Matt Barkley for Heisman?
Counterpoint: Barkley has been impressive leading USC to a 10-2 overall mark, but he doesn’t measure up to other top candidates.
Matt Barkley for Heisman?
Point: Showing poise in spite of a bowl ban, junior quarterback Matt Barkley should become USC’s seventh Heisman Trophy winner.
Young talent can combat sanctions
It’s easy to get caught thinking that last Saturday’s 50-0 trouncing of UCLA marked the end of USC’s probationary period. With the win, the team ended a two-year period of bowl ineligibility — a sizable weight off the Trojans’ shoulders. USC can now play for a national championship and be ranked in the BCS, something […]
Blame, aggravation exacerbate unbefitting end to season
USC is 10-2. It holds the best record in the Pac-12 South. In the month of November, it finished 4-0, beating three bowl-eligible teams, as of now, by a combined margin of 170-69. It’s only natural to ask: How good are these Trojans? Could they beat No. 1 LSU? Or No. 2 Alabama? If given […]
Interior play has lifted young Trojans this year
In the impossible task of giving credit where it is due after a hard-fought football game, offensive and defensive lines have begun to attract a bit more attention than they have historically. As the sport continues to change, the need for solid linemen has become glaringly apparent — no matter what type of formation a […]
Trojans make a splash in Eugene
The most meaningless phrase you heard over the last week was that USC’s matchup at Oregon was its bowl game. It’s not because it’s a faulty premise — far from it. It’s because it’s been uttered before. When USC traveled to South Bend, Ind., to face Notre Dame in mid-October, that was its bowl game. […]
The time is now for Trojans to shine
More than an hour after USC’s triple-overtime defeat against Stanford on Oct. 29, senior defensive tackle Christian Tupou lingered around an empty Trojans’ locker room. As he put on his street clothes and finally headed out into the Los Angeles night, USC’s venerable defensive leader did something few are prone to do following a heartbreaking […]
Trojans could get last laugh in Oregon
Elite college football programs show unwavering class and respect in defeat and victory. For Oregon, most of its players are doing their part. In fact, all but one of Oregon’s players appear to carry themselves with an elegance appropriate for a team that has a shot to play in consecutive BCS national championship games. But […]
USC and Oregon a clash of cultures
When USC and Oregon meet on the football field Saturday night in Eugene, Ore., there will be more on the line than the Ducks’ recently reinvigorated BCS title hopes. The future of the Pac-12 conference is at stake. The Trojans and Ducks have combined to win the last nine conference titles and Oregon is in […]
Gap between Barkley, Luck not too steep
Washington coach Steve Sarkisian started a little bit of gamesmanship and a whole lot of confusion last week when he said he’d take USC junior quarterback Matt Barkley over Stanford quarterback and Heisman-favorite Andrew Luck if he were picking in the NFL draft. After this weekend, it seems Sarkisian might be on to something after […]