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So here we are again, a bit earlier in the season than we're used to, but USC has yet again lost to an unranked Pac 10 opponent. There will be hundreds, possibly thousands, of articles all over the internet talking about this game, so I thought I'd go a bit unique and point out some facts about the game others might not look at in all the "excitement" of a top 5 USC team losing a game it should have won by 3 touchdowns.
First off is the quarterback play excuse being the reason for the loss. I would like to point out that the great Barkley only had 195 passing yards against a very suspect OSU secondary, no touchdowns and an interception. Barkley also didn't play against a defensive coordinator that, just last year, worked for USC and Pete, and knew exactly what this offense was all about. USC, unlike what everyone believes, is not a high flying passing offense. They've always been a balanced run first offense, and their QBs, for all the hype, never do well in the NFL because the USC offense is all about short passes and relying on athleticism to get the big plays. Corp completed only 2 fewer passes on 9 fewer attempts than Barkley, and that simple fact explains the discrepancy of total yards, Washington simply kept the yards after completion in check throughout the whole night. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying Corp is a better QB than Barkley, I'm simply disproving the mindset that if Barkley were playing USC would have killed Washington, that's simply an insult to how well Washington's defense played. A finger can be pointed to the USC running game. While they rushed for more than 200 yards, they had 2 key turnovers that killed any momentum USC was trying to build, which brings their total to four fumbles lost on the year. USC's line can also be blamed, neither Barkley nor Corp have had much time to work in the pocket, and their really not opening up holes for the running backs, the backs are just that good, if a bit too careless with the ball. Despite all that, USC still has one of the best defenses in the nation, and there's absolutely no let down from that unit. In fact, I'd argue they're at worst the second best defense in the nation, and by the end of the year, I'd be willing to bet they supplant the 21 returning two deep of the Gators as #1. We all knew USC was going to trip up somewhere along the line, it's better for them that it happened now. This offense hasn't looked good all season, especially against quality opponents, and it's better for the team as a whole to lose like this now instead of stringing together a bunch of sub 20 point victories and then getting blown out in a bowl game later on. In all, it was a great victory for Washington. Regardless of the troubles faced by USC this year, Washington was 0-12 last year, so this is great for them both in their confidence, their fans confidence, and most importantly, future recruiting for the program. Like Michigan, all it takes is one big win for an old powerhouse program to get the attention of some younglings who are drooling to be on the team that brought back so and so to prominence, and Washington has been down far longer than Michigan. The majority of the talent currently sitting and playing for our Canes were teenagers who believed they were the ones who could finally turn this around, but the coach needs to sell that. Randy did, he sold it to these players, their parents, and the fans, and look how quickly we've turned around. Washington has already beaten a top 5 team, they need to take that and make this a bowl season, then they can roll from there with the incredible staff they have there.
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