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Rob-what would you project Theriot, Cedeno, and Izturis for next year if they were the starter? I'm just curious. I do agree with your point about Spencer-there are many cases where this type of player ends up succeeding in the major leagues, but there are many more where they flame out.

seconded I disagree that it was enough time to prove it wasn't a fluke. Players have fluke seasons, Theriot easily could have had a fluke 150 ABs. I'd say the chances it was a fluke are much higher than the chances that that is his real skill level. He might be able to produce something, but the Cubs shouldn't count on him like they did Cedeno last year. Theriot obviously overacheived with the Cubs in 2006. Regardless, his pattern of hitting since he abandoned switch-hitting has been consistant: he knows how to get on base, and what to do on the basepaths. Even when he was up with the Cubs in prior stints - he showed to be a tough out. Mind you, it really seemed like Dusty Baker was trying to give Theriot the chance to fail, instead of succeed. What I mean is Dusty was trying his damnedest to give 2nd Base to Freddie Bynum - but Theriot just came on so strong that even that idiotic platoon had to be squashed. I just feel that Theriot has arrived. I wasn't real excited about the DeRosa signing (though I'm really glad to have him) because he was filling a position that was almost earned by an actual Cub prospect. I think Theriot is much better a 2nd Baseman than a Shortstop, but I'd like to see him playing until he loses the job. At least. I'd like to see Theriot get a shot, but I don't see any way someone could conclude he's going to be solid at the MLB level based on the limited time he has. I hope he is. I also don't see how, despite what is coming from the Cubs, that DeRosa could be considered a season-long lock at 2B. A far more likely scenario in my mind (especially once the pressure of the season arrives) is that Piniella will use whichever player is successful. If DeRosa sucks, that opens the door for Theriot. I agree with that. If Piniella feels Theriot is better a little bit into the season, he won't have any problem pulling DeRosa or any other player. That's simply his style-he doesn't care about contracts or anything else, but rather will give a quick hook to somebody who he feels is not helping the team.

There have been rumors of Proehl signing with the Colts since their bye week after week 5. For it to happen now does not spell good things for Brandon Stokely, I'm afraid. It might be that Proehl is just an insurance policy though just in case Stokely never comes back. Clark walked off-that's either good, or it's very, very bad. We won't really know until tomorrow. Proehl is a good pick up in my opinion. Do you really need another receiver (if Clark is ok)? Clark looked ok walking off the field but I've seen that happen and the guy has a torn ACL or MCL. I agree, probably won't know for sure for a couple days. Against a 3-4 defense, we need a good 3rd receiver. Aaron Moorehead against the Cowboys was terrible, and that really prompted the Colts to finally work on making the move to Proehl.

There have been rumors of Proehl signing with the Colts since their bye week after week 5. For it to happen now does not spell good things for Brandon Stokely, I'm afraid. It might be that Proehl is just an insurance policy though just in case Stokely never comes back. Clark walked off-that's either good, or it's very, very bad. We won't really know until tomorrow.

Arkansas is too high I think. If they lose, they'll have three losses to Auburn's two. The Tigers will likely be the bigger draw to the casual fan and thus will go to a higher bowl. Also, if the Razorbacks lose, it wouldn't surprise me to see them drop all the way to the Cotton Bowl and UT fit into the Outback Bowl for the same reasons. Tennessee may be the bigger draw, both ratings and attendance-wise, despite the Ainge-less shellacking we took from Ark. I think you're right. Cap One-Aub. Outback-UT Cotton-Ark I'm really not sure about the UT/Ark bowl situation, it could go either way. I just figure Tennessee is a more established power, thus we would get the benefit of the doubt. If Ark does lose, I think it becomes a battle between UT and Auburn for the Capital One Bowl, I think Auburn pulls it off and UT ends up in the Outback Bowl. One of the Members of the Outback Bowl commit. could not see a way for UT to fall past the Outback Bowl (assuming an Ark. loss). The more I talk about it, the more I realize I may have to root for Florida Saturday. :x If Florida wins Saturday, I could see a Florida/ND Sugar Bowl very easily-now that would be a very interesting game.

