2007 Oregon Loss Edition - 10/28/07
I have to say, this week's musings are harder to write than after the Stanford loss. While that loss was far worse, in that it was at home, and to a terrible team, this loss forces me to face a very likely scenario that I hate more than anything in the world: the notion of USC not winning the Pac-10, and not playing in the Rose Bowl. It is a daunting proposition, and very likely (though not guaranteed) to be the case. Hence, my depression. On the other hand, I am as proud to be a Trojan this week as I was last week, and that will not change if we lose our next four games. Non-Trojans will not get it. Real Trojans already get it. Fake Trojans need to pull their head out. But I need to "muse away", so muse away I will ....
- This is a good Oregon team, and USC could have, and should have beaten them. While devastated by the loss, I am even more optimistic that we will beat Cal and ASU (though by no means over-confident). Essentially, I think our loss took place when Oregon fumbled the opening kickoff, and USC got the ball in the red zone, and walked away, with ZERO points. That is inexcusable, demoralizing football. Chilo's personal foul, and Sark's 4th down play call, are as bad as anything I have seen all year.
- I was not one of the people screaming for Kiffin's head last year, and I am not jumping on anyone's bandwagon about Sark now. Internet fans are hard to rally around - usually because they come and go like devils in the high wind. But as one who did not miss a home or away game while Paul Hackett was the head coach of USC, let me say this: Sark should be apologizing to the players after yesterday. It was pitiful.
- Yesterday's game was CREEPILY similar to the Oregon State loss last year, other than the fact that the opponent who beat us is a much better team this year than last year, and the comeback we had to pursue was nowhere near as dramatic this year as it had to be last year. But both fell short, and both made me cry (on the inside). The drive to pull within a touchdown with 5 minutes left in the game was exactly like Booty's drive(s) last year to come back against Oregon State. Powerful. Quick. Easy. Proficient. Aggressive. In other words, the four or five passes Sanchez threw to get us back in the game were everything that the rest of the game was NOT. I remain perplexed that offensive play-calling like that remains in the toolbox, until late in the game.
- Ironically, I have [rightfully so] been down on the Wide Receivers all year, and yesterday watched them play their best game of the year. Patrick Turner and Vidal Hazelton put on special performances. Unlike many of Booty's INT's this year, both of Sanchez's yesterday were his fault - plain and simple. I hope we can get that play out of Vidal and Turner again throughout the rest of the year; it has been missed, and it is now needed.
- I really can not say what I would do about the Booty/Sanchez issue. I have not taken the time to read what the Sanchez-bandwagoners are saying about his interceptions yesterday, but they were both truly horrendous (primarily in what they meant to the game). But besides those two throws, I thought he played fine, and had moments of brilliance. He was flushed from the pocket ALL DAY, and did very well (much better than Booty would have). On one hand, I feel Booty is more prepared to play than Sanchez, but on the other hand, I think Sanchez is essentially right there, and he is the Quarterback of the future. Most of the commentary taking place on this issue is inane, but I will just say that Pete ought to do what he thinks is best for this year's team.
- The game was lost on this stat. We had two turnovers in the second half that led to 14 points for Oregon. They had two turnovers in the first half that led to 3 points for us. I can not get over our inability to score on that first possession, and I can not get over what we did with the ball after that incredible defensive effort and offensive momentum we had in the third quarter.
- While many seem ready to throw Coach Carroll and this USC team under the bus, it does not seem fair to insinuate that USC will tank the rest of the season. Yes, clearly Cal has this year, and UCLA has many years, provided a precedent of teams throwing in the towel after a tough loss. But despite what many are saying about USC and Coach Carroll, we have never been one of those teams. I think it is a fair question, and I even think it is possible we will become one of those teams, but let's look at the facts.
2002 - an OT loss on the road after a tough non-conference loss on the road; next - undefeated rest of the season and Orange Bowl win over Iowa
2003 - a triple OT loss to a BAD Cal program; next - undefeated rest of the season and national championship
2006 - shocking loss to unranked Oregon State; next - four straight wins, three over highly ranked teams
2006 - fluke of the century loss to horrible UCLA; next - Rose Bowl blowout win over UCLA
Yes, it may get worse from here. But that would be a NEW precedent; we have never done such under Pete Carroll - ever! My heart tells me that we will beat Oregon State in a close one, Cal in a good one, ASU in a tight one, and UCLA in a blowout; my head tells me that three out of four of those is more likely.
