Top Ten College Football Teams (cbs)

russkish3 · #1 11-28-2003, 10:41 AM

Just got finished watching a CBS special naming the top ten college football teams of all time. I was surprised and yet not surprised when my 1972 USC Trojans were named No. 1.

I was just a kid working on the USC Daily Trojan in those days. My first heady experiences as a college student came when I would occasionally visit Heritage Hall to interview John McKay, the head football coach. The coach would let me steal Garcia Y Vega cigars from the humidor he kept in his office. He trusted me. Why, I don't know. Maybe it was because I was helping the team by ghost writing term papers for the athletes. I used to have a guarantee. No grade lower than a B. If the papers got A's, I woulc charge $15. If they got B's, I got $10. I said if for some reason the paper came back with a C, there would be no charge.

I never got anyone a grade lower than B. Most of the papers were A's. I rationalized everything by saying I was testing my ability to write under deadline. I was full of myself with the success I had writing those term papers. I figured if I could do this, I could do anything.

The team developed the same confidence. The Trojjans went undefeated that year, trouncing Notre Dame, 45-23, and Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, 42-17. Woody Hayes didn't know what hit him. He was so mad, he made enough changes to repay the favor the following year. But USC won a dramatic rubber match in the 1975 Rose Bowl, 18-17, and they were named National Champions again that year.

I had forgotten how good that team in 1972 was until I saw all of the surviving players and coaches speaking about it on the CBS special. The current USC team is good, but I'm not sure it could take on the team I saw once again in key footage from the Notre Dame and Ohio State games. I think Oklahoma this year will defeat USC for the National Championship. But I'm scared of betting it.

Thanks for the memories,

FIGHT ON FOR OLD S.C.

Russell Kishi
Glendale, California

Set Avatar · #2 11-28-2003, 08:52 PM

I'm dissapointed in the results of today's games. Ohio State is my team and a lose for Texas, and LSU would've been huge for us!!! But oh well i'm kinda hoping we go on to play Michigan again in a bowl berth.

Set Avatar · #3 11-28-2003, 09:56 PM

Russell,

The '70's sports scene offered it all.
Incredible growth in popularity, yet it wasn't too big like it is now. Even the superstars were friendly.
A great time in sports.

It would be interesting to hear more stories.
I was a photographer and a friend to many of the Oakland/LA Raiders in the late 70's and ealy 80's. Many of the same players that you knew may have been friends of mine.

Bill

russkish3 · #4 11-28-2003, 10:16 PM

I realize how much time has gone by when I realize Richie McKay was practically a baby when I was at USC and now he's the general manager of the Tampa Bay Bucaneers. And looking quite a bit like his father.

I agree with you about the change in climate. But the pressure in sports was always intense. My first dose of that reality came in my freshman year on the Daily Trojan. The week of the USC game against Notre Dame in South Bend, we placed a conference call to Ara Parseghian. The man was ready for a rubber room, driving himself crazy in anticipation of that week's game. He was generally curt, abrupt, rude and uncooperative. And don't forget Woody Hayes jamming the camera of Los Angeles Times photographer Art Rogers into the photographer's face before the 1974 Rose Bowl game.

The escalation of salaries has increased pressure a thousand times over. That's why baseball games take so long to play now. Thirty years ago most ball games were over in about two hours Today, there are few ball games that are completed within two hours. Three hours is more like it. And it is because of all of the maneuvering of high-priced talent.

Boy, you raise a whole lot of subconscious memories!

Thanks and best regards,

Russell Kishi
Glendale, California

Set Avatar · #5 11-28-2003, 11:14 PM

Richie & JJ McKay.
Charlie Young
Sam Bam
Lynn Swann
Charles Phillips
Anthony Davis
Art Riley
Bill Bain

Not everyone made it in the NFL.

USC even had a little known LB named Rod Martin.
He turned out to be a decent player.

Bill

Set Avatar · #6 12-03-2003, 07:48 PM

I still root for good ole University of Miami & my pals on the team

. I was going to play last year but I got too caught up in class and other things

***Nancy*** · #7 12-06-2003, 04:12 PM

GO TROJANS!

Where will they land after today's fantastic game?

FIGHT ON!

