Bold Statement

Booty throws a very catchable ball.

Sincerely,

Stanford

JDB has a good arm but he isn't in Carson's neighborhood when it comes to winging it. Palmer's arm strength is elite

I guess that excludes the deep ball. There were not too many successful deep passes this year (new WRs no doubt contributed to this fact). When Booty has time, and his finger isn't broken, he is an accurate passer. However, he lacks touch on the deep throws, usually overthrowing the WR with too flat of a pass.

Pete's loyalty to Booty is admirable, but Booty doesn't compare to Leinhart or Palmer.

more reason that Pete should move on

mike:
I am a little off topic however you seem to be have been around the block. I am curious please post your TOP five USC QB's.
Thnx

Hey El Capitan:

Top 5 QBs? I guess it begs the question of Top 5 in what? In any event, IMHO, here are the Top 5 USC QBs, measured by their success while at USC (from McKay era to the present):

1. Matt Lienart - two-time Nat'l Champ
2. Pat Haden - led greatest team of all-time
3. Carson Palmer - spotty early USC career, but monster Senior season
4. Rodney Peete - Do-it-all QB who fell short in Rose Bowl
5. Paul McDonald (1 split NC + Rose Bowl)

Honorable Mentions: Todd Marinovich (1 Rose Bowl), JD Booty (2 Rose Bowls), and Rob Johnson (great stats, but couldn't beat UCLA or ND.)

Nice to see Rodney get some love.

So let me see if I get this right...Carson has 4 terrible years, years where he throws more ints than TDS, and one great year. He doesn't even get to the Rose Bowl once (instead he gets an at large bid to the Orange Bowl) and he's the #3 best USC QB of all time.

JDB on the other hand goes 10-2 both years he starts after sitting on the bench patiently behind arguably the best college QB of all time, gets USC to the Rose Bowl twice by winning the conference both years despite heavy injury losses on offense both years. He wins the RB convincingly both times and goes 9-0 against top 25 ranked teams and is not ranked in USC's top 5 QBs? Totally ridiculous...Rodney Peete is better than Booty at the college level?

Booty will not be appreciated till USC has truly terrible season and till we can get away from comparing him to Matt (who was surrrounded by the most talent any school has ever had on the offensive side of the ball).

And if I see one "well Carson never had the talent Booty had" I'm gonna smack someone. Carson's 2004 team was one of the most talented in USC history. Mike Williams, Keary Colbert, Justin Fargas, Troy Polumalu, Grootegoed, BKU, Mike Patterson. That team was stacked.

mike:
We both have the same five but my order is different than yours:
Palmer
Leinart
McDonald
Haden
Peete
I also agree with your honorable mentions.
Thanks

Hey Tyler:

Not sure about your math...seems as if you have Palmer playing for five years ("Carson has 4 terrible years, years where he throws more ints than TDS, and one great year.) You also have him playing in 2004 ("Carson's 2004 team was one of the most talented in USC history.") Palmer left after the 2002 season. USC was destroying Oklahoma to end the undefeated 2004 season.

I also think you forget that Palmer won the Heisman trophy, and USC's win in the Orange Bowl left many believing they were the best team in the country at the end of the year (although Ohio State deserved it after beating Miami.)

You also forgot that Booty was injured this year, did not live up to expectations of a potential Heisman campaign, and led the team to what many consider to be a disappointing year insofar as USC was ranked No. 1 to start the year.

On the one hand, Booty deserves credit for the helping in guiding his team to two Rose Bowl wins. When he has time, he is an accurate passer with a good arm (but no deep ball touch). On the other hand, he must take part of the blame in missing the opportunity of playing in the NC game for two years with tipped passes, and the interceptions in the Stanford game.

Lastly, who is your Top 5?