We (still) run LA: USC 50, ucla 0

What's the difference between a Pac-12 South Champion and merely a division representative playing in the conference championship game?

Answer: 50 points.

USC has spent the last two years with an arm, a leg and 30 scholarships tied behind its back. Still the Trojans made sure that anyone under the illusion of a closer gap between the two Los Angeles schools was abruptly slammed back to reality. By the end of the night, I couldn't tell if the chants of "One more year!" were for Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley or for UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel. Either way, it would be good news for USC.

Lane Kiffin returning to USC

The reports have just hit the airwaves that former USC offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin will return to the Trojans as the successor to Pete Carroll as the program's next head coach. Kiffin is walking away from the University of Tennessee after one year as head coach in the SEC (with a 7-6 record). My initial reaction as Trojans fan and alum: I like it.

Consider the lack of options out there for the next coach of the program. Frankly my first choice would be Pete Carroll, followed by Pete Carroll, and then my emergency plan would be to hire Pete Carroll. Unfortunately that is not an option as he was introduced this morning as the next coach of the Seattle Seahawks. The Trojans made a play for Oregon State's Mike Riley. Then Jacksonville Jaguar head coach Jack Del Rio.

But with the announcement that Lane Kiffin will be named the next Trojans head coach, the USC faithful should be just as enthusiastic about the entourage that Kiffin brings with him from Tennessee. Former Tampa Bay Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin is just as much a defensive guru as Carroll, and former Trojans recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron is coming back as well. Those three men have the ability to take the existing talent pool and run with it. More importantly, they can continue the recruiting life-blood of this program as Kiffin and Orgeron know the Southern California recruiting trails.

UPDATE 6:51pm: Norm Chow to return as offensive coordinator. This is the football equivalent of getting the band back together. Kiffin himself may not have a ton of experience, but with the staff of coaches he is building, the Trojans are going to be a force again atop the Pac-10 in 2010.

UPDATE #2 1/13/10: The latest reports say that USC AD Mike Garrett wants to pursue Norm Chow, but an agent for Chow told ESPN that there has not been any contact between the school and the current UCLA offensive coordinator.

Kiffin's tenure as offensive coordinator was a bright one at USC with the exception of not having Reggie Bush on the field on 4th and 2 against Texas in the 2006 Rose Bowl.

To put into perspective what some of the current Trojans are thinking, he's a quote from Brice Butler, Trojans receiver, from an article about the news on ESPN's website:

Tailback Allen Bradford and Barkley were among the leaders who called a team meeting before the offseason conditioning program began Tuesday, while receiver Brice Butler and Barkley planned to call all of USC's prospective recruits to urge them to stick with the Trojans.

"I would just tell them what my dad told me: 'Don't commit because of a coach, because that can change,'" said Butler, who came to USC from Georgia. "You've got to commit because of a program, and this is USC."

Butler is right. This is USC, and this a program that is historically capable and destined to be elite. It has been in the past. Carroll resurrected it after a lull, and now Kiffin has been tabbed to carry the torch.

Despite lingering potential NCAA sanctions and violations allegations, Kiffin is ready to bring back his hot-shot offense to the Coliseum and give Traveler plenty of reason to run. For Trojans fans, they have plenty of reason for optimism. Kiffin can get the job done at USC, and we're about to see it happen.

Here's the official announcement from USC's website:

Carroll heading to "Starbucks Nation"

It seems the days of Pete Carroll running the USC Trojans football program are done. For years, Carroll has been courted by a half-dozen NFL teams in the past, but he hadn't ever been seriously offered a chance to run a franchise.

The Seattle Seahawks are reportedly giving him that chance. Five years, $35 million.

And while the last nine seasons of USC football have been some of the most prosperous - including seven straight Pac-10 titles and BCS bowl berths, three Heisman Trophy winners, two National Championships - it's hard to argue with Carroll's departure. It would have been great to have him become a Joe Paterno or Bobby Bowden for USC, guiding this program for the next 20+ years with a strong national presence. But the right situation has evolved in Seattle, and Carroll has been looking for that situation since his last NFL head coaching stint in the 90s.

His enthusiasm revitalized a college football powerhouse starved for success. He energized the Cardinal and Gold, winning the AP National Championship in just his third year, and the BCS Championship in his fourth. The Carroll era at USC was by any definition a dynasty.

After Thursday's BCS Championship game, college football experts were ranking the preseason Top 5 teams, and USC was No. 4 or No. 5 on most every expert's list. People around college football know what Carroll is capable of, and they know the kind of talent he has stockpiled in Los Angeles. Returning this program to the top after an otherwise forgettable year under Carroll's standards wouldn't be too difficult a task. As long as the Trojans had Carroll, they'd be fine. And now, they don't have that.

We run LA: USC 28, ucla 7

The Crosstown Rivalry.
The Battle for Los Angeles.
USC versus UCLA.

The 2009 edition of this rivalry seemed to be getting more hype as the potential changing of the guard game for football bragging rights in Los Angeles. If you read the LA Times before the game, you'd think UCLA could have rolled the Trojans in this one.

For Bruins and Trojans, it's all about LA

One team is surging, the other trying to regain its balance after embarrassing losses and weeks of public flogging.

But for the first time in years the roles are reversed.

When USC and UCLA play for the 79th time tonight at the Coliseum, Coach Pete Carroll and his recently staggering Trojans will try to hold off a Bruins team eager to show that the school's infamous "monopoly" marketing campaign was no joke.

---

UCLA-USC prediction:

Too close to call (almost)

And yet, after the Trojans suffered two of the worst losses in the program's history in the last three games against Oregon and Stanford, and the Bruins came in winners of three straight, it was the Trojans who looked to have the hot hand while the Bruins stumble around for 60 minutes.

+ Turnovers
The game was seemingly a pretty even affair with the exception of four Trojans takeaways to stifle several UCLA scoring chances. USC picked off Bruin quarterbacks three times and recovered one fumble, with two of the picks coming after UCLA had driven more than 30 yards on the drive. And that's really where the game was won for 'SC as three of the four turnovers led to scoring chances for 'SC.

