What's Your Agenda on GCA.com?

[John_Conley]

Pat, for someone that professes to know so much about CFB you sure make a silly point.

Hawaii?

7-0, yet they are WAY down the Sagarin ranking because they have a schedule strength of something like 150.  Hardly the same as South Florida - a Big East team like Rutgers and West Virginia - being undefeated.  With a win over Auburn, who beat Florida and might drop LSU tonight.  Rather impressive.

To answer your question, Hawaii couldn't play for the National Championship this year for the same reason an undefeated Tulane or Utah didn't.  They'd need to play a far tougher schedule to be in the mix.

[Bill Gayne]

I think a little historical perspective is needed on the USC - ND rivalry. From 1983 to 1995 ND was 12-0-1. USC has won the last 6 games. At the end of the 1985 season Gerry Faust was fired and there was open questioning whether private Universities such as ND and USC would be able to compete in a changing college football landscape going forward. The Florida schools (UF, FSU, Miami) were having unprecedented success. In 1982 and 1983 USC didn't play in a bowl game. 1984 USC played in the Rose Bowl follwed by games in the Aloha and Citrus bowls. Not awful but certainly not up to USC historical standards.

Fast forward to the 1988 season and ND wins a national championship. USC has not only found ways to compete but they've had one of the greatest runs in college football over the last six years.

ND is on hard times but they've been there before and it's a matter of time before they make the adjustments necessary to return to prominence. USC is having a great run and should be enjoyed while it lasts.

[Don Hyslop]

 I discovered this website researching the work of Stanley Thompson as the photos and descriptions of his courses on the "Courses By Country" forum are fantastic. Especially the great Highland Links course. The more I visited the site, the more I was drawn to the Discussion group and was fascinated by the dicussions and photos that were supplied by members.
   My only agenda is to enjoy and learn more about the great art of golf course design.

[paul cowley]

I discovered this website researching the work of Stanley Thompson as the photos and descriptions of his courses on the "Courses By Country" forum are fantastic. Especially the great Highland Links course. The more I visited the site, the more I was drawn to the Discussion group and was fascinated by the dicussions and photos that were supplied by members.
   My only agenda is to enjoy and learn more about the great art of golf course design.

Welcome aboard Don......and as a bonus to your above wishes, you are even going to get some extra knowledge about college football rivalries .

I have to admit it is kind of exciting to see Patrick Mucci go so far OT.....but I guess even the strongest bearers let the standard dip on occasion.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Kalen,

The game went exactly as I predicted.
I think the announcers must be lurking on GCA.com.

John Conley,

"Sportscasters" were promoting Hawaii as a contender if they went undefeated, NOT me.

As to USF they have 40 players who didn't meet the entry standards to USF, but were admited anyway.

Florida has 15 or more.

That may speak to the reasons why the graduation rates are so low.

Paul Cowley,

I didn't take this thread OFF TOPIC, Tom Huckaby did.

[Rich Goodale]

Pat

Looking at the stats you have a damn good punter!  Give thanks--you obviously need him!

Rich

[Kalen Braley]

Pat,

Its all in god fun.  As Rich Beem said a few years ago after the PGA I think it was, sometimes your the windsheild and sometimes your the bug...



As for College Football team rankings, Kansas low rating seems odd to me.  How can these guys be playing in the Big 12, be undefeated, and be ranked number 14?  I mean if this were Nebraska, or Colorado, or Texas, etc, etc, they would all be in the top 5 at least, right??  Perhaps thier strength of schedule in non-conference games is just really weak or something.

[paul cowley]

Patrick Mucci....no doubt Mr Huckaby will be found clutching the ball at the bottom of the pileup.....once they pull the others off.

I was really just trying to give you an off handed compliment of sorts, especially as I can be as more OT than most.

BTW....who's going to win next weeks Ga/Florida matchup?
....anyone here care?

[John_Conley]

John Conley,

"Sportscasters" were promoting Hawaii as a contender if they went undefeated, NOT me.

As to USF they have 40 players who didn't meet the entry standards to USF, but were admited anyway.

Florida has 15 or more.

That may speak to the reasons why the graduation rates are so low.

These sportscasters must be the guys charged with filling countless hours of radio and television on multiple channels.  You pay more attention to them than I do.  Is it worth discussing whether Hawaii would make the championship game?  Sure.  They would have - by then - beaten Fresno and Boise.  If they win those, will they play in it?  Probably not.  

I don't know why you care about South Florida.  If they are going to build a nationally recognizable program in a state where they have obvious ground to make up in relation to UF, Miami, and FSU.  Lower the bar.  As to graduation rates, it is pretty obvious that many collegiate players in the revenue sports are not student-athletes in any way, shape, or form.  They are there to chase the professional dream.

