Game Thread Southern Cal 18, at tOSU 15 (Sept 12th, 8 pm, ESPN)

[jwinslow]

It's also the home stadium of city rivals. One of the main advantages of a home game is familiarity with the field, the locker rooms, the sounds the stadium makes, etc. Pre-bowl season, USC only plays in the Rose Bowl once every other year.

They've played there 5 times in 3 years. The last time they didn't play in the rose bowl in January, 4 years ago against texas, they still played in that stadium for the NC.

Obviously if you had to choose between the two you'd say USC would have the advantage due to the lack of travel time. They've certainly played there more often than the Buckeyes or any Big Ten team. But At the same time, I think it goes kinda far to call it a "home game." The Coliseum is our home.

Where are they sleeping? Eating meals?

 

[BayBuck]

It's also the home stadium of city rivals. One of the main advantages of a home game is familiarity with the field, the locker rooms, the sounds the stadium makes, etc. Pre-bowl season, USC only plays in the Rose Bowl once every other year.

One of the other main advantages is having an overwhelming majority of hometown fans in attendance.

 

[methomps]

the game isn't going to be canceled.

 

[jwinslow]

To be clear, USC being better is a bigger factor than home field advantage, though it certainly has its advantages. I don't feel like digging up the post right now, but the SEC avoids leaving their SEC region for a reason. They are a far worse conference outside of that region.

Of course, playing the second-place b10 team doesn't help matters, but again, I think USC could compete with anyone.

 

[methomps]

Where are they sleeping? Eating meals?

A hotel.

 

[jwinslow]

A hotel.

Where do they sleep before home games?

 

[ttk]

To be clear, USC being better is a bigger factor than home field advantage, though it certainly has its advantages. I don't feel like digging up the post right now, but the SEC avoids leaving their SEC region for a reason. They are a far worse conference outside of that region.

Of course, playing the second-place b10 team doesn't help matters, but again, I think USC could compete with anyone.

True, and I should clarify that I'm not trying to discount some of the advantages USC gets by playing in southern California. It is obviously close to home. But of course not every Pac-10 team can say that. Obviously UCLA isn't reaping those benefits

As far as leaving the region though, I don't think USC has any problem with it. I think this game with Ohio State proves that out, and their record in out-of-state, OOC games I think speaks for itself. I wouldn't compare the SEC and Pac-10 in that regard... the Pac-10 has proven it is willing to travel, while the SEC almost always refuses to. Especially Florida.

 

[jwinslow]

Absolutely, and USC competes better than anyone in the country, I was just holding a general discussion about home field advantage.

Obviously UCLA isn't reaping those benefits

I sure hope he didn't pay too much for that newspaper ad.

the Pac-10 has proven it is willing to travel, while the SEC almost always refuses to. Especially Florida.

This is changing slightly, but Florida & Georgia are major offenders in this regard.

Here is the post I was referencing

Thought I'd archive this here. It originated in a SEC-b10 slapfight that broke out in the UGA-Mich thread on GBW.

Much has been made of the B10 traveling out of their region for bowl games, or how some SEC teams don't do so (or haven't in the past, like UGA before 08). I decided to take a look back at how the SEC has fared when it leaves the south. For the most part, I used this decade, except for Florida who didn't bother to leave the south this decade.

Alabama
1. LOST in 2002 to Oklahoma. Bama won 10 of its other 12 games.

Arkansas
2. LOST in 2008 to Texas.
3. LOST in 2005 to USC.
4. WON in 2003 vs Texas.

Auburn
5. LOST in 2008 to WVU.
6. LOST in 2002 to USC.

Florida goes decades without leaving the south (sometimes including bowls).
7. LOST in 1991 to SYR. Won every single other regular season game.
8. TIED in 1983 vs USC. UF won 9 other games, USC only won 4.

Georgia
9. WON in 2008 vs ASU. Only made the list because they don't play OOR games.
... I went back to the 70s and didn't find any out of region games.

LSU
10. WON in 2005 vs ASU in a close one.
11. WON in 2003 vs AZ. A very bad AZ.
12. LOST in 2002 vs VT.

Tenn
13. LOST in 2008 vs UCLA, who was even worse than them.
14. LOST in 2007 vs Cal, got blown out. The year before, back in SEC country, they blew out Cal.
15. LOST in 2005 vs ND.
16. WON in 2001 vs ND.

