George Aiken from Atlanta, GA e-mails in, "Isn't it interesting that USC is about to be bitch-slapped with all kinds of NCAA violations (serious ones) and all of a sudden Pete Carroll and his coaches appear sipping Starbucks coffee in Seattle?"

This has been one of the most controversial topics in sports since it was first reported that Pete Carroll was in talks to become the next Seahawks coach. Carroll is counting his lucky stars that Mark McGwire picked yesterday to come clean about his use of steroids and HGH (surprise!). The revelation has taken a significant chunk out of the coverage of the Carroll/USC/Seattle saga.

With the NCAA likely to "bitch-slap" the Trojans with some sort of probation, whoever eventually takes over head coaching duties will have a mess on his hands from the get-go. It will be vitally important to the Trojans' next few seasons that they keep their current 2010 recruiting class together. It's likely going to be one of their last classes before the sanctions come.

Dillon Baxter, D.J. Morgan and Kyle Prater have already reneged on their commitment. But don't worry Trojans fans, Randall Telfer, a four star USC tight end recruit, created a Facebook page aimed at keeping the currently 8th ranked class together.

Ok, back to Carroll. There's no question that the timing of his trek up the coast is a bit fishy, but the coach does bring up a valid point when he says, "There was never going to be a good time [to leave]." Carroll also denies leaving the post because of the imminent controversy that will surround the school for the next few months as the Reggie Bush saga unfolds, but of course that's coming from Carroll who like any good coach is looking to avoid controversy and drama as best he can. I don't know if it'll work.

Carroll has said that he had long ago given up hope of returning the NFL, and the Seattle offer "came out of nowhere." It's hard to blame the guy for leaving for the pros when he hasn't really made a secret of his desire to one day return.

Carroll, though, had the opportunity to join the ranks of Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno as beloved head coaches at their respective universities. Carroll, like Bowden and Paterno with their Seminoles and Nittany Lions, built the Trojans into what they are today. Sure USC had been considered among the blue bloods of the sport, but as I've touched upon, when he took over they were bottom scrapers. He blew that chance; let's see how he does in his next go-around in the big leagues.

Some in Trojan nation may feel animosity towards Carroll at this point, but as time goes by emotions will settle and fans as well as those within the program will once again hold the coach in high regard. After all, he rescued what was then a once proud program stuck scouring the depths of the Pac-10, and resurrected it into its former position as one of the nation's perennial college football powerhouses.

Carroll tweeted his goodbyes to Trojan nation: "thanks to everyone for your love and support over the years... its been a blast... appreciate everything". Isn't social networking great?

How the heck did that happen?

The New York Jets are in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. I'll say it again; the New York Jets are in the AFC Divisional Playoffs. How many of you, even the most dedicated of Jets fans honestly can say that they thought that would happen before this year started?

They have a rookie head coach who coaches only one aspect of the game, defense. They have a rookie quarterback in Mark Sanchez who has thrown for fewer yards at USC and with the NY Jets combined than Brad Smith (the teams wildcat QB) threw for at Missouri.

Even after a 3-0 start if you were dreaming big, did you really think the Jets would be here today? Certainly after watching an astonishing 30 turnovers by the QB (20 INT's and 10 Fumbles), giving away game after game in the middle of the season, you couldn't have thought that.

Statistically Speaking

Regardless of the game results, all year Rex Ryan and the Jets PR department have been pounding the table telling anyone who would listen (and even those who wouldn't) that they have the best defense in the NFL and the best running game in the NFL.

Statistically they are 100% correct. They have given up the least yards, the least amount of points and rushed for the most yards. But Jets fans are conditioned to look at the negatives.

The Jets were tied for second in the league with 36 attempted field goals. Sure Jay Feely has had a good year hitting on 30 of them (if you take out the 3 missed opportunities in a row he would have been a remarkable 33 for 36.) More than anything though, the fact that the Jets attempted so many field goals means that in the Red Zone, they couldn't convert on third down. Many of those opportunities to convert were from 3rd and short and the run got stuffed when it counted most. So how good really is the running game?

