Overview
The Pac-10 would like to be considered as one of the best conferences in the nation with the likes of the SEC and the Big 10. Some years, it can be argued that the Pac-10 is as good as those other conferences, but it may be hard to make that argument this year. Other than a couple of teams, the Pac-10 seems to be made up of a collection of teams that may routinely have trouble beating teams from the likes of conferences such as the Mountain West, both in the regular and post-season. Thanks to NCAA sanctions, transfers of key players, and as mentioned before, trouble with teams from so-called "lesser" conferences such as the Mountain West, the Pac-10 may be largely overlooked. They'll have to rely on their top tier teams to keep the buzz about the Pac-10 alive. If the top teams fall, then this conference will be lumped into the category with conferences like the Big East, ACC, and Mountain West. For the Pac-10, that is devastating.
Team(s) With the Best Shot at a National Championship
Oregon
Due to their favorable schedule and the fact that they are ranked so highly in the preseason poll, the Ducks should be able to hang around in the national championship picture for most of the season. Losing quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to Ole Miss is a disappointment for Oregon, but not necessarily a major one. They still have a senior leader in quarterback Nate Costa, and one can argue that running back LaMichael James would've actually been more instrumental in Oregon's success this season had Masoli still been around. If Oregon can keep the ship upright during their last five games (their hardest stretch of games this season), they have a shot at playing for the national title.
Watch Out! (Team That Could Surprise)
Stanford
I was debating putting Stanford into the "Team(s) With the Best Shot at a National Championship Bid", but for now I'll hold off on the bolder of predictions and just say that they could surprise people. Last season, I think that Toby Gerhart gave the impression that he was the Stanford Cardinal. While he was one of the best players in the nation, that just isn't true. Thanks to sophomore quarterback Andrew Luck and fifteen other returning starters, the Cardinal could be just as good as or better than last year if they improve their defense.
Out-Of-Conference Game To Watch
Oregon State vs. Boise State (September 25th)
The truth is, if Boise State wins their opener against Virginia Tech, the focus will be on them in this game. However, if Oregon State also comes into this game undefeated (they have to play TCU in Arlington, TX and Louisville), then they have a chance to be thrust into the Top 15 or higher with a win against the Broncos. The Rodgers brothers are upperclassmen, so if there is going to be a season that the Beavers ride them into a BCS bowl, this is it. A win against the Broncos would surely put them on track to do just that.
In-Conference Game To Watch
Oregon vs. Stanford (October 2nd)
Since USC doesn't matter this year, this game should be the marquee matchup of the year. Last season, this game was an offensive shootout that ended in a 51-42 upset win for Stanford. Considering Stanford's shaky defense, it could be a high scoring affair again, with the winner being the favorite to capture the Pac-10 championship. A lot can go wrong leading up to this game, but chances are this one will still have the nation's attention.
Conference Predictions
1. Stanford (10-2, [7-2])
2. USC (11-2, [7-2])
3. Oregon (9-3, [6-3])
4. Oregon State (8-4, [6-3])
5. California (8-4, [5-4])
6. Arizona (5-7, [3-6])
7. Washington (4-8, [3-6])
8. UCLA (3-9, [3-6])
9. Arizona State (3-9, [1-8])
10. Washington State (1-11, [0-9])
- K. Becks
Showing posts with label ucla bruins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ucla bruins. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Live From Omaha
Unfortunately, I didn't really have the chance to blog live from Omaha as I said I would, because I didn't get back to the hotel until very late Monday and Tuesday night. However, it really doesn't matter, because everything I planned on writing can still be written and not lose its relevance. So, it's a little late, but here it is; my "Live From Omaha" special.
Day 1 (Monday, June 28th)
My brother and I got to the stadium around eleven in the morning, because we were going to get in line to upgrade our tickets. This would assure that not only my brother and I, but also my dad and other brother (who were at my brother's baseball tournament) would also get a seat at the game. My brother was smart enough to bring along a camera so that we could document our experience waiting in line, so you can watch the videos below to hear more about that.
After we got our upgraded tickets, we essentially had about six hours to kill. Since our dad was at my brother's game, we had no car and about a mile around Rosenblatt Stadium to work with. After going to the flea market for about an hour, we did the most reckless, exciting thing we could think of for the next two and a half hours; sit under a tree by the porta-potties. You'd think that sitting by twelve steaming portable toilets under a tree with very little shade would keep the ticket scalpers away, but you'd be mistaken. Eventually, most of the scalpers went across the street to the flea market, as they must have figured out that standing in the sun for five hours to make a two dollar commission on tickets is not the most effective way to make money.
