FanNation

As we get ready to sit down to watch a bogus BSC National Cahmpionship game where the winner truly is not the No.1 team in the nation (Because clearly, my University of Southern California Trojans are), I have come to many conclusions, one of which is this has been the WORST bowl game season I can remember. And that includes watching USC make a joke out of the Big 10 once again in the Rose Bowl. Could you imagine what USC would do Ohio State tomorrow night? And LSU? It's no sense ticking off the sheep who follow Les at this point. Let them enjoy their paper-national title of the season.

Really, what I want to proclaim here and now is this: In a season of ridiculous upsets and gambler anonymous meetings going into 24-hour sessions across America, it is now obvious Stanford's upset of the Trojans was the hands-down the biggest with the most impact on the national title picture. And I was reminded of that today reading Bill Plaschke's column in the L.A. Times. Plaschke reminded us all of Oct. 6 - the day that would go on to falisfy the entire season (I suggest all of you read this great column about this kid Tavita Pritchard, no matter who you root for).

Consider some of the cicumstances from that game and you should realize this upset was far bigger than Appalachian State over Michigan, Pitt over WVU, or Illinois over Ohio State (as evenly solid as the SEC was, the Big 10 was evenly disgraceful, perhaps even as bad as the ACC). 

For that game, Tavita Pritchard, a redshirt sophomore, was named the starter six days earlier because starter  T.C. Ostrander suffered a seizure. Heading into the game, the Cardinal had been outscored, 141-51, in its previous three Pac-10 games. Stanford head coach/prankster Jim harbaugh called USC "perhaps the best in college football history." USC came in having not lost at the Coliseum in six years.

 And then the game began. Eve with John David Booty suffering the infamous broken finger and USC looking real shaky, things still seemed safe, though embarassing. USC led 23-14 lead into the final 11 minutes.

 Stanford needed to go 45 yards in 2:50 for the victory. And for christ sake they did it.

To make it more disgusting for USC fans as the season went on,  Pritchard didn't even finish out the season as the starter. He started six more games after that, and only won  one of them -  three touchdown passes and eight interceptions. According to Plaschke's column today, this kid isn't even the starter at Stanford going into spring practice!?!?!?

So there you have it folks. Stanford and pritchard were clearly more unlikely to pull that off than any other of the big upset victors this season. And no upset has muddled the current bolw game season that has me annoyed. And because of it, I realize USC CANNOT be No.1 and shouldn't be - even if they are the only team no one would beat right now.

Because it's official, Stanford and Tavita Pritchard ruined the whole season, with the bigest upset of them all.