Tag Archives: USC

ENTER CODE:  CANBT, AT CHECKOUT TO RECEIVE 25% OFF STYLES IN THE ORIGINAL RETRO BRAND'S PICK OF THE WEEK SECTION.  TEAMS FEATURED FROM OUR GAMES OF THE WEEK, UTAH, TCU, CINCINNATI, & WEST VIRGINIA  ALL AVAILABLE!!

No, I'm not crazy.  I've been padding my once atrocious win-loss record by picking upsets like Alabama's Mark Ingram picks up yards - lots.  A mere 3 weeks ago, my win-loss record stood at 7-12.  I've managed to add 9 victories and only 2 losses, and am finally over the .500 mark for the first time this season (16-14).  I must admit I really believed Oregon could beat USC when they did so a few weeks ago, but Navy over Notre Dame in South Bend?  That was more hope than belief, but hope was kept alive!  I truly believe there is more than hope for both teams facing unbeaten's this weekend, thus our Games/Picks of the week....

MOUNTAIN CLIMBER BROWN

The # 25 West Virginia Mountaineers travel to Nippert Stadium this Friday night to face the undefeated # 5 Cincinnati Bearcats.  A very interesting scenario is taking form in the Big East, and it starts with this game.  If the Mountaineers can beat the Bearcats (which I believe they will), they will be just one game behind # 12 ranked Pittsburgh when they face them next week at home.  I believe Pitt will be coming off a home loss versus Notre Dame where coach Charlie Weiss's job is definitely on the line, and thus a bit deflated when they roll into Mountaineer Field where West Virginia will hand them their second loss in a row.  The Mountaineers would find themselves alone atop the Big East, being in a three-way conference tie for first place, but having dumped Cincinnati and Pitt consecutively.  Easier said than done, but Cincinnati struggled with a fairly weak Connecticut team last week, and I'm just feeling the passing - rushing combo of Jarret Brown and Noel Devine is too formidable for Cincy.  Former Heisman hopeful Tony Pike coming off the bench won't cut it for the Bearcats.  West Virginia 28, Cincinnati 21.

The experts have been singing the praises of  #4 TCU all year, and deservedly so, but the # 16 Utah Utes have quietly put together an impressive 8-1 record, and are tied for first place in the Mountain West Conference with the Horned Frogs, going into this crucial match-up.  Running back Eddie Wide (pictured lower right) has gone under the Heisman radar despite 6 consecutive 100 yard games.  Both teams match up fairly evenly on offense, but TCU ranks # 1 in total defense in the conference, and that has been the difference for them to date....BUT Utah ranks 3rd.  Even with home field advantage this week, I believe the unbeaten run ends.  Too many undefeated teams means just that, and therefore the Utes will come out on top.   Utah 27, TCU 18.

And a few more....As mentioned above, I believe Notre Dame will bounce back and beat a very good Pitt team.  Fighting Irish 35, Panthers 28 .....Missouri has been a major disappointment after a 4-0 start this year, while Kansas State is in the driver's seat in the Big 12.  What better scenario for a Tiger victory?  Missouri 24, Kansas State 21.... Illinois has won two big games in a row, and Northwestern dumped previously unbeaten Iowa.  Illinois continues to roll at home.  Fighing Illini 35, Wildcats 20.  Lastly, Iowa won't beat an Ohio State team coming home to the Shoe, after crushing Penn State in Happy Valley.  Iowa drops second straight.  Ohio State 24, Iowa Hawkeyes 10.

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Last week started out quite well. I picked the Cincinnati Bearcats to defeat the USF Bulls 28 to 20.  The real final score?  Cincy 28, USF 21.  GENIUS!  Not so fast...I picked the Sooners to defeat Texas (buzzer sound),.....Notre Dame to defeat USC (buzzer),  and Virginia Tech to dump Georgia Tech (final buzzer - EEEEHHH!).   Iowa proved they are not a fluke as they erased a 10-0 deficit, and came back to beat Wisconsin for an impressive road win.   The Red River Rivalry could have gone either way, and The Fighting Irish just missed...The Hokies game was the only one I really missed by a long shot.  Thus my record stands at  5 wins and 7 losses.   Perhaps it's time to remove the word "expert" from the Original Retro Brand newsletter, when referring to my "Games of the Week" picking prowess.  Regardless, I must soldier on, and we have four more doozies for this weekend:

GAME 1: The # 13 Penn State Nittany Lions head into Ann Arbor to face Michigan freshman quarterback phenom, Tate Forcier. Forcier has pulled off some miracle plays in leading the Wolverines to the highest scoring offensive attack in the Big 10.  The Penn State defense has been dominating all year, giving up just 3 points in their last two games, but Michigan has suffered two excruciating close defeats this year (Michigan State in overtime, and a 2 point heartbreaker vs Iowa), and will not lose in their house this weekend.   Michigan 35, Penn State 20.

