Comments on: Has USC underachieved under Pete Carroll?

By: Pietro

Pietro — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:13:17 +0000

“The Pac-10 is 17-6 against BCS conference schools in bowl games over the past six post-seasons. Take away USC and the Pac-10 is still 12-5 against the BCS conferences. Last season the conference was 5-0 in all bowl games.”

Enough said.

By: Andrew 72'

Andrew 72' — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:34:44 +0000

I seen the glory days and the down n’ out days at USC. The Washington game we had a ‘rookie’ at the helm and a ’stacked’ defense against us.
I feel Carroll is doing (has done) a great job over the years and sometimes makes questionable decisions( like not putting Mustain in the 2nd half), however, until we start losing lots of games in a row lets allow Pete to run his ship. Fight On!!

By: Peter M.

Peter M. — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:47:02 +0000

Good points by Atlanta Gator and True Crimson, but I would argue that if the PAC-10 did go to a conference championship game it would make it easier for USC or another PAC 10 team to make it to the NCG, as opposed to the Round Robin format.
First Atlanta Gator to your point, while it is true the championship game is a ninth game, this ninth game has the added bonus of two, highly ranked teams playing against each other, so that whoever wins will get an extra boost to make it to the BCS birth (hence, the Big 12’s tiebreaker rule last year that had Oklahoma win the Big 12 South even though they lost at neutral site to Texas by 10 points). So let’s look at last year, USC lost at Oregon State and after the game people were flipping out, however Oregon State was actually a decent team and in the running to win the league that year, perception of the loss was so bad that there was no way that USC would recover. Florida lost at home to an okay team in Ole Miss, but was able to cement their BCS birth due to a big win in their “ninth” game against a previously undefeated Alabama team. If the PAC 10 added a championship game, this would give USC or whoever a potential boost to make it into the championship game but at the same time allow them to duck two or three good teams from whatever division they are not playing that year, very similar to Florida this year.
Second, I am a realist. The Pac 10 does not have as many passionate and vocal fans as the SEC or any viable teams to add to the PAC 10 that would make it a significantly better conference. Even if they did find these teams, I am afraid that the potential championship game would be so swayed towards one division (See Big 12 South) or fan apathy would be so great (see last couple of ACC Championship Games) that the negatives would far outweigh the positives.
Third, True Crimson, to your point, I was not putting down the practice of paying a team to come to a stadium to basically lose a game as bad. I was just making the point that USC is as least trying to schedule out of conference games (in the last six or seven years) against such teams as Auburn, Arkansas, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Virginia and Virginia Tech. SC has never played a Division I-AA team or FCS or whatever nonsense. Personally, I would be pretty disappointed with any AD or Coach if they were to schedule one or more games against a Division I-AA team. It is just embarassing and a waste of money for alums and fans. I really don’t understand the point. Why not just have an intrasquad scrimmage? I would think that would be much more entertaining.

By: Pietro

Pietro — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:30:20 +0000

George Schroeder of Sport’s Illustrated on PAC 10 football:

“But the league never seems to earn much credit for playing, top to bottom, tougher nonconference schedules than any other league. Or for winning. This week, the Wall Street Journal even chimed in, noting that since 2000, the Pac-10 has the best record against other BCS conferences (81-62) and a winning record against the other five leagues.”

He also notes:

“Florida loses at home to Ole Miss, and it’s just another example of how tough life is in the SEC. Hey, when Ole Miss lost at South Carolina on Thursday night, the TV babble-heads immediately started talking about how nothing’s ever easy in those SEC snakepits. But let’s be honest: Ole Miss’ loss Thursday night was better than Florida’s home loss to the Rebels last year. And that loss, of course, didn’t derail Florida so much as propel the Gators, enlarging the legend of Tim Tebow (and leading eventually to a nice plaque memorializing his postgame promise).”

And about USC:

“USC is 30-1 against nonconference opponents since 2002. And we’re not talking about Charleston Southern; the Trojans are 15-1 against ranked nonconference opponents.”

(http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/george_schroeder/09/25/usc-pac-10/)

The moral: You guys on the east coast need to stay up later if you want to see high-quality football as played in the PAC 10.

By: BrownB

BrownB — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:36:02 +0000

Chris F. I was referring to UF not USC. I did miss LSU’s 2. The point being made just to have one dismisses the underachieved title. Props to UGA, UT, UA and LSU for having the stones to get on a airplane and play a BCS caliber team, that’s four teams out of 12-piss poor.

By: statsfever.com

statsfever.com — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:48:37 +0000

The dynasties at Florida State, Nebraska and Miami have all run their course and USC’s will too. I don’t think they are going to have any 7-5 seasons anytime soon but they are getting tarnished out in LA. And while 1 loss usually doesn’t kill you, teams like Florida, Oklahoma, LSU and Texas don’t lose games to unranked teams 4 straight years. As for 2009, they won’t win the Pac-10 and they won’t make the Rose Bowl. USC fans will hate it and Kirk Herbstriet will be curled up in the fetal position in the ESPN bus!

By: Atlanta Gator

Atlanta Gator — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:20:28 +0000

Tide Rising—-Please read my comment @5:47 again. Of course the SEC plays an 8-game schedule, but the conference champion and runner-up play a 9th SEC game, i.e. the SEC Championship Game. My point was that the SEC champion plays nine conference games, just like the Pac-10 champion.

By: Chris F

Chris F — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:18:03 +0000

BrownB, Do you realize that USC hasn’t “really” had 2 NC’s in the last decade. LSU and UF do have more than one the last 10 years. Go read some stats or something. JEEEZ

AS FAR AS THE PAC10, in spite of you playing every team from your conference the pac10 still loses respect because teams do get better or worse over the course of the season and you may beat the team that beat you earlier in the year. Not only that, but the pac10 plays less OOC games for the same reason.

The BCS rule should change, IMO it should be required that every conference has a CCG regardless! It ensure’s that the strongest team in the conference at the end of the year has the best shot. For example, If alabama and florida had played last year in the regular season and alabama had won…..well it would have meant that Bama would have played the NCG instead of UF. Totally NOT right! UF deserved it last year and earned it by winning the conference championship game. No Pac10 or Big11 team can say that.

It was about 5-6 years ago I think when Arkansas got beat by Auburn and then played them again in the SECCG. Arkansas still lost but they did play Auburn twice. Why can’t all conferences do that?

By: Tide Rising

Tide Rising — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:08:18 +0000

Atlanta Gator,

I think we play an 8 game conference schedule and not a 9 game conference schedule. 5 teams from your own division and 3 from the opposing division.

By: Tim Rupert

Tim Rupert — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:21:42 +0000

Yes they have. If you blame it on a hangover from playing OS then what would PC’s record be if they played LSU, GA, ALA, TENN in the same season. No team has more talent. What would FLA,GA,LSU,ALA have done over the last five years playing in the weak Pac 10? They would have won it every year and won more MNCG’s. Not only this but they have dodged the best team in College football each and every year that CPC has been there (never played the best team in the SEC). Until we have a playoff teams like USC, OKLA, OS will skate through weak schedules and be exposed by the SEC Champ, unless they get lucky like CPC.