Interception #1
The Trojans' Malcolm Smith returned a Kevin Prince interception for a 62-yard touchdown to open the scoring, 7-0 Trojans, in the first quarter. When the Trojans have been winning this season, they have been doing it with defense. The Trojans set an early precedent against the Bruins that they would be aggressive while UCLA's offense was at work.

Fumble
UCLA took over after a Trojans punt late in the first half with delusions of grandeur ideas of getting on the board by halftime. They used defensive pass interference to get near midfield, and completed a pass for 14 yards. The next pass play, from Kevin Prince to Nelson Rosario went for 12 yards before Josh Pinkard recovered Rosario's fumble, halting the Bruins' chances. Instead, USC was able to drive 37 yards in five plays to set up a 50-yard field goal attempt. While the try fell short, USC's hurry-up offense proved potent, with quarterback Matt Barkley able to connect on a few out routes, and the receivers were able to get out of bounds to stop the clock.

Interception #2
The Trojans were forced to punt early in the third quarter, giving the Bruins the ball on their own 24 yard line. The Bruins ran the ball for two yards before Prince threw his second interception, this time to Will Harris, who gave the Trojans offense the ball deep in Bruins territory. It took USC seven plays to move 29 yards for the Allen Bradford 1-yard touchdown run, giving the Trojans 14 points off turnovers.

Interception #3
UCLA again forced a Trojans punt, with the Bruins taking over on their own 22. After driving across midfield to the Trojans' 47-yard line, quarterback Kevin Craft - who replaced Prince after he was knocked out of the game - floated a ball to Pinkard, who picked the pass at the 20 yard line to halt a potential Bruins scoring drive. The Trojans couldn't muster any offense on the ensuing possession and gave up the ball on a three-and-out, the fourth three-and-out for USC in the game.

Any time you win the turnover battle, 4-1, it's very difficult not to win the game. The Trojans defense set the table, and the offense finished dinner by converting turnovers into points.

+ USC Offense
The Trojans offense, for years though of as a big-play machine that cranked up 60-yard runs an 75-yard bombs directly to the end zone, didn't propel that seemingly now outdated stereotype. In fact, until the final five minutes of the game, the Trojans offense didn't have a drive of more than 37 yards in the entire game, and that drive led to the missed field goal at the end of the first half.

USC punted eight times on Saturday night. None of the Trojans drives lasted more than nine plays. The offense didn't get into the end zone until midway through the third quarter, and yet USC still seemed to be in control the entire time. The average drive moved just 20.1 yards (and only 13.8 yards per drive until the final two drives moved a combined 120 yards).

Matt Barkley was average at best for most of the game. There were times he tried to force balls, which he was able to complete on occasion. Other times he either missed or ignored an open man down field for an underneath target. I doubt he is not confident in going for the home run, however, he did pass up several chances to swing for the fences. Having said that (thank you Curb), he was able to work the short game to help move the chains. Of his 206 passing yards, 91 of them came in the fourth quarter, which is either a good thing that he was able to produce when it mattered most, or a scary reality that he was only able to amass just 115 yards through three quarters. Take your pick. Is the glass half full or half empty?

It just wasn't that great a game for the offense, but thanks to adding on some extra points in the final frame, the numbers didn't look too bleak.

+ The Controversy?
Did you hear about the "big controversy" with this year's USC-UCLA game? I know I didn't. I got a phone call today from a friend asking what I thought about last night's controversy. I was shocked. What controversy? What did I miss from Row 82 at the Coliseum?

The controversy in question refers to the Trojans touchdown strike after UCLA's called timeout when USC was trying to kneel down to kill the rest of the clock. I didn't realize this was such a big deal for a team to keep playing after being challenged to do so. Consider this:

The Bruins got the ball after a Trojans' touchdown, putting USC up 21-7 with 1:30 left in the game. After a 19-yard pass play to get near midfield, Craft threw four incomplete passes, turning the ball over on downs. Throwing four times with 1:30 left in the game and trailing by 14 says that the trailing team - UCLA - is still trying to get points on the board and keep this game competitive. If they can add on a touchdown to pull within seven, they can look back and say, "See, we only lost that game by 7. It was a close game. We're narrowing the gap between these two programs." In reality, adding that touchdown could do a lot for UCLA, and they were right to go for it. Instead, they didn't get it. They turned the ball over on downs, and USC took over on the UCLA 47 with 0:54 seconds remaining.

The Trojans walked out to the 47, broke the huddle in the victory formation, and took a knee to begin the process of running out the clock. The whistles blew, and the clock stopped at 0:52. UCLA had called a timeout. No problem here. UCLA is essentially saying that they aren't done playing. They have timeouts left, and if USC wants to run down the clock, they are going to have to run the ball, thus creating a greater possibility of a fumble or any sort of turnover, than the "safe play" of taking a knee. UCLA wanted a chance to get the ball back for that extra score, so they called timeout.

Having said that, if UCLA called timeout, presumably because they still wanted to play, to score, and to leave their mark on this game, then the Trojans should have every right to do the same. UCLA expected USC to continue to try to run out the clock, a process made easy by handing the ball off to a running back and having him stay in bounds. Instead, USC play-faked the run, and Barkley aired it out to a wide open Damian Williams for a 48-yard touchdown strike. 28-7 USC.

After that play and the ensuing extra point, the sidelines cleared in a stand off that saw a referee thrown to the ground by someone from UCLA. It was a good play call because UCLA was expecting run, and the Trojans faked the run to add their extra touchdown. Why should they add the extra touchdown? Well, if the results of this game have such a big implication on recruiting, then the Trojans should want to add an extra score to entice recruits to "join a winner" if they plan on playing big-time football in Southern California.

It's not running up the score. It's not poor sportsmanship. It's nothing more than a competitive game between two rivals. One was ready to head to the locker room with a 21-7 victory, so Pete Carroll ordered the troops to take a knee. UCLA wanted the ball back, so the Trojans gave it to 'em -- by kicking off after an extra touchdown to sweeten the win.

