A storied rivalry. Heisman hopefuls. An undefeated record to maintain. BCS Bowl games on the line. The most powerful offenses in the country go head-to-head.
When USC and UCLA take the field this Saturday, my television will be tuned into ESPN2. That’s right, I will be watching Cal Poly vs. Texas State in the Division I-AA playoffs instead.
Now don’t get me wrong. I am a true football fan who isn’t fond of commercials and is always looking to see big plays. So, of course I will be clicking back and forth between the games, but the game that I care more about is the one that involves the green and gold.
Sure, I’m from Los Angeles and I’ve been to more USC/UCLA games than you can count on two hands. Every year it’s a tradition among my friends to sport our Trojans or Bruins gear and head to the Coliseum or Rose Bowl. But this year, I have a more important game to care about.
This school lacks true support for our sports teams when they actually deserve praise, and even when they don’t. This Saturday there should be at least 10,000 Cal Poly students partying their asses’ off while celebrating this special moment in Cal Poly football history.
Other than the fact that I say it’s more important for Cal Poly students to watch their team’s playoff game more than the highly anticipated match up between USC and UCLA, here are another three good reasons.
First of all, if you haven’t seen Cal Poly freshman running back James Noble run, then you’re missing out. He is unbelievable. To run for a school record 1493 yards and 15 touchdowns in a season is more than noteworthy, no matter the college level you do it at.
The guy is coming off a playoff game in which he carried the ball 41 times, that’s unheard of, not to mention his four touchdowns after a game in which he had five.
Noble is feeling it right now, and Saturday will be his national television debut, and maybe the only time he will ever be on national television in his college career. Unless of course he transfers, which with numbers like that in his freshman year, might be a possibility.
A second reason to watch this game is Texas State. This team is no joke. They were losing 35-23 with eight minutes left in it’s first round playoff game against Georgia Southern. They put up 27 points in the final eight minutes to win the game 50-35. If that’s not explosive, I don’t know what is.
Not to mention their quarterback. Here are his stats from last week: 400 passing yards, 4 Td’s, 126 rushing yards and 1 TD. Need I say more?
However, it’s really just their offense that is exciting to watch, other than that Cal Poly has a realistic shot at winning this game. The Mustangs defeated this team 38-21 just one year ago in San Luis Obispo.
Finally, I must talk about the USC/UCLA match-up. Who in their right mind really thinks UCLA has even a fraction of a chance at beating the defending champions? I mean, I had a dream that USC won 80-6.
Now, I don’t consciously think that will be the score, but hey, its not far off.
Can UCLA stop anyone from scoring. Arizona put up 52, Arizona!
Yah, UCLA has an explosive offense too and they’ll get their points, but not before USC scores more than Payton Manning at Candlestick park.
Final Score: USC defeats UCLA 57- 24.
So when your watching college football this Saturday, make sure to tune into the Mustangs second playoff game ever, and their first nationally televised game in more than a decade.
If finals weekend is your excuse to miss this game, then you need to understand that school is not just about academics, its about enjoying your time here and this weekend’s game is your perfect opportunity.