USC Football: 7 Things Holding the Trojans Back from an BCS Bid

OK, before we embark on this flight of fantasy, let's be clear on one thing.

Though I am writing this slide show, I don't believe that there is much in it that will come to pass. I am simply playing "devil's advocate."

I offer this disclaimer for a very good reason.

You see, I don't think that there is much of anything that will prevent the Trojans from making a BCS bowl game in 2012.

In fact, I think that the notion of USC being a top-five team is pretty much a foregone conclusion, and I am not alone.

So indulge me in an exercise that I don't believe in and neither should you.

Still, it makes for a chuckle, and we can all use more of that these days...

No. 7: Team Unity

OK, stay with me here; this is going to get kind of convoluted.

For the next three years, Lane Kiffin is going to have some difficult decisions to make.

In order for the Trojans to make their 75 scholarship player roster that the NCAA has mandated as punishment for the Reggie Bush scandal, Kiffin will probably have to remove some schollies from underperforming players so that they can bring in the 15 yearly recruits that they were so "graciously" allowed to have by college football's governing body.

And although some of those decisions have been mitigated by USC only bringing in 12 players this year, there will still be a few players on the 2012 roster that will be receiving bad news from Kiffin before the start of the season.

Who and exactly how many scholarships will need to be freed up is still to be determined, but suffice to say, there will be some disappointed players strolling USC's campus.

Will it result in team disunity as players wonder who is next?

Not likely, because Kiffin and his staff won't let this happen, but it is possible so it must be considered.

No. 6: Finding a New Left Tackle

For USC to truly entertain ideas of a national championship, quarterback Matt Barkley must remain upright throughout the upcoming season.

Fortunately for the Trojans, they return 80 percent of a very young offensive line that performed way beyond expectations in 2011.

Umm, except for one thing.

The only lineman they lost just happened to be one of the very best in the nation.

And, more importantly, he happened to protect Barkley's blind side from his left tackle position.

Who replaces All-American Matt Kalil will be the most pressing question that line coach James Cregg answers prior to the start of the season.

The Trojans have several qualified candidates available, including last year's right tackle, Kevin Graf, mammoth true sophomore Aundrey Walker and a few others, so chances are, everything will be fine.

Because as Barkley goes, so goes USC.

No. 5: Oregon

The best team in the north division of the Pac-12 is the Oregon Ducks. Conversely, the finest team in the south division of the conference is the Trojans.

USC plays the Ducks at home in 2012.

So far, so good.

As a matter of fact, even the most jaded of Trojan fans would agree that if USC can't beat the Ducks at home, they don't deserve a national championship or BCS consideration.

Seems pretty simple, but it is not quite that easy.

You see, even if USC beats Oregon at home, they will still likely have to beat them again in the conference championship game.

Beating anyone twice in a season is tough. To do it against a quality team like the Ducks is a very tall order.

The Trojans can do it, but it won't be easy.

No. 4: Losing That One Game No One Thought They Would

One of the most maddening habits the Trojans had in the Pete Carroll era was losing one game every year that came out of the blue.

Year after year, the Trojans would dominate whomever was unlucky enough to oppose them on their way to what everyone perceived as an inevitable trip to the National Championship Game, only to muck it up by losing to a 41-point underdog (remember Stanford in 2007?).

That Stanford loss, while securing the title of "most ugly," was not the only year that USC fell flat on its face against an inferior opponent.

There were many others.

But to be fair, it's a new regime, and the Kiffin era should not be associated with the proclivity to lose ones they shouldn't, such as was the case with Carroll.

Still, until they prove they won't stumble, it's a notion that must be entertained, as disturbing as it is.

No. 3: Depth Issues

Given the lemons of the NCAA-mandated sanctions that require the Trojans to cap their scholarship roster at 75, Lane Kiffin has done a remarkable job of squeezing a fine glass of lemonade for his team to drink.

Though he is just now embarking on this treacherous path of limited scholarships, Kiffin has displayed the acuity that will help him negotiate the next three years.

Still, it will take some luck for the Trojans to escape the injury and transfer bugs that plague every program in its natural course.

If problems stack up at individual positions, they may find that depth could be compromised, and that can catch up to a team very quickly.

Will it derail the Trojans?

Probably not, but it must be planned for just in case.

No. 2: Overconfidence

Ever since that momentous day when quarterback Matt Barkley announced he would return to the Trojans for the 2012 season, the drum beat signalling USC as a possible national champion has been beating loudly.

And with good reason.

With an extremely talented and young team, led by the best college quarterback in the nation and a cadre of quality skill players, it would be foolish not to include them in the talk of a national title.

The players know how good this team can be. So do the coaches.

It will be everyone's job not to let that get in the way of the goal for the season.

Otherwise, the concern outlined in slide No. 4—losing one they shouldn't—may rear its ugly head.

No. 1: Replacing the Departed Coaches

It's tough to replace one quality coach, much less two of the caliber of secondary coach Willie Mack Garza and linebackers coach Joe Barry.

But with the news of receivers coach Ted Gilmore leaving for the same position with the Oakland Raiders, Lane Kiffin's job just became three times harder.

Now, in addition to preparing for spring camp, Kiffin must find a trio of quality coaches to seamlessly step in and deliver instruction to a very talented, but also very young, team.

Fortunately for the Trojans, Kiffin still has a great staff, and he has proven that he, along with the USC brand, can bring in the best in the nation.

However, until he fills these positions, this remains the biggest obstacle to a BCS bowl bid.

Conclusion

So there it is.

Seven nightmare scenarios that could preclude the possibility of the Trojans chasing a BCS bowl bid.

Unlikely? Sure.

But impossible? No.

And while it appears that USC is destined to play in a quality BCS bowl game in 2012, it is not a foregone conclusion.

They will have to earn the right to play for any number of season-ending rewards, including that elusive national championship game.

Trojan fans hope that these nor any other pitfalls result in a Trojan stumble, but if they do, don't blame me.

Remember, I'm not Nostradamus, only a "devil's advocate."