+ USC Defense
The USC defense regained some swagger with a 7-point stunting of UCLA's offense. It doesn't negate the 55 points given up to Stanford in the previous game two weeks earlier at the Coliseum, but it certainly helps take some of the sting away. The Trojans defense was able to disrupt the Bruins passing game, limiting quarterbacks Kevin Craft and Kevin Prince to a combined 18-of-39 for 188 yards and three interceptions. The Bruins running game, well their traditional running game, was held to 60 yards. They were able to more than double their ground game total by using designed quarterback draws and other QB scrambles to tack on 74 yards against 'SC. That was really the only thing UCLA was able to do that USC couldn't control, but when the QBs had to make plays with their arms instead of their feet, the Bruins came up empty-handed.

The four-turnover performance tied the 2009 season-high for USC's defense, equalling the mark against Arizona State three weeks earlier. It was evidence that the Pete Carroll defense that has become so potent and feared since 2001 still has the potential to take over a game, and that the efforts seen against Stanford and Oregon are more aberration than atrophy.

+ Punting aplenty
With one game left in 2009, the Trojans have punted 53 times, averagin 4.8 (so, five) punts per game. That seems like a lot more than in years past. Looking at the numbers, the Trojans in the Pete Carroll era (since 2001) have done a good job of not giving up the ball in past seasons, as this year's 4.8 punts per game could wind up being the highest since before the back-to-back National Championships.

Year	Punts	Punts Per Game
2009	53	4.8
2008	47	3.6
2007	63	4.8
2006	49	3.8
2005	33	2.5
2004	51	3.9
2003	44	3.4
2002	65	5.0
2001	79	6.6

Here's the breakdown of USC's punting in 2009 by game:

vs. UCLA

USC Punting
	TOT	YDS	AVG	TB	-20	LG
J. Harfman	8	363	45.4	1	1	54
Team	8	363	45.4	1	1	54

vs. Stanford

USC Punting
	TOT	YDS	AVG	TB	-20	LG
J. Harfman	3	105	35.0	0	0	37
Team	3	105	35.0	0	0	37

at Arizona State

USC Punting
	TOT	YDS	AVG	TB	-20	LG
J. Harfman	8	297	37.1	1	1	51
Team	8	297	37.1	1	1	51

at Oregon

USC Punting
	TOT	YDS	AVG	TB	-20	LG
J. Harfman	6	232	38.7	0	0	48
Team	6	232	38.7	0	0	48

vs. Oregon State

USC Punting
	TOT	YDS	AVG	TB	-20	LG
J. Harfman	3	132	44.0	0	0	47
Team	3	132	44.0	0	0	47

at Notre Dame

USC Punting
	TOT	YDS	AVG	TB	-20	LG
J. Harfman	4	153	38.3	0	1	59
Team	4	153	38.3	0	1	59

at California

USC Punting
	TOT	YDS	AVG	TB	-20	LG
J. Harfman	3	120	40.0	0	0	47
Team	3	120	40.0	0	0	47

vs. Washington State

USC Punting
	TOT	YDS	AVG	TB	-20	LG
J. Harfman	3	139	46.3	0	2	51
Team	3	139	46.3	0	2	51

at Washington

USC Punting
	TOT	YDS	AVG	TB	-20	LG
B. O'Malley	4	164	41.0	0	0	53
Team	4	164	41.0	0	0	53

at Ohio State

USC Punting
	TOT	YDS	AVG	TB	-20	LG
B. O'Malley	5	188	37.6	1	0	41
Team	5	188	37.6	1	0	41

vs. San Jose State

USC Punting
	TOT	YDS	AVG	TB	-20	LG
B. O'Malley	6	208	34.7	0	3	45
Team	6	208	34.7	0	3	45

The Trojans may not be going to the Rose Bowl, and the string of consecutive Pac-10 championships will officially end next week, however USC still is the big dog in Los Angeles. I leave you now with this image of Rick Neuheisel declaring the LA football monopoly officially over (two years ago). How's that going?

The fall of Troy: Stanford 55, USC 21

For the first time since 2001, the Pac-10 conference will have a champion that doesn't wear Cardinal and Gold. The Trojans first ever November loss in the Pete Carroll era dropped USC to 4-3 in the conference (7-3 overall) and fifth in the conference standings, putting them out of reach for a BCS bowl and even a share of the league championship.

Stanford jumped out to an early lead and finished even stronger en route to the worst loss in the Pete Carroll era for the second time in three weeks, a 55-21 dismantling of the Pac-10 kings for the last seven years.

If it wasn't clear two weeks ago when the Ducks clobbered USC in a game where the defense was overwhelmed and the offense couldn't keep up, the Men of Troy suffered a repeat performance against the Cardinal.

Running back Toby Gerhart ran for 178 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries to pace the Cardinal, and their defense forced four turnovers of freshman quarterback Matt Barkley, two of which came early in the first quarter as Stanford jumped to an early 14-0 lead.

The disappointing part of the entire loss might not be the fact that Jim Harbaugh went for a late two-point conversion -- it's his right to do so, and if the Trojans don't like it, stop 'em. The disappointing part of the loss isn't necessarily the reality that the Trojans era of dominance is over -- it had to eventually come to an end or at least a one-year hiatus. The most disappointing aspect of this loss was the purely impotent feeling the Trojans seemed to feel as Stanford ran away with 27 fourth quarter points to do what the Trojans were preaching back in 2004: leave no doubt.

Stanford did just that. They left little doubt that they should be playing in a bowl for the first time since 2001, and they left even less doubt about the fate of Trojans football.

There will be no Rose Bowl. There won't even be a Holiday Bowl after USC got bowled over in the fourth quarter. The Trojans run of BCS berths and Pac-10 titles will always be considered one of the greatest and strongest stretches of dominance in college football, but mark the year 2009 as the season that so many streaks were finally stopped.

