Quarterback Matt Barkley threw 15 TD passes as a freshman in 2009.
The USC Trojans have been the epitome of consistency this decade but there has been a lot of change this offseason – from top to bottom.
Lane Kiffin is now the head coach instead of Pete Carroll, who bolted for a second shot at the NFL, their athletic director has changed and they lost nine starters from last year.
Furthermore, some wrongdoings from the Carroll era have hurt the current Trojans as they won’t be bowl eligible for 2010.
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After a disappointing season in 2009, the Trojans are hoping to return to double digits in the win column in 2010 even if they can't return to a bowl game. On paper, it looks like the changes should pay off but there could be short-term pains before the long-term gains.
Recapping 2009
USC is always expected to be a Pac-10 powerhouse, but it wasn't exactly pretty in Carroll’s last year. Sure, they still won nine games and went bowling, but the Trojans were clearly in rebuilding mode.
With true freshman Matt Barkley holding the keys to the car at quarterback, the Trojans found their offense to be a little bit inconsistent. Truth be told, it wasn’t because of Barkley, though. The Trojans didn’t have a ton of playmakers around him at running back or receiver, which made his job fairly tough.
Meanwhile, on defense the Trojans still had playmakers but as a unit lacked their typical shut-down characteristics.
As they took a step back, a number of Pac-10 teams took the opportunity to step on and over them. It started with a surprising loss to Washington – and former USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. Then it was compounded by lopsided beatings at the hands of Oregon and Stanford, and a final loss to Arizona.
It was a rough year for USC but had everyone returned – namely Carroll – the Trojans would still be among the favorites to win the Pac-10 in 2010. Can we still trust them?
Previewing 2010
It’s going to be a strange year for USC fans. There has been a ton of change, there isn’t a lot of sure-fire All-American talent on the roster, Kiffin is manning the sidelines and they can’t play in a bowl game.
A lot of people are wondering about Kiffin. There was so much optimism by the end of the season for him and the program at Tennessee that USC fans are still excited. But overall, he hasn’t accomplished much as a head coach as far as winning goes in either Oakland (Raiders) or Tennessee (Volunteers). There will be pressure on him right off the bat at USC. He delivered early on with the No. 1 recruiting class according to Rivals, which means so far, so good.
With his dad manning the defense, you simply know the Trojans won’t be lackadaisical on that side of the bad. They were very leaky by the end of last year but Monte Kiffin has built stout defenses wherever he has been, so expect the same for USC.
On offense, Barkley isn’t a sure thing but he’ll likely get the gig. Senior Mitch Mustain will challenge him but Barkley looks like the next USC star in the making.
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As usual, much of the offense will hinge on the quarterback but the ground game should still offer plenty of support. Allen Bradford and C.J. Gable are back.
At receiver, the Trojans will rely on Ronald Johnson to be the leader but they will need more players to emerge.
Overall, this is still a quality team. Motivation will be a key as the players will have to respond well even though they aren’t going to a bowl but for the most part, this just looks like a USC team that had to rebuild last year, is continuing the process this year and should be back in the primetime picture either late this year or early in 2010.
Schedule & Outlook
The Trojans are in transition, but the good news is that there isn’t a Pac-10 powerhouse ready to take their spot. There’s a number of good teams, but nobody that has proven to be consistently elite.
Oregon and Oregon State are the co-favorites, but Oregon has had a tumultuous offseason and Mike Reilly’s Beavers have a bad habit of being a bridesmaid. Oregon State also has to face TCU on a neutral field to start the season, then travel to Boise State two weeks later. UCLA is still building while Stanford lost workhorse Toby Gerhart. Washington is intriguing, but their defense is brutal.
So there is no complete team ready to unseat USC, which means that they’ll be in this race and likely take it over once again in 2011.
Their regular season win total is set at 9.5 and that’s a reasonable football betting number. The Trojans should be 5-0 before they head to Stanford and outside of a road trip to Corvalis. The schedule is manageable.
Don’t be surprised if they only lose a couple of times this year. The Trojans are rebuilding but this is still USC and by the end of the year, they should have fans excited about their prospects for 2011.
Pick: Over 9.5 Wins