Not many people remember it, but for a few years in the early 1980s, the Big Ten played a full round-robin schedule, as opposed to the current "skip the same two teams for two years in a row" format that has been in place since Penn State joined the conference. During that brief period, one team actually managed to defeat all nine of its conference opponents: Mike White's Fighting Illini, in the 1983 season. The Angry Indigenous Woodlands People dropped their first game to Missouri, then ran off ten straight wins, entering the Granddaddy of Them All 10-1 and ranked fourth in the nation.
And on the other side of the field? Terry Donahue's UCLA Bruins, a team so dazzlingly awesome they went 0-3 in their non-conference games. The doddering Bruins won the Pac-10 almost by default that season; they were 6-1-1 in conference play (ties were still allowed back then), and 6-4-1 overall. (Can you imagine the outcry today if a six-win team got a BCS berth?)
So, obviously, there was no hope for the Bruins. You'll note, however, that this game wound up on the Big Ten's "worst moments," and of course there's a reason for that.
Last year, the University of California at Los Angeles went through four starting quarterbacks in a season which failed to meet expectations. New head coach Rick Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Norm Chow had hoped to turn the tide and avoid any quarterback controversy, naming Pat Cowan the starter in Spring Practice.
Things have gotten so bad that UCLA's coaches are now asking recruit Kevin Prince to leave school early in order to provide depth at the position. But Prince is still recovering from reconstructive knee surgery himself, so don't expect this high schooler to be a lucky charm to avoid injuries at the position!
The start of Spring Football could not come a day sooner for the USC Trojans after the heralded Men of Troy Basketball squad went one-and-done in the NCAA Tournament--and there is good reason to pay attention to what's happening on Howard Jones Field.
Mark Sanchez, Aaron Corp and Arkansas-transfer Mitch Mustain will be battling it out to determine who will replace John David Booty in the fall. Redshirt Junior Sanchez has the leg up according to head coach Pete Carroll, "It will be interesting to see if Mitch and (freshman) Aaron (Corp) can catch up. That's what we'll have to find out."
For Mustain to catch up and win the starting job, he must make sure that time is on his side, and make the coaching staff prolong their decisionmaking process into the fall.
"If it doesn't get decided, it looks better for Aaron or I," Mustain told the Daily News. "From August, it's like night and day for me. And even from December, it's a huge difference, even with where I stand on the team in terms of leadership since (Booty) left. I'm not going to be reluctant to exercise it."
It has been twelve years since the Rams and Raiders left Los Angeles, and with the recent passing of Georgia Frontiere, one of the last people to own a pro football team in Southern California, it is time to reconsider the prospect.
All week long, the Los Angeles Times is pitting "sportswriter" Scott Olin Schmidt (ahem, that would be yours truly) against Barry Sanders--the Los Angeles Coliseum Commissioner, not the former Detroit Lion--in their weekly "Dust Up" web feature.
Today's question asks, "Should Los Angeles be spending public money to attract an NFL franchise? Should a pro team play at the Coliseum? Isn't professional football (unlike, arguably, baseball) usually a net loss for municipalities?"
Both Sanders and Schmidt agree: "our great city can live without an NFL team."
Why did the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission reject USC's offer on Wednesday to conditionally accept an agreement to allow the Trojans to play in the Coliseum?
When we first heard of USC's "put up or shut up proposal," we thought it was brilliant, because to reject the plan would require that the Coliseum Commission admit that not even its members had faith in their ability to deliver on their promises to the University.
Many observers say that the Coliseum Commission is reluctant to hand over the keys to the building to the University.
"It's not only about money," Coliseum General Manager Pat Lynch told the LA Times. "It's about everything."
Does "everything" include a plan to bring the Minnesota Vikings to Los Angeles?
After considering last week's proposal by the Coliseum Commission to enter into a long-term lease with USC, have the public entity raise the funds for stadium improvements, and promise no NFL team would come to the venerable Los Angeles Stadium, USC responded Monday with a "Thanks, but..." counterproposal.
In a letter to Coliseum manager Pat Lynch, USC's lead negotiator Todd Dickey lays out a groundwork for compromise--enter into an agreement to let the Coliseum sell naming rights to the stadium, raise the money, and meet specific goals over ten years for improving the stadium. If the Coliseum Commission fails to make the deadlines, they'd be in breach of contract with the University and the deal would revert to the Master Lease that USC has wanted all along.
After being admonished last week by the Rose Bowl Operating Company to grow up and negotiate with the University of Southern California, the Coliseum Commission, which oversees the storied stadium where the Men of Troy play football came back with a counter-proposal of half-measures.
According to WeAreSC, the Coliseum Commission is offering a plan which would give USC a shorter-term contract to play at the Coliseum than the University is asking for, with no structural improvements to the Stadium. Their only real concession is to guarantee that no NFL team will be playing in the Coliseum. While they're at it, why not guarantee no NBA, Major League Baseball or Bundesliga team will play there, because those scenarios are just as likely to happen!
Although the Los Angeles Times is reporting that L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger are working to forge a deal, it seems apparent to observers of the negotiation that is Schwarzenegger wanted a deal to happen, he could use his leverage with his three commission appointees to vote with Villaraigosa's two voters and strike a deal. Hopefully the Mayor will get a chance to bend the action-hero Governor's ear and prompt the Governor to terminate these drawn-out talks!
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa came out before today's meeting of the Coliseum Commission to map a strategy for achieving peace between the stadium officials and their main tenant--the University of Southern California Football team.
In a letter to the Commission, Villaraogosa outlines a seven point strategy to keep the Trojans from inking a deal tomorrow with the Rose Bowl Operating Company.
Sounding unlike someone who went to college in Westwood, the Bruin Mayor says, "I believe that the future of the Los Angeles Coliseum is inconceivable without USC and I, therefore, urge the Coliseum Commission to immediately negotiate a long-term agreement with the University of Southern California."
In case you thought that the USC Trojans weren't going to take the University of Illinois seriously in its Rose Bowl match-up, just take a look at what Pete Carroll and the Coaching staff did on their first day off after the regular season ended, according to official Trojan blog USCRipsit. Something makes me think that offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian will be asking Oj Mayo to join him and his colleagues next year.
Media sources report that the Men of Troy were nonplussed with playing the Illini on January 1st, least of which is because it eliminates any possibility that they'd have to lay a claim on a split "national championship" should Ohio State stumble against LSU in the BCS Title Game. Thanks Rose Bowl, indeed.
Peterson told the paper that he has been contacted by one school--but was not interested--and would not say whether that was in addition to the interest from Westwood.
The difference in cost of living should be enough to make someone like Petersen want to stay in Boise, where a $850,000 salary would be the equivalent of more than $1.5 million in Los Angeles.
Last year, the University of California at Los Angeles went through four starting quarterbacks in a season which failed to meet expectations. New head coach 
It has been twelve years since the Rams and Raiders left Los Angeles, and with the recent 
After considering last week's proposal by the Coliseum Commission to enter into a long-term lease with USC, have the public entity raise the funds for stadium improvements, and promise no NFL team would come to the venerable Los Angeles Stadium, USC responded Monday with a "Thanks, but..." counterproposal.
Los Angeles Mayor 
Just minutes after 
