Booty is the problem. He has clumsy footwork and is a very average passer. Last year his excuse was back surgery. This year it is the offensive line. Lucky for him he didn't sign with an SEC team. If had that same smug jock attitude after losing to the worst SEC team a lineman would have decked him.

Booty may not be Leinart or Palmer, but he also doesn't deserve 100% of the blame for the recent troubles. The o-line has looked terrible in the last 6 quarters, receivers seem to be breaking off routes or drifting slowly out of spots in addition to dropping well-thrown balls, and our play-calling in the last two games has been reminiscent of the UCLA game last year. In 2005, we had the talent to keep running the same plays, even after they'd been sniffed out by the defense. We don't have that same level of talent right now. Our play-calling needs to adjust (read: SHOTGUN).

Injuries are no excuse, especially against a team like Stanford. Carroll did not prepare the team, the team was outworked, outcoached, out-everything.

The quarterback should not be 100% responsible, but he is the one everyone looks to in the huddle. If the 0-line is missing assignments or the receivers are dropping ball, why is Booty not demanding better play from them. There is obviously a lack of respect there.

There are problems throughout the offense, but a quarterback lacking a broad set of skills underscores those issues. A quarterback with mobility can compensate for an o-line decimated with injuries, and receivers out place. There are just simply more options when a quarterback can run. Booty looked sub-par and threw interceptions even when the o-line was intact, so these issues are not new. The only game we dominated was Nebraska when our o-line and running game were in full gear. Great o-line and running game performance has only served to mask the problems at quarterback.

I can't believe Caesar would have us believe that a quarterback can only be successful when everything else is perfect. I guess that's true if we accept the premise that only GREAT quarterbacks overcome adversity.

I agree with what has been said=WE CANT KEEP RUNNING THE SAME SETS EVERY POSSESSION!!! SARK needs to get a clue and figure out that we dont have the same great personnel anymore-we have to be more creative and methodical with these new guys. I think at QB were screwed this year until Mustain can show Sanchez how to play mistake-free football. JDB is a smudge above avg QB, but right now Sanchez hasnt shown hes so great either. JDB has to stop giving the "there was some pressure" excuse for some of this poor play---heres a hint JDB=theres ALWAYS going to be pressure put on the pocket, and you STILL HAVE to make plays if your a good QB!!! Most QBs would love to have our injured off-line because its still better than most others. I dont think Booty cares that much about improving and winning EVERY game. In the game/after the game it seems like he could care less what happens and it shows in his play. The defense needs to give the offense a severe beatdown in practice today and say THANKS for blowing the game on saturday!

Agreed, Daniel. There is something amiss there and Booty absolutely needs to step up...and even get in his receivers' faces if they run a poor route. He seems to relish the "cool customer" attitude, which does him better in big games that everyone else is already pumped up for. But I'm not convinced a change in quarterback is the answer.

I'm afraid the issues come more from above: an intransigent attitute toward the offense that players are just pegs with the same shape that fit into the same scheme. It would seem the offense should be tailored a bit to account for the players' strengths and weaknesses. Maybe they need to get Booty into the shotgun where he can see better and won't trip over his own feet as much. Maybe they can run some options and wheel routes for McKnight so he'll have some space while moving straight ahead. Maybe they need to come up with something more creative on the goal line once in a while.

I'm not comparing Booty to Vince Young at all but Texas was a good example of the offense being tailored to fit their quarterback's strengths and account for his weaknesses. Young was talented but inefficient until the coaching staff finally understood what to do and what not to do. If he was stuck in USC's rigid offensive scheme, despite being a great talent he'd have been average with flashes of brilliance like he was his first couple of years at Texas.

There really is no excuse for a few of those Booty picks and sacks, but how many times a game are we going to run that bootleg pass in the left flat? The Stanford D was all over that every time it was called. Our conference opponents have seen these plays too many times. They know what is coming and we don't have Bush, White, Leinart, et al anymore to just outrun, outmuscle, and outsmart them. Change it up a bit.

