LASH Roundtable: Pac-12 Edition

Jabari Ruffin is one of two USC defensive starters to sustain season-ending injuries in the summer. Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Jason: USC has more question marks surrounding the program. However, their road to the Pac-12 South title is easier than UCLA’s. USC has a new coach in Steve Sarkisian and, while they’re no longer being sanctioned by the NCAA, they still have depth issues. USC has a ton of talent, but injuries could plague Sarkisian’s first campaign with the Trojans. Plus, UCLA has Brett Hundley. That eliminates a lot of question marks. 

Anthony: I think it’s pretty clear that USC has quite a few more question marks than UCLA on its roster, as well about on its program. After dominating the Pac-12 for so many years, Pete Carroll left for the NFL, amid controversy, and the Trojans have yet to fully recover. Since 2010 (the first season after Carroll left), USC is 35-17, with a 1-1 record in bowl games (they were ineligible for bowl games in 2010 and 2011).

That being said, USC continues to bring in highly-ranked recruiting classes, and the fan base is just as engaged as it used to be, so I don’t expect the Trojans to ever be mediocre for more than a season or two. The biggest question mark, of course, is at the quarterback position. The Trojans have historically been known for their strong quarterback play. Cody Kessler is expected to remain the starter after a pretty solid 2013 campaign. If he develops into one of the better quarterbacks in the Pac-12, that could go a long way to keeping the Trojans in the hunt for the Pac-12 title, and minimizing some of the other question marks about the team.

Micky: Having two defensive starters (Kenny Bigelow and Jabari Ruffin) go down to season-ending injuries before it even began hurts the Trojans a whole lot. Not to mention the defense is getting to know it’s third coordinator coordinator in three years. Losing their top three centers from last year doesn’t help either. But they’ve got so many explosive playmakers that if coach Sarkisian can figure out how to employ all of them, USC will be a Saturday highlight reel. With a year of starts under his belt, Cody Kessler removes any questions surrounding quarterback play, though he’s no Hundley.

UCLA’s only burning question at this point is which running back will step up to the plate.