BASKETBALL, FOOTBALL

USC Notes: Crosstown Rivlary Next Week?

UCLA coach Mick Cronin said the Bruins might play USC next week if the Oregon schools can’t play.

Of course it came from the media friendly Cronin and not Andy Enfield.

I’m all for the USC-UCLA rivalry having three regular-season games. It used to be four back in the old days. Now the teams only play three times if they meet in the Pac-12 Tournament.

  • Looks like Wahlburgers has had enough of the USC Village, like several other dining establishments.
  • Today is the 16th anniversary of the USC-Texas national championship game.

Doesn’t feel that long ago to me.

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35 thoughts on “USC Notes: Crosstown Rivlary Next Week?”

  3. Texas was really waiting for Lendale White on that attempt for the lst down to run the clock out. Reggie Bush should have also been in the game to provide an outside threat. Those Vince Young runs are still hard to watch especially with one of the Ting brothers trying to tackle him, and Frostee Rucker getting faked out completely on the Vince Young keep around end . This was not a great USC defensive team that year as I recall they gave up alot of points that year to Fresno St., ND, and of course Texas.

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  4. If only Chow had still been OC in the 2006 game vs TX…if only the refs had called Young’s knee being down on that TD pass…if only the refs had called Reggie down on that ill-advised lateral that was ruled a fumble…if only Pete had come up with a game plan for the second half to corral Vince Young…

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    1. All true…. but we all keep forgetting that was a damn good Texas team –only team in the country averaging more points than USC… and, unlike us, they HAD a defense too…
      #Still,WeShouldaBeat’Em…

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      4. Oh, crap. I forgot the lateral! Wtf?! [The inability of the defense to deal with the zone read is all I remembered —till you brought THAT up]…

        Liked by 2 people

      5. Needed some second half adjustments – Young was pretty much a one man team that night. Would have thought that the LB corps of Cushing, Rivers, and Rey-Rey would have picked it up in the second half…

        Liked by 1 person

      6. 67,
        Maybe we shoulda seen this [& by “this” I’m referring to very confused USC linebackers and safeties] coming after the multiple breakdowns in the Fresno game…..
        #AndFresnoWasNoTexas

        Liked by 2 people

    2. PC botched a three-peat for the CFB natty and a back-to-back SuperBowl Ring. Probably the only coach with such a claim. Poor guy was hampered by lousy OC’s all his career (other than Norm).

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      1. Young was a man against boys in that game.

        And to bring this back to OU. Sooner board was so good at “farking” back in the day and they had VY superimposed over Uncle Rico, throwing a football. Classic!

        Liked by 1 person

  5. They should have punted the ball, if it went into the end zone Texas would have gotten the ball at the 20 instead of getting it at the 45. They only had to go 55 yards instead of 80. Texas scored with 19 seconds left in the game going that extra 25 yards might have made a difference timewise. Pete could have had another national title and another super bowl if he hadn’t passed from the 2 yard line. That’s what happens when you think you’re smarter than everybody.

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    2. I would never punted that ball. YY was getting UT in the end zone no matter what.
      – VY’s knee down
      – Bush, stupid f’n lateral
      – Super young defense (Lofa Tatupu leaving early to NFL killed us).
      – One of the Tings dropped an “Easy AF” INT near end of game.

      God, if LenDale keeps his footing and gets that 1st…

      That game was soul crushing.

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      1. Yes. Not a popular view but…..yes. And White was running thru Texas all night —but he wasn’t doing it with the entire Texas line keying on him. Pete’s error was in thinking that, because White was having such a big night, he could barrel thru for more 2 yards —but amazingly he didn’t pause to consider what would happen if the whole Texas team had one thought in mind on that single play: stop White.
        #AlexanderToHisCharioteers:”HaveButOneThought:KillDarius”

        Liked by 2 people

      2. We all know that in a parallel universe somewhere, Norm was retained, and after a fake to LenDale, Matt tossed a quick pass to Byrd for 3 yards.

        Liked by 2 people

  6. Vince Young’s knee was definitely down on that 1 play, but USC’s defense that year was not as good as those in the past. USC’s offense carried the team that year, but in this case they went to Lendale a few too many times. The Ting brothers played alot in this game at defensive back, and one play it looked like King Kong running to the end zone with a high school kid (Ting) trying to make the tackle who was totally intimidated.

    Michael was correct Texas just had the better defense when the game was on the line, but I can guarantee if there was more time on the clock that afternoon Leinart would have led the team down the field for a miraculous game ending touchdown.

    I was there definitely one of the greatest games ever. I remember Henry Winkler (Fonzie) was sitting two seats down from us cheering on the Trojans…and like all of us was quite disappointed.

    My hope is that we will be back in the National Championship game in 2024 especially if we get Caleb Williams, and of course if Nick Saban has retired by then.

    Liked by 3 people

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    1. Both teams put up 550 yards total offense, neither could systematically stop the other, just that TX guessed right on the LenDale play and that was that.

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  7. Speaking of Caleb- he has 4.6 speed with a canon arm, and very accurate. Once he learns to read defenses definitely a Top 5 pick in two years. Remember, he was a freshman this year.

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  9. Shaun Nua

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  10. Vince Young squirting into the end zone that night denied SC from winning 3 National Football Championships in a row. Alabama has never done it, and since the 1950s it has never been done, but surprisingly it was fairly common in the 1890s to 1940s eras, with mighty Princeton doing it a couple of times. Yes, Princeton.

    Andy Enfield and our Scotty will not be sharing beers together any time soon. One wonders why Scott has said hardly a word about SC basketball until his Enfield dig yesterday.

    Come on Scott Wolf, a good basketball game has more thrills than practically any other sport, the Trojans were very good last year and seem improved this year, and they are undefeated!– It’s not like we’re used to great SC basketball through the years, so join the party, you’re missing out. You can still maintain your usual writing edge,
    such as, “Since the Wooden era the record is something like 104-16 in favor of sucla. Last night SC won despite missing all of their free throws, and closed the gap on the Midget-Bears to 104-17.”

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    1. Yes. Scott needn’t see this as a “do I change my attitude toward Enfield or not?” choice — reporting USC basketball victories can proceed along a parallel path —running along side of lots of Enfield vitriol.
      #Win/Win

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  11. D-line coach from Michigan. Another really good coaching move. So what if Riley didnt get all his Oklahoma guys to come and coach with him? I think the coaches he is ending up with are better than his OK coaches. Let’s watch the recruiting shape up once his full coaching staff is in place. I am looking for them to add 2 more 5 star recruits in the 2023 class and soon have the #1 class in the nation, and just stay there until the class closes.

    Really great coaches on the D and O line. Really great running backs coach.

    Liked by 2 people

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