Wisconsin to two late TD’s but bigger ups to Kirk Cousins for that last drive and Drew Nichol for that Hail Mary grab.

Best Game of the Year Hands. Down!!!!

1. Notre Dame on the USC 1-yard line. Seems like they were gonna tie the game. But Irish eyes weren’t smiling on Dayne Crist, who fumbled the snap and then had to watch USC return it 80 yards.

After that happened, why on Earth did Notre Dame try to get cute on a backward lateral? That failed and led to another USC score. And you wonder why the Irish have been irrelevant since Brady Quinn was behind center in my college days.

2. Nightmare in Norman! Oklahoma’s mood went from  blowout to comeback to heartbreak hotel . I can’t believe they played such a terrible first half. I can’t believe their kicker missed 2 easy gimmies that would’ve won the game. And all in front of their home fans to a team named a 20-point underdog.

Shout out to Oklahoma’s secondary letting their team down. Now Sooner fans know what USC fans felt like. And did I really say the Big 12 was the best conference in America this year? Yeah, about that.

3. Hate to say it but if Boise State gets screwed out of a major bowl game, it’ll be because they aren’t as great as they were the last two years. Struggling at home against a decent Air Force squad is something they wouldn’t have done before.

4. Ho-hum. Stanford and Oregon dominate again.  It’s their world, the rest of the Pac-12 is just living in it. All that matters is their showdown on Nov. 12.

5. Alabama had me scared for a half, tied with Tennessee at halftime. But they remembered they were Alabama and Tennessee was singing the Rocky Top Blues. Nov. 5 is set. Bama vs. LSU (who made me a prophet smoking Auburn like that stuff Spencer Wade and Honey Badger were on).

Virgo’s Top 10: LSU, Alabama, Oklahoma State, Boise State, Stanford, Clemson, Arkansas, Oregon, Kansas State, Michigan State. 

I drop Oklahoma because they were upset by a unranked team at home. Boise State struggled at home but they still won. Stanford is still the best team nobody is talking about and made mincemeat of a good Washington squad.  Clemson is still overrated!! 

There I said it. It's getting harder and harder to discredit them, esp. with Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins. But they'll get theirs.


Top 5 for This Weekend (AKA Killing Time til Next Weekend's SEC Showdown)

1. USC-Stanford: Two years since the infamous beatdown at the Coliseum, both teams meet again. Now we can see why it's foolish to put Matt Barkley in the same league as Andrew Luck.

2. Baylor-Oklahoma State: We kinda forgot about Robert Griffin a lil bit after Baylor lost a few games. Time for him to remind folks against the No. 3 Cowboys as they remind us they could be in the BCS Title Game

3. Oklahoma-Kansas State: OK wants revenge after last week, Kansas State needs respect for the 1st time since the Michael Bishop days. This should be great.

4. Michigan State-Nebraska: Sparty's feeling themselves a bit so let's see how they respond chasing around Taylor Martinez. It's no longer a stretch to say Martinez is not only the most surprising All-State player from Cali doing well in college, he's on his way to being Eric Crouch Part. 2

5. Arizona-Washington: Might be a great underrated Pac-10 game. Nic Foles vs. the Pac-10's best new QB Keith Price. Over/under 60 points combined

Football Wrap Week 3: Mike Vick has a Point

“Clay Matthews….I’m quite sure I saw him put his helmet on Michael Vick and never paid a dime. But if I hit Peyton Manning or Tom Brady high, they’d have f***** around and kicked me out of the league.” And: “I slammed Vince Young on his head and paid five grand, but just touched Drew Brees and that was 20. You think black players don’t see this s*** and lose all respect for Goodell?”

That was James Harrison this past July taking the NFL Commissioner to task in Men’s Journal. This is Michael Vick three months later from last Sunday.

"Looking at the replays, I'm on the ground every time, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't frustrated," Vick said. "The refs have got to do their jobs. And I mentioned it to the refs in training camp when I talked to them. I'm on the ground constantly, all the time. Every time I throw the ball, I'm on the ground. And I don't know why I don't get the 15-yard flags like everybody else does." 

First off, I need to say that the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive line is terrible. Michael Vick has been running for his life since the season started and I blame his linemen for being turnstiles. Vick’s been sitting in the pocket and taking blows left and right so it’s no surprise he’s getting hurt like everyone predicted.

