USC Prediction: Trojans 24, Sun Devils 14
I just refuse to believe these aren't, at heart, The Same Ol' Trojans.
Have you noticed that we all have trouble appreciating when a dynasty ends?
People still expect Nebraska to be good, and it hasn't been for years. Alabama ought to be good, but the Tide is back to 6-5 again, right?
There's something about traditional powers ... in any sport. You expect more from them even after the great players are gone.
Consider the Lakers. We're finally (three years later) not sitting around expecting an NBA title. The Dodgers haven't won't anything since 1988, but don't Dodgers fans still expect them to amount to something? The Yankees still win most of their games, but they haven't won a World Series since 2000.
USC rates even higher on the "they're still good" list, even in the face of mixed results.
How could this team lose to Stanford? How could it have close games against Cal (6-5) and Washington (4-7) and Oregon State (7-4)?
But those of us with memories ... still think these are the Trojans of 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 ...
Pete Carroll still is the coach. John David Booty is a fifth-year senior. The line is experienced. A few months ago, we thought they had the best linebackers in the nation, and a D-line was not far behind.
I still can't get over that. I can't believe Arizona State actually is better than USC already. Not when these are essentially the same Sun Devils who got Dirk Koetter fired a year ago. Yeah, Dennis Erickson is a smart guy, but I just saw ASU barely get out of the Rose Bowl against a battered UCLA team, too.
USC has its first-team offense starting for literally the first time this season. The defense has been solid all along. The game is being watching by anybody in the nation who has a TV set -- because it's on against nothing.
With everyone watching, with ASU a bit overrated ... I see USC winning tonight. It's a fast track, the weather is no factor, and Carroll has lost only once to a Dennis Erickson team.
I expect USC to handle the Sun Devils. A victory that could move them on the verge of the Rose Bowl, if Oregon loses to UCLA or OSU ... and even on the outer fringes of the national title discussion.
But, then, as I noted above, we all tend to have a high regard for historically good teams, even when they show signs of slippage.