All week, there has been one question that almost every sports media outlet has been asking in some variation.
“If the game comes down to the wire and USC is down, can a true freshman in Matt Barkley lead this team down the field for a game winning drive in such a hostile environment?”
The answer is an emphatic yes.
I wasn’t expecting this one to come down to the last drive. My hat goes off to Ohio State for a fantastic performance on defense through the first three and a half quarters.
But three and a half quarters just isn’t enough, and a star was born in Matt Barkley tonight. Ask any Trojan fan about their favorite Matt Leinart moment, and a whole lot of them will fondly reminisce on the amazing late comeback drive on Notre Dame with the infamous “Bush Push”.
Pac-10 Media Day really makes it hit home; football is right around the corner! All 10 coaches enter the season with the same 0-0 record, and all have their own hopes and goals for the upcoming season.
Just wanted to make this post to help you get down to the nitty gritty and get you all caught up on your favorite team’s (and rival’s) day at Media Day.
Video
The whole three hour and 30 minute event can be seen here, if you didn’t have the chance to see it live and you have a bit of extra time on your hands. In case you just want to see a particular team or two’s section, we’ve provided a time code to help you out;
Arizona’s Mike Stoops and FS Cam Nelson – 01:47:58
Arizona State’s Dennis Erickson and OLB Mike Nixon – 01:14:36 California’s Jeff Tedford and RB Jahvid Best – 02:08:45 Oregon’s Chip Kelly and CB Walter Thurmond III – 02:38:36 Oregon State’s Mike Riley and OLB Keaton Kristick – 02:25:26 Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh and RB Toby Gerhart – 00:58:01 UCLA’s Rick Neuheisel and MLB Reggie Carter – 00:39:45 USC’s Pete Carroll and FS Taylor Mays – 02:47:31 Washington’s Steve Sarkisian and OLB Donald Butler – 00:28:27 Washington State’s Paul Wulff and C Kenny Alfred – 00:17:58
Quotes
Pac-10.org has put up detailed quotes from each coach’s 15 minutes of Media Day fame. ESPN’s Ted Miller took some quick blurbs yesterday as each coach took the mic, summing up the jist of each coach’s key points.
These are the two places I’d suggest getting your quote fix.
When Lakewood High School standout quarterback Jesse Scroggins reported that he had his commitment decision down to USC, Florida, and Tennessee, I was sure we’d be seeing the Southern California native heading to the SEC.
After all, last I checked, the future of the quarterback position at USC has already been decided.
Ever since his early commitment on January 23rd of 2008, Matt Barkley has been penciled in as the next big thing at USC. Receiving the accolades of scouts and fans around the country and most importantly the USC coaching staff, Barkley is projected to start the 2009 season behind Aaron Corp on the depth chart and push for the starting job as soon as 2010.
But somehow Pete Carroll continues to recruit blue-chip players at positions with seemingly no openings. A quick look at the running back situation leaves you scratching your head and wondering how so many guys that would be marquis players on most teams accept limited roles at USC.
“Unfortunately, I no longer feel I can offer the level of enthusiasm to my duties that is deserved by the university, my coaching staff, my players, their families and the supporters of the University of Southern California. I always promised myself and my family that if I ever felt I could no longer give my full enthusiasm to a job, that I should leave it to others who could.” – Tim Floyd
The now infamous words tied to Tim Floyd’s resignation that absolutely no one believes.
Even if you aren’t the conspiracy theorist type that turns every story into something 10 times bigger, it is awfully hard to accept this story at face value. Anytime a coach steps down for anything other than age or health reasons, it always raises suspicion; when a passionate and successful coach steps down from a program clouded in controversy, it doesn’t take a whole lot of imagination for some red flags in your mind to start going off.
The look on Tim Floyd's face just about sums the situation up
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