SEC scheduled games out of the south: 5-10-1

I'm not very interested in looking up statistics for the also rans like Miss, Miss St, SCar, Vandy & Kentucky.


I should note this is more of a general commentary than one related to OSU. LSU was simply better in 07, and OSU didn't really deserve to win with how they showed up in 06. This is more of a look at how the distance might affect the b10 & sec in postseason play.

 

[ttk]

Cool, thanks for digging up the post.

Those stats aren't unknown to us 'SC fans, or Pac-10 fans in general. We too have to defend ourselves from SEC/Big12 homers insisting the Pac-10 is a weak conference. Unfortunately information like that doesn't seem to make a big impact on national perception... pretty hard to stomach :(

I really wish LSU was traveling out to face a halfway-decent team from the Pac-10. I think the thing that would bring me the most joy this weekend is seeing Washington somehow pull out the biggest upset imaginable and beating LSU. I would laugh for days.

 

[jlb1705]

I really wish LSU was traveling out to face a halfway-decent team from the Pac-10. I think the thing that would bring me the most joy this weekend is seeing Washington somehow pull out the biggest upset imaginable and beating LSU. I would laugh for days.

:cheers:

 

[jwinslow]

Unfortunately information like that doesn't seem to make a big impact on national perception... pretty hard to stomach :(

Why would they criticize their cash cow and official partnership? It makes you wonder if the new partnership is why they showed so many SEC spring games over the years, or why Alabama's utter embarrassment last jan cost them and their conference next to nothing.

 

[muffler dragon]

Those stats aren't unknown to us 'SC fans, or Pac-10 fans in general. We too have to defend ourselves from SEC/Big12 homers insisting the Pac-10 is a weak conference. Unfortunately information like that doesn't seem to make a big impact on national perception... pretty hard to stomach :(

(I don't bring this up as a gloat as the Big 10 has its issues that are publicized as well.)

The Mountain West record against the Pac-10 hurt last year quite a bit. Had Oregon State won at Utah (like they should have); then a lot would have been alleviated.

Anyway... that's in the past, and we're on to a new year.

 

[ttk]

(I don't bring this up as a gloat as the Big 10 has its issues that are publicized as well.)

The Mountain West record against the Pac-10 hurt last year quite a bit. Had Oregon State won at Utah (like they should have); then a lot would have been alleviated.

Oh, Anyway... that's in the past, and we're on to a new year.

Oh, I totally agree. What a horrible weekend for the conference.

But what's frustrating is that the Pac-10 then went undefeated in the bowl season, and the same Utah that squeaked out a lucky win against Oregon State then went and demolished Alabama.

Obviously you can't just be transitive about everything but the perception problems are pretty bad.

It also doesn't help that the Pac-10 crowns a true champion, but doesn't get the recognition for that. Instead, the round-robin schedule adds another loss to half the teams in the conference, and the lack of an unnecessary but money-making "conference championship game" only adds to the problems. The SEC meanwhile can play 8 home games, schedule I-AA cupcakes to boost stats and records, and then complain that their teams "beat up on each other."

I know it's preaching to the choir here... but man I wish USC could have played the SEC champs in the past few years. It would have been AWESOME.

 

[ttk]

Also, a quick update re: the fires, UCLA is cleared to play, which means USC definitely will be as well.

 

[NextBuck]

With all that talent, USC should be on a six-year undefeated streak right now. So, what's the problem? Poor coaching? Overrated recruits? Or maybe there really isn't much difference between the #2 and the #200 kid in the country....

They should have played in the title game last year, and probably vs OSU in 2007. They've gotten screwed, but the reason why they arent winning the titles they should have is the coaching. I think PC is a Top 3 coach in the country, but since Orgeron and Chow have left I havent really digged their other assisstants besides Rocky Seto.

I dont think they can keep these super recruits motivated for an entire season, and I think a lot of their assistants (Sark/Holt) were overrated.

I think their current staff is much more impressive. They should have another title before Barkley leaves, and if not then I'm really going to change my view on PC. I love the guy, but I think even USC fans could agree that if someone like McKay had this amount of talent at SC that they would have more than 1 unanimous title in what would be a ten year run (when Barkley leaves).