At around three in the afternoon, the Fan Fest stuff started to set up outside the stadium. My brother and I decided that the Coke girls were much better looking than the Mello Yello ladies, so we spent the next hour or so walking around the Coke station taking free shots of Coke Zero. After about an hour of walking around pointing out the dimes, we found an area with picnic benches under shade. These picnic benches were not as intriguing as the porta-potties we sat by earlier, but nevertheless, the shade was nice. While sitting at the table, some older woman came up to us and asked us if we wanted a sticker. This is the point where I became a South Carolina Gamecocks fan. No UCLA fan was smart enough to adopt me for the series, and my brother had already bought a South Carolina hat, so it seemed okay to me as long as I made sure not to place the South Carolina sticker over the Ohio State logo on my shirt.
After the picnic tables no longer seemed like the hot place to be, we began to walk around again. A coach bus arrived in the parking lot, and my brother insisted on walking over to it, because he believed it was carrying the South Carolina team. This is the first of two times on the trip that I disagreed with him and he ended up being right. The sting of me being wrong (it stings because it's rare) was alleviated slightly by the fact that I became more pleased with my choice of adopting South Carolina as my team, as I noticed that South Carolina had the better looking female fans. This may have been because 75% of the fans at Rosenblatt were rooting for South Carolina, but it also could have been because no UCLA girls wore shirts that read "I Heart Cocks".
After the players got off the bus, we went back to the picnic tables to sit. At this point our patience was being tested, as we had been waiting for over five hours for our dad and brother to show up and they informed us that the team had decided to go back to the hotel before heading to Rosenblatt. Eventually they showed up, and we got in line (the short one, though, because we had upgraded our tickets) to get into the stadium.
When we got inside, the first thing we did was buy food. Now, before I go on, let me ask you all a question: When was the last time that your food cost more than your ticket? That pretty much sums up the story on the food, although to be fair, it was really good.
And now, for the game. It started out...no, I'm just kidding. This isn't about the game. It's about the experience, and (for the first game, at least) nothing happened worth noting in the stands. That pretty much wraps up Day 1.
Day 2 (Tuesday, June 29th)
We knew that Day 2 was going to be completely different than Day 1. My brother's game was later in the day, which meant that we didn't have to go down to the stadium and wait all day for my dad and brother to show up. However, that also meant that immediately after we got to Rosenblatt, we had to go get in the "General Admission" line behind the stadium because we didn't have reserved seating. I didn't believe that the line formed until around four, but that was the second of two times that I was wrong and my youngest brother was right. However, the sting of this one was not alleviated, as my brother was far more of an ass after we found out he was right. So, we walked behind the stadium and got into the line. We waited in line for about an hour or so, which wasn't that bad because four chicks with E,S,P, and N written on their shirts were by us and kept us busy. I would have preferred that "Entertainment" and "Network" had gone somewhere else, because it was pretty obvious from their girth that we really only came for the "Sports Programming", but I guess you have to take both the good and the bad.
Eventually we got into the stadium, and South Carolina was taking batting practice. Since we were in the General Admission section rather than the Reserved Seating section, I quickly noticed that the douche bag-to-normal people ratio was much higher than the night before. However, we got extremely lucky, as one gentleman sitting a few rows in front of us was easily the funniest fan I have ever witnessed at any sporting event. There are no words to describe him; you just have to see him for yourselves.
It didn't end with Barry. These videos aren't very good, as our camera is broken and you can't actually see what you're filming, but it's still worth watching. If you can't figure out what it is, look up "Erin Andrews Look Alike Streaking" on YouTube.
As I said before, this blog isn't really focused on the actual games, but my brother did get footage of the game winning hit, which I think is worthy of being posted.
That pretty much sums up my trip. Now that I've had a chance to experience the College World Series, I'm going to miss Rosenblatt Stadium. Personally, I don't think they really needed the new stadium. The majority of the people that come to College World Series aren't even true fans of any of the teams participating (myself included). They come for the atmosphere of Rosenblatt, and with the new stadium likely going to make ticket prices skyrocket, it's not going to fill up. They had a great thing in Rosenblatt, and it's cliche, but it will no longer be the same. I'm just glad I had a chance to experience The 'Blatt before it's gone.
- K. Becks
Day 1 (Monday, June 28th)
My brother and I got to the stadium around eleven in the morning, because we were going to get in line to upgrade our tickets. This would assure that not only my brother and I, but also my dad and other brother (who were at my brother's baseball tournament) would also get a seat at the game. My brother was smart enough to bring along a camera so that we could document our experience waiting in line, so you can watch the videos below to hear more about that.
