WEST COAST WATCHER: DECEMBER 12, 2007

Hindsight Isn’t 20/20 After a Wild 2007 Season

By John Scheibe / watcher@collegeblitz.com

Thoughts on the 2007 season, or hindsight is 20/20 except this year there is no hindsight.

Oregon yes; Stanford, you gotta be kidding!: The Watcher predicted that Southern Cal would lose two games, but he didn't think one of the losses would be to 41-point underdog Stanford. The Cardinal wrecked the Trojans' chances of playing in Arizona on Jan. 7, and Jim Harbaugh's feet still haven't touched the ground.

Sudden hybernation: California's collapse ranks up there with some of the great ones ever--the 1964 Phillies and 1951 Dodgers come to mind. Cal began the season with five straight wins, was ranked as high as No. 2 and was poised to be the No. 1 team in the country until it had the rug pulled out from under it by Oregon State in the rain at Berkeley. Cal never got to its feet, losing five out of the next six games, including its Bay Area battle with Stanford.

Whirlybears: How embarrassing! California gets to play in the something called the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl on New Year's Eve against Air Force.

Situation difficult, call easy: UCLA's firing of head coach Karl Dorrell capped another forgettable season for the Bruins. Hired five years ago by Athletic Director Dan Guerrero, Dorrell was one of just six of college football's black coaches. His hiring was seen by many as an enlightened move by UCLA, the university of Jackie Robinson, Kenny Washington and Rafer Johnson. But no experience as a head coach, constant injuries to key players and the inability of his team to hold leads late in games, helped put Dorrell on the outs with the athletic department, alumni and fans. His best season was 10-2, but one of the losses was a 63-19 blowout by USC. He beat Pete Carroll once, last season, 13-9, but once was not enough. Defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker will coach the Bruins in the Las Vegas Bowl against BYU.

Biggest turnaround: Dennis Erickson picked up the pieces of a program that was in the tank, and guided Arizona State to within an eyelash of getting into the Rose Bowl. The Sun Devils get to play in one of the more attractive postseason games, anyway, the Holiday Bowl against Texas in San Diego.

Second biggest turnaround: The Warriors of Hawaii going undefeated and earning an at-large BCS bid in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia. June Jones usually gets his team into a post-season game, but Colt Brennan, a gunslinger of a quarterback, overcame injuries to lead Hawaii to its greatest season ever. Aloha, Bourbon Street!

Didn't try harder: The No. 2-ranked team lost seven times this season.

Most embarrassing loss: UCLA to Notre Dame at home. The Irish managed just 147 yards on offense but won its first game of the season, 10-6.

Second most embarrassing loss: USC to Stanford.

Worst coaching performance: Tie between Charlie Weis and Jeff Tedford. Tedford has won only one big game in his tenure at California and that was a triple overtime upset against USC five years ago. The Watcher will be surprised if Notre Dame ever returns to its glory days under Weis, who so far has been a disappointment in South Bend.

Bowl predictions: LSU over Ohio State in the BCS Championship. The Buckeyes had it bad against an SEC team (Florida) in this year's BCS game and this time it could be worse.

USC over Illinois in the Rose Bowl. Big Ten teams don't play defense like the Trojans.

Hawaii over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl: The Bulldogs better play tight pass defense or this game will be over early. The Warriors have splendid visions of Boise State against Oklahoma.

The Coast Watcher, John Scheibe, is the author of the new book "On the Road With Jim Murray: Baseball and the Summer of '79," which is available at Barnes and Noble stores and online at amazon.com and bn.com. Visit the book’s official website for more information.