A Response to USC Homerism: Why the Gators Would Beat the Trojans

Congratulations to the Florida Gators!  The 2009 BCS National Champions.  The Gators emerged victorious in the title game after playing with an inspired defensive effort and enough offensive firepower to overcome what was initially a strong effort from the Oklahoma defense.

However, USC fans are now lighting up the blogosphere, B/R included, with shouts and jeers over the validity of this title game.  The Trojans, they say, were the only deserving team to be in the title game.  

In fact (and I have seen this one written, more or less, on B/R), why even have a title game?  The Trojans should simply be given the NC every year, and not waste time with this silly little concept of seeding teams based on rank, merit and demonstrated success.

I will start off by saying that I am a Gator fan, and this sort of chatter bothers me.  There are several things that I believe are evident about USC.

I believe USC is a great program, who consistently underperforms for the talent that they have.  

I believe that Carroll is one of the best big game coaches in the game, who whines just like every other coach when the media/BCS/NCAA/anyone else slights his team in any perceived manner. 

I believe that on paper, the USC Trojans have the best defense in the land, but for the life of me can't see where in this 2008 season they were actually challenged by any real offensive talent.

Here are several reasons why, if the amazing were to happen and Florida and USC took the pitch together in the 2008-09 season, the Gators would beat the Trojans. 

1) Tim Tebow > Mark Sanchez - The scrambling ability, the leadership, and the fact that he has DEMOLISHED incredibly good defenses all year demonstrates quickly that Tim Tebow is a better QB than Sanchez. 

Sanchez is a good pro-style QB, but he sits behind a great O-line playing against inferior defensive talent with one of the most skilled receiving corps in all of college football.  Few people with much savy about college football would take Sanchez over Tebow as their QB, unless they are COMPLETE USC homers.

2) Florida RB Corps > USC RB Corps - Percy Harvin, Emmanuel Moody (USC transfer, no less), Chris Rainey, Jeffrey Demps, and Co.  are quicker and more agile than Gable, Bradford, McKnight, Johnson and Co. The Gator RBs played better defensive competition all season than the Trojans, and put up similar numbers to the vaunted USC RBs. 

In fact, Harvin's numbers when computed against an average per touch far exceed any of those put up by any USC player.  Shame he couldn't stay healthy, because Harvin at 100% is hard to imagine.

3) Gators Played More Big Games - Looking at the schedule at the end of the year, and it is clear that USC, once again, had a schedule full of cupcakes.  Ohio State and Penn State, the cream of the Big 10, were once again shown to be slow and uncoordinated against a faster and stronger team. 

The rest of the Pac 10, although seemingly invincible in the bowl games, was middling at best when compared to the Trojans, and couldn't field a decent defense all season.  The Gators, meanwhile, played big time games against Georgia, LSU, Alabama, and Florida State.  Teams that could field a legitimate defense all season. 

And the Gators demolished them.  The lone loss, who at the time looked like a major upset, now looks like a loss to a disrespected Ole Miss team who lit up Texas Tech for 49 points at the end of the season.

4) Urban Meyer > Pete Carroll - Carroll has been sitting in Southern Cal now for 8 years, collecting the best talent around the country and amassing them in Los Angeles.  His record since his start is an impressive 88-15, with one BCS national championship (and one AP consensus No. 1), three Heismans, a 34-game win streak, and number one recruiting classes for more years than I can remember. 

Meyer has occupied his seat in Gainesville since 2004, amassing a 45-9 record, with two BCS national championships in a three year span, one Heisman, and several number one recruiting classes.  While appearing to have similar accomplishments, Meyer has shown a faster ascent to college football greatness, along with a better record in big games with the Gators.  They are both great coaches, but Meyer has the edge.

5) SEC > Pac 10 - I hear a TON about SEC homerism.  But bottom line, looking at the SEC over the last few years, and it is hard to argue with the conferences dominance.  Over the last 4 years, the SEC has controlled the BCS national championship picture.  Unlike the Pac 10, there are 3-5 legitimately good programs occupying the conference, with several dark horses every year. 

The Pac 10 has USC, and a bunch of other teams.  It is no wonder at all that the Rose Bowl is a consolation prize for USC; they have no difficulty getting there every year because their conference schedule is like a warm up to bowl season.  The Pac 10 homerism needs to end; if USC is your flagship, then you need to tend to the rest of the armada and field AT LEAST one other legitimate program.