Thoughts on the game:
+ For the third straight game, Matt Barkley seemed to be doing his best Aaron Corp impression. Barkley was 21-for-31 with 196 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions, and 1 fumble lost. As if his numbers weren't bad enough, Barkley spent most of the game telegraphing his passes, staring down receivers and tipping off his targets. Earlier this season, the true freshman would read the entire field, going through his progressions from receiver to receiver until finding an acceptable target. On two of his three interceptions, Barkley was in a comfortable pocket with his eyes locked on an intended target, and the defense pounced on him.

Barkley doesn't need to be pulled as the alternative wasn't any better, but he does need to get back to work at going through his reads to find the right target and not decide pre-snap where he's throwing. Throwing off his back foot didn't help much either.

+ The Trojans defense looked porous at best as Stanford frequently marched up an down the field at the Coliseum. The offense didn't help by giving the ball to the Cardinal twice early, but the defense was pushed back play after play like they were on rollers. Stanford was 8-for-11 on 3rd down conversions. The Cardinal went 3-and-out on their first possession with three incomplete passes before taking advantage of two turnovers for a pair of touchdowns.

+ Stanford was automatic for at least 4-5 yards on every running play behind Gerhart. The Cardinal scored five rushing touchdowns while running for 325 yards on the ground against a defense that used to be a human wall. The Cardinal ran 50 times compared to just 22 pass plays. The basics of winning football games always seems to boil down to running the ball and stopping the run. USC's 138 rushing yards didn't seem so bad, but it simply pales in comparison to the three hundred freaking twenty-five yards Stanford churned out on the ground.

+ In addition to the five rushing touchdowns, Andrew Luck passed for two more, and defensive back Richard Sherman reached the end zone on a pick six. It was offense at will for Stanford with USC powerless to stop them.

The Trojans can still salvage this season, win their final two games - both at home - against UCLA and Arizona, and win a bowl game for another 10-win season. Finished 10-3 with a decent bowl win doesn't mean this program is reduced to rubble. It will be a humbling end to the season for USC regardless as the Trojans haven't finished outside of the BCS Bowl schedule since Carson Palmer was a ho-hum quarterback in 2001.

USC must maintain regain focus as rival UCLA will be able to get up for this game. The Trojans won't have to go to the Rose Bowl for this game, but the Bruins will no doubt travel well across town to support their team in the hopes of hanging another loss on the Trojans. Pete Carroll hasn't been in a situation like this since his first year as head coach back in 2001. If Carroll is truly the guru that Trojans fans know and believe him to be, he will have his team ready to go against UCLA to make a statement - if not to the rest of the nation or even conference, then at least to themselves - that the last two losses do not represent this Trojans team.

Wins in the final two games and getting a bowl win won't erase the pain of the losses against Stanford and at Oregon, not to mention the abortion in Washington, but that can provide the Trojans momentum heading into 2010, which might be the real thing USC is playing for the rest of the way.

2009 PAC-10 STANDINGS

Team	Conf.	Pct.	Overall	Pct.
Oregon	5-1	.833	7-2	.778
Arizona	4-1	.800	6-2	.750
Stanford	5-2	.714	6-3	.667
USC	4-2	.667	7-2	.778
Oregon State	4-2	.667	6-3	.667
California	3-3	.500	6-3	.667
Arizona State	2-4	.333	4-5	.444
Washington	2-4	.333	3-6	.333
UCLA	1-5	.167	4-5	.444
Washington State	0-5	.000	1-8	.111

UPDATE (11/15/09, 11:43am):
Trojans drop to No. 22 in AP poll

Knocked the FuDuck out: USC 20, Ore 47

The folks at ABC made a big deal about the Trojans' troubles in the state of Oregon over the past three seasons. Guess they were right to do so as USC was beaten by Oregon Ducks on Halloween night. And while this 47-20 loss was the worst in Pete Carroll's tenure and biggest defeat since 1997, it is not as disturbing as any other loss that USC has suffered in recent years. The reasoning is simple: the Ducks are simply better this year.

The game doesn't have to mean the end of a Pac-10 dynasty as we know. Perhaps the streak of seven straight Pac-10 titles and BCS bowl games is just going to be taking a one-year hiatus to make way for the Ducks. Maybe Chip Kelly's ugly-uniformed army is going to be the real deal for years to come. Whatever the case, on this night, and in this season, the Oregon Ducks gave the Trojans too tough a challenge, and USC couldn't respond.

The most shocking aspect of the game was not that the Trojans offense couldn't keep up, it was that the defense didn't allow the offense a chance to keep up. With each possession, the Ducks made their way into the red zone and onto the scoreboard. USC allowed Oregon to march down the field to the tune of 613 yard, including almost 400 yards on the ground -- 392 to be specific. USC hadn't been allowing a fourth of that this season, but a pair of 160+ rushers didn't help the Trojans' cause. Ducks QB Jeremiah Masoli proved too versatile, too quick, too elusive for the USC front seven. He was Vince Young light, a smaller package containing the same toxic results that the Longhorn delivered in the 2006 Rose Bowl.

If USC (now 6-2) had lost its game at Notre Dame two weeks ago, Trojans fans would have reason to lash out. The Trojans were overly penalized and utterly sloppy - albeit in victory - in South Bend. It was a game that USC could have lost because it played poorly. The disappointment in Seattle could be pinned on Aaron Corp's offensive abortion of a performance at the quarterback position.

But while it would be easy to blame the Trojans loss in Eugene on the handful of injuries leading up to or suffered during the game, the sheer lopsidedness of the outcome makes the difference seem somewhat negligible. How much could a healthy Anthony McCoy or any other single Trojan really helped to lessen that gap. Nothing short of the Wild Bunch up front would have stopped the Oregon running game; the Ducks knew it, and the Trojans found out soon enough.

Freshman QB Matt Barkley played about as well as he could be expected to at one of the most raucous stadiums in the nation. He completed 21 of 38 passes for 187 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He was intercepted on the final play of the game, shutting the door on the Trojans hopes for a record-extending eighth straight Pac-10 title.

