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FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ Mike Bellotti Names Chip Kelly Oregon's 'Coach In Waiting' http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/03/mike-bellotti-to-step-down-at-oregon-eventually/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/03/mike-bellotti-to-step-down-at-oregon-eventually/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/03/mike-bellotti-to-step-down-at-oregon-eventually/#comments

Filed under: Oregon, Pac 10, Coaching

In a trend that seems to be sweeping through this potentially-heated offseason hiring period like a jam band through downtown Eugene, Mike Bellotti of Oregon announced on Tuesday his plans to step aside as Oregon head coach and pass the reigns to current offensive coordinator (and rumored head coach candidate for a couple open jobs) Chip Kelly.

According to UO President Dave Frohnmayer, the changes will take place when current Ducks athletic director Pat Kilkenny steps down. However, no one actually committed to when exactly that sequence of moves would happen. Bellotti will still coach the Ducks in 2009, and potentially, well past that point.

The announcement of future plans in Eugene comes just a couple weeks after Texas head coach Mack Brown announced that current defensive coordinator Will Muschamp would take over as head coach when he ended his storied career in burnt orange -- at an undetermined point somewhere in the future.

Both Kelly and Muschamp have been rumored as potential candidates for one or more of the open jobs this offseason, be it Tennessee, Clemson, Washington or a handful of other open coaching spots -- not to mention the inevitable NFL coordinator positions that would presumably open up with the annual pro-level coaching musical chairs routine. In theory, these moves help to keep those sought-after coordinators around at a lower pay grade. But it's a relatively safe bet that any of these deals can and will be thrown/bought out, if the right ~~money~~ opportunity comes along.

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]]> Chip KellyChipKellyMack BrownMackBrownMike BellottiMikeBellottiWill MuschampWillMuschamp Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2008-12-03T09:55:00 00:00 Notre Dame Puts Up a Fight -- Until Kickoff http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/11/29/notre-dame-puts-up-a-fight-until-kickoff/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/11/29/notre-dame-puts-up-a-fight-until-kickoff/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/11/29/notre-dame-puts-up-a-fight-until-kickoff/#comments

Filed under: Notre Dame, USC, Police Blotter

Notre Dame came into tonight's matchup against #5 USC at the L.A. Coliseum with nothing to lose. While nobody was bold enough to predict an Irish upset, plenty were predicting that Charlie Weis's team would show some fight against Pete Carroll's Trojans. And they were right -- at least as far as the pregame festivities went.

In a scene worthy of You Got Served (or perhaps Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo), Notre Dame took the field with the zeal you'd expect from a team who's beaten the likes of Washington, San Diego State and Navy, hellbent on showing Southern California who's the man.

The Irish proceeded to interrupt the Trojans' pregame warmups, and the most evenly-matched showdown of the night ensued. Verbal barbs were traded, punches were thrown (but from the looks of things, mostly not landed) and coaches -- and eventually police officers -- had to step in and restrain players on both sides. Fighting extended all the way to midfield, where players from both sides were still trying to get at each other as authorities attempted to separate the two warring factions.

As for the game action, well, through the first half it's fallen vastly short of the pregame festivities. Through two quarters USC leads Notre Dame 24-0.

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]]> charlie weisCharlieWeispete carrollPeteCarroll Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2008-11-29T21:18:00 00:00 Pac 10 Preview: Cal, Wildcard http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/12/pac-10-preview-cal-wildcard/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/12/pac-10-preview-cal-wildcard/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/12/pac-10-preview-cal-wildcard/#comments

Filed under: California, Pac 10

We've already spent a good chunk of FanHouse real estate covering the Golden Bears and the likelihood of their mediocrity in 2008. But in the interest of equal time (and bet hedging), it seems only fair for us to explore the other side of the argument as well. After all, this team has spent their fair share of time in Top 25 the past few seasons, even if they have managed to lose more than a few seemingly winnable/gimme games.

Jeff Tedford's team enters this season as the prototypical wild card: (a) they've been successful the past few seasons but have seemed to struggle under the weight of high expectations, and this year will have a decidedly lower profile than they did the past couple; (b) they have some key departures, but several of the replacements for those who left could actually prove to be a substantial upgrade by the time everything shakes out; and (c) they have a schedule that sees all but one of their tough games take place at the comfy confines of Berkeley's Memorial Coliseum.