Or could it be that Rey (Samson) Maualuga's hair was the strength of this team? Or maybe the ghost of Rob Johnson is coming back to haunt us by possessing Booty? He sure reminds me of Rob right now.

Two words - Kris O'Dowd... he's the Dude. I'm not sure if any freshman over the past five years since we've been celebrating and taking our good fortune for granted (which, looking by the fair weather fan comments here is evident)has made a more IMMEDIATE impact. If you look at some of the tape of the Nebraska game, he was taking on two or three guys at a time and blocking forward. He never stopped on a play.

Many of these so called veterans who are obviously believing their own press should take a clue from O'Dude. Hard work, perseverance, humility and sheer determination are always an alternative to apathy, laziness, and self importance which is where many of these players find themselves.

This is an "I" team. Everyone out there is trying to get noticed by whatever NFL scout is on the sideline or watching on TV. This is a group of individuals that have not come together in the off season the way WE believed or were led to believe.

And for all the naysayers who keep ripping on Coach C - who would you rather have??? Stoops-id?? Hackett? Give me a frikin break... I will grant the claim that this team has not been mentally prepared for the struggle at hand (the furiosity of Pac 10 play), but dropped passed and fumbles and missed blocks and... and... are the jobs of the players - players who are obviously looking toward some other brass ring rather than staying focused and working hard... much like Kris O'Dowd, who, Lord willing, will be well enough to play in two weeks in South Bend...

Meanwhile, Coach Stoops-id is making a bunch of miscreants ready to come into our HOUSE and do it again. Silly Willy is going to expose our secondary like never before unless everyone on this team gets a gut check and starts playing together like we all know they can...

So let it be written... so let it be done...

Rob Johnson...wow.

I think scott should be banned from this site for insinuating a profanity in the title of this post. Absolutely reprehensible! How DARE you?

Even second or third team o-line personnel should be able to handle Stanford's d-line. Unless the o-line improves considerably, no eligible Trojan qb will perform particularly well.

I just finished reading all the posts, and there was not one positive writing. Not one. Booty is a bum, Carroll cannot coach, the playcalling is silly etc etc. If Stanford does not make that great play at the end, SC wins, and all is forgiven. In sports, there is a win-lose delusion, meaning that there is often such a slight difference in the winning and losing of a game that it is not in touch with reality

That said, the reaction by the SC faithful is despicable. And the booing of the team by the Trojans' "fans" was classless. But no surprise-- fan is short for fanatic, which is defined as an obsession, or preoccupation to a troubling extent, of a pastime (i.e. football team).

And the funny thing is that it has been shown that positive support helps a team more than negativity. That is why the home team has an advantage (especially in basketball).

To slightly change the subject, Stanford beating SC was monumental for college football-- David bests Goliath, again...And as an SC fanatic (without the negativity) losing early in the year (recall 1996 Oregon State) does not knock SC out of the championship running.

OMG for once I agree with Lawyer John!

Still my team, still our coach, still our quarterback. It sucked, but sometimes you lose - that's football. Beat zona. Get us to the rosebowl. Win the conference. Fight on.

I agree with all of the above.

PC is not handling this well. All I have heard so far is excuses..."we have injuries" "bad breaks, no turnovers"

Who cares about O'Dowd wasn't Spanos slated to be the starter before he got hurt? So why is this an issue?

When was the last time we had a postive turnover ratio? in 2004?? enough of that already.

Malu has been here for 5 years he should know what he is doing. For chirst sake he weighs 350lbs all he has to do is get in someone's way but I guess he can't even do that.

Enough of the mealy mouth excuses,leave that for ND. It's time for PC to put his money where his mouth is.

1. Put JDB on the scout team and forget about him. I don't have time to list all of his faults. He cost us the last 2 games. Start Sanchez. It can't get any worse. Or Michael McDonald.

2. Fire Pat Ruel. Our O-line was getting manhandled by STANFORD AT HOME. Whoever is coaching it is an ass clown. Jeff Byers has more talent than the entire Stanford D-line put together.

3. Fire Sarkisian. Our play calling is beyond predictable. I can close my eyes and tell you what will come next. We telegraph everything.

D. Reed in the game= Screen
Rojo in the game= reverse
J. McKnight in the game = pass in the flat
C. Washington= run up the middle

1st down- run
2nd down- naked bootleg
3rd down- pass down the field that is not even close to being complete

4th down- punt

4. Sit Patrick Turner. He drops everything. Stone hands.

5. Put Havili on the scout team. He is completely lost on every play. He runs one way when the routes calls for another. Chooses the wrong hole to run through..I am sick of him.
Play Adam Goodman.

6. PLAY A. BRADFORD Did they forget he is on the team? Try to start H. Dennis, anything. At least Dennis won't fumble.

7. Do a C. Weis and start all over again. Every position is open. No one is a guaranteed starter.

8. Fire the WR coach (Morton?) that just came in. We have the 2 #1 WR's in their class + D. Ausberry and our passing game is nonexistent.

But he won't. We will spend the rest of the year hearing excuses like "we need to work on forcing turnovers"

What would be positive about that performance? I would call most of this constructive criticism. Don't think for a minute that "all would be forgiven" if Stanford didn't complete that pass. The problems would still exist just as they did in the UW game.

I wasn't there but the fans sounded pretty loud and supportive at the end of the game when Stanford was driving. For LA sports fans, that was impressive.

It isn't wrong to boo a weak performance. This was not being bested by a better team. Maybe the boos anger the players enough to light a fire in them. They play mostly uninspired.

However, #7 isn't a bad place to be. We win out, we win the conference and have a shot at the BCS title if teams ahead of us lose one. The guys just need to focus and execute...and that includes the coaching staff.

Lawyer John, your platitudes are usually reserved for teams “mired in mediocrity” and effective only with teams looking to “win one for the Gipper.” Let’s get our proverbial “heads out of our asses.” We are a team with a lot of talent lacking the on-field General that rallies his teammates, like a Vince Young, like a Tavita Pritchard! We’ve amassed this much talent to simply say – let’s put this one behind us and look forward? Sanchez may not be the answer, then again how will we ever know? Obviously practice field performance doesn’t translate to on-field. Just ask JDB. Sanchez has thrown interceptions in practice. That may be more the result of not getting as many reps with the first team as JDB, and the defense actually being able to see and read his eyes over the o-line. “LOL!”

Pete Carroll and USC have not won a national championship since Norm Chow left.

The offense has not looked consistent or high octane since Norm Chow left.

Kiffin and Sark are not the equal of Norm Chow combined.

GlobeHop:
Yeah cuz it was the offense's fault they only dropped 38 on Texas huh?

So who would you bring in? (Can't say Chow cuz you know he won't come back.) Name an OC who would do a better job! Bet you can't; at least a realistic one.

Scott, before I get started here let me establish, I am a “big” supporter of Pete Carroll. My comments below reflect my thoughts about the last two games!
With that said, my frustration level is boiling and I have been unable to digest the complete debacle I witnessed Saturday at the Coliseum.
That game was embarrassing, lack luster, uninspired, ill prepared, undisciplined, predictable and unimaginative, other than that everything went well.
The last two games are not indicative of Pete Carroll teams we have all grown accustom to. The talent level on USC is second to none; therefore it is mystifying why the coaching staff cannot inspire the players to play above & beyond their capabilities {much like Stanford} or at least disciplined football.
It seems to me that everyone watching the last two games can predict exactly which plays USC is going to run. Off tackle left, off tackle right, bubble screen, quick slant, trap up the middle. Stanford seemed to guess correctly the entire fourth quarter. STANFORD! That’s right STANFORD was able to stymie our offense, USC looked lost, confused, and bewildered.
Speaking of predictability, John David Booty is almost always rattled when he feels pressure and seems incapable of scrabbling away from pressure or knowing when to “throw the ball away!” Plus when JDB is off he’s off, the last two games he has been rattled consistently, he gets happy feet, passes are batted down, and throws are behind and beyond receivers, plus he telegraphs his throws by staring directly at his intended receiver, thus the multiple picks.
For some reason this dog won’t hunt, Mark Sanchez deserves an opportunity to show his tremendous skills. Before anyone tells me he is untested, do yourself a favor and replay the fourth quarter of the Stanford game and watch their QB cut his teeth against one of the best defenses in college football.
By the way, why in the world was Everson Griffen on the bench during the final drive. He is the fastest defensive lineman we have and would have caused all kinds of fits for the mobile Stanford QB.
Let’s get back to predictability, why did USC play such a soft defense during the final two Stanford drives? The Stanford QB had all night to check down from his primary to secondary receivers. USC has so much team speed, when USC pressured the Stanford QB he was off to the races & ineffective passing the football, but when we needed the pressure the most we rushed 4 and sometimes only 3 defensive lineman. WHY? Were we playing not to lose? Would any of the other top five teams played so conservatively? No way! They would have run the Stanford QB out of the stadium.
Now let’s discuss player personnel, will someone tell the coaches that we have several players that can flat out fly with the football. Let’s get the ball in their hands more often. Joe McKnight gets only two touches and offensive line didn’t block. He was tackled on one play as soon as he was handed the ball. I am certain, with his pedigree, any team in the country would have been utilizing his skills frequently & would have benefited greatly. I am baffled why USC does not use him more often.
Ronald Johnson can fly as well, when he touches the ball it seems like he is ready to break off a big play every time. SARK instituted one play where RJ was in motion and then JDB handed him the ball in full stride, result first down Trojans.
Marshall Jones forgoes his redshirt and is not in the game when Mozique McCurtis gives up the game winning pass. Stanford needs a touchdown or they lose and McCurtis has his back to the receiver in the endzone? Why? What are we thinking? Put the Marshall Jones in the game, that kid is a great athlete.
Coaching; I always feel that when it comes to coaching that nobody is going to out coach, Pete Carroll. But for some unknown reason we seem to be an hour late and a nickel short this season. With all of the build up prior to the beginning of the season maybe the USC players have lost the proverbial “eye of the tiger”
Let’s reinstitute the catch phrase from two years ago “Leave No Doubt” We need to play four quarters of inspired USC football and utilize our superior talent to decimate every opponent on USC’s remaining schedule.
I am certain that we can find the right mix of players to build the chemistry needed to right the ship, but the USC coaching staff is going to have to let the players rip and make things happen.
It’s all about the moment and focusing on the task at hand and for some reason USC does not have the crystal clear focus required from week to week thus far.
RB

I can think of plenty, but one that leaps right to mind is Gus Malzahn, the former OC at Arkansas and now at Tulsa.

He would be great with Mustain next year having already coached him before at Springdale and Arkansas.

As the OC at Tulsa, he has the 3rd ranked offense nationally, 4th ranked passing offense nationally, 8th ranked passing efficiency nationally and 14th ranked scoring offense nationally using way less than talent than we have here.

Another hot talent is Dave Christenson, the OC for the undefeated Missouri Tigers who has his offense purring along with the 5th ranked passing offense and 4th ranked total offense in the nation.

These OCs are doing it with talent much less than ours, relying on spread offenses that seek to create mismatches at the point of attack. Either one of them would jump at the chance to move up to a big-time program.

Norm Chow's genius was that he treated the entire length of a game as a process to set up the other team for a key mismatch. Patiently using the short passing game, play action and running game for that decisive bomb or breakaway.

Sark tries to do that at first, then goes away from hit and starts going all over the map with plays, without having a feel for the flow of the game. Part of that problems stems from calling the plays from the sideline and not from the box where he can get a better view of the flow of the defense.

I refuse to accept any right-minded person actually thinking that the top football program in the country is the right place for an offensive coordinator who was a high school coach two years ago. Get real, you people are ridiculous.

Also, the fullback and tight end positions are great options in the offense this year that were non-existent when Kiffin was the OC. Sarkisian called some questionable plays on Saturday but this offense looks a lot more like Chow's than Kiffin's did. All this fire Carroll, fire Sark, fire Ruel talk is garbage. They need to get their acts together but PC is the best there is and his staff is top notch. Enough with the fair-weathered fandom. It's disgusting.