USC Makes Early Case For National Title
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

If it’s true that we learn more about the character of a team from how it deals with adversity than how it handles success, the Southern Cal Trojans made an awfully large statement Saturday in Eugene, Ore., against the Oregon Ducks.
After falling behind by two touchdowns early in the second quarter, USC exploded for 45 unanswered points to turn a nail bitter into a laugher, improve to 3-0, and strengthen its hold on the no. 1 spot in the polls.
While the Trojans still suffer from under-exposure thanks to the regional format that the Pac-10’s network broadcast partner (ABC) prefers, this was the type of win that reverberates throughout the sport. An upset-in-progress ripples through the college football-viewing world, as fans tune to the game or await cut-ins bearing updates in whatever game they’re watching. If most of the nation was curious as to whether the Trojans would falter at a noisy and hostile Autzen Stadium, the USC players never seemed to feel the tension. Indeed, their comeback took on an air of inevitability as soon as Oregon squandered a few chances for first-half touchdowns and settled for field goals in building a 13-0 lead.
By halftime, it was 13-10 and Oregon seemed to be doing all it could to withstand the onslaught that everyone knew was coming. By the end of the third quarter, it was 31-13, USC, and all that remained was for USC tailback Reggie Bush to pad his Heisman resume. He did just that on a spectacular 11-yard run in the fourth quarter on which he started out around left end, reversed field, and conceded nearly 20 yards of field position before rocketing up the right sideline and into the end zone, picking up a block from quarterback Matt Leinart along the way.
Leinart, of course, was last year’s Heisman winner – a fact that may be the only drawback in his campaign to become just the second two-time winner of the award. He certainly did nothing to hurt his case on Saturday. After struggling against an aggressive Oregon defense, he settled down to complete 23-of-39 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception.
USC, averaging 59 points per game, pushed its winning streak to 25 games and topped its record 23rd straight AP poll, gaining two first-place votes at the expense of idle no. 2 Texas. There have been some close calls during the streak, and there may be more this sea son with three difficult road trips remaining. But at this point, a loss by USC, even in seemingly tough games against Arizona State (this Saturday), Cal, or Notre Dame, would have to rank as one of the most shocking upsets in college football history.
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While the college football world is surely USC’s domain, the contenders lining up to take on the Trojans in the Rose Bowl BCS championship game begins with Texas. Also in that group are a pair of schools each from the ACC and SEC – no. 3 Virginia Tech and no. 6 Florida State of the ACC, and no. 5 Florida and no. 7 Georgia of the SEC. No. 4 LSU finally restarts its much-interrupted season tonight against Tennessee (7:30 p.m., ESPN2).
Of those teams, none was more impressive Saturday than Virginia Tech. The Hokies got off to a quiet 3-0 start behind quarterback Marcus Vick and a ferocious defense, but few eyebrows were raised until 3-0 Georgia Tech visited Blacksburg with a defense that many felt would cause Vick problems. Instead, the Hokies scored every way imaginable, including two interceptions and a blocked field goal all returned for touchdowns. Vick was contained as a scrambler but showed he can be dangerous with his arm, throwing for 222 yards on just 18 attempts before being lifted.
Both Virginia Tech and Florida State, which was off Saturday, have relatively easy schedules throughout October and could end up meeting the first-ever ACC title game in Jacksonville. To get there, Virginia Tech will probably have to beat Miami (Fla.) at home on November 5, but if the Hokies bring the defensive intensity they displayed Saturday to that game, they should dispatch Miami for a third straight year.
In the SEC, Georgia improved to 4-0 with a 23-10 win over Mississippi State that was not as close as the final would indicate, and now has two weeks to prepare for rival Tennessee. Florida (4-0), meanwhile, scored all its points in the first half in a 49-28 rout of Kentucky that should help boost quarterback Chris Leak’s confidence in running coach Urban Meyer’s spread-option offense.
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The Big Ten was thought to have a trio of possible national title contenders in Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio State, but after just four weeks, that group has five combined losses and only Ohio State remains in contention. The no. 8 Buckeyes thrashed visiting Iowa Saturday and are the best-positioned one-loss team in the country since their only defeat was a narrow loss to Texas. Iowa and Michigan’s struggles don’t mean the Big Ten is bereft of contenders, however. Michigan State followed its win over Notre Dame make their claim for in-state supremacy when they host Michigan next Saturday after the Wolverines gave up 17 fourth-quarter points to fall at Wisconsin 23-20 and drop out of the poll at 2-2 after starting the year ranked fourth.
The Hawkeyes and Wolverines aren’t the only title aspirants to see their seasons come crashing down in the opening month. Big East newcomer Louisville was thought to have an easy path to an undefeated season thanks to the weakness of its adopted conference, but the Cardinals were shocked, 45-14, by fellow Big East tenderfoot South Florida Saturday and were severely punished by the AP voters, who dropped them to no. 24. Louisville’s schedule is not strong enough to allow the Cardinals to move back into contending position, but if they run the table from here on out, they can still qualify for the Big East’s BCS berth.
Mr. Levine writes for FootballOutsiders.com.