Florida has their share, but they also turn down a lot of people.  They go to South Florida, Rutgers, West Virginia, East Carolina, and others.  

Fresno's model is pretty similar to South Florida's.  There's a home for just about anyone that can run, block, or tackle.

[Gary Daughters]

Georgia's due to win one of those

Nahhhhhhh

[George Pazin]

I could swear they said this morning that FSU had 15 questionables and Florida 50. But my hearing isn't very good - too much heavy machinery running all day long.

Kind of bizarre that Saban at Alabama would question USF's academic requirements - Bama ain't exactly Harvard South.

Also kind of bizarre that someone would question USF's #2 ranking. They beat WVU (definitely a top 10 school) and Auburn (would be top 10 if they played in any other conference). BC & OSU have much more questionable credentials, imho.

How 'bout them LSU Tigers? I watch them and Florida at every chance I get, you are pretty much guaranteed a top quality, exciting game.

Weird year for college football - can't recall as many really good teams with two losses like Florida and Cal, nor a 3 loss team as strong as Auburn.

[Mike_Cirba]

Braley...what the hell kinda bugs you guys got in Utah?

And you want me to come back?!?!?  

[Doug Braunsdorf]

To beat Cory & Kyle...

[Tom Huckaby]

Regarding the game a few days ago, Patrick was correct and Gib and I were purveyors of far more gloom and doom than was necessary.  Wow, Notre Dame is a truly awful, awful team this year - that's the part of the equation we failed to factor in.  For my part, I was fooled by the win over UCLA and their 3rd string QB who played that game.

In any case, I've never been more pleased to type this, so I'll do it again:  Patrick was right.  I so rarely get the chance, you know.

 

38-0... six in a row...

And Andy, good on you for keeping the faith.  Just don't mind if I giggle when I see the ND equipment.

Kalen:  good call on the perspective.  Hell we're still damn pleased with the program.  But when one's team starts the season ranked #1 and goes through the close games USC has, as well as losing to Stanford, well... it's hard NOT to look at the season as dissapointing.  But it does smack of Yankeeism, for sure.  So my apologies.  And we do need to keep our proper perspective... good lord, we could be Notre Dame.  

TH

[Gib_Papazian]

The problem is that the PAC-10 is college football's version of the schizophrenia research project.

Stanford gutted one out in Arizona, so maybe they have turned the corner.

The Bruins let Notre Dame bitch-slap them at home and then took down mighty CAL.

SC' loses to previously lowly Stanford - and then goes to South Bend with a backup quarterback and ends up having our 3rd string defense in the game most of the 4th quarter.

Now, in fairness, SC' is getting healthy again - but there is simply no explanation for what is going on in the PAC-10.

By extension, there is really no explanation for what is happening in college football in general. Appalachia State coming into the Big House and beating Michigan seemed the biggest upset in college football history.

Now, it is not even on the first page of the surprises this season.

We've got the Ducks in Nikeville this weekend. I am hardly confident, but at least we have Ray Maualuga back - who in my view is the key to our defense.

As for any carping about us Trojans suffering from "Yankee-itis," I scream poppycock.

I lived through 11 long years of ND coming out on top - some of those games were Irish miracles. Don't think our Alumni have forgotten the Fresno State disaster or the Larry Smith years.

We take nothing for granted. Everyone thought Miami was going to dominate college football forever, but all things good and bad eventually reach their conclusion.

As for this season being a "disappointment," that is a load of horsesh*t. Prognosticating college football is an impossible task and any team that believes a word of their own press is setting themselves up for an embarrassing fall off the pedestal of arrogance.

Perhaps the Stanford game was all that was needed to ignite another speed run up the mountain.

But maybe not . . . . . . I remain a Trojan through it all, just as Mucci will never remove his class ring in shame.

We all get our turn in the barrel.

[Tom Huckaby]

Gib:

Based on pre-season hype, this season is indeed a disappointment so far.  How much so depends on how much you believed the hype.  I for one didn't fall for it completely, but I also did sure as hell expect USC to be undefeated at this point.  Didn't you?

Now the hard part of the schedule begins....

You're right about this being a crazy year in college football though.

As for the Yankeeism, think of this as a non-USC fan, following the game only recently.   I can see Kalen's point most definitely... But maybe it's because I had a LOT of reports from my SoCal friends about USC "fans" calling in sports talk radio and demanding Carroll's job.  A loyal and true bunch USC fans are not, at least the loud ones.  

Long-time fans like yourself - and me - of course don't do that crap.  But USC, like any dynasty, has picked up a lot of bandwagoneers, apparently... and those are the ones that give us a bad name.  It's part of the deal being great.

So anyway, we shall enjoy this time... of course it won't go on forever.  I just wonder though if one is Pat Mucci... how happy can one be about that 10 year contract given to Weis?  I've heard all the excuses blaming it on Willingham's crappy recruiting... But Carroll picked up a program fairly in shambles, and in his third year won a national title.

