Trojans can afford to look ahead
One game at a time. That’s the popular expression that college football coaches like to use in the face of a trap game. Whether it’s a few weeks before a key matchup or a letdown right after a big win, most teams will face one or two potential upset losses each year.
This week’s trip to Boston College fits the definition of a trap game to a tee. When the Trojans take the field against the Eagles, Steve Sarkisian’s team will be seven days removed from a physically and emotionally draining win, thousands of miles from home and staring ahead at a much needed bye week. Senior linebacker Hayes Pullard, the captain of a defense that struggled for much of the Stanford game, will miss the first half. Redshirt junior running back Javorius “Buck” Allen took a 23-carry beating against the Cardinal, while redshirt junior quarterback Cody Kessler — two weeks removed from a toe operation — only attempted 22 passes.
When I really look at it, Saturday’s game feels almost too much like a trap. So much like a trap, in fact, that I know the Trojans are going to win. And it’s not going to be close.
The Eagles were gashed for 305 rushing yards in a home loss to Pittsburgh last week, and didn’t score a touchdown against winless Massachusetts until the third quarter of their opener. The Lane Kiffin-coached Trojans beat down Boston College 35-7 at the Coliseum a season ago — and that was with the now-departed Heisman candidate Andre Williams still on the squad. To add injury to insult, Boston College will face USC without Sean Duggan, the team’s own senior linebacker and captain who is out with a bone bruise.
So what now? I could go on and on about how sure I am that we’ll win — digging myself an even deeper hole if we do end up losing — but I’d rather not waste a whole column on it. Luckily, I don’t have to follow the “one game at a time” philosophy.
Looking past the Boston College matchup, USC is entering a scary part of its schedule. Provided that the Trojans keep winning, the team will be favored in every game it plays for the rest of the regular season. Save for an extremely dominant run from No. 11 Notre Dame, No. 12 UCLA or No. 16 Arizona State, the No. 9 Trojans will be ranked ahead of every team they play for the rest of their schedule as well. This, I cannot stress enough, is not a good thing.
The Pac-12 is, top-to-bottom, the toughest conference in the nation this season. Even if it wasn’t, history tells us that no one gets through this conference unscathed. Ask Oregon fans what it’s like to have your national championship dreams crushed by Stanford two years in a row. Ask UCLA fans what it’s like to have Arizona State come into your own building and snuff out your shot at a BCS bowl. Hell, ask Stanford fans what it’s like to have Andre F-cking Heidari stab you in the heart, twice.
Of course I’m hoping against hope that the Trojans run the table and end up at Levi’s Stadium in early December for a shot at an undefeated season. But realistically that’s not going to happen — and that’s O.K.! We can still play for a Pac-12 title with a loss, maybe even two, under our belts. Where the loss(es) may come from, however, is an interesting question. I’ve ruled out Boston College — guys, please win — but there are a number of rivalry showdowns and legitimate trap games left on USC’s schedule.
The Trojans’ next big showdown comes at home against Arizona State early next month. The Sun Devils returned an NFL prospect at quarterback, Taylor Kelly, and have unleashed a rising star in versatile running back D.J. Foster. Still, the Arizona State defense currently sits in a tie for 75th in the nation — after two games against Weber State and New Mexico, no less.
We can then skip ahead to a late November battle with UCLA at the Rose Bowl. In unbiased terms, the Bruins have not looked good thus far. Heisman candidate Brett Hundley and his offense looked rudderless in the opener at Virginia, but were saved by some defensive magic. Hundley looked great last week at home against an inferior Memphis squad, but the game devolved into a worrisome shootout. Still, I refuse to overlook UCLA; eventually the team will put these two facets of the game together and start dominating.
Just a week after what will surely be a physical battle with the Bruins, USC hosts Notre Dame in its final regular season game. With the return of quarterback Everett Golson to the program and a somewhat favorable schedule, there’s an outside chance that the Irish will be fighting for a playoff berth come Nov. 29. Even if the Trojans are the better team, postseason pressures and what seems like a mental block against Notre Dame over the past few seasons could be a factor in the game. A Max Wittek-led USC squad couldn’t get the job done against Golson and the Irish in 2012, and last year, well, Andre F-cking Heidari.
Of USC’s remaining games, home battles against Cal and Colorado along with a road trip to beleaguered Washington State should spell easy wins. Oregon State seems to have plateaued after making strides last year. That leaves two road trips, one to Arizona and another to Utah, that scare me the most of any games this season.
Arizona Stadium is not a friendly place to highly ranked teams. The Wildcats are good for at least one home upset of a top-10 team every year. Seriously, look it up, I’m not kidding. Last year it was a 42-16 drubbing of No. 5 Oregon. In 2012, if anyone cares to remember, it was a shootout win over 10th-ranked USC. In 2010 ,the Nick Foles-led Cats took down No. 9 Iowa. So yeah, this game freaks me out a bit.
Two weeks later, the Trojans travel to face a Utah team that also has a knack for upset wins. I doubt Stanford fans have a fond recollection of the No. 5 Cardinal’s trip to Salt Lake City last season. More bad news for USC? The Utes beat up Fresno State last week nearly as bad as the Trojans did in their opener.
I can’t rule USC out of any game this season, but I don’t see the team getting through both of those trap games unscathed. I can’t seem to put my finger on a definitive reason for that statement, other than that’s just how major college football works. Teams aren’t supposed to go undefeated, especially teams with a new coach and this many freshmen at key positions.
Still, nobody expected anyone to be having this conversation about the Trojans three weeks into the season. Maybe Oregon, Stanford or UCLA, but not USC. We were supposed to lose last week. Which is funny, because at least so far, this team isn’t really interested in what it’s supposed to do.
Will Hanley is a junior majoring in political science and communication. He is also the sports editor of the Daily Trojan. His column, “Sports Willustrated,” runs Thursdays.