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		Michelle Touson on the NCAA By Michelle Touson October 7, 2007

	1. Stanford unbelievably got by USC on Saturday by one point and a come back touchdown, but for a team like Stanford who has only beat San Jose State this season and won only one game last year, the odds were 41 points in USC's favor to win this one hands down. Was this a matter of just mailing it in for USC and taking it for granted that Pete Carroll and the Trojans were going to just chalk this one up and not expecting Stanford to do the unexpected?' Why does there have to be something wrong with USC? Stanford showed that they wanted to win more! The Trojans have rested on their past laurels for too too long. I have said it before, and I will say it again . . . this is not a National Championship team, and John David Booty is not the second coming of Carson Palmer. CONGRATULATIONS TO COACH HARBAUGH AND THE STANFORD CARDINAL. 2. The Bears took a much-needed Saturday off with a bye. Quarterback Nate Longshore had a swollen ankle and rested it. Meanwhile the rest of the team took some light practices during the week and the same is planned for this week. During a win streak like Cal has do you believe momentum is a major factor and keeping on playing is vital to that streak or do you think a team like Cal welcomed the bye after five weeks of play? I don't believe in that momentum is as much a factor as being focused and prepared. The Bears must take it one game at a time to be successful. It is early, but they could play for the National Championship; they are definitely a BCS Bowl team. The one thing I am afraid of is that they will begin to collapse toward the end of the season. Stay true to the course Cal. 3. Les Miles LSU coach pulled off a coup last Saturday in calling for a running play with just two minutes left in the ball game against Florida who is ranked #9. The coup worked out as LSU scored a crucial touchdown and remained number one with a come back victory over Florida. LSU is number one and calling a play like that is there no surprise to you that LSU is number one ranked? The LSU - Florida game was the best game of the weekend. It offered drama and action like a Scorsese movie. Congratulation to the Bayou Bengal for not giving up, and playing four quarters. You have truly earned your number one ranking. Tim Tebow is another college QB who is getting too many accolades, too early in his career. He is tough, and he is talented, but let this young man mature a little more. After all, he is only a sophomore. He has plenty of time to become an excellent college QB, and fail miserably as a NFL QB just like many of the Florida Gator QB's before him (see Rex Grossman and Danny Werfel). Final Thoughts: 1. People quit looking at the polls to tell you what is in the heart of a team. This has been a great college football season thus far because with the expectation of LSU, all the teams that the media experts were drooling over are just about out of the top ten. And, teams like South Florida and Cincinnati are on the rise. Is that some parody for you a-- or what? 2. Marion Jones finally admitted that she used steroids. As a Jones fan, I am very disappointed in her lack of character. When the CEO of Balco has an autographed picture of you hanging in his office it kind of hard to deny that you were not involved in anything. But what is even worse is that the two men you were married to have been either suspended or banned from track and field. Thank you for finally coming clean; but do not do a Kelly White and throw other people under the bus. I know that you know other athletes who are using steroids. It is not for you to out them. It is the responsibility of those who are investigating to out those individuals. What I will not say is that Jones needs to give her medals back. Until the West Germans, the Soviets, the Chinese, and the other teams who used steroids in modern age of Olympic competition return their medals; Jones should not have to return hers. 3. Cubs Loose Cubs Loose, and so do the Yankees, and the Phillies. So much for destiny.