USC Football: Breaking Down the Trojans' Past History as Preseason No. 1

Whether you agree with the polls or not, the USC Trojans will open the 2012 season as the best team in college football, according to the most recent AP Poll. 

With all of the history this program has had on the football side of things, it shouldn't come as a surprise that this is not the first time USC has been ranked No. 1 to begin a season. In fact, it will mark the seventh time this has happened in the history of the poll.

But how did those past teams fair when they had huge expectations to begin the year?

Well, let's find out, and maybe history will give us a good idea of how this 2012 USC team will perform.

1963

Head Coach: John McKay

Overall record: 7-3 

Coming off of an undefeated season and national championship victory in 1962, the Trojans began the 1963 season as No. 1 in the country. It was the first time in school history and only the fourth season under McKay.

Unfortunately for the Trojans, things didn't quite go as planned, as they lost to No. 3 Oklahoma in the second week of the season. They also went on to lose two road games against Notre Dame and Washington.

USC did win five of the last six games of the year, including a victory over No. 4 ranked Ohio State, but it simply was not good enough. The Texas Longhorns went on to the win the national championship with an undefeated season and victory over No. 2 Navy in the Cotton Bowl.

1973

Head Coach: John McKay

Overall record: 9-2-1

Much like the 1962 season, McKay led the Trojans to another undefeated record and the school's seventh national title. So in 1973, USC once again opened up as the best team in the country.

The Trojans finished the regular season with a 9-1-1 record, with a tie coming against No. 8-ranked Oklahoma and the only loss coming at the hands of No. 8 Notre Dame. The Trojans reached the Rose Bowl against Ohio State, and thanks to running back Sam "Bam" Cunningham and his four touchdowns, they won the game 42-17.

This was a solid season for USC, but Notre Dame and Alabama will be the ones that continue to fight over the national championship rights.

1979

Head Coach: John Robinson

Overall record: 11-0-1

A few seasons after McKay decided to leave USC for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team, John Robinson took over the program. He led the Trojans to a championship victory in 1978, so of course USC began the 1979 season as the best team in the land.

The 1979 team was loaded with star players such as Charles White, Marcus Allen and Ronnie Lott. USC did not lose a game and some of the victories were against ranked teams such as LSU, Notre Dame and Washington. However, USC began to drop in the rankings once it ended up in a tie against an unranked Stanford team.

The national championship game was played between Penn State and Alabama. USC settled for the Rose Bowl against Ohio State, which they won in a 17-16 close affair.

2004

Head Coach: Pete Carroll

Overall record: 13-0

USC had one of the best college football teams of all time in 2004. Led by quarterback Matt Leinart and running back Reggie Bush, the offense averaged over 38 points per game and the defense allowed less than two touchdowns on average.

The Trojans never fell out of the No. 1 spot all year and ended up destroying No. 2 ranked Oklahoma in the BCS Orange Bowl by a score of 55-19.

The school had won its 11th national championship, which would later be vacated by the NCAA after improper benefits were found given to Bush. Still, we know who the best team in the country that season was, regardless if USC has the hardware to prove it or not.

2005

Head Coach: Pete Carroll

Overall record: 12-1 

USC returned in 2005 with nearly the same roster as the 2004 team, which once again led them to the national championship. A combination of Matt Leinart and two 1,000-yard rushers in Reggie Bush and Lendale White was simply too much for opposing defenses to stop.

The Trojans reached the big game with victories over five ranked opponents and an undefeated record. But a Texas Longhorn team that was also undefeated and led by quarterback Vince Young pulled out the victory in the final seconds, earning Texas' fourth national title. 

2007

Head Coach: Pete Carroll

Overall record: 11-2

USC had another dominant team in 2007, led by quarterback John David Booty, running back Chauncey Washington and a defense that was ranked second in the country in points allowed. But two middle-of-the-season losses to Stanford and Oregon was too much for this team to overcome.

The Trojans still managed to have the best record in the Pac-12 and won the BCS Rose Bowl over a No. 16-ranked Illinois team, but this year had to be considered a disappointment for Pete Carroll. The national championship was played between LSU and Ohio State, with the Tigers winning by a score of 38-24.

Overall

Overall record when ranked No. 1 in preseason: 63-8-2

Bowl record: 3-2

National Championships: One (which was later vacated)

Overall, the Trojans have had success as a No. 1 team in the country, but the success rate is certainly not as high as many would have expected. But then again, USC was only a minute away from having two national championships in this conversation, which would have made things look a little more appealing. The overall record is terrific, but when you open up as the best team in the country, you want to win championships, not brag about your record against sub-par competition.

So what does this tell us about the 2012 Trojans team?

I'm not sure it tells us a whole lot. This year's team has probably the best offense college football has seen in a very long time, but a lot of the previous teams were much deeper on both sides of the ball. With the Pac-12 schedule that lies ahead for USC, anything short of a national championship would be considered a disappointment. But if you are one that puts a lot of stock into history, you are probably hoping that the Trojans did not start the season off No. 1 in the AP Poll.