TNYC: Random Thoughts From Week 14

Slick Rick, what were you thinking?  Here are my thoughts on Week 14:

• The hot post-game talk has been about Jeremy Bates/Pete Carroll's decision to drop a bomb on the Bruins after Slick Rick called a useless time-out late in the game.  All I gotta say is, if you take a jab, especially when it's in a RIVALRY game on the opponent's HOME turf, you better expect to get mollywhopped in return. Can't believe I'm quoting Bill Plaschke, but he puts it best:

The conclusion here was that Neuheisel's pettiness in the face of Carroll's professionalism was wrong.

In the end, while his players deserved better, Neuheisel got exactly what he deserved.

I'm laughing at these people getting all butt-hurt over the play ending in a TD.  I'm guessing a 15-yard throw would have been more classy?  At the end of the day, there is no excuse for letting a hobbled Damian Williams straight moss your secondary on a basic post-route.

• Moving onto recruiting, the big news from the game was Tony Jefferson sporting SC gear and jawing at UCLA players during the pseudo-brawl.  No surprise that Tony decided to decommit today.  He provided some interesting quotes with the news:

"The UCLA players really disrespected me before the game," Jefferson said. "When they saw me, they were all cussing at me, telling me to never come around Westwood again and things like that. These were guys that I had hung out with before and it was a lot of the team. I guess I kind of see it since I was committed there and was wearing USC gear before their big game but I still didn't appreciate it."

So now it's down to USC and Oklahoma.  Following up from my official visit breakdown on Friday, it's pretty clear now that if SC makes a strong push, Tony will be a Trojan.

• No other big recruiting news from the game.  There have been rumors circling around ND that they'll steal Kyle Prater away, but it all seems like a bunch of junk at this point.  I believe Kyle will stay committed.  I just can't see him flipping his commitment, especially as a Spring enrollee, with all the uncertainty at ND.

• The latest bowl projections have us going to the Holiday Bowl to play against Nebraska with a win next week.  Decent match-up.  If Zac Lee's knee injury ends up being more serious, then it will be pretty lackluster.

• For the 5000th time, ALLEN BRADFORD NEEDS MORE CARRIES!!!

• Outside of SC, the SEC has some stud freshman running backs.  Trent Richardson from Bama beast on Friday with Mark Ingram looking out of it all game.  Georgia's Washaun Ealey is no slouch either; kid has nice vision.  When it comes to frosh RBs though, all conversations end with Dion Lewis of Pitt.

• From the list of players SC truly missed out on, anyone catch Chad Jones murdering Joe Adams (former commit) of Arkansas on Saturday?  Can you imagine if SC got Chad Jones and Patrick Peterson?  A Chad Jones/Taylor Mays and Patrick Peterson/Shareece Wright combo would have been murderers row.

• My favorite Nike Pro Combat jersey goes to Florida State for the garnet jersey/pants combo with black helmets.

Let's finish the regular season on a high note.