USC Football: Which Win Will Define the Trojans' Year?

The USC Trojans closed out their 2011 season with arguably their biggest wins since Lane Kiffin took over as head coach. A 38-35 upset over then No. 4 Oregon in Eugene was followed up with a 50-0 drubbing over crosstown rival UCLA.

But which win was more important, and which will be the victory that defines the season?

Let's first take a look at the win in Oregon. It did two things for USC— it put the Trojans in the top 10 of the AP Poll for the first time since 2009 thereby restoring national prominence, and gave Lane Kiffin his first signature victory.

It was also USC's first victory over the Ducks since 2008 and their first win in the state of Oregon since 2009.

The Trojans' recruiting is inevitably going to feel a boost because of this game. Losing DeAnthony Thomas to Oregon on signing day last winter was a huge slap in the face for USC. This upset may have shown top recruits that USC is back and ready to contend for national championships, just as Oregon has the last few years.

Finally, on an individual level, Matt Barkley strengthened his case for the Heisman by performing surgery on a defense that gave Andrew Luck his worst game of the season.

Of course, Barkley may remember this season better for his six touchdown passes against UCLA, a total that matched the USC record he set against Colorado earlier in the season. The six against UCLA got him to a Pac-12 record 39 touchdown passes for the year. Had the score not been 50-0, he likely would have been able to throw one more and made it an even 40.

The increasingly one-sided rivalry game between USC and UCLA had a historic result Saturday, as the 50-point difference was the highest in the rivalry since 1930, when the Trojans won 52-0. It made Lane Kiffin 2-0 against the Bruins, and it seems that he will win many more in the future.

Like the Oregon win, this victory will have an effect on recruiting. For reasons that are beyond me, local recruits somehow have a difficult decision to make when choosing between USC and UCLA, and this game often tips the scale towards the victor.

After Saturday, I don't understand why any recruit would choose UCLA over USC.

Finally, the shutout was a huge win for a defense that had been perceived as a weakness for most of the season. They caused turnovers at critical times and put together a couple of tough goal line stands. It will be a great performance to keep in mind when looking at the future of the Trojans defense.

While USC fans and Southern California residents may look at the win over UCLA as the crowned jewel of the season, the national implications of the Oregon win make it the more important of the two. It told everybody that USC was back, and if Barkley returns for his senior season, it will send a message to the nation saying "watch out."

If Barkley comes back, I see USC basically being this year's Stanford except with elite receivers. That could be scary for defenses across college football, and scary for offenses as well.

If Oregon's high-powered attack couldn't keep up with Barkley, then who else could?

We'll just have to wait and see. If there is anything negative to take from the two games, it's that Barkley found the highest possible way to go out. What better way to leave than departing after upsetting the premier team of the Pac-12, then leading an air strike on your rival?

When people look back on USC's 2011 campaign, they will think of two things—the upset over Oregon and the clobbering of UCLA.

While the rivalry game may have been more fun to watch, the Oregon win is the one that will stick in the heads of fans, recruits, players and coaches around the nation. That makes it this season's defining victory.