Tag Archive for: tackling dummy

Discretion is real loser in rivalry


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This one was ugly to the end. Maybe it’s for the best that this showing was relegated to cable in a timeslot that would keep anyone on the East Coast from watching. Those who did tune in probably flipped the channel before the conclusion. Experiencing Saturday’s USC-UCLA game was as much of a struggle as […]

Rivalry means even more this year


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There are three things I’ve come to expect from Thanksgiving: mediocre football, passing out early and inane traditions. Holiday traditions are still fun, but many are of spotty origins. We do them because we’re instructed to do so, and the rituals derive their meaning strictly from history. It’s fitting, then, that the annual battle for […]

Trojans are sorting out an identity crisis


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The horde of recruits had to be confused. Maybe everyone had mistakenly entered the wrong locker room. No, this had to be it. There were USC logos and colors plastered everywhere, but this was a far cry from the fun-loving, raucous atmosphere that they had heard so much about. This subdued scene wasn’t what the […]

Lessons loom from infamous upset


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Ah, homecoming — a time for students, fans and alumni to join together and party themselves into oblivion. And I guess there’s a football game too. A 12:30 p.m. kickoff may be somewhat of a buzzkill for most USC fans, but the Trojans are probably just happy to be returning home. The last four games […]

A break-up letter from the Pac-10 to USC


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It’s not you, it’s me. All right, that’s not true — it is you. But breaking up is hard to do, and I’m new at this. We’ve been inseparable for what seems like forever. Whenever somebody mentioned “Pac-10,” they couldn’t help but bring up “USC.” As a perennial champion, you gave meaning to me as […]

Williams not getting due credit


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With the midpoint of the season in the rearview mirror, college football award speculation is in full swing. Let the complaining begin. Monday’s announcement of the semifinalists for the Davey O’Brien Award for quarterbacks drew a few surprised looks when USC’s Matt Barkley made the cut. For all of his accomplishments, Barkley has the fewest […]

The BCS gives USC an uphill climb


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With the release of the first Bowl Championship Series standings, every contender in college football is plotting the complex path it would take to get to the championship game. And the world keeps spinning. The October release is like clockwork; a whole bunch of numbers that mean nothing to the average college football fan is […]

The rejuvenated Irish embody coach’s style


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The rivalry is finally back where it belongs. With both USC and Notre Dame entering Saturday’s game ranked in the top 25, there’s a return to normalcy surrounding the annual intersectional clash. But the renewed sense of relevancy goes beyond the little numbers next to each team’s name. The Trojans head to South Bend, Ind., […]

Trojans again playing as if there’s no doubt


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USC’s dancing and chest-thumping on the sideline may be nothing new for the fans or players, yet each hop and step seemed more emphatic than the moves the Trojans made in their sluggish first four games of the year.