So the Trojans are trying to get out of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum so they can share the Rose Bowl with their cross-town nemesis from Westwood. With yet another Rose Bowl game in its plans, is it any wonder that the University of Southern California is considering such a move?
Whether the Men of Troy actually make such a bold move remains to be seen. Until then, there are more pressing issues at hand – such as defending their 2007 Rose Bowl Championship against the University of Illinois in the Granddaddy of Them All.
It is the third consecutive trip to the big game for USC, who made its first appearance in the Rose Bowl of 1922, when the Trojans beat Penn State, 14-3. The Trojans are 22-9 in 31 previous appearances.
USC started the 2007 season hoping it would not play in this game, setting their eyes instead on the BCS Championship Game in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 8. The Trojans’ hopes were justified when all national preseason polls ranked them No. 1. Things seemed rosier (no pun intended) when several draft-eligible juniors decided to return for their senior seasons.
Several analysts picked USC not only to make the BCS Championship Game, but also to win the top-billed game of 2008, particularly due to a solid defense and a pre-season camp full of talented running backs.
Things did not go as planned. Naturally, the Trojans schedule would be tough – it was ranked the eighth toughest in the country.
The way USC breezed through its first three games, which included a match-up against then-14th-ranked Nebraska – At Lincoln, no less – it figured that USC would continue to breeze through the remainder of the season despite tougher games on the horizon.
However, on Sept. 29, with a match-up at Husky Stadium against the University of Washington, the Trojans struggled to pull out a 27-24 win. The Trojans did not look so strong in the victory, and the Associated Press poll dropped them to No. 2 despite the victory. It was the first time ever that the AP dropped a No. 1 from the top billing when that team did not lose.
It got worst before it got better for USC. The following week, Stanford came to the Coliseum as 40-point underdogs after losing their starting quarterback to injury during practice earlier in the week. Not only did USC fail to cover the spread, Jim Harbaugh’s Stanford Cardinal managed to pull off one of the biggest upsets in college football history, as they beat the Trojans 24-23.
The loss dropped USC to No. 7 in the Coaches Poll, yet the Trojans managed to bounce back with victories over Arizona (20-13) and Notre Dame (38-0). The Trojans’ second loss of the season was somewhat legitimate; this one a 24-17 nail-biter to then-fifth-ranked Oregon at Autzen Stadium.
Both losses stripped any invincibility the Trojans had, and the door was now open for other teams within their own conference to surpass them in the standings and rankings – therefore jeopardizing the team’s chances for a quality bowl appearance.
Yet the Trojans bounced back with four consecutive victories, including their final three games against then-No. 24 California, then-No. 6 Arizona State and UCLA. USC would finish the season with a 10-2 record, ranked No. 6 in both the AP and Coaches Polls, and ranked No. 7 in the BCS Poll.
The victory against UCLA secured the Pac-10 championship and a trip to the 2008 Rose Bowl Game. While Arizona State’s 7-2 conference record equaled USC’s conference record, by virtue of USC beating Arizona State, USC owned the tiebreaker.
John David Booty completed 190 of 303 passes for 2,106 yards and 20 touchdowns, while Chauncey Washington and Stafon Johnson combined for 272 carries for 14 touchdowns and 1,463 rushing yards. As a team, the Trojans averaged 31 points per game, and gave up an average of 15 per game.
Fred Davis won the John Mackey Award as the top receiver in the nation. He had 55 receptions for 794 yards and seven touchdowns.
WILL THE ILLINI HOLD TRUE TO THEIR NICKNAME?
Only twice this season have the Fighting Illini been ranked. Apparently, that is good enough to qualify for the Rose Bowl Game these days.
In week seven, the University of Illinois came into Iowa City, Iowa, with a five-game winning streak that included consecutive home victories over No. 19 Penn State and No. 5 Wisconsin. With a 5-1 record, two victories over ranked teams and a quality loss at Missouri in the season-opener, the Fighting Illini made its case to be a ranked team – and they earned the No. 18 spot before the offense decided to take a weekend off on a 10-6 loss to Iowa.
Illinois followed the embarrassing loss with another loss – this one a disappointing 27-17 defeat at the hands of No. 25 Michigan – coincidentally Illinois’ first and only home loss of the season. So much for rankings.
Alas, two weeks later, the Fighting Illini redeemed themselves with a shocker in a season full of upsets, by beating No. 1 Ohio State, 28-21. Welcome back to the rankings. This time, Illinois did not screw it up, climbing to No. 21 after beating the Buckeyes, then rising to No. 13 with a season finale over rival Northwestern University.
Ohio State managed to climb back into the No. 1 spot, thanks to Missouri and West Virginia failing to hold on to the top two spots in the final stretch. With Ohio State, a Big Ten team, owning the top seed and a berth in the BCS Championship Game in Glendale, Ariz., the door was open for the Fighting Illini to play in the Buckeyes place in the Rose Bowl. Owning a 3-1 record over ranked teams, including two victories over teams ranking No. 1 and 5, only made Illinois’ case that much stronger.
Led by third year coach Rod Zook, the Fighting Illini secured its first bowl-eligible season since 2001-2002 with a homecoming victory over Ball State. This season was also a remarkable turnaround for Illinois, who was 2-10 last season.
It was also the first time since 2001 that the Fighting Illini owned a 5-game winning streak. At 9-3, Illinois won more games this year than in the previous four seasons combined.
For Illinois, it is a rare appearance in a Bowl Championship Series game. The last time they competed in a BCS Bowl game was the last time they made an appearance in any bowl game – a 47-34 drubbing at the hands of Louisiana State University in the 2002 Sugar Bowl.
Hence, they are in stark contrast to their opponent, the University of Southern California, who is playing in its third consecutive Rose Bowl Game (and fourth in six years). However, the Fighting Illini come into the game with weapons.
Their rushing offense is fifth best in the nation, averaging 266.2 yards per game. The rushing attack is anchored by junior Rashard Mendenhall, the Big 10 Player of the Year who set single-season school records with 1,526 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns.
In front of Mendenhall on offense is sophomore quarterback Juice Williams, who threw for 1,498 yards, 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His career-high 774 rushing yards in 2007 pushed him pass the 1,000-yard mark on the ground for his two-year career, the first Illinois quarterback to ever rush for more than 1,000 yards in his career.
It is the first trip to the Rose Bowl Game for the Fighting Illini since 1984, when they lost to UCLA, 45-9. Overall, Illinois is 3-1 in the Granddaddy of Them All.
Illinois and USC have matched-up against each other 12 times, with the Trojans winning 10 of those games. The last meeting was on Sept. 7, 1996, in Champaign, with USC winning easily, 55-7. It is the first time that both teams are meeting in the Rose Bowl Game.
The Fighting Illini will hold true to their nickname and put up a good fight against a football team that allows 72 yards per game on the ground. Yet the Trojans will hold to win their second straight Rose Bowl Game, third in four years and 23rd overall.
Comment
