NCAA Football ucla Bruins

For the last month, a video was available on UCLA's official YouTube channel that showed head football coach Rick Neuheisel saying he's "ticked off" at his crosstown rival, USC coach Pete Carroll, and promising to "get after their ass." But after the Orange County Register publicized the video Tuesday, UCLA pulled it down.

What had Neuheisel so upset is that Carroll voted against Neuheisel's proposal to allow coaches to have their children with them on the sidelines during games. Neuheisel explained on the video that the Pac-10 has a rule that children aren't permitted on the sidelines during games, but Neuheisel wanted a waiver for coaches' children, because he thinks fathers and sons can bond on the sidelines during games. Neuheisel said the proposal was put to a vote at a meeting of Pac-10 coaches, and that the vote was 9-1, with only Carroll opposed.

OK, so maybe your cousin who's on the 12-year undergraduate plan isn't such a slacker after all. Former UCLA and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman finally graduated from UCLA on Saturday, more than two decades after he left for the NFL.

Aikman is already a member of the Pro and College Football Halls of Fame. Though he is a native Californian, Aikman attended high school in Oklahoma and started out playing for Barry Switzer's Oklahoma Sooners. Aikman proved to be ill-suited for Switzer's run-oriented offense, however, and Switzer helped Aikman transfer to UCLA after he lost his starting job to Jamelle Holieway. At UCLA, Aikman won the 1988 Davey O'Brien Award.

Pity the poor Pac-10; its revenues are barely half of the SEC, Big Ten, and, shudder, the ACC.

As a result, the Pac-10 is exploring a route that has already made it rain on the SEC and the Big Ten, starting their own network. The Big Ten started their own network in conjunction with FOX and netted $66 million from the network last year. Rather than start their own network, the SEC partnered with CBS and ESPN. Beginning this year the SEC will bring in -- wait for it -- $205 million a year just from television rights. Why does that matter? The Pac-10 conference had revenues of just $88.78 million in 2007. Yep, by 2009, the SEC will triple the Pac-10 in sports revenue. That's a huge deal in the arm's race that is major collegiate sports.

Fortunately, as a lover of all things college football, I'm here to help the Pac-10 ensure their network is a hit. How do we do that? Programming, baby, it's all about the programming.

Every Monday during college football's endless offseason, The FanHouse Walk will put last week's stories to bed and deliver the essentials to bridge that agonizing space between now and September.

The Obvious -- The 2009 NFL Draft is now in the books and what's emerged from countless hours of coverage is a recurring theme of late: USC and SEC dominance. The Trojans had 11 players chosen in this year's draft, including a kicker and eight total defensive players from one of the better collegiate defenses of this era.

Meanwhile, 37 SEC players were chosen, topping last year's 35 and besting the second-place ACC's 33. USC also tied a draft record with four linebackers selected in a single draft. Their 11 overall selections bested last year's 10-player performance and again paced all colleges in the draft.

College Football Spring Storylines 2009 looks at the key developments and big news from spring ball.

Since 2002, the Pac-10 has been derisively called USC and the nine dwarves. Its more than a little unfair, but that's the prevailing wisdom. Although the conference is consistently among the deepest and most competitive around, USC's monopolized that top spot. Any chance of that changing this year begins with decisions those programs make this spring.

Every Monday during college football's endless offseason, The FanHouse Walk will put last week's stories to bed and deliver the essentials to bridge that agonizing space between now and September.

Zed's Dead, But Not The Spread -- Great find from Smart Football of UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel discussing in great detail the spread offense and UCLA's decision not to run it. Smart Football has his response as well, synthesizing Neuheisel's main arguments and where he gets confused before making the conclusion that the term has "quickly lost all use as a meaningful and descriptive term".

College Football Spring Storylines 2009 looks at the key developments and big news from spring ball.

It's not often a traditional power like Michigan can be called be called overlooked, but a 4-8 season will do plenty of things to a program other than just riling up the fanbase. In this case, it makes the Wolverines primed for a surprise season.

And they're not alone.

We'll even invite Florida State to the party dadgummit. Florida, Oklahoma, USC and Texas are laughing but inevitably they'll have their season(s) of woe. Until then, some big programs are giving us material in this feature on programs on the rise.

Every Monday during college football's endless offseason, The FanHouse Walk will put last week's stories to bed and deliver the essentials to bridge that agonizing space between now and September.

Maybe They'll Twitter er Tweet Their Decision -- USC has begun spring practice, headlined by a four-man race for the starting quarterback job. They're doing this with SarKiffian 2.0, newly hired offensive coordinator John Morton and quarterbacks coach/playcaller Jeremy Bates. Bates departed Denver just in time to avoid the mess that is Cutler vs. McDaniels while keeping a low, low profile.

There's a lot going on, which leaves Pete Carroll skeptical if he can settle on the next American Idol quarterback by the end of spring. Our hunch is it'll be the slightly scrawny Aaron Corp, kid can move.

The Los Angeles City Attorney's office has announced it will file six charges of battery and sexual battery against UCLA defensive back E.J. Woods. Woods is a redshirt freshman expected to strongly contend for playing time next season but now stares down potentially extensive jail time. Punishment for the pair of sexual battery charges could total a year each and six months each for the four battery charges according to the Los Angeles Times.

Woods' alleged crimes -- three incidents between October and January -- were described as repeated inappropriate sexual contact with another student. After allegedly being confronted he then shoved a person who intervened in the chin/throat area. For obvious reasons UCLA has refused comment while acknowledging it is aware of the charges.

Provo, Utah offensive tackle Xavier Su'a-Filo has chosen to play football at UCLA. Su'a Filo selected the Bruins over suitors Utah, BYU, USC and LSU. His decision was yet another in a day of surprises, as many had expected him to end up with the home state Utes, who were last seen thrashing Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

As one of the last remaining uncommitted offensive linemen, Su'a-Filo's stock has continued to rise, and no school came close to needing him as much as UCLA.