USC Football: 10 Dream Scenarios for 2011
We all know how quickly things can go wrong for a college football team.
An injury here, a suspension there, and all of a sudden, the season is circling the drain.
For the 2011 USC Trojans, a litany of bad news has already been delivered and those connected with the program, along with their fans, have had plenty wailing and gnashing of teeth and that's before the the first kickoff of the first game has taken place.
So let's not deal with that negativity here.
Instead, this slide show will focus on the positive for the upcoming season and identify a number of scenarios that, if realized, should make USC and their fans very happy.
Let the naysayers and gloomy Pete's wallow in the pits of dreariness.
We have better things to focus on and to that end, here are 10 dream scenarios that will keep Trojan fans smiling all season long.
No. 10: A Wide Receiver Becomes Dominant to Compliment Robert Woods
1 of 11
Some of the following slides represent a hopeful scenario. In other words, maybe what is suggested in the slide could happen, but maybe not.
However, this slide is likely to represent something that will happen.
Why you ask?
Simple. The Trojans have too many great wide receivers for at least one to not become a dominant receiver opposite all-everything wideout, Robert Woods.
Kyle Prater, George Farmer Jr., Brice Butler, Brandon Carswell, hell, even Markeith Ambles (if he can keep his head on straight) all have the talent to be big time players for the Trojans.
And if one of these studs can deliver, that will make the aforementioned Mr. Woods and his quarterback Matt Barkley very happy indeed.
With a capable receiver on the other side of the field, defensive coordinators who game plan for the Trojans will have a nightmare of a time.
Sounds like a dream scenario to me.
No. 9: A Running Back Separates Himself from the Field
2 of 11
Once upon a time USC was known as "Tailback U."
And the tailbacks that contributed to that legacy were legendary themselves.
You know them.
Mike Garrett, Charles White, Marcus Allen, Ricky Bell, OJ Simpson, Anthony Davis.
Legends, each and every one of them.
But in the last 20 years or so, that one stud has been noticeably absent from the Trojan roster.
Oh sure, Lendale White, that "Bush" guy, and even others such as Sultan McCullough have sort of been the singular running back in the Trojan scheme but not like it was.
Not even close.
Wouldn't it be great if Marc Tyler, Dillon Baxter, DJ Morgan, or even Curtis McNeal was so good that it would be folly for Lane Kiffin not to have him on the field most of the time?
Sure it would.
If this were to happen, the passing game would thrive and the Trojans would be an offensive juggernaut.
Of course, for this to happen it would require cooperation from other units on the offense, namely the O-line (more on that later).
But in the meantime, having someone revive "Tailback U" in 2011 would be a wonderful scenario.
No. 8: Soma Vainuku Is a Bigger, Badder Version of Stanley Havili
3 of 11
Sometimes you don't know how much you miss someone until they are gone.
With graduated Trojan fullback Stanley Havili now having taken his ample talents to the NFL (assuming they get their act together of course), the Trojan will need someone to step in and do all of the things, little and big, that we took for granted from Havili for so long.
Blocking, getting the tough yards near the goal line, catching passes out of the backfield, you know, those things that Havili did so effortlessly.
That's what the Trojans must replace in 2011.
Big shoes to say the least.
To fill them, the Trojans will look to Soma Vainuku, a massive young man who runs like the wind and has a nasty streak a mile long.
At 6'1", 255 lbs., Vainuku is much bigger than Havili and with a 4.58 forty time to his credit, he is not much slower.
In camp, Vainuku has displayed soft hands and a penchant for giving up his body in blocking schemes.
Another Havili?
Maybe not but we can dream can't we?
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
No. 7: The Defensive Line Plays at a High Level
4 of 11
For USC's defense to shine in 2011, the defensive line has to perform.
Fortunately, the talent is there although there are some questions regarding the interior linemen.
If Christian Tupou, coming back from an injury that cost him all of 2010, can regain his early form, a rotation of defensive tackles that feature DeJohn Harris and rising star George Uko can certainly take care of the inside.
And if business is taken care of by the tackles, the defensive ends have a chance to be spectacular.
Nick Perry, a beast of an end, will line up opposite of newly returning end Devon Kennard to form one of the most athletic bookend ends in the nation.
Perry has promised 15 sacks this year and Kennard has the talent to come close himself.
If the defensive line can exert its will, the linebackers and secondary can find their way without routinely being in panic mode.
For a linebacker unit that will undergo massive changes this year and a defensive secondary that was statistically one of the worst in the nation in 2010, a stout effort by the defensive line will be crucial for this year to be a success.
Or this dream scenario will turn into a nightmare.
No. 6: The Linebackers Live Up to the Recent Trojan Tradition
5 of 11
Everyone knows the names. If you don't, just flip on the TV on any given Sunday during NFL season to remind yourself.
Cushing, Matthews, Rivers, Tatupu, Maualuga, Maiava.
And those are only some of the active players from USC who have played the linebacker position like nobodies business.
But in 2010, no one in cardinal and gold stirred any memories of those tremendous Trojan linebackers of years gone by.
Now the Trojans will enter 2011 with an almost completely restructured linebacker unit.
Chris Galippo will be back in the middle but beyond that, it is anyone's guess.
Marquis Simmons, Hayes Pullard, Dion Bailey and Shane Horton will all stake claims to spots both inside and out.
And don't forget Will Andrew who is trying to evoke memories of Clay Matthews as a former walk-on.
