Beat the Bruins

Two years ago, when USC finished its 55-19 pasting of Oklahoma, and thus joined Nebraska '95 and Miami '01 as one of the three greatest college football teams of my lifetime, I called my local radio station to engage in some (I thought) well-deserved homerism, the two drive-time sports jocks on the other end had no wish to talk about Matt Leinart's sterling passing game, or Pete Carroll's stifling defense, or the simply reflect on the Trojans as a brilliant team that peaked at just the right time. No: instead all anyone wanted to talk about was: would Matt stay or would he go? I mean, we didn't get one day of glory before having to respond to the speculation.

So it is this week. With one of the most emotionally satisfying games in years in the books, 44-24, USC over Notre Dame, it appears that Trojan fans will face, once again, one of the most boring, boring recurring stories in college sports. Will Pete stay or will he go?

To a certain extent, the speculation is understandable. This year was probably Pete Carroll's best coaching job of his life. Without a strong team identity (the offensive captain did not play a down in 2006) and with the departure of the non-wide receiving soul of the offense (drum role, please: Leinart, Bush, White, Lutui, Justice, Byrd--five All-Americans, if you need them), it was up to Carroll to send out the best eleven and hope the chemistry would kick in. What he had to overcome was an overwhelming sense of the blahs, one that struck between the victory over Nebraska in September and the 33-10 deficit against Oregon State two months later. At times, the team seemed to be sleepwalking--through the Washington and Arizona schools--and Carroll used the Oregon State loss to turn the season around. Stanford was a walk-over; Cal and Notre Dame were statements. Now USC has secured its fifth BCS game (tell me this isn't a record), and stands poised to position itself for the fourth consecutive national-title-implications game, as well as the third consecutive BCS Championship game.

So what do we hear? Will Pete Carroll go to the Arizona Cardinals?

Bleh.

This, with the Cardinals' skinflint ways that pretty much prevent any sort of success. In 20 years the Cardinals have gone to the playoffs once, and that was a sheer fluke, the act of a team riding the emotion of a whole city rising up to support (among others) local collegiate heroes Plummer and Tillman. The Bidwills are a blight on pro sports, and I would assume Carroll, who now sits astride the premiere college football program in the country, would have the sense to run a mile from them.

Furthermore, Pete Carroll belongs at USC for the next 20 years. His rah-rah-rah, sis-boom-bah attitude didn’t fly in the NFL. I buy into the belief that a certain brand of superlative college coach does not fit in the pros, either due to a certain arrogance of system and work habits (Steve Spurrier), a tendency to micro-manage (Rick Pitino) or too much naked enthusiasm (Carroll). The good news is, in football and basketball, these guys can still make a fortune. (Pity the poor college baseball coaching phenom.)

In point of fact, Carroll lost the better part of one-loss team last year, and as November turns to December he coaches another one-loss team toward–in the worst-case scenario–to the Rose Bowl. Meanwhile, pupil Leinart runs for his life in the desert.

If Pete ever goes, he goes. But it would be a huge mistake. And at USC he is a god.

And yet, this is all I hear lately.