USC-Oregon: Underestimating The Power of Rejection

Rejection, leverage, vendetta, or chip on your shoulder. No matter what you want to call it, in regards to college football recruiting, schools like the University of Southern California a noted "football dynasty," must make tough calls and decisions. When recruiters make their final selections from California high schools and junior colleges, the residual sentiment that results from those players that do not make the cut can lead to feelings of rejection, personal resolve to overcome this setback, and create a phenomenal force that can eventually come back and bite these dynasties in the rear.

These forces of motivation that spring from momentary defeat are powerful. A case in point, the University of Southern Calfornia vs. Oregon. For years, it has been known that many Southern California high school players that do not sign with USC or UCLA will end up in a state either north or south of California such as Oregon, Washington, or Arizona. Oregon's Ducks are a strong well coached team with a distinct personality of their own. Even with the arguably ugliest uniforms in US college football, they win. Against USC, they demonstrated a "take no prisoners" approach to fighting a bigger, extremely popular, and higher ranked opponent, crushing them. Dynamic coaching and strategic play are both forces that played major roles in this win, but something else was palpable that motivated and drove these much smaller, supposedly less talented players to slay the giants.

The Duck's line up, both offense and defense, tout California high school and junior college all-star players. Jeremiah Taeatafa Masoli (QB) and 58 other players of the 99 man Oregon Duck roster are from the state of California. The amazing thing is that this is only one of nine other neighboring states' universities that recruits many young Californa players. What this means is that USC has many Pac 10 opponents out there that are motivated, have leverage, want revenge, or simply walk with a chip on their shoulder (code for eager to beat USC).

Though this phenomenon is qualitative in origin, by itself may or may not create a win or loss of a championship for USC, as the Trojan's past Pac 10 record demonstrates, however it does answer the question of why one of these Oregon or Washington teams poses a tremendous threat in regard to USC winning a National Championship. Other supposedly less talented Pac 10 teams, such as Oregon, Oregon State, Cal, Stanford, and Washington have proven this a fact.

Inquiry into the unseen or quality of play, wins, and results is not easy or tangible and can be left out of even the best coached teams game plan. Pete Carroll has always stayed focused on his own game and has motivated his players to fight their fight and let the less equipped or talented team lose. Personally, I believe Steve Sarkesian rallied his players to believe they could beat USC, they set their minds to it, and they did it. The new coach at Oregon, Chip Kelly, has brought a vibrant quality of football to the Pac 10, it will only get more challenging for USC to sustain itself as a dynasty.

So one might ask, is this type of motivation invincible? Can this phenomenon affect players that know each other from California? How can USC prepare for this "rally--take no prisoners effect?" Mental preparation at USC (in my personal experience) has always been--you are one of the few, the chosen, and you will rise to the legacy of this school and win. The Spirit of Troy is powerful and remains a dominant force in college football. This is the flip side of the coin when players can be caught in this complex set of beliefs to the extent that they don't have the "gut level" drive to overpower a team that wants it more than they. All the talent and expertise in the world will not break that team's resolve without having one of their own.

All great teams must modify their game plan with intelligent strategies that apply to the team they are playing. A one-size fits all mentality I believe will always result in a season where one or two less-talented but more spirited teams will beat them. USC, a well-oiled football machine can integrate a deep mental and spiritual preparation that takes these phenomena into account. I am not recommending USC throw the winning baby out with the bathwater, I am suggesting that coaches and players flex their game-strategy minds to incorporate a subset of plays and mental frameworks that combat those teams that can use rejection, leverage, vendetta, or a chip on their shoulder to take down a dynasty.