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Oregon was clearly the better team on Saturday and showed why they're a legitimate contender for the national title. Looking back on the key themes entering the game ...
- Unstoppable force or immovable object? The immovable object (when it counted) was Oregon's defense. They had three clutch turnovers. As for the anticipated matchup of Oregon O and USC D, the Trojans held the dynamic Ducks to 212 yards less than their average production. While they did allow a rare 100-yard rusher, Stewart's 103 were well below his average. Also impressive was that USC only allowed 115 yards in the second half. So why did they give up 24 points? Once again, turnovers hurt the Trojans and gave Oregon great field position.
- Is Mark Sanchez the real deal? Yes. And no. We'll have another post on this coming right up.
- Will the offensive line jell? They didn't seem to: Rachal and Radovich had two major penalties ... The coaches apparently didn't have enough faith to run it up the middle on 4th and 1 early on, sending McKnight on a futile end-run instead ... USC only gained 101 yards on the ground ... Sanchez was sacked just once, but only because he escaped and scrambled several times ... Sam Baker went out again with an injury.
- Washington, Johnson, or McKnight? In the tailback rotation, Johnson only had three touches (likely because of his lingering foot injury). Washington was dependable, but the coaches didn't go to him on the aforementioned 4th down. McKnight showed flashes of his Reggie Bush-esque assets, especially on a long touchdown that was called back by Radovich's penalty. He also showed Bush-esque liabilities when he lost ground on 4th down. He should have had more touches, but not that one.
- Where's the Cush? Brian Cushing came back from injury and made eight tackles, but five of his teammates reached double-digits in that category. These guys had a long day at the office.
- Can the wide receivers hang on? The receiving corps made some tough catches and showed improvement.
I expected these questions to sum up the outcome -- whatever it would be -- but concerns from earlier in the season have reared their ugly head. USC continued to hurt itself with penalties (80 yards) and turnovers (3), suffered a key injury (Sam Baker), and struggled with punts (a 36.4-yard average when kicking and no returns when receiving).
It might be good news that USC heads into next week's homecoming game against Oregon State (looking for revenge from last year, no less) ... but Stanford was supposed to be easy, too.
Since my battery fizzled, these thoughts are more on the game as a whole than the 4th quarter (as scribbled on the back of a cocktail menu):
Well, at least USC's women's volleyball knocked off highly favored Stanford tonight in a comeback.
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There's absolutely zero question. Dynasty over. The Trojans were all but technically eliminated from continuing their reign today, as the BCS bowls slipped out of reach. On the upside, USC is bowl eligible. It's such a natural state of affairs that nobody really noticed last week when USC clinched a birth (the focus, instead, was on Notre Dame being eliminated).
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In retrospect, the face-mask holding penalty that negated Joe McKnight's touchdown run was one of the biggest turning points of the game. USC was about to deflate the crowd and gain some major mojo.
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Misdirection was a major theme for the Ducks on both sides of the ball. USC players, TV cameras and bar patrons all followed the wrong Oregon players at different times throughout the game. It was most noticeable when the Ducks were on offense, but Matthew Harper's win-clinching interception was created when he lined up on the opposite side of the field of the player he was covering, then came across to surprise an unsuspecting Mark Sanchez.
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Leaving in Sanchez was the right call (even if John David Booty was healthy enough to come in), but the QB controversy will linger, probably well into next season. Booty may leave, but Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain will become eligible. More on that shortly.
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The 9-0 is clearly the center of Trojan country, with a crowd that bleeds cardinal and gold. Even compared with traditional alumni hangouts like Sharkeez, you won't find anywhere with more people rocking USC gear. Actually, one of the girls from this photo was wearing blue in the bar -- and she didn't even lose a bet like Brady Quinn. Go figure. Overall, the place was packed with student and alumni from 21 to 51+. I know many of you are still skeptical, but it's become a nice sports bar. I made a believer out of my roommate today.
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Within minutes of the last interception, the place was almost empty. Had the result been different ...
The bar is filling up (compare above to pregame).
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Penalties are becoming a big factor in this game (USC isn't doing well on that end, as usual).
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Turnovers could also be key down the stretch, but at least USC was saved by the replay booth (actually, they had the call upheld). USC was driving for the end zone and had a potential fumble that was ruled an incomplete pass. Seconds later, Patrick Turner actually held onto a ball -- in the end zone.
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This game is a classic battle. If you're reading while the game is live, turn on your TV!
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Yup, turnovers matter. USC just gave it up in their own red zone and Stewart took it in for a score.
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After a few beers, the 9-0 crowd is trying to put it in perspective: [paraphrasing] "Oregon is a really hard place to play. And we've had a lot of injuries this season."
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Shovel pass from Sanchez to Turner? This kid is fun to watch.
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USC is driving and the crowd is getting up. My battery level, however, is getting low. I could be out of commission for a bit ...
This game is living up to its billing in terms of excitement. Oregon's misdirection has them on top, but USC is responding with smash-mouth defense.
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9-0 pizza is also living up to its billing. If you want something unique, try feta, sausage, spinach and roasted garlic.
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USC opened the first quarter with a fumble recovery. It was a repeat performance to start the second quarter.
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Just spotted an Oregon fan in a lucha libre mask. I'd love to see him wrestle some of the Mark Sanchez fan base. Sanchez, by the way, has shown excellent mobility. On a broken pass play, he ran for five yards. Earlier, he had two incompletions that Booty never would have been able to attempt.
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The girl sitting next to me right now is the polar opposite of the girl studying at the bar. This one drunk-dialed her parents at 10:45 this morning. Ahhhh, college.
It took five seconds for the crowd to erupt. A quick turnover durning the opening kickoff put USC on the 20 and put 9-0 goers on the edge of their seats.
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It's not the 9-0 you remember, but it is college ... students could be seen studying at the bar (above) between plays. Who needs highlights when you've got a highlighter?
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Things calmed down. The crowd wasn't very inspired by the three-and-out play of USC. Mark Sanchez needs to adjust to the noise and calm down.
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And now USC is down 7-0.
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A holding call just wiped out a wild Joe McKnight touchdown. The kid does look a little like Reggie.
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If you ever wondered what it's liked in the press box, imagine a library perched precariously over a football field.
The reason I bring it up is that you've got everything you could want when you're watching from home (or your local watering hole, if you're dorky enough to bring along a laptop). You probably have it better than the press box. Sure, they get free hot dogs ... but they also get to deal with 100 other people slowing down the Wi-Fi connection. Your TV is probably bigger than the press box monitors, and your access to game trackers on ESPN and CSTV is the exact same thing the media is using.
College football is fun no matter where you are, but I'm definitely appreciating high-def screens and a kitchen. As Joe Pesci might say, "I've got everything!"
It's dawn in Troy.
Actually, it's almost noon -- but it's hard for people on a college campus to wake up on Saturdays for an away game (especially when you're a three-point 'dog).
In case you're wondering, Trojan country doesn't seem to follow the same odds as Vegas. USC seems to be an 18+ point favorite around here (our waitress pegged the final score at 35-16). If you want to win some cash, this is the place to be.
This is a good opportunity to catch up on the other USC football team. The Women of Troy hopped a bus over to Westwood last night to take on the nation's consensus #1 soccer squad. Neither team had lost in their last 10 games, and USC had recently surged to #2 in one of the major polls.
USC held the momentum early, but couldn't produce anything on the scoreboard. It looked like this rivalry could be headed for a fourth straight overtime result after a scoreless first half. Instead, UCLA found the net shortly after the restart, and buried a second far-post shot in the 65th minute. It was the first time the Trojans had allowed more than one goal in regulation this season.
USC made a couple more runs at the Bruins' defense, but UCLA's keeper, Valarie Henderson, handled all five legit shots during the game for a 2-0 shutout. At least around USC this morning, people seem blissfully unaware of the result.
Attendance was listed at an impressive 3,345 (many times what USC gets at home games), but I'm skeptical that many stuck around for the women's game. The Bruins had a double-header, with the men's match delaying the start of the women's. You may remember the UCLA men suffered such a giant upset in last year's NCAA title game that students at UCSB stole their own goal and threw it off a cliff onto the beach.
There's a lot going on in the Land o' Troy this week, so I won't be making the trip to Oregon. In between USC-UCLA women's soccer and USC-UCLA men's water polo, this seems like a good chance to try some more of the live-blogging we've been talking about (in the dark, cigar-smoke-filled room where all the bloggers and power-brokers hang out).
No point in doing this from my couch or from just any bar.
Tomorrow you can find me at the 9-0. Yes, the 901 Club. The 'hole. That place.
And I'll be posting every quarter with pictures and reactions from USC's just-off-campus bar -- the only spot in L.A. that might be rowdy enough to simulate a mini-Autzen. (OK, maybe not.)
Everybody is welcome to join. I'm talking to you, the Greek still hungover from last night's philanthropy/exchange/invite. I'm talking to you, the yuppie, loft-dwelling alumni. I'm talking to you, the ironic, South-Florida-T-shirt-wearing Silverlake hipster.
This could be disastrous, glorious, interesting.
Time to frame the discussion. Here's what Pete Carroll had to say about playing the Ducks (above), and here are the questions I'll be asking during the game ...
- Unstoppable force or immovable object? The best offense in the Pac-10 is about to take on the best defense in the Pac-10. This is why everybody is tuning in. Both sides seem relatively healthy, so there will be no excuses. They say that offense wins games and defense wins championships. Both will be on the line.
- Is Mark Sanchez the real deal? After Notre Dame, USC's green quarterback sounded sure that he can handle the crowd in Autzen. News flash: 80,000 depressed Irish aren't anything compared with 50,000 jacked-up Ducks. He may have been brash, but if he can live up to his rapidly growing hype, he'll be the BMOC (please, no Big Mexican On Campus jokes). If he can't, there's some kid named Booty anxious to step in.
