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Over on the USC boards, some are wondering how one team can completely outplay another, 56-0, and drop two spots in the BCS rankings.
Of course, some of us realize the answer is simple.
When Florida demolishes No. 8 Georgia, and Oklahoma lays 62 on Nebraska, and Oklahoma State puts up 59, and an undefeated Texas Tech edges out No. 1 Texas, and the team that USC laid 56 on is 0-7 and ranked 116th and the 119th ranked team that USC laid 69 on a couple weeks ago just got thumped by Stanford, 59-0.
Yes, USC will drop and deservedly so.
I gave USC the benefit of the doubt in my own poll, ranking them fifth because they are the top defensive team in the nation. Still, I can certainly understand why the BCS and various other polls have dropped them to No. 7 even though they shutout the hapless Washington Huskies, 56-0.
There would be absolutely no complaints over the last three years if the team had taken care of business. Each of those years, USC was ranked No. 1 at some point and would have remained at the top if the Trojans had won out. And all of us know it. So, get over it, Trojan fans.
If the team had taken care of business when they were at the top, the BCS would not have dropped them any lower than No. 2 in any of those years, meaning they would have been one of the teams in the national title game.
And USC received those high rankings even though the Pac-10 is perceived as one of the weaker conferences. So, why all the complaints with the polls?
And why complain about the teams in the Pac-10, for that matter? Although USC is considered to have one of the tougher OOC schedules in the nation, all of their losses these past three seasons have been at the hands of Pac-10 teams.
And the weaker ones at that: Oregon State twice, Stanford, and UCLA. They also lost to a No. 2 ranked Oregon team last year while Dennis Dixon was still running wild at quarterback.
I say, take care of business and you won’t have to worry about the rankings. Right now we have six or seven teams ahead of USC who are playing lights out football regardless of scheduling. If any of you did not enjoy the Texas Tech-Texas game, then you either have a serious nerve disorder or you’re not a college football fan.
So, enjoy the season. Enjoy the plays and the playmakers. No matter which team you root for. But don’t let the BCS rankings spoil it for you.
USC has a great team and a great program, so enjoy it for what it is. But don't expect the BCS computers and the college pollsters to pull USC up out of the hole when the Trojans dug their own hole in the first place.
I know Pete Carroll has said numerous times that he doesn’t know how the BCS works and doesn’t care to know. But I will tell him anyway.
It’s very simple. Despite being in one of the weaker BCS conferences, all USC has to do in any particular year is run the table and they are in the national title game.
On the other hand, if the Trojans, comprised of four and five star players, should lose to a weaker Pac-10 team, comprised of three, two, and zero star players, they are automatically eliminated from consideration for the national title game.
It’s that simple. What is there to understand? This isn’t rocket science.
Sure, the formula is somewhat different for teams in the SEC and the Big 12. However, the level of competition in those two conferences is decidedly different than the Pac-10 or the A.C.C. and the Big Ten.
And it’s not only some Trojan fans that need to tone it down and accept reality. It’s also a few critics in the Los Angeles media who are begging for a playoff.
All I have to say to that is: Playoffs? What playoffs?
I have heard their cries before. Three years in a row. In fact, right about this time of year. Usually a couple of weeks after USC has lost to Oregon State or Stanford and has managed to climb back up a couple rungs in the Top 10 rankings.
Strange. I didn’t hear those cries back in 2004 when USC played Oklahoma in the national title game while an undefeated Auburn team was passed over. All I heard back then was something about Tommy Tuberville being a cry baby and a spoiled sport.
True. College football does need some kind of playoff system. But not because a one or two loss USC will be left out of the national title game.
College football needs a playoff system because, depending on how the rest of this season plays out, there are at least eight or nine teams including USC that deserve a shot at the title.
That is true today just as it was true back in 2004 when USC was ranked ahead of Auburn. And a couple of months ago, after USC defeated Ohio State, 35-3, and wound up at No. 1.
Yes, they had their chance and blew it. Oh, I’m aware of the old line all the homers use about USC being a strong finisher and the best team in college football in January. Unfortunately, there is no way of proving that unless USC takes care of business in September and October.
Remember, the national title game is reserved for the two teams with the best 12-game season, not the best five-game season.
Yes, it’s disappointing that a team with so many excellent players has been denied a shot at the title these past three years, but it’s not tragic. It’s just what it is, Trojan fans.
So, enjoy the rest of the season and stop whining over the polls.
Check out the original post here, or look for more college football stories over at Bleacher Report.







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Howeverâ¦
There is one small point to correct in the article.
You wrote:
ââ¦all of their losses these past three seasons have been at the hands of Pac-10 teams. And the weaker ones at that: Oregon State twice, Stanford, and UCLA.â
Stanford and UCLA are weaker, absolutely. Oregon State, on the other hand, should not be lumped into that category of âweakerâ teams. I know itâs tempting - how can a team possibly be good when it:
A. plays in Corvallis, Oregon
B. gets second tier players in recruiting
C. wears colors that make it look like theyâre celebrating Halloween all season
But the numbers donât lie. In 2006, USC lost on the road to an Oregon State team that ended up ranked #21 at the end of the season. USC again lost in Corvallis this year, but Oregon State is currently in the driverâs seat to reach the Rose Bowl. Itâs hard to realistically call them a âweakerâ team.
Is the Pac-10 weak? Hell yes. Itâs a bummer. As a Trojan fan, I take no pleasure in watching USC beat up on Washington and Washington State. Iâd much rather see them tested on a consistent basis by quality teams IN CONFERENCE. Instead, the Trojans biggest battle every year is against complacency. This year they lost that battle when they came out flat against an Oregon State team with a solid game plan.
Oregon State may lose another game this year and USC may win the rest of theirs, which means another Rose Bowl for the Trojans. Of course, it would be great to have both Oregon State and USC win out, with the Beavers getting the Rose Bowl and USC getting an at-large BCS bid. Good from where Iâm sitting, anyway.
Thanks for the article. I hope you donât consider this extended comment to be whining. Posted 11/03/2008 1:00 PMReply