Something Lurks in the Coliseum: USC '09 Season Preview

Offense:

• If you've heard anything about USC in the past month, it's that the Trojans will start a true freshman at quarterback in the season opener. At most schools, that's cause for panic. At USC, it's because young Matt Barkley was good (and healthy) enough to beat out a pair of more experienced guys who would start on many teams in America. Imagine how backlogged the unit would be if NFL-starting-quarterback Mark Sanchez had returned for his senior year.
• The QB derby isn't over. Barkley still struggles to read defenses (especially when the Trojans disguised coverages in practices) and forces plays. In other words, expect some ugly turnovers. Meanwhile, backup Aaron Corp does a great job protecting the ball and is extremely mobile. Corp cracked his left fibula during training camp, leading Carroll to pick Barkley as the starter in week one against San Jose State. But Corp actually looked better during a recent scrimmage and could wind up the starter for week two at Ohio State. Fortunately for USC, the rest of the offensive starters return and nobody expects the quarterback to carry the team. He just has to avoid major mistakes (advantage: Corp).
• The Trojans will dominate in the trenches. Many consider this offensive line the best in the country, anchored by preseason All American center Kris O'Dowd and sixth-year-senior Jeff Byers at left guard (no joke, he's about to finish his MBA). O'Dowd may miss some time early on with a knee injury, but the unit is deep enough that most fans will never notice the difference. After getting punched in the face last year at Oregon State, they have something to prove. Expect a few games like USC-Nebraska in 2007.
• USC's best wide receiver is Damian Williams, whose transfer from Arkansas two years ago was initially overshadowed by some quarterback named Mitch Mustain (the nation's best high school QB in the class of 2006 went 8-0 as a freshman starter in the SEC -- he's now secured a spot as the Trojan's third string QB). Expect Williams to break open at least a couple games this year. The Trojans suffered a major preseason loss in Ronald Johnson, who will miss a couple months with a broken collarbone. They will replace his speed with size -- 6-foot-4 David Ausberry and 6-foot-3 Brice Butler will see a lot more action in Johnson's absence. Also look out for the occasional lob-ball to Jordan Cameron, a 6-foot-5 former basketball player who can leap small DBs in a single bound.
• This year's tailback committee will be chaired by junior Joe McKnight, who merely came to USC with the pressure of being "the next Reggie Bush." If he stays healthy and avoids turnovers, he could find himself in New York for the Heisman ceremony. Stafon Johnson is expected to get the second most touches this year -- and to play on Sundays next year. If these guys aren't enough, C.J. Gable and Allen Bradford are also listed as co-starters, and even backups Curtis McNeal and Marc Tyler could start on about 100 other teams. The biggest problem, as it has been the past couple years, will be keeping everybody happy with their playing time.
• As usual, fullback Stanley Havili promises to be an unsung hero. If you're a student of the game (or want to become one), keep an eye on number 31 and think about how important he is for the rookie quarterback(s). Also expect consistent but easily overlooked play from the tight end position, where Anthony McCoy provides experience (useless fact: all four tight ends on the depth chart measure in at 6-foot-5).

Defense:

