First look: Southern California
October 8th, 2008, 12:41 am · Post a Comment · posted by Dan Zeiger
Before we begin, I realize that, since this week’s entry is tardy, you might have gotten a first look at Southern California somewhere else. My apologies.
The last 36 hours have had their share of distractions. So, as they sometimes say in college football, the bye week will be coming at a good time.
But first, the Trojans:
Arizona State at Southern California
12:30 p.m. Saturday; Memorial Coliseum; Los Angeles
In a photo symbolizing life in the Pac-10 since 2002, USC receiver David Auberry races to glory as Oregon cornerback Jairus Byrd makes a futile attempt to catch him during the Trojans’ 44-10 victory on Saturday. (Associated Press photo)
Dennis Erickson was breaking down Arizona State’s loss at California during a Sunday conference call when a reporter mentioned that the Sun Devils’ next opponent, USC, got back on track with a convincing victory against Oregon.
“Did you have any doubt that they would?” said Erickson, ASU’s coach.
Since Pete Carroll arrived as coach in 2001, the Trojans have typically left little doubt on the field, save for that one inexplicable performance against an inferior team per season since 2006. Defeats against UCLA two years ago and Stanford last season kept the Trojans from playing for the national title; they hope that a similar fate does not await them after a loss at Oregon State two weeks ago.
The talent stockpiled by the Trojans is perhaps the best since the days of unlimited scholarships. Quarterback Mark Sanchez could be unavailable against ASU due to a knee bruise? Put in Mitch Mustain, who two years ago helped Arkansas to a 10-win season.
Allen Bradford thinks he should be carrying the ball more? Well, he should have thought of that before committing to play at a school that is annually four-deep (or better) at running back. Somebody is not cutting it at a position? No sweat, just promote the high-school All-American on the second string.
So, what’s up with the annual hiccups? Starting center Kristofer O’Dowd believes that being the opposing team’s Super Bowl every week is a big-time challenge.
“Teams that play us play their best game, on both sides of the ball,” O’Dowd said. “We take that as a sign of respect, but we have to always be on our toes. The coaches give us a good game plan, and it’s up to us to be physically and mentally ready each week.”
BURNING ISSUE: Can the Trojans work their way back into the Bowl Championship Series title game? Given the perception of the Pac-10 this season, it seems that a one-loss USC squad would be at a BCS-standings disadvantage against one-loss schools from the SEC or Big 12. The Trojans did not budge in the polls after beating Oregon. However, the knockout process is starting in other parts of the country, with Oklahoma-Texas on and Louisiana State-Florida on Saturday. USC could find itself in the top two of the BCS standings if it runs through the rest of the Pac-10 — but, as the last two seasons have shown, that is easier said than done, even for the mighty men of Troy.
OFFENSIVE SNAPSHOT: Sanchez is the nation’s seventh-rated passer, so his absence is nothing to dismiss. But Mustain, who not long ago was fourth on the depth chart, has big-game experience from his days at Arkansas, and he has the luxury of a handing off to an array of running backs, headed by Stafon Johnson, Joe McKnight and C.J. Gable. There is also depth at receiver among Damian Williams, Patrick Turner, Ronald Johnson and David Ausberry. Last year, the Trojans frustrated ASU’s defense by getting the ball to their playmakers in space, where they frequently eluded one-on-one tackle attempts.
DEFENSIVE SNAPSHOT: USC has the nation’s fourth-rated defense despite the unit’s best player, outside linebacker Rey Maualuga, battling a knee injury. He did not play against Oregon, so Brian Cushing moved from the middle to the outside to take over Maualuga’s spot. Taylor Mays and Kevin Ellison form one of the top safety tandems in the country. There could be changes in the defensive line, as Everson Griffen — an Avondale Agua Fria High product who is a cousin of ASU running back Keegan Herring — lost his starting defensive end position after the Oregon State game but was back with the first team this week. Kyle Moore moved from end to tackle.
UNSUNG HERO: With Alex Mack of California and Max Unger of Oregon both All-America candidates and pro prospects, O’Dowd does not get much mention among the elite centers in the Pac-10. However, the Tucson Salpointe High product won the job as a true freshman last season and started three games before suffering a knee injury. He underwent surgery prior to spring drills in 2008, rehabilitated and now quarterbacks the offensive line with a veteran’s poise.
FURTHER READING: