quote Rivals

Monday, USC coach Pete Carroll told the media and his team that they'd be breathing life into a tradition that's been dead since 1982 – where both UCLA and USC wore their home jerseys when the two teams meet.

By wearing their cardinal jerseys Saturday, the Trojans will be penalized and will lose a timeout in each half.

"It might (cost us). I don't know. I don't care about that right now," Carroll said. "We'll play without it. I think it's worth it. I think it's a fun thing to do, and I think our fans will appreciate it over time."

Carroll said he has investigated all avenues that would allow for USC to wear its home colors without penalty.

"I talked to Dave Cutaia [coordinator of football officiating for the Pac-10] about what we could do," Carroll said. "He checked into it in anticipation that it might come up. And, there's nothing we can do about it."

The Orange County Register has reported that the Pac-10 has spoken to the NCAA about changing the rule and could hear back from the NCAA by Tuesday.

Still, Carroll is content to play without the two timeouts if he has to.

"I've been thinking about it for years. I've been trying to restore it. I always thought it was a really cool tradition," he said. "We're finally going to do it and hopefully start a nice tradition."

Carroll said he called UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel shortly after the former Washington coach took over across town.

"I know Rick liked the idea, too," Carroll said. "We're not trying to surprise them like Notre Dame throwing on the green jerseys or something like that."

Carroll said he doesn't feel he's disrespecting UCLA by playing without two timeouts.

"I set it up by talking to him at the start of it. It's not a surprise. I'm not trying to pull anything over on anybody," Carroll said. "I just think it's a cool thing to do, and maybe it isn't. We'll find out. I'm not really worried about it."

Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said the lost timeout won't affect the USC offense.

"It's tradition. It's what this game used to be. It's just like anything," he said. "It's like a call coming in late, and you have to burn one early in the game.

"I think it's good for the tradition and good for the rivalry. For people who grew up in Southern California, that's how they know the game."

But if the NCAA doesn't grant a waiver for the game and the Trojans go ahead with their plans, fans at the Rose Bowl won't be seeing just true blue and cardinal on the field.

They'll be at least a little yellow out there, too.

quote The Oklahoman

The conspiracy theory on BCS
BCS mess Voters who swapped in favor of UT can still save Horns
Comments 90By John Rohde
Published: December 2, 2008
Calling all BCS swappers.

We're putting together a conspiracy, but we can't pull it off without your help.

If you're one of those voters in the USA Today coaches' poll or the Harris poll who had Texas ranked ahead of OU last week and then kept the Longhorns ranked ahead of the Sooners after last weekend's results, good for you. That's sticking to your guns. Well done.



Can you really blame Texas coach Mack Brown for politicking for this football team?Ap


If you're one of those voters who had UT ahead of OU and then put the Sooners ahead of the Longhorns after last weekend's results, hey, that's your prerogative.

If you're one of those voters who had OU ahead of UT and then put the Longhorns ahead of the Sooners after last weekend, then you're the people we're addressing here today.

If your vote had UT leapfrog OU after last weekend, it means one of two things.

Either it took you an extra week to realize the Longhorns beat the Sooners 45-35 in Dallas, which happened seven weeks earlier; or you thought UT's 49-9 victory at home against a pitiful Texas A&M team was more meaningful than OU's 61-41 victory on the road against No. 12-ranked Oklahoma State, a team Texas beat by four points in Austin.

Either way, you're an idiot, and that puts you in our demographic.

We are targeting those who last week were captured by the spell of Texas coach Mack Brown, an incredibly charming fellow.

I don't blame Brown for politicking. He stood up for his team.

I do blame voters who fell for it and swapped their votes.

I'm guessing you swappers are pretty angry right now. Texas will have to sit out Saturday's Big 12 championship game between overrated OU and Missouri at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

Fret not, swappers. You can still save your Longhorns.

They won't win the Big 12 title, but you can still give them a shot at the national title.

That brings us to our conspiracy. I'll try to keep this simple, since you swappers have a hard time keeping up with things.

→Scenario No. 1: OU beats Missouri, and Florida beats Alabama in the SEC title game.

Here's how you would vote: 1. Texas; 2. OU; 3. USC; 4. Florida; 5. Alabama.

This would secure a national title game between the Longhorns and Sooners in Miami on Jan. 8.

It could be billed as "This time, it matters."

The order of your top 5 certainly would be acceptable. No team is unreasonably misplaced.

You might wonder why USC is No. 3 rather than No. 4 or No. 5. Because the Trojans are killing people, that's why.

You might wonder why Florida is No. 4 rather than No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3. Because the Gators lost at home to 8-4 Mississippi, that's why.

Somehow, this is something many voters have forgotten — including those in The Associated Press poll.

Florida is the only one-loss team in the country to lose at home. There should be consequences.

→Scenario No. 2: OU beats Missouri and Florida beats Alabama by one point.

Same vote as Scenario No. 1, and for the exact same reasons.

East Coast swappers would try to set up an SEC rematch. That's how they do things back there.

Alabama is a 10-point underdog. Has the No. 1 team in the country ever been a 10-point dog? If the Gators beat the Crimson Tide by one point, they've drastically underachieved.

→Scenario No. 3: Missouri beats OU.

Here's how you would vote: 1. Texas; 2. Alabama/Florida winner; 3. what's it matter?

→Scenario No. 4: OU beats Missouri and Alabama beats Florida.

I'm sorry, but there doesn't appear to be any way to save your Longhorns if this transpires.

I supposed you could vote 1. Texas; 2. Alabama; 3. OU. Give it one more college try for your Longhorns.

You would have your conscience to consider. Remember, you're exposed at this point.

The final Harris and coaches' polls are made public. No more anonymity.

Are you swappers ready to be held accountable?

The problem with our conspiracy is the timetable. There's much to do between now and next Sunday.

I'm afraid this might be too much for swappers to comprehend.

It usually takes them an extra week to make up their minds.

John Rohde: 475-3099. John Rohde can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11 a.m. on New JOX 930 (AM).

quote Ace Flyer

quote MasterMatt1228

I also think that Bama is a fluke. Who have they played? Exactly. They are going to lose.

What has Florida played that is any better than Alabama's opponents?

quote MasterMatt1228

I mentioned that earlier, flying monkey.

Good job repeating what I had to say

quote flying monkey child

And the name ain't flying monkey. FMC, or flying monkey child will do. The former must be all caps, for the most part. It's you're choice whether or not to capitalize the f, m, and c in the latter. Hell, you could go to font crazy town on that one for all I care.

quote force

what happens if Missouri wins the Big 12 championship? what happens to BCS??

quote force

what happens if Missouri wins the Big 12 championship? what happens to BCS??

quote flying monkey child

[Florida is going to kill Alabama.]