And what about the Monday night game against the Dolphins or the two home games against the Jaguars and Falcons when "the best defense in the league" allowed the opposition put on 'two-minute-drill' clinics on national TV? Does anyone remember the 85-86' Chicago Bears Championship winning ‘46-defense' doing that?

Sanchez on a leash.....

When I profiled Rex Ryan and the Jets before the Wild Card game against the Bengals I jokingly spoke about the color code method that he gave Mark Sanchez.

"Rex has instituted a color code system for his rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez so that he would know when to be more conservative and not take chances with the ball. I hope Sanchez isn't color blind. At the rate he throws passes to the other team you would think they would check!

Ryan got the color code idea from that Brazilian restaurant in NYC where you turn the card to green if you want more meat and leave it on red if you don't want another portion as they come by with the servings. Guess what color Rex usually has his on?"

The point was, if you are at the stage where you have to whisper in your QB's headset what to do / what not to do with the ball before every series of plays, how can you expect the guy to act instinctively and take advantage of a given opportunity that occurs on the field? When an NFL QB sees an opportunity pre-snap he calls an audible and takes advantage of it, that's what a good NFL QB does.

When Peyton Manning sees something he can capitalize on when he is at the line of scrimmage, he winks at a receiver, gives a hand signal or calls out an audible and then bam, the ball appears in the hands of Reggie Wayne or Dallas Clark who are standing in the end zone........

When a play breaks down and Ben Roethlisberger looks like he's a calf trying to avoid getting roped, he looks up the field, processes the situation and fires a bullet to Santonio Holmes and 15 minutes later he and the Steelers are standing on a podium accepting the Lombardi Trophy.

Did anyone yell out "Green" to Dan Marino before he faked a spike and threw the ball into the end zone for a game winning TD?

In the month preceding the Wild Card game against the Bengals, Mark Sanchez looked like Hellen Keller trying to find TE Dustin Keller in the middle of the field. For the past few weeks Jets Offensive Coordinator Brain Schottenheimer has taken away the middle of the field from Sanchez. Other than a quick slant to WR's Jerricho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards, Sanchez has avoided the middle of the field like the plague. He clearly had been told to not even look at the congestion between the hash marks.

After the NFL regular season ended on Sunday, the teams missing the playoffs didn't hesitate to start making improvements and changes to the personnel. Many coaches were fired, one coach has already been hired after spending a year out of the NFL, and one team's entire coaching staff was terminated. NFL owners are scrambling for the right coach and some have already found the one man they have been coveting. So without further ado, lets dive right into the offseason coaching frenzy.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS: Big surprise here. The Redskins fired Jim Zorn a day after their last game in San Diego, which resulted in a 24-20 loss. Once Zorn was gone, owner Dan Snyder and new Redskins General Manager Bruce Allen immediately flew to Denver to see former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, the man Snyder has wanted for a long time.

It didn't take long for Snyder to fly Shanahan and his wife to Washington D.C to discuss the team, the direction they want to go in and of course, a contract. Before long, Snyder and Allen inked Shanahan to five-year contract worth approximately $7 million a year. But shortly after Snyder hired him, he also announced that Shanahan would be the new Vice President of Football Operations. So now the more intriguing part about this situation is how Allen and Shanahan will work together. Also, will Dan Snyder intervene? Joe Gibbs told Shanahan he wouldn't, but that remains to be seen.

BUFFALO BILLS: Well this was an interesting case. The Bills owner Ralph Wilson made good on his word when he said no job was safe after firing head coach Dick Jauron. Well, he meant it. Wilson fired the entire Bills coaching staff, including interim coach Perry Fewell.

The Bills missed the playoffs for the 10th consecutive year, so a change like this was definitely necessary, but the entire coaching staff. Now that is something you just don't see everyday. This will be the fifth head coach since Hall of Famer Mark Levy retired in 1997.

This is definitely something the Bills needed to do. Buffalo needs a coach that won't tolerate the antics of Terrell Owens and Marshawn Lynch. It's not like Buffalo is far away from being a playoff team. Even the Jets made the playoffs this year. If the Bills can somehow get a good quarterback and have some key players stay healthy for an entire season, it won't be long before they're contenders. Maybe they're just one great coach away from the post season. How about Bill Cowher?

