USC Football: Is It Possible That UCLA Could Be the Trojans' Trap Game for 2012?

"Trap game."

According to Doc's Sports Service, a trap game "is one where a team is looking past their current opponent towards the one they will be playing the next week."

For the 2012 edition of the men of Troy, once quarterback Matt Barkley committed to return to his beloved Trojans for the upcoming year, they were anointed as perhaps the best team in the nation.

And for good reason too.

Young but experienced, USC finished the 2011 campaign with a 10-2 record and on as hot a roll as anyone by the time its season ended.

This year the Trojans are expected to waltz through their schedule until the mighty Oregon Ducks visit the Los Angeles Coliseum on November 3.

But is there a game that could trip the Trojans up on their way to an inevitable BCS bowl game bid?

And could it be against their crosstown rivals, those underachieving Bruins?

In a word...yes.

Now before you chuckle and doubt my sanity, let's look at some simple facts.

Yes, the Trojans destroyed the powder blue and gold boys in 2011.

But that was the Rick Nueheisel Bruins, and those days of "slick Rick" are long gone.

New UCLA coach Jim Mora has instilled a notion that the Bruins are back now, at least that's what his players think.

Confidence can be a dangerous thing, especially for a team with revenge on its mind.

When the Trojans closed out last year with their 50-0 pasting of the Bruins, two things happened.

First, the aforementioned Nueheisel was shown the door.

And UCLA stewed in the embarrassment of its demolition.

Now a year later, you can bet that Mora will have circled the Trojan game on his calendar.

By the way, that game will be at the Rose Bowl, a venue that the Trojans have won at almost as much as the Bruins but is UCLA's home nonetheless.

And to meet the definition of a "trap game," look who is next on the Trojans' schedule after the Bruins.

It is none other than Notre Dame, and Brian Kelly's boys would love nothing more than to return the favor of beating the Trojans on the road as USC did to the Irish last year.

The Irish are expected to be good in 2012 and after all, they are Notre Dame.

Make no mistake about it, USC will be thinking about the Irish long before they take the field for their November 24 tilt.

One more thing before you pass me off as a nut for thinking that UCLA stands a shot of beating the Trojans.

It's happened before and not so long ago.

Let me take you back to 2006, a year where the Trojans entered their rivalry game with UCLA at the Rose Bowl sporting a 10-1 record and an inevitable national championship matchup.

The result?

Trojans fans already know. 13-9. UCLA.

So realistically, do the Trojans have much to fear from their 2012 match with the Bruins?

Not likely.

Not with Lane Kiffin, Matt Barkley and some veteran leadership to keep USC focused.

But its not impossible and if any game on the 2012 Trojan schedule could be considered a trap game, this is it.

So don't be too smug come November 17 Trojan fans.

After all, déjà vu can be a bitch...