Usc

[jared52 4,354]

I respect USC. I respect Matt Leinart. I respect Reggie Bush. I respect Pete Carroll. I have no problem hearing the media talk about how unstopable USC is. They may be good enough to beat the Houston Texans. They have weapons everywhere and all indications are that they have done it will good kids and a coaching staff that recruits with integrity.

But there is one thing that has to stop. It has bothered me since they started talking about this season. Thst one thing keeps me from praising USC as much as the media guys, and that one thing is their schedule.

at Hawaii

Arkansas

at Oregon

at Arizona State

Arizona

Notre Dame

at Washington

Wash. St.

Stanford

at California

Fresno State

UCLA

Show me an away game that has any resemblance to going to Death Valley or Fulmer Field at Neyland Stadium at night. There's no aptmosphere at Duck Stadium. Sun Devil Stadium is the closest thing to an SEC staduim but when you face ASU, it's not so scary. Maybe ND gives them a first quarter scare, but that's still a home game.

Let's face it. USC will go down as the team of the decade. They should. But if there's going to be whining about SOS, then USC should get some of that. No, it's not their fault they have to play in the PAC-10, but I just can't believe the best team of this decade is going to come from the PAC-10. In my heart I believe that if you put USC in our schedule last year or even OU's schedule last year, they don't make it through undefeted. If USC survives 2 games a year, they go undefeted. If they played in the Big XI, Big 10, ACC or SEC they whould have at least 4 tough games, two of which would be played a stadiums where the fans are ready to rip your head off.

USC is deservedly #1, but it is not because they play and beat the best teams every year.

[ROLL TIDE FOREVER AMEN 0]

Agree. On top of that, they don't play a confrence championship game.

[subterranean_jack 112]

Hold on there, partner.

USC is deservedly the No.1 team at the moment, but the season is far from over. If Leinhart and Bush go down with injuries, is USC still the team of the decade or even the year? I don't think so. Besides the decade is only half over... we are only 3 games into the season...

I'm not so sure USC is going to beat Arizona State anyway. I don't think they have faced a QB the caliber of Sam Keller during their 3-year string (Jason White included). ASU nearly beat LSU, and I don't think there is a whole lot of difference between LSU and USC, except for coaching, and I'm not so sure about that since Norm Chow left for the Titans.

Let's see how USC does the next two road games to see if they are really No.1 this season before we declare them untouchable. They will be favored in all their games, but the games still have to be played and a lot could happen in the next 8-10 weeks. I don't think ASU, Cal, or UCLA are going to be pushovers, and, so far, I'd say they have played as well or better than Georgia, Florida, and Auburn. I'll be interested to see which conference has more teams in the Top 10 by the end of the season, SEC or PAC-10.

Granted Stanford and Washington are horrible, but Kentucky, Ole Miss, South Carolina, and Miss. State aren't anything to brag about. Like what Vanderbilt has done so far though. Go 'dores.

[AUloggerhead 2,253]

I respect USC.  I respect Matt Leinart.  I respect Reggie Bush.  I respect Pete Carroll.  I have no problem hearing the media talk about how unstopable USC is.  They may be good enough to beat the Houston Texans.  They have weapons everywhere and all indications are that they have done it will good kids and a coaching staff that recruits with integrity.

But there is one thing that has to stop.  It has bothered me since they started talking about this season.  Thst one thing keeps me from praising USC as much as the media guys, and that one thing is their schedule.

at Hawaii

Arkansas

at Oregon

at Arizona State

Arizona

Notre Dame 

at Washington 

Wash. St. 

Stanford

at California

Fresno State 

UCLA 

   

Show me an away game that has any resemblance to going to Death Valley or Fulmer Field at Neyland Stadium at night.  There's no aptmosphere at Duck Stadium.  Sun Devil Stadium is the closest thing to an SEC staduim but when you face ASU, it's not so scary.  Maybe ND gives them a first quarter scare, but that's still a home game.

Let's face it.  USC will go down as the team of the decade.  They should.  But if there's going to be whining about SOS, then USC should get some of that.  No, it's not their fault they have to play in the PAC-10, but I just can't believe the best team of this decade is going to come from the PAC-10.  In my heart I believe that if you put USC in our schedule last year or even OU's schedule last year, they don't make it through undefeted.  If USC survives 2 games a year, they go undefeted.  If they played in the Big XI, Big 10, ACC or SEC they whould have at least 4 tough games, two of which would be played a stadiums where the fans are ready to rip your head off.

USC is deservedly #1, but it is not because they play and beat the best teams every year.

