It gets no realer than UCLA week. Coach Pete Carroll held his final Tuesday luncheon, er, press conference of the season, divulging in all things Bruin. Did you hear the Trojans are wearing their home jerseys? Yeah, and they’re going to forfeit a timeout. Pretty bold move. Anyone remember how many timeouts they used in the 2006 game?
What Carroll said: This is a really cool week to finish off the season.
What Carroll meant: We win this game by 30 points every year. Well, except for 2006. We’re not going to bring that up, right?
What Carroll said: I think all of the normal issues in playing your crosstown rival, all the questions our players will be asked are legitimate.
What Carroll meant: Let’s talk about jerseys and not about 2006, OK?
What Carroll said: For a number of years I’ve been hoping to get back to this tradition of both schools wearing their home jerseys. The first time I had the thought was the very first year, but then I thought it wouldn’t have been a classy deal to surprise UCLA.
What Carroll meant: Yes, Notre Dame, I’m talking about you.
What Carroll said: For whatever reason there’s a rule against doing this. We’re going to get assessed a timeout. But I’m willing to make a statement that we want to go for it.
What Carroll meant: This is how confident I am we’re going to win by 30.
What Carroll said: Maybe I’m going to get in trouble for doing this, but we’re going to do it anyway.
What Carroll meant: This is how confident I am we’re going to win by 30.
–On if he cares whether UCLA burns a timeout to nullify the advantage
What Carroll said: I’m not asking them to do anything.
What Carroll meant: Stay classy, UCLA.
What Carroll said: If they don’t do it I’d do the same anyway (next year).
What Carroll meant: Thanks for stopping by.
What Carroll said: There’s strong opinions in the coaching circle that you save your timeouts and guard them with your life. It could be a problem.
What Carroll meant: THIS IS HOW CONFIDENT I AM WE’RE GOING TO WIN BY 30! HEHE!
–On USC not following its implication it would use one primary tailback in each series
What Carroll said: That’s what you guys talked about. Sark (Coach Steve Sarkisian) mentioned it that we kind of liked doing it. We never had that plan. That’s not a written in stone thought. I tried to make that clear last week.
What Carroll meant: I can’t control what my offensive coordinator tells you guys. I have a hard enough time cleaning up the mess of plays he calls.
Note: Here are Sarkisian’s exact words from last week on this topic: “We’ll say ‘OK this is C.J. (Gable’s) series. We’re just trying to allow them to find a rhythm. If they’re in their for five, six, seven plays in a row, maybe they’ll find a rhythm.”
What Carroll said: (UCLA defensive coordinator) DeWayne Walker is a really good football coach. He knows what he’s doing. He’s had tremendous success. He’s got a lot of stuff up his sleeve.
What Carroll meant: I wonder if he could call plays on offense.
More from the USC blog:
- Sanchez, Matthews make Pac-10 All-Academic team
- USC football: Seniors say Rose Bowl is bittersweet
- USC football: Q+A with Mark Sanchez
- USC football: Q+A with Pete Carroll
- USC football poll: Is Carroll committing a cardinal sin?
- USC football: Penalty or not, Trojans wearing cardinal against UCLA
- USC football: Trojans say they ‘own’ Rose Bowl
- USC football: Injury updates from Monday
- USC football: Neuheisel, Pac-10 weigh in on uniform situation
USC will only be charged one timeout after kickoff.
Yeah, we were just informed that within the hour. If UCLA keeps its word and burns one too, then the whole thing is moot. However, it says a lot that USC, initially thinking it would lose two timeouts, was more than willing to proceed.
“Realer”?