USC Aftermath: A Humbling Experience

It's hard to be positive after a 44-10 beat down at the hands of the evil Trojan Empire, but things could be a lot worse. Before I get to my "glass half full" perspective I have to reiterate Oregon's need for a real Defensive Coordinator. Watching USC torch our secondary and front seven for 598 total yards was simply unacceptable. We DO have the talent on the defensive side of the ball, especially in the secondary, to avoid an offensive barrage that USC doled out yesterday. Maybe it's unfair to Nick Aliotti, or as many Oregon fans begrudgingly refer to him as "Allowalotti", having to coach within the same vicinity as Oregon St. Oregon out recruits the Beavers in every position on the field, but year-in and year-out they continually field a solid defense from the personnel they are able to recruit. I know it leaves me, along with other Duck fans, trying to grasp what the hell Oregon is doing on defense most of the time. I remember hearing the excuse that Nick needed "solid DB's" to run his defensive schemes the way he wanted to. Well Nick, you have them. Patrick Chung, Jairus Byrd and Walter Thurmond III are, or should I say "were," on the Thorpe award watch list given to the nation's top defensive back. If Oregon's defensive schemes don't change VERY soon I think Aliotti and Bellotti will both be feeling the heat. Oh, wait...they already are.

Now where's the positives out of all of this mess? Well, look no further than Arizona St., Washington and Washington St.

1) Washington hasn't won a football game since 2007 and looking at the remaining games on their schedule it may be a battle-royale against the Cougars for their first and final win in 2008. The next four games on their schedule include Oregon St., Notre Dame, USC and Arizona St. They will NOT win a single one of those games...especially if Jake Locker is absent. And why should Oregon fans take solace in the Huskies agony? It's a humbling reminder how fast a successful football program can take a swan dive from its ivory towers to the true helms of hell. The Ducks have the talent to breed success for years to come, and that is something all Oregon fans can take pride in.

2) Arizona St. was ranked #15 in the Preseason polls and was expected to be a true contender for the Pac-10 Title. After 6 weeks of football they possess a 2-3 record, and with USC looming next on their schedule it would appear they are headed for 2-4. They are having an extremely difficult time running the ball and they haven't been able to capitalize on the experience of senior quarterback Rudy Carpenter. This is actually one of the rare occassions where a senior quarterback in the Pac-10 doesn't appear to have his team headed for greatness (ex. Joey Harrington, Kellen Clemmens, Dennis Dixon, Jonathan Smith, Jason Gesser, Matt Leinart, Aaron Rogers...just to name a few in RECENT years). After their meeting with USC they face Oregon and Oregon St. The Ducks seem to have Rudy Carpenter's number, evidenced by 2 wins in the last two meetings, and the Devils have to line up against the Beavers in Corvallis. This is a team that could be 2-6 before they finally get their feet underneath them. Again, the Ducks could be in their shoes right now. Especially if we don't pull out that win against Purdue.

And finally, the dreadfully awful Washington St. Cougars. I'm going to start calling this team the "Dr. Phil" of the Pac-10 Conference because opposing teams always feel better about themselves after bitch slapping the hell out of them. How did this program get so bad? It was only 6 years ago that this team was ranked #7 in the nation and playing against Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl. Now the only win this team can notch is against Portland State!? Wow...that makes me almost feel sorry for them. Maybe recruits have finally come to the realization that Pullmam is the most boring location for a college campus on the west coast. I'm sure tractor pulls and bailing hay aren't exactly "sweet" extracurricular activities for prospective football players.

Keep in mind that in 2005 Oregon got destroyed at home against USC 13-45 and ended up with a 10-2 record. See Duck fans, there is hope after all...and things could definitely be a hell of a lot worse.