183435[/snapback]

Their schedule is what it is and with the exception of them picking up Fresno St in the offseason, the schedule was all made up years before. Teams go through cycles and this happens to be SC's time to shine (example: 5 years ago SC was 5-7 & Washington was 11-1.) You're wrong about Oregon's home field, too. The capacity at Autzen Stadium may only be 41k now (there are plans to expand to 54K) but even at that size the crowd noise is deafening. The reason is because the stadium is built like a bowl sunk into the ground. All the crowd noise is concentrated at the field level as it has nowhere else to go. Link

The one thing I'm tired of hearing: "if SC had to play an SEC schedule, blah, blah, blah." If SC had to play an SEC West schedule then they would be playing the likes of Arky & AU. By my count they are currently 3-0 "playing an SEC schedule." Is there another SEC team you can think of right now that wouldn't have trouble with SC? The Mississippi teams? (puh-leeze) uat? (don't make me laugh) LSU? (possibly, but I would still put money on SC.) How about UT, UF or UGA in the East? (I don't think any of them could hold a candle to SC.) The rest of the East? (see my response to the Mississippi teams.)

The big question is which teams have a realistic chance at beating them this year. Outside of their bowl opponent, the only teams I see with a chance of upsetting SC this year are ASU, Cal & UCLA. Agree?

[tiger88 934]

SC is the real deal and then some. Doesn't mean they can't lose one along the way.

They haven't punted in their first two games.

They have scored touchdowns on 13 of their first 16 possessions and have scored on all but 1 drive which must have ended a half or a game.

They scored TD's on 4 of their first 8 plays agains Arky.

I hope they lose one but i wouldn't bet on it at the moment. Leinart goes down and it would change things of course.

[crankers 0]

The Ducks are showing USC the real deal right now.

Oregon 10

USC 0

In the 1st, so still may end up a 51-10 USC victory.

[freebody 0]

The capacity at Autzen Stadium may only be 41k now (there are plans to expand to 54K) but even at that size the crowd noise is deafening.  The reason is because the stadium is built like a bowl sunk into the ground.  All the crowd noise is concentrated at the field level as it has nowhere else to go.    Link 

Autzen was actually expanded a couple of years back (the previous link was several years old). Its football-only design does lend a little more "bang for the buck" in terms of apparent noise-per-occupant. Remember that Jordan-Hare originally had an eight-lane running track encircling the field - one end of which went underneath the south endzone seats when they were built in 1960. (There are a few six-foot deep girders under that south concourse that kept columns out of the track). That track pushed the seats back further from the sideline in the original sideline stands, so that Jordan-Hare's lower bowl is not as tight to the field as some stadiums. The idea of lowering the field and adding another eight rows (A-H) at the front won't work for the upper deck sightlines - some folks up there would not be able to see the corners of the endzones. Plus, there is a big storm sewer tunnel running under the west sideline.

I think the main reason that Autzen gets a lot of credit for its environment is that its design makes it seem lowder than you might expect from only 50,000 people. (so maybe it sounds more like an ACC joint, but not )

[aucanucktiger 1,798]

First, I've been to MANY Div.1 college games in the NW and you'd laugh. The attention fans pay to the game is generally like a bunch of 5 year olds or limited to small (what seem like alumni) groups. I'm including oregon vs. or. OR. St and Wash. vs Wash St. rivalries in that statement, both of which i've seen several times (including when they were all decent 5 or 6 years ago). So don't put road games there on the same planet as the SEC (including Oxford and Fayettville). If the home team's ahead in the NW or behind 3 touchdowns, most of the fans hit the parking lot. The NW is the only place I've found worse than Tallahassee w/ more folks that know NOTHING about football while thinking they know EVERYTHING about football.

Second, (and older Bama fans remeber this from '78), playing in media central LA has HUGE benefits in the press for USC. Remember their average teams w/ Rodney Pete when USC was constantly sucking around the top 10 w/ a couple losses? Penn State, Va. Tech and Auburn will ALWAYS be at a disadvantage in the puffing dept. because we have NO press that inherently support us.

[subterranean_jack 112]

Halftime:

Oregon 13

USC 10

[SLAG-91 1,483]

Not that it matters a whole lot, but USC plays @ ND this year...wish both teams could lose that one.

The only thing that will stop the hype machine is someone beating them. Maybe Oregon can do that tonight...maybe.

[aufan175 13]

Matt Leinart has all day to throw the ball, has one incrediable running back and other all-conference back. They have two outstanding Wide Recievers and good tight ends. Leinart is good, but that offense could make a lot of college QB's look really good.