Just because Grossman doesn't put up "video game numbers" like Petyon Manning, doesn't mean Grossman isn't as valued to the Bears as Manning to the Colts. Manning is asked to CARRIES the offense, Grossman is asked to run and execute the offense with minimal of mistakes. Big difference. But I will say it again....Grossman is as VALUABLE TO THE BEARS, as Manning is to the Colts. Stop believing in the hype of Peyton Manning, cause even Peyton isn't THAT good. From 1998-2001, with the help of James/Dilger/Pollard/Harrison, etc, etc, the Colts were 32-32. The Colts ascension to the "elite" came when they hired Tony Dungy. In fact, I think you can make the case that without Dungy, the Colts are a consistant 9-7, 10-6 team. So, IMO, I think Peyton Manning is about as overrated player in the game as anybody, but the difference with Manning is he has the stats to back him up, unlike other overrateed players. But let's face it...Manning DID NOT save the Colts franchise by himself. If you think he did.....there is no excuse. Football is the cinsumate team effort sport, and if Manning didn't have Edge/Harrison/Pollard/Dilger etc, maybe he would be the former #1 overall pick who is underachieving badly. Manning is good, but not THAT good. That 32-32 record is pretty misleading. 1998 was Manning's first year. The whole team was terrible, that's why we had the number 1 pick in the first place. Their record-3-13. The next year, they went 13-3. The year after that they were 10-6. 2001 they were 6-10. The loss of James for the season hurt, but the big problem was that the defense gave up almost 32 points per game. There is really nobody that could overcome that terrible of a defense, and Manning couldn't either. What has Dungy done since 2002? He has made the defense go from horrible to below average. Also BTW, Manning is a different QB then he was from 1998-2001, he makes so much better decisions then he did in the past. Still though, if Manning goes out of the game, how good is the Colts offense? The run blocking is very poor, so their running game would be shut down without the threat of the play action. Their pass protection is pretty good, but not good enough to give Sorgi enough time to make plays-Manning's clock in his head is the reason that the Colts give up so few sacks. The proof is the Bears last year-they still had a good year even without Grossman for most of the year. Grossman takes them from good to great. Without Manning, the Colts would have a below average running game, a decent to good passing game, and a below average defense. That does not lend itself to victories whatsoever. If you take Peyton Manning off the Colts, they are the Arizona Cardinals-great receivers and a good runningback, but that's about it.

I wasn't necessarily talking about what should happen, but rather what will happen-and there is almost no way that LSU is chosen over ND this year. This is one of many reasons why I despise the current system. It rewards teams that make the NCAA and the bowls the most money, not the teams that earn things on the field of play. I don't have that much of a problem with Notre Dame and I certainly disagree with some of the opinions they have a very weak schedule. But, LSU is more deserving of a BCS appearance this year because of their realtive wins. I do think an LSU/ND BCS match-up would be a lot of fun to watch though. I really hope this doesn't happen as I graduated from LSU and am a big Notre Dame fan. I had this happen back in '97 or '98 and hated the situation. Ugh-I remember that ND/LSU game too. ND won the game, but lost their QB for the season with like 4 seconds left in the game when he tried to take an intentional safety, and it cost us a great bowl. Edit: You might be talking about the bowl game a couple years later where LSU blew ND out though-I was just thinking about one of the years you mentioned.

It seems the coaches agree with you. Do you think the BCS would take a 2-loss LSU over a 2-loss Florida if Arkansas wins the SEC title game? I agree re: the matchup. If LSU's schedule hadn't been so murderous this year maybe they'd have been able to get the SEC title and make the matchup happen. That coaches poll is interesting. I really thought that Arkansas and ND should have dropped about the same amount. Arkansas was closer (although LSU had a nice lead for most fo the second half) but ND was playing a better opponent and was playing on the road, while Arkansas was at home. I'm very surprised to see Arkansas only drop to 8 and ND drop 7 spots-there haven't been many teams in November to drop that far. I've been confused with the polls this year, but it's not that big of a deal I guess.

I wasn't necessarily talking about what should happen, but rather what will happen-and there is almost no way that LSU is chosen over ND this year.

Yeah, I think LSU has to be WV fans this week. I think Notre Dame is still in-they might get an automatic bid, and they will certainly be picked even if they aren't. Then it simply comes down to LSU, Florida if they lose, or the Big East loser. It would be a great deal easier for LSU if they were being compared to a 2 loss WV than a 1 loss Louisville for the final at-large spot. They might get picked over a 1 loss Louisville, but they almost certainly would get picked over WV at this point.

I'd like to see Arkansas v. Wisconsin, and that may happen in the Cap One Bowl, but more than likely it ends up LSU v. UW. I don't think the Badgers would win, but I think it would be a close, tough, and exciting game. I don't even know what the Cap 1 Bowl is! They keep changing sponsors and I can't keep up, is that a BCS game? No-it is usually considered the best bowl besides the BCS. It pairs the Big 10 number 2 versus the SEC number 2. (likely number 3 vs. number 3 this year).

Laid eggs? They were outclassed. Their only other games were against second tier programs, so of course they looked better. Come on, man. Laid eggs? Yes, laid eggs. Quinn has thrown 5 INTs all year and 3 of them came against UM. That's a laid egg. Hell he didn't even have any against USC whose D is pretty damn good too. Rhema hasn't dropped passes all year until this game. Freeman looked like crap. USC outplayed ND but that doesn't mean ND played their best game. I give all sorts of credit to UM and USC for playing the way they did in those games, but they weren't responsible for Rhema's not holding onto the football today or for ND's offensive line crapping out in the UM game. The only consolation is that we likely didn't get beat bad enough to fall out of the BCS. Wait, the reason Quinn threw those interceptions was purely because of him laying an egg and not because of the UM defense ?(and the supposed best defensive line in the nation?) Yes, you can look really good against service acadamies, maybe only throw one or two picks. Congrats. USC and Michigan? More talented than ND. Maybe Weis can recruit very well, we'll soon see. Yeah, that great UM defense that gave up 503 yards to OSU. What an awesome defense. If OSU would have come out with that offense against any team in the country they would easily put up 500+ yards. I have to give Tressel credit, he realized Michigan would score and that his regular offense would not work against Michigans defense. He came out in 5 wide with 3 step drops and took Michigans front 7 out of the game. Tressel probably would use that offense against most teams but I think he realized this was the way to beat Michigan. He also had the talent to pull it off. As for the at large BCS teams. I think Michigan, Boise St and Fla/LSU are locks. If Fla loses they are one if Fla wins than LSU is one. The fourth will be ND unless Rutgers beats WV, then I dont know. Louisville would be more deserving but ND is ND as Lou Holtz has said. Doesnt ND get an automatice berth if they are ranked so high in the BCS poll? ND gets an automatic bid if they are 8th or higher-they might end up there, but it will be interesting to see where the polls put them. They are not going to fall very far at all in most of the computer rankings-they were one of the only 1 loss teams left, and they lost to the team who will likely be #1 overall in most of the computers next week. If the polls put them 10th or higher, they have a chance to get back to 8th in the BCS and get the automatic bid. I think they have a chance to be 10th or higher as well-more than 5 spots would be a large jump considering several teams behind them lost. I can see Notre Dame dropping to 9th or 10th. LSU, Wisconsin, and Lousiville will almost certainly pass them. Boise State might pass them. I can't see them falling much further than that though. Arkansas will likely stay one spot ahead of them in the poll they were ahead of them last week, but if they don't win the SEC title game they will of course vacate that spot. I consider it probable that ND will get the automatic bid-they will probably be 8th, 9th, or 10th in the BCS standings this week, and would have a great chance to secure 8th after the conference title games next week.

True, but it's going to be an uphill battle. I've been hearing and reading many fans reactions to simply offering him a contract, and many of them are furious-several people said they wouldn't take him for 4 million dollars a year because of his injury and supposed character problems. Does that make them right? No-but if he signs with Boston, Drew is going to be walking into a town that is not going to be very supportive of him from the very beginning.

I see the Rose Bowl picking an SEC team for TV purposes. Florida (if they lose) or LSU. SEC vs Big Ten works well for TV purposes when it comes to the bowls. The sugar will take Louisville. That leaves the Orange Bowl. If Georgia Tech wins would they jump at a ND-GT rematch or go in another direction? That's the problem for ND is that two of the bowls could present possible rematches with ND. Obviously if Wake Forest wins then this problem is averted. I may be missing something but where does the Big East winner fit in? Either Rutgers or Louisville will have an automatic bid that I didn't see listed. If I'm not mistaken, I think the BE winner will go to the Sugar Bowl (someone correct me if I'm wrong). That would mean: Nat Title: OSU v USC Rose Bowl: Michigan v Fiesta Bowl: Boise St. v Oklahoma/Nebraska Orange Bowl: Wake Forest/Georgia Tech v Sugar Bowl: Florida/Arkansas v Rutgers/Louisville leaving loser of BE and loser of SEC championship plus LSU and Notre Dame to fill two spots. Arkansas and Rutgers are out if they lose, which would solve the problem. If they don't both lose, ND could miss a BCS berth. A couple of things that are a little off with this. One, the Big East winner has no specific bowl tie in-that's why nobody knows exactly for sure where they will go. The Rose Bowl will have first and second pick (as the 2 teams in the title game) and they will select Michigan and ?. The Sugar Bowl picks next, then Orange, then Fiesta-that's why Boise State is penciled into the Fiesta because they pick last. Second, there is no way ND misses a BCS berth. 4 BCS at-large spots are available. 2 of them will go to Michigan and Boise State. The other 2? One of ND, one SEC team (either LSU or Florida if Florida loses-Arkansas would have no chance with 3 losses if they lose) and 1 Big East team (either Louisville if Rutgers wins, or Rutgers/WV if WV beats Rutgers). The bowls are not going to select both a 2 loss SEC team and a Big East team, with a chance of them having 2 losses over ND. There is simply no way-fair or not, ND is getting picked. Here's how it plays out: Nat Champ: OSU vs USC Rose: Michigan vs ? Sugar: Arkansas/Florida vs. ? Orange-GT/Wake vs ? Fiesta-Oklahoma/Nebraksa vs Boise State The Rose will pick first. While the announcers think they will pick Notre Dame, I see them going with Louisville, with a small chance that it is LSU. Second is the Sugar-they are going to pick ND if the Rose does not. If the Rose picks ND, look for the Sugar to go with the Big East winner because they certainly won't pick an SEC team here. Finally is the Orange-if it gets down to them, and LSU has not been taken, they are going to take them. For them, it will come down to who they think will travel better-LSU or West Virginia, and they will pick LSU to face GT. If LSU got taken by the Rose, they will go with the Big East winner here. If Rutgers wins next week, then LSU loses out on the BCS. I also could see Louisville getting picked for a bowl before Rutgers (Rutgers of course would still get picked later on), even if Rutgers is the conference champ and Louisville is not.

