USC was impressive off the bat by outscoring Washington State 20-0 in the 1st quarter. However, against a team they were suppose to beat by 45 points, they only outscored WSU 7-6 the rest of the game. Put that all together, and for a second consecutive week, USC did not look like a championship caliber team. Haunted by turnovers, penalties, and a clear drop in offensive play calling, the Trojans had trouble sustaining drives majority of the game outside of the first quarter.

That concludes this week's game recap. There is not much else to say about that.

What does deserve some acknowledgement is what Pete Carroll has done for USC. The fact that over the past few years he has lost so many players to the NFL and still manage to be in the conversation for a National Championship. I have not seen any other program that has been capable of replacing so many players and so many coordinators without seeing a drastic drop in performance.

Many coaches' pitch to their recruits is that they will have significant play time off the bat. Is that really a good sales pitch or does it just reflect society's need for instant gratification. These young athletes aspire to be NFL stars and make the life changing million dollar contracts. They should be insulted when they are pitched a pro bono collegiate stardom because they are being sold short of their dream. Pete's pitch I'm sure involves preparation to someday be in the NFL. It's not about starting as a freshman, it's about starting a future career and fulfilling a dream. USC gets knocked for their stars "busting" in the NFL. ie: Matt Leinart.

There are thousands of QBs in high school and only a handful make it to college. From there only a handful make it to the NFL. In the end only 32 Quarterbacks win a starting gig in the league. So is it so bad for Matt to be sitting behind a future Hall of Famer in Kurt Warner? Sooner's former QB and Heisman winner, Jason White didn't even get drafted. Where is Florida's National Champion QB in Chris Leak? Buckeye QB Troy Smith never earned his spot from rookie Joe Flaco. Matt Cassel has signed bigger contracts than them for just holding a clip board in college.

Pete Carroll's players haven't been that impressive the last two games. USC has fallen short of National Titles the past few years, but Pete Carroll and his players have not fallen short of their promises and goals. Pete pitches them NFL careers his players have gotten them. That isn't just impressive. It's amazing.