2008 begins, and with a start like this, Trojan fans are thinking, “How good could it get?” We don’t have to wait long for the answer.
Like most fans, I expected a one-sided game – but I didn’t expect this. The defense was dominant (yes, it was expected), but so was the Trojan offense, as a hard-to-believe-he-was-ever-hurt Mark Sanchez showed why those of us who have known him since high school have been waiting for this time. This wasn’t what we saw in camp. This wasn’t what we saw in scrimmages. While we thought they would play well in finally facing a new opponent other than the USC defense, they simply hadn’t shown the precise execution that we saw on Saturday. And did they ever show it on Saturday.
On the Trojans Live post-game show on Fox Sports West after the game, I made two main comments:
1. Steve Sarkisian was on his game. Last year, Steve Sarkisian had Mark Sanchez on a governor, clearly under instructions to not have the offense lose the game. We saw the opposite on Saturday. Wide-open, lots of formations, lots of personnel, spreading it around and using all weapons, with faith the Mark Sanchez would make good decisions and make plays. Keep it up, Sark.
2. Mark Sanchez is ready. Period. Efficient. Accurate. Cannon-arm. Mobile. Great energy. Dialed-in to the game plan. And a serious competitor. A big game against OSU and a run at an undefeated season and you can put him in the race for all the post-season awards. That’s right, I said it.
And while it’s tempting to get over-excited, the fact is, this Virginia team isn’t a strong one. They are a middle-of-the-pack ACC team, and the ACC down-right sucks. Consider Saturday’s results for the ACC’s two top conference teams: Clemson is dominated by Alabama, Virginia Tech loses to East Carolina. ACC fans - - basketball season is right around the corner! The most fun the ACC will have this season will be watching Paul Johnson take his option offense from the Naval Academy to Georgia Tech and run the ball down team’s throats.
That said, I have a few other impressions from Saturday’s game:
• Three-back attack: Get used to it – CJ, Stafon and Joe. And it worked. We’ll see if they ride one horse more than another when the going gets tough.
• Joe McKnight: What a difference a year makes. He was super-smooth, made his cut, and ran up-field! Last year he was more hype than substance. This year, he looks ready to be a super-star playmaker.
• Damian and RoJo: While they play a lot of guys and spread the ball around (and I expect that continue), Damian Williams looks like the polished receiver we’ve been lacking, and Ronald Johnson – now that he has a quarterback that can throw it – is the deep threat we’ve been lacking.
• Offensive Line – No penetration when running the ball, and gave Mark Sanchez a ton of time. Real test coming in 2 weeks.
• Kevin Ellison – What a smart player. He was jumping routes from the first snap and almost had two interceptions.
• Clay Matthews – how do you keep him off of the field? All he does is make impact plays.
• 3rd and long – I think we’ll see it all year. Trojan defense gets an offense in 3rd and long, and here they come. Man coverage in the secondary and bring the blitz.
Any negatives?? There’s always room for improvement. Penalties and turnovers weren’t good for the Trojans. And while some of the penalties were questionable, the turnovers is where Carroll will focus… and not on give-aways, but on opportunities missed on take-aways. This could have been a 5-or-6 take-away game for the Trojan defense, and the one thing lacking from the teams of the last two-years is the big positive turnover margin that the prior years had. I can guarantee you that film sessions will point out the opportunities that were there for the taking, and pushing guys to step up and make those plays.
Pre-Ohio State
Here come the Buckeyes, with two weeks to prepare. And yes, considering that they play University of Ohio this week, the Buckeyes have two weeks to prepare as well.
Many people think this will be another USC statement game. USC has run over Big-Ten teams like Illinois and Michigan, while Ohio State has been blasted in the last two BCS Championship Games, looking unprepared to deal with the team speed of non-Big Ten Teams. I look at the Buckeyes and see a BIG challenge. They are immensely talented, very well coached, and have a lot to prove.
Watch the OSU-LSU game again, and what you see is an OSU team that blew it – not that they should have won, but wow they had their chances. I saw an OSU team that ran the ball at the heart of the LSU defense and had success. Glen Dorsey? They ran right at him and for the most part kicked his butt. But they abandoned the run after a few turnovers and when the game got away from them. I saw an OSU team that threw the ball well with incredible talent at wide receiver. And this year, they sprinkle in Terrell Pryor to run the spread and give opposing defenses something else to worry about. OSU’s offense is the real deal, and will be the best offense USC faces this year. Better than Oregon. Much better than ASU or Cal. Great offensive line. Great skill players. More than half of their offensive starters will be on NFL rosters.
Where I believe the Buckeyes have problems is on defense. Yes, they are always ranked as one of the top defenses in the country in every category and have great players like Laurenitis and Jenkins. But again, go back to the LSU game, and the real reason they lost the game is that they couldn’t stop LSU.
So how does this translate for the Trojans? For me, it looks like a very even contest, and it’s strength on strength. The Trojans defense against the Buckeye offense is going to be an epic battle, and I can’t wait to see how Pete Carroll attacks. And then, USC’s offense – which despite their showing against UVA is still young and a bit untested – against a solid OSU defense that, even though they’ve struggled against speed like USC, is a veteran squad with a chip on their shoulder. Does it really get any better in a regular season game?? Remember this: Pete Carroll lives for these moments.
A few closing notes:
1. I won’t be on Lexus Gauntlet Live this Monday, September 1, which will air live from the Rose Bowl following the UCLA-Tennessee game. I will be back on Monday night, September 8, as we air live at 9:00, and I will have a detailed breakdown of the Buckeyes – game film and all!
2. For those who can’t get tickets (or heaven forbid sold their tickets) to the OSU game and will be watching from home, Lindsay Soto, John Jackson and I will be on the air on Fox Sports West/Prime Ticket with our Trojans Live show. We will have both a pre-game and post-game show, doing our best to cover every angle.
Onto OSU.