It seems like Cowher isn't coming back in 2010 like everyone thought. Now that John Fox seems to be safe and will remain as head coach of the Carolina Panthers (or will he?), there aren't many available head coaching positions worth coming out of retirement for. Does Cowher really want to coach in Buffalo?

According to sources around the Buffalo area, Cowher has been meeting with Buffalo to discuss the head coaching position and salaries.

The college football season is over; withdrawals, depression, misery. Before you slip into an apathetic stupor for eight months, remember that the NFL Draft is just around the corner! From now until April's NFL Draft, I will be profiling some of the more interesting prospects. I can't promise that I'll get to your favorite player, but if you'd like to see a certain player profiled, shoot us an email and let us know.

There have been a lot of comparisons made lately between Dexter McCluster, the Rebels' 5'8 165 pound running back/wide receiver/return specialist, and Chris Johnson, the Tennessee Titans' 5'11 200 pound running back.

The similarities are fairly obvious. Both backs are elusive and both have tremendous speed. Johnson was clocked at 4.24 in the 40 yard dash at the 2008 NFL Combine. We're pre-2010 combine, but McCluster is credited with around a 4.3 40 time. If you need evidence of either's elusiveness, just check out these videos of Johnson and McCluster. Where they obviously differ, however, is in their size.

Johnson is considered by some to be the prototypical NFL running back at 5'11, 200 pounds. Successful running backs at the professional level tend to be around 5'10 to 6'2 and weigh anywhere from 200 to 220 pounds. Obviously, exceptions exist.

McCluster's small frame of 5'8, 165 pounds (listed at 5'7 by some reports) worries some teams. If he hopes to become an every down back like Johnson, he'll have to bulk up. As for his height, if you ask me he's a little short. Some, however, prefer the shorter running back to the taller one.

McCluster will get his fair share of carries at the NFL level, but he won't be an every down back-maybe a third down back but a smart team will use him more often. I see him running the wild cat in the pros, a role he became familiar with taking snaps in Mississippi's Wild Rebel formation. Rather than compare him to Johnson, I see more parallels with Devin Hester. He's no number one running back or wide receiver, but he'll return kicks and he'll be prominently featured in his NFL team's offense.

Gang Green supporter and XPF founder Mike Cardano points out that McCluster would be a good fit for the New York Jets should Leon Washington leave via free agency. Mike also points out that Brad Smith is widely expected to assume the 'X-Factor' role in the Jets' offense. Jet or not, look for McCluster to assume an X-Factor-type role for his NFL team. He'll run, he'll catch, he'll throw, he'll return kicks, he'll do anything short of selling hot dogs.

A group of young men aspiring to make their school's football roster are brought to an off-campus location for a football camp where their new head coach will subject them to ten of the hardest days of their lives. Some accounts say that over 100 players were present at the beginning, but those at the camp say the number was less. Conditions will be sweltering with temperatures reaching in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit. And don't expect the rain to come any time soon; it hasn't rained in years.

The only comfort afforded to them will be cold, soaking wet towels; one for the offense and one for the defense. Players will rise before the sun and won't go to sleep until well after it has set. Yes, this will be hell.

For how long will the coach who subjects his players to this environment last? A year? Half a season? A week? The coach who subjected his players to this camp lasted 38 years as a college football head coach. No, it wasn't Denzel Washington in Remember the Titans. It was Paul "Bear" Bryant.

This is the story of Bryant's first year as head coach at Texas A&M University. He was hired in 1954 and brought his players to what is now Texas Tech University Center at Junction, but was then an attachment of Texas A&M, to toughen them up and weed out the weakest players on the roster. The team finished with a 1-9 record in 1954, but the following year finished 7-2-1 and then 9-0-1 the next, good enough to win the Southwest Conference.

The number of players left standing, so to speak, when all was said and done varies, but Jim Dent, author of The Junction Boys: How Ten Days in Hell with Bear Bryant Forged a Championship Team, lists 37 players among the 'survivors' of the camp. The Junction Boys, as they are commonly referred, have also been the subject of a feature film by ESPN.

Player abuse has been a hot subject in the last couple of months thanks to more than a couple accusations and investigations. This season, three head coaches at major college football programs have been fired due to alleged player abuse.

As much grief as everyone gives the Bowl Championship Series (including myself) the system actually worked this year. America got to see the number one and number two teams play for the National Title. In the previous system we would have seen Alabama play in the Sugar Bowl against an inferior team like Cincinnati and Texas would have played in the Cotton Bowl. This would have left the media and all football fans debating on who the real champion is for the next 6 months.

While I am not a fan of the BCS, I would rather have this system where computers, sportswriters and coaches decide the fate of the teams rather than having the old system where we could of ended up with Alabama being number one in one poll and Texas being number one in another and neither of them being the unanimous Champion.

The latest poll (Quinnipiac University Poll) shows that 63% of the people are in favor of implementing a playoff system over the current Bowl Championship Series. In our own independent poll here on Xtra Point Football with 803 votes cast as of the publishing of this article over 55% our readers are in favor of a playoff. Either way you look at it, the majority of America appears to think like President Obama on this subject.

While fans are voting on a playoff system they don't want our government to get involved. The same polls indicate that a majority of the individuals polled want the government to stay out of it. Earlier this month, a House subcommittee approved legislation which would force college football to switch to a playoff system instead of the Bowl Championship Series. The bill, which will go to the full committee, would make it illegal to promote a national championship game "or make a similar representation," unless it results from a playoff. A new Political Action Committee (PAC) ran TV commercials in several States promoting a playoff system.

A recap of what went down and what you should take away from this week in college football.

All may be done, but all is not settled. Each week it seems another college football coach gets his turn to dominate headlines. I don't know, maybe it's built into their contract somewhere. Charlie Weiss, Brian Kelly, Mark Mangino, Jim Leavitt, Urban Meyer, Mike Leach and now Pete Carroll have all had their names run by on ESPN's never-ending 'Bottom Line'.

More and more players are declaring for the NFL Draft in April, although we are yet to be shocked by anybody's decision. Recruiting is beginning to heat up following yesterday's Army All-America Bowl and did I mention that another coach could be changing zip codes?

Recapping the week in 500 words or less, this is what we learned about the season:

• Pete Carroll, according to multiple reports, will fill the Seattle Seahawks head coaching vacancy. What seems like an imminent deal in Seattle leaves Southern Cal without the man who brought them back to college football prominence after an extended hiatus.

• Oregon State's Mike Riley is considered the frontrunner for the USC position, although reports state that his current school is trying to lock him down for life. Jeff Fisher is thought to be the Trojans' second choice, but he claims he isn't going anywhere. You're telling me that USC doesn't have its pick of the litter? They didn't get their first choice in 2000, though, and that seemed to work out fine.

• Boise State's and TCU's high scoring offenses were held to just two offensive touchdowns between them thanks to two of the game's most overlooked defenses. Brandyn Thompson, the Broncos junior cornerback, was tremendous, recording 2 interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Both teams looked like they belonged despite being denied the right to play a team from a BCS conference. If only there were some way we could give both of these teams their rightful shot at the championship...

• In the Orange Bowl, the coldest in history, Iowa shut down the Georgia Tech triple option. LSU had a month to prepare for the Yellow Jackets last season and shut down the option. After getting blown away the season before, Miami made the necessary adjustments and shut it down as well. The key here is preparation and discipline. Stay on your assignment and don't get cute. Ricky Stanzi was solid, throwing for 231 yards and 2 touchdowns while Brandon Wegher averaged 7.1 yards per carry, but the real player of the game was Pat Angerer. The senior linebacker recorded 10 tackles and was instrumental in leading the Iowa defense against the nation's second best rushing attack. A major kudos to the droves of Iowa fans who made it down for the game to support their Hawks.

• In the GMAC Bowl, Central Michigan squeaked out a double overtime victory against Troy on the back of quarterback Dan LeFevour. He is the FBS all-time leader in touchdowns and moved into second in total yardage. The Chippewas finish the year ranked 23 in the AP and 24 in the Coaches'. LeFevour is leaving for the NFL and head coach Butch Jones already left for Cincinnati, but CMU is on the map.

• That brings us to the big one. A more comprehensive look at the National Championship can be found HERE, but the short version is this: Colt McCoy knocked out of the game on Texas' fifth offensive play; enter Garrett Gilbert, age 18, to lead the Longhorns in the biggest game of the year; Mark Ingram is Mark Ingram; 'Bama defense toys with Gilbert, picks him off four times; Gilbert impresses and leads short-lived comeback attempt; Tide steadfast; question of 'What if?' dominates headlines for days to come; President Obama consoles Longhorns.

The New Household Name of the week has to be Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert. Sure he didn't win the game and turned the ball over five times, but the Longhorns should like what they saw Thursday night. After stumbling out of the gate (who the hell wouldn't in that situation), Gilbert recovered and showed everybody why he was ranked by Rivals as the nation's 2nd best quarterback recruit in 2009. Gilbert started clicking with Jordan Shipley in the second half and nearly led the Longhorns on what would have been one of the most epic comebacks in the history of college football. Boise State cornerback Brandyn Thompson also garners recognition for his two interception performance in the Fiesta Bowl Monday night.

I think Philip Rivers is the most underrated quarterback in the NFL. Oddly, for one of the very best QB's in the NFL, people don't know a lot about him.

We know everything about the legend of Tom Brady from his Super Bowl wins to his wife. We know about his body as if it were our own, getting weekly reports on his knee, his finger and ribs.

We know everything there is to know about Peyton Manning (and his entire family). It seems that if Peyton Manning in our living room on our TV throwing a TD pass, he's on our TV in a Sony commercial.

We know about Drew Brees, his bionic shoulder and his birthmark.

We know about Ben Roethlisberger, his success, his motorcycle, his long name and his ability to create magic when a play breaks down.

We know about Kurt Warner, his religion, his wife, his accuracy. And in big games there is no one better. I haven't calculated, it but before the last drive where Neil Rackers missed the field goal tonight (choke) he was second to only John Unitas in playoff QB rating closing in on 105. With his efficiency on that last drive he may have even passed him.

We know about Brett Favre... We know way too much about Brett Favre. At this point he's like a stalker that won't go away.

But what do we know about Philip Rivers?

Rivers played his college football for the NC State Wolfpack and finished his career with 13,484 passing yards, 4th all-time among Division 1-A quarterbacks (he was 2nd at the end of his collegiate career). He also threw 95 touchdown passes, which ties him for eighth all-time with Kliff Kingsbury and Brady Quinn. His career YPA (yards per attempt) average (9.55) is still the best in college football history.

Rivers was projected to be an early first-round pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. He was viewed by many prognosticators as the best quarterback in a draft that included Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger. But despite Rivers' record of success in college and remarkable accuracy (72% completion percentage for his senior season), questions about his lack of arm strength and his unorthodox side-arm throwing motion were concerns for some NFL GMs. The pre-draft consensus was that Rivers could be selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 11th pick. The Chargers coveted Eli Manning and wanted to select him with their first round pick, which was also the first overall pick of the draft. However, after Eli Manning indicated before the draft that he would not sign with the San Diego Chargers, the Chargers were forced to adjust their plans. Rivers was their first alternative to Manning because the Chargers head coach at the time, Marty Schottenheimer, had coached Rivers at the Senior Bowl and he liked what he saw from Rivers. The Chargers agreed to a trade on draft day with the New York Giants, who possessed the fourth pick of the draft. Manning was selected by the San Diego Chargers then later in the draft traded to the New York Giants for Rivers and the rights to draft picks used to select future Pro Bowlers Shawne Merriman and Nate Kaeding.

Rivers is in his fourth year as a starter and has career quarterback rating - at 95.8 - second-best all time, one point behind Steve Young (96.8) among NFL quarterbacks with at least 1,500 pass attempts. Among active QBs - Rivers' regular season starting quarterback winning percentage (.719) ranks second-best behind Tom Brady (.764)

People often characterize Rivers as overly animated and conceited, but I characterize him as a gamer.

The Arizona Cardinals

Three-time Pro Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin is going to try and make a go of it with his sprained ankle. Boldin, who surpassed 1,000 yards receiving for a franchise-record fifth time, stayed in last Sunday's game into the second half to try to give support to struggling backup quarterback Matt Leinart. Boldin limped off the field in the third quarter.

