USC Football Preseason Rank 2011

The times have changed at USC.  The ESPN 2011 top 25 rankings does not include the Trojans.  These are not the days of Pete Carroll.

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USC Sanctions

There was no good news for USC football when the NCAA handed down its sanctions.  The Trojans will face the following:

• 2 year bowl ban
• 4 years of probation
• Loss of scholarships

The Trojans may also lose their 2004 National Championship.

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USC Football: No Norm Chow For Now

It was previously reported that Norm Chow would be joining Lane Kiffin at USC.  Apparently Chow is not interested in moving across town to USC, he will remain at UCLA.

Norm Chow declined the chance to switch teams again in Los Angeles’ fierce football rivalry.

Chow said Thursday he’ll stay at UCLA for his third season as offensive coordinator, rebuffing overtures from Lane Kiffin to return to Southern California.

After a couple of uneasy days during which the Trojans openly courted Chow, UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel was grateful to learn his widely respected offensive mastermind had passed on a lucrative contract offer at USC.

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Media Reaction To USC Head Coach Lane Kiffin

The reaction to USC hiring Lane Kiffin as the new head coach of the Trojans has drawn impassioned reactions from all media sources.

• Gene Wojciechowski – Kiffin has no credibility
• Dan Wetzel – I don’t think this was the worst move by the Trojans
• Peter Schrager – Lane Kiffin is leaving Tennessee in a state of rubble and shrapnel
• Dennis Dodd – Lane Kiffin? Lane Kiffin? Really? Ha ha! No, seriously, really?
• Michael Rosenberg – Well, I really have to hand it to the USC Trojans: They aren’t even faking it anymore.
• Stewart Mandel – Welcome to college football in 2010.

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USC Football: Kiffin, Chow, Orgeron Back At USC

According to ESPN,

Tennessee’s Lane Kiffin has been named the next head coach at Southern California, athletic director Mike Garrett announced on Tuesday.

Kiffin replaces Pete Carroll, who jumped to the NFL as coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

“We are really excited to welcome Lane Kiffin back to USC,” Garrett said in a statement. “I was able to watch him closely when he was an assistant with us and what I saw was a bright, creative young coach who I thought would make an excellent head coach here if the opportunity ever arose. I’m confident he and his staff will keep USC football performing at the high level that we expect.”

It is also being reported that Kiffin will bring his father, Ed Orgeron, and Norm Chow, in what is being called a “blockbuster deal.”  Sorry UCLA.  For those claiming USC would not win without Norm Chow, that is now a worry of the past.  Norm Chow and Matt Barkley, that will be a formidable team.  Yes, Matt Barkley confirmed he is staying at USC.  And so is C.J. Gable.

That should also cover recruiting with Orgeron, word is he is already working.  As for defense, it does not get better than Monte Kiffin.

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H/T: TrojanWire

USC UCLA Pregame: UCLA Mascot Attacked By USC Students

The Men of Troy will face their cross-town rivals the Bruins of UCLA on 28NOV09.  The Trojans are favored, on bodog, by 13 points.   UCLA has not defeated USC since 2006.

One of the enduring traditions between these two schools is attempting to paint the other school’s mascot.  The students of USC succeeded this year when they painted the UCLA Bruin, Joe Bruin, Cardinal and Gold.

Tommy Trojan will be guarded by students until the start of the game.  Tommy is also wrapped to protect him.  You can watch the vigil on TommyCam.

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Stanford Over Trojans By 34

Nothing to say for the Trojans, except for the final score Stanford 55, USC 21.

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USC V Oregon Prediction And Odds

The Trojans of USC travel to Eugene, OR to decide the Pac-10 championship against, the Ducks of Oregon.  Yes, the team with the worst uniforms in all of sports.  Here is a preview:

Hollywood couldn’t have scripted it better: Halloween night, the din of Autzen Stadium, crisp fall temperatures and No. 10 Oregon versus No. 4 USC in arguably the Pac-10’s biggest game of the season.

“It’s going to be crazy,” Ducks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli said. “It’s going to be one of those Autzen nights times 100.”

