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USC football: USC’s toughest 2009 opponent? The Pac-10
December 18th, 2008, 7:30 am · 9 Comments · posted by Adam Maya, staff writer since 2006
They say the annual goal is the Rose Bowl. Well then, USC will not be able to afford to lose against Oregon State next year either. It might not be able to lose at all.
The 2010 Rose Bowl certainly won’t be a default destination as it doubles as the BCS title game. And the Trojans might once again be their conference’s only contender to play in it.
USC is No. 5. in NationalChamps.net’s way-too-early 2009 preseason rankings. That’s not an issue. In fact, it’s not even relevant. What could be an issue for the Trojans, however, is that among other Pac-10 teams only Cal at No. 20 is ranked in the top 25. A Pac-10 team is not even included among the 10 other teams receiving consideration.
As the site warns, its rankings are merely a “rough guide” to the beginning of next season. The rankings do not take into account which players might leave early for the draft and which recruits might sign in February.
But they do suggest a general viewpoint of the Pac-10 next year: it might not be that good.
More from the USC blog:
- USC football: Recruiting loss … to UCLA
- USC football: Maualuga voted team MVP
- USC Football: Wright case update–D.A. wants jail time
- USC football: Everybody’s All-American
- USC football poll: Should Sanchez stay or go?
- USC football poll: Is USC better off without Sark?
- USC football: Trojans make several All-American teams
- USC football: Sarkisian hires a Trojan, first assistant coaches
- USC football: Maualuga, Mays AP All-Americans
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Whatever. The Pac 10 is going to bounce back big time. This was one of the worst years for the conference as a whole in recent memory. And, I would be suprised if the Pac doesn’t win more bowl games then we lose regardless.
Oregon and Oregon St will be quality teams next year and will be preseason ranked. Arizona will be good as well. Cal should probably be ranked higher with a solid defense, Best (the heisman candidate) and Riley returning.
I also expect UW to bounce back under the leadership of Sark. I still have to point to that crushing loss against BYU to start their season as the beginning of a terrible downward spiral. If the refs didn’t blow that game, and Locker didn’t get injured shortly thereafter, they would have had a decent season.
UCLA and Wassu are hopeless. Haha.
**The 2010 Rose Bowl certainly won’t be a default destination as it doubles as the BCS title game.**
Wait, what? Assuming the 2009-10 arrangement isn’t changing from the 2008-9 arrangement, there’s still going to be a dedicated Rose Bowl Game on January 1, followed by the National Championship game in the same Pasadena stadium on January 8. Just like Cincinnati is going to play VT in Miami this New Year’s, exactly a week before Florida plays Oklahoma in the same stadium.
Considering the Rose Bowl Committee’s stranglehold on tradition, in the event that the PAC champ is in the Nat’l Title Game, the PAC #2 team would have to be ineligible (below #14, less than 9 wins) for the Rose Bowl to select a team from another conference to replace the PAC champ.
Mr. Maya:
Thank the SEC and the BIG12 for their input on next year. However, the reason why none of this matters is the fact that you did not include a horrible team like LSU on their list. This year, LSU couldn’t get out of the way of a glacier, let alone a football team. How do they figure on that SEC list? If they are even mentioned - the list is phony.
JT,
I realize there were still be a Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 likely featuring the Pac-10. I was simply making light of the fact USC contends its annual goal is the Rose Bowl when in fact it is really playing for the BCS title game.
If USC wins the PAC-10 next year they’re in the Rose Bowl for sure. The Rose Bowl won’t be the national championship game.
As for the PAC-10, USC should dump them and be like Notre Dame. The PAC-10 is holding USC back. The only problem is they probably wouldn’t get any big teams to schedule games with them. Most of them are too scared. So how about adding more western schools to the PAC-10 and maybe have the PAC-12 or PAC-14? There are some decent teams that can at least beat teams like Stanford, UCLA and other bad PAC-10 teams. They deserve to be in the conference as much as those schools.
I have often considered the expansion thing with obvious choices like Fresno St , Utah and BYU. It would be great for football, but those teams just can’t compete in the full spectrum of sport for which the Pac 10 is such a high benchmark. With a few exceptions aside (Fresno Sts recent baseball success), the Pac 10 sets the standard in all collegiate sports. Anyone of these schools would lack the budget and numbers to come close to that standard. They would drag down the less popular sports and dilute the conference’s competitveness as a whole. Although, I am totally willing to go for it, if the damn NCAA could get their act together and make a CFB Playoff already with 12 team conferences and uniform schedules. But that ain’t happening anytime soon. So expansion is essentially right out.
2009 Season - Have a careful look at the individual schedules of Cal, UO, AZ, then a serious doulbetake with USC schedule. Is USC so superior that their scheduling disadvantage doesn’t spell upset 1, 2, and possibly 3?
USC dump the Pac-10? With losses to OSU, Stan, Cal, UO in recent years, hardly seems like the conference is holding them down. Consider the competitive strength the rest of the conference adds to USC. Best tune-up I can recommend for any NC contender!
Please - No more ‘mountain state’ teams joining the Pac-10. We’re always better than that!
USC WILL DEFINITELY LOSE 2 GAMES
Regarding potential Pac 10 conference expansion, remember two things…
1. The Pac 10 is only going to expand where they don’t currently have a TV market. Schools like Colorado (Denver) and Texas (Dallas, Austin) would be ideal.
2. The Pac 10 will only expand with universities which are also research institutions (see above schools).
This clearly blows UNLV, Fresno, San Diego State, BYU & Utah out of the water, but I personally believe these schools could compete in at least one major sport in the Pac 10, if not football.
JR