But...it's USC!

Who, ranked behind USC, would beat them?

Washington

I think PSU, Iowa, Miami, Va. Tech, Ga. Tech would all have a legitimate shot at knocking off USC. They are all good teams how good just depends on which team shows up to play.

Perhaps it is too obvious of me to defend them, but, here it goes . . .

 

First, NO team has looked really all that great this year. Florida has struggled, Bama has struggled for 3 weeks, Texas struggled until this past week. THERE IS A LOT OF PARITY IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL THIS YEAR.

 

USC is a team with a huge target on their back. I know that a lot of teams are targeted, but USC is really targeted, it is the big game on everyone's schedule, the one they practice for all offseason, it draws the biggest crowds, and the most emotion.

 

I will note, with some sarcasm, that none of you idiots who like to run the Trojans down would claim, if your team beat them, "well, USC wasn't really all that good, so I don't think we really deserve much of a bump from it." Heck no, if your team beat USC, you'd be out in the streets causing vandalism and on this board using the party smiley like crazy.

 

From the voters perspective, USC's loss to Washington is a lot of same 'ol same 'ol. For three or four years now, they lose an early season contest to a weaker conference opponent, and then they start rolling, finish the season like a steam engine going downhill, crush whoever they play in a bowl game, and end of being discussed as the best team at the end of the year.

 

So I don't think the loss to Washington really echoes much with voters, particularly when Washington can be a pretty rough place to play (LSU almost didn't make it out, either), and USC was without their starting quarterback.

 

USC has gone into the Horshoe and beaten Ohio State. They went into South Bend and beat Notre Dame when everybody, including God Himself, was pulling for the Irish to win. They beat Cal at Cal.

 

The Pac-10 is strong this year. Maybe not as strong as the SEC, but I believe better than any other conference (the Big 12 has totally fallen off the map). 9 teams may make bowl games. The conference was undefeated in bowl play last season. It is an evening up year in the Pac-10.

 

The Trojans, up until Saturday, have been very strong defensively. They lead the nation in sacks. And this is off of a defense that lost 9 starters and 8 players to the National Football League. Eight. That just floors me. They have a weakness in drop pass coverage by their middle linebackers, and I'm pretty certain Pete Carroll will get that covered.

 

Offensively, one Trojan after another keeps stepping up. They lost Ronald Johnson, the deep threat, before the season, and he is now back and it showed Saturday. They lost their leading rusher, Stafon Johnson, and began using Joe McKnight more. McKnight got hurt in the first half Saturday, so they put in Allan Bradford, and he went for 147 yards and a couple TD's. How about that for depth. Last year's All-American center, Kris O'Dowd, didn't even start Saturday and played only sparingly, because they've moved Byers to center and plugged Butch Lewis in at guard. All of this and they scored in the 40's. I think we have just seen the tip of what they will start doing offensively.

 

Did I mention they are starting a true freshmen at quarterback?

 

This all resonates with voters. This was supposed to be a down year for USC with all the graduations, and yet, here they are again. You all on here seem to place a lot of stock in who played who way back when and how that compares with what USC did against them, etc. etc. This is not a game of Scrabble. I've watched Cincinatti, and I think USC would run the ball down their throats, because frankly UC is not all that stout against the run. They rely a lot on their wideouts and USC stuffs wideouts, its backs and TE's they struggle more with. I've watched Florida and Texas and Alabama and Iowa and all those teams up near the top, and I think USC matches up well with all of them.

 

In the end game, and the voters know this, USC is one of two or three teams that are measuring sticks. Do you really feel like you've earned yourself the title if you don't take your shot with USC?

 

That is my defense of them, I realize not popular with all the west coast naysayers on here.

Perhaps it is too obvious of me to defend them, but, here it goes . . .

 

First, NO team has looked really all that great this year. Florida has struggled, Bama has struggled for 3 weeks, Texas struggled until this past week. THERE IS A LOT OF PARITY IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL THIS YEAR.

 

USC is a team with a huge target on their back. I know that a lot of teams are targeted, but USC is really targeted, it is the big game on everyone's schedule, the one they practice for all offseason, it draws the biggest crowds, and the most emotion.

 

I will note, with some sarcasm, that none of you idiots who like to run the Trojans down would claim, if your team beat them, "well, USC wasn't really all that good, so I don't think we really deserve much of a bump from it." Heck no, if your team beat USC, you'd be out in the streets causing vandalism and on this board using the party smiley like crazy.

 

From the voters perspective, USC's loss to Washington is a lot of same 'ol same 'ol. For three or four years now, they lose an early season contest to a weaker conference opponent, and then they start rolling, finish the season like a steam engine going downhill, crush whoever they play in a bowl game, and end of being discussed as the best team at the end of the year.

