This year was supposed to be different.

Last year’s collapse was supposed to be a thing of the past.

… And here we go again, as a new year has brought on the same old story for the 2008 Brew Crew.

August and early September saw this year’s Brewers atop the wild card standings, a near lock to make the MLB playoffs. Somehow Milwaukee had won the CC Sabathia sweepstakes, and a still young, but more mature team was posed to end a 26 year playoff drought.

Then came the losses.

An 8-15 September leaves Milwaukee in a dogfight, hanging on for dear life. Tied for the final playoff spot with Mets, three games to play. This weekend brings a three game set with the Cubbies, a team that has devastated the Crew all season. I can only hope that they will be mailin’ it in, playing their scrubs and resting their stars since they clinched last week.

Cross your fingers Wisconsin… This could still be the year.

 

Every game matters.

So often we hear this cliche when it comes to the ever-exciting world of college football.  Love it or hate it, this is truly why we watch; why we sit on the edge of our seats every weekend between September and January.

NFL… Sure, they play football.  But it’s just not the same.  Lose a regular season game or two and your year isn’t over.  All that really matters is what happens in the playoffs.  College football is different.  Every week is the playoffs.  Every game is a must-win.  Contenders are forced to show up every week.  There is no “We’ll get ‘em next week.”  You lose a game, and you’re likely out of the picture.

Of course there is still the conference title, and hopes for a prestigious bowl game.  But lets face it - what really matters is the national title.  Honestly, it’s like playing for second place.

Some might say this is a ridiculous point of view.  A conference title and a bowl game are nothing to be upset about.  I don’t disagree that these are accomplishments to be proud of.  But when you enter a season with the highest of expectations, settling for second best is never an easy thing to swallow.

Such was the case tonight for my USC Trojans.  Every year, such high expectations, always with the understanding that one bad game and it all might be over.  Well, tonight was that game, as the Oregon State Beavers delivered a crushing blow, handing the Trojans a devastating loss, 27-21. Sure, we can all cross our fingers knowing that maybe, just maybe every other contender will falter and we might get another shot.  Who knows.  We can only wait and see.

Either way, I will proudly watch the remainder of the season, desparately hoping to not fall victim to another surprising upset loss.  But with every game, every touchdown, even every play I will think about what might have been… about the national championship that just might have slipped away.

Every game matters.  Tonight was obviously no exception.  This is why I watch.  This is why I love college football.

 

It’s time for a quick early season review…

Here we are four weeks into the 2008 college football season… and so far, surprises have been few and far between. The teams we all predicted as title competitors still reside atop the rankings. USC, Georgia, Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma - all preseason favorites that we can expect will still be there at the end of the year. The Big East is a mess, Ohio State still can’t win the big game, while the SEC continues to assert its dominance.

Strongest Conference: SEC/Big 12 (Tie).

No one can discredit the SEC. Defending BCS champion Florida, perennial powers LSU, Georgia, Auburn, resurgent Alabama- how can you possibly argue with a resume like that? And as if that weren’t enough, recurrent cellar-dweller Vanderbilt has proven itself to be a force to be reckoned with. Expect at least seven bowl bids for this power conference, and don’t be surprised if you’re seeing two SEC teams in BCS games at the end of the season.

But don’t go tooting your horn as the best in the land just yet SEC fans - you aren’t the only part of the country playing some good football…

You can’t talk power conference without mention of the Big 12. Heisman hopeful Chase Daniel and the Missouri Tigers have been steamrolling everyone in their path. Texas and Oklahoma - no national championship discussion is legitimate without mention of their names. Texas Tech has one of the most potent offenses in the country. Mark Mangino and his Kansas Jayhawks just keep winning, while Colorado and Nebraska also seem to have turned things in a positive direction. Six or seven bowl games for this conference would surprise no one.

Weakest Conference (BCS): Big East

Connecticut currently leads the standings - need I say more? West Virginia, what happened? The grass isn’t so green sans Rich Rodriguez. Rutgers? Sure missing Ray Rice now, aren’t you? Syracuse is just pathetically bad, while Dave Wannstedt and Pitt just can’t seem to figure it out. This conference just isn’t very good top to bottom. UConn needed overtime to beat Temple. Yeah, that’s right. Temple. Just kind of makes you wonder what would happen if they’d played a team that wasn’t complete garbage…

Most Disappointing Team: Ohio State

A close game against Ohio followed by an absolute shellacking by Southern California. What’s happening in Columbus? They repeatedly get embarrassed by quality opponents, and suddenly struggle against mediocre opponents. Ohio State no longer sits atop the Big Ten pecking order. Wisconsin quietly has taken their brand of unexciting smash-mouth football to a top ten ranking, while Joe Pa and his Penn State are once again fighting for the conference crown.

National Title Favorite:

USC of course. This team is just impressive. No one in the PAC 10 can compete. The Trojan defense is incredible - perhaps the best of the Pete Carroll-era. Linebackers Ray Maualuga and Brian Cushing are a tandom more impressive than any other group of linebackers nationwide. Safety Taylor Mays is just menacing: 6-3, 230 pounds… sure makes coming across the middle an unfortunate experience for opposing receivers. Couple the incredible defense with a resurgent offense led by Mark Sanchez, and you have a team posed for yet another BCS title.

 

A few years ago, my college roomate and I were sitting and watching the Army High School All-American Game, trying to scout out any blue chip recruits that would be headed to USC for the following season. Now I understand that this game is a chance for players to show off their athleticism… it is an all-star game after all. But one high-schooler really took it to the next level, and made a fool of himself in the process -ruining a sure touchdown by attempting to superman-dive from the five yard line only to come up just a bit short.

Sure enough… that player was none other than DeSean Jackson.

Now one would think that after embarrassing himself in front of a national television audience DeSean would have learned his lesson. Not so much. DeSean’s pure moronic nature re-emerged last night with yet another bonehead play, again throwing away a sure fire touchdown.

You can see the highlight on NFL.com

Pure genius. Well played buddy.