Recently in Trayvon Ralph Category

As I mentioned in earlier posts, I covered the Inland Empire All-Star Football Classic last night, a game that didn't go too well for the San Bernardino boys, who fell 38-7 to Riverside.

The San Bernardino team, coached by Los Osos' Tom Martinez, didn't have the full arsenal that Riverside had, as several highly-touted, Division I-committed players who were scheduled to play during the week dropped out. Among those were Arroyo Valley offensive lineman Michael Philipp - the No. 1 guard in the nation according to Rivals.com, Los Osos QB Richard Brehaut, Cajon CB Marlon Pollard, Upland CB Osahon Irabor and Upland CB Taj Johnson. Upland QB Josh Nunes also didn't play, as a hand injury suffered in the Central Division title game with Rancho Cucamonga hasn't fully healed.

Well, its over. That Florida-Oklahoma game, while close, wasn't anywhere close to awesome. It was almost like two teams got picked out of a hat...oh wait, they basically were. Once again, the college football system fails miserably.

What's the solution? Typically, one would say a plus-one playoff, but this year, that wouldn't work at all. There are four teams (Florida, Utah, Texas, USC) with legitimate claims for the title. I'd love these four to play a pair of semifinals - the Urban Meyer Bowl between Florida and Utah followed with a Texas-USC rematch perhaps? - with the winners playing in a end-all, be-all final. Has to be a lot better than the schlock that we saw tonight.

But since that can't happen, I guess I have to pick my own number one. Well, its also the number one LANG writer Scott Wolf came up with. So props to Scott and here we go.

1. Utah (6) - Big jump, but the Utes took out Alabama worse than Florida did. They also beat Oregon State (which USC can't claim), a top 10 team in TCU and won all of their games. In most countries and sports, winning every time out means something.

2. Florida (1) - The Gators are good and talented to all get-out, but they didn't do anything that Texas didn't do in beating Oklahoma by 10. They didn't do anything that Utah didn't do in beating Alabama. They only did one thing that Utah didn't do - that is lose. At home mind you. Sorry.

3. USC (5) - Yeah, yeah, the Big Ten sucks, blah, blah. That was a darn good Penn State team that USC bent over its knee and slapped the heck out of in the Rose Bowl. But that darn team from Oregon State just ruined it for SC, not only by beating the Trojans but by losing to Utah.

4. Texas (2) - I guess its unfair to drop the Longhorns, but someone had to be No. 4 and quite frankly, Texas was the least impressive of the top 4 in their bowl. Ohio State is good, but the Longhorns didn't make the statement that USC, Utah, and Florida did. Or at least the first two.

Everything after this ranking is pretty much window dressing. But then again, so is the college football postseason.

5. Oklahoma (3) - Shouldn't have been in the game in the first place and quite frankly, shouldn't be in any BCS games for a while after losing five in a row. I don't understand why Ohio State gets so much guff for its BCS struggles when Oklahoma has been clearly worse.

6. Alabama (5) - They got smoked by Utah, but they shouldn't be ashamed by it. Their only losses this season came via the top two teams in this ranking and the Tide had their best year since Gene Stallings was around. Good work fellas.

7. TCU (11) - This has to be the highest the Horned Frogs have been ranked since World War II. If not, then I'm a moron. Anyway, TCU was a darn good team - only losses were to Oklahoma and Utah - and are one of the best under-the-radar programs in the country.

8. Penn State (7) - Not punishing the Nittany Lions too bad for losing basically a road game to USC. Playing the Trojans in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on New Year's Day is a thankless task for anyone not named Vince Young.

9. Boise State (9) - They lost, but you can't disrespect what the Broncos have done. If Utah wins the AP title (doubtful), it can thank Boise for its win over Oklahoma two years ago in the Fiesta Bowl.

10. Oregon (14) - Big win for the Ducks over Oklahoma State, getting them ten wins and a top 10 spot. Had to put them below Boise State because they lost to the Broncos in September though.

11. Ohio State (10) - The Buckeyes lost another BCS game, but gave Texas all it could handle. As far as OSU BCS losses go, this one wasn't anything to be ashamed of.

