The Obvious - Once considered a slam dunk to be pre-ranked as the nation’s
top-ranked 2004 college football team, on-and-off the field challenges have
suddenly turned the USC Trojans’ spring practice into a game of Jeopardy and has
left a studio audience of daily observers wondering if the defending champs can
overcome staff changes, early NFL departures, and revealing injury and
discipline scenarios.
The Not So Obvious –Trojans’ coach Pete Carroll
may not be Alex Trebek, but he knows the biggest question for his now vaunted
national program will not be new coaches, underclass departures, or even
inexperienced but talented wide receivers. The Double-Jeopardy question will
revolve around a talented but suddenly no-name list of offensive line
candidates.
The Obvious – Graduated offensive linemen Jacob Rogers,
Lenny Vandermade, and Norm Katnik should be a reminder to Trojan fans just how
long it takes to find the right chemistry and experience to be a coordinated and
dominating line.
The Not So Obvious –Trojans’ offensive line coach Tim
Davis is confronted with a unique problem. Despite all the spring practice and
constant repetitions, the offensive line of the spring may not even resemble the
unit unveiled against Virginia Tech in late August.
The Obvious –The
offensive line wild cards, of course, are transfer tackle Taitusi Latui, the
health of guard John Drake, and the impact Colorado freshman center Jeff
Byers.
The Not So Obvious – Somewhat of a surprise is the same tackle
competition between redshirt freshmen Sam Baker and Drew Radovich, both former
Orange County prep All-Americans. It will also be interesting to see where
sophomore center Ryan Kalil, who figures to be the starter at spring’s end, fits
into the picture once Byers arrives in the fall.
The Obvious – The
unexpected loss of tackle Winston Justice almist completely wiped out a line
that was already under heavy reconstruction due to graduation and injury.
The Not So Obvious – The gut feeling here is that junior Justice, a
legitimate All-America candidate, will not be seen until 2005. Pete Carroll has
given every indication that his program has moved past Justice. While an
eligible Justice would certainly have greatly contributed to an easier offensive
line transition, his most recent transgression has not evoked a lot of sympathy
from those inside and outside the program.
The Obvious – The loss of
Justice has opened up a spot for Kyle Williams (6-6, 290), the former Highland,
Texas prep All-American.
The Not So Obvious – Suddenly Williams is being
given a rare opportunity to fit in with the first unit. With a heralded group of
freshman coming in, this is the proverbial window of opportunity for the former
Lonestar hero. If family history can help, we are reminded that Williams’ uncle,
Eric, was a member of the Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins in 1991.
Grandfather Roy also played for the 49’ers and Lions.
The Obvious – Word
is out that the Trojans are recruiting Louisiana quarterback Ryan Perrilloux
(6-3, 200), the multi-sport star from Reserve East. St. John.
The Not So
Obvious – Despite the local success of LSU, recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron
continues to mine the Bayou area for Trojan nuggets and has offered quarterback
Perrilloux. One of Orgeron’s current Trojans from Louisiana, Ryan Watson, has
been moved from the defensive line to offensive guard. Coach "O" was very high
on Watson when the kid was coming out of River Ridge John Curtis High. This
position move will be of interest to see if Orgeron’s recruit is able to be a
contributor in the future.
The Obvious – Another area of construction is
the Trojans’ secondary, which must replace two starters from last year’s
national championship club.
The Not So Obvious – In last week’s edition
of the Sporting News, SN commented on the needs of last year’s eight "elite" BCS
teams to continue their dominance. SN college football writer Pete Fiutak
wrote," Granted, most of USC’s opponents put up big passing number in a catch-up
mode, but 276 yards per game still is too much to allow. Starting corners Will
Poole and Marcell Allmond are gone, so it will be up to Ronald Nunn, Kevin
Arbert, and Justin Wyatt to prove they can tighten up the secondary." There was
a nice color photo of Ronald Nunn accompanying the story.
The Obvious –
One of the more interesting aspects of spring practice is the release of the
spring roster and special attention by Trojan fans to various position
changes.
