Tough schedule to benefit Trojans


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In typical Trojan fashion, the USC men’s basketball team begins its season Friday against CSU Northridge with little to no fanfare. You can thank the Trojans’ No. 18 football team for most of the distraction, as its 7-2 record and recent play have captured the attention of many more people than those residing between Adams […]

Barkley’s future tough not to ponder


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Let’s admit the obvious: Junior quarterback Matt Barkley is in an awkward position. “One more year, one more year,” several hundred USC fans echoed in the moments following the Trojans’ 25-point rout of Colorado on Friday night. Barkley exited the field with a wide grin, with “Conquest” blaring, and a fan base pleading with him […]

Uncertainty hovers over USC basketball


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In between drills during Thursday’s morning practice at the Galen Center, senior guard Jio Fontan picked up a loose ball and slowly made his way down the length of the floor. On his way to the basket, Fontan slowly mimicked movements that seemed all too real just a few months ago. But just as USC’s […]

Questionable calls undermine Pac-12


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It’s getting harder and harder to believe USC isn’t getting the raw end of the deal. I’ll admit that through all of the proceedings and transgressions in the last year-and-a-half I’ve been quick to justify the NCAA and other groups’ treatment of the Trojans’ football program, trying to maintain a stance that the treatment is […]

Colorado, Utah have been odd additions


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On July 1, the day the Pac-10 officially became the Pac-12, the change seemed like a great idea. Commissioner Larry Scott welcomed new members Colorado and Utah, saying the two schools “instantly enhance the strength of our conference both academically and athletically.” The additions helped Scott secure a 12-year, $3-billion television deal with ESPN and […]

Kiffin and Shaw show growth in matchup


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The storyline commanding national headlines last weekend was clear enough — Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and USC junior quarterback Matt Barkley were set to face off as two of college football’s best quarterback prospects. Of course, it played out about as well as anyone could have hoped, with the two gunslingers leading their respective teams […]

Character evident in spite of tough loss


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USC’s thrilling, triple-overtime showdown against Stanford ended with applause — not after a last-second game-winning field goal or a goal line stand from an oft-maligned defense. It came after a fumble from Curtis McNeal, the junior tailback who rushed for a career-high 146 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries Saturday. Hordes of cardinal and […]

GameDay provides false sense of hope


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Early Saturday morning, hordes of dedicated USC fans and handfuls of Stanford’s faithful will trudge down Trousdale Parkway, across Exposition Boulevard and around the Rose Garden to wait patiently outside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum’s peristyle — maybe even in the rain — before ESPN personnel shepherd them into a gated area behind the set […]

Hype proves all too burdensome for Baxter


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Blame it on Reggie Bush. After all, you’d figure he’d be used to it by now, given the heat he’s taken for being the primary cause of USC’s NCAA sanctions. If it weren’t for Bush and his crowd-wowing play for the Trojans from 2003 to 2005, USC coach Lane Kiffin’s announcement Tuesday that sophomore running […]

Running game has been catalyst for USC


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After a quick three-and-out by Notre Dame to start the game on Saturday, USC took over possession and proceeded to do exactly the opposite of what everyone expected — it ran the ball. If USC coach Lane Kiffin would have proposed this game plan to the USC faithful before the Trojans’ first snap, I would […]