NFL defenses have become Daft Punk (Harder, Better, Faster and Stronger) and the league has gone out of its way to protect their quarterbacks. It’s made the league softer but it’s the nature of the times.

But here’s the problem. Vick, Vince Young, Donovan McNabb and other mobile quarterbacks have been allowed to take hits because folks think those hits are a product of their style. It’s one thing if quarterbacks protest the abuse they’re taking but completely another when defensive players point out the same thing.

There’s evidence that certain hits are being fined more and I’m sure there’s evidence to support what James Harrison is saying. That’s why I’m incensed when average quarterbacks like Trent Dilfer come out and tell Mike Vick to shut up and play. 

They’ll be the same types saying we have to protect the quarterback whenever Drew Brees, Peyton Manning or Aaron Rodgers take a major hit. You can’t have it both ways. Either the league needs to lighten up or protect all quarterbacks under the same banner.

Also, Vick is now one of the highest paid players in the league. The league has an unwritten rule to protect its biggest draws so if hits toward Vick aren’t being overly penalized, that’s another element to consider. Vick has a credible point and it speaks to a quiet double standard. 

His two biggest hits (the concussion and the hand contusion) came with him being hit in the pocket. Philly was leading in both games before he left with injuries. So before you dismiss what he’s saying, find me some facts to disprove what he and Harrison are saying. And I can bet that if they say it, then other players are thinking it.

Other NFL hits.

Tony Romo’s toughness has never been debated by me. It’s his mental toughness. So last night was a good look for him and my Boys standing tall.  But man that game was ugly with 9 FG’s combined. Ugly like the infamous Chris Boniol game where Boniol kicked 7 FG’s for my Boys to beat the eventual SB champion Green Bay Packers on MNF.

Speaking of ugly wins, Chargers did the same thing. Bad playcalling by Norv Turner (stop me if you heard that before) and the 1^st game I saw in a while where Philly Rivers didn’t have a TD pass. But Ryan Matthews – breaking on through with 2 TD’s. Eric Weddle – the GW INT showing he’s worth that money.

Remember when Darren McFadden was the man at Arkansas? It's great seeing him live up to that promise because he’s going to be an absolute beast from here on out. Speed, power and just as versatile as anyone.

I nearly led with the Bills and Lions. Bills keep winning brilliantly every week and I’m running out of words (or maybe hiding them for later). Same with the Lions, who are playing my Cowboys in a game that’s 15 years too late.

Did I jinx AJ Green? Oops! Doesn't change my opinion that he'll finish 2nd in Offensive ROY voting behind Killa Cam, who finally got his 1st win this week.

Give the Colts every single bit of credit against Pittsburgh. They gave up 10 pts in the 1^st quarter. Kerry Collins got knocked out. Pastor Troy and James Harrison were busting heads and creating fumbles for scores. Yet they came within a field goal of beating the AFC champs instead of laying down and getting demolished.

And now, the NFC Waste..errr West. Only four touchdowns scored by four teams. And you call yourselves a fine football division? If I didn’t know any better, I’d assume it was being run by two ex-college coaches and two guys with long names who are wasting good talent and cursed by injuries.  Hmm…..what a waste.

College Hits

USC got exposed, my Bruins beat an overmatched Oregon State team behind Derrick Coleman (who I really like as much as I admire Jet Ski Franklin), Shoelace Robinson’s finally been unleashed , Oklahoma and Alabama are really good, Clemson could be nasty with Tajh Boyd.

South Carolina has the worst QB play of any great team despite playmakers around him. The SEC’s best defensive players could fill the whole All-American team right now. Oh yeah, Matt Barkley is overrated more than Mark Sanchez cause at least Sanchez put up great numbers in his game management phase.

Did I miss anything…… HOLY GOODNESS did you see what happened to Texas A&M?

I went to sleep with them up 20-0 at halftime and they ended up scoring seven points while giving up 30  to Oklahoma State (I’m counting Justin Blackmon’s safety against them). And they really want to go to the SEC????

Wait, I get it. They don’t want to face a pass-happy Big 12, they want to face a pounding against the SEC ground game. They want to face that Southern speed week in and week out. What better way to get used to the SEC beatdown than watch them play Arkansas this Saturday, who are probably bitter from Alabama undressing them.