Set Avatar · #8 12-06-2003, 06:42 PM

I am sooo glad Perry is out of town. Kansas State is playing Oklahoma University this evening and KS is stomping all over OU. Perry went to KS and Lisl plans on going to OU - she is not a happy person right now and is making my life misreable! If Perry WAS here, I do believe I would have to leave!!

russkish3 · #9 12-06-2003, 06:52 PM

This loyal University of Southern California alum is drywashing his hands in anticipation of a USC appearance in the Sugar Bowl. BUT the talk tonight is that LSU will jump into the fray by manhandling Georgia. Oklahoma is well on its way toward losing the Big 12 championship against Kansas State. Does this mean a USC-LSU matchup in New Orleans???

Sounds good to me! Sorry, CAMMS. I HOPE YOU'RE NOT HURTING.

FIGHT ON FOR OLD S.C.,

Russell Kishi
Glendale, California

***Nancy*** · #10 12-06-2003, 06:57 PM

<< FIGHT ON FOR OLD S.C. >>

Are you a Trojan too, Russ?

russkish3 · #11 12-06-2003, 07:02 PM

Please re-investigate the message that started this particular thread. Some of the best days of my life took place on the campus of the University of Southern California between 1971 and 1975. Was Sports Editor of the Daily Trojan in my time. Along with a few other things....

God, it seems like somebody elses' life now.

FIGHT ON FOR OLD S.C.

Best regards to all members of the Sinatra Family (and the Trojan Family, too!)

Russell Kishi
Glendale, California

Set Avatar · #12 12-06-2003, 07:16 PM

***Sorry, CAMMS. I HOPE YOU'RE NOT HURTING.***

It is a double-edged sword here Russell. Lisl is hurting and Perry (I am sure) is ecstatic.

I have no opinion on this game - NONE AT ALL!!!

***Nancy*** · #13 12-06-2003, 07:18 PM

What's up with Oklahoma tonight? This is terrible.

***Nancy*** · #14 12-06-2003, 07:23 PM

<< Daily Trojan >>

A wonderful newspaper.

I remember when I was living on campus, before the UCLA game, some of the Trojans printed a pro - USC Daily Bruin and went to the UCLA campus and switched the papers. It was a great stunt in retaliation for the Bruins' having managed (again) to paint Tommy Trojan blue.

What a riot!

I'm sorry that I jumped to the bottom of this thread. I was so excited about the game.

Set Avatar · #15 12-06-2003, 07:49 PM

I KNOW Nancy - I can think of a LOT of Boomer Sooners staring at their televisions with glazed looks in their eyes!!! Lisl is one of them. I am hiding in here!

chadham · #16 12-06-2003, 08:07 PM

We are pretty thrilled down here tonight. Sorry Geogia, Sorry Oklahoma, Sorry Cindi, but Geaux Tigers!

Set Avatar · #17 12-07-2003, 02:19 AM

Clear as a driven Sugar Bowl,

If you are the #2 team in the nation,
you win and score 52 points,
and the (soon to be former) #1 OU gets pounded,
wouldn't one think that USC would be the new #1 team in the nation?

"The Way You Wear Your (Sugar Bag) Hat"

Will they ever get a college football playoff system?
Congrats Trojans!

Bill

russkish3 · #18 12-07-2003, 04:58 AM

But in the course of last night's upset in the Big 12 championship, I heard much discussion that there is still a strong possibility that Oklahoma will still get a Sugar Bowl invitation to play LSU because of some odd quirks in the Bowl Championship Series criteria.

We will find out a little later today when the BCS matchups are announced. It will be a sorry commentary on the BCS system if USC does not get the invitation. They would then have te "consolation prize" of a Rose Bowl appearance, probably against a very good Michigan team.

In most years, that would not be looked upon as disappointing. But not this year.Who would have thought that a Rose Bowl berth might be looked upon as disappointing? We shall see......

FIGHT ON FOR OLD S.C.!

Best regards,

Russell Kishi
Glendale, California

russkish3 · #19 12-08-2003, 02:11 AM

The University of Southern California Trojans are ranked No. 1 today in both polls, but those BCS computer quirks I warned about have proven to be our undoing. Oklahoma and LSU will meet for the BCS National Championship in the Sugar Bowl. USC Coach Pete Carroll was on TV stating that there's no shame in this. But you could tell he was disappointed.

Never thought I would see the day when playing in the Rose Bowl felt as hollow as playing in the Silicon Valley Bowl. I really wanted to see for myself how the Trojans matched up against the Sooners. At least Chadham is happy. LSU may give Oklahoma another rude shock, just as Kansas State did.

'Scuse me while I disappear,

Russell Kishi
Glendale, California

***Nancy*** · #20 12-08-2003, 02:50 AM