- Will the offensive line jell? When O'Dowd and Rachal went down on the same play against Washington, you could see things fall apart. With six players returning to the unit for this game, they'll be a lot healthier -- but can they work together when the crowd drowns out their ability to communicate?
- Washington, Johnson, or McKnight? These three won the battle of attrition to make up USC's tailback rotation, so now it's a matter of which will step up. Maybe the more accurate question is how long until Johnson and McKnight eclipse Washington?
- Where's the Cush? Rose Bowl MVP Brian Cushing got back in the swing of things last week after missing half the season with ankle problems. Now that he's healthy and raring to go, look for him to be an impact player against a team averaging 550 yards per game.
- Can the wide receivers hang on? We know Vidal Hazelton is an escape artist. We know Patrick Turner is tall. But can these guys catch the ball when it counts and the pressure is on? Can anybody beside Fred Davis just hold onto the dang ball?
America is bored with USC's success.
After limping into their first game of 2007 without four starters and still winning by four touchdowns, the Trojans lost three first-place votes in the AP poll.
Next, USC dismantled Nebraska, prompting a popular football blog to run a headline reading "USC Continues Boring, Humdrum Perfection."
An abysmal run against Washington, Stanford, and Arizona quickly brought the juggernaut back to Earth. USC didn't even crack the top 25 in some computer standings.
So the Trojans responded, with their backup quarterback, by going into Notre Dame Stadium and torching the Irish for the biggest USC victory in the history of the venerable series.
The coaches poll responded in their own way -- by leap-frogging Arizona State, which didn't even play that week, ahead of the Trojans.
The only consistent thing about USC this year has been their slide. A lot of people around the country may be enjoying this, but maybe, just maybe, USC fans can enjoy it, too.
A couple of days ahead of the USC-Oregon matchup, the Trojans are a three-point underdog. It's not a position they're accustomed to. The last time USC wasn't favored against a conference opponent was six years ago. Things were different back then. USC was still a year away from being a Cinderella, much less a Godzilla, of college football.
Let's rewind. Nov. 11, 2001 was one heck of a football game.
Continue reading USC Finally Has a Dog in This Fight »
In a final look back at all the USC-ND coverage, here are some of my favorites ...
Irish Eyes Are Crying
Say, didja' hear Mark Sanchez is Mexican?
There's a certain USC quarterback from Orange County with a million-dollar smile, floppy locks and charm oozing out of his ears -- but his name isn't Matt Leinart. Nope, Mark Sanchez is the new poster boy. A lot of attention is on his heritage. I remember over a year ago, when somebody posted on a message board and asked if Sanchez could be the first Mexican American starting quarterback at USC. The author of the message was attacked for being insensitive, and the general consensus was, "Aren't we past that sort of thing?" Based on recent media attention, apparently not ...
Sanchez seems to be taking it all in stride, and even made a joke about the marching band playing "Lean Like a Cholo." Elbows up -- but tuck that ball.
Eccentrics of the Week
USC is 7th in the Harris Poll, 8th in the USA Today Poll, and ranked 22nd by the computers to come out to 12th in the BCS. The AP poll has the Trojans 9th. Some of the dissenting opinions:
- The Billingsley Report (a component of the BCS computer rankings) has USC 4th.
- Jeff Sagarin (a component of the BCS computer rankings) has USC 29th.
- Of the 65 AP voters, USC topped out in 5th place on eight ballots. With so many bunched at the top, I'll just list their geographies: Idaho, Georgia, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The eighth was Chris Fowler (ESPN is national, unless you want to call it Connecticut). The Idaho voter (Mark Prater) was the only one to have USC at #5 last week.
- Stewart Mandel (SI.com) again has USC the lowest among AP voters at #16. Closely behind (ahead?) were Scott Wolf (Los Angeles Daily News) and Austin Ward (Casper Star-Tribune), who both had the Trojans at #14.
Other Notes
- There are at least four teams in the Pac-10 that are greater than LSU.
- Something Charlie Weis and Pete Carroll have in common? An appreciation of Bruce Springsteen.
- USCTrojans.com and USCRipsIt.com were leading the school's online PR charge for athletics, but now the rest of the school is partnering with YouTube.
Putting Out An APB For ...
I know, I know. I'm stealing a category from the Forde Yard Dash. But it's for a good reason.
Has anybody seen the video of the original Trojan-Irish game played in 1926 at the Coliseum? Dan Weber of the Riverside Press-Enterprise mentioned that he saw a link on one of the Irish message boards last week, but neither of us could find it this week. Apparently both teams are wearing dark jerseys, so it's hard to make out in black-and-white, but it still must be a great watch. (If SMQB can find this 1906 clip, 1926 should be easy.)
Dan also shed some light on this photo, but more information is welcome.
Photo from last year's USC-ND game. Maybe they should quit while they're ahead. Or at least not dead. Cue Digger.
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