USC Football: Maybe The Mighty Trojans Just Aren't That Good?

When Hawaii rolled USC up for 36 points and 588 yards last week, the smart money said the Trojans would be okay, that they would find themselves this week at home against the lowly Virginia Cavaliers.

After all, it was surmised, USC's defense, playing against Virginia's pro-style offense, much the same as the Trojans run, would offer a style more palatable than Hawaii's modified run-and-shoot.

Well, the so-called "experts" were right.

USC did manage to quell the Cavalier offense to the tune of 14 points and 340 total yards of offense given up.

However, it could have been much worse.

In fact, it should have been.

Take away an interception thrown by Virginia quarterback Marc Verica and two missed Cavalier field goals, and this is a game the Trojans should have lost.

When all was said and done, the Trojans managed to sneak out of the Colosseum with a hard-fought, 17-14 victory that certainly left more questions than answers.

Like what happened to the vaunted USC offense?

And whats the deal with all of the penalties?

And Matt Barkley, he of the superior talent, what the hell happened to that accurate arm in the second half?

Give credit to the Cavaliers though. They sauntered into the Trojans backyard and outplayed mighty USC.

The Cavaliers played hard and with a couple of breaks, could have brought back a large feather to place in the ACC's cap.

But this isn't about Virginia.

No, this is about the so-called 16th best team in the country, according to the AP poll.

And that team is in deep trouble.

Some might say, and they could be right, that it is early in the season and the Trojans have plenty of time to right the ship.

And certainly, with a weak pair of teams, Minnesota and Washington State, directly in front of USC, there is time to work out the kinks.

But what if this more than just "kinks?"

Against a Cavalier team that was picked to finish last in the ACC, the Trojans offense could barely muster a running game, and when the offensive line wasn't committing silly penalties, Matt Barkley was over- and under-throwing his open receivers at an alarming rate.

Meanwhile, the Trojans defense, though markedly improved over last week's debacle against Hawaii, still was porous enough to allow the Cavaliers to march down the field in their last possession despite the fact that USC was desperate not to allow them to score.

Which leaves us with the possibility that USC just isn't that good this year.

Perhaps that ugly moniker, "overrated," applies to this years version of the men of Troy.

For Lane Kiffin and company, the answers better come fast, and even if they do the next two weeks won't reflect how good the Trojans are anyway.

Still, if the Trojans hope for improvement over the long haul, next week better find an improved effort in all facets for USC.

Or it's going to be a very, very long season.