Brian Curtis, CSTV Senior Editor

Eric Sorenson, CSTV.com Analyst

YES. Contrary to what many USC naysayers believe, the Trojans are poised for another national championship.  That doesn’t mean it is guaranteed – or even that it will happen – but, from where we sit in late August, the Trojans are the team to beat. 1. That Offense OK, so we know all about Matt Leinart: he’s arguably one of the greatest college quarterbacks ever.  He is back with a healthy elbow and a mastery of the USC offense.  Let’s throw in Reggie Bush who, on any other team in the nation, is the star.  Don’t forget about LenDale White, who could be an All-American if not for Bush.  Want receivers?  How about Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett for starters? (And freshman Patrick Turner is no slouch, himself.) The O-line looks pretty good as well.  This is an offense that simply cannot be stopped.  I watched them practice a few weeks back, and they blew the starting USC defense away.  Yes, the defense will take a small step backwards, but we are still talking ‘SC here.  The Trojans averaged over 38 points per game last year.  Oh, and they put 55 on Oklahoma in the national championship game. 2. That Schedule USC fans may not agree, but the schedule is not brutal. It’s tougher than last season but not nearly as tough as the slates other title contenders face — like Tennessee, LSU and even Ohio State.  They play a mediocre Hawaii team, an average Arkansas team without Matt Jones, a getting-better Oregon team on the road, all before heading to Tempe for Arizona State.  Yes, they also face Notre Dame and Cal on the road, but is it really that difficult?  Would you rather play Oregon, Cal, Notre Dame and Arizona State or the likes of Florida, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee and Auburn in the SEC or Iowa, Michigan, or Ohio State in the Big Ten?  Simply put, there are obstacles, but there is no game that the Trojans should lose. 3.  That Aura Nobody has beaten USC since 2003.  They are 25-1 over the last two seasons.  They win games before they even step on the field.  Don’t tell me that opposing teams are not intimidated.  Oklahoma was a pretty sound team until they met the Trojans.  That advantage helps pull the Trojans out of close games, when other teams would collapse. 4. That Coach Pete Carroll is a stud.  He can recruit, he can motivate and he can coach.  I know about the loss of Norm Chow and four other assistants, but do you really think that equates to losses on the field?  Leinart could coach the offense himself this year.  More is being made out of Chow’s departure than reality dictates.  Carroll has had a hand in the offense for a few years and his imprint will be even bigger this season.  He has been to the big games and he has won them.

NO. I’m sure the mouthpieces were still dabbled with saliva, and the ringing of the final whistle was still resonating from last season’s Orange Bowl when people starting talking about USC having a good chance to play for the national title on Jan. 4, 2006, as well. Guess what? I’m not here to say they weren’t correct. A third national title for Pete Carroll’s impressive regime is certainly possible. Just don’t count on a breezy path, folks. 1. The Interior of the D See, it’s not just the four All-Americans the Trojans lost on that side of the ball. It’s that they lost two dominating defensive tackles and their big-play middle backer in the top 45 picks of the NFL Draft, along with a hard-nosed, lead-by-example outside backer. Those guys had intangibles that are hard to replace, no matter how talented the newbies are. A Soph-heavy D will need leaders to emerge and hope the offense can score in droves. 2. The Pac-10 is Better Than You Think Yeah, I hear ya’. The Trojans don’t play anybody within the Top 17 of the pre-season poll. Sure. But here’s something to consider: remember how in the last two years, the Trojans have run roughshod over national contenders Auburn, Michigan, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma by at least double-digit scores (or was the OU win by triple digits?)? Yet, in Pac-10 play, they lost to Cal in ’03 and had four white-knuckle escapes by a touchdown or less in ‘04. So it’s their West Coast mates, not the “we’re a better conference than you” teams that have given SC its toughest games the last two years. Trojan fans, sneak an extra flask of tonic into games at Oregon, at Arizona State, at Cal and vs. UCLA. I see more of the same this year. And your frayed nerves will need it. 3. History is Not on Their Side Just ask Bud Wilkinson, Frank Leahy, Bear Bryant, Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne. Each of those coaching legends had the horses to pull off three straight national titles. All failed. The main culprit? Complacency. Each of them suffered inexplicable losses to teams they should not have succumbed to. But hey, it’s a long season. Even the best teams can’t stay completely hyped-up for 11 straight games, or 12 for USC this year with its visit to Hawai'i. And though Pete Carroll is one of the best motivators around, you’ll see, as the wins mount, that bull’s-eye gets awfully hard to wear. 4. Coaching Chemistry I’m not jumping on the Norm Chow-less doomsayers bandwagon. Sure he’s a great offensive mind and deserves his accolades. The truth is, not even Ashlee Simpson could screw up this offense. Too much talent. My thought here is more about the four assistants lost to the pros and the four new ones brought on. How will they work together? Will Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian agree on that perfect offensive call on a key fourth-down play? Or make that seamless adjustment at halftime? Will this coaching staff still have that in-sync magic it’s enjoyed the last two years? THAT could be a key factor in a close game.

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