USC lost to an outstanding Oregon team on Saturday, and while it had its chances, this year’s Trojans just don’t have the offense in place to overcome missed opportunities and turnovers against one of the best opponents it will face. Everyone will want to point fingers - - Is it the QB? Is it the receivers? Is it coaching? I’ll tell you. And – USC in the Fiesta Bowl??
First, you have to give credit to Oregon. Personally, I will be rooting for them the rest of the season. It is a joke that they are so overlooked by the national media. Their statistics are incredible. Their schedule has been one of the toughest in the country. Of all the one-loss teams, they are the closest to being undefeated (literally 6 inches). Their running back, Stewart, is one of the top-3 in all of the country. Their quarterback, Dixon, might be the biggest difference-maker in college football this season, and is a guy I feel should be in the driver’s seat for the Heisman Trophy (the east coast media make that difficult – but would you rather have Dennis Dixon or Matt Ryan as your QB? Is it even a close decision?). So before we start looking at the Trojans, you have to give credit to the Ducks, who – while other programs in the Pac-10 tend to concede to USC’s dominance – are always pushing themselves to keep pace.
Now for the Trojans. To me, perhaps the most disappointing thing about this season is that USC won’t win a championship this year despite having one of the best Trojan defenses in memory. Even against Oregon’s high-powered offense, the Trojans didn’t give much in terms of points – holding Oregon to 24, 7 of which came after USC’s offense gave the ball to the Ducks on the USC 16 yard line. With Sedrick Ellis and his defensive teammates, this USC team has had a championship defense, but has needed more from the rest of the team.
This loss, and the disappointments of this year, sit squarely with USC’s offense. There have been injuries and other factors, but – as Pete Carroll would likely acknowledge – accountability starts with the coaches. I like USC’s coaching staff, but feel the play-calling in both Trojan losses has been questionable. Against Stanford, I got the sense that USC’s coaches called plays late in the game that almost ignored the possibility that Stanford had a chance to win the game. Instead, USC’s offense failed to use the clock and continued to take chances throwing the ball. The result was turnovers and just enough time left for Stanford to make a few plays and steal a game. Saturday in Oregon – in my mind – was worse. From the 4th down stretch play on USC’s first possession where it came away from the opening kick-off turnover with no points… to the inconsistent calling of a power running game (which was there for the Trojans)… to passing game calls with few receivers downfield in routes… to a tightness in the redzone that yielded just 3 points in the Trojans first two opportunities… I definitely felt like USC could have set itself up for success much more than it did.
Is Sarkisian to blame? Should he be fired? I think it’s ridiculous for people to be calling for his head. First – Sarkisian is one of the bright young assistants in coaching today, and he’s in his first season of being “the guy.” Second – is there no faith in Pete Carroll? I know Pete, and I’ve never seen a head coach who’s a bigger competitor, and at the same time, he gets involved in each and every aspect of the game. I do trust that he will identify issues – even offensive issues – and ensure that improvements are made.
What about the players? At every position other than receiver and offensive center, USC is better in 2007 than they were in 2006. That said, Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith are sorely missed. John David Booty hasn’t been the same quarterback without them, and Mark Sanchez would be better with them. And while the Trojans fielded a fairly healthy offensive line on Saturday, there is still clearly a lack of chemistry that only results from consistency in personnel and game experience. Patrick Turner had an outstanding game and is really maturing, and Vidal Hazelton is doing the same. Joe McKnight is getting comfortable with the speed of college ball and is minimizing his negative plays, while still having that game-changing potential at any moment. And the running game was there behind the offensive line, but wasn’t fluid the way it would have been if this same line and backs had been playing together all season. Despite all of this, you just get the sense that this group needs a game or two more to gel.
To specifically address the quarterback questions, I think Mark Sanchez, despite the interceptions, played a very solid game on Saturday. Would John David Booty have done better? No one will ever know. Maybe Sarkisian calls a different game if Booty were in the game, but I’d like to think not. Sanchez made plays (both positive and avoiding negative) with his mobility and used his big arm to make some throws that Booty may not have made. So judging it is hard to do. The one thing that’s hard to resist with Sanchez is the confidence and the energy he exudes, and you get the feeling he will learn from this. You simply wish USC’s offense could have taken advantage of earlier opportunities and had Sanchez in a position where he was driving for the win instead of the tie.
So USC had its chances against a team that may end up playing for the national championship. There is no doubt that USC can beat anyone, but it can also play at a level where anyone left on their schedule can beat them as well. If they continue to improve offensively (and I get the sense that this offense – including its coaches – are just beginning to understand themselves), there is still actually a lot to play for. Consider the following scenario:
1. BCS Championship Game: Ohio State (Big Ten Champ) vs. LSU (SEC Champ)
2. Rose Bowl: Oregon (Pac-10 Champ) vs. Oklahoma (Big-12 Champ)
3. Sugar Bowl: Boston College (ACC Champ) vs. Texas or Kansas (Big-12 #2)
4. Orange Bowl: West Virginia (Big East Champ) vs. Georgia (SEC #2 – at large bid)
5. Fiesta Bowl: USC (Pac-10 #2) vs. Hawaii (if undefeated, WAC Champ) or Wisconsin (Big-Ten #2)
Why is this a possibility? There are 10 BCS game slots. Six (6) of them go to the 6 BCS conference champions. Then there are automatic bids that would go to non-BCS conference schools if they win their conference and finish in the top-12 of the final BCS standings (could be Hawaii if they win-out, but no others have a shot). If Hawaii gets it, that would leave three (3) bids left to go to teams at an at-large basis (there would be four slots if they lose). Notre Dame usually takes an at-large bid because they travel well – not this year. So you then look to other top teams who travel well to bowl games, and the one rule that kicks in is that no conference can have more than two teams in BCS bowls. As such, USC has a shot to still be in a BCS Bowl. If Oregon wins-out, and along the way beats ASU, and USC wins against Oregon State and Cal, then the Thanksgiving Day game against ASU in Tempe could be for the right to go to the Fiesta Bowl (assuming both teams go on to beat their rivals the following week).
I am sure Pete will share these scenarios with his team, keeping a team motivated that isn’t used to heading into November with two (2) losses. But that said, this team really needs to take one game at a time from here out. Even more, one practice at a time - - finding ways to improve and continuing to develop the chemistry that – in seasons past – it tends to find in November.
Onto Oregon State