12. Mississippi (20) - My big riser, the Rebels are the only team to beat Florida and were extremely impressive in dispatching of Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. They could be a team to watch next season.

13. Texas Tech (8) - Um, well, at least they beat Texas. Kind of a letdown in the Cotton Bowl after such a great season, but the Red Raiders shouldn't fret. What they'll do after Harrell (graduation) and Crabtree (likely NFL early entry) will be interesting.

14. Georgia (18) - The Bulldogs finally beat a team with a pulse in the Capital One Bowl, defeating Michigan State. Kind of a disappointing season for Georgia, which now loses Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno to early NFL draft entry.

15. Virginia Tech (21) - It wasn't pretty, but the Hokies got to 10 wins by beating Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl. Va. Tech might be the most anonymous program to win 10 or more games in five straight years.

16. Oregon State (24) - Taking after their baseball team's back-to-back College World Series championships in 2006 and 2007, the Beavers got a three-run homer to beat Pittsburgh 3-0 in the Sun Bowl. 9 wins, one being over USC, constitutes a heck of a season in Corvallis.

17. Iowa (25) - The Hawkeyes were the only team in the Big Ten to represent at all, destroying South Carolina in the Outback Bowl for the conference's only bowl victory. Like Ole Miss, look for Iowa to be a darkhorse in its conference next season.

18. Florida State (NR) - The Seminoles looked like the Florida State teams of old in thrashing Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl. If FSU can sustain that offense in any way next season, look out ACC.

19. Cincinnati (12) - Well, the Bearcats' first BCS bowl experience wasn't ideal, but getting there in a season where they had to play four different quarterbacks is very impressive.

20. Oklahoma State (16) - Couldn't quite finish off Oregon, but a good season for the Cowboys, who have built a nice little program in the shadow of Oklahoma. The "I'm a man, I'm 40" jokes have lessened a bit. Ok, no they haven't.

21. Missouri (NR) - It wasn't pretty, but the overtime win over Northwestern in the Alamo Bowl gave the Tigers a second straight 10-win season. Not bad at all.

22. LSU (NR) - Didn't want to rank LSU, but you can't overlook a 38-3 beating of a good Georgia Tech team. Can't do it.

23. Georgia Tech (13) - Now that LSU is ranked, I can rank Georgia Tech. Oh goody.

24. BYU (14) - I guess going to the Las Vegas Bowl for the fourth straight year wasn't appealing to BYU, as it lost to a hungry Arizona team.

25. Michigan State (19) - The Michigan part of me wants to not rank the Spartans due to them losing to most teams with a pulse. But 9-4 is a pretty good year in East Lansing.

Just missed the cut: Nebraska, West Virginia, California.

Dropped out: No. 17 Pittsburgh, No. 22 Ball State, No. 23 Boston College

Got some changes in the San Bernardino roster for Saturday's game. If history is any precedence, these won't be the last.

Los Osos QB Richard Brehaut, a UCLA commit who played with Upland QB Josh Nunes (Stanford) in Sunday's Under Armour All-Star Game in Orlando, is out and will by replaced by Hesperia's Ian Harriman. Harriman has efficiently led Hesperia to 20 wins and a Mojave River League championship during the last two years.

Arroyo Valley offensive lineman Michael Philipp, who played Saturday in the U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio, also dropped out. Philipp, a four-star recruit and the best guard in the nation according to Rivals.com, is considering schools such as Oregon, Cal, Stanford, UCLA and Oregon State. He'll be replaced by Colony's Joshua Andrews, a first-team all-County and all-Inland Valley selection. Andrews has verbally committed to Oregon State.

A couple of Upland guys dropped out as well, as cornerback Osahon Irabor, an Arizona State commit, and cornerback Taj Johnson, another D-I caliber recruit, are out. They'll be replaced by Miller's Trayvon Ralph - a first-team all-County and all-Inland Valley selection - and Eisenhower receiver Taijuan Martin.

Other players on the original roster that won't play are Twentynine Palms wide receiver Montreal Harris, Etiwanda wide receiver Willie Mebane and Chino kicker Jared Taylor. Replacing them are Los Osos RB Arby Fields, a Northwestern commit, Aquinas fullback J.P. Ragan and Los Osos kicker Josh Repp.