[Vision2020] USC fans are meanies

[Carl Westberg]

As the Vandals prepare to pull off the greatest college football upset of 
the last 50 years next week against the USC Trojans in the Coliseum (a fan 
can dream), some locker room material for Idaho from the USC student paper:  
Grrr.....
Your top 10 reasons not to look past Idaho
Peter Simones
Issue date: 8/22/07 Section: Sports

The Daily Trojan
This summer there were two phrases uttered so often that they hovered over 
the sports world with an air of omnipresence.

The first: "You have to realize, Michael Vick is the most polarizing figure 
in the history of Atlanta sports," spoken at least 10 times a day on ESPNews 
by Atlanta Journal Constitution writer Terence Moore, was a newcomer to the 
top two. On the other hand, "We are just going to take it one game at a 
time," retained its top slot for the 50th year in a row.

While this phrase is usually infuriatingly conservative for media types and 
fans, in the case of USC vs. Idaho, this is