Oregon was better. Arguably, they were better two years ago before then-QB Dennis Dixon got hurt and the Ducks went into a tailspin down the stretch, making way for the Trojans to win the conference. You could say this is a win two or three years in the making. After nearly a decade of dominance on the West Coast, the Trojans faced the a better team that was too tough to stop. The Oregon offense ran wild. The defense held USC to 4-of-14 on 3rd down conversions. The Trojans punted six times and four times went three-and-out.

The Ducks are now atop the Pac-10 and firmly in control of their own destiny in terms of a BCS berth and Pac-10 title. Their only loss is to BCS-contender Boise State in the first game of the season. Expect Oregon to crack the top 5 in the rankings this week. As for the Trojans, two losses knocks them from the ranks of the elite, and now their slip up at Washington is much less forgivable. Pete Carroll's Trojans won't be Kings of the conference in 2009, and while future seasons remain uncertain, Saturday night's game put the west coast on notice.

Duck season now is open.

Recent USC losses:
The Trojans have lost just eight football games since the undefeated 2004 season that culminated with a national championship drubbing over Oklahoma. Beginning with the heartbreaking loss to Texas in the BCS championship game one year later, the Trojans haven't been in too many positions to concede that USC lost to a better team. It happened Saturday for the first time in a long time.

Date	Opponent	Score	What happened?
Jan. 4, 2006	Texas (Rose Bowl)	41-38	USC had a chance to close the game out but couldn't convert on 4th and 2. Vince Young drove Texas down the field for the game-winning touchdown.
Oct. 28, 2006	at Oregon State	33-31	USC failed to convert a 2-point conversion to tie the game in the final seconds as John David Booty struggled.
Dec. 2, 2006	at UCLA	13-9	USC offense held under 20 points for the first time since 2001 costing Trojans a BCS Championship game berth.
Oct. 6, 2007	Stanford	24-23	Trojans stunned at home by 41 point underdog.
Oct. 27, 2007	at Oregon	24-17	Mark Sanchez filling in for the injured John David Booty can't get the Trojans a win at Autzen Stadium.
Sep. 25, 2008	at Oregon State	27-21	Sanchez again baffled in state of Oregon as Trojans underestimate Beavers.
Sep. 19, 2009	at Washington	27-21	Backup quarterback Aaron Corp passes for lowly 110 yards as former Trojans offensive coordinator leads Huskies to upset win as head coach.
Oct. 31, 2009	at Oregon	47-20	Ducks dominate on the ground for almost 400 yards at USC is beat by a team that can truly be described as better, not just catching them off-guard.

Fighting off the Irish: USC 34, ND 27

Charlie Weis had his team in position to knock off the rival Trojans on the final play to snap a seven-game losing streak and return the favor for the "Bush Push" game that the Trojans stole in South Bend during Weis' first season with the Fighting Irish. For USC, they found themselves in the nefarious position with their heels on their own goal line thanks to sloppy, undisciplined penalties in the forth quarter.

Irish QB Jimmy Clausen's fastball landed hopelessly away from any intended target to preserve the Trojans 34-27 win and increase the streak of dominance of Notre Dame to eight straight, but USC shouldn't have been in that situation in the first place. The result of Clausen's throw - complete or incomplete - shouldn't change the message Pete Carroll delivers to his USC squad during the next week of pracitce. Stupid penalties that allow the Irish to score 14 fourth quarter points (with a chance for a game-tying 21) is inexcusable. And yet, there really are excuses for all of them...

At first, it didn't appear to be a major problem. A sack of Jimmy Clausen midway through the third quarter and Everson Griffen flexes his muscles for all to see. Too bad he didn't see the ref behind him trying to get him to stop showing off. Flag. Unsportsmanlike conduct and a 15 yard penalty gave the Irish a fresh set of downs and some breathing room to begin a touchdown drive to bring them within a score of the Trojans, 20-14.

On Notre Dame's first drive of the fourth quarter, a Trojans late-hit after a 21-yard pass play gave the Irish the ball on the USC 32 yard line. The Irish chipped away until they finally reached pay-dirt to pull within 14 points of the Trojans, 34-20. The late hit could conceivably be questionable. It appeared the receiver was heading out of bounds but hadn't quite gotten their yet. A no-call would have also made up for a very late hit on Joe McKnight from earlier in the game that went unflagged.

Trojans' QB Matt Barkley suffered his first turnover of the game when a tipped ball was intercepted and returned to the Trojans 13 yard line giving the Irish prime field position. The Trojans and Irish had off-setting 15-yard personal fouls before Clausen found Golden Tate for the touchdown that really brought the Irish back into the ballgame, 34-27. If USC avoids getting baited into offsetting penalties and the flag is only on the Irish, they are backed up from the 15 to the 30 yard line and scoring becomes much trickier.

But the final Trojan blunder came during the final drive of the game with Notre Damn closing in on the Trojans end zone. SC was flagged for hitting a defenseless receiver to gift eight additional yards to the Irish. Frankly had the receiver Robby Parris not been injured on the play, it's doubtful the play would have been flagged. At the same time with an added value on player safety in recent years, these are the things that the refs now look for. The problem is it's never consistent even with the same crew within the same game. On this drive within the final minute, the Trojans caught there foot in a bucket.

It's easy to shrug off each of these USC penalties individually, but upon further review, the troubling big picture is that USC nearly lost to Notre Dame and Fighting Irish because of these plays. I would have thought some of the bravado might have been beating out of the Trojans after the loss in Washington, but after wins against Wazzu and Cal, the Trojans appear to have that swagger back, for better or worse.

USC intimidates many of its opponents and their coaches. At half time, Charlie Weis had to explain to the sideline reporter exactly why being down by six points was "good thing" in his mind. And that's what a lot of coaches think and feel. And that's all they need to do. Any team that can hang with USC and have a chance to beat USC in the final minute has either snuck up on them, or the Trojans have completely let their guard down. In this game, it seemed that both happened.

