A Season Of "Firsts" Spells the End for the 2009 USC Trojans

With the 55-21 thumping the Stanford Cardinal put on the USC Trojans Saturday at the Coliseum, also came a number of "firsts" for the Trojans in the Pete Carroll era.

Although many of these milestones, none of which was desired by any good Trojan fan, were expected long before Saturday's debacle, the loss only served to emphasize the futility that USC has offered in this trying season.

So, without further delay, here are the "firsts" that the Trojans have managed to serve up in the 2009 season:

For the first time in seven years, the USC Trojans will neither win nor share the PAC-10 title.

This will end an NCAA record, one of two that the Trojans have acquired in their record run from 2002 to 2008.

Also for the first time in seven years, the Trojans streak of finishing in the top four in the BCS officially came to an end.

This too is an NCAA record and one which might stand for some time.

Also, for the first time in the Pete Carroll era, the Trojans lost in November.

This record also included the 2001 season when the Trojans only managed a 6-6 record but still had an unblemished November record.

Finally, the Trojans managed, not only for the first time but also the second, to lose a game by more than the 11 points which represented their worst loss in Carroll's tenure.

These "firsts" were bound to happen some time and the Trojan faithful can still take heart in the fact that other good teams have suffered the same slings and arrows of fate that the Trojans face this year.

Following the 2006 Florida Gators championship run, they went 9-4 in Tim Tebow's first year at the helm after taking over for Chris Leak.

As has been described by this author and others, this year's team was thought to have limitations going into the season.

A very young defense and a turnover of special teams players made the 2009 season  tenuous going in.

Although the offense will graduate most of the line, which has been a disappointment anyway, the Trojans look to be in pretty good shape for the 2010 season.

So as the Trojans suffer through a series of firsts in the 2009 season, Trojan faithful can look forward to better times ahead.

Perhaps the 2010 season will the first in a new set of records.

And more importantly, these records will be of the sort that the Trojans will desire.