Webthoughts

2:34 left in the first half.

I may end up eating these words, but I have maintained throughout the season that USC is not all that. The main reason for this? They have, at best, an average defense. And so far, it is really showing in this game. Vince Young is having a career game.

As much as it hurts to say: "Hook 'em Horns!"

Texas 41, USC 38.

USC's defense still lost the game for them. Vince Young had a huge role in that as well.

In all fairness, however, Texas' defense wasn't much better, especially in the second half. There were over 1,100 total offensive yards in this game! (USC had 574. Texas had 556.)

Texas' defense did stop USC on that key Fourth and Two play late in the fourth quarter. They also managed to keep Reggie Bush pretty well contained. Not so much with LenDale White though.

USC just couldn't stop Vince Young. And that was the difference in the game.

Congratulations to the University of Texas. I have maintained you were the best team in the country all year long and you guys backed it up tonight.

(And no, I'm not going to argue about the touchdown-that-wasn't in the second quarter. The fact is, the play was never reviewed, so it stood. Touchdown. No going back on it now.)

Um...wow.

I'm thinking this will not be something we'll see again for a very long time.

I was watching the Bengals and Ravens on Monday Night Football tonight and saw this Nike ad.

This really is a great commercial! There was conversation in my living room during the game and when this ad came on, things simply got quiet and we were simply glued to the television.

Interesting note: the music in the commercial is the song "Promentory" from the Last of the Mohicans soundtrack. Michael Mann, the director of Last of the Mohicans also directed this commercial.

Well, it was a long and sometimes ugly road getting there, but the Cubs clinched the National League Central with their win over the Reds and the Brewers' loss to the Padres last night.

Of course, some will say that winning the NL Central is not really something to brag about, and really, that's probably true. But it doesn't really matter because the Cubs are in the playoffs!

Do I expect to see a World Series appearance? Not really. Will I take one? You bet!

I'm sure you've already seen this as it's made the rounds across the web, but this could be one of the greatest plays in College Football History, even despite the ...er... questionable play-by-play.

Note to Dave Price at CBS: Tom Osbourne is the Athletic Director at the University of Nebraska, not the University of Oklahoma. What you suggested this morning while the Sooner band was playing at the Macy's Parade was pretty much heresy in most parts of both Nebraska and Oklahoma.

(While the Sooner band was marching in the parade in the background as CBS came back from a commercial break, Mr. Price said something along the lines of "The Sooner marching band is playing behind us. I believe Tom Osbourne was just named Athletic Director there, so that's good. A legend returns.")

Wow. I guess that really does show how irrelevant NU Football has become. It also goes to show that some people just need to stay away from athletics.

(I should also point out that after they came back from the next commercial break, Mr. Price did admit he messed up.)

Four years after he was passed over as Head Football Coach at Nebraska, USC Defensive Coordinator Bo Pelini has been named Head Football Coach at...

...Nebraska!

There aren't many in Nebraska who don't remember then Athletic Director Steve Pederson's snubbing of Pelini for the position in favor of Bill Callahan. Pelini had just come off coaching Nebraska to an emotional win in the Alamo Bowl over Michigan State after being named Interim Head Coach after Frank Solich's firing. Not long after that victory, Pelini was cleaning out his office after the announcement of Callahan's hiring.

Many will see today's announcement as a bit of vindication for Pelini. Most of the state thought Pelini should have been hired to succeed Solich. That obviously didn't happen and, despite everything that happened in the four years since, that probably was a good thing. Pelini wasn't ready.

Is he ready today to take on this very tough job? Face it, Nebraska is not the easiest place to coach. You have a very strong history from the last 37 years. There's a lot of success there, under only 4 coaches. There are very high expectations due to all the success over those years. Nebraska football is pretty much the only thing the state has and is under very close scrutiny.

I don't think Steve Pederson and Bill Callahan ever understood that. Callahan especially always seem to be confused at all the criticisms and attention paid to the program. He didn't make himself very accessible and Pederson made the program the equivalent of a well-defended fortress. The program was basically taken away from the state. And the state was not happy.

This is what Bo Pelini is stepping into.

Can he handle it? Obviously, I don't know. During this brief search, as his name was bandied about, I kept thinking he probably wouldn't be the best choice. I thought the program needed an impact name—someone proven. It needed someone who could come in and make an immediate impact. I was really thinking that Jim Grobe (from Wake Forest) would be the best choice of the names thrown out there, but that Pelini would get the job. And, he did get the job.

But, after the press conference this afternoon and the reaction I've already heard, I'll say that Bo Pelini has already made an impact on the program and the state. He made a point during the press conference of referring to the program's past including his time with Frank Solich. He made a point of telling everyone that he understood their frustration over the past few years and that he would do everything he could to undo it. He really reached out to the players and to the fans both. It really seemed that he wants to be not just a head coach, but the Nebraska head coach.

Even though I'm still unsure as to whether he will be able to succeed here or not, I do have to say I'm excited to see what will happen. After the past four years of frustration and uncertainty, it's good to be excited again!

Can I truly describe just how happy I am that the Yankees are pretty much looking like a team that won't make it into the playoffs?

Can I truly describe just how happy I am that the Cubs are pretty much looking like a team that will win their division (even though the last three games haven't looked that great).

September this year looks as though it's going to be very, very exciting! I can't wait for October!