This is Weis' third year.

Hmmmmmmmmmm......

TH

[Kalen Braley]

Braley...what the hell kinda bugs you guys got in Utah?

And you want me to come back?!?!?  

Did you like that pic?  That bug bled gold and green, ND colors.  I though it was appropriate given the state of affairs in Homer-land....err sorry Domer-land.  

[Kalen Braley]

Huck and Gib,

I'm only piling on cause I can, nothing more, nothing less.   Heck my alma mater Cal State Hayward...errr Cal State East Bay doesn't even have a football team, or at least not when I was there.

My other alma mater BYU is doing OK though, and still trying to get back in the top 25.

P.S. Huck couldn't agree more about Weis and NDs problems.  Sure they can blame Willinghams rejects for now, but that excuse will dry up soon.

[Gib_Papazian]

Every nation has its fringe lunatics. I had heard rumor that there was actually booing in the stands at halftime during the Stanford game.

If I were seated next to anybody who dared boo our Trojans while flying the colors, I swear to God I would pour my beer right over their f*cking head.

It was like a knife in my gut every year when ND was beating us - I can still remember Rodney Peete on the cover of S.I. when both ND and USC were gunning for a national championship.

So, and I will admit this openly, I cried when we finally beat those bastards. Sometimes, when things are not going well, small things can either uplift your spirits or drag you down further into the abyss.

I suppose that whether one group of youngsters can put an oblong object across a random chalk line more efficiently than another makes this whole business irrelevant.

But the same can be said about trying to coax a little white ball into a distant jar with sticks.

Unlike bandwagoneers and their ilk, I attach my basest emotional identity to my Trojans. I still get choked up when the band goes by; USC made me who I am - I was a snotty 17 year-old alone in LA and that university took care of me and brought me along.

So, these feelings go far beyond football - I root for anybody who marched in the Trojan Army, be it in the movies, in business, in life.

To have the temerity to boo the Trojans in the Coliseum is to boo the university and ultimately, to boo yourself.

I've a long slide show of pictures loaded in my computer. There are photos of my sprogs and family, golf courses and Nicole Kidman - but at least half are old pictures from my fraternity days and beyond.

I can still close my eyes and see every room in that old mansion at 716 W. 28th Street.

So, in the end, we are really rooting for our memories of another lifetime, before jumping from the safety of a familiar pond, to the swirling currents and burdens of the open ocean.

We cannot return to the pond, but we can still root for the memory of life before gray hairs and the stark truth that dreams of the future have been replaced by the hard realities of middle age and beyond.  

[Tom Huckaby]

Gib:

That's great stuff... and I am with you about the feelings one attaches to this.  You think YOU got misty when we finally beat ND after all these years?  My freakin' brother is an ND fan... In any case, the ring tone for my cell phone rotates among Tribute to Troy and Fight On for Old SC each fall.  I know how you feel.  Although I didn't attend the school, my feelings for my life-long love remain strong.

But the problem remains not you nor I... it is the johnny come latelies and less strident fans.  Hell yes there was booing at the Stanford game... AZ game too... my brother in law (USC MBA) was there for both.  It made him ill.

TH

[Brock Peyer]

My agenda is to provide worthwhile content that Shivas would approve of, simple as that.

[Patrick_Mucci]

I just wonder though if one is Pat Mucci... how happy can one be about that 10 year contract given to Weis?  

I'm very happy about it.[/color]

I've heard all the excuses blaming it on Willingham's crappy recruiting...

He had two off recruiting years, this teams Seniors and Juniors.  It happens.[/color]

But Carroll picked up a program fairly in shambles, and in his third year won a national title.

That's easier to do when your admissions standards and your graduation rates are considerably lower.

You conveniently forget that many predicted that Willingham would bring in the great black athletes, but, Paul Hornung stated that in order to compete, the admissions standards to get the better athletes, black, white and other, would have to be softened.  Hornung was vilified for his remark, despite its validity.  I don't believe that the admissions standards were lowered.  This year might influence that process.[/color]

This is Weis' third year.

As a USC fan I'm surprised you can count that high  

There's still room for a dozen or so in my class.[/color]

Kalen,

Notre Dame's colors AREN'T green and gold.
They're Blue and Gold.

Gib,

Any fan that boos his team is no fan, and merely a spoiled brat at best.  How can a true fan boo his team ?

I'm hoping to get seats for the 2009 USC vs ND game.

I was at the 2005 game which was one of the great games in college football, despite the Bush push, lack of replay and the outcome.

