SCliff Notes: Were 2004 Trojans Best of BCS and More USC Football News

Can’t get enough USC football? We’ve got your morning dose of all the best content from around the web concerning the men of Troy.

1st & 10:

BCS’ Best… Apparently before the season the AP asked some of its Top 25 voters to rank the top teams of the BCS era and that panel decided on USC’s 2004 squad as the best of the best.

Naturally, lots of debate followed on social media mostly centered around the merits of Miami’s 2001 team as top dog.

No doubt that Miami squad was a dominant force and the NFL talent it produced is pretty mouth-watering from WR Andre Johnson, S Ed Reed, TE Jeremy Shockey, and LB Jonathan Vilma just to name a few.

Trouble is, the question wasn’t about NFL talent or production. It was about college football during the BCS era.

College football and the NFL are very different animals and professional production isn’t an accurate reflection of collegiate achievement.

When it comes down to it, the 2004 Trojans featured two Heisman winners and two of the best players to ever play the game at college level. That’s not to mention one of the more outstanding offensive lines of the era and a host of other top-level players headed by an exceptional coach who stands as one of the greatest in football history.

(H/T Lindsey Thiry, LA Times)

In Other News…

• Since we’re exactly midway through the season, we thought it was time to hand out some midseason awards. The midseason MVP should come as no surprise. (Reign Of Troy)
• Buck Allen was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week on offense Monday. (Reign of Troy)
  • The electric running back was also the headliner of our offensive report card. (Reign Of Troy)
  • Can’t get enough report cards? Michael Lev has his own grades for USC against Arizona (OC Register)
• Ryan Kartje thinks the Pac-12’s depth is a problem…for the Pac-12. Has the conference taken itself out of the race for the college football playoff? (OC Register)
• According to Greg Katz, Steve Sarkisian is emulating Pete Carroll in his ability to pick his teams up after a loss. (ESPN)
• Rahshaun Haylock detailed the key contributions of freshmen in the secondary late against Arizona. (Fox Sports)
• Jake Davidson laments the lack of a feel good victory over Arizona with another blown lead in the fourth quarter. (Daily Trojan) 
• Lendale White thinks Justin Wilcox should be fired for that blown lead, as Lindsey Thiry points out. (LA Times)
  • Our Michael Castillo disagrees, blaming a lack of killer instinct on offense for the late drama. (Reign of Troy)
• Looking forward to this weekend, Kyle Kensing has his complete game preview for USC vs. Colorado revved and ready to go. (Bleacher Report)
• Speaking of the Buffaloes, Dave Lombardi dubbed Colorado at USC the “Desperation Bowl.” (ESPN)
• Looking ahead even further, Fox Sports 1 set the game time for USC vs. Utah for a nighttime kick off. (Reign Of Troy)

Stat of the Day:

Since getting bullrushed for 452 yards on the ground against Boston College, the USC defense has allowed a total of 166 rushing yards in their past three games. That’s an average of 2.30 yards per carry.

Tweets of the Day: