Are the USC Trojans Overrated?

A new full-time starter at quarterback (66-of-110 passing for 642 yards, 7 TDs, and 4 INTs last year). 

Zero reliable playmakers at WR (last year’s best receiver, a tight end, is gone to the NFL). 

Only 11 returning starters (one returning starter on the offensive line). 

Ten players drafted to the NFL (seven in the first two rounds).

And you're telling me that's a national title contender? Seriously?

It seems as if we throw all of our rules for evaluating teams out of the window when it comes to USC. 

Now, in all fairness, USC has been one of the most dominant college football programs (based on winning percentage and bowl game wins) over the last six years.  But let’s take a closer look at USC’s ‘dominance’.

I would argue that since Norm Chow left USC in 2004, USC has become more of a regional power than a national power.  Sure, they’ve won the PAC-10 six years in a row, but is that really saying very much? 

The very definition of a strong league is the ability of multiple teams to win the title.  USC's dominance highlights the PAC-10's weakness.  Let’s face it; USC has been to the PAC‑10 what Ohio State has been to the Big Ten. 

Now let's look at those bowl game victories.  USC has won six of their last seven BCS games (impressive), but five of those games were Rose Bowls (in their backyard).  USC winning the Rose Bowl is no more impressive than LSU winning the Sugar Bowl. 

It’s great, but that’s not exactly a ‘neutral field’.  In addition, USC's Rose Bowl victories have come against the second-best team in the Big Ten two times because Ohio State went to the title game (2006, 2007).  If the PAC‑10 champ beats the second best team in the weakening Big Ten, in a virtual home game, should we be that surprised?

Now this is not USC’s fault, it’s the Rose Bowl’s fault, but USC beating Illinois isn’t as impressive as West Virginia beating Oklahoma (a conference champ), or Kansas defeating Virginia Tech (a conference champ).

Furthermore, two years in a row USC has found a way to play itself out of the title game by losing to a team they had no business losing to.

In 2006, they lost to Oregon State, seemingly ending their title hopes.  Then they got a second chance at the title game when other teams lost, and they blew it against UCLA. 

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