Did anyone see last weeks Louisville game where the punt receiver waived for a fair catch, caught the ball and then ran about 78 yards for a TD.  It changed the outcome of the game.  It's a non-reviewable play, but, I'd imagine that that may change this summer.  # 9 for ND waived everyone away from a punt and the ref claimed he made an improper fair catch signal when he was waiving horizontally, not vertically.
Even Pat Haden, a former USC player criticized the call.

Oklahoma lost a game to officiating last year, incredibly, after a questionable play was reviewed, and vis a vis a second horrible call.

One of ND"s problems, past, present and future is their dependence on other conference officials.

Expanding which plays are reviewable will slow down the game but make for more equitable outcomes and improve the quality of the officiating.

Gib, what you have to remember, is that the PAC-10 and other teams are still populated with young men aged 18-23.
They make mistakes, get distracted and tend to believe their own headlines.

Unpredictability is one of the assets of the game.

[Andy Troeger]

And Andy, good on you for keeping the faith.  Just don't mind if I giggle when I see the ND equipment.

Hey its a good institution regardless of the quality of the football team. ND had USC's number obviously for awhile, things were bound to change at some point, and I would imagine it will flip back again eventually, although I'm not holding my breath right now  

The women's soccer team seems to have righted the ship somewhat with 8 wins in a row.

I will expect the giggle, and I will come out in full force ND equipment to make sure to deserve it!

[Tom Huckaby]

Patrick:

Keep the faith, brother.  As one who enjoys seeing ND get whupped, I'm just hoping all supporters - and more importantly the school administration - have as much faith in Weis as you do.  Then yes, in 2009, we'll be working on our 8th in a row over your alma mater, 5 in a row over this "great" coach.  I love it.

I also love it that you are still crying over the 2005 game...

But then again, it rather says it all that a game the Irish coulda shoulda woulda won is the BEST game Weis has produced.

Oh well... bad on me kicking you while you're down - but you have to admit I've been damn gracious holding my tongue until this week, when the head to head game demanded SOME talk.

We'll chat again when ND gets relevant.  I don't expect that to be soon, though I'm sure you expect a #3 preseason ranking next year.

BTW, Clausen sucks, as I said last year he would.  Remember the name Dane Crist - he's gonna remake your team, if anyone does.  That boy is the real deal, playing against real D-I competition in SoCal, something Clausen never did...

Andy - good on ya, brother.  I admire the realistic yet supportive attitude.  Can you give your elder out there a few lessons?
 

TH

[Patrick_Mucci]

Keep the faith, brother.  As one who enjoys seeing ND get whupped, I'm just hoping all supporters - and more importantly the school administration - have as much faith in Weis as you do.  Then yes, in 2009, we'll be working on our 8th in a row over your alma mater, 5 in a row over this "great" coach.  I love it.

I also love it that you are still crying over the 2005 game...

But then again, it rather says it all that a game the Irish coulda shoulda woulda won is the BEST game Weis has produced.

I would thought that even you would have recognized the accomplishment of taking teams that went 5-7 and 6-5 to
10-3 and 9-3 against a strong schedule, but, I guess you're not as football astute as I thought.[/color]

Oh well... bad on me kicking you while you're down - but you have to admit I've been damn gracious holding my tongue until this week, when the head to head game demanded SOME talk.

Perhaps your zeal is a product of and fueled by so many years of substandard performance and 12 years without a win, while at the same time maintaining low graduation rates.

Well, at least Pete Carrol has improved USC's win-loss record dramatically.  He's a good recruiter and a good college coach.[/color]

We'll chat again when ND gets relevant.

I would suspect that that chatting would depend on whether or not USC remains relevant.  I can't see you chirping when their fortunes turn.[/color]


I don't expect that to be soon, though I'm sure you expect a #3 preseason ranking next year.

I've always stated that it takes 5 years to build the coaches program.

I don't pay much attention to preseason rankings, I look to Vegas to assess relevancy.  Just look at the games where the team ranked higher was a Vegas underdog this year.
There have been plenty of them, and in the great majority of cases, Vegas was right and the pollsters Wrong

How many teams would have a one loss season against the teams ND has faced so far this year ?[/color]

BTW, Clausen sucks, as I said last year he would.  

Then why did USC recruit him so hard ?

I think you said the same thing about Brady Quinn.

Clausen is a freshman and has NO offensive support.
How good would Booty make ND ?
You really don't know much about college football.
[/color]

Remember the name Dane Crist - he's gonna remake your team, if anyone does.  That boy is the real deal, playing against real D-I competition in SoCal, something Clausen never did...

Without the protection and time from the horses up front and supporting players, nobody's going to remake any team.
You have so much to learn and I have so little time.[/color]

Andy - good on ya, brother.  I admire the realistic yet supportive attitude.  Can you give your elder out there a few lessons?
 

Andy,

Don't worry.

If the NCAA ties scholarship replenishment to graduation rates, USC won't be able to field a team unless they revert to two way players.