- Anyone reading these musings, and anyone who knows me at all, has no choice but to believe me, that I do not care one iota about the BCS, and subjective means of choosing a champion. Since I first heard Robinson say it three decades ago (and he was quoting McKay), I believe the goal every year of USC is to win your conference, and then go win the Rose Bowl. I have said that in undefeated seasons. And I have said in years like last year where we did so, but endured losses along the way. The sheer logic of my belief ought to convince you; we can control the winning of our conference; we can not control the subjective forces that determine other bowl seedings, polls, and computer rankings. So, I am confessing to being even more disappointed now that I see the Rose Bowl fading away, than I was than the idiotic BCS bowl. I have friends who are genuine college football fans who just don't get it, and I know that eventually, the light bulb will go on, and people will abandon their interest in the system of subjectivism that is the BCS. In the meantime, the MORE important issue is the Rose Bowl. USC faces the following challenges:
(1) They must win out, with two brutal games on the road, and the two teams that beat us last year at home.
(2) Essentially, ASU must lose one other game besides to us, and yet Oregon must lose two games.
Theoretically, UCLA could beat one of those two teams, but I see that as a distant shot. More than likely, we need ASU to beat Oregon (very possible), and then Oregon State to also beat Oregon (less likely). THEN, we need to beat ASU, and also have them lose to Arizona (very unlikely).
Last year, USC was the Pac-10 champ with two losses (in fact, we lost our last game of the year to Pac-10 foe UCLA, and it didn’t even matter in this regard). So, it can happen. But my plea to mature USC fans is this - let #2 go the way it goes; focus all your energies on #1. It is all we should care about!
- I miss CJ Gable. I like him a lot more than Chauncey and McKnight. Joe is ready for some big play sparks every now and then, but he is not consistent. CJ was my favorite before, and I am excited for him to be back next year without Chauncey.
- USC's defense was mostly stellar yesterday, though Oregon's offense is very, very good.
- I do not want to violate my own principles of sportsmanship and charity and maturity, and yet at the same time I have a very real and warranted hatred for UCLA. On one hand, I would love to mock their inability to win games against HORRID football teams, but on the other hand, I am too concerned with my own Trojans to focus on their crappy program. All I will say is that they exist for the purpose of playing USC each year, and it is a shame this rivalry can not turn into something interesting and respectable. They may feel the same way about us in basketball, but history says they are wrong, as does the present state of our basketball program. They just don't care about football, and they do not seem in the least bit upset about losing to Washington State, Utah, and Notre Dame. The loss last night was mystifying, because not only did Cowan play, but the defense gave up over 500 yards. With an Oregon game and ASU game still to go, it will be interesting to see if their team has already gone from sub-consciously only carrying about USC, to now consciously only carrying about USC. =)
- Late hits, facemasks, turnovers, penalties. Completely uncharacteristic of Pete Carroll-coached teams, though definitional parts of this year's team. Our 2007 season comes down to the ability of this team and coaching staff to right those wrongs in the next four games. Period.
- Oregon was the favorite going into the game. They were ranked far higher than USC. They were the home team. So obviously USC is "no big deal any more", huh, judging by the 30,000 people storming the field after the Oregon win ... =) I will concede USC has lost their place in the world when teams who beat us quit acting like they won the World Series in doing so. In the meantime, their actions define the respectability; not my weekly musings.
- Notre Dame did not lose yesterday. They either played UCLA, or had a bye week.
- In fairness to UCLA, they have a lot of brutal injury issues as well. Not anything close to what USC has had, but it is bad, and Dorrell deserves to have that considered when their fans discuss him.
- Read the article on Charlie Weis on Salon.com if you want to see how bad it can be on the internet for college coaches. An insightful article, but a brutal one to read.
- I can not wait for Saturday. I want to see Stefan Johnson run the football. I want to see Ray and Brian and Sedrick break someone's ass. I want to see Joe take a punt to the house. I want to see USC football, Coliseum-style (the greatest place to watch a game in the country). And, I really hate Oregon State. You see, while the vast majority of Bruins I do NOT know are far, far worse than any Beavers, the bulk of Bruin friends I have are actually decent people. But in the case of Oregon State, it is not the systemic state of their generic fan base that I hate (like UCLA), it is personal contacts. This makes it worse. Let's take all our frustrations in the world out on their remarkably irrelevant mouths.
- Not much to say around the country. I am happy Virginia is doing so well, since USC opens their schedule AT Virginia next year, and I do not want to play an SEC team's non-conference schedule. Virginia will end the year top 12. Ohio State may be #1. Notre Dame is Notre Dame. Not a bad non-conference schedule for 2008, eh?
- My prediction - LSU will beat Ohio State in the final game handily. Anything can happen. Boston College or Arizona State could be there. Pray for miserable controversy.