USC: University of Second Class Football

Southern California Sports — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:32:11 +0000

If I would have uttered the title to this article in any of the past ten years I would have been committing sportswriter suicide and my words would have bordered on sacrilege. That said, there is no denying the mediocrity that has been brought about by this season’s 3 loss Trojan football team, a team that is not likely to be going to a major bowl game this season.

USC had been flirting with mediocrity all season, losing to Washington and Oregon and not playing well against lessor competition like Arizona State and Notre Dame. Still, in spite of their mediocre play, the Trojans found themselves still ranked in the BCS top 10 heading into this week’s home game against the Stanford Cardinals. USC was no doubt benefiting in the rankings from the lure of Trojan teams of old, but the days of inflated rankings came to a certain end this Saturday as USC was humiliated by a talented and (formerly) underrated Stanford team. Toby Gerhart rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns, as the currently unrated Stanford Cardinals (bet me that will change after the new rankings come out) ended USC’s string of Pac-10 titles with a 55-21 win.

As USC plays out its season in hopes of finishing with a 9-3 record, other Pac-10 teams will be fighting for the title and a birth in a BCS bowl game. Standford looks very good heading into the toughest part of its schedule. Oregon controls its own destiny, needing to win out to earn at least a share of the Pac-10 title. Even Arizona, at 6-2, has a shot at making a run and end it with a season ending victory over USC in three weeks.

In addition to falling back from the elite of the Pac-10, USC must regroup as they face UCLA in two weeks in a game that could serve as a measuring stick as to where Southern California football is headed. While UCLA is mired in a 4-5 season, the Bruins have had strong recruiting classes and are currently playing quite a few underclassmen at key skill positions so, if the trajectory continues, UCLA could begin to once again challenge USC for Southern California college football notoriety.

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UCLA-Washington: A Snoozer or a Must See?

Southern California Sports — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:22:23 +0000

With likely future NFL-star Jake Locker leading the offense, it is no wonder that the Washington Huskies boast one of the most potent passing attacks in the Pac-10. Locker is the main reason why a game that features two Pac-10 teams going nowhere fast (Washington is 2-3 in the conference while UCLA has been bageled thus far at 0-5) will still be watchable for most of the tens of thousands who make the trek out to Pasadena to watch the game this afternoon. Other than Locker being on the field, the game will have some intriguing matchups as the Pac-10′s best cornerback will be facing a pretty good pass defense, with UCLA boasting what is widely regarded as the best secondary in the conference, a secondary that features Rahim Moore (the Pac-10 leader in interceptions), Alterraun Verner and Aaron Hester. Locker and his awful front line will also have to contend with Brian Price, one of the best defensive linemen in the conference, and his bandits, who are sure to be bringing an all day pass rush assault since the Washington Huskie run game is one of the weakest in the conference.

So, even in a game that holds no real significance in the Pac-10 standings or the battle for a quality bowl game, today’s UCLA – Washington matchup will still provide us with some interesting things to watch. Although I am tempted to give the edge to UCLA since it is a home game, I have to go with Locker and Washington as they will find a way to score at least some points, which is something that UCLA’s offense has proven inept at doing so all year.

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USC: University of Second Class Football

UCLA-Washington: A Snoozer or a Must See?