Infatuation with USC open to exposure

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by JOHN TUCKER
New Hampshire Union Leader
Thursday, August 30, 2007

Could there possibly be any more preseason infatuation with Southern Cal?

National college football magazines, ESPN commentators, preseason polls and power ratings are ALL ga-ga with these Trojans, apparently quite sure they're boarding a bandwagon bound for New Orleans.

Even Stanford's new coach Jim Harbaugh has created the impression he's in awe of the men of Troy. At the Pac-10 preseason media day, Harbaugh went so far as to suggest Pete Carroll's 2007 edition of the Trojans just might be the best college football team ever.

The Unbalanced Line prefers to think that was hyperbole, Harbaugh perhaps trying to psyche up his new team that undoubtedly will be five touchdown underdogs when the Cardinal and Trojans meet Oct. 6 in Los Angeles.

As for Carroll, USA Today's Mike Lopresti stopped just shy of proclaiming the Southern Cal coach the second coming of Knute Rockne. From 1918-1930, Notre Dame's legendary coach led the Irish to 105 victories, 12 losses, five ties and six national championships. Rockne's winning percentage (88.1) over those 13 years still stands as the highest ever in Division 1-A, now superfluously renamed the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Though Carroll already has as many losses at USC in half as many years, his 65-12 record represents the highest winning percentage (84.4) of any active coach. So maybe Lopresti's comparison to Rockne isn't off the wall at all.

Actually, when you start to break down the wealth of talent on USC, Harbaugh may not have been off the mark either.

Senior quarterback John David Booty is getting plenty of Heisman love, and deservedly so. He'll likely see a bit of a drop-off at the receiver position, but the unit is still loaded with top-flight talent like wideouts Patrick Turner and Vidal Hazelton.

Factor in a well-stocked stable of quality running backs, featuring Emmanuel Moody and Chauncey Washington, and one of the nation's best offensive lines, anchored by first team All-American tackle Sam Baker, and it's easy to rank the Trojans' offense among the Top 5.

As for the defense, it's arguably the nation's best.

It's hard to imagine a better linebacking corps than Rey Maualuga, Keith Rivers (Pac-10 first teamers) and Brian Cushing. Maybe Ohio State's and Penn State's LBs could give them a run for their money, maybe.

Then there's that superb defensive line bolstered by All-American end Lawrence Jackson and first team Pac-10 nose tackle Sedrick Ellis. Plus, the Trojans' veteran secondary that is definitely among the nation's best.

Yet despite being laden with all that talent, it's probably apropos for some words of wisdom from an 80-year-old Joe Paterno who's built a pretty decent reputation coaching football, mostly as the head coach, for the past half century at Penn State.

"The best man, the best team, isn't automatically entitled to win,'' Paterno once said. "The winds of fate can turn you around, run you aground, sink you, and sometimes you can't do a thing about it."

Southern Cal will face no fewer than a half-dozen teams -- Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oregon State, California and UCLA -- that, on a given day, are capable of running the Trojans aground and sinking them.

Given that USC has such a challenging mountain to climb just to get to the BCS title game Jan. 7 in New Orleans, it's surprising Lee Corso hasn't sounded off with his patented, "Not so fast." Especially considering the ESPN College GameDay analyst picked 12th ranked California to win it all.

The Unbalanced Line foresees the Trojans' love boat taking on some water Oct. 27 at Oregon and then capsizing Nov. 10 against Cal in Berkeley.

However, if Southern Cal does pull off the feat of capturing college football's Holy Grail this postseason... from Day 1, the element of surprise will not have been a factor.

Just as it won't be a surprise if:

-- The Charlie Weis adoration society in South Bend loses some members after Notre Dame's home opener against Georgia Tech and away games against Penn State and Michigan.

-- Alabama's $4 million man, Tuscaloosa savior Nick Saban, produces an eight-win season and a victory over Missouri in the Cotton Bowl.

-- Virginia Tech's Hokies win the ACC with an entire nation rooting them on.

-- Florida quarterback Tim Tebow leads the Gators back to the SEC title game, where LSU stops Florida's bid for back-to-back BCS titles.

-- Rutgers' outstanding coach Greg Schiano leads the Scarlet Knights to the Big East title and a first-ever BCS bowl bid.

-- TCU upsets the Texas Longhorns Sept. 8 and goes on to clinch a BCS bowl spot.

-- Bob Stoops' Oklahoma Sooners take control of Big 12 territory on Oct. 6 with their first victory over Texas in the Red River Rivalry since 2004.

-- Bobby Bowden has his Seminoles back in BCS fighting condition.

-- Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer starts the season on the hot seat after an opening loss Saturday night at Cal.

-- It's a banner year for kick returns with this season's kickoffs being moved back five yards to the 30.

-- Louisville's Brian Brohm wins the Heisman.

-- Penn State finally finds a way to beat Michigan, wins the Big Ten and winds up in New Orleans playing Oklahoma for the whole ball of wax.

Okay, so you don't buy that last one... How about LSU vs. Oklahoma for the national title, and may the best team win?!.... LSU.

(Contact John Tucker at jtucker@unionleader.com.)