After we got our upgraded tickets, we essentially had about six hours to kill. Since our dad was at my brother's game, we had no car and about a mile around Rosenblatt Stadium to work with. After going to the flea market for about an hour, we did the most reckless, exciting thing we could think of for the next two and a half hours; sit under a tree by the porta-potties. You'd think that sitting by twelve steaming portable toilets under a tree with very little shade would keep the ticket scalpers away, but you'd be mistaken. Eventually, most of the scalpers went across the street to the flea market, as they must have figured out that standing in the sun for five hours to make a two dollar commission on tickets is not the most effective way to make money.
At around three in the afternoon, the Fan Fest stuff started to set up outside the stadium. My brother and I decided that the Coke girls were much better looking than the Mello Yello ladies, so we spent the next hour or so walking around the Coke station taking free shots of Coke Zero. After about an hour of walking around pointing out the dimes, we found an area with picnic benches under shade. These picnic benches were not as intriguing as the porta-potties we sat by earlier, but nevertheless, the shade was nice. While sitting at the table, some older woman came up to us and asked us if we wanted a sticker. This is the point where I became a South Carolina Gamecocks fan. No UCLA fan was smart enough to adopt me for the series, and my brother had already bought a South Carolina hat, so it seemed okay to me as long as I made sure not to place the South Carolina sticker over the Ohio State logo on my shirt.
After the picnic tables no longer seemed like the hot place to be, we began to walk around again. A coach bus arrived in the parking lot, and my brother insisted on walking over to it, because he believed it was carrying the South Carolina team. This is the first of two times on the trip that I disagreed with him and he ended up being right. The sting of me being wrong (it stings because it's rare) was alleviated slightly by the fact that I became more pleased with my choice of adopting South Carolina as my team, as I noticed that South Carolina had the better looking female fans. This may have been because 75% of the fans at Rosenblatt were rooting for South Carolina, but it also could have been because no UCLA girls wore shirts that read "I Heart Cocks".
After the players got off the bus, we went back to the picnic tables to sit. At this point our patience was being tested, as we had been waiting for over five hours for our dad and brother to show up and they informed us that the team had decided to go back to the hotel before heading to Rosenblatt. Eventually they showed up, and we got in line (the short one, though, because we had upgraded our tickets) to get into the stadium.
When we got inside, the first thing we did was buy food. Now, before I go on, let me ask you all a question: When was the last time that your food cost more than your ticket? That pretty much sums up the story on the food, although to be fair, it was really good.
And now, for the game. It started out...no, I'm just kidding. This isn't about the game. It's about the experience, and (for the first game, at least) nothing happened worth noting in the stands. That pretty much wraps up Day 1.
Day 2 (Tuesday, June 29th)
We knew that Day 2 was going to be completely different than Day 1. My brother's game was later in the day, which meant that we didn't have to go down to the stadium and wait all day for my dad and brother to show up. However, that also meant that immediately after we got to Rosenblatt, we had to go get in the "General Admission" line behind the stadium because we didn't have reserved seating. I didn't believe that the line formed until around four, but that was the second of two times that I was wrong and my youngest brother was right. However, the sting of this one was not alleviated, as my brother was far more of an ass after we found out he was right. So, we walked behind the stadium and got into the line. We waited in line for about an hour or so, which wasn't that bad because four chicks with E,S,P, and N written on their shirts were by us and kept us busy. I would have preferred that "Entertainment" and "Network" had gone somewhere else, because it was pretty obvious from their girth that we really only came for the "Sports Programming", but I guess you have to take both the good and the bad.
Eventually we got into the stadium, and South Carolina was taking batting practice. Since we were in the General Admission section rather than the Reserved Seating section, I quickly noticed that the douche bag-to-normal people ratio was much higher than the night before. However, we got extremely lucky, as one gentleman sitting a few rows in front of us was easily the funniest fan I have ever witnessed at any sporting event. There are no words to describe him; you just have to see him for yourselves.
It didn't end with Barry. These videos aren't very good, as our camera is broken and you can't actually see what you're filming, but it's still worth watching. If you can't figure out what it is, look up "Erin Andrews Look Alike Streaking" on YouTube.
As I said before, this blog isn't really focused on the actual games, but my brother did get footage of the game winning hit, which I think is worthy of being posted.
That pretty much sums up my trip. Now that I've had a chance to experience the College World Series, I'm going to miss Rosenblatt Stadium. Personally, I don't think they really needed the new stadium. The majority of the people that come to College World Series aren't even true fans of any of the teams participating (myself included). They come for the atmosphere of Rosenblatt, and with the new stadium likely going to make ticket prices skyrocket, it's not going to fill up. They had a great thing in Rosenblatt, and it's cliche, but it will no longer be the same. I'm just glad I had a chance to experience The 'Blatt before it's gone.