Let's take a closer look at how Cal might manage to shock the "experts" and contend in 2008.

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]]> collegefootballpreview2008DeSean JacksonDeseanJacksonJahvid BestJahvidBestJeff TedfordJeffTedfordJeremy RossJeremyRossJustin ForsettJustinForsettKevin RileyKevinRileyLaReylle CunninghamLareylleCunninghamMarvin JonesMarvinJonesMichael CalvinMichaelCalvinNate LongshoreNateLongshoreNyan BoatengNyanBoatengZach FollettZachFollett Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2008-08-12T15:10:00 00:00 Pac 10 Preview: Exercises in Mediocrity http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/11/pac-10-preview-exercises-in-mediocrity/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/11/pac-10-preview-exercises-in-mediocrity/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/11/pac-10-preview-exercises-in-mediocrity/#comments

Filed under: Arizona, California, Oregon State, UCLA, Pac 10

If Mediocrity had a football team, its mascot would most likely wear a giant foam Mike Stoops head

Ahhh, mediocre college football. Three words that go together like turkey, gravy, and stuffing.

While the majority of space here at FanHouse and on every other college football publication will be focused on the Top 25, season after season a huge slice of the college football fan pie (mmmm...fan pie) find themselves supporting a team who would most aptly be described as thoroughly mediocre, at best. I'd venture to guess that for every legit contender, there are probably three teams with a couple of flaws so glaring that only those blinded by the partisanship of homerdom can pretend their team's downsides won't inevitably sabotage any hopes of playing in a bowl of even moderate respectability.

And therein lies one of the most cruel realities of the college football landscape: winning 6 or 7 games is no small feat, and yet every year coaches and players around the country will be abused for achieving that very milestone. Of course, when you play in a conference like the Pac 10 -- who rewards its third place finisher with a December 31 game in El Paso's Sun Bowl -- can you really be that surprised when fans and pundits are critical of barely topping out above .500?

Who from the Pac 10 will slide to the middle of the pack in 2008? Here's a quick rundown of the leading candidates for Pacific time zone mediocrity this season.

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]]> Antoine CasonAntoineCasonBen OlsonBenOlsonBrian PriceBrianPriceBrigham HarwellBrighamHarwellcollegefootballpreview2008DeWayne WalkerDewayneWalkerDonovan CarterDonovanCarterJahvid BestJahvidBestJeff TedfordJeffTedfordKhalil BellKhalilBellKyle BosworthKyleBosworthLyle MoevaoLyleMoevaoMike StoopsMike ThomasMikeStoopsMikeThomasNic GrigsbyNicGrigsbyNorm ChowNormChowPatrick CowanPatrick LarimorePatrickCowanPatrickLarimoreRaymond CarterRaymondCarterReggie CarterReggieCarterRick NeuheiselRickNeuheiselRob GronkowskiRobGronkowskiRyan McCantsRyanMccantsSammie StroughterSammieStroughterSean CanfieldSean WestgateSeanCanfieldSeanWestgateWillie TuitamaWillieTuitama Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2008-08-11T21:08:00 00:00 Pac 10 Preview: Five New Faces http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/11/pac-10-preview-five-new-faces/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/11/pac-10-preview-five-new-faces/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/11/pac-10-preview-five-new-faces/#comments

Filed under: Arizona State, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington, Pac 10

Following last year's exodus of NFL-caliber talent (Sedrick Ellis, Keith Rivers, Dennis Dixon, Jonathan Stewart, and DeSean Jackson -- just to name a few) and a handful of preseason injuries, the start of 2008 in the Pac 10 brings a number of new faces whose ability (or inability) to step up and replace their predecessors will hugely impact the outcome of conference standings. From blue chip recruits to high-profile transfers and new coaches, here are five(ish) new faces in the Pac 10 that you'll want to keep an eye on.

1.) Rick Neuheisel, Norm Chow, and whoever survives being named starting QB - UCLA: Neither of the most-discussed new faces in the Pac 10 are actually new faces at all. The return of Neuheisel and Chow gives UCLA fans hopes of returning to regular college football relevance after the roller-coaster that was the Karl Dorrell era. But after an offseason that saw the Bruin quarterback spot turn into the most dangerous place this side of a Madden cover or Spinal Tap drum kit -- hobbling the two UCLA QBs with any game experience, Ben Olson and Patrick Cowan -- Neuheisel and Chow's baby blue debuts hinge largely on the ability of either Kevin Craft, a junior college transfer and/or redshirt freshman Chris Forcier to step in and lead the offense.