GAME 2:  Since the LeGarrette Blount sucker punch debacle, and opening loss to Boise State, the # 11 Oregon Ducks have reeled off 5 staight wins (2 against ranked teams) outscoring their last 3 PAC 10 rivals 118 to 19!!  It would behoove them not to overlook Washington with USC on the horizon.  The Huskies have that big win over the Trojans, and played LSU and Notre Dame tough.  Even so, the Ducks will continue to roll on the road.   Oregon 38, Washington 28.

GAME 3: The Clemson Tigers rank second in total defense, and eighth in total offense in the ACC, just one behind the # 10 ranked Miami Hurricanes, who they face on the road at Landshark Stadium.   As tough as the Clemson defense has been, I think Jacory Harris at QB is really hitting his stride. I feel Miami's one loss at Virginia Tech was an anomaly, and they bounced back strong against Oklahoma, and I believe they will beat Clemson handily and then win out.    Miami 27, Clemson 13.

GAME 4:  I'm going to get whacked for this one...Tennessee will knock off # 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa.  The Vols nearly beat Florida in the swamp, almost knocked off a then unbeaten Auburn team, and then absolutely crushed my Georgia Bulldogs.   Heck, the Vols are ranked 5th in total offense in the SEC (just one behind the Tide), and 3rd in total defense (Bama ranked # 1).   Mark Ingram will be tough to stop no doubt (he only gained 1 yard on 4 carries against UT last year), but QB  Jonathan Crompton is quietly coming into his own.   Purdue stunned Ohio State last week.  This is my # 1 stunner.   Tennessee 33, Alabama 24.

AND THIS IS MY # 2 STUNNER:  Mississippi State will win their 5th straight over Florida in Starkeville!  I'm upset crazy!!  Michigan State will halt the Hawkeyes, and Mizzou will NOT beat Texas, but it will be close.....

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On any given College Football weekend, there are a plethora of exciting and meaningful games with BCS implications on the slate, and this weekend is no different.   What IS different, is that if you go to the "Pick of the Week" section of the Original Retro Brand website, you will receive 20%  OFF THE NORMAL RETAIL PRICE of the teams featured in this weekend's biggest games, by entering code RIVALS09 @ checkout.   And speaking of checkout, you'll want to see ORB's take on the top 5 games we're talking about featured below.  The action kicks in Thursday night.....

GAME 1:  Folks are taking a good Heisman look at # 8 Cincinnati (5-0) QB Tony Pike, as he leads the Bearcats against # 21 (5-0) U. of Southern Florida and  freshman sensation B.J. Daniels.  Pike is the 9th rated QB in the country and has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 15 straight games.  Daniels dismantled Florida State on the ground and in the air.   Pike too much for the Bulls as Cincy gets big road win.  Bearcats 28, USF 20.

GAME 2: The Texas Longhorns # 3 (5-0) should not be taking the Red River Rivalry for granted, facing a 2-loss # 20 Oklahoma Sooner (3-2) club at the Cotton Bowl.  Colt McCoy has done just enough to get it done so far against a somewhat light schedule (except for a tough win over Texas Tech).   The Sooners lost their 2 games to ranked teams (Miami and BYU) by just 1 point each, and now have QB Sam Bradford back.   Bradford quietly passed for over 400 yards in his return game against Baylor.  Sooners get back in the BCS picture (barely). Oklahoma  35, Texas 24.

GAME 3: Another defining moment arrives for # 25  Notre Dame (4-1) coach Charlie Weis, as he takes on # 6 USC (4-1).  He's got the nation's leading passer in Jimmy Clausen, but the Fighting Irish could easily be 2-3 instead of 4-1, barely squeaking out some nail biters.   Pete Carrol has USC back in step after losing to Washington , with crushing victories over Washington State and Cal respectively.   Despite that, I think Weis gets the hugest win of his career in an upset.  Notre Dame 32, USC 30.

