USC Football: 5 Reasons Why Trojans Win the Pac-12 (and 5 Reasons They Won't)

Okay, before I get any comments correcting the title of this slideshow, please understand, I know USC can't win the Pac-12.

This was the title that was given to me by the editors, and they are prone to fits of exasperation when those title suggestions are altered, even when it contradicts reality.

But the Trojans can (and will) win the South division in this, the inaugural season of the new Pac-12.

Now, you may ask, why does this slideshow feature five reasons the men of Troy won't win their division?

Again, I defer to the editors who are unintentionally forcing me to be completely insincere as I attempt to convince not only the reader, but indeed myself, why the Trojans won't do something I completely expect them to do.

Needless to say, my editors are heartless ogres, worthy of your contempt to be sure (just kidding, boss).

So, while the first five slides (those claiming USC dominance) will be ringing with certainty, there will be palatable faint heartiness in the last five.

Be that as it may, let's take a look at why the Trojans win the South division of the Pac-12, and while we are at it, reasons to scoff at why they won't.

Note: Although the slides are numbered, they don't necessarily reflect an order of importance.

No. 1 Reason Why the Trojans Will Win the South: Matt Barkley

Although Stanford's Andrew Luck is an odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, USC quarterback Matt Barkley isn't too far behind him, if at all, in terms of talent as a signal-caller.

And with apologies to Arizona's Nick Foles and Utah's Jordan Wynn, Barkley is by far the best quarterback in the South division.

With Barkley entering his third season as the Trojan's field general, he is expected to have his finest season yet.

Poised, athletic enough and possessing a powerful arm, Matt Barkley will be the difference on a USC offense that has the talent to become dominant.

Speaking of the talent that surrounds Barkley, let's take a look at the next slide...

No. 2 Reason Why the Trojans Will Win the South: An Abundance of Skill Players

You can be the most talented quarterback in the world, but it won't matter if you are surrounded by a bunch of stiffs.

Which is something that Matt Barkley certainly doesn't have to worry about in 2011.

With a bevy of talented wide receivers, led by freshman All-American Robert Woods, the Trojans can go four deep at all of the receiver positions without a debilitating drop-off.

And despite the tentative status of running back Marc Tyler, USC has a ton of talented running backs, all of whom are just itching for a chance to shine in the upcoming year.

The only thing that will prevent the Trojans from dominating in 2011 is an inability to operate due to offensive line problems.

But that disturbing scenario will be entertained later as I work my way up to that insincerity I alluded to earlier.

No. 3 Reason Why the Trojans Will Win the South: Improved Defense

Entering season No. 2 in the Monte Kiffin system, the Trojans will no longer be the defensive patsies they were in 2010 when they gave up over more than 400 yards per game.

Nor will the defensive secondary rank as one of the worst in the nation, more often tackling air rather than the opposing offensive player.

Instead, this defense, much more knowledgeable about what is expected from them and playing faster because of it, should be back to the effectiveness of the recent past.

The defensive line, led by athletic book-ends Nick Perry and Devon Kennard, will harass opposing backfields, forcing enemy quarterbacks to throw into the teeth of a now imposing secondary which features safety T.J. McDonald and cornerback Nickell Robey.

Though the linebacker unit remains somewhat of a mystery, they couldn't be much worse than the 2010 edition and when all is said and done, probably will be much better.

All of which has Papa Kiffin smiling a lot these days.

No. 4 Reason the Trojans Will Win the South: It's a Weak Division

With apologies to all of the followers of the Pac-12 South division, this bracket is the weak sister of the mighty North, where two of the three best teams in the conference reside.

With both Oregon and Stanford expected to start the season ranked in the top 10, USC's road to the South division crown will not require them to place above the two northern powerhouse's, although they will be playing them both in 2011.

Instead, USC will be facing only one team, Arizona State, that should provide an obstacle towards winning their division.

Arizona will have a good offense (especially if Juron Criner is back at wide receiver), but their defense is suspect.

Utah will probably be ranked in the top 25 but they are going to have to prove they can play with the big boys week in and week out.

UCLA?

Give me a break.

Colorado?

Not this year, baby.

Which leaves the Trojans and a very embarrassed NCAA who will have to explain at the end of the year why the Southern division runner-up is playing for all the marbles in the inaugural Pac-12 championship.

Actually, the NCAA is probably too dumb to realize they should be ashamed of their stupidity, but that is a story for another day.

No. 5 Reason the Trojans Will Win the South Division: Motivation

As the Trojans scan their sports pages, they will find an interesting story that should provide more fodder for their shaken sensibilities.

It seems that the NCAA, in yet another example of their sheer incompetence, has decided that Jim Tressel's well-publicized transgressions, which have taken place over the course of years, does not constitute a lack of institutional control.

Which is interesting since USC had one player violate rules, and although the Trojans themselves claimed they had no knowledge of it, college football's governing body threw the book at them.

However, anyone who has any knowledge of the NCAA should not be the least bit shocked at this favorable ruling for the Buckeyes.

Bad rulings and ineffectual administration has been a hallmark of the governing body since they have been in existence.

But while the Trojans should not be surprised they got screwed, they should be pissed.

And they will be as they enter the 2011 season.

The trick for Lane Kiffin and his staff is to use that anger as motivation for the team.

The mark of a good coach and his staff is to focus the team mentally for the task at hand.

And despite what the haters say, Lane Kiffin is a good coach and he has a great staff.

That is why motivation will go a long way toward USC winning their division.

Take that NCAA.

