Saturday, December 02, 2006

"Miracle at the Rose Bowl"

USC must think it's cursed in Pasadena. For the second time in a year, the Trojans fell to an underdog at the Rose Bowl, this time losing to UCLA 13-9 in the most improbable of upsets.

USC is now out of the national title picture. And Michigan is back in. The Wolverines will more than likely get that rematch against the Buckeyes in Glendale Jan. 8. Florida, which is currently beating Arkansas in the SEC title game, is the only other team with a chance. But it would take some serious shifting of votes for the Gators to jump the Wolverines in the BCS.

I just chatted with someone in Ann Arbor. They're honking horns in the streets. They know the implications of UCLA's huge upset.

No one - and I mean no one - outside of the UCLA locker room saw this one coming. The Bruins didn't even choose a starting QB until three days ago. The Bruins (7-5) suffered through a four-game losing streak earlier this year. The Bruins hadn't beaten the Trojans since 1998.

Unbelievable.

So much credit needs to go to the Bruins defense. USC was coming off a 44-point performance against Notre Dame. USC hadn't scored less than 20 points the entire season. And the Bruins shut out the Trojans for an entire half of football. Very impressive.

The Bruins took the big play away from the Trojans. While Dwayne Jarrett was spectacular last Saturday, he was very average this Saturday, catching four passes for 66 yards and no touchdowns.

Every time it looked like the Trojans were ready to break the Bruins defense, it didn't happen. In the third quarter, trailing 10-9, USC got the ball in UCLA territory after the Bruins' lone turnover in the contest - a mishandled backward pass. The momentum seemed to be swinging toward the Trojans.

But a penalty, then a sack, and all of a sudden the momentum was back in UCLA's hands. I was convinced USC would pull ahead, find a way to retake the lead. Even after a great interception by Eric McNeal gave UCLA the ball with 1:10 left I wasn't convinced. USC had all its timeouts. But after a great 63-yard punt by Aaron Perez, it was all but over.

And Michigan had new life, another shot at the Buckeyes.

If Michigan gets the nod in the BCS, there is going to be a lot of pressure on Lloyd Carr going into the title game. No U-M coach has ever lost two games in a season to OSU. OK, I know they've never played twice in a year. But, like it or not, wrong or right, if Michigan falls again to OSU, the chants to fire Carr will begin again.

Which, of course, would be absolutely ridiculous. But that's life in Ann Arbor.

Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's not.

And right now, well, let's just say it's on the "great" side of the scale.

Thanks, 100 percent, to the Bruins.

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