Day 79

I know yesterday that many of the readers of the blog thought I was losing my mind. Not the case. We all have bad days and bad weeks. You don't have to agree with what I said. In fact, other than my mother and brother, I'm sure most of you don't agree with me. That is cool. Its the beauty of this country. We are all free to share our own beliefs and opinions. I once read a quote from Seth Greenberg, the head basketball coach of Virginia Tech that really resonates with me today. He said after a blowout loss, "sometimes you are the tree, and sometimes you are the dog. Tonight, we were the tree." Lately, I have been feeling like the tree. The weather here definitely plays right into the mood I have been in of late. Dark, cold, and Gray. I feel like I left the sun in Arizona.

Tonight is the big game for all of the marbles. The Rose Bowl, the Granddaddy of them all. USC vs. Texas. #1 vs. #2. The game we have been hearing about and waiting for since September. Can Reggie Bush and Matt Leinhart continue to dominate against the tough Texas defense? Can Vince Young shred the Trojans the way he shredded through Michigan in his coming out performance in last year's Rose Bowl? Will the score stay anywhere below 69 total points? This matchup is very intriguing. USC hasn't faced a defense nearly as good as this Texas D. Texas' relatively weak schedule after their impressive road win at Ohio State back in early September is cause for concern. Other than Oklahoma, which was way down this year, the Big 12's lack of decent teams may not have tested the Longhorns. On the other side of the field is the media darlings, The USC Trojans. The Trojans have all the offensive stars any team could ever ask for, They have Top 3 picks at QB and RB, plus another first round pick at RB in Lendale White, who being Bush scored 21 TD's. Their offensive line is littered with first round picks. TE Dominique Byrd is an NFL prospect. Young WR's Dwyane Jarrett and Steve Smith will play on Sunday's. We may never see an offense like this again. Their low point total of the year was 34. They averaged 50 points per game. 50. But again, most of this was against the worst defensive conference in football, the Pac 10. Their defense can be a concern. Fresno State had their way with this defense, scoring 42. Notre Dame put up 31. But when need be, their D always seems to step up with the key turnover or game changing play. I cannot wait for this game. My prediction (and I am always wrong): Give Pete Carroll a month to prepare and he won't lose. USC 34 Texas 24.

A special mention today goes to my Grandmother, Elsie Dery. Tomorrow is he 92nd Birthday. I mention it today because tomorrow is also Leah's 30th, so the blog will be all about her. Grandmon turning 92 is a feat that should not fly under the radar. She may be 92, but she is the sharpest 92 year old woman on the planet. How many Grandmother's do you know who has a lease on their car expire, and the get it renewed for another 3 years? That is my grandmom. Sharp as a tack. I have to give her credit, she is pretty strong. The last two years have been amazingly hard on her. But she maintains. She is the matriarch of the Dery family and I couldn't be prouder to have her as my grandmother.

Song of the Day: "Notorious Thugs" by Notorious B.I.G. - in honor of Ags.