The Week in Quotes

 "That's a tough question. Each week is different. It's hard to say who's better." --San Diego State Head Coach Chuck Long. Long's Aztecs are now 0-2. Asked after his team's tough loss to Notre Dame on Saturday which one of their opponents so far is better, this was his response. San Diego State's Week One opponent? Cal Poly. Ouch, PB.

"Here at Ohio State, they teach you to be a better man. There, it's just all about football." -- Ohio State Wide Receiver Ray Small. This is a great example of a kid giving bulletin board material to a team that simply doesn't need it. Small made this comment in reference to USC, which is preparing to mash the Buckeyes into mashed buckeyes in Week Three. The young man got his impressions of Southern Cal on his recruiting trip there. We would like to issue the qualification that Small's comment may, indeed, be very true. USC does strike us as a pure football factory with all the attention and glitter that LA has to offer. And Ohio State may well teach you to be a better man; but they certainly don't teach you how to win national championship games.

"It's unfortunate, but it's one that they almost have to call. It really should be a no-call, but it's one that they have to call when they see it...The game is an emotional game. We cannot play it without emotion, and therefore we are going to celebrate. The key is trying to manufacture the right celebration that does not belittle the game or the sportsmanship that should be part of the game." -- Washington Head Coach Ty Willingham. The Huskies got hosed. We're not sure how many readers saw the end of the BYU-Washington game, but the Huskies got hosed. Washington QB Jake Locker scored what should have been the tying touchdown at the end of the game, and as he moved to hug his teammates he tossed the football behind him. The refs decided that was excessive celebration, BYU blocked the lengthened extra point, and WU lost a shot at overtime. Ty Willingham is much too classy to complain about it, but we certainly are not. This was a travesty--Locker did nothing to "belittle" the game or its sportsmanship, but the officials sure did.

"Our kicking game really let us down tonight." --Tulane Head Coach Bob Toledo. This one qualifies as the understatement of the week. Tulane lost at Alabama 20-6. That's a 14 point differential. The Tide returned TWO Tulane punts for touchdowns, and that was the entire difference in the game. Tulane outgained 'Bama 318 yards to only 172. The Green Wave defense legitimately dominated Alabama. If they could cover punts, the Wave could have been the huge story of the weekend. Gustav foced them to practice in Birmingham all week, and they went on the road and owned Alabama--except for the score. We did learn one thing from this game, however: perhaps Sports Illustrated was just a tad premature in serving notice to the SEC that 'Bama is a threat. Beating former Tulane coach Tommy Bowden's Clemson Tigers may turn out not to have been a harbinger of great things in 2008 after all.

And this week's Quote of the Week:

"I think I'm going to go to practice one day and have a chat with my team. Beat 'em, but don't run it up on me that bad any more." -- Jonesboro, Arkansas store owner Hoppy Hoffman after offering 1% off on Arkansas State gear for every point ASU beat its opponent by on Saturday. The Red Wolves beat Texas Southern 83-10. For those keeping track, had they done the promotion the previous week, fans would have gotten 4% off for a victory over Texas A&M.