College Football - 2004/5

[DudeAsInCool]

*** 2004 Preseason USA Today/ESPN Top-25 College Football Poll ***

Team (First-place Votes) Record Points Rank

------------------------ ------ ------ ----

1. U-S-C Trojans (44) 12-1 1,500 2

2. Oklahoma Sooners (12) 12-2 1,426 3

3. L-S-U Tigers (5) 13-1 1,387 1

4. Georgia Bulldogs 11-3 1,328 6

5. Miami-Florida Hurricanes 11-2 1,246 5

6. Florida State Seminoles 10-3 1,177 10

7. Michigan Wolverines 10-3 1,128 7

8. Texas Longhorns 10-3 1,087 11

9. Ohio State Buckeyes 11-2 1,030 4

10. Florida Gators 8-5 691 25

11. West Virginia Mountaineers 8-5 684 NR

12. Iowa Hawkeyes 10-3 642 8

13. Kansas State Wildcats 11-4 639 13

14. Tennessee Volunteers 10-3 598 16

15. California Golden Bears 8-6 566 NR

16. Clemson Tigers 9-4 503 22

17. Missouri Tigers 8-5 502 NR

18. Auburn Tigers 8-5 473 NR

19. Virginia Cavaliers 8-5 453 NR

20. Maryland Terrapins 10-3 443 20

21. Utah Utes 10-2 438 21

22. Wisconsin Badgers 7-6 248 NR

t23. Minnesota Golden Gophers 10-3 187 17

t23. Purdue Boilermakers 9-4 187 19

25. Oregon Ducks 8-5 175 NR

Others Receiving Votes: Nebraska 151, Oregon State 101, Boise State 99,

Washington State 86, North Carolina State 84, Louisville 78, Virginia Tech

62, T-C-U 50, Oklahoma State 41, Toledo 33, Memphis 27, Georgia Tech 25,

Notre Dame 25, Bowling Green 22, B-Y-U 21, Miami-Ohio 21, Fresno State 17,

Michigan State 16, Pittsburgh 14, Marshall 13, Alabama 12, Arkansas 12,

Boston College 10, Northern Illinois 10, San Diego State 8, Colorado State 7,

U-C-L-A 7, Ole Miss 7, Texas Tech 6, Hawaii 5, Texas A&M 5, Southern

Mississippi 4, Penn State 2, Air Force 1, Arizona 1, Arizona State 1,

Connecticut 1, New Mexico 1, Washington

[DudeAsInCool]

#1 USC is off and running, defeating Virginia Tech 24-13. Of the post-season pics, I think my undergrad alma mater Penn State is underrated. Joe Paterno, aguably one of the best football coaches of all time is working harder than ever - look for surprises.

[moonglow]

I am a huge fan of Texas A&M and also a huge fan of USC, go figure :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[DudeAsInCool]

(1) U-S-C « 41, Notre Dame 10

*******

*** Bowl Championship Series Rankings ***

(As of Monday, November 22nd)

AP USA Comp BCS Previous

Team Record Rank Rank Avg. Avg. Rank

---- ------ ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

1. U-S-C Trojans 10-0 1 1 .960 .9789 1

2. Oklahoma Sooners 11-0 2 2 1.000 .9642 2

3. Auburn Tigers 11-0 3 3 .920 .9356 3

4. California Golden Bears 9-1 4 4 .830 .8504 4

5. Texas Longhorns 9-1 6 5 .850 .8301 5

6. Utah Utes 11-0 5 6 .810 .8172 6

7. Boise State Broncos 10-0 10 10 .760 .6359 9

8. Georgia Bulldogs 8-2 8 7 .500 .6296 11

9. Miami-Florida Hurricanes 8-2 9 9 .620 .6256 12

10. Louisville Cardinals 8-1 7 8 .450 .6123 10

11. Iowa Hawkeyes 9-2 12 14 .630 .5440 18

12. Michigan Wolverines 9-2 13 13 .470 .5114 7

13. L-S-U Tigers 8-2 14 12 .450 .5059 16

14. Virginia Tech Hokies 8-2 11 11 .370 .4902 15

15. Tennessee Volunteers 8-2 15 15 .500 .4774 17

16. Arizona State Sun Devils 8-2 18 20 .740 .4484 14

17. Virginia Cavaliers 8-2 16 16 .360 .3662 19

18. Florida State Seminoles 8-3 19 17 .210 .3001 8

19. Texas A&M Aggies 7-3 22 22 .530 .2958 20

20. Wisconsin Badgers 9-2 20 18 .230 .2919 13

21. Boston College Eagles 8-2 17 19 .060 .2369 21

22. Oklahoma State Cowboys 7-3 23 23 .280 .1896 22

23. West Virginia Mountaineers 8-2 21 21 .010 .1573 23

24. U-T-E-P Miners 8-2 24 25 .180 .1162 24

25. Bowling Green Falcons 8-2 26 24 .000 .0392 25

KEY: AP Rank - Associated Press Rankings; USA Rank - USA Today/ESPN Rankings;

Comp. Avg. - Computer Average; BCS Avg. - Bowl Championship Series

Average.

