Behind The Box Score

Coming off a failed stint as the head coach of the New York Jets, Pete Carroll turned to Southern California to build an empire. In this empire, the players would be treated with money, cars, girls and the glamour of Hollywood, that’s enough to attract the average male right? With the first great season of success coming in 2002, the once prominent program was back on the rise, and nothing stood in their way.

 The American media, most notably ESPN formed a loving relationship with the happy go lucky coach that always had a smile on his face and got the best out of his players. Two years later, Carroll’s best team was on top of the world. After claiming a mythical split national championship with LSU the season before, this team featured the So Cal stud Matt Leinart, the 619 repping Reggie Bush and a defense that was as tough as the armour worn by the actual Trojan Empire. Storming out to an undefeated season, this team was to face the “Chokelahoma” Sooners in the BCS Championship Game. The Sooners were led by the 2003 Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Jason White, a season removed from the 21-14 loss at the hands of the LSU Tigers, also a national championship game. Falling behind early, Carroll’s team rolled in a 55-19 rout in Miami. According to the media, this was the beginning of a dynasty.

 Coming back for 2006, the Trojans had everyone back and with a seemingly good economy, Carroll could afford to give Bush and Leinart an increase on their yearly salary. Once again going undefeated in the regular season, this team was to face another Big XII opponent in Texas. Upset over not winning the Heisman, Longhorns quarterback Vince Young was destined to bring his team to victory. While Mack Brown’s players played for the name on the front of the jersey rather than the back, the Trojans were defeated in an evenly called game, something the Trojans were not used to.

 Which brings me back to the 2005 season, in a game at South Bend, Indiana against Brady Quinn and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, USC was done in the fourth quarter with a minute to go. Throwing a spectacular pass to get inside the ND five yard line, a quarterback sneak was called to win the game. When the ball was snapped, the Irish front four got a push, when Leinart looked like he was stopped, Reggie Bush somehow miraculously came to the rescue. Illegally pushing Leinart into the end zone, a play that has been illegal since the 60′s, the yellow flag was not thrown, once again allowing Carroll and his team to get away will whatever they wanted.

 After the loss to Texas, the remnants of a team that two Heisman winners, the Trojan football team would never be the same. Midway through Reggie Bush’s rookie season in the NFL, one that has many critics glorifying the Texans for selecting Mario Williams first overall, a report from FoxSports surfaced that looked to pit Carroll in a place he deserved to be. During his three years on campus, Bush had alledgedly received payments from Carroll and with the aide of boosters around the program, Bush’s impoverished family was staying in a house where they had a payment of $1 a month. Faced with these claims, Carroll shook it off like his running back carrying the ball and very little has been said since. The Pac-10 has been run by the Trojan Machine for the past nine years, with nobody in line to step in the path and stop the corruption. With Los Angeles comes corruption, and the Trojans are a prime example of the statement.

 Playing in the Rose Bowl year after year, mainly due to losses from lowly Stanford, UCLA and Oregon State, this team has an advantage in their bowl games unlike others. Not only playing Big Ten opponents year after year, the Trojans get to travel all the way across town to Pasadena to play. So tough for Carroll’s bunch who already has enough due to the paychecks that come in the mail each month. After a 2008 season where Carroll sent eight defensive players to the NFL, more reports came out that LB’s Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews were on steroids. A spike in production from the two and a history of injuries made the claims seem more truthful, but Carroll continued to run the show out west and for the second time nothing was said.

 The Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 was intended to stop monopolies in all aspects of the United States, but with USC nothing has been said by the biggest monopoly in the sports world, ESPN, so this so called “dynasty” will continue to run unharmed. Winning one REAL National Championship since 1997, the Trojan Empire will eventually fall but with the modern version of Julius Caesar running the show in Pete Carroll, the light at the end of the tunnel is a distant mirage. As the Trojans march into Columbus to take on the Buckeye warriors, look for a similar situation, a team fresh off roster bonuses stemming from a 56-3 route of San Jose State, losing to a team with a quarterback that has dual threat capabilities. If not, the always smiling coach will take answers on how his team played and will never be questioned on why this corrupt program continues to run.