The Elephant in the Room

I don't think there is a clear cut favorite this year for the BCS National Championship; too many teams have too many questions.

Boise State? Can they beat VaTech and Oregon State, and if it comes down to it, will the voters vault a one-loss team from a BCS conference over a non-AQ school. Ohio State? A relatively easy road in a down Big 10, yes, but I still have the same questions about Terrelle Pryor. Did he have a good Rose Bowl against my Ducks? Undoubtedly, but until he proves he can do it week in week out he's Million Dollar Talent, with a less valuable head. 'Bama? I think people are underrating the amount of talent they lost. (Man, how much I would love to see JoePa come down to Tuscaloosa and stick it up Nick $atan's a**). Florida? How will they fare post-Tebow? Texas? OU? Garrett Gilbert isn’t Colt McCoy and Landry Jones isn’t Sam Bradford. Also, if you'd asked me on January 10th, I'd have said throw Oregon in the mix. And then they lost Masoli. They still have 18 starters back, but who knows if Darron Thomas can fill Jeremiah's shoes. Chip Kelly is a stinkin' genius, so if anyone can get DT#1 ready he can.

So you’ve got a long list of possibles. Most people also have a ‘sleeper pick’. A longshot, as it were. So do I. It's a sleeper that will have a slew of questions about them, but talent wise, there are few, if any, teams whose starting 22 are more talented than they are.

The University of Southern California.

Yes, I'm serious. And yes, I know they can't play in a bowl game. Or win the Pac-10 conference title. But if you look at that team, the talent is there. And it’s there in droves. In the backfield Allen Bradford and Mark Tyler are solid RB's. Dillon Baxter is a special talent, CJ Gable started for a #1 team as a freshman, and Stanley Havili is among the best FB in the country. Matt Barkley, was the #1 QB recruit in the country, and will be a first round NFL pick, possibly the #1 overall. Their WR are big, fast, and, finally, healthy. They've got experience and talent on the defensive side, and their d-line may be the best in College Football.

Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Greatest Marching Band in the History of the Universe and the World Famous USC Song Girls (they may not play, but they DEFINITELY have talent.)

Are there questions? Huge ones, obviously. What kind of backup talent will they have remaining with the transfers? While many of those who left wouldn’t have played much, Seantrel Henderson would have been HUGE for this team, and it will hurt them depth-wise. How will they stay motivated with no conference title, Rose Bowl, or BCS game to play for? It will be up to Lane Kiffin, his staff, and the players on the team to keep themselves focused on the fact that, regardless of NCAA sanctions, they are still USC, and they still can do what USC does. Win. Questions aside, the schedule shapes up well for them; they don't play their usual non-conference schedule of death, and the Notre Dame game is in the Coliseum this year. Cal, UDub, and Oregon also all come to LA this year. Yes, the Trojans have to go to Reser to take on Oregon State in November, but it's not beyond the pale that they could be 10-0 at the time. And maybe the thought of an undefeated season will be able to get them over the Corvallis bugaboo.

And now the final question. Lane Kiffin. I know its all the rage to bash Kiff. (Memo to Tennessee: He left. He took a better job. SC is a better gig than Rocky Top. Always has been. Always will be. Get over it.) But some football people much smarter than me and the rest of us who post here think this guy can coach. He sure as hell can recruit. And based on his track record, we know he can run an offense. And I'm pretty sure Dad Kiffin can do a fair job of coaching up the defense. When it comes down to it, Lane Kiffin will have as big a chip on his shoulder as the players at SC do. They want to prove that they’re still SC. Lane wants to prove that he’s not an arrogant, spoiled punk, and an idiot. I think both will.

Am I saying USC is going to run the table? No, I’m not. I think there's a chance, though, that they do just that. There’s too much talent on that sideline not to consider that possibility. I also think there's a chance that this team stumbles, gets unmotivated fast, and goes 7-6. But if Kiff can get them to play with a chip on their shoulder (which he's doing), if he can make them remember that they ARE SC, and if they can stay healthy, this team is the elephant in the room. They'll be the most talented team on the field every game they play this season. And if they go 13-0, there's your AP national champs right there.

Fight On.