#10 USC Trojans

The tumultuous offseason has finally almost come to a close for the Men of Troy. It started in the winter, when Pete Carroll abruptly left the program that he had made into the best in America during the decade. After his departure, a frantic search for a coach ended with the hiring of former Tennessee Volunteer coach Lane Kiffin, which caused a load of controversy in Knoxville. Then came the disheartening allegations of the Reggie Bush and OJ Mayo scandals that subsequently landed USC the toughest sanctions levied on a Football program since the 90s. Five players transferred. A Top recruit (Seantrel Hendersen) cancelled his commitment and ended up signing with Miami. USC hired a new Athletic director and Associate athletic director. And just when we thought the drama might be over… Coach Kiffin has been accused publicly and harshly by Jeff Fisher of a coaching faux pas, in the way he hired away Tennessee Titans RB Coach Kennedy Pola to be USC’s offensive coordinator.

OK, deep breath.

In the midst of all of this drama, there is still a Football team that is only 37 days away from kicking off its 2010 season. And now that the dust seems to finally be settling, what will emerge from Los Angeles could be one of the better USC teams in recent history.

The Trojans bring back one of the Top 2 underclassman QBs in the country in Sophomore Matt Barkley (Andrew Luck of Stanford is the other). Barkley had his ups and downs in 2009, but when all was said and done, he did manage to throw for 2,735 yards and 15 TDs. He had a solid completion percentage (60%), however his interception total was a bit high (14). Multiple injuries kept him from playing at key moments during the year and held him out of one of the biggest upsets of the season when Washington beat USC in late September. Barkley has got to show a great deal of maturation in his decision making. A 15 to 14 TD-Int ratio is a formula for disaster with the upcoming Trojans schedule.

As usual, there is no lack of talent returning at the Offensive skill positions. The RB position is stacked. Allen Bradford and CJ Gable highlight the returning upperclassmen. Bradford had a surprisingly successful year (668 yards and 8 TDs) in 2009 as the 3rd string RB coming on strong after Stafon Johnson’s throat injury. Gable is a former 4-star recruit who has been buried on the depth chart, but has the talent to be a superstar. Adding a touch of flair to the backfield is the True Freshman that has Trojan fans everywhere seeing shades of Reggie Bush. Dillon Baxter is sure to get touches this fall and expect him to make the biggest Freshman impact of anyone in the Pac-10. Also, Senior FB Stanley Havili is in my opinion, the best and most versatile FB in America.

At WR, the Trojans return a formidable bunch. Ronald Johnson, David Ausberry, and Brice Butler are the 3 starters. All 3 are All-conference capable and they should provide Barkley with the best WR corps on the West Coast. The offensive line will have to replace 2 starters but as always, this is the most consistent position on the USC team. The TE position is one of concern, but #1 TE recruit Xavier Grimble is expected to make an immediate impact.

The defensive Front 7 for USC is one of the Top 3 in the country. Led by DT Jurrell Casey and LBs Michael Morgan and Malcolm Smith, the Trojans have a plethora of experience up front. Sophomore LB Devon Kennard is on pace to earn playing time as coaches are calling him “the most athletic kid on our team”. The secondary is the place to keep an eye on. All 4 starters need to be replaced. CB Shareece Wright was slated to start in 2009, but was ruled academically ineligible. He’ll get his chance this year along with TJ Bryant and TJ McDonald. The key for the Trojan defense lies with new Defensive Coordinator, Monte Kiffin. His wizardry led the Tampa Bay Bucs to having one of the best defenses in the NFL in the 1990s and early 2000s. His understanding of the game leads me to believe that the Trojans will have the best defense in the conference and one of the best in the Nation.

While the offseason distractions would possibly be a reason for concern going into this season, the schedule provides a reason for optimism. The USC schedule sets up wonderfully. In the first 4 weeks, the Trojans face Hawaii, Virginia, Minnesota, and Washington State. Translation, they play a non-BCS conference team, the worst team in the ACC, the worst team in the Big Ten, and the worst team in the Pac-10 to start the year. The Trojan Train should be churning on all cylinders when they embark on the tough middle section of their schedule where they face 4 Pac-10 Bowl teams. The annual rivalry game with Notre Dame should provide fireworks as both coaches will be in their first seasons.

Although the Trojans cant go to a Bowl Game (due to sanctions), I expect them to have a record that might cause some controversy amongst AP Pollsters (i.e. they might be flirting with an undefeated season).

Key Returning Players:
QB Matt Barkley
RB Allen Bradford
WR Ronald Johnson
C Kristofer O’Dowd
DT Jurrell Casey
LB Malcolm Smith
LB Chris Gallipo
LB Michael Morgan

Key Games:
Oct 2 - Washington
Oct 9 - @ Stanford
Oct 16 - Cal
Oct 30 - Oregon
Nov 13 - @ Arizona
Nov 27 - Notre Dame
Dec 4 - @ UCLA