It’s hard to believe that the Trojans will complete their season in just three days. It feels bittersweet, and lack luster, yet it actually it can prove to be a rallying cry for the athletic program.
Going into the season, I wrote that I didn’t know what to expect, and that 2012 would be the year the Trojans could be dangerous. I had unrealistic fantasies of an undefeated season and an AP National Championship, knowing full well that those odds were extremely slim. Little did I know that I’d find this year to probably be the most exciting year of USC football that I can remember, and just how close the Trojans came to having a legitimate shot an AP title.
Sure, the Leinart-Bush teams were exciting and provided so many highs, but they lacked drama. There’s a reason why everyone remembers the Bush Push game and the Fresno State game, but not the blowout of Washington the week after the Trojans escaped South Bend. It’s those instances of drama and risk and the need for perseverance that prove to be moments worth remembering and savoring.
Before this season, the 2007 season was my favorite. Despite losing to Stanford, we got a taste of Mark Sanchez, and USC had to overcome legitimate injury issues for the first time under Pete Carroll. John David Booty and C.J. Gable missed time and the Trojans had to break in a very raw set of receivers. The loss in Eugene was nearly a “feel good” loss as a brand new starter in Sanchez nearly took down the Heisman should-have-been, Dennis Dixon. Then, after the Trojans were left for dead, they rallied back and crushed Arizona State in a primetime game on Thanksgiving night and they were all of a sudden in the thick of things nationally. Everyone was losing games that year, and while it looked like the Trojans were headed to the Sun Bowl, they showed the heart to win the conference again and beat Illinois in the Rose Bowl. That team showed character that previous Pete Carroll era teams didn’t need.
That same character is evident in this season’s squad, given all of the outside factors surrounding program. Despite being limited from going to bowls, getting little respect and belief from the national media, and being left for dead again, they’ve shown resolve to improve each and every week and begin to believe in each other. This is a team that struggled back in September to beat the worst of the Big Ten, and yet they dug deep and improved after shooting themselves in the foot in Tempe, to eat into the Lane Kiffin way and rediscover their swagger and passion like the Trojan teams of the past.
No one thought they’d stop Andrew Luck, yet they did for three quarters. No one thought they’d slow down Oregon, yet they absolutely shut them down for much of the game, in Eugene, like no one has done in what feels like forever. To win the National Championship, or at least have a case, they knew they would have to beat both Oregon and Stanford. It took three overtimes and a split second at the 33-yard-line to prevent that case from being heard.
They responded to the most heartbreaking loss a team could ever suffer by blowing out an inferior opponent by the means of setting school records. They’ve overcome nagging injuries like the shoulder and ankle problems of Robert Woods, by having players like Marqise Lee step up as a true freshman. Yet despite all of the odds and obstacles they’ve had to endure this season, the Trojans have a quarterback suddenly in the thick of the Heisman race and a star receiver about to break the conference record for catches in a season, despite never being healthy. That’s character. That’s what people remember.
So as Saturday night approaches and Trojans play host to the boys from across town, take a second to sit back and reabsorb the season to date. They have to be one of the most exciting and likeable teams ever to wear Cardinal and Gold. They may not be champions in the books of the history writers, but with a win on Saturday night in the Coliseum, they will be to anyone willing to watch a group of young men play as one.
For up-to-the-minute buzz, follow us on Twitter and join our Facebook Fan Page.