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]]> Chris ForcierChris PolkChrisForcierChrisPolkcollegefootballpreview2008Justin RoperJustin ThompsonJustinRoperJustinThompsonKevin CraftKevinCraftLeGarrette BlountLegarretteBlountMatt KalilMattKalilMitch MustainMitchMustainNate CostaNateCostaNorm ChowNormChowRick NeuheiselRickNeuheiselSimi KuliSimiKuliSpencer GasuSpencerGasuT.J. BryantT.j.Bryant Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2008-08-11T17:20:00 00:00 Colleen Bellotti (and Her Nanny) Uncork Their Own Brand of Celebration http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/10/28/colleen-bellotti-and-her-nanny-uncork-their-own-brand-of-celeb/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/10/28/colleen-bellotti-and-her-nanny-uncork-their-own-brand-of-celeb/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/10/28/colleen-bellotti-and-her-nanny-uncork-their-own-brand-of-celeb/#comments

Filed under: Oregon Football, Pac 10, NCAA FB Media Watch

Your ex-husband's team is in BCS contention, playing a heated conference rival who they haven't beaten since 2001. Despite a relatively close score, they're pretty thoroughly dominating said rival and are well on their way to a key victory for the program. Your mind is focused on the celebration plans for that evening, maybe occasionally wandering to thoughts of good hotels in the New Orleans area to start researching.

Not if you're Colleen Bellotti.

The ex-wife of Oregon head coach Mike Bellotti spent her fourth quarter laying into reporter John Canzano for his coverage of her son Luke (who happens to play for the Ducks) and his two DUIIs in the local paper, The Oregonian.

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]]> Colleen BellottiColleenBellottiLuke BellottiLukeBellottiMike BellottiMikeBellotti Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2007-10-28T23:01:00 00:00 Amanda Beard: Your New Go Daddy Girl http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2007/10/07/amanda-beard-your-new-go-daddy-girl/ http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2007/10/07/amanda-beard-your-new-go-daddy-girl/ http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2007/10/07/amanda-beard-your-new-go-daddy-girl/#comments

Filed under: Olympics, Women's Sports

Amanda Beard has accumulated more than her share of impressive accolades in her relatively short life -- two-time Olympic gold medalist, NCAA champion, Playboy cover girl -- but her latest accomplishment elevates her to the upper echelons of pop culture royalty: she's been added to Bob Parsons's illustrious stable of Go Daddy Girls.

From her new blog on GoDaddy.com, Amanda talks about the thrill of joining fellow female sports personalities such as auto racing darling Danica Patrick and motorcycle drag racer Valerie Thompson as the "face" of the .com sales outfit:

"I know what it takes to be a champion in the pool and a cover girl in front of the cameras. But it took some help from GoDaddy.com to make me a winner on the Internet."

The question I know you're all asking -- where does Amanda go from here? If you look at the career trajectory of Go Daddy Girl #1 Candice Michelle, perhaps WWE's Monday Night Raw or ~~Skinemax~~ Cinemax features are next up for the seven-time Olympic medalist.

Like my mom always tells me, when you're a winner on the Internet, you can pretty much write your own ticket.
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]]> AmandaBeard Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2007-10-07T13:04:00 00:00 USC Up 17-14 At Half Against the Other Golden Domers http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/09/29/usc-up-17-14-at-half-against-the-other-golden-domers/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/09/29/usc-up-17-14-at-half-against-the-other-golden-domers/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/09/29/usc-up-17-14-at-half-against-the-other-golden-domers/#comments

Filed under: USC Football, Washington Football, Pac 10

A fumbled snap, a host of (questionable) unsportsmanlike penalties, two interceptions (including one returned for a touchdown), and some simply awful announcing by the dreadful duo of Musburger and Herbstreit, and Pete Carroll's Trojans are still up three points at the half at Washington.

When his receivers weren't batting the ball into the hands of Huskies, John David Booty looked his usual self, throwing laser beams that seem to overshoot his wideouts about 30% of the time and impressively find their mark the other 70. And Stafon (for the Musburgers out there, that's STA-FON, not Stefan) Johnson and Chauncey Washington kept USC's running game looking sharp like any 9 All-American backfield corps should.

