USC Football: Trojans Control Destiny for Pac-12 South Title (Sort Of)

Going into the 2011 college football season, USC's aspirations were modest, at best.

Saddled with NCAA sanctions—which precluded any hopes for postseason play—all the Trojans could do was play for pride.

But there was something else to play for, something that would yield nothing in the way of a bowl game, yet would offer substantial satisfaction.

The Trojans could play for spite.

Spite for a sanctimonious college governing board (the NCAA) that punished young men who had absolutely nothing to do with the so-called "transgression" preventing the Trojans from playing at the end of the season.

Spite for the Pac-12, whose lack of support for the most glamorous program in the conference meant that they sat idly by and watched the Trojans suffer a punishment both unfair in some eyes and excessive in others.

So the Trojans came into this year's campaign with an abundance of team goals, the ones that all teams embrace. You know—playing for pride, playing to just get better, playing for "each other."

All of those well-worn cliches that are important to the team, but offer little in the way of tangible satisfaction.

However, there was still one more thing the Trojans could play for—something that was so delicious in scope that, by realizing it, USC could give the NCAA and the Pac-12 the figurative "finger" at the end of the season.

They could earn the title of South Division Champion for the inaugural Pac-12 Football Championship Game.

By doing that, USC could render the first ever conference championship game essentially meaningless.

After all, what significance does a championship game have when the winner of one of the divisions is not allowed to participate?

Wait, don't answer—I'll do it for you.

None. Nothing in the way of significance. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

So there it was. Something (besides pride) to play for.

But when the Trojans lost their ugliest game of the season to Arizona State at Tempe, it seemed that the opportunity had been lost. And although the Trojans did what all young teams hope to do—get better as the season progressed—the hope for some measure of the aforementioned "spite" also seemed lost.

Consider it now "found."

With two games left on the schedule, USC finds itself at the top of the heap in the south division of the Pac-12. If the Trojans can win out, they will shatter the integrity of the Pac-12 championship game.

Of course, it won't be easy.

In fact, it will take a monumental upset for the Trojans to win this Saturday against the Ducks at Autzen stadium.

But at least it is possible, which is more than the Trojan faithful could hope for after that ugly loss to the Sun Devils earlier in the season.

And if USC can pull that off, there is still the matter of taking care of business against their cross-town rival, UCLA.

From a Trojan fan's perspective, given the reality of their team's situation, nothing would be sweeter than to upset the Pac-12 apple cart.

It won't equal the satisfaction of a BCS bowl game, but if the Trojans win out, it will mean that they will likely finish the season ranked in the Top 10 of the AP poll.

That will give them a ton of momentum heading into the 2012 campaign.

It all must start with an unlikely win this Saturday in that chamber of horrors that the Ducks call home. If they can do that, the Trojans are well on their way to winning the Pac-12 south.

Sort of.