Pac-12 goodbye: A look back on USC’s legacy
The Trojans have had many memorable moments in the Pac-12’s history.
By WILEY HAGA
As USC approaches Saturday’s match against UCLA, its Pac-12 farewell tour concludes with the match. With the conference realignment set to start next season, the Pac-12 will no longer be home to programs that have called it one for decades. Filled with historic games, larger-than-life personalities and unforgettable moments, the Pac-12’s impact on the college football landscape was unquestionable.
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Trojan turn of the century
What is there to say about the 2000s USC that hasn’t already been said?
Led by former Head Coach Pete Carroll, 2001-2009 marked a golden era for the program. Superstars like Heisman winners Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and Carson Palmer, among countless others, have become almost synonymous with those cardinal and gold colors, with their on-field legacies etched in the Trojans’ history books.
Winning two national titles and seven Pac-12 championships, USC’s place at the top left a lasting impression on the college football world, earning a spot in its greatest dynasties.
2011 vs. Stanford
If you were to pick just one game to surmise the rivalry between USC and Stanford, this would arguably be it.
In the over 100 years of history, the two have engaged in plenty of memorable games that fans of all generations can remember. However, 2011’s matchup delivered one of its most exciting showings in the longstanding rivalry.
Led by former NFL quarterback Andrew Luck, the No. 6 Cardinal met Matt Barkley’s Trojans under the Coliseum’s lights in a triple overtime thriller. The offenses went back and forth all night before Stanford’s defense kept USC out of the endzone on the final possession, ending the game 56-48, keeping Stanford’s undefeated streak alive.
The historic rivalry closed its last chapter earlier this season, with USC heading to the Big Ten and Stanford joining the ACC. While it’s uncertain when the two will meet again, 2011 will go down as one of the greatest Pac-12 rivalry games.
2017 Rose Bowl vs. Penn State
After clinching the Pac-12 with an 11-3 record, the 2017 Rose Bowl saw the No. 9 Trojans take down No. 5 Penn State in an offensive shootout with an unforgettable ending.
While defense took a backseat in the game, USC’s Sam Darnold, Juju Smith-Schuster and Ronald Jones showed out in a 52-49 win for the Trojans. USC clawed out from a 14-point deficit spearheaded by Penn State’s Trace McSorley, Saquon Barkley and Chris Godwin. The match ultimately came down to the wire, with USC’s Matt Boermeester nailing a 46-yard field goal as time expired, handing the Trojans the win.
If Trojan fans need any more reason to be excited about the move to the Big Ten, then sharing a conference with Penn State will almost certainly bring more stellar games like this one.
Jake Olson’s snap
While USC’s victory over Penn State capped off the 2017 season with a bang, one play from earlier in the year had an even more significant impact on the program.
Jake Olson’s snap.
Olson’s journey from losing his eyesight at age 12 from cancer to playing four years of Division I football was an inspiration to all. His dedication in the face of adversity embodied everything it meant to be a Trojan, and in a moment of triumph, his perfect snap against Western Michigan University memorialized his name in USC football’s history.
The Game of the Century
Fortunately, UCLA will accompany USC’s move to the Big Ten, so fans of both programs won’t have to worry about realignment taking away one of college football’s greatest rivalries.
Of all the crosstown showdowns the two have had for almost 100 years, the then-dubbed “Game of the Century” encapsulates everything the rivalry has meant to fans.
The game saw two Heisman winners go toe-to-toe, with UCLA boasting the 1967 winner Gary Beban and USC sporting 1968’s winner running back O.J. Simpson. In a low-scoring affair, Simpson led the Trojans in a must-win game over the Bruins, going for 177 yards and two touchdowns. Simpson’s famous 64-yard run gave USC a 21-20 victory that punched its ticket to the Rose Bowl and National Championship.
While 2024’s realignment will bring immense unfamiliarity for fans, USC and UCLA’s rivalry will remain the program’s one certainty as the two leave the Pac-12.
USC’s move to the Big Ten is a bittersweet reminder of the Pac-12’s collapse. However, memorable moments from USC’s long history serve as a reminder of its immense impact on the conference that will last beyond the Pac-12’s end.