The Not So Obvious – A major key position change appears to be
the movement of former Temple City star and redshirt Desmond Reed to tailback,
despite the presence of Hershel Dennis, Reggie Bush, and LenDale While. Reed is
taking full advantage by showcasing his lightening quickness out of the
backfield as a receiver. Of course, it’s only spring and let’s remember last
year’s spring star, Justin Wyatt, Huddle MVP. Wyatt looked great on offense but
now finds himself this spring battling for a starting corner spot.
The
Obvious – The Trojans’ receiving corps has shown good progress during the first
week of spring rebounding from the loss of All-American Mike Williams to the
NFL.
The Not So Obvious – The repercussions of the Trojans’ Williams to
the NFL may have a greater effect on future Trojans. If a current high school
star sees NFL after his sophomore or freshmen Trojan season, a hint of early USC
departure may be revealed by the prospects decision to graduate high school
mid-year and enroll at Troy for the spring semester for spring practice. This
may, however be a new positive twist that may keep Trojan coaches sane if high
schoolers start seeing two-and-out.
The Obvious – The Trojans have again
lost fullback Brandon Hancock to a Rose Bowl ACL and workout chest
injury.
The Not So Obvious – What a star-crossed career this kid is
having. Kid Hulk will be missed next season so-help-me Norm Chow flat pattern.
However, it just goes to show you just how important a player like the versatile
Lee Webb has become. It would not be too far fetched that Webb is becoming as
important a role player as there is on the defending national champions. A
fullback slated for a return to linebacker, Webb is back at fullback and that
versatility should not be underestimated and also that of reserve fullback David
Kirtman, who has been an emerging, pleasant surprise.
The Obvious –
Sophomore quarterback John David Booty is currently No. 2 to Heisman quarterback
candidate Matt Leinart.
The Not So Obvious – With a revamped and
questionable offensive line all that separates a healthy Leinart from a
carnivorous enemy pass rush, the continued development of Booty will be of great
intrigue. It figures that Leinart will be on the seat of his pants a bit more
next season, and Booty’s time could come sooner than later. In fact, The Huddle
will be the first real extensive look most fans will have of the patient
Louisiana native.
The Obvious – Trojan quarterback Matt Leinart is
emerging as the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy and is the linchpin of Norm
Chow’s offense.
The Not So Obvious – Despite the changes in Trojan
personnel, it is Leinart’s return that will probably the deciding factor that
will give the Trojans the nod as the nation’s top-ranked team come late summer.
If there is a lesson for young players on the Trojan team to emulate, it is the
Matt Leinart story – a former prep All-America who once considered transferring
out and a year later is the toast of the college football world and a future top
NFL draft pick.
The Obvious – The Trojans are relying on the development
of talented sophomores Steve Smith and Whitney Lewis to help offset the loss of
Mike Williams and Keary Colbert.
The Not So Obvious – With the sudden
spring emergence of Lewis as a potential major player in the Trojans’ offense,
it is the return of the three tight ends that has offensive coordinator Norm
Chow giddy with excitement. While Mike Williams and Keary Colbert were perhaps
the finest two starting receivers the Trojans have fielded at the same time,
last year’s club was not as balanced as Chow would have liked. The return of
Alex Holmes, Dominique Byrd, and Gregg Guenther will more than help ease the
loss of Williams and to some extent Colbert.
The Obvious – Pete Carroll
and his staff hosted close to 400 high school coaches recently for a Trojan
football clinic
The Not So Obvious – Throw in a Friday Trojan practice
for the coaches and the prep mentors were in hog heaven. Those in attendance had
nothing but praise at the way the clinic was conducted. It was a public
relations bonanza and served increased notice the Trojans will be harder than
ever to recruit against in California.
The Obvious – There isn’t a
Trojan fan alive that hasn’t at some point dreamt of playing football at USC and
running out of that Coliseum tunnel.
