USC- the best

[wilt the stilt]

I have no skin in the game, if anything I live in the south but IMO no one was as athletic or as big as USC. I think they would have beat any of these teams. Neither impressed me last night.

[a la izquierda]

1. I hate USC with a fiery passion

About as much as I hate Tim Tebow right now.

[Capt. America]

2. USC would defeat Florida (too bad we will never know).

[Jack from Charlotte]

10. Who's to know but .......

Here's what Pete Fiutak of College Football News said about USC's body of work this season....

"If anyone out there actually bothered to watch the 17-10 win over Arizona, the 17-3 win over Cal, the 28-7 win over UCLA, the Oregon State loss, and also watched the entire Florida season, and yet still wants to make a case that USC is the best team in the country based on speed, talent, and any other measure, then again, I can't help you. If you want to thump your chest over shutting down Arizona State, Washington State, Washington and Notre Dame, and you want to compare that to beating 10 bowl teams and two No. 1s including an Oklahoma offense that scored over 700 points ... yeah. You know."

[Awsi Dooger]

16. Notice the idiocy in his summation

He's denouncing results in which the opponent scored 10, 3 and 7. Truly unbelievable. That's the epitome of a dunce analyst. I have no idea who Pete Fiutak is, but his theme is unfortunately all too typical in college football these days. The spread offense has allowed fans and media to pretend 41-38 games are fascinating and laudatory, so-called unstoppable offense. In reality, they are nothing but stumbling drunks, wobbling to the finish line.

Winning a game 14-10 against a mid level opponent hardly precludes that blue collar defensive minded team from frustrating and shutting down a high octane fancy team. As a Canes fan I've known that all too well, from examples like the '86 Fiesta Bowl, '92 Sugar Bowl and '02 Fiesta Bowl. Current USC is a brute defensive team that can also flash offense, and more overall talent than any team in the country.

But they also have a tendency to play poorly in conference road games, specifically early in the conference slate. No denying that, and it cost them a title shot this year. USC would be favored over any team in the country but that's mostly irrelevant. No one will remember or care in a few years. Florida had margin for error and USC did not.

[Jack from Charlotte]

17. The problem is... Florida's Defense was as good if not better than USC's....

USC led the nation in scoring D at 9.0ppg. Florida was 4th at 12.9 ppg while playing a far tougher schedule. #2 vs #38. And don't tell me how many USC D players are going to get drafted. Florida may be playing more and higher draft picks but none are seniors. Almost none are juniors, either and underclassmen aren't evaluated.....yet.

And Florida's offense was much better than USC's. That was Fiutak's point.

And two Vegas guys on Friday am, both said Florida -1 would be favored over USC .... That's no endorsement, to me. That just means dumb asses...gamblers.... like Florida. Why would anyone care what a dumb ass thinks? Tell me?

[Upton]

3. I think the 2 best teams in the nation

were UF and USC. I'm tired of seeing overrated Big 10 or Big 12 teams in the championship game. We need a playoff!

[cobalt1999]

4. I'd bet serious money on Florida against any team except USC

I wouldn't lay cash on either side of a Florida-USC match up, they are too close in talent, coaching, and big game performance. If they played 10 times, I wouldn't be shocked if each team won 5 each.

It would be a great game, too bad we'll never see it.

[Onceuponalife]

5. You're right wilt!

USC is the best. I wish they would have had a chance at Oklahoma. I also would have liked to see Texas take on Florida.

[Iggo]

6. Playoffs, baby.

Playoffs.

[BlooInBloo]

7. Maybe, but laying the smackdown on a big 10 team doesn't prove it.

[underpants]

8. Easily the best I saw this year

except for the game in Pullman

[joeybee12]

9. They've got more of a claim than Florida does, only beating the SECOND

best team in the Big 12 by only 10, essentially at home.

[Jack from Charlotte]

11. Regarding it being "essentially at home.."

Florida has never once played at that stadium in Miami. Okie has. The crowd was probably 60/40 Florida according to people I've spoken with who were there. You could tell the crowd noise level was for Florida, decidedly. However, A home game at Florida Field or Auburn or Georgia does not compare to that place. In those places 90,000 + fans stand the whole game screaming when the other team has the ball. Also, the Dolphin stadium's sideline is a mile from the team bench's. It affords very little crowd noise or distraction factor....which is really what a home field provides. Additionally, the crowd at these champ games is considerably older...hence quieter... and richer than an on campus crowd due to the cost and difficulty of getting tickets.

[joeybee12]

12. Second best team in the Big 12...the BCS is a joke...you better pray

they never abolish it because it's the only chance Florida has of being handed national titles since they are incapable of actually winning them.

[Jack from Charlotte]

13. Wasn't up to Florida who they played.....

Send in Okie, the highest scoring team in college football history or Texas who lost to Texas Tech. It really doesn't matter, to Florida, I'm sure. It was Big 12 rules that picked Okie as their conference champs, not The BCS folks. Also, Tex didn't have to play in a conference Champ game and risk defeat in another game like Okie.

But, again.... from the Florida prospective... Tex or Okie....what's the diff?

I was surprised a little that Tex could not make Ohio State blow snot bubbles like USC did or LSU last year or Florida the year before. Ohio and Tex were essentially even. If Ohio doesn't have a freshman QB.... they win.

[joeybee12]

14. I think OSU made it close because they had a freshman quarterback...

...he's going to be scary good in the next few years.

[cobalt1999]

15. They've got to beat someone before we know for sure.

What was their signature win this year? Ohio State? Penn State? ND?

The PAC-10 should expand to 12 teams (Utah being one of them), add a championship game and break the Rose Bowl lock of PAC-10/Big Ten.

Face it, beating Big Ten teams isn't going to generate any benefit of the doubt ever for them.