USC Football: Blowing Out Virginia Does Not Equal Invincible

Jux Berg by Senior Analyst Written on September 10, 2008
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When the preseason polls came out, USC was not number one.  Then, they went down to Charlottesville and put a hurtin’ on Virginia, 52-7.  Result: Resoundingly No. 1 in both polls. Mark Sanchez and the Trojans looked so dominant that everyone immediately assumed this is by far the best team in the nation. 

But what did Pete Carroll’s squad really do?

The perception is that USC annihilated a respectable BCS-conference foe on the road, while everyone else was beating FCS teams by a similar margin. 

First of all, anyone who knows anything about college football knows that Virginia is one of the worst, weakest teams in the land right now.  The Cavaliers snuck into a New Year’s Day bowl game last season by the skin of their ACC garbage-laden teeth on the “strength” of about five heaven-sent one-point victories.

Last year’s team featured Howie Long’s son Chris, a masterful DE who ended up a Top 5 NFL draft pick.  This year’s team features, well, nobody that would even get drafted by a Chinese League football team.

Most experts who actually research and watch football agree that Virginia is one of the worst—if not THE worst—team in the ACC.  The ACC.  The worst in the ACC.  And, as we know, that conference is softer than Roseanne Barr’s flabby, taco-stuffed stomach. 

Virginia went out and showed the world what they’re made of the following week, as they jumped up off the mat and crushed FCS foe Richmond, 16-0.  Sixteen whole points baby.   Now there’s a respectable BCS-conference team right there!

So before you crown USC the Greatest Team on Earth, let’s see what they do against a team who can actually get a defensive lineman into the backfield in less than eight minutes.  

 

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written on September 10, 2008 Opinion

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