Then there are the three stud incoming freshmen, Lamar Dawson, Tre Madden and Anthony Sarao.
On the plus side, all of these guys are talented...but, alas, inexperienced.
The Trojans will need inspired play from this unit to thrive in 2011.
If they get it, USC's defense will be very good this year.
No. 5: Incoming Freshman Punter Kris Albarado Is the Second Coming of Tom Malone
6 of 11
USC fans don't have to dredge too far into their memory to recall a time when punting was just another weapon for the mighty Trojans.
In fact, only a few short years ago, Tom Malone not only was named an All-American but he led the nation by averaging over 49 yards per punt.
Now the Trojans will welcome a young punter from Lake Charles, LA (take that Les Miles) who will look to replicate the feats (pun intended) of the aforementioned Mr. Malone.
Albarado brings his own set of gaudy stats to the Trojan table as well after averaging over 47 yards last year in high school.
Like Malone, look for Alabrado to start as a freshman beginning what the Trojans hope is a four year anchor at the critical position.
The kicking department will crucial to the Trojans success in 2011 and all facets particular to booting the ball will depend on the young legs of freshmen.
If Kris Albarado can even approximate the talent and consistency of Tom Malone then that would certainly be a dream come true for special teams coach John Baxter and USC.
No. 4: Andre Heidari Becomes a Potent Force as USC's New Place Kicker
7 of 11As mentioned in the prior slide, USC will be counting on the young feet of two incoming freshmen for their kicking needs.
The other one is place kicker Andre Heidari.
Heidari comes to the Trojans with an even more impressive resume than Kris Albarado.
In high school, Heidari routinely kicked 50+ yard field goals and much more often than not, would boom kickoffs that would find their way to a starting point on the opponents 20 yard line.
Far too often last year, Lane Kiffin would have to go for it on what otherwise would be a field goal because he could not rely on last years kicker, Joe Houston.
To remove the possibility of three points from a coaches offensive arsenal is a significant detriment and the Trojans suffered last year because of that.
Now the drama of 2010 changes with the arrival of young Mr. Heidari.
And those three points, so absent from last year, can be reintroduced in 2011.
No. 3: The Offensive Line Turns out Not to Be Such a Concern After All
8 of 11The one primary area of concern for the 2011 USC Trojans is their inexperienced offensive line.
Only two starters return from last year and one of those (Khalid Holmes) will be moving to a new position (center).
Included among the probable newcomers to the O-line is a true freshman (Cyrus Hobbi) and a at least one player (Kevin Graf) who has battled injuries throughout his brief career.
All in all, a very unsettling status of a critical unit.
So it is imperative that the offensive line at least handles its business adequately.
Because if it can, the Trojan offense has a chance to be very, very good.
With an abundance of talented skill position players and one of the best quarterbacks in the country on the USC offense, all that is required is that they have the time to operate.
If the offensive line gives Matt Barkley and his cohorts that time, this too will be a dream come true.
No 2: Matt Barkley Has a Great 2011 and Returns for 2012
9 of 11While the Trojans may be good in 2011, the year they have the potential to really excel is in 2012.
A young team this year will be a veteran squad in 2012 and with experienced leadership, can make a lot of noise nationally next year.
And guess what?
USC will no longer be ineligible to play in a bowl game in 2012.
If Barkley has a nice year this year, he may be tempted to return for his senior year.
If he does, the Trojans could enter the year following this one as a favorite to take it all.
Of course, Matt Barkley is, according to ESPN's Mel Kiper, a top five NFL prospect which means that the possibility for him not returning is great.
But if young Matt can have a great year in 2011 and decides to return to the Trojans for 2012, USC can return to the glory of recent years gone by.
That my friends, is a two for one dream scenario.
No. 1: USC Wins the Southern Division of the New Pac-12 & Makes Mockery of NCAA
10 of 11This is a dream scenario that makes any good Trojan fan salivate.
After the NCAA did everything they could possibly do to deny USC a fair trial in the Reggie Bush scandal, then refused their appeal after taking far too long to rule on the matter, retribution is first and foremost on the minds of those who follow the men of Troy.
Make no mistake about it, Trojan fans detest the NCAA.
So how do the Trojans take revenge?
Simple. They do what they always used to do.
Kick butt.
If they kick enough butt, they will win the southern division of the new Pac-12.
Instead of the winners of each division meeting in the championship game, the runner up in the south section will have to play the winner of the north in a game that will ring especially hollow for those who follow the college football game.
Though the NCAA is probably too thick to realize it, it will make the inaugural season of the Pac-12 a joke.
And Trojan fans will be laughing the most of all.
Conclusion
11 of 11The 10 scenarios listed in this slide show certainly aren't the only good things to be hoped for by Trojan fans.
When you are USC and coming off an 8-5 season, certainly there are more then 10 things to fix.
And some of the dream scenarios highlighted here probably aren't even the most critical of the areas that USC needs to fix.
But some of them, such as the importance of Kris Albarado, Soma Vainuku and others have not made much news so offering insight to those players and circumstances seemed appropriate.
For the Trojans to experience success in 2011, many things have to go right.
But if the players and units contained in this piece can find their way this season, the Trojans can make some noise in the Pac-12.
All Trojan fans can reasonably expect is improvement from last year.
If that improvement can somehow translate into a southern division crown, it will make fans of the men of Troy doubly ecstatic.
No matter how you slice that, it would be a double serving of a dream scenario.
And no Trojan fan would want to wake up from that.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
