Believe it or not, there is a downside to being on vacation.
It arrives when you’re a Sports editor and the world keeps turning and you wish you could write about it.
Because sports happen, such as Oregon’s rude introduction to elite college football. Or the Blazers pulling off Chaminade-like victories. Or a basketball phenom blowing out her knee. Or the Pac-10 bending over for the Mountain West Conference and saying, “Thank you, sir, may I have another?”
So let’s take a look in the rear-view mirror.
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We’ll start with the Rose Bowl, where the biggest difference in Ohio State’s 26-17 victory over Oregon was the coaching.
How else do you explain Ohio State throwing for a total of 285 yards in its previous three games, and then torching the Ducks for 266? It was the classic I-know-you-think-you-know-what-I’m-thinking ploy, and the Buckeyes used it to keep the ball away from Oregon’s quick-strike offense.
That’s only a minor criticism of Chip Kelly. He kept his team together following the Boise State debacle, survived the loss of his best player in cornerback Walter Thurmond III, took his team to the Rose Bowl, and deservedly was named Pac-10 coach of the year.
Not a bad rookie season.
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Still, I am fascinated by the tenor of the reports from people who covered the Rose Bowl. In the days leading up to the game, they consistently said Ohio State was there with a purpose, much more so than Oregon.
It’s funny how you get a sense of the teams when you’re around them in the week before a big game. Sometimes that sense can be deceptive, but often it’s pretty accurate.
And it’s not something you get from the quotes. It’s something intangible in the demeanor and the comportment of the players and coaches.
As Dwight Jaynes wrote at DwightJaynes.com: “The Ducks wandered into their media session looking as if they’d just rolled out of bed. They were disheveled and frankly, a little sloppy. They didn’t appear interested, motivated or disciplined.
“At least compared to what I saw out of Ohio State a little later. The Buckeyes came into the room looking sharp, attentive, businesslike and serious — yet they projected personality and charm in their interviews.”
Not that the Rose Bowl is a fashion contest. But Jaynes’ point was that the media sessions reflected the teams’ attitudes, and that Ohio State’s discipline played a role in the outcome of the game.
Well, that and the fact the Buckeyes’ defense was much faster than Oregon anticipated. In a lot of ways, I think the game provided the Ducks with a lesson in the athleticism and preparation of elite programs.
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The lineup for the Blazers’ game last Saturday against the Warriors: Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge, Travis Outlaw, Rudy Fernandez, and Steve Blake. Oh wait, those are just some of the guys who didn’t play, and they could make for a heck of a team.
Instead, the Blazers made do with a starting lineup that included Jeff Pendergraph and Juwan Howard, and they used Dante Cunningham for 23 minutes.
And as Portland rallied from a 17-3 deficit for the victory, it had a Little-Engine-That-Could feel. That can carry a team only so far. If you’re outmanned, it eventually catches up with you, but credit to the Blazers for making the most out of an awful situation.
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If Heather Corral can avoid injuries, I honestly think she’ll wind up being a better player than her sister, Ashley.
Alas, Corral, a sophomore standout for the Prairie High School girls basketball team, might miss the rest of the season because of a knee injury. Last year, she suffered a severe ankle injury late in the season.
When she’s healthy, Corral is a force of nature on defense. She’s 6-foot-1 with long arms and great footwork. Add a little strength, and you couldn’t design a better defensive player.
Heather doesn’t have Ashley’s swagger or ball-handling ability, but she can be a great player. Here’s hoping for a complete recovery.
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And finally, there’s no truth to the rumor that the Mountain West will replace the Pac-10 as a BCS conference. Actually, there’s no rumor; I just made that up.
But it might not be a bad idea.
Brigham Young routed Oregon State in a bowl game, and Utah handled Cal. That made the Mountain West 13-11 against the Pac-10 over the past three years, including 3-2 in bowl games.
And it’s not just BYU and Utah. The list of Mountain West victories includes five MWC teams and seven Pac-10 schools.
The Pac-10 is a big-money, high-prestige conference. But in recent years, there’s no proof it’s any better than the Mountain West.
Greg Jayne is Sports editor for The Columbian. He can be reached at 360-735-4531, or by e-mail at greg.jayne@columbian.com. To read his blog, go to columbian.com/weblogs/gregjayne/