The only good thing that can come from ND in the Rose Bowl is my cousin (senior at ND) would come here to visit. Is there a way Texas can come back to the San Gabriel Valley again? Best fans to travel out here, oh so nice and pleasant, very friendly. It was great to have them two straight years. LOL-I doubt Texas will be eligible for the BCS after their loss. My guess though is that the Rose Bowl picks somebody else with the first pick. I just cannot see them wanting a ND-Michigan rematch. My guess is that they pick a team like Louisville, and then the Sugar Bowl will pick ND. LSU brings in the southern tv market. Louisville is already covered by the midwest market with michigan. I think this is why they will skip ND too, plus its a rematch of a blowout. I was thinking about LSU also-that's certainly a good possibility as well. The Big East winner will have to be figured out first-if Rutgers beat West Virginia, it will be an interesting fight to see if Louisville or LSU gets the last at-large spot. If WV wins, the whole thing will become a great deal easier. Congratulations to the Trojans. They simply outplayed the Irish tonight-no excuses. Both teams had opportunities, and they took better advantage of them than ND did.

The only good thing that can come from ND in the Rose Bowl is my cousin (senior at ND) would come here to visit. Is there a way Texas can come back to the San Gabriel Valley again? Best fans to travel out here, oh so nice and pleasant, very friendly. It was great to have them two straight years. LOL-I doubt Texas will be eligible for the BCS after their loss. My guess though is that the Rose Bowl picks somebody else with the first pick. I just cannot see them wanting a ND-Michigan rematch. My guess is that they pick a team like Louisville, and then the Sugar Bowl will pick ND.

This feels like Madden now-in a blowout game, both teams just take turns scoring at the end of the game in hilarious fashion.

Well, there's a reason USC hasn't lost at home in 5 years. The USC I saw in the middle of the year, and the USC I see now look like 2 completely different teams. I think Booty is better, Jarrett is back which helps a great deal, and the defense has gelled. They are going to be a tough team if they get past UCLA for Ohio State to play.

I simply don't understand it. Last year, people thought we went deep a great deal, but we really didn't. We ran 3 step drops, sometimes 5 and would run slants, screens, and crossing routes that turned into big plays. Now, the offense is all 7 step drops that expose the offensive line and make it so Brady is sacked all of the time. I simply do not get this offense whatsoever sometimes-we have a large amount of talent, but they are not being put in the best place to succeed most of this year.

Yeah, did you hear the announcer "The USC right tackle..........protecting his quarterback" when he realized they were not going to call it. I'm not that upset though-Jarrett made such a great catch that it's hard to say that 5 yard difference would have even been a big deciding factor. By the way, whichever team loses this game (likely to be ND, but still has a small chance of being USC) is going to be kicking themselves-both teams have had plenty of opportunities to change the game, and most of those have fallen flat.

Against this defense? The play action is much better. I like the play action, but they should have spread it out on first down. That playcalling was absolutely terrible on that drive-spread it out, and then you can run that QB draw on first down if they do that. I've been frustrated all season a little bit with the playcalling, and this game has been the worst in that respect.

Neither one will really influence LSU-both of these teams are practically guaranteed BCS games already. The best thing for LSU would be if WV beats Rutgers next week, and Florida to beat Arkansas. If those happened, I think LSU would get in over WV and Rutgers.

If it weren't for a blocked punt USC would be up 21-3. USC scored too easily and the let ND back in the game. By the same token, Notre Dame has made serveral unforced errors. McKnight caused 2 drives to stall with drops, and he doesn't do that. Walker doesn't fumble normally, but he did that as well. I don't think either team played particularly well in the 1st half though-Notre Dame is going to have to step up to make up for those opportunities they lost.

The box score doesn't list turnovers by downs-Notre Dame had 3 of those in the 1st half (all of them were in USC territory-too close for a punt, too far for a field goal).

That's pretty much a given :D