With a 34-14 lead in the fourth quarter, it may have seemed like time to coast, but Notre Dame chipped away to get back into the game. At the same time, USC began playing sloppy, leading to penalties.

The close call in South Bend should serve as a reminder for the Trojans not to led their guard down the remainder of the season. The schedule the rest of the way isn't brutal. USC has already passed the test of going on the road to three of the four games that looked to haunt the Trojans schedule in 2009. With wins at Ohio State, Cal and Notre Dame, USC is one win at Oregon away from seemingly overcoming some very touch match ups this season. That doesn't mean the Trojans can sleep on the rest of their opponents - including one other road game in Tempe - if they want to still be considered for the BCS Championship game, let alone winning the Pac-10.

For now, USC needs to be thankful that Touchdown Jesus didn't guide Clausen's final throw to a wide open receiver in the back of the end zone. This game began a stretch of five games in five weeks before the Trojans next bye before a date with UCLA at the Coliseum. The Trojans are one three-point loss away from an undefeated season and still controls its own destiny in the Pac-10 if USC can win at Oregon. So now Pete Carroll must get USC to do what it claims it knows how to do best: Fight On!

A few other notes on a sneaky success in South Bend:

+ Charlies Weis fell to 0-5 as head coach of Notre Dame against USC. He's 9-0 against all over Pac-10 teams.

+ Not a bad game for quarterback Matt Barkley who matched his Irish counterpart the entire game. The freshman led USC going 19-for-29 with a career-high 380 yards, two touchdowns and one tipped-ball interception. Considering the Trojans averaged 13.1 yards per pass attempt, it seems fair to say that the big-play Trojans still live on.

+ Speaking of big plays for the Trojans, Joe McKnight, wait, we're not talking about McKnight first? Then who? Who was the Trojans big-play threat this game? Really...? okay tight end Anthony McCoy had a career day with five catches for 153 yards. In a game where Ronald Johnson still wasn't back to 100%, Barkley worked to McCoy for big plays all game long, and while he didn't score on the day, McCoy helped set up four of six Trojans scoring drives. He caught balls for 35, 23, 7, 60 and 28 yards.

+ Now to Joe McKnight and the "Stable" of running backs who were without Stafon Johnson for the first time after his weightlifting accident. McKnight and Alan Bradford combined for 124 yards, and they each broke off bigs runs of at least 20 yards during the game. McKnight showed his usual flashes of speed in breaking away from defenders while still being able to run between the tackles for gritty yards when needed. Both running backs found the end zone in the game.

+ USC's defense kept the pressure on Clausen all night, sacking him five times and knocking him down plenty more. While the defense did not force a turnover, they were able to get guys in Clausen's face all game long. Strong coverage by the secondary helped with a few of those sacks and Clausen had no where to throw.

+ One play that went under the radar that I thought was some great gamesmanship on the part of the Trojans came late in the third quarter to begin the Trojans drive to put 34 points on the board. Notre Dame punted the ball away to Damiam Williams who saw the coverage team descending quickly upon him. As Irish special teamer Ben Turk closed in, Williams snuck his hand in the air for a last-second fair catch, and Turk ran into him prompting a 15-yard penalty. I couldn't believe hearing the announcers on TV just ripping Turk for a stupid penalty when it was clear it would have been near-impossible for him to avoid Williams on such short notice. A very savvy fair catch called for by the Trojans receiver, and he was rightfully smiling about it on the sideline after the play.

+ USC is now 5-0 with Matt Barkley under center with three of his five wins coming in very hostile environments. He certainly doesn't carry himself like a 19 year old.

+ Charlie Weis said he was going to throw the kitchen sink at the Trojans, and he sure tried. Weis went for it on fourth down three times, including a fake field goal to set up the first Irish points of the game. He was trying to open things up for Clausen, as the QB passed 43 times, but it seemed like the Irish didn't entirely let it all out in this game. Weis had what the Irish needed, a chance to win the game on the final play, but his team didn't get the job done.

+ And now to leave you with the words of Pete Carroll from after the game: "We hope to keep this thing going. It's a big deal to us. It's special," he said. "So we've got to hang onto it next time around when they come to our place. We have to get after it and see if we can keep the thing going. Because it's very special for the SC family to continue to be on top of this rivalry."

USC 27, WSU 6: Barkley bites back

One week after the Trojans fell asleep at the wheel against the Washington Huskies, Pete Carroll turned the keys to the car back over to Matt Barkley. The true freshman QB threw two touchdowns coming off of a shoulder injury en route to USC's 27-6 win over the Washington State Cougars on Saturday night.

Barkley's impact was immediate - both on the field and in the minds of the fans. He entered the huddle to chants of "Barkley! Barkley! Barkley!" and completed his first pass on a roll out for a first down. Two plays later, Joe McKnight pulled into the end zone for a 7-0 Trojans lead.

Last week's offensive ineptitude was surpassed in the first quarter. Barkley's second TD pass of the quarter, a 57-yard strike following a surprise onside kick, gave the Trojans 136 passing yards compared to Aaron Corp's 110 yards against UW in Seattle. Barkley finished the game 13 for 22 with 247 yards with no interceptions. Yes he had a few throws that seemed off the mark, but nothing that was going to cost the Trojans in this win.

Corp got a chance to mop up for Barkley in garbage time, during which the Trojans called a steady stream of running plays. It's clear who the Trojans #1 QB is and will be for the next era of Trojan football.

A few other notes from the game that proved why no one wants to be seen with a Cougar:

+ The defense swarmed the field on Saturday. The Trojans snagged the ball away from the Cougars three times including an interception that halted a Wazzu drive that should have resulted in a few points. USC totaled 4.5 sacks on the day and put constant pressure on the quarterback. The Men of Troy also held the Cougars to just 1.8 yards per rush.

+ Wazzu missed another chance for a few points at the end of the first half. The Trojans defense sacked Cougars QB Jeff Tuel on 3rd down with 25 seconds left in the half. With the clock running, the field goal unit sprinted onto the field, go into position, and with 6 second left in the half, kicker Nico Grasu couldn't connect as the half ended.

