Embarrassing. Shocking. Pathetic.
Those are the words that can describe USC's numbing 24-23 loss to Stanford on Saturday.
Last week at Washington, the Trojans tried their best to give away the game, but this week, they finally did just that.
Instead of using last week's poor outing and close win as a wake-up call, the Trojans just hit the snooze button.
Some people are calling it the greatest upset in college football history, and rightfully so. The Trojans were nearly six touchdown favorites heading into the game.
Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh couldn't have been more wrong when he said the Trojans could be not only the best team this year, but the best team ever.
Because if that's the case, then the worst team in the Pac-10 Conference beat the best team of all time.
"It came out of nowhere,"
Carroll said.
And he's right. No one could have seen it coming.
Not even Stanford's backup quarterback Tavita Pritchard, who beat the Trojans in his first career start, to add insult to injury.
"It hasn't sunk in for me yet," Pritchard said. "I'm beside myself right now."
The Trojans are the ones who should be beside themselves after the way they gave away the game. Five turnovers will do that just about every time.
USC simply didn't play with the fire and intensity it should have - even against a weaker opponent in the Cardinal.
"They just had a little more fire than us," tailback Hershel Dennis said. "Our energy level and urgency level just wasn't up."
And the USC fans knew it.
I'm still not sure if the USC fans booed the Trojans or the Stanford band harder at halftime.
But even quarterback John David Booty knew the booing was warranted.
"That's football to me," Booty said. "Inside I was booing, too. I was [as] frustrated as they were."
Booty's Heisman campaign - if there ever was one - is now out the window.
His four interceptions killed the Trojans although they were not all his fault.
The young and inexperienced receivers just aren't ready yet. The only dependable threat is tight end Fred Davis, who had another big game, catching five passes for 152 yards.
Everyone else is too inconsistent, including junior Patrick Turner. He dropped several more catches Saturday and can't be heavily relied on yet.
"You have to encourage him and get him back," Carroll said.
The Trojans as a team need a whole lot of encouraging.
About the only positive thing for the Trojans is that at least the loss came early in the season.
After falling only eight spots to No. 10 in the latest AP poll, USC still has a chance to get back in the BCS title game race.
Unfortunately for the Trojans, they have a lot more to worry about than their ranking.
If USC continues to play they way it is playing, it won't be anywhere near the top 10 at the end of the season.
If Stanford can beat USC, then any team can beat the Trojans. Even next week's game against Arizona isn't a surefire win anymore.
But historically, under Carroll, the Trojans are a second-half team both in games and in the season. It's because Carroll hates losing so much and preaches finishing.
"I've been around the block, and I've had my wins and losses, but I just don't accept losing," Carroll said. "I don't know where to put it. I have no place for it."
That being said, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Trojans fired up in the second half of the season, fueling them to a run at a BCS game.
But with the way this team is playing right now, it also wouldn't be surprising if it falls flat on its face … again.
- To comment on this story, visit www.dailytrojan.com or e-mail Rhett at rhettbollinger@gmail.com.