- K. Becks
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Climbing The Ranks
I've managed to put together a considerable winning streak, with a 4-0 record picking the last four bowl games. The only problem is, almost everyone else playing the College Bowl Mania game had the exact same picks, so I'm slowly rising in the overall rankings. Today could be the day that I finally make a significant jump in the rankings.
I don't have too much to say about last night's game, because I was unable to watch it. However, I think it's safe to say that the Aggie defense was non-existent. If I'm off the mark there, then someone please let me know how Georgia managed to score 44 points.
After two days with only one bowl game, we begin a string of days in which multiple games are being played. Here are my picks for the December 29th bowl games.
EagleBank Bowl
UCLA vs. Temple
At first glance, common sense tells you that this shouldn't be much of a game. However, not only does UCLA have to travel across the country to play this game (it is in Washington, D.C.), but they only have three conference wins. Two of those wins happen to be against the bottom two teams in the Pac-10 (Washington St. and Arizona St.) while the third was against Washington, who was 7th in the Pac-10. In previous entries I've voiced my opinion of the Pac-10, and UCLA doesn't do anything to change that opinion. Fortunately for the Bruins, they don't have to play a MWC foe. Temple, disregarding their record, just isn't as strong a team as some of the other teams the Pac-10 have had to face. This game should be closer than many people predict, but it may still be a boring one. I have 26 points on UCLA in the College Bowl Mania game, but I'm not that confident in them.
Final Score: 27-17 UCLA
Champs Sports Bowl
Miami (FL) vs. Wisconsin
Unlike the first game today, this one has the potential to be a great game to watch. Miami is led by QB Jacory Harris on offense, and he is a solid quarterback who can take his team down the field quickly if he needs to. Wisconsin is more run-oriented, and will rely on HB John Clay to pound the ball down the field. In games featuring two good teams, as this one does, ball control is usually the deciding factor. If Wisconsin can control the ball and grind out the clock, then they can come away with the win. However, if Miami gets out to a fast start and gets up early, then it will be hard for the slower moving Badger offense to keep up. I have Wisconsin for 3 points in the College Bowl Mania game, and I'm looking forward to watching this one. It has the potential to be the best game we've seen in the bowl season so far.
Final Score: 28-24 Wisconsin
Like what I'm doing so far? If you do, let me know at aroundthecornsportsblog@gmail.com . If you have some suggestions on how I can make it more interesting, or if you just have a topic you'd like me to give my opinion on, then let me know. Thanks everyone.
- K. Becks
I don't have too much to say about last night's game, because I was unable to watch it. However, I think it's safe to say that the Aggie defense was non-existent. If I'm off the mark there, then someone please let me know how Georgia managed to score 44 points.
After two days with only one bowl game, we begin a string of days in which multiple games are being played. Here are my picks for the December 29th bowl games.
EagleBank Bowl
UCLA vs. Temple
At first glance, common sense tells you that this shouldn't be much of a game. However, not only does UCLA have to travel across the country to play this game (it is in Washington, D.C.), but they only have three conference wins. Two of those wins happen to be against the bottom two teams in the Pac-10 (Washington St. and Arizona St.) while the third was against Washington, who was 7th in the Pac-10. In previous entries I've voiced my opinion of the Pac-10, and UCLA doesn't do anything to change that opinion. Fortunately for the Bruins, they don't have to play a MWC foe. Temple, disregarding their record, just isn't as strong a team as some of the other teams the Pac-10 have had to face. This game should be closer than many people predict, but it may still be a boring one. I have 26 points on UCLA in the College Bowl Mania game, but I'm not that confident in them.
Final Score: 27-17 UCLA
Champs Sports Bowl
Miami (FL) vs. Wisconsin
Unlike the first game today, this one has the potential to be a great game to watch. Miami is led by QB Jacory Harris on offense, and he is a solid quarterback who can take his team down the field quickly if he needs to. Wisconsin is more run-oriented, and will rely on HB John Clay to pound the ball down the field. In games featuring two good teams, as this one does, ball control is usually the deciding factor. If Wisconsin can control the ball and grind out the clock, then they can come away with the win. However, if Miami gets out to a fast start and gets up early, then it will be hard for the slower moving Badger offense to keep up. I have Wisconsin for 3 points in the College Bowl Mania game, and I'm looking forward to watching this one. It has the potential to be the best game we've seen in the bowl season so far.
Final Score: 28-24 Wisconsin
Like what I'm doing so far? If you do, let me know at aroundthecornsportsblog@gmail.com . If you have some suggestions on how I can make it more interesting, or if you just have a topic you'd like me to give my opinion on, then let me know. Thanks everyone.
- K. Becks
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