Legends Channel

John Robinson's Blog About USC

USC is starting to look like the team we all thought that they would be this year.  The Master Coaches Poll has had them ranked at No. 6 for three straight weeks, which is higher than any other poll.

SC is suddenly getting about eight starters back that have been missing. They have suffered from a phenomenal amount of injuries, having five defensive starters out early in the season.  To me, they have had a hard time figuring out who they are.  Over the past few years, they have been a team that ran a wide open offense that tried to throw the ball all over the field.  But this team is starting to understand that this year, they are just not the same as they have been and should try to win on defense.

I think that their defense might be able to get them back in the driver's seat in the Pac-10, but Oregon has one of those offenses that makes you think, "Wow!  They're faster than everybody!"  The fifth-ranked Ducks aren't a great defensive team, but they are tough to beat if they can get you in a shootout.

To win games, the Trojans should be running the football and playing great defense, but they have been slow to recognize the personality of their team.  It seems to me that in the Pac-10, you have to take an oath that says you will to try to score 40 points and throw the ball 40 times per game.  I don't think anybody wants to play that physical style of football that is played in the SEC week in and week out, but if the Trojans decide to do so, they will find themselves right back in the hunt, not only for the Pac-10 championship, but in the national title hunt as well.

The feeling around the country is that USC has been taking teams lightly and become complacent.  I don't agree at all.  I don't think the team has played with indifference, they have just had a frightening amount of injuries.  The SC defense has about five players that could be first round picks in the NFL Draft, but they have been out for the past three or four weeks (such as Brian Cushing and Hershel Dennis). 

John David Booty has been hurt as well, and Mark Sanchez has taken over at quarterback.  He's a good player, certainly one of the best high school quarterbacks coming out of Southern California in years.  He is starting to look like he can manage the team, which will be a difficult task on the road in Eugene. Oregon is a very difficult place to play, and it's about time for the rain to start.  I think they have a faucet up there that they turn on about this time of year that should be running until April.  It will be tough for SC because some of their kids from may not have ever seen rain before.

This game should be a great one to watch and will probably decide the Pac-10 champ.  So, sit back and enjoy another wild weekend of college football.

>>>>> See Master Coach Don James' thoughts on USC - Oregon game <<<<<

Oklahoma Legend Lee Roy Selmon Blogs About His Two Favorite Colleges

After retiring from the NFL as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, I enjoyed a career in banking for about six years. It was an easy transition because I had gone through the management program in the offseason just after my rookie season. But in 1993, the University of South Florida approached me and asked if I would be interested in helping to build the football program.  I jumped at the opportunity and have worn three different hats at USF: my first position was Associate Athletic Director, I then held the position of Athletic Director for three years and since then, I have been proud to be involved in the development of the football program through fund raising.

I think that Coach Jim Leavitt has done a spectacular job at South Florida as the first and only football coach that we have had at the university. He is driven toward success, and I still see the same passion today that he brought when he first took the job. To follow the growth of the program from the early days of working out of trailers with hardly any footballs to even practice with, to joining the Big East Conference, and to now becoming a Top 25 team (currently No. 9 in the Master Coaches Poll) and playing in front of a sellout crowd for the first time against West Virginia …. it is truly remarkable!

Being in the state of Florida, Coach Leavitt has been up against the Gators, Seminoles and Hurricanes in the recruiting of players. The "Big 3" Florida schools have rich traditions of success, and they generally get their pick of the litter in the state. There are a lot of great athletes in Florida, and Coach Leavitt has done a great job of marketing the Bulls to high school coaches thereby getting some of those players as well. If I had to pick one thing that has made a big impact in recruiting it would be joining the Big East Conference. By becoming a member of the conference the players have a chance to play in a BCS Bowl and quite possibly a National Championship.

South Florida has an awful lot of talent and a chance to have a really special season after knocking off Auburn and West Virginia. The notion is that our schedule appears to be fairly easy from here on out, but I do not agree. The Big East is a tough conference and getting tougher.  For example, a traditionally weaker team, Syracuse beat Louisville a few weeks ago, so there is no easy game along the way. If I had to pick the toughest upcoming opponent, I would say FAU because we tend to look at the schedule one game at a time. If the team can stay focused and take it one game at time, they have a chance of being in every game along the way.

One of the biggest games this week features my alma mater, Oklahoma against Texas. Oklahoma took a tough hit last weekend, being upset by Colorado 27-24. Not to take anything away from Colorado, but I do not think Oklahoma brought their A-game to Boulder. The Sooners most likely got caught looking ahead to the Texas game after taking a 24-7 lead. When I was playing at Oklahoma, we could not help but look ahead. As much as Coach Switzer tried to keep the team focused, it was very difficult not to look ahead. There is so much hype about this game, with people talking about it at the beginning of the year, let alone a week before the teams are set to square off. The Sooners did not play nearly as well against Colorado as they had in the first three games, and you could easily attribute it to looking ahead. I give Colorado a lot of credit for taking advantage of the opportunity and finishing off Oklahoma.

It is a humbling experience to lose a game like that. Oklahoma will have to put the Colorado game behind them. They must focus on this game against Texas, and I believe that a victory will allow them to get their heads back on straight. From here on out, Oklahoma must prepare for each game as if the opponent is the best team in the country. Anything less will set them up for another embarrassing loss.

It is interesting to me that both Texas and Oklahoma lost this past week…one of the teams will have suffered two straight losses when the Red River Shootout is decided. When I was at Oklahoma, I played in an era where our team had not lost a game in a couple of years. One year Kansas came to Norman and beat us. We were forced to go on the road the next week to Missouri and found ourselves in a dog fight. My teammates and I started to think, if we lose this one, our whole season is in jeopardy and we may not have a shot at the national championship. The loser of the game will be in big trouble.

Sam Bradford could be the key to the game. I have been impressed with his play, even though he made a few mistakes late against Colorado. He is awfully talented and, as a redshirt freshman, he has a lot of years of football in him. He looks like a natural on the field, very comfortable, and the longer he is in the system, the better he will become. The Colorado loss may be a blessing in disguise to help him step up as the leader of the team. His play and Oklahoma's ability to pressure the quarterback will be the deciding factors in the game.