I refuse to write about conference expansion in my wraps because they are separate articles. But I’m ready to say the Aggies gave a worthy doormat audition and showed why they haven’t been relevant since Dat Nguyen was running around.

It’s Texas >>>> Houston >>>>  Baylor right now with Robert Griffin the Great >>>>> The Texas state champs from the toughest HS division >>> A&M on the relevancy chain. 

Football Wrap Week 0 (Pac-12 Blues, Robert Griffin's the Truth and Laughing at Notre Dame)

Football is back!!! Rejoice and get ready for a month of easy walkover games with a few good ones mixed in there. NFL comes back next Sunday so let's dive head first into the return of college football.

Baylor's Robert Griffin’s the truth (350+ passing yards, 5 TD's) but boy, is he going to suffer from Shoelace Robinson syndrome. Great individual help but his numbers will come due to poor defense holding him back. It's a shame because he showed why he'll be everyone's under-the-radar Heisman candidate.

Speaking of which, Russell Wilson looked sharp for Wisconsin. The Big 10 is going to be pretty tough if Wisconsin builds off last year's hype and Wilson played pretty good.

Oregon looks like they’re not sharp. Turnovers crippled them and I felt bad for DeAnthony Thomas. He hasn't struggled like that since his sophomore year in HS in 2008 and he's going to learn from those two fumbles. But him aside, Darron Thomas didn't look crisp and if they're going to rely heavily on LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner, they're going to struggle. I praised their defense last year but minus Cliff Harris, they looked average now.

LSU, however, got great offensive line play. They won SEC style with power running, speed and defense. Jared Lee played the same role that Mark Sanchez plays with the Jets. Game management, no mistakes, hand the ball off. They’re better than I thought and if Jefferson comes back, Les Miles and Co. will be good position in the conference (although I still Alabama and South Carolina are the leads)/

USC’s Robert Woods: 17 receptions (school record), 177 yards and 3 TD’s. Wearing his old HS number 2.  One step closer to proving he’s the best wide receiver in the country. And USC’s defense is still far from great so he might be putting up even bigger numbers.

Utah and Spergon Wynn will have a field day against them next week. Expect a shootout for the Utes in their Pac-12 opener but Matt Barkley (school record 34 completions) looked like he is indeed going out with a bang, if he’s gone.

My UCLA Bruins nearly came back from a shootout with Case Keenum (310 yards and 2 TD’s) and Houston. They actually outgained the Cougars by 85 yards and it looks like they’re going to use tight end Joseph Fauria (110 yards, 6 receptions and a TD) a bit more. But they're still the same old Bruins for now.

Richard Brehaut made his best case why he should be the starter while Kevin “The Golden” Prince got knocked out with a concussion. I don’t need any more proof. Brehaut should be starting after going 17-for-26, 264 yards, 2 TD’s.

As for that Bruin defense, they played better in the 2^nd half. Still shaky in my opinion but they’ll get a nice confidence boost against San Jose State next week.

That said, it wasn't a great day for the Pac-12 overall. Oregon State losing to Sacramento State just makes it worse and with this talk of expanding the conference to a Pac-16, it's even more disheartening (that's another story for another day).

Auburn made miracles happen in the final 2 minutes. Great on-side kick, great plays, and Michael Dyer/Onterrio Caleb are great tailbacks. But big ups to Utah State putting the fear of God in them at home behind a true freshman QB in Chuckie Keeton. Them boys are gonna miss Cam Newton/Nick Fairley bad.

Boise State to everyone in Division I-A: You don’t wanna come to our house? We’ll come to yours and put a beat em down on you! Georgia – you’re the next victim on that Broncos list. As overrated as they are, Georgia was no match for Boise State who made a statement for BCS respect.

That boy Kellen Moore’s pretty good huh?

Notre Dame lost in South Bend to USF? Hahahahahahahaha. Nothing is sweeter than seeing the Irish and their hype get stomped for all to see. Who ranked them so high with a new QB and nothing to back it up? 

To all the Top 25 teams that won easy against easy competition, I have one word. Yawwwwwwn. Landry Jones, Andrew Luck and Taylor Martinez looked good but let’s not fire up the Heisman talk til October okay?

Football Wrap Week 13 - Oregon/Auburn 1st Look and the NFL wrap

January 10. Get thee to a TV! You have been warned. Oregon-Auburn has the makings of a classic football game and I can't imagine a better game to enjoy.

