Hard to believe the season is already four games old. And right now, it is equally difficult to believe USC was ranked No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press poll.
USC’s not played a complete game yet, which is not necessarily surprising. But the offensive inconsistency is unexpected. With so many marquee players including a four-year starter at quarterback, USC’s offense is an enigma.
It is not picking up where it left off last season and seems out of sync at times. No deep throws against Syracuse, nothing to counter Stanford’s pass rush, an inability to find Robert Woods against Cal.
These issues might not be significant if they were isolated but it led to a shocking loss to a Stanford team that barely beat San Jose State and featured an inexperienced quarterback.
It is early but right now what is USC’s philosophy? It did not want to run against Hawaii or throw deep against Syracuse or short against Stanford. Perhaps USC should worry less about its opponent and just do what it does well offensively.