If Boldin can't go, Steve Breaston who has 55 catches for 712 yards and three touchdowns is prepared for his role to change. This wouldn't be the first time Breason had to step up his game. While Boldin is important, the Cardinals are 5-1 without him the past two years, including a 33-13 playoff win at Carolina last season.

If Boldin sits that would mean Early Doucet would become the third receiver, with Jerheme Urban also available.

Larry Fitzgerald on Boldin - "If I were to be a betting man, knowing Q and his toughness, I know he's going to give it a go. I don't know if he's 100 percent or whatever, but I just know he's going to want to go out there and play. He's worked too hard. We've been through some really bleak years around here. To have the opportunity to play in the playoffs, I know it means a lot to him. It means a lot to all of us."

Perhaps a more important loss though would be the loss of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, a Pro Bowler in his second season, who has a problem with a bruised left kneecap. Rodgers-Cromartie is the team's "cover" cornerback and leads Arizona with six interceptions.

With all the talk of ‘the big three' (Warner, Boldin and Fitzgerald), it is the Green Bay Packers that come into the game with the third best scoring offense in the NFL averaging 28.8 points per game so it's crucial that Rodgers-Cromartie be able to play. Rodgers-Cromartie's backup is 5-foot-8 Michael Adams, who had problems after he came in the game against the Packers on Sunday.

Defensive end Calais Campbell has a broken left thumb, but he'll get in the trenches with nine good fingers.

The Green Bay Packers

Earlier in the season Aaron Rogers was a human punching bag when he dropped back to pass. It's amazing that he didn't get hurt and even more amazing that he didn't throw more interceptions. Although they have corrected many of the problems, the stats are alarming

Rogers has been sacked a league leading 51 times but ranks only one off the league's best throwing only 8 interceptions and is 4th in the league with 30 TD passes.

Think about that, look where he ranks getting sacked (51) compared to the leagues other top QB's: Peyton Manning (13), Tom Brady (18), Drew Brees (20), Matt Schaub (25), Philip Rivers (26), and even Kurt Warner (26).... And yet he's one of the most proficient at both protecting the ball and throwing TD's.

The statistical anomaly speaks volumes about the ability of Rogers to play through adversity and deliver the ball under duress. In a short time, Rogers has truly become one of the very best quarterbacks in the NFL. The Packers certainly knew what they were doing when they made the regime change that shocked the world...... well at least Brett Favre.

The Eagles blitz more than most teams (2nd in the NFL to the Jets) which has resulted in far too many big plays against them as not getting to the QB in time has left them vulnerable in the secondary and created my long gains for the opposition.

Oddly enough, the success of the Cowboys running game had the Eagles playing a bit more on their heels last week as the Cowboys were able to pound the ball and take precious time off the clock. Dallas had 32 rushing attempts against Philly last week. Because their run game is effective in a way that transfers to any situation, 179 yards came out of those plays.

If the Cowboys play keep-away and create scoring situations on the ground (they held the ball for over 40 minutes against the Eagles last week), they will not only put Tony Romo in optimal situations to convert those opportunities, they will also keep the Eagles in full panic mode and throwing their offense out of balance once again. If that's the way this goes down, the Cowboys will easily get their first playoff win since 1996. The burden is on the Eagles to prove current momentum wrong.

The Cowboys have an excellent running game -- with Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice, they have a group of backs that are as solid of a group as any group of backs in the NFL. Throw in the blocking of fullback Deon Anderson and that enormous offensive line, and it's tough for any defense to stop the Dallas ground game.

The offensive game plans will decide this game. If the Cowboys can once again run the ball and again focus on focus on shutting down DeSean Jackson who only gained 29 yards in their first meeting and 47 yards in their second meeting, this one will not be close.

Cowboy fans shouldn't be too cocky though as they haven't won a playoff game in 13 years, Tony Romo still has to prove he can win a playoff game and Andy Reid, Donovan McNabb and the Eagles have never lost a first round playoff game.

From where I sit, the Eagles rely way too much on the passing game. The screen pass is their running game and they are masters at it with perhaps the Chargers being the only team to run it as well. But with the screen pass taken away as the Cowboys have shown that they have been able to do that leaves them very one dimensional.