+ Grasu had a rough night for the Cougars. He also missed an extra point after the only Wazzu score of the game.

For the Trojans, they next go to Cal with a 3-1 record and a chance to prove they have put the ugliness of Seattle behind them. Cal is coming off an embarrassing blow out loss at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. Two Pac-10 teams who each have plenty to prove. Get ready for the weekender.

USC 13, UW 16: Who let the dogs out?

A week ago the USC Trojans were flying high on the wings of a true freshman quarterback after knocking off the Ohio State Buckeyes in front of 105,000 angry i-dotting maniacs. Fast forward from Columbus to Seattle, and a week later the Trojans crashed and burned against a team that went 0-12 a year ago. The Washington Huskies 16-13 upset of the No. 3 USC Trojans is yet another example of a current Trojan team riding the same cocky wave that none of the most recent SC squads were truly worthy of.

Think about the 2003 USC Trojans, which were coming off a Pac-10 title behind Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Carson Palmer and defensive standout Troy Polamalu. The season began with high expectations, but no one knew just how high. Training camp saw a QB battle between a handful of untesteds: Matt Leinart, John David Booty and Matt Cassel. The first game was a 23-0 win at Auburn. SC got out to a 3-0 start to the season before one bad half of football cost them the game at Cal, the lone loss of a split National Title season.

The next two years saw the Trojans go on one of college football's most impressive runs in recent history, dominating all opponents in their path in 2004 en route to a 55-19 Orange Bowl win over the heavily-favored Oklahoma Sooners for the BCS Championship. Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart announced he would return to SC for his fifth year, and it was a forgone conclusion that USC would win a third straight National Title in 2005. That year, Trojans Bush-pushed their way past Notre Dame in a game that frankly lead to the aura of invincibility that surrounds this USC program.

Frankly, there was no way they should have beaten Notre Dame, but Dwayne Jarrett's big catch-and-run on 4th and 9 put the Trojans in position to win it on the final play of the game. Two and a half months later, the Trojans were seconds away from defeating Texas in the Rose Bowl before Vince Young stole the show and the BCS Championship running to his right, cutting the corner of the end zone and snapping the Trojans' 34-game winning streak. When the year ended, Leinart, Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, LenDale White and many others left for the NFL, but that aura remained - for better or worse.

USC carries itself with that aura of invincibility into each game. They have for years. Maybe that's how they've been able to squeak out several close-calls in recent years while only suffering a handful of loses. Or the loses to Oregon State and UCLA in 2006, Stanford and Oregon in 2007, and Oregon State in 2008 displayed that the Trojans walk around with falsely-deserved confidence that is simply lingering around from those National Title seasons of 2003 and 2004.

But now, counting Matt Barkley and Aaron Corp, the Trojans are four quarterbacks removed from Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer. They are three offensive coordinators removed from the days of Norm Chow. Yes, it is still Pete Carroll's team, but the true elements that helped him build a dynasty - and make no mistake, seven straight Pac-10 titles is a dynasty - are no longer in the Cardinal and Gold, and it's consistently catching up to the Trojans.

Remember the 2004 Trojans, the "Leave No Doubt" Trojans? They did just that. They left NO doubt. It was undeniable the talent on that squad and what they were going to do week in and week out. Fast forward to the recent Trojans teams, and we see doubt all across the USC program. Starting QB Matt Barkley is hurt, and Aaron Corp just set back the Trojans passing game 15 years. The highly touted "stable" of running backs just put the ball on the turf four times on Saturday. Defensive jedi Taylor Mays missed a game with an injury for the first time in his career, and the defense on the field allowed the Huskies to march down the field for the winning field goal. The Trojans lost the turnover battle, 3-0, and went 0-for-10 on 3rd downs while the Huskies were nearly 50% on 3rd down conversions.

Doubt!

Lots and lots of doubt.

Now USC may bounce right back and go on to win the rest of its games just like last year's squad. The 2008 Trojans and quarterback Mark Sanchez finished the year with a very respectable Rose Bowl win over Penn State and a record seventh Pacific-10 Conference title. Great. The Trojans missed out on a National Title shot, and frankly that's part of the beauty of college football's lack of a playoff. Can you balance on the high wire for the entire fall, or will you do just that, fall? The Trojans have slipped up enough in recent years to miss out on return trips to the BCS Championship game.

Perhaps a loss to Washington will be damaging enough to cost the Trojans a title shot even if they salvage the rest of their season and win out. Easier said than done. Perhaps the Trojans can bounce back and put together a strong enough season to contend for the Pac-10 title and a BCS berth. Or perhaps this is just another example of an aura of greatness still lingering around a program that has long since lost much of the magic.

How USC can still make the BCS Championship

Let the college football world scoff at USC's 17-3 win over Cal at the Coliseum this weekend. Coach Carroll isn't trying to impress anyone. The only problem is he really needs to if the Trojans are going to gain ground in a tight BCS race with only four weeks of football left before bowl season.

When a team from the SEC wins 17-3, it's a defensive struggle. Real, old-school, hard-nosed football. The way the game was meant to be played. If it's a Pac-10 team that wins 17-3, it's offensively offensive. Ugly. But don't ask Pete Carroll about style points.

The Trojans defense once again held their opponent without a touchdown - the fifth time they've done so this season - and improved their defensive points-per-game average to 6.0. Six?! With that kind of defense, you can win some football games.

Speaking of the number 6, that's now USC's place in the latest BCS rankings (one spot lower than they were on Oct. 19 when the initial BCS rankings came out). While the Trojans are not technically in the drivers seat in the Pac-10 (and they zero help from less-than-useless UCLA against Oregon State), their national championship hopes are currently being gashed by a slew of teams - most of which are from the same division - who refuse to lose, even to each other.

As the college football season dwindles down, the USC Trojans' slim chance of making the BCS Championship gained a sliver of hope with Penn State's loss to Iowa. One BCS trend remains: late season losses means less likeliness of a title game berth.