• He wears number two and plays in the secondary, but he plays second fiddle to nobody. Taylor Mays bypassed millions of dollars in the NFL this year to return to USC and destroy anybody foolish enough to come near him (except cute coeds -- they're allowed to hang out anytime). His fan following is reminiscent of the ones cultivated by Rey Maualuga and Troy Polamalu and offensive coordinators will have to plan for him like those former Trojan greats. A website has been created to list Taylor Mays Facts, leading some to question if Chuck Norris' status is in jeopardy.
• The rest of the secondary will be rock solid, with Will Harris at strong safety and Josh Pinkard and Kevin Thomas on the corners. The three seniors, who all have starting experience, were shuffled around when starting cornerback Shareece Wright was ruled academically ineligible. Pinkard hopes to play safety in the NFL, but will return to corner where he started the final eleven games of last season.
• How do you replace four linebackers from last season who now play in the NFL? You don't. Michael Morgan, Chris Galippo, and Malcolm Smith aren't household names like their predecessors, but they have spent time on the field and have shown in practices why they were all coveted recruits. Don't kid yourself -- they can't be considered a weakness. While they might not take over the game, they may not have to with a guy like Mays on the field. The key will be staying health, as the talent level drops off with a second string unit comprised of freshmen and sophomores. Look to middle linebacker Galippo to take on a significant leadership role.
• As a unit, the defensive line is easily the Trojans' biggest question mark. Defensive end Everson Griffen is the only player with starting experience from last season, but that was only the first three games of the year. The depth chart officially lists three potential starters at the other end of the line with Armond Armstead missing several weeks due to a broken foot. In between, Averell Spicer will start the season nursing a sprained ankle. JUCO transfer Hebron Fangupo, weighing in at a whopping 330 pounds, could make an impact and see significant playing time after an impressive training camp.

Elsewhere:

• The Trojans have a real special teams coach -- Brian Schneider --for the first time in many years, and the feeling around the program is that he's already making a big difference. Unfortunately, he doesn't inherit much experience at the kicking positions. Billy O'Malley will punt and Jordan Congdon will handle PATs and most field goal duties. Neither have a booming leg like Jacob Harfman, who will kick off. Harfman might be able to handle all the kicking duties if his accuracy were better (he barely hit 90% of his extra points in junior college) and could be called upon when distance is needed. Unless the trio proves to be reliable in game situations, Trojan fans should be nervous in close contests.
• USC could use just about any of their speedy wide receivers or running backs to return kicks. That's one way to keep the backup tailbacks happy. McKnight will handle punts, though, which could result in touchdowns -- for either team.
• After losing both of their coordinators to Washington (Steve Sarkisian is now the Huskies head coach, Nick Holt their defensive coordinator), USC shuffled around some of their coaches but kept continuity with most of the position groups. Pete Carroll has always been the real mastermind behind the defense, so the loss of Holt and subsequent promotion of Rocky Seto (who also retains his role as secondary coach) is negligible. It will be interesting to follow the offense under coordinator John Morton (promoted from "passing game coordinator" and retaining his role as wide receivers coach) and new quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates, who spent the last few years mentoring Jay Cutler in Denver.

Final assessment:

This preview starts and ends with Pete Carroll. In between? That was also Carroll. You just didn't realize it. Every player and coach mentioned here was recruited by the man responsible for LA's NFL team. Sure, they don't play on Sunday -- yet. Since Carroll came to Troy in 2001, he's had a whopping 52 players drafted. While many enter as high school All Americans, some go from college walk-on to NFL first-round pick (see: Matthews, Clay). Others can spend their entire career on the bench and become a starting NFL quarterback (see: Cassel, Matt). Others might be blue-chip studs who become so overlooked at USC that they transfer -- and nobody really notices (see: Moodey, Emmanuel). The raw talent in this program is consistently absurd.

These guys are nothing to sniff at while in school, either. Carroll's 88-15 record makes him the winningest active coach in the country, with seven consecutive conference titles, 11-win seasons, BCS bowls, and AP top 4 finishes.

This year should look familiar on the field. With an NFL background, Carroll builds his teams to finish the way pros should -- getting better at the end of the season. But that doesn't always work out well in a sport without a playoff. Expect some struggles in October, and don't be surprised by a "surprising" loss that can be chalked up to a lack of mental focus and a little too much bravado (see: Oregon State 2008, Stanford 2007, UCLA 2006, and Oregon State 2006).

By New Years, as we've seen before under Carroll, Vegas will probably have the Trojans favored over every team in a head-to-head match-up on a neutral field. But as much as we'd enjoy a USC-Florida showdown in the BCS final, don't be shocked when it doesn't happen because USC stumbled earlier in the season.