Southern Cal Question

[RadioWryn 0]

I was talking with some friends and have heard about a 50/50 split on this question..

A lot of people compare the WNBA of today to the NBA of old, so how far apart are college football of today from pro football of yesterday? I'll guess it's 15-17 years removed from those top teams being equal with the top teams of today.

Would you rather have Matt Leinart throwing to Reggie Bush or would you rather have Joe Montana throwing to Jerry Rice?

I'll vote Leinart/Bush due to Bush's athleticism - I think he has more big play capability than Rice did, which is hard to believe.. I also think Bush has more top speed, while Leinart might have more scrambling ability than Montana (although that could just be attributed to the change in the way the game is played).

[aumoore 0]

Today's WNBA might be able to beat a NBA team from the 50's but I doubt they could beat any NBA team from the 1060's on. As for a college team beating a NFL team from 15 years ago I would bet on the NFL team every time. As good as Leinart and Bush may appear to be they are only two guys that will become NFL players. A NFL team is made up of all time College all stars not just a bunch of scrubs. That is why Auburn sending a whole backfield to the NFL is so special as it has never happened before and may never happen again.

Most top 30 College programs have from 3-4 players on a 85 man roster that may make it to the NFL.

Another way to look at it is do you expect the best High School team to beat say Ball State? My guess is any Division one program would smoke a great high school team. The College teams today are pretty good but there were great teams in college back 20 years ago. Overall Auburn may have more tallent than say the 1983 Tigers but do we have a kicker like Al DelGreco, a Tailback trio like Bo Jackson, Tommie Agee and Lionel James,

Don't forget that even in the 60's you had great players like Johnny Unitus, Jim Brown, Rodger Stallback, Bart Star, Gayle Sayers. My guess is USC might beat a low ranked NFL team from the 1960 but even the worst NFL team today has more tallent overall than USC has today.

If USC had to play in the NFL today I say they go 0-16 but may make a game of it against the bottom dwellers. Now in the College ranks they look like world beaters because they are not playing College all star teams which is what a NFL team is supposed to be. There have been great College players that did not cut it in the NFL:

Tony Mandarich, second overall pick, 1989

Todd Blackledge, seventh overall pick, 1983

Blair Thomas, second overall pick, 1990

Ryan Leaf, second overall pick, 1998

Andre Ware, 10th overall pick, 1990

Tim Couch, first overall pick, 1999

Heath Shuler, third overall pick, 1994

Ricky Bell, first overall pick, 1977

The above is from http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/3542822

Auburn has had some great players that did not cut it in the NFL

Pat Sullivan won the Heisman but did not make it in the NFL

Aundrey Bruce was Atlanta's first Pick

Ed King was going to be all world but was a bust

My guess is Leinart will be a NFL lock but Bush is not a NFL caliber back. What other players are world class at USC?

[AUloggerhead 2,238]

... My guess is Leinart will be a NFL lock but Bush is not a NFL caliber back.  What other players are world class at USC?

182238[/snapback]

Man, you must be joking. Reggie Bush is definately NFL material. His backfield mate, LenDale White is in the same category -- gained 1100+ yds last year at a 5.4 ypc avg. Both are juniors, too.

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

Didn't they use to do something like this. Take a group of college all-stars and then put them up against a NFL team........ stopped doing it cause 1)the NFL team murdered them, 2) the college players kept getting hurt.

[damabama 15]

i dont know how good they really are. but they sure made it look easy sat night. 21 points and they'd only run something like 6 plays. either they are as good as advertised, or ark is in real trouble.

[tombigbeetiger 223]

how does "JUGGERNAUT" sound to ya'......threepeat as i breathe

[AUesquire 1]

So hard to tell about USC. I watched that whole game (Couldn't sleep ) and USC looked like best college team ever assembled. Then you realize they looked like that many times last year and at the same time, should have lost to the likes of Stanford, Oregon State, Cal and UCLA. Just don't know.

As for the WNBA, they couldn't take their best and beat an NBA team from the 50s, 60s, 70s or any good 6A high school team. They can't even score 65 against each other. PAINFUL TO WATCH. So I don't.

[tgr4lfe 220]

i dont know how good they really are. but they sure made it look easy sat night. 21 points and they'd only run something like 6 plays. either they are as good as advertised, or ark is in real trouble.

