MOSTLY HAPPY, SOME AGGRAVATION by ST

By now you've heard about and discussed the Oregon win over Arizona State a few hundred times since the final gun sounded late Saturday night. Unwilling to give up on baseball, I offer up this analysis. Ducks 44 Sun Devils 21 was like a pitcher going the distance and getting the win 7-3, but all the runs were unearned. Think about it. The Oregon defense didn't really allow one legit scoring drive where ASU got the ball and simply marched downfield to paydirt. The first TD was set up by that ridiculous interception where Jeremiah Masoli somehow missed a 6'5", 278 pound lineman. He threw it right to James Brooks setting up a short 18 yard TD drive for the first opponent score. Fast forward to the 3rd quarter where the UO defense stopped the Devils on their 1st drive. Should have been a 3 & out but a clueless unsportsmanlike penalty after the play allowed ASU to sustain that scoring march. Then we got the fumble on the ensuing kickoff that put State in business at the Duck 21. Fortunately the Sun Devil defense had no answers, Oregon got a nice return from Barner and rolled over them nearly unchallenged for a TD to push the lead back to 17 and that was pretty much that.
I think the crowd's heart was in the right place with the "We Want Blount" chant in the 4th quarter. Now they need to invite their head to join the party. I think Chip Kelly has made it clear about this situation having nothing to do with football. Blount is the 5th string running back. He's not taking away time from LeMichael James or Barner so forget that. As a rule, in blowouts, the coaches will run through the depth chart. Why should LeGarrette get in before Andre Crenshaw or Remene Alston who have been with the program 4 & 3 years respectively and been model citizens? The head coach has gone to the wall for Blount, taking on not only the national naysayers, but imbecile Portland media as well in allowing the steps for reinstatement. Saved his scholarship, kept him moving forward academically, and once again made him part of his terrific team. Any playing time is a bonus, period. Kelly owes Blount nothing more!
Anything funnier than USC coach Pete Carrol taking exception to Stanford trying to run up the score? Midway through the 4th quarter, the Cardinal were in complete command, ahead 42-21 and on the march. Toby Gearhart takes it in from 6 yards out and Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh decides to go for two to hit the half century mark and it rubs the SC faithful the wrong way. Really? A team who has been rubbing it in teams faces for 7 straight years can't deal with a taste of their own medicine? Seems pretty hypocritical to me. That said, it's now etched in memory and should the shoe be on the other foot, look for the Trojans to shoot the wounded in any future matchup with Stanford.
My thanks to Pittsburgh. Once and for all we don't have to even think about Notre Dame. I can't believe what a clown Kirk Herbstreit came off like after that game. Was talking about the Irish players not giving up and making a game of it in the 4th quarter. Seriously, of the 120 division one teams in action each week, times 12 games, how many teams really throw in the towel. It's a desperate, pathetic comment to try to save face because of the ESPN butt-kissing of this overrated program. One last time to Notre Dame. Join a conference and get over yourselves because you are years, maybe a half decade away from becoming a top flight, national title caliber factor. Deal with it!