11/22 12:16:20 ET

[Kooperman]

My hometown team, the University of Louisville Cardinals, won yesterday 70-7 over the Cincinnati Bearcats. They've got quite an offense. This is the first time they've ever been ranked this high.

[DudeAsInCool]

U.S.C. 29, U.C.L.A. 24

Top-Ranked U.S.C. Barely Keeps Grip

By JOE LAPOINTE

Published: December 4, 2004

PASADENA, Calif., Dec. 4 - After running with handoffs, passes, punts and kickoffs, Reggie Bush had 335 total yards, two spectacular touchdowns and one gratuitous somersault.

He and his Southern Cal teammates had a 5-point lead over U.C.L.A. in the final minute of a tense game that had more at stake than just bragging rights around Los Angeles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/04/sports/n...05USC-WIRE.html

[DudeAsInCool]

Texas Edges Michigan, 38 - 37, in Rose Bowl

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: January 2, 2005

Filed at 1:32 a.m. ET

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- A winning kick put the controversy to rest -- the Texas Longhorns proved they did indeed belong in the Rose Bowl.

Dusty Mangum made a 37-yard field goal as time expired and No. 6 Texas, behind quarterback Vince Young, edged No. 13 Michigan 38-37 Saturday in the first matchup of two of college football's elite programs. Michigan (9-3) ranks No. 1 in college football with 842 wins and Texas No. 3 with 787. And while it took more than 100 years for them to meet on the field, their first was a doozy.

With Young's razzle-dazzle on touchdown runs of 20, 60, 10 and 23 yards and Henne's scoring throws to Edwards, the game was an offensive showcase that simply came down to who had the ball last.

Michigan's Steve Breaston set a Rose Bowl record with 315 yards total between his catches and kick returns, breaking the mark of 276 set by O.J. Simpson back in 1969.

The Wolverines nearly spoiled it for Texas, but Young simply wouldn't let them.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-...artner=homepage

[DudeAsInCool]

UTAH 35, PITT 7

Utah Finishes Perfect Season With Fiesta Bowl Rout

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: January 2, 2005

Filed at 1:29 a.m. ET

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- Unpredictable, unstoppable, and unbeaten -- Utah deserved to play in a BCS bowl. The fifth-ranked Utes, behind the cool efficiency of Alex Smith, used their baffling spread offense and an underrated defense to dominate 19th-ranked Pittsburgh 35-7 in the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday night.

Smith completed 29 of 37 passes, four of them for touchdowns, for 328 yards and the Utes sacked Pitt's Tyler Palko nine times, a Fiesta Bowl record.

Smith, a Heisman Trophy finalist who is considering going to the NFL after this, his junior, season, also rushed 15 times for 68 yards.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-...iesta-Bowl.html

[DudeAsInCool]

ORANGE BOWL PREVIEW

From Hollywood to Small Town, Common Ground

By PETE THAMEL

Published: January 4, 2005

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 3 - Southern Cal quarterback Matt Leinart has appeared in glossy magazines, kissing Hollywood starlets. He regularly hangs out with Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, and at U.S.C.'s game with Arizona in November, he counted Barry Zito and Alyssa Milano among his guests. When he was in New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony, Leinart rubbed elbows with Chris Rock, Adam Sandler and Lindsay Lohan.

In Norman, Okla., Sooners quarterback Jason White does not mingle with celebrities. After all, he is essentially the town's biggest celebrity. While Leinart is filling up the gossip pages, White lives with his girlfriend and changes the diapers of his 2-year-old daughter.

"He's Hollywood, and I'm from a small town in Oklahoma," White said with a grin.

Leinart and White will be the first Heisman Trophy winners to square off against each other in a national title game when No. 1 U.S.C. plays No. 2 Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl on Tuesday night.

Leinart struggled to win the starting job the next spring and summer, but since becoming U.S.C.'s starting quarterback last season, he has put together an impressive run. He is 24-1 as a starter, and the Trojans have won 21 games in a row, the longest streak in Division I-A.

On Tuesday night, the two similar quarterbacks from different worlds will collide, but only one will walk off the field as a 2004 national champion.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/04/sports/n...ange.html?8hpib

[DudeAsInCool]

USC is up 28-7 in the second quarter--3 touchdown passes by the Heisman Trophy winner

[DudeAsInCool]

45-10 Third Quarter. Oklahoma is getting their ass kicked