The Not So Obvious – Well, here
comes the Trojans’ Fantasy Football Camp for Adults June 10-12th. With
practices, Coliseum scrimmages, uniforms,and even the Trojan band as part of the
gig, the biggest complaint may be an avalanche of applications for all those
Trojan senior citizen Walter Mittys out there. And if you have too many gray
hairs to pullout and lead a tailback on a sweep, you can be an assistant coach.
Directed by former Trojan and Notre Dame killer Rod Sherman and former Trojan
players, here’s your birthday present. Yes, Pete Carroll and staff and former
Cardinal and Gold greats are expected to be camp facilitators.
The
Obvious – The time is approaching for the Trojans NFL Day, which will give the
professional scouts a chance to time some of Pete Carroll’s departing
players.
The Not So Obvious – Althought Mike Williams is not expected to
attend, you can bet there would have been a circus atmosphere if Williams
elected to return to the Southland for one of his pro auditions. You can also
bet that scribes like the Times’ Gary Klein, Daily News’ Scott Wolf, and OC
Register’s Todd Harmonson would have their eagle eyes focusing on the scouts’
stopwatches begging for a 40 time on Williams.
The Obvious – The Trojan
Huddle, the name for the Trojans’ open scrimmage, will be held April 3 in the
Coliseum.
The Not So Obvious – It is somewhat surprising that the suits
at the local cable Fox Sports affiliate haven’t decided to televise the 11:00
a.m. football carnival. For those Trojan fans that have access to the other Fox
stations across the cable sports world, you are aware that there are schools
like Florida that televise their spring game. Getting Nike and In and Out to
sponsor a televised Huddle would not seem like a major impossibility if there
was "air" space.
The Obvious – The Trojans have signed an extended radio
contract with 1540, Sporting News Radio.
The Not So Obvious – One of the
incentives was the guarantee that 1540 would have an increase in power to reach
more of the southland. There are reports that 1540 is coming in clearer outside
the immediate Los Angeles area. This will be good news for Trojan football fans
at the Coliseum, especially after games in which the call-in post-game shows
usually faded out the further you got from the Coliseum.
The Obvious –
In Kenechi Udeze and Omar Nazel, the Trojans lost both starting defensive ends
from Wild Bunch 2.
The Not So Obvious – Due to the understandable
attention paid to defensive tackles Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson, much of the
attention to the defensive end position has gone somewhat unnoticed. One player
that has the ability to make an impact is senior Van Brown. If Brown hopes to
follow his brother into the NFL, this is the last and best opportunity for the
gifted but inconsistent senior-to-be.
The Obvious – A surprise to nobody,
football recruits across the country no longer see the Trojans as up-and-coming,
but see Troy among the elite of the collegiate landscape.
The Not So
Obvious – For those Trojan fans who follow recruiting and high school teams,
they will be interested in knowing that Student Sports is no longer part of the
annual Sporting News High School Football pre-season magazine. A new prep media
organization called School Sports has replaced Students Sports. Look for the
return of former USA Today national prep columnist Dave Krider to rank the top
teams nationally and have input into the extended and popular recruiting
section.
The Obvious – Trojan legendary offensive guard Brad Budde will
be the guest WeAreSC dinner speaker at Papadakis Taverena in San Pedro on
Wednesday, April 7th at 7:00 pm.
The Not So Obvious – Having first-hand
experience listening to Budde at a banquet, we put our reputation on the line
and urge all Trojan fans to attend. Budde is one of those few speakers that can
make you want to strap up a chinstrap, apply a red helmet, and gets your
imagination dancing in a Coliseum end zone.
The Obvious – Many onlookers
during the first week of spring practice still are talking about the hit that
safety Darnell Bing applied to tight end Kurt Katnik.
The Not So Obvious
– The expectations for Bing, the former Long Beach Poly prep legend, have been
as high as any Trojan freshman in recent memory. Laying the wood on Katnik once
again got many Trojan zealots making comparisons to the incomparable Ronnie
Lott, everybody’s hall of famer. However, until Bing delivers a big hit on a
consistent basis, lets cool the Ronnie Lott comparisons. Potential to be Lott is
still unproven Lott talent.