Both teams handled biz Saturday with the Ducky Boys running wild on their rival Oregon State and Killa Cam Newton having his final stamp on an amazing season in the SEC title game. Shout out to Newton earning style points for that Hail Mary to end the 1st half and offering CBS reporter Tracy Wolfson some of that Cammy Cam Juice. Now if only that was ESPN cutie Jenn Brown...

I've been waiting for this game all year. I'm hyped! The Ducky Boys get to prove how deadly they are to a national audience who thinks they're some gimmick that the Pac-10 couldn't slow down. Let me tell y'all something - Oregon is like a tank on steroids. Speed, speed and more speed. They don't slow down, they slow you down trying to keep up.

The three-headed monster of Heisman finalist LaMichael James (led nation in rushing), Kenjon Barner (above) and Darron Thomas is nearly impossible to stop. Jeff Maehl is as sure a tight end as anybody in the country. And Oregon's defense? Far better than people think and definitely better than Auburn's.

Auburn? They got a beast in D-lineman in Nick Fairley. They got some uber great running backs. And some guy who's probably going to win the Heisman in the biggest landslide since Reggie Bush. Get your TV's ready for a classic.

E-TV Prediction: Oregon wins this by 15-20. It all comes down to ball control and if Oregon has a lead, this game will be in deep trouble. Auburn typically makes a great defensive stand in the 2nd half to turn the tide but I don't see them doing it against the Ducky Boys, who won't fold like Alabama did.

Other college FB hits

(Sigh...this pic says it all)

- USC/UCLA is still a big deal but the rivalry is about as one-sided as it used to be in the 90's. As much I root for UCLA tailback Johnathan Franklin, he fumbles as much as he makes big plays. It's sad that the stupid brawl outside the game seemed more exciting than the game itself. Hope that game never gets televised at 730 again. As a UCLA fan, if we can't beat the most suspect USC team in a decade, it's a long road back to glory, whatever that may be.

- Arkansas vs. Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl (Yaaaaaaaawn), TCU vs. Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl instead TCU vs. Stanford sucks. Virginia Tech vs. Stanford in the Orange Bowl sounds like the best of the BCS bunch. UConn vs. Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl (Smh)

- In case we forgot about Shoelace Robinson, 3rd in rushing yards this season with 14 TD. 2,316 passing yards. There's your Heisman favorite next year along with LaMichael James.

NFL POINTS

I don't know how to feel about Dallas anymore. Jason Garrett is a Roy Williams fumble away from being 4-0 and we've taken advantage of the worst slump of Peyton Manning's career. Yet something about this team just perplexes me.

I've talked with my buddy Shane about the state of the team. I may have to finally accept that seeing Jon Kitna run this team pretty well makes me think that its time for a drastic change to rebuild this team.

Marion Barber's done as a tailback. Felix Jones is spectacular but he's like Darren Sproles - can't use him as the main tailback. Tashard Choice had 100+ rushing yards and it looks like he's got a brighter future. I've told folks that drafting a QB in the late rounds this year is an option but it looks like a necessity because I think Tony Romo gets 1 good year to see what he can do with a better coach.

It's clear though that this team should be much better now and down the road. But watching them now feels like I'm watching a warrior play with pride and I like it, yet that warrior took a furious beating early on.

- Phillip Rivers lost his first December game. Not as much as the Chargers defense couldn't rise up to get revenge against Oakland. They made Jason Campbell look like he was back in Auburn running the ball and guiding that strong ground game. Hate to say it, the Raiders are finally good again and SD's gotta beat KC this weekend to stay in the playoff hunt.

- Matty Ice and the ATL Falcons get no respect. 10-2 and having beaten the Packers and the NFC sleeper in Tampa Bay. Not sure what to make of them but anybody who's sleeping on them is in for a rude awakening.

- Have you ever seen Peyton Manning play this bad? There's a cat on Twitter who thinks this is the end of the road for him. C'mon now, he's throwing to Reggie Wayne, an inconsistent Pierre Garcon and a bunch of backups. You'd suffer too. He deserves his share of the blame but let's get real.

- Glad nobody's talking up big Ben as an MVP candidate with how well his team has played. Good. I refuse to accept any MVP talk for a man who skated on his crimes not too long ago. He's played well but treat him like a pariah just like we did for anybody else.