 

So I don't think the loss to Washington really echoes much with voters, particularly when Washington can be a pretty rough place to play (LSU almost didn't make it out, either), and USC was without their starting quarterback.

 

USC has gone into the Horshoe and beaten Ohio State. They went into South Bend and beat Notre Dame when everybody, including God Himself, was pulling for the Irish to win. They beat Cal at Cal.

 

The Pac-10 is strong this year. Maybe not as strong as the SEC, but I believe better than any other conference (the Big 12 has totally fallen off the map). 9 teams may make bowl games. The conference was undefeated in bowl play last season. It is an evening up year in the Pac-10.

 

The Trojans, up until Saturday, have been very strong defensively. They lead the nation in sacks. And this is off of a defense that lost 9 starters and 8 players to the National Football League. Eight. That just floors me. They have a weakness in drop pass coverage by their middle linebackers, and I'm pretty certain Pete Carroll will get that covered.

 

Offensively, one Trojan after another keeps stepping up. They lost Ronald Johnson, the deep threat, before the season, and he is now back and it showed Saturday. They lost their leading rusher, Stafon Johnson, and began using Joe McKnight more. McKnight got hurt in the first half Saturday, so they put in Allan Bradford, and he went for 147 yards and a couple TD's. How about that for depth. Last year's All-American center, Kris O'Dowd, did even start Saturday and played only sparingly, because they've moved Byers to center and plugged Butch Lewis in at guard. All of this and they scored in the 40's. I think we have just seen the tip of what they will start doing offensively.

 

Did I mention they are starting a true freshmen at quarterback?

 

This all resonates with voters. This was supposed to be a down year for USC with all the graduations, and yet, here they are again. You all on here seem to place a lot of stock in who played who way back when and how that compares with what USC did against them, etc. etc. This is not a game of Scrabble. I've watched Cincinatti, and I think USC would run the ball down their throats, because frankly UC is not all that stout against the run. They rely a lot on their wideouts and USC stuffs wideouts, its backs and TE's they struggle more with. I've watched Florida and Texas and Alabama and Iowa and all those teams up near the top, and I think USC matches up well with all of them.

 

In the end game, and the voters know this, USC is one of two or three teams that are measuring sticks. Do you really feel like you've earned yourself the title if you don't take your shot with USC?

 

That is my defense of them, I realize not popular with all the west coast naysayers on here.

 

Agree!!!

I think USC is #4 in the human polls, because reasonable people see that they are the fourth team in the country. They show up in big games, and have gotten exponentially better since the UDub loss. Notre Dame isn't that bad of a team in case you guys haven't noticed, they lost to Michigan State and Michigan, both of whom are going bowling this year.

 

I'll ask the same question that others have asked, who is ranked behind USC that you think would beat them? We always spend time talking about how they lose these easy games they shouldn't and how they're overrated, but at the end of the season, when do the NOT show up?

Perhaps it is too obvious of me to defend them, but, here it goes . . .

 

First, NO team has looked really all that great this year. Florida has struggled, Bama has struggled for 3 weeks, Texas struggled until this past week. THERE IS A LOT OF PARITY IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL THIS YEAR.

 

USC is a team with a huge target on their back. I know that a lot of teams are targeted, but USC is really targeted, it is the big game on everyone's schedule, the one they practice for all offseason, it draws the biggest crowds, and the most emotion.

 

I will note, with some sarcasm, that none of you idiots who like to run the Trojans down would claim, if your team beat them, "well, USC wasn't really all that good, so I don't think we really deserve much of a bump from it." Heck no, if your team beat USC, you'd be out in the streets causing vandalism and on this board using the party smiley like crazy.

 

From the voters perspective, USC's loss to Washington is a lot of same 'ol same 'ol. For three or four years now, they lose an early season contest to a weaker conference opponent, and then they start rolling, finish the season like a steam engine going downhill, crush whoever they play in a bowl game, and end of being discussed as the best team at the end of the year.

 

So I don't think the loss to Washington really echoes much with voters, particularly when Washington can be a pretty rough place to play (LSU almost didn't make it out, either), and USC was without their starting quarterback.

 

USC has gone into the Horshoe and beaten Ohio State. They went into South Bend and beat Notre Dame when everybody, including God Himself, was pulling for the Irish to win. They beat Cal at Cal.

 

The Pac-10 is strong this year. Maybe not as strong as the SEC, but I believe better than any other conference (the Big 12 has totally fallen off the map). 9 teams may make bowl games. The conference was undefeated in bowl play last season. It is an evening up year in the Pac-10.

