The Adversity Game

Adversity. If you’re a Trojan fan, you’re no stranger to it. It has clouded every part of the program and University in recent years. USC finds themselves in an adverse position yet again after dropping a game to BYU on the road. The list of things to correct and improve upon is long, and scathing analysis can be found most anywhere on the web these days. The fact of the matter is we are 2-1, and while our dreams of a playoff berth may be all but extinguished, many other goals and outcomes remain intact. As we have done on a few occasions here at The Late Game, we will look forward.

The month ahead is a gauntlet beginning with Utah coming to town tonight. My personal feeling is that with short week games either home or away, all bets are off and anything can happen. That is mostly likely a negative thing for SC, but could also be a positive if you buy into some level of chaos theory. After that, we take a road trip to Seattle for a matchup with the Huskies. Then after a bye week, head to South Bend for one of college footballs’ most storied rivalries with Notre Dame.

There are so many possible outcomes with this three game stretch that it’s hard to predict a result. Will we shock the football world, win three straight and vault back into rankings? Will we sneak in one or two wins and be temporarily pleased with the product on the field? Or will we drop three in a row and find ourselves 2-4 in mid-October desperate to make a coaching change and reset the table for the future?

The things USC should lean on and rally around is the fact that the nation still has a lot of respect for us. They know we are a sleeping giant. Heck, BYU stormed the field after beating a freshman quarterback and barely ranked USC team. Further, tonight we play a top ten program when we face the Utes, and we are only 4 point underdogs. The nation knows we are capable, our players and coaches do too, and so do the fans. This month ahead stands to be a turning point in the road for USC football, and I’ll be there to watch it. I’ll be there to Fight On.

FIGHT ON