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Morning Buzz: Has USC Played A Good Team?

Has USC played a good team yet?

Oregon is unranked and has two losses. Do the Ducks still qualify as a good team? Do they have to win the rest of their games?

Penn State is 3-3. Rutgers is 1-4. Washington is an unmitigated disaster at 3-3 and sinking fast. Then there were the three Tomato Cans that USC played in nonconference games.

Remember, I never overhyped the Oregon game or said it was a make-or-break game. That was for the fanboys.

But the Ducks have underachived this season, outside of the USC game.

So what do we know about the Trojans? Todd Blackledge keeps acting every week like the defense turned a corner. Against 3-3 Washington? And 3-3 Penn State?

No, the schedule is doing no favors. It’s going to be the Indiana, Ohio State and UCLA games where the rubber meets the road.

So back to my question: Has USC played a good team?

I mean, Lincoln Riley acted like he won the national championship at Penn State, so we know his answer.

  • Penn State 0-5 in the five highest-attended games at Beaver Stadium. Penn State is 12-10 in White Out games since 2004, when the tradition started. Penn State is 2-6 when it is unranked and facing a ranked opponent in a White Out game.

10 thoughts on “Morning Buzz: Has USC Played A Good Team?”

  1. No. Three marquee programs during down seasons/periods. They probably lose at least 4 still, and definitely will not beat Ohio State.

    BTW-The Penn State losing with their highest attendance figures – unlike USC, the other big programs have expanded seating over time so it stands to reason (the capacity was far less for instance when Penn State was playing Dan Marino and Pitt). To be fair to USC – the Coliseum sat over 90K (and 100K for certain events) at one time (and during the McKay through Pete eras).

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  3. KAM: Some did not think SC would be in the running for the Playoffs after the first 7-games

    DON: But here they are at 6-1, and I give them a chance to win their remaining games

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  4. You are absolutely spot on. Another reason why playing only cupcakes in the non-conference like wussey Riley serves no purpose. Yes USC can artificially inflate the win total but 10-2 against our schedule won’t go as far as some other teams’ 10-2 mark against better non-conference foes.

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  5. KAM: I believe Wiley was hurt in the Washington game when the student body started chanting “Fire Lincoln,” because he kind of over-reacted with his Penn St victory

    DON: I don’t believe it when he and the team say they don’t pay attention to “outside noise” aka social media, especially when so much of it is negative

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  6. Defense, particularly the secondary is a huge concern.

    But what is surprisingly concerning is the running game. Waymo Jordan was on fire before he was injured in the Michigan game, I believe he led the NCAA in yards after first contact last season, averaged 6.5 yards, had a 40 yard run, no fumbles. He says he is back, but the stats don’t show it. And King Miller was supposed to be stronger and faster this season, that is questionable also.

    Mosley’s return kept the PSU the defense honest in the second half, and hopefully Bowman will be back in two weeks, which will further open up the running game.

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