Oregon (6-1, 4-0) sits alone atop the conference standings with no league losses, threatening the hold the Trojans (6-1, 3-1) have had on the Pac-10 title for the past seven years.

The Ducks have won six straight games since an embarrassing 19-8 loss at Boise State in the opener, a game that got uglier when running back LeGarrette Blount punched a Broncos defensive end as he was leaving the field.

bodog has the game Oregon +3.

Dreadnaught prediction: USC over Oregon by 21 – 17.

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USC Notre Dame Final Score 2009 Game

The Trojans get another victory over Notre Dame with a final score of  34-27.  The standout player for USC was tight end Anthony McCoy, with 5 receptions for 153 yards.

If you want to know what is wrong with Charlie Weis, one need only to listen to the comments he made coming off the field.

We ran a combination route where Golden got doubled, which we thought he would, over on the right-hand side.  He did, over on the right-hand side.  We were going to to to a high-low or to the left and when Duval came out of the break he slipped coming out of the break. He was open, but he slipped, slipped, slipped coming out of the route.

Translation:

I am a great coach.  I made the correct call.  I had an unbeatable scheme.  It was all Duval Kamara’s fault.

Pathetic.  Be a head coach.  Take responsibility, don’t blame a player.  Notre Dame deserves a better coach than Charlie Weis.

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Charlie Weis Claims Moral Victory After Loss To USC

Note Dame coach, Charlie “I Looked at Myself and Saw a Disaster” Weis clamed the 2009 loss to USC was a moral victory.  Irish fans have to understand that Weis can not turn this team around in just five seasons, despite the fact that his team will, in “every game . . . have a decided schematic advantage.”  You must understand, he is suffering from the poor recruiting done by Ty Willingham.

Again, you can not expect Weis to turn the program around in just five seasons.  It has taken a number of head coaches to get their teams to national championships.  Nick Saban did it in his 4th season, Pete Carroll did it in his 3rd season, Bob Stoops did it in his 2nd season, and Urban Meyer did it in his 2nd season.  Well, those are all less than the five seasons Weis has had, but it is different for Weis.  Not sure how it is different, but it is.

It can not be Charlie Weis’s fault, he is just too great of a coach.  Remember Charlie Weis making history last season by losing to Navy for the first time in 44 years.  That was also Willingham’s fault.  Don’t blame Weis.

USC Notre Dame Quarterback Comparison

It will not be the defense, it will not be the history, it will not be the running game or wether when USC plays Notre Dame.  The only comparison that will matter is the goldenness of the quarterbacks for the teams.  While Jimmy Clausen claims to be the golden boy from SoCal.   the photographs clearly demonstrate that Matt Barkley is much more golden.

No question, USC over Notre Dame.

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Final Score USC Over Cal

The Trojans played well for all but the first drive for Cal.  The games ends with USC over Cal by 30 – 3.

Best did not look like a Heisman winner tonight.  Both Barkley and McKnight played well.  It was great to see Taylor Mays back on the field, and as always Damian Williams was nails.

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Sanchez And Jets Over Patriots, Palmer And Bengals Over Packers

For Trojan fans this has not been a good weekend, with Aaron Corp less-then-stellar start at quarterback and the loss to Washington.  But USC quarterbacks playing in the NFL had much better weekends.

Mark Sanchez led his New York Jets into the home of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots and came away with a 16-9 victory.  Sanchez went 14 for 22 with 163 yards and 1 touchdown.

Carson Palmer lead took his Cincinnati Bengals to Leambeau Field and came away with a 31-24 victory.  Palmer went 15 for 23 for 185 yards and 3 touchdowns.

So not everything is bad for USC fans.  Just think if Sanchez would have stayed for another year at USC, the Huskies would not have had a chance.

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Washington Over USC Final Score

The Trojans lose to Washington 16-13.

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USC Washington Point Spread

Over at bodog USC is favored over Washington by 18 1/2.

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Aaron Corp To Start At Quarterback For USC Against Washington

As previously predicted here on Dreadnaught, Aaron Corp will get the start at quarterback for USC against Washington.  Matt Barkley is still suffering from the bruised shoulder he suffered during the win over Ohio State.