182263[/snapback]

I think USC is a great team. Bush will be utilized in the NFL as a WR, kick returner, scat back, type player. I don't think he is the 15 to 25 rushes per game type player, but Lendale White most certainly is. I think he is more the reason for USC success than the other two. Bush gets the big plays but b/c of his speed and quickness. White is the man when they got to put together a drive.

I do believe Arky is that bad though!! They did move the ball against USC and had it tied 7-7 for only a short time. Until the kickoff was returned 50 or 60 yards,then like 2 or 3 plays later there goes Bush. Plus I don't think the Arky players even believe they can win a game. They almost looked like Chokaloma in the MNC last year. (oh, by the way isn't great to see Chokaloma get absolutely NO votes in the AP poll)

Leinart made some great passes. Arky DBs looked highly over matched. USC was a very physical team. Defensively knocking the razorbacks all over the place. Gonna be hard for someone to knock off USC. Arizona St will have a good chance b/c they have a pretty good team, but probably not a good enough D to slow down USC. That is what it is going to take is solid Defense to beta them.

[AWK 0]

Right now, USC is as Good as Vanderbilt

[Ronin 2]

I think we all agree that USC wouldn't beat an NFL team but that isn't what the original poster suggested. Sure only 3-10 players from this USC team may eventually make it to the NFL someday but how many of them would have made it into the NFL in 1990 or 1985 or 1980?

Many of the ones who won't make it today are bigger, stronger and faster than a lot of the players 15 years ago. OTOH do they have the mystical thing (drive?, dedication? etc.) that makes a player a good/great professional? See other posts on good college players that didn't make it to the pros. Not to mention players who are very successful pros that no one expected to be (at least not to the level they acheived).

[phigamTIGERfan 0]

USC is a very good football team, that is obvious. Over the past few years, however they have had as many sub-par performances as dominating ones. Two years ago when they were left out of the championship game they whined and cried , well my answer then was" Don't lose to a CAL team with 7 losses!". Last year CAL almost beat them again, as well as stanford and UCLA. USC really has a 2 game season, CAL and Notre Dame. If they had to get fired up and prepare week in and week out like teams in the SEC,ACC, or Big 10 they would lose TWICE. In the SEC if you have a poor showing you will get exploited, whereas in the PAC-10 if you are as talented as USC you can squeak bye. USC is a good football team, but I absolutely can't stand them. With a 63-10 4th quarter lead against poor Arkansas they were throwing the ball all over the place. Hell, they went for it on 4th and 8 at the Arkansas 17 instead of kicking a field goal. USC won the game but Arkansas would have won the fight, lol. I pray for the day USC is exposed.

[aumoore 0]

Dident Tony Mandarich(second overall pick, 1989) play for USC?

I really think Leinart is the real deal but I have doubts on Bush as he is kind of small at 6'-0 and 200#. The NFL looks for guys around 220# and up for a Tailback.

[aumoore 0]

Why does everyone think when they have a great College team they should be able to beat a NFL team? Now a College all star team might be able to play with a NFL team if they had time to practice.

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

Tony Mandarich played for Michigan State and was drafted by the Packers.

I think you are thinking about wonderboy Todd Marinovich.

They were both busts.

[AUesquire 1]

I had a mandarin orange this morning.

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

I made an orange float with vanilla ice cream yesterday afternoon. Quite delicious.

[Jenny AU-92 0]

how does "JUGGERNAUT" sound to ya'......threepeat as i breathe

182277[/snapback]

First off, this would NOT be a threepeat for USC. Last time I counted, they had ONE, repeat, ONE crystal egg. The other recent one belongs to LSU.

Second, they are a mountain made of a molehill. If they played a legitimate schedule in a legitimate conference, then maybe. But they play in the conference rated FOURTH behind SEC, ACC, and the Big Ten (FIFTH if you think the Big 12 is anything to sneeze at) they beat an Arky team that lost to VANDERBILT and you guys and all the media are ready to crown them King of the World. Their cupcake schedule would make Ole Miss look like a MNC. Put them in the SEC and they would fold like a house of cards. I really think they will be exposed by someone this year as the fakes they really are. Busch and Leinart are good, but so are a lot of other people.

USC sucks.

So speaketh Jenny.