Tim CottrellSports Writer/Designer
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USC is ninth in our preview lineup. Previews of all 65 BCS conference schools, plus Notre Dame and state school, will be posted daily in no particular order. To view all previews, click here.
I’ve been racking my brain for days on what to make of this Trojan squad.
They will, of couse, be among the most talented teams in the country yet again. They should be outstanding on defense with seven starters returning from a pretty good unit last year.
The questions lie on offense.
Mark Sanchez takes the reins for good at quarterback. I was not particularly enamored with him in his three starts last season when John David Booty was injured, and wouldn’t be incredibly surprised to see a few Mitch Mustain sightings over the course of the year.
And compounding the problems for a young quarterback will be just one returning starter on the offensive line.
Of course, they have about a bajillion superstar running backs they can hand the ball off to to take the heat off Sanchez, but will they be able to find running room behind the young line?
Their wide receivers were also a bit disappointing last season.
They get all their toughest games at home, where they’ve lost only once since 2001, so they’ll be in good shape there. I can’t quite decide how I think they’ll do, so let’s look at the schedule:
Aug. 30: at Virginia
This will be a good tuneup for the Super Bowl two weeks later ...
Sept. 13: Ohio State
One of the bigger non-conference games in recent memory could well decide one of the national championship game participants in just the third week of the season. I really can’t see the Buckeyes going West and winning this one, but with USC’s youth on offense there’s no telling. But we really do need USC to spare us another “Ohio State getting drilled by Team X” national title game.
Sept. 25: at Oregon State
They couldn’t beat the Beavers in Corvallis last time around, and could be coming off a tough loss (or huge win) so this is certainly a mild upset alert.
Oct. 4: Oregon
USC gets revenge for the loss in Eugene last year.
Oct. 11: Arizona State
Look out for the Sun Devils. If they’re going to lose one at home this would probably be it (assuming the Sun Devils have someone who can block this time around)
Oct. 18: at Washington State
Trojans cruise on the road
Oct. 25: at Arizona
And if they’re going to have some random stumble, this is probably the best candidate.
Nov. 1: Washington
Blowout city
Nov. 8: California
Cal has played USC tough almost every year in the last few years (including their triple-overtime win in 2003), but I don’t think they’re going to have enough to come into LA and win.
Nov. 15: at Stanford
There will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth in this one after last year.
Nov. 29: Notre Dame
ND’s not stopping this six-game losing streak.
Dec. 6: at UCLA
Pete Carroll vs. Rick Neuheisel. There’s bound to be some guitar playing once this one’s over.
There’s really no possible way USC goes worse than 11-1. They probably should be 12-0, but I have a feeling they’re going to stumble somewhere (but not against Ohio State).
Tim CottrellSports Writer/Designer
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Preview 8 on our list is Oregon State, home of the Beavers. Previews of all 65 BCS conference schools, plus Notre Dame and state schools, will be posted daily in no particular order. To view all previews, click here.
Oregon State has had a strange habit the last few seasons.
Slow starts, including embarrassing beatdowns on ESPN2, have been followed by strong finishes and bowl wins, with each season ending at 9-4.
This year will certainly feature the slow start Whether they’re able to turn it around or not is anyone’s guess.
The Beavers return two proven quarterbacks in Sean Canfield and Lyle Moevao (who you may remember from this crushing block last season). I’m not sure which will get the nod come gametime (Phil Steele and Athlon disagree on which it might be), but whoever it is they should be okay there.
Everywhere else is another story.
OSU returns a grand total of 74 rushing yards from its running backs, although they say they have another Steven Jackson in redshirt freshman Ryan McCants.
They must replace three starters on the offensive line, but they did get an extra year for their best receiver, Sammie Strougher, who missed most of last year with personal issues and a kidney problem.
The Beavers were pretty strong in rush defense last year, allowing only 70 yards per game. But they return no starters from the front seven and only three starters overall.
Their biggest advantage may be their disorienting uniforms, as they apparently decided last season they wouldn’t let their biggest rival, Oregon, corner the market on ugly duds.
Here’s the schedule:
Aug. 28: at Stanford
A Thursday night game against the Fightin’ Harbaughs to open the season. They should be too fast for the Cardinal.
Sept. 6: at Penn State
I’m not all that high on the Nittany Lions, but OSU doesn’t have a good track record on the road in non-conference play (0-6 in the last five years).
Sept. 13: Hawaii
No June Jones equals a return to the doldrums for the Warriors.
Sept. 25: USC
The last time the Trojans visited Corvallis they saw their 27-game Pac-10 winning streak ended. They won’t lose this one.
Oct. 2: at Utah
A third Thursday night game in five games for OSU. This will probably be the game that decides whether the Beavers are bowl eligible or not.
Oct. 11: Washington State
It seems like a long time ago now that WSU was ranked in the top 10 for all or part of three straight years, doesn’t it?
Oct. 18: at Washington
It seems like even longer ago that the Huskies were relevant. UDub will be improved this year, but probably not enough to make it to a bowl.
Nov. 1: Arizona State
This was a bad pick for homecoming.
Nov. 8: at UCLA
In the past two seasons the Beavers have beaten everyone in the conference except for the Bruins. They won’t beat them this year, either.
Nov. 15: California
The Golden Bears will probably have recovered from their epic meltdown to end the season last year by this point.
Nov. 22: at Arizona
Another huge game. OSU will be fighting to become bowl eligible and the Wildcats will be fighting for bowl positioning.
Nov. 29: Oregon
That two-game winning streak in the rivalry is probably coming to and end.
The Beavers will be somewhere between 4-8 and 6-6. If they can get that sixth win they’ll probably be able to find a bowl somewhere that’ll have them.
Mike SzvetitzSports Editor
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Tell me you didn’t think of it just once. I know you did.
Rocco Mediate vs. Tiger Woods. Rocky Balboa vs. Apollo Creed. Tell me you didn’t think of it while Rocco and Tiger duked it out in the 18-hole playoff for the U.S. Open title Monday.
I did. And it was great.
Here’s a glance of my column for tomorrow’s paper. You can read the full version tomorrow at http://www.oanow.com.
It’s easy to draw comparisons between Rocco Mediate and Rocky Balboa.
And I’m talking about the first Rocky. The late 1976 version. Not Rocky V or VI, which, by the way, never happened. Never.
I’m talking about the original Rocky. From the streets of Philadelphia. Drinking raw eggs. Running up the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Punching frozen slabs of meat.
The underdog. The real underdog. The guy no one gave a chance in a heavyweight fight against the best in the world.
You know, Rocco.
Mediate vs. Woods. It reeked of Balboa vs. Creed. Didn’t it?
Of course it did. And it was great.
The stage was set for a beatdown. Much like Balboa’s first bout against Apollo Creed.
How could it not?
Number 1 vs. No. 158.
Thirteen major championship victories vs. five ho-hum PGA Tour wins.
A the best golfer ever in his prime vs. “hey, wasn’t he an announcer a couple years ago?”
The best vs. someone who will be forgotten by the end of the week.
Tiger Woods vs. Rocco Who? The Medallion Stallion.
Exactly.
But they played anyway Monday on the South Course of Torrey Pines. The U.S. Open rules state that you must play a full 18-hole playoff if you are tied after regulation. So they did.
A formality.
Not so fast.
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