USC quarterback Aaron Corp has been chosen to start the Trojans’ Pac-10 opener against Washington on Saturday, a person briefed on the decision told ESPN’s Joe Schad on Friday.

Freshman Matt Barkley is expected to regain his status as starter when he is healthy enough to resume throwing, the source said. Barkley continues to experience pain in his bruised right (throwing) shoulder, which was injured in the third-ranked Trojans’ 18-15 victory at Ohio State last weekend.

Here is a good team report for the Trojans,

Nobody will need to remind USC coach Pete Carroll what happened last season when the Trojans were feeling good after beating Ohio State.

They came out flat in the first half in the Pac-10 opener at Oregon State, and could never catch up, losing 27-21—the only blemish on USC’s season.

Once again, here are the Trojans, coming off an 18-15 win at Ohio State, ready to go on the road for their Pac-10 opener. This time, it’s against Washington, which ended a 15-game losing streak last week by beating Idaho 42-23.

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Update: Corp did not have a good game.  Washington played very well.  Not a good day to be a Trojan.

USC Football: Washington Game, Looks Like Aaron Corp Will Start At Quarterback For Trojans

As we enter Thursday practice before the USC v. Washington game, the decision about who will start at quarterback for the Trojans becomes a little more clear.  As previously predicted on Dreadnaught, it will be Aaron Corp.  (Note: Michael Lev at USC BLOG has also made the same prediction, so I am in good company).  Matt Barkley has missed his third consecutive practice, after it did not go well when he tried to throw before practice.  This stems from the bruised shoulder he suffered in the victory over Ohio State.  Coach Pete Carroll is expected to make the QB decision on Thursday morning.  Corp was asked earlier if he was ready to play, here is his answer,

“I’m ready. I was ready last week. I was ready two weeks ago. I’ll be ready if they need me.”

We shall see who makes the start in Seattle.

While on the topic of USC quarterbacks, it appears one QB may start at another position.  The starting punter position is open, and it looks like Mitch Mustain may be just the man for the job.  Best of luck to Mustain, he is a stud for coming to the Trojans with so much hype and being willing to do whatever it take to help the team.

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Note: If you are a USC football fan, you must read USC BLOG, TrojanWire, and inside usc.

USC Football: Quarterback For Washington Game Barkley Or Corp

This Saturday the Trojans face Washington.  The question remains who will start for USC at quarterback?  To answer this question one must look back at the quarterback competition at SC.  Coming out of spring practice Aaron Corp was named the starter by Coach Pete Carroll.  Corp then cracks his left fibula and Matt Barkley is named as the starting QB.  Barkley then starts against San Jose St. and stuns everyone in the come-from-behind victory over Ohio State.

Barkley did sustain an injury in the Ohio State game and is still suffering from a bruised shoulder.  Corp stands ready to play,

USC Football: Carroll Has Talk With Barkley

Los Angeles-Not that Pete Carroll expects  Matt Barkley to suddenly go Todd Marinovich on him, but the USC coach said he met with the freshman quarterback Monday night to see how he’s handling life in the national spotlight.

“We sat down last night and talked about how Matt’s handling the attention and the constant questioning and all that stuff,” Carroll said. “There’s an innocence there that it’s great to see. He’s having fun. This does not change who he is. He clearly stated that and understands that. But we have to keep in contact with that. You know, stay around and hang with the people you always hang with. Stay close to us, you know. Don’t get very far away from the way we do things at any time.

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HT: USC BLOG

USC Football: Joe McKnight Best Player In The Country

These are the words from former-Trojan coach Steve Sarkisian, about USC tailback Joe McKnight,

I think Joe McKnight, he could arguably be the best player in the country right now. I’ve always thought that that now for three years, and it’s coming true. He’s a special player, he’s playing physical, he’s running hard, he’s catching the ball out of back field, and he’s tough to defend.”

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HT: inside usc

USC Football: No. 3 In Coaches’ Poll

After the impressive start for Matt Barkley, and 56-3 win over San Jose St., it is no surprise that USC is Number 3 it the USA Today Top25 Coaches’ Poll.

 

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