Football Wrap Week 13: BCS Chatter, Heisman Pickin and that Torero Pride!

I shall begin this week’s blog by admitting I have no clue where I stand on the BCS Title Game issue. I’m okay with Alabama being in there yet I can argue Oklahoma State has a case. I present the Virgo Breakdown of both schools

Pros for OK State

- They won the Big 12 title.

- They only lost on the road was in double OT to Iowa State, who also threatened Kansas State in an upset.

- The Big 12 was perhaps the strongest conference all year and deserves an entry.

- They beat OK, Kansas State, Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor

Cons for OK State

-They did lose to unranked Iowa State

-Less we think that game was a fluke, A&M was up huge and Kansas State put the fear of God in them

Pros for Alabama

-They played LSU tight for 60 Minutes

-It’ll be must see TV esp. in the South

- Rematch games are not out of the ordinary (1993 and 1996 title games)

- I believe they are probably the 2^nd best team by default and from my eyelids.

Cons

-Did not win the SEC Title

- Already faced LSU and had their chance

- Played a weaker schedule than OK State

- No team has played for the BCS title without winning a conference title in 8 years (2003 – Oklahoma lost the Big 12 title game and still played and lost to LSU. 2001 – Nebraska didn’t make the conf title game and got stomped out by Miami.

See how tricky it is? I can make legit arguments for both and I have no clue which makes sense. I have sympathy for OSU because I believe the Big 12 >>>>> SEC this year. Yet Alabama was clearly right there with LSU.

My only counter is wondering about something like 2006 when Ohio State and Michigan were ranked 1-2 entering their game. Yes it was the last game of the season so all was at stake but both played so evenly that a rematch would’ve been appropriate. I wonder if they played earlier in the year would folks have been crazy for it. It could be SEC bias at play here but also since all the top teams lost, Bama also did move up by default. Also, Bama was #2 in the AP poll as opposed to Nebraska and Oklahoma making crazy jumps.

Either way, the field will determine where everybody should be. Ball never lies and ultimately, the best teams do it on the field, not in the polls. And now a Virgo Rant.

Yeah I see the BCS and I see BS!! Let’s celebrate the biggest racket in college football – All that money and the schools get nothing but prestige. The bowl committees get most of the bank and of course the players get nothing but trinkets and a final audition for the NFL scouts, fans and their legacies. The bowl games are a crockpot of money and greed and backslapping goodness that masquerades as tradition. 

So yes, we’ll watch and celebrate despite the fact half these games are only around because some company puts up the cash and we want to reward every team that finishes .500 or better (except my beloved UCLA Bruins who make a Bowl Game at a sterling 6-7). Expansion rears its ugly head and I’d be happier if we killed off some of these games. Or at least give the players some money. And let's not even discuss how we select certain teams while some teams get screwed *steps off soapbox*

- Boise State vs. Arizona State will be a good early game

- Baylor vs. Washington will be nice. RG3 vs. the future in Keith Price

- Florida and Ohio State seem to always meet up in either college football/bball. This one could be heated

- Georgia vs. Michigan State will be great

- South Carolina’s Jadeveon THE FREAK Clowdey and Melvin Ingram vs.Nebraska's Taylor Martinez? Yes!

- Somebody please tell me why the Compass/GoDaddy Bowl Games are late in January??? Put them ugly games in the back! See this is what I'm talking about right here. This RIGHT HERE is some.....(grabs the mic from this crazy fool and shoves him offstage before he pisses off the wrong fan)

Virgo’s Heisman Ballot

1. Robert Griffin The Great

2. Case Keenum

3. Honey Badger (need I remind you what this dude did in the last two games – best defensive playmaker since N. Suh)

4. Montee Ball (38 TD’s is 38 TD’s. In a power running conference, that’s even greater. The most underrated star of this college season.)

5. T-Rich from Bama

6. LaMichael James – I feel T-Rich and James are better runners who did better work than Ball. Better NFL prospects too I’ll add. LMJ suffered when he missed a game due to injury but he remains the best Pac-12 RB I’ve seen since Reggie Bush/Lendale White

7. Andrew Luck – before you ask where Matt Barkley is, I’ll remind you that Luck had a clutch drive to tie USC and he beat Barkley’s USC team in triple OT. Pac-12 Player of the Year trumps Barkley’s numbers. But being the No. 1 overall pick doesn’t mean you were the best QB this year.

NFL Tidbits

The Return of Josh Johnson!! The legend of the University of San Diego got his 1st start in 2 years and played pretty well (16-27, 229 yards, TD, INT, 45 rush yards). And yes, I was happy as ever blowing this up before and after church. Torero Pride baby!

Aaron Rodgers’ 1 minute drill was pure money. Great way to respond to Eli Manning’s drive and further proof that he and the Packers are on another level (Get well soon, Charles Woodson)

Give Tim Tebow his credit playing well and looking like a quarterback Sunday. The church can get a head nod from me as I keep driving past it. 

Somebody please me why 1) Jason Garrett iced his own kicker, 2) nobody on Dallas called timeout on the previous play instead of burning clock only to spike the ball. My Boys better not be starting our annual December choke job.