Football Wrap Week 5: Sponsored by the Letter L

Not a good week for my football teams. I took more L's than Yung Berg and his famous chain and none of them were pretty.

UCLA fell back to Earth after a 3-game winning streak by getting blown out by Cal and their running game. The pistol doesn't need a Golden Prince, we need a QB that can throw as well as run. San Diego lost by 1 to Dayton, further reminding me the good old days with Jim Harbaugh are long gone. And my old team Miami lost their annual matchup to Florida State in a BIG way. The U almost never gets blasted by the Noles and that hurt by default.

Didn't get better on Sunday as I finally got to see the Cowboys in an afternoon game but had to bear them losing to Tennessee on a roller coaster. Down 17-3, Tied 17-17, and then watch the game slip away due to mistakes and stupid penalties. Romo passed for 400 but had 3 picks. Dudes can't even get a TD celebration right. And now we're a miserable 1-3

What more can I say about the Chargers. Bad enough special teams cost us again with nine points on blocked punts. Bad enough we lost on the road again. Bad enough Phil Rivers passed for 400 yards again in a loss. But how do you lose to the Raiders???? How do you lose where Rivers gets hit, fumbles the ball and Oakland runs the other way to score and add extra salt to a nasty wound!!! I'm ready to drink that trouble away.

Wade Phillips and Steve Crosby (Chargers special teams coach) get the gas faces and I'll sign up for any petition against them. Chargers are 2-3 again but im more worried about Dallas and their psyche. UCLA is about to head into the teeth of their schedule and suddenly, beating an overrated Texas team is gonna feel like a life ago. Jacory Harris is watching his Heisman campaign disappear almost as fast as his pro prospects.

And I'm left shaking my head. Let's do some pro and college quick hits 

- Ohio State and Oregon deserve to be 1-2. I'm glad Boise State stayed at No. 3 but I'm shocked Alabama fell to No. 8 and why South Carolina didn't get more than just entry into the Top 10. I thought Bama would stay in the Top 5 but they got bushwhacked so down they fall. 

And oh the BCS comes out next week. Won't that be interesting. 

- Welcome back to relevancy Nebraska, it's been a decade since you had it but that was when Eric Crouch made y'all look good.. They found a new one in Taylor Martinez, who might be one of the most underrated HS stars California has produced in a while. Led Corona Centennial to a state title over De La Salle but got almost no love in state with recruiting.

- At Stanford, Jim Harbaugh is 3-1 against USC, including 2-0 at the Coliseum. Think USC will be happy if he decides to jump to the NFL? Oh yeah, Robert Woods - 224 yards and 3 TD's. Is it too early to say he's among the top freshmen in the country?

- Feel bad for Alex Smith, dude's getting closer to learning how to win and yet his leash is shorter by the week. He's not a bad QB but a victim of inconsistency just like Kordell Stewart was.

- To paraphrase Lewis Carroll, you are old, Father Brett. That arm may be golden but your mind is rusty and frail.

- Saints lost to Arizona despite not giving up a TD on defense. Craziest stat of the year and a sign this season is topsy turvy.

- Your Division Leaders: Chicago, Atlanta, Arizona, Jets, Baltimore, Kansas City, a 4-way tie in the AFC South, and a three way tie in the NFC East. A screwy year or what? Jets quietly have a 4-game win streak but the Bears, Cardinals, Chiefs??

Fantasy Wrap (HAPPY, HAPPY, JOY JOY!!!!!)

We're on a roll over here. Maurice Jones Drew is back to his productive self. The smart free agency picks are paying dividends. Last week was all about setting up for the rest of the way.

ESPN: California Crushers (2-3) - Hakeem Nicks: 40 PTS. Vernon Davis 24 - Beasts!
ESPN: Inglewood Stars (2-3) - Two week winning streak despite falsely starting Brady/Ellis from NE
Yahoo: EvBeez's Army (3-2) - Ray Rice/Willis McGahee combo + Miles Austin and Jets Defense = WIN
Yahoo: Boltin Cowboys (2-3) - Lost this week going against Austin, Matt Forte, Antonio Gates, T.O. and more despite them getting nothing from Arian Foster and Matt Ryan.

It's all good baby baby. Nicks is my Fantasy Win while low twos to Dez Bryant and to Steve Smith/Donald Driver scoring with me on the bench.  Til next week.