Is This The Worst Trojans' Season Since 2002?

Three loses isn’t so bad, unless you live in L.A. and your last name is ‘Carroll’. The Trojans have collected their most losses since 2002, with a record of 8-3, when they went 6-6 in Pete Carroll’s first season at the helm. Since then? Unrivaled success, not only in the Pac-10, but also in the country. Two national championships, two Heisman Trophy winners, seven consecutive Pac-10 titles, and six consecutive BCS bowl appearances. Oh, and he has the highest winning percentage out of all active coaches. All this is pretty impressive, but all of these achievements are over-shadowed by the horrendous season the Trojans are having. Ok, it’s not horrendous, but it is when compared to USC standards. USC fans have become spoiled; they’re used to winning 11 or 12 games in a season, going to a BCS bowl game, and perhaps winning a National Championship. However, fans will have to wait until next season to get their fix of USC success. Unless a miracle happens, USC will be in a mediocre bowl, playing a mediocre team, who they will demolish.

When a team has more than the typical amount of loses and doesn’t meet expectations, people typically suggest it’s due to poor recruiting, injuries, or the team’s just in a slump. Well, USC is just in a slump. There isn’t a lack of talent in the Trojans’ clubhouse, considering they have a stable-five to be exact- of All-American running backs at their disposal, like Joe McKnight, who leads the team with 979 yards on 155 carries and eight TDs; McKnight averages 6.3 yards per carry, Allen Bradford, Stafon Johnson, C.J. Gable, and Ronald Johnson. Injuries have been few and far between, with the most notable injuries coming to tight end Anthony McCoy and receiver Damian Williams, both of which played in the Trojans’ 28-7 win against rival UCLA. Williams is by far the best receiver on the team, and Matt Barkley’s favorite target with 50 receptions, 770 yards and six TDs. Wanna venture a guess as to who’s the number two receiver on the Trojans’ roster? Tight end Anthony McCoy, who has 443 yards on 20 receptions, but only one TD. Both Williams and McCoy are averaging well over 10 yards a catch-Williams with 15.4 and McCoy with 22.2.

The receivers and the running backs are pulling their weight and are putting up excellent numbers, but what about at the quarterback position? After the performance true Freshman Quarterback Matt Barkley engineered against THE Ohio State Buckeyes-Barkley was 15 of 31 for 195 yards, no TDs and one INT, in front of 106,033 crazed Buckeyes- you would have believed he was up for the Heisman. Nope. Barkley got hurt in USC’s 18-15 nail biter in the ‘Shoe and didn’t play the following week against a Washington Huskies team lead by none other than the offensive genius that made Pete Carroll look so good, Steve Sarkisian. The 16-13 loss would be the first of three losses for USC.

Barkley has put up decent numbers so far this season, completing 164 passes out of 278 for 2,241 yards and 12 TDs, but with 11 INTs; he averages 8.06 yards a pass and has a completion percentage of 59. While these numbers aren’t spectacular, it’s what’s expected of a Freshman quarterback. So what’s wrong with USC? I have no idea. The talent is there, Pete’s there, but they still didn’t produce the kind of season we all expect and are used to seeing from the Men of Troy. For every other program in the country, three losses isn’t too shabby, but at USC, it’s just ridiculous.

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