9/14 Coaches Poll released: lovefest for USC, Okla to #2, LSU at #6, OSU at #14

Totally agree here. It's good to see that the voters have moved away from their static "we won't drop a team unless they lose" mentality.

Like when LSU jumped USC last season while both teams were undefeated.

 

paradiseinc - looks like we didn't even need to wait until week 6. Nice foreshadowing... So much for USC possibly having their best team under Pete (they had mentioned that possibility before the game tonight). I will say this though - it would have been tough for most teams to beat Oregon St. tonight. They played a hell of a game on both sides and the crowd sounded like they were at an SEC game. It was great game in every aspect!

And now we know why they play the game...

 

You show me a team that doesn't give up 9 yards rushing on every first down, and I'll show you a team that doesn't lose to Oregon State.

 

exactly. thats my beef with petey always since at usc. hes supposedly the defensive genius yet i dont see his defenses compete at the level of your top-tier sec teams week-in and week-out.

his offenses are always top-notch. that finesse left-coast thing has always been obvious at some point.

too offensive minded and not enough hard work inside.

 

Could not agree more. I'll give their offense props, but it sickens me when people talk about how great their defense is, year in and year out. They never seem to live up to their (supposed) reputation and Carroll is FAR from a defensive genius.

 

Berge - I did say "most teams"... That running back was getting hit, but kept going. But yeah, they gave up a ridiculous amount on the ground.

However, that's only one part of the game. I thought OSU's D was pretty stellar. When you shut out the #1 team in the first half (especially USC), you're doing pretty good. They were all over the runnings backs and receivers and making solid tackles. There wasn't much sloppy play from OSU. They had ZERO turnovers and that was huge. That's usually how USC turns games in their favor. All they had was that blocked field goal.

Most teams eventually crack on D against USC, but they didn't. That was the difference. They ran well, passed well, defended well, somehow punted well and even brought the crowd noise.

 

In the first half, their offense was their best defense. USC made a mistake on every drive in the first half, and OSU just ran the clock, not giving USC a chance to get it back.

All that changed in the second half: they were not running the play clock down and they stopped running right at the USC defense, allowing the Trojans to come back. An untimely interception was the difference in this game.

 

Yeah, their offense kept them off the field for the most part in the 1st half and that was huge. Also, they didn't get anything when they were on the field and OSU didn't have huge blown coverages, etc.

And at the end USC's offense had a few chances to tie the game, but OSU's defense held. That ball was intercepted because USC's QB had nobody wide open to throw to and the D made a play and didn't drop the interception like other teams might have done.

 

Well I won't ever make this mistake again, FUSC......I should have known better. Pete is not as good of coach as the media makes him out to be. You are not supposed to lose these games when your then one with the better talent.

Now there is the SEC and then everyone else.