The current BCS rankings now have:
1. Alabama
2. Texas Tech
3. Texas
4. Florida
5. Oklahoma
6. USC
7. Utah
8. Penn State
9. Boise State
10. Georgia

So how can USC reach one of those all-important top two spots in the BCS?

Well, let's look at the remaining schedules of the teams ahead of USC and find out what, if any, hope the Trojans have.

Alabama
11/15 - Mississippi State
11/29 - Auburn
12/6 - vs. No. 4 Florida

After killing Mississippi State, Bama plays Auburn in a tough rivalry game, but with the game at Alabama, I have to assume the Tide rolls. That leaves only a match up with No. 4 Florida in the SEC Championship, where a win would put either team in the BCS Championship game.

Texas Tech
11/22 - @ No. 5 Oklahoma
11/29 - Baylor

If the Red Raiders beat Oklahoma in Norman, a rare accomplishment for any Big XII team, all they will have to do is dollop the icing on their BCS cake with a win in Lubbock over Baylor. Beat OU, and Tech can book their plane tickets. Lose to OU, and doesn't that open the door for the Sooners before the Trojans? Yes, there will be the formality of the Big XII Championship game in cold, cold Kansas City against an angry Missouri team, but Tech already beat them 56-31. While that game will be much closer to Tiger territory, a Tech loss would only muddy the BCS waters instead of clearing a path for USC.

Texas
11/15 - @ Kansas
11/27 - Texas A&M

This isn't last year's Jayhawks. With Kansas no longer among the nation's Top 25 teams, Texas has no more ranked teams to impress pollsters. The Longhorns nearly survived the toughest stretch of a schedule (facing #6, #11, #6 and #7 in back-to-back-to-back-to-back weeks), losing to Tech in Lubbock. A Texas loss gives USC room to move up, but if Texas wins out, they still would finish ahead of USC in the BCS, and rightfully so. The lone Texas loss was to the now-No. 2 team in the nation.

Florida
11/15 - No. 25 South Carolina
11/22 - Citadel
11/29 - @ No. 19 Florida State
12/6 - vs. No. 1 Alabama

The Gators have one of the tougher finishes to their regular season. Still two regular-season ranked opponents before a conference title game with No. 1 Alabama. While Florida is currently playing some of the best football in the nation (they've blown out then-No. 4 LSU and then-No. 6 Georgia this year), if they falter against "other USC" or FSU and then beat Alabama to win the SEC, that would most likely eliminate all SEC teams from a BCS title berth. It's not likely, but possible.

Oklahoma
11/22 - No. 2 Texas Tech
11/29 - @ No. 13 Oklahoma State

The Sooner can catapult themselves right back into the thick of things with a home win over the Red Raiders in two weeks. Both teams have an off week to prepare for the game. OU can cause problems for the Big XII by beating Tech to create a three-way tie between OU, Tech and Texas for the Big XII South title. With three one-loss teams, all losing to each other, and all currently ahead of the Trojans, that still doesn't open the doors for USC. Okie State will give the Sooners their toughest test in this rivalry in recent memory. An OSU wins would have major ramifications for the Trojans waiting in the wings.

USC
11/15 - @ Stanford
11/29 - Notre Dame
12/6 - @ UCLA

Two winnable Pac-10 games left, both on the road. A home game in the school's second-biggest rivalry against the Fighting Irish. USC needs to win out and win big. While Coach Carroll has said he doesn't want to play for style points, three big blow outs to end the season can't hurt his squad. If USC runs the table to go 11-1, here's what they'd "realistically" need to happen to get into the BCS Championship...

11/15
No. 1 Alabama beats Mississippi State
Kansas beats No. 3 Texas
No. 4 Florida beats No. 25 South Carolina
No. 6 USC beats Stanford

RESULTS: Kansas win over Texas gives Longhorns a second loss, ending their run at a national title and dropping them below USC.
1. Alabama
2. Texas Tech
3. Florida
4. Oklahoma
5. USC

11/22
No. 2 Texas Tech beats No. 5 Oklahoma
No. 3 Florida beats Citadel

RESULTS: Oklahoma earns its second loss of the year, effectively eliminating the Sooners from national championship contention. The top of the BCS would look as follows:
1. Alabama
2. Texas Tech**
3. Florida
4. USC
**(slight chance Tech could jump Bama with big win @OU, but it's still meaningless as long as you're in the top 2)

11/27
Texas vs. Texas A&M no long has any bearing on National Championship picture

11/29
No. 1 Alabama beats Auburn
No. 2 Texas Tech beats Baylor
Florida State beats No. 3 Florida
No. 4 USC beats Notre Dame
Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State no longer matters as each team would have two losses

RESULTS: The biggest piece of USC's championship puzzle desperately depends on Florida losing a game between now, the second weekend of November, and the SEC Championship game. If a two-loss Florida team makes it to the SEC championship, the Trojans are in business. Alabama is playing well enough to not get tripped up, even by a big rivalry game. The BCS standings would now appear:
No. 1 Alabama
No. 2 Texas Tech
No. 3 USC

12/6
SEC Championship: Florida beats No. 1 Alabama
Big XII Championship: No. 2 Texas Tech beats Missouri
No. 3 USC beats UCLA

RESULTS: Tech wraps up the Big XII in a nice and neat fashion, leaving no doubt who should be in a BCS Bowl (unlike last year when OU beat Missouri to earn a BCS Bowl bid and bouncing 1-loss Mizzou from the BCS all together). Florida wins the SEC, and Alabama is ousted from title-game contention (unless they earn a spot like Oklahoma in '03, which went to the BCS Championship game over USC despite not winning their own conference). USC would then be the effective "last man standing" to face off against Texas Tech in the BCS Championship.

It's not simple, and it's not probable, but the Trojans still cling the life in the BCS. If it's going to happen, that's how it'll go down. If not, USC can take solace that they will probably find themselves playing in another Rose Bowl, their seventh straight BCS Bowl appearance. Oh, what a pitty.