GAME 4: I've learned my lesson (not really, but..).  Picked Miami AND Boston College to knock off the # 4 Hokies (5-1) and was not even close.  Virginia Tech has the # 1 scoring offense, and # 2 scoring defense in the ACC.   # 19 Georgia Tech (5-1) has the home field advantage and a potent running game, but the defense has been inconsistent.  VTech ruins Yellow Jackets Homecoming , and puts a virtual lock on ACC Coastal title.  Virginia Tech 42, Georgia Tech 28.

GAME 5: Previously unbeaten Wisconsin (5-1) got a wake up call at the "Shoe" last week at the hands of an inspired Ohio State team.  They will have their hands full again with the visiting unbeaten, and 11th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (6-0).   Iowa comes off impressive wins against Penn State on the road and Michigan.   The Hawkeyes have not started a season 6-0 since 1985, and the streak won't end in Madison:  Iowa 34, Wisconsin 24.

So there you have it.  If you're keeping score, my expertise on behalf of the ORB team has yielded a record of  3 wins and 4 losses.   I feel confident the record will be 8 wins and 4 losses after this weekend.  I also feel confident you will love the 20% off you will receive by entering code RIVALS09 @ checkout on the greatest, most comfortable, most retro shirts on Earth - Original Retro Brand!

In our 8th installment of College football’s greatest players ever by position, we feature the Kick & Punt return specialist.   Back in the day of smash mouth football, when you returned kicks,  you were a member of the "Suicide Squad."   Today you have an entire squad of coaches, and you are a member of the "Special Teams."  Either way, the kick/punt returners featured in our list were more than suicidal and special - they were confident, fast, quick and the most exciting players on the field.    Be sure to click the highlighted link of the school each player suited up for to see the Original Retro Brand shirt for that team!   Here are the TOP TEN College Kick/punt return specialists ever!!!:

10. Johnny "The Jet" Rodgers, Nebraska:  The 1972 Heisman Trophy winner and  College Football Hall of Famer, established the NCAA record for all-purpose yards at 5,586.  He was such a well rounded player that he carried the ball 130 times, caught the ball 143 times, and ran back 133 kicks.

9. Desmond Howard, Michigan: The 1991 Heisman Trophy winner, which he won by the second largest margin of victory in the trophy's history, had close to a combined 1,500 yards in punt & kickoff returns for the Wolverines.

THE NATURAL # 2

8. "Neon" Deion Sanders, Florida State: HEY!  Deion  also made my list of TOP TEN best College Defensive backs of all time!  What an honor!!   Returned punts to lead the nation in that category, and simply struck fear into opposing offenses on every play.  Won the 1988 Jim Thorpe Award for outstanding Defensive Back of the year. Of course he played baseball and ran track and went on to be a 9-time pro bowler in the NFL.

7. " Touchdown Timmy" Brown, Notre Dame:  Tim brown was a two- time All-American, and winner of the 1987 Heisman Trophy.  Brown packed on over 5,000 all-purpose yards for the Fighting Irish.  He also made my TOP TEN best College Wide Receivers of all-time list!!

6. Greg "Do it"  Pruitt, Oklahoma: Combined for close to 1,000 yards in punt/kick returns in addition to his rushing duties.  Was a unanimous All-American in 1971 & 1972, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

5. Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, Widener: At Divison III Widener College in Pennsylvania, Johnson averaged 27.4 yards per punt return...that is just ridiculous!  It earned him a ticket to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and a spectacular NFL career.

TIME OUT: Enjoy the classic CAL-STANFORD "Marching Band " Kickoff return(the announcer is more fun than the play!):

4. Eric Metcalf, Texas: Holds record for most punt return yards for the Longhorns with 1,076.   He was also a two-time National Champion in the long jump in 1986-1987.

3. Napoleon McCallum, NAVY:  The College Football Hall of Famer, and 2-Time All-American held 18 records for the Midshipmen before he left for the NFL.  He has the second most  All-Purpose yards in NCAA history with 7,172, which is INSANE (DeAngelo Williams from Memphis has the most @ 7,573).