The Chargers took it back to 2009 dropping hell fire on the Jaguars. Philip Rivers looked sharp. Vince Jax and Malcom Floyd made big plays. Ryan Matthews ran the ball well. Slumps die in Florida I guess.

Quiet as kept, Chris Johnson is playing back to normal. It’s a surprise if only you have no idea how a body works. Took him a while to get going, longer due to his holdout and now that he has 130+ yards in 3 of his last 4 games, he’ll finish with 1,000 yards. A success when you consider things.

New England is lucky they didn’t give back a 28-point lead to the Dan Orlovsky-led Colts. Read that again, Dan “Run Out Of the End Zone” Orlovsky nearly engineered a 4^th Q comeback.  Baltimore runs the AFC, far as I’m concerned.

On that point, Rob Gronkowski is that dude. 13 TD’s for a season record by TE’s and he’s gonna shatter that. Unbelievable matchup problems. Speaking of beast mode, shout out to Marshawn Lynch (148 yards, 2 TDs) and Ray Rice (204 yards, 2 TDs) going off.

Anybody see the Buffalo Bills? They were high on the mountaintop a month ago but seem to have fallen back to irrelevancy. Maybe we can ask the Lions since they’re headed down that way it seems. 

The Alma Mater Under Siege

By now, I'm sure you know that the University of San Diego is mixed up in a bribery/gambling/marijuana scandal where Brandon Johnson, one of the best players in school history, is accused of fixing at least one game while attempting to influence the outcome of another. The feds have already charged 10 folks with it and the NCAA is waiting in the wings to do their own investigation.

I've waited a while to speak my mind because I wasn't sure what to say.  I'll start with this. I went to USD from 2002 to 2006. BJ came along in 2005 and was probably the first player we had since my freshman year who could compete for conference Player of the Year honors. It's no surprise he ended his career as the school's all-time leader in points and assists.

I was a fan of his fearlessness and ability to hit big shots. He led our team into the NCAA Tournament in 2008 where we upset UConn in the 1st round thanks to this shot by De'Jon Jackson. Unfortunately the program went into a downward spiral since that miracle shot.

I know folks who knew Johnson well. He's by all accounts a great guy who wasn't a troublemaker or a jerk. But like most athletes, I know he was probably struggling for cash and that's probably how he got mixed up. I could give you some inside information but I won't sell him out for gossip. It's sad that there's evidence he fixed at least one game in February and perhaps another suspicious game.

No school is perfect and any school is liable to get caught up in dirty activities. But point shaving is serious business. The first time I heard about it was through watching "Blue Chips" as a kid and seeing one of Nick Nolte's players subtlely throw a game. I later read about the CCNY scandal and I found other examples of it.

Former mobster Michael Franzese used to come on Jim Rome's radio show regularly and talk about how easy it was for gamblers to not only approach college athletes but convince them to fix a game. As opposed to deliberately playing like crap, all they had to do was make sure they match the point spread and make subtle mistakes. Players would think it was easy money but then they'd get mixed up and face even more problems.

I'm not surprised how often it's happening. But I am surprised that it hit close to home because it's not like our program is big time or anything. And I'm saddened because while I craved my alma mater would get national attention, I didn't want it like this.

If anything, I just feel rotten because it feels like a bad movie is on display at home and you know the scenery, the players, and the plot all too well. I will say that the school is still a fine university to attend and I hope the NCAA doesn't come with the hammer considering this was done outside of the school's awareness. 

VSR: Torero Pride in Tampa Bay

This right here is why today was a great day. For the first time ever, a player from my alma mater started an NFL game as University of San Diego's finest Josh Johnson suited up for Tampa Bay. And what better start than him throwing a TD on his first pass of the game.

Johnson played at USD from 2004-2008 and I was there for the first two years. I remember watching him as a freshman knowing he had the potential to do something great (one time he even returned a kickoff, why I dunno?). His first year as a starter (2005-06), he beat Yale on my 21st birthday, the first time anyone from the Pioneer League had beaten an Ivy League.

No better authority than Jim Harbaugh coached him those first three years and he developed from a great running QB to one who looked to pass 1st, run 2nd. He ran the West Coast offense well in those last 3 years and left as the most decorated player in school history (leading the nation in total offense in 2007).

He ended up finishing 3rd for the Walter Payton Award (D 1-AA Heisman) as a senior after throwing 43 TD's with only 1 INT. Better yet, he added muscle to his frame by the time he got drafted in the 5th round (a bad throwing combine dropped him down from 3rd round projections despite his 4.5 speed).

Oh yeah, he suffered a leg injury after his freshman year. I remember showing up to a dance on crutches, still finding a way to have a good time. I knew him in passing but he was a cool dude on campus at least while I was there.

We knew he had potential back then. If Jim Harbaugh says you're an NFL QB, you're ready. He had a decent day (13-22, 106 yards with a TD and pick --- 41 rushing yards on 7 carries) and it's hopefully the start of more things to come.

Congrats JJ. You represent all of us down there.