On the other side, the Huskies' Jake Locker -- the man that ABC's announcing team called "the most accurate passer they've seen" -- did his best to live up to the "he looks like the next Vince Young talk", but didn't get much help from the rest of his throwback uniform-clad U-Dub offense.

Assuming USC can keep the turnovers in check in the 2nd half, it's probably an understatement to say the Huskies face an uphill battle in the next 30 minutes. But if the Trojans decide to play butterfinger again this half, there's certainly a chance that Ty Willingham's team could join the Saturday upset parade.

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]]> Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2007-09-29T20:14:00 00:00 Pac Ten Football Preview '07: USC http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/08/17/pac-ten-football-preview-07-usc/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/08/17/pac-ten-football-preview-07-usc/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/08/17/pac-ten-football-preview-07-usc/#comments

Filed under: USC Football, Pac 10, Los Angeles

In what could only be described as "saving the best for last", we conclude our Pac-10 team previews with the highly anticipated 2007 USC Trojans. A team for whom most offseason debate has centered around whether they'll be "thoroughly dominant" or "all-time great." A team whose biggest challenge seems to be not getting buried under the weight of ludicrously high expectations. Oh, and that schedule, which, despite the assertions of Les Miles, is yet again one of the toughest in the nation. Here's how we break down the Trojans in '07...

WHY THEY'LL WIN

Considering Pete Carroll made his name on defense, it's high time that he field a squad that's actually more talked about for its D than it's O.

With returning starters galore and an athletic, experienced linebacking corps of Rivers, Cushing and Maualuga (the latter two pictured, left) that surely gave Pac-10 offenses nightmares all offseason, the Trojans defense more loaded than the guests at a Matt Leinart birthday party.

The '07 Trojan defense is so loaded in fact, it's managed the impressive feat of making people forget about the USC offense, which returns a Heisman hopeful quarterback and has a fleet of ~~ten~~ nine former high school All-American running backs. The Trojans can kill you on both sides of the ball, and plan to -- early and often.

WHY THEY'LL LOSE

As the Trojans experienced last season, upsets in college football can lurk around any corner, where you least expect them. (In case you forgot, the '06 team lost not to their highly-touted opponents like Cal, Oregon, Notre Dame or Michigan, but to Oregon State and UCLA.)

With the offseason hype this year, not to mention last few seasons of Trojan dominance in the Pac-10, there's a target on the Trojans backs that's visible from space. Teams can go out and stink it up all season, and one win against USC will make the whole year a success.

The Trojans are going to see a lot of teams working to bring their A-game, and will have little room for first half slumbers like last year in Corvallis.

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]]> Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2007-08-17T12:25:00 00:00 Snoop Speaks: The Dogg Issues His Response to Les Miles http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/07/19/snoop-speaks-the-dogg-response-to-les-miles/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/07/19/snoop-speaks-the-dogg-response-to-les-miles/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/07/19/snoop-speaks-the-dogg-response-to-les-miles/#comments

Filed under: LSU Football, USC Football, Pac 10, SEC, Los Angeles, The Word

UPDATE: Hey... Brian Cook here. Yeah, this is totally fake. Gump 4 Heisman is a comedy blog. Our bad.

We've heard Pete Carroll's ever-so-diplomatic response to LSU head coach Les Miles's diss of USC's scheduled opponents. Now we've got the all-important Snoop Dogg reaction.

The FanHouse standards & practices board won't let me publish it verbatim, but I'll do my best to sanitize it down to PG-13 levels, using the same approach my local TV affiliate used on their recent rebroadcast of Die Hard II:

"The SEC, we done played Arkansas last year Les, tore they ass up by 40 Les, they won your division last year, Les, bitch-ass motherfalcon."

If you want to hear the two-drinks-before-9:30am Snoop's candid, unedited thoughts on Coach Miles, LSU, and his own beloved Trojans (you'll especially want to hear his thoughts on the ease with which USC racks up the Heismans), Gump 4 Heisman has the mp3 (WARNING: contains language that would make your mother, and for that matter, your motherfalcon, ashamed of you).

