Sky wrote:Hey Van, I should have been more clear in my last post. What I was saying was this: you made some good points and while I see where you are coming from I feel like we just keep going round and round about UM vs USC when that is no longer and issue (assuming you beat UCLA). Lets just move on and start concentrating on the real game at hand.
Agreed. However, you did take my post and Q&P it and then comment on it ("I was taking your post seriously, until
this..."), which indicated that you seriously misread (or misinterpreted the intent of) what I wrote.
As for OSU-USC, well, USC needs to win one more game first before we need to worry about it.
Disclaimer out of the way, if USC is fortunate enough to make it to Glendale then I'm just hoping they can play with poise and a steady hand. If they can limit their mistakes down to where it's a wash with OSU's mistakes then we're going to have a great game and a close game and USC will lead at some point. I don't know if they'll hang on for the win but they'll cause Ohio St fits with their offensive weapons and their defensive speed.
I'm just hoping Troy Smith doesn't scramble for close to 100 yards on the way to a 70+% rate of pass completions. If he does those things, Ohio St wins, unless there's also two picks and a fumble on his stat line. USC needs to keep his scrambling
somewhat under control and they have to get enough pressure on him to where he won't be his usual efficient self.
His yardage won't matter as much as his TD/Int ratio. 4/1 will kill us. We need to keep it closer to something like 2/1, with a passing % closer to 50%, including a lot of hurries and at least a few key sacks.
Offensively, besides keeping the TOs down USC simply cannot afford this season's usual slew of unforced errors. Can't have seven illegal procedure calls. Can't kill our own drives. Can't sustain Ohio St drives with defensive penalties on third and long. USC will have to play the smartest and most efficient game they've played since before last year's Texas game. They have to make this a game about talent and play making ability and they can only do this by reducing their mistakes down to where they're a wash with Ohio St's.
I don't see it. I gotta think this USC team is much more likely to shoot themselves in the foot than this senior led and very experienced Ohio St squad. If however the shoe should end up on the other foot and for whatever reason (too tight and/or flat coming off of such a long layoff, too self satisfied, subconsciously taking the title for granted, whatever...) and Ohio St ends up being the team who makes the greater number of mistakes (or even an equal amount) then I like USC's chances to win.
I really like the idea of a Pete Carroll led USC squad coming in as an underdog, with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove. That could be huge.
