And USC IS arrogant, and right now they have the right to be. Doesn’t mean it’ll last for them, or for us Gators. Look at the egg on the face of Domers and Michigan fans after this season.

In any case, USC-Florida is my dream match-up. 2009 MNC maybe?

Regarding your second point… USC arrogant? Nah. The ucla loss was due to USC’s offense that stunk up the joint. The defense was fine.

No offense, but USC’s future is much better than whatever team you favor, with the possible exception being the Gators. USC-w vs Tebow in 2008. That would be cool.

#19 Kate: Very interesting comment regarding USC football in 2008. You write that Arizona and Washington State might trip up USC. I checked the schedule and both of those are away games for USC on consecutive weeks.

For the mild-weatherd Trojans, playing in cold, rainy and clammy Washington is difficult and it is also difficult playing in Arizona’s heat in the evening. So, you may be on to something. But, I doubt USC will overlook these games. For the next forseeable years, whenever USC plays a patsy, the players and coaches will be reminded of the bitter Stanford loss, and will not be overlooked.

Personally, I thought the UCLA loss last year was also due to Trojan arrogance. UCLA was definitely not supposed to beat USC. USC was definitely supposed to steamroll the baby Bruins and go on to the MNC. Pete Carroll > Karl Dorrell, any year, any game. Except that one. Not only because Dorrell and Dewayne Walker put up a fine game plan. Probably also because PC and his team were looking a month ahead and still had “66-19″ ringing in their ears.

As far as rivalry games, anything can happen. UCLA played an emotional energized game and Walker put together the perfect game plan. And UCLA got some luck, especially with that last amazing play on the tipped inteception. Oregon State in 06 would be the other borderline loss, but OSU won 10 games and looked pretty good by the end of the season.

So if you look at USC’s 8 losses over the past 6 years, most were not letdowns. If Oregon this year is a “good” loss then obviously Texas in 05, and also Cal in 03, Kansas State in 02 and WSU in 02 (they won the Pac-10) would be “good” losses as well.

I’m not sure you can point to a team that hasn’t lost at least a couple of games they “should” have won over the last few years.

(Ok, so he really only had one shot in 2000…but anyway.)

I’m not worried though. UGA will 9x out of 10 have more talent, and without a coaching liability on the sidelines (such as JD or Goof), we should continue pushing that 70% wins per decade against NATS to 80% or better.

And if Tenuta leaves the Nerds can look forward to ending their regular season with “thrilling” 45-28 losses instead of the bland Gailey losses.

Want to make a bet that next season it’ll be the likes of Washington State or Arizona that keeps Pete Carroll in his seventh-consecutive Rose Bowl instead of Dolphin Stadium in 2009?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/gene_menez/12/06/tebow.interview/index.html

While other fb players are being accused of drunkenly exposing themselves, breaking in and stealing, and throwing sandwiches at hapless victims, Tebow reads his Bible every day, will probably win the Heisman and has no bigger Christmas wish than for his mother to make him Rice Krispie ice cream pie when he comes home.

I LOVE THIS BOY TOO. x 1000.

That said, mad propers for going out on top (beating the Irish, despite a decided schematic advantage).