The Obvious – For those attending the Huddle
on April 3rd in the Coliseum, the walkup cost will be $25.
The Not So
Obvious – When you consider the fun, food, and friends, it’s not a bad charge,
unless you consider the cost of a game ticket at BYU is also $25 for visiting
Trojan fans.
The Obvious – While spring ball in southern California has
received a weather blessing, we are reminded that one of the coldest games ever
during a regular season was in the late 90s against those Fighting Irish of
Notre Dame in the Coliseum.
The Not So Obvious – For those that need
justification to buy a heavy Trojan national championship sweatshirt in the
spring, let it be noted that this year’s Notre Dame game will be played on Nov.
27th at 5:00 p.m. The game is being televised on ABC.
The Obvious - One
of the rewards of winning a national championship is when spring practice
returns, next year’s senior blue chippers show up to feel the Trojan
love.
The Not So Obvious – So it will be with added interest when
Barrington, Illinois star offensive tackle Dan Doering (6-6, 290) makes his
unofficial visit to spring practice. Doering’s family, which will be spring
vacationing in Palm Springs, will certainly get the star treatment and we know
what that means. By the way, would it be a coincidence if it was during the same
week as Jeff Byers and family happens to be in town?
The Obvious – The
Trojans and LSU will be honored by President Bush at the White House on Tuesday
for their respective national titles.
The Not So Obvious – It should be
noted that the USC media department was gracious enough to acknowledge LSU's
presence for the NCAA Fall Sport Champions' Day in the District of Columbia.
However, LSU’s media release does not make mention of the Trojans as part of the
same ceremony. Sounds like the Tiger media folks need a Cotillion course in
manners.
The Obvious – USC and LSU both figure to give President Bush
some sort of gift from their respective schools.
The Not So Obvious – LSU
will be giving the president a jersey from the 2004 Nokia Sugar Bowl. The
Trojans have not yet said what the gift will be, but it won’t be a shock if the
Commander and Chief gets a Trojan jersey with his last name on the back. Of
course in this day and age, the George W. might appreciate one of those
championship rings.
The Obvious – LSU has released two highlight DVDs of
the past season. "Victory for LSU" ($19.95) highlights the season and the 2004
Sugar Bowl ($21.95) is also available, as is the LSU radio network’s complete
broadcast day of the Sugar Bowl.
The Not So Obvious – Just when you
think there is no hope for a Trojan DVD national championship video, here comes
one from Collegegear.com featuring the 2004 Rose Bowl in digital video. Priced
at $25.99 with no commercial interruptions, there is also a limited time $2.00
rebate. And if you really want nostalgia, they are also selling the 1969 Rose
Bowl featuring Ohio State and Woody’s "Robust T" versus McKay’s "I" formation.
The Juice and studentbody sweep versus Rex Kern and the Buckeyes’
supersophs.
The Obvious – The Trojans will most likely reap the gains
from last season’s national championship with an increase in season
tickets.
The Not So Obvious – A nice gesture by the marketing and season
ticket folks would be to mail a large team photo of the 2003 national champs to
current and new season ticket holders as a thank you. It could be done
inexpensively and for a small mailing pittance.
The Obvious – One of the
big reasons the Trojans are being considered as a preseason numero uno is the
return of 2003 All-America punter Tom Malone and field goal record-setter Ryan
Killeen.
The Not So Obvious – If Malone and Killeen are to continue their
success, they’ll need to replace Joe Boskovich and Matt Hayward, long time
perfect snappers. Lead candidate to replace both positions is Will Collins, the
former Mater Dei performer and one-time walk-on.
The Obvious – The
Trojans return to spring practice on Thursday, March 25th.
The Not So
Obvious – For Pete Carroll and his high-energy staff, the balance of spring
practice will be a destination of creativity to find the right offensive and
defensive pieces for an anticipated championship puzzle. If only it seemed as
easy and flawless as a Boskovich and Hayward snap. Oh, and by the way, how many
departing team managers must be replaced and who are the candidates? Inquiring
Trojan minds need to know.
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