Sports Blog

This past week in college football was a dandy. With another wave of upsets and two of the nation’s perennial powerhouses (Notre Dame and Michigan) losing for the second consecutive week, football fans around the country are gearing up for what is likely to be a very unpredictable season in college football. However, some things seem as if they will be very stable this year; namely the success of the USC Trojans and the LSU Tigers.

USC and LSU are ranked #1 and #2, respectively. Each has a perfect record and has completely routed the competition, leaving no doubt as to their supremacy on the college level. With two such teams clearly ahead of the rest of the field, we can start imagining how the championship game will play out. Will it be John David Booty marching his explosive teammates up and down the field? Or will the tenacious, relentless Tiger defense be too much for Pete Carroll’s players. Only time will tell. But, even though the eventual meeting between these two football giants is about 4 months away, the question as to who currently deserves the No. 1 ranking invariably arises.

Some say that until someone shows that they can beat USC, the Trojans deserve the top spot. However, I personally believe that LSU has the edge. Here’s why.

LSU has played 2 games. In both, the outcome of the game was decided in the early in the first half. In the season opener, LSU simply overwhelmed Mississippi State 45-0. Yes, Mississippi State is probably the worst team in the SEC, but to hold any team to 0 points is impressive. The Bulldogs couldn’t even muster up enough steam to get within field goal range. I don’t care who the opposition is, that’s pure domination. Then in their second game, LSU proved that not only can they put the smack down on mediocre teams, but they can also beat good teams. And when I say beat, I mean really beat. The Tigers absolutely wiped the floor with the Hokies, 48-7. And let’s not forget, Virginia Tech was ranked 9th in the nation at that point.

On the other side of the ball, USC is 1-0 after beating the Idaho Vandals 38-10. Beating a team by 4 touchdowns is always a good result, but the Idaho Vandals? Come on USC! The score should have been even more lopsided. If you compare a 38-10 USC victory over Idaho to LSU’s 45-0 massacre of Mississipi State, which victory seems more impressive? LSU’s!! Furthermore, USC has yet to be really challenged by a worthy opponent, something that LSU met with ease.

So, until USC shows that they too can dismantle ranked teams a la LSU, I have to give the edge to the Tiger’s in the national ranking. At this point in time, LSU’s resume is simplt more impressive. Does that mean USC is not a championship contender? No! In fact, I hope to the high heavens that both USC and LSU go the distance. That way, we will be able to see who really is the best team when they face off in the national championship. Though, if I were a betting man, my money would definitely be on the Tigers. But hey, a lot can change between now and then. I may be eating my words come January.

Nishan Wilde is VP of Sales at Robbins Sports and Athletics, an online resource for Portable Scoreboards and Gym Bags.

After watching BYU’s relatively easy win over the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday, Cougar fans have been left feeling that this might turn out to be another great season. Next on the slate for BYU is a tough UCLA Bruins team. The Bruins recently destroyed Stanford 38-17. Granted, Stanford’s football program has experienced a significant drop in recent year. But still, when you can put up 38 points in a game, you are going to be a squad that other teams will have to take seriously.

On the other side of the ball are the BYU Cougars. Yes, they only beat Arizona by 13 points, but let’s face it. The score was not very indicative of the game as a whole. BYU’s offense was able to move the ball suprisingly easily. Had it not been for some early-season rust, the Cougars would have been able to run up the score a lot more than they did. Also, the Cougar defense had an absolutely stellar game. Until Arizona’s very last drive in the 4th quarter when the game was all but over, the Cougars held the Arizona offense to just 3 first downs in 3 quarters. I don’t care who you are, that’s impressive! The swarming linebacker core coupled with the disciplined secondary were just too much to handle. If the defense continues to play so well and Max Hall gives another poised performance, the Cougars are going to have a fighting chance against the nationally ranked Bruins.

Prediction: Bruins 24, Cougars 17.

BYU is playing well and is carrying over a lot of confidence from last year, but the Bruins simply have too much fire power. Seeing as how I am a devoted BYU fan, I hope I am wrong. It will be interesting to see Ben Olsen and Max Hall duel it out, Olsen being a former BYU quarterback and Hall being the current one.

Nishan Wilde is VP of Sales for Robbins Sports and Athletics, an online provider top of the line Gym Bags and Portable Scoreboards.