No. 1 Reason the Trojans Won't Win the South Division: Offensive Line

This writer is as optimistic as any Trojan fan (in my prediction, I have them going 11-1 for goodness sake!), but if the USC falters, it will likely be because the offensive line was unable to gel quickly enough to provide Matt Barkley and the offense time to do their thing.

And if that is the case, the entire team suffers with the obvious lack of scoring, defense being on the field too long, poor field position, etc.

While there are other suspect units on the Trojans (linebackers come to mind), it is the "big uglies" that are creating the most concern with their lack of experience, and in the case of converted guard Khaled Holmes, change to a new position (center).

If this unit comes together, the Trojans will be very good in 2011.

If not, it will be a primary reason why they didn't win the South.

No. 2 Reason the Trojans Won't Win South Division: Arizona State Might Be Great

It is pretty much agreed that in the South division, the Trojans primary competition will be the Arizona State Sun Devils (sorry Utah).

What do we know about head coach Dennis Erickson's team?

Well, for one, they may have the best defense in the conference and one of the best in the nation.

Led by maniac linebacker Vontaze Burfict (a one-time USC pledge), the Sun Devils have a swarming, ball-hawking defense, one without any apparent weaknesses.

And if ASU can find some offense to go with all that hard-hitting on the other side of the ball, they could present a formidable challenge to the Trojans.

Plus, they get the Trojans at home in USC's first road game in 2011.

If the Trojans stumble, they will need other teams to do their dirty work by beating ASU at least twice in conference play in order to win the south.

That is a scenario that the Trojans would rather avoid, but it all depends on what happens in Tempe on Sept. 24.

No. 3 Reason the Trojans Won't Win the South Division: Lack of Depth

Although the Trojans appear strong in most areas, there are reasons for concern if certain players go down due to injury.

As stated before, the offensive line is particularly vulnerable due to a lack of experience in the starting group.

If anyone in that group gets hurt, the inexperience becomes even more magnified with the insertion of backups.

Linebacker is also a unit that is long on talent but short on experience.

In particular, if middle linebacker Chris Galippo gets hurt, the Trojans will not only lose their most experienced linebacker but also a defensive captain who calls the plays.

Good health must accompany any Trojans hopes for a Southern crown.

Otherwise, it could be a very important component in why they were unable to win their own division.

No. 4 Reason the Trojans Won't Win South Division: An Early Loss Could Snowball

A hallmark during the Pete Carroll years was an amazing ability for a fabulously talented Trojan team to lose a game that was totally inexplicable.

A loss to Oregon State here, falling flat against an inferior UCLA team there, somehow losing to a 41-point underdog at home, Trojan fans know all to well how an unexpected loss can derail the hopes of a team claiming superiority.

If the 2011 version of the men of Troy manage to lose early, it will be against (with the exception of Utah) a team they were expected to handle easily.

If an early season loss were to unfold, things could get out of hand for USC as they begin to hear all the doubters who said they were just an also-ran this year in college football.

Though this scenario is very unlikely, don't forget, so were earlier losses in the last decade.

And those were far deeper and more talented Trojan teams than this years USC squad.

No. 5 Reason the Trojans Won't Win South Division: Focus Lost Due to Distraction

Once again, this is an unlikely possibility, but if distractions stemming from the current uncertainty regarding the status of head coach Lane Kiffin and starting running back Marc Tyler fester, it could spell trouble for the focus of this years team.

In Kiffin's case, a forthcoming ruling by the NCAA, a governing body that is certainly no friend of the Trojans, could include literally any punishment that fits their vindictive whims.

This includes, but is not restricted to, limiting contact with recruits, a possible suspension or any other of a myriad of punishments that might delight the powers that be at college football governing organization.

As anyone who has followed the NCAA over the years knows, rhyme and reason hold little value when weighed against an ability to "put it to" an institution that they feel has not bowed down to them sufficiently through the years.

And then there is the Marc Tyler thing.

Tyler, the big back USC, was counting on as a senior in 2011, has done almost everything in his power to shoot himself in the foot for the upcoming year.

With additional punishments likely to follow the initial one game suspension offered by Lane Kiffin, Tyler may miss a significant portion of the season.

That Tyler will be unavailable obviously will hurt the Trojans on the field in that he is the only 200-plus lb. tailback the Trojans have besides true freshman Buck Allen but it could be an even bigger problem if his punishments linger or are meted out in a "piecemeal" fashion.

It will be up to Lane Kiffin and his staff to make sure these extraneous distractions do not hinder the Trojans in 2011.

But if they are unsuccessful in that endeavor, it could be a reason why the Trojans don't win the South

Conclusion

As noted in the introductory slide, these slides are not numbered in terms of their order of importance regarding the relative success or lack thereof for the Trojans in 2011.

Rather, they just reflect one of five reasons that the Trojans either will or will not win the division and I will let the reader determine each slides relative placement or whether it should be included at all in the grand scheme of things.

Also noted is my angst in providing reasons why the Trojans won't win the south division.

These reasons are obviously counter intuitive to my belief that the Trojans are the class of the south and when all is said and done will reside as the best team in that division.

But for the sake of argument, other notions, even those of the most distasteful nature, must be entertained and for the sake of objectivity, even the worst case scenarios must be considered.

Having fulfilled my duty to do so, make no mistake about it, this writer is certain that the Trojans will win their division and spend the off season delighting in the mockery they have made of the Pac-12's inaugural season.

So hold the hateful comments Trojan fans.

Save those for the NCAA, which is certain to give you a better outlet for your justifiable outrage...