Previously on FanHouse:
Pete Carroll Responds to Les Miles
Les Miles Opens Mouth, Crazy Talk Billows Forth

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]]> les milesLesMilessnoop doggSnoopDogg Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2007-07-19T22:04:00 00:00 BREAKING: TV Networks and NFL Both Enjoy Adding to Their Sizable Piles of Money http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2007/06/20/breaking-tv-networks-and-nfl-both-like-money/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2007/06/20/breaking-tv-networks-and-nfl-both-like-money/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2007/06/20/breaking-tv-networks-and-nfl-both-like-money/#comments

Filed under: NFL Gossip, NFL Media Watch

The source of over $3 billion/year in NFL revenue isn't happy.

Sources from the NFL's TV rights holders -- which include CBS, NBC, ESPN, and Fox -- are upset that the NFL doesn't do enough to encourage their marketing partners to advertise on TV, and specifically, the Super Bowl.

Ads on CBS's broadcast of Super Bowl XXXLI cost $2.6 million per 30 seconds, which certainly isn't priced to move. But bear in mind, the networks are limited as to which sponsors they can accept -- certain NFL partners (Anheuser-Busch, for example) have exclusive deals shutting competitors out of TV ad spots (which is why you don't see any Coors ads on the Super Bowl) -- which significantly limits the pool of prospective buyers for that pricey 30 seconds of TV airtime.

That being said, it's hard to see the Networks as the hero in this story, for a couple of reasons.

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]]> Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2007-06-20T13:36:00 00:00 IMG Bored with Pro Millions, Turns to College Sports http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/05/08/img-bored-with-pro-millions-turns-to-college-sports/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/05/08/img-bored-with-pro-millions-turns-to-college-sports/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/05/08/img-bored-with-pro-millions-turns-to-college-sports/#comments

Filed under: NCAA FB Fans, NCAA Basketball Fans, NCAA Basketball Media Watch, NCAA FB Media Watch

In an announcement made last week, the all-powerful IMG -- one of, if not THE leading sports talent agency in the world today -- announced that it would acquire the Collegiate Licensing Company from the Battle family, in a deal estimated to be in the neighborhood of $100-140 million (although terms were not formally disclosed, as both IMG and CLC are privately-held).

IMG represents an impressive roster of clients that includes Peyton Manning, Tiger Woods, LaDanian Tomlinson, Ronaldo, Maria Sharapova (pictured, b/c it was either that or a shot of a Peyton, Tiger or a TV studio), and Roger Federer. They also negotiate licensing rights for Major League Baseball, Wimbledon, the International Olympic Committee and the U.S. Golf Association, amongst others.

As if that all weren't enough, just yesterday they announced that they'd also be acquiring Licensing Partners International, who represents the PGA Tour, Churchill Downs, and the cash cow known as the Canadian Football League. In short, IMG is the big dog in the sports agency world, and shows no signs of slowing down.

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]]> Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2007-05-08T11:18:00 00:00 The Best College Football Game You'll See in Arizona All Year http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/04/19/video-the-best-college-football-game-youll-see-in-arizona-all/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/04/19/video-the-best-college-football-game-youll-see-in-arizona-all/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/04/19/video-the-best-college-football-game-youll-see-in-arizona-all/#comments

Filed under: Pac 10, NCAA FB Video

Call me presumptuous, but even your best-case scenarios for Dennis Erickson and Mike Stoops' 2007 squads won't rival this footage from the gridiron showdown between the ladies of ASU and U of A -- dubbed the "Shake, Rattler & Roll Bowl" (which took place during halftime of the Arizona Rattlers' April 14 Arena League game) -- in the ranks of "compelling college football viewing experiences":

Oh, and in case you were wondering about the score (yeah, and your Playboy subscription is all about the articles), the ladies of ASU defeated the Arizona team 14-7.

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]]> Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2007-04-19T14:48:00 00:00 Dennis Dixon: Mellow & Relaxed or Nicely Toasted? http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/04/17/dennis-dixon-mellow-and-relaxed-or-nicely-toasted/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/04/17/dennis-dixon-mellow-and-relaxed-or-nicely-toasted/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/04/17/dennis-dixon-mellow-and-relaxed-or-nicely-toasted/#comments

Filed under: Oregon Football, Pac 10, NCAA FB Video, Oregon

Maybe the Oregon QB is just a little sleepy, and that's why his eyes are never more than half-open during this interview (via GoDucks.com):

Or perhaps he's been sampling some of Eugene's finest homegrown before spring practice, which might help to explain the early success of the Ducks' D in team scrimmages.

I'll let you make the call.

Previously at FanHouse:
Ducks Defense Looking Solid in Spring Practice

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]]> Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2007-04-17T09:08:00 00:00 Should You Go Pro? Here's Your Chance to Ask Coach Carroll http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/04/16/should-you-go-pro-heres-your-chance-to-ask-coach-carroll/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/04/16/should-you-go-pro-heres-your-chance-to-ask-coach-carroll/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/04/16/should-you-go-pro-heres-your-chance-to-ask-coach-carroll/#comments

Filed under: USC Football, NCAA FB Coaching, NFL Prospects

Considering making the leap to the NFL before you've finished your senior season? Worried you might become the next Mike Williams, or potentially leave big pro bucks on the table, as some suggest Matt Leinart did?

Well the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business is here to help.

On April 24, USC will be hosting "NCAA to the NFL: Leaving Money on the Table" -- a panel discussion with Trojans' head coach Pete Carroll, Joe Mendes (former Redskins VP of Football Operations), and Gary Uberstine (attorney, player rep, and head of Premier Sports Management).

During the proceedings, hosted at USC's Davidson Conference Center, Carroll will share the actual presentation he makes to USC football players to inform them about the NFL draft process.

There are discounts for USC alumni, but the event is open to the public -- $50 for advance registration (between now and 4/23), and $55 at the door. A small price to pay to make sure YOU make the right decision about your NFL draft status.

Or you can just pony up the $$ and ask Carroll for his ab-sculpting tips. Either way, that's money well spent.
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]]> Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2007-04-16T12:44:00 00:00 Mark Sanchez Rapidly Emerging as Nation's Best Backup Quarterback http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/04/16/mark-sanchez-rapidly-emerging-as-nations-best-backup-qb/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/04/16/mark-sanchez-rapidly-emerging-as-nations-best-backup-qb/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/04/16/mark-sanchez-rapidly-emerging-as-nations-best-backup-qb/#comments

Filed under: USC Football, Pac 10, Los Angeles

11-16 and 231 yards passing. 2 touchdowns. Against one of, if not the best defense in the country.

They're the type of stats most teams would kill for. But at USC, they're only good enough for #2 on the depth chart.

The Trojans' redshirt sophomore has been making a big impression in spring practice, and Saturday's scrimmage -- where he put up the stats listed above -- was no exception.

Perhaps you can chalk it up to Sanchez's innovative new playbook study methods:

I took the mattress off the bed and put it under underneath. I put the playbook on top and I'm reading notes through the holes in the bed.

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]]> Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2007-04-16T11:10:00 00:00 Ducks Defense Looking Solid in Spring Practice http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/04/15/ducks-defense-looking-solid-in-spring-practice/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/04/15/ducks-defense-looking-solid-in-spring-practice/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/04/15/ducks-defense-looking-solid-in-spring-practice/#comments

Filed under: Oregon Football, Pac 10, Oregon

Mike Belotti's Oregon Ducks held their first scrimmage of the spring on Saturday, and the D dominated the day's proceedings. Coach Belotti summed it up:

I was very proud of our defense. They're not learning a new system but their focus and concentration was on becoming an elite conditioned status - to help us play faster, harder, and dig deeper. The defensive line is an area where we don't have a lot of depth but I thought they played excellent today. They controlled the line of scrimmage, they dominated.

The Ducks defense racked up a number of touted recruits in their latest recruiting class, led by blue-chip linebacker Terrance Pritchett, four-star defensive tackle Myles Wade, four-star defensive end Kenny Rowe (stolen out of USC and UCLA's backyard), and JC transfer Will Tukuafu, in what many (Belotti included) consider to be Oregon's best recruiting class ever.

They join a defensive unit that returns standout corners Jairus Byrd and Walter Thurmond III, leading tackler Patrick Chung, ends Victor Filipe and David Faaeteete, and linebackers Kwame Agyeman and A.J. Tuitele, amongst others (including the one and only Dexter Manley, Jr.).

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]]> Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2007-04-15T12:19:00 00:00 Spring Practice Questions: USC Trojans http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/03/20/spring-practice-questions-usc-trojans/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/03/20/spring-practice-questions-usc-trojans/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/03/20/spring-practice-questions-usc-trojans/#comments

Filed under: USC Football, Pac 10, Los Angeles

Last Year: 11-2 overall, 7-2 Pac-10, Finished #4 in BCS & AP

Fans Are: Wealthy (which is good, b/c season tickets aren't getting any cheaper), ridiculously good looking.

Expectations: National Championship or bust. After watching a BCS Championship berth flushed down the toilet by a terrible showing against UCLA at the Rose Bowl in the final regular season game, Trojan fans had to endure the 1-2 punch of watching their team show their true colors in a Rose Bowl romp against Michigan, and then watch Florida romp over a team that barely beat that same Wolverine squad. In other words, it became clear that the loss to the Bruins almost certainly cost the Trojans their third title in four years. Blood's in the water in 2007, and anything less than a crystal football will be a disappointment -- even with a ridiculously tough schedule that includes road games at Nebraska, Notre Dame, Cal and Oregon, amongst others.

Questions:

1.) Who will emerge as the top receivers for the Trojans, with the departure of Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith leaving Patrick Turner as the only USC wideout with any significant experience? Will it be highly-touted recruits of yesteryear Vidal Hazelton and/or Travon Patterson, or will this year's top WR recruit, Ronald "RoJo" Johnson step up and follow in Mike Williams and DJ's footsteps as a freshman receiving prodigy?

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]]> Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2007-03-20T12:13:00 00:00 USC Showcases a New 'Power' Move http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/03/09/usc-showcases-a-new-power-move/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/03/09/usc-showcases-a-new-power-move/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/03/09/usc-showcases-a-new-power-move/#comments

Filed under: USC Football, Pac 10, NCAA FB Scandal, Los Angeles

By now you've probably read news of this elsewhere, but I'd be forsaking my FanHouse duties if I didn't report it here -- it seems some USC players made the all-too-common mistake of forgetting that, despite its various layers of friend groups and permissions, Facebook is a very public site with a very large userbase, and that playing at the University of Southern California ensures people are going to be watching when you say, start a "white power" group on said Facebook:

The racist Facebook group was created by a USC football player and showed a graphic of a black baby in handcuffs. Junior linebacker Clay Matthews created the group, "White Nation," which featured a graphic with the caption, "arrest black babies before they become criminals." Teammates David Buehler, Brian Cushing, Dan Deckas and Dallas Sartz joined the group.

"This group is not for the faint of heart," read the group's description. "All members are athletes of Caucasion (sic) descent. DISCLAIMER: In no way are the following memebers (sic) intolerant of others, we are just doing our duty of protecting the Arian (sic) brotherhood."

I ask you, FanHouse readers -- what's the real issue at the core of this story?

Is it (a) that a few players -- who, judging by their relationships with non-white teammates don't seem to be true racists, but more likely just made a locker room-type inside joke so publicly -- were naive enough to put something like this on Facebook and think it wouldn't cause a stir?

Possibly it's (b) if you're going to talk up your white heritage, you should at least try to spell "caucasian" and "aryan" properly?

Or is it (c) the general lack of comedic sensibility demonstrated by the piece?

Whatever the case, Michael Richards and Stan's dad just called to express their support.

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]]> Kyle Bunch kyle-bunch 2007-03-09T11:32:00 00:00 Trojans Hire John (Not Johnnie) Morton as Receivers Coach http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/02/28/trojans-hire-john-not-johnnie-morton-as-receivers-coach/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/02/28/trojans-hire-john-not-johnnie-morton-as-receivers-coach/ http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2007/02/28/trojans-hire-john-not-johnnie-morton-as-receivers-coach/#comments

Filed under: USC Football, Pac 10, NCAA FB Coaching, Los Angeles

An offseason wrought with coaching changes brought about by the departure of Lane Kiffin to the Raiders would seem to be complete this week, as the Trojans hired John Morton (no, not that John Morton) to coach their young receiving corps.

Morton was most recently a receivers coach for the New Orleans Saints -- and if he had anything to do with the successes of young Marques Colston and Devery Henderson, Trojan fans have a lot to be excited about. With a receiving corps that's easily the least experienced part of the USC roster, solid coaching to help accelerate the development of Patrick Turner, Vidal Hazelton, Travon Patterson -- not to mention incoming freshman Ronald Johnson and Brandon Carswell and transfer Damian Williams -- will play a significant role in the Trojans' fates in 2007 and beyond.

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