 

The Trojans, up until Saturday, have been very strong defensively. They lead the nation in sacks. And this is off of a defense that lost 9 starters and 8 players to the National Football League. Eight. That just floors me. They have a weakness in drop pass coverage by their middle linebackers, and I'm pretty certain Pete Carroll will get that covered.

 

Offensively, one Trojan after another keeps stepping up. They lost Ronald Johnson, the deep threat, before the season, and he is now back and it showed Saturday. They lost their leading rusher, Stafon Johnson, and began using Joe McKnight more. McKnight got hurt in the first half Saturday, so they put in Allan Bradford, and he went for 147 yards and a couple TD's. How about that for depth. Last year's All-American center, Kris O'Dowd, didn't even start Saturday and played only sparingly, because they've moved Byers to center and plugged Butch Lewis in at guard. All of this and they scored in the 40's. I think we have just seen the tip of what they will start doing offensively.

 

Did I mention they are starting a true freshmen at quarterback?

 

This all resonates with voters. This was supposed to be a down year for USC with all the graduations, and yet, here they are again. You all on here seem to place a lot of stock in who played who way back when and how that compares with what USC did against them, etc. etc. This is not a game of Scrabble. I've watched Cincinatti, and I think USC would run the ball down their throats, because frankly UC is not all that stout against the run. They rely a lot on their wideouts and USC stuffs wideouts, its backs and TE's they struggle more with. I've watched Florida and Texas and Alabama and Iowa and all those teams up near the top, and I think USC matches up well with all of them.

 

In the end game, and the voters know this, USC is one of two or three teams that are measuring sticks. Do you really feel like you've earned yourself the title if you don't take your shot with USC?

 

That is my defense of them, I realize not popular with all the west coast naysayers on here.

 

Great post. It's amazing that they can be 6-1 at this point with a young defense and a freshman quarterback.

Talent-wise USC is an elite team. They have the talent and coaching to beat anyone this season if Barkley continues to develop. They are the best 1 loss team to me, and better than a few of the undefeated.

I would add one more thing: USC has been SO dominant, in year's past, that there seems to be some feeling that if they haven't beaten every opponent by 3 TD's or more, that they somehow aren't as good. In that case, you need to knock Florida down about 5 or 6 notches too, because they look like dryer lint, right now.

Again, I repeat, this is much ado about nothing. This will work itself out, and you guys are getting worked up (and, though with sarcasm, insulting others) over nothing. If USC wins at Oregon on Saturday, they will have proven they belong at #4, and if not, they will fall and IMO should no longer be in the discussion for the national title barring something significant happening ahead of them. If they do win Saturday, they'll be right in position if the teams ahead of them fail.

I think USC is #4 in the human polls, because reasonable people see that they are the fourth team in the country. They show up in big games, and have gotten exponentially better since the UDub loss. Notre Dame isn't that bad of a team in case you guys haven't noticed, they lost to Michigan State and Michigan, both of whom are going bowling this year.

I'll ask the same question that others have asked, who is ranked behind USC that you think would beat them? We always spend time talking about how they lose these easy games they shouldn't and how they're overrated, but at the end of the season, when do the NOT show up?

 

Notre Dame beat Michigan State. Notre Dame is not a bad team at all. They have one of the best offenses in the country, so they are going to play with just about everyone. It just comes down to if the defense can stop the other team enough, which has been the problem in the two losses.

I think PSU, Iowa, Miami, Va. Tech, Ga. Tech would all have a legitimate shot at knocking off USC. They are all good teams how good just depends on which team shows up to play.

 

PSU, Ga. Tech, and especially Iowa I don't think would even be close to beating USC. Now Miami and Va Tech I could see them playing right there with USC, but USC still winning.

 

People need to realize that yeah USC lost to a bad team, however their starting QB didn't even play and the backup was one of the reasons they lost because he played horrible. With Barkley as QB they are easily one of the top 5 teams in the country.

I think USC would beat UC, but UC deserves to be ranked in front of USC.

Plus, they are fun to watch. Pro formations, vertical passing, stretch running plays, get-pressure-rushing-four, big hit secondary, exciting return men, mano-y-mano, coach jumping up and down on the sidelines, fun to watch. People WANT to see them in the title game. How can you turn down Barkley's smile?

USC is #4 because that's as high as they can be rated until one of the trio at the top loses a game. They're playing as good as or better than any team in college football right now.

 

I think if Iowa is still undefeated after they play OSU on November 14, you could make a strong case that they should leapfrog the Trojans...they'll be undefated in the Big Ten with road wins at Happy Valley and Columbus and a home victory against Michigan. Whether it's a down year or not, that's a solid resume. A win at Ohio State would allow them to match SC's best win, and they'd be undefeated. At that point, I'd bump them above the Trojans. But, right now, I think USC is the better team, so I'd vote it that way.