2. Wes "The Natural" Welker, Texas Tech:  Aside from his outstanding receiving achievement's for the Red Raiders, Welker ran back an NCAA record 8 punts for touchdowns during his career.  He also holds the record for most punt return yards at 1,761.

1. Raghib "Rocket" Ismail, Notre Dame: Helped lead the Irish to the 1988 National title.   At only 5-10 and 175 lbs, the Rocket was one of the fastest players in the history of  college football.  Ismail ran back 2 punts for touchdowns in one game against Rice University in 1988,  and again against arch rival Michigan a year later.

Did I leave anybody off?  YES, Anthony Davis of USC!  How could I forget the man who scored two 90+ yard Kickoff returns in one game against Notre Dame.  He also holds career NCAA record for average per kick return at a whopping 35.1.  "AD" is the co-champ on this list with the Rocket.   Now.....is there anybody else?

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Well, perhaps it's more a "Wear for the Weis," as in actor, producer, and former rapper, Mark Wahlberg showing his support for the coach and Notre Dame by wearing  this Fighting Irish Original Retro Brand shirt.   With the USC Trojans on the slate next weekend, Charlie can use all the support he can get!!

Wahlberg, who is definitely a very good all around athlete (see flicks The Basketball Diaries, and Invincible), took some heat this past summer when he threw out the first pitch at Fenway Park for the Red Sox .   The southpaw threw the ball high and away, and the pitch ended up hitting an unsuspecting fan who was not paying attention in the buttocks.

Perhaps Wahlberg would fare better with a hockey stick.   He certainly looks comfortable in this Chicago Blakchawks shirt (below, right).   Growing up in Boston, you'd think he might be a Bruins fan.  I'll give him a pass, as I have always thought the Blackhawk's logo was one of the coolest ever (see this post "best Original Retro Brand logo's ever Part 2,"  from June 2009), and would definitely wear the shirt even if I could care less about the team!

The multi-talented Wahlberg has a major hit on his hands as executive producer of the HBO series, Entourage, and it seems as if  his love for the Original Retro Brand has filtered up onto the show.   Quite often, you can find "Turtle" and "E", wearing Original Retro Brand on any given episode.

Comfort, style, durability, and  retro cool,  make the Original Retro Brand the "multi-talented" choice for Hollywood, and you can make it yours too!

Not exactly Hamlet, but to those in the world of college football, it really is the big question as we head into week # 6 of the season.  Will Heisman candidate Tim Tebow get clearance to play this weekend, as the nations # 1 ranked Florida Gators take on the # 4 LSU Tigers?

Even if Tebow does get clearance, he will be back just in time to face an extremely tenacious, and confident LSU defense that comes off  back to back emotional road victories over Mississippi State, and between the hedges at Georgia.  Will the comforts of being back home at Tiger Stadium give LSU the edge?

The problem for LSU is their offense.   They are loaded with talent, but have only shown signs of lighting it up, and are ranked dead last in total offense in the SEC.   Meanwhile, visiting Florida is ranked first in both total offense AND total defense in the SEC.

Let's face it folks - Jimmy "the Greek", I ain't.  Since I began blogging on my "College Game of the Week," I have a stellar record of 0-2, picking Miami to defeat Virginia Tech, and CAL to beat USC.   Maybe it's time to start picking the winner based on the players on the field, and NOT a) picking Miami just to impress highly talented (and attractive) female sports reporter who happens to be Canes fan, and NOT  b) because I think a team has a cooler logo and fight song than their opponent (see CAL over USC).   No, this week I put on my true, rational and objectively thinking football cap and pick the..........

Florida Gators to defeat LSU in Baton Rouge, 28 -20.   I think coach Urban Meyer will have his team ready, with or without Tebow.  Florida backup John Brantley has completed 73% of his passes and thrown for 4 touchdowns in limited mop-up action, and I believe will be up to snuff if Tebow is not cleared to play.

For the record, I think the Tigers have the cooler uniforms, but Florida has the cooler mascot logo.   Now a few quick week # 6 picks for you...

ROAD RAGE:  # 21 Nebraska forgets VTech loss completely and wins on the road over # 24 Mizzou....Boston College upsets # 5 Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.....Auburn stays unbeaten at Arkansas......# 22 Georgia Tech makes life unbearable for Bobby Bowden and Florida State in Tallahassee.

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