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By:
Q. Smyth
- Senior Editor Wager On Football.com and C. McDermott -
Handicapper
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The Battle For The National
Championship Begins Here
USC
Trojans - BCS #1
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OU
Sooners - BCS #2
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Lineups - USC
USC
Matt Leinart-2990 yds
LenDale White-985 yds
Dwayne Jarrett-734 yds
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Bowl:
Orange Bowl
When: Jan. 4, 8:00, ABC
Where: Miami, FL
Conference tie-ins: BCS No. 1 vs. BCS No. 2 |
Lineups - OSU
Oklahoma
Jason White-2961 yds
Adrian Peterson-1843 yds
Mark Clayton-855 yds
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Q's Take - USC
vs. Oklahoma. For all the marbles. There hasn't been this
much college meat on the same field since...well I don't
know but it's been a hell of along time. By the time this
one is over, we'll be forgetting all about Auburn's plight.
You can tell your grandchildren you saw Adrian Peterson,
Jason White, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush on the same field.
Pick: USC
Southern
Cal has won 21 games in a row, the second-longest streak
in the nation behind Boise State (22).
Southern California and Oklahoma both won a national title
this decade -- USC in 2003 and Oklahoma in 2000.
Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson set a freshman NCAA record with
11 100-yard games.
The Sooners own a 12-5 record in the Orange Bowl.
USC finished with .9770
in the standings, and Oklahoma had .9681. Auburn's grade
was .9331. Oklahoma's strong computer rankings kept the
Sooners ahead of the Tigers in the BCS standings, while
USC held on to first place thanks to its strong showing
in the polls.
Last season, USC was left out of the BCS title game, despite
being No. 1 in both the AP and coaches polls at the end
of the regular season. Instead, Oklahoma played LSU in the
Sugar Bowl, even though the Sooners lost the Big 12 title
game.
When all the bowls were finished, LSU won the BCS championship,
and USC was No. 1 in the final AP poll.
Final BCS Standings
Rk Team Avg
1 USC .9770
2 Oklahoma .9681
3 Auburn .9331
4 Texas .8476
5 California .8347
6 Utah .8181
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"We certainly understand what it feels like when you
wished you'd been in this game," said USC coach Pete
Carroll, sympathizing with Auburn's plight. "Unfortunately,
there were three undefeated teams and with this system one
of them was going to be left out."
In an attempt to avoid a repeat of 2003's mess, the BCS
scaled back its formula, making it far more reliant on the
human polls. But another problem arose, of course: For the
first time since the BCS was implemented in 1998, there
were more than two unbeaten teams from major conferences.
"The bottom line is whatever formula we have is going
to be the target of some significant criticism at the end
of the day," BCS coordinator and Big 12 commissioner
Kevin Weiberg said.
Injuries - Oklahoma Injuries
Player Pos Injury Status
Antonio Perkins DB Knee day-to-day
Calvin Thibodeaux DL Knee out for season
Southern California Injuries
Player Pos Injury Status
Manuel Wright DL Ankle day-to-day
Mike Williams WR Personal out for season
Chris Barrett DL Shoulder Out indefinitely
John Drake OL Ankle day-to-day
Lofa Tatupu LB Sternum day-to-day
This is THE game for star gazing.
Oklahoma has the Heisman-candidate tandem of quarterback
Jason White and running back Adrian Peterson, plus receiver
Mark Clayton, defensive end Dan Cody, offensive tackle Jammal
Brown and cornerback Antonio Perkins. USC counters with
its own 1-2 Heisman punch of quarterback Matt Leinart and
running back Reggie Bush, plus receiver Dwayne Jarrett,
defensive linemen Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson, and lineback
Lofa Tatupu.
What to watch
How White performs against the relentless USC pass rush.
LSU proved last year that getting in White's face is a known
deterrent to accurate passing -- although this year the
Sooners have a running game that can keep a defense honest.
Also watch how the Sooners' fast defense matches up in open
space with the explosive Bush.
Why to watch
If you don't know by this stage of the season, you haven't
been paying attention.
Finally My Take - BCS MESS: It’s
official: the BCS sucks. Anyone who still defends the current
system is a complete idiot. Granted, the BCS is better than
the old system because it has produced some #1 vs. #2 match-ups
like the classic Ohio State victory over Miami two years
ago. The last two years, however, have confirmed that some
sort of playoff is necessary. Auburn got screwed. Also,
how in the hell did Texas squeak past Cal to get into the
Rose Bowl? I understand that the USC/Oklahoma match-up may
go down as a classic, but neither team will have a clean
claim to the title because Auburn also deserves a shot.
The system is broken and it needs to be fixed.
Ciaran's Take - Wager On Football Handicapper
Oklahoma most recently...
After a win are 10-0
After playing Baylor are 5-3
After outgaining opponent are 9-1
Southern Cal most recently...
After a win are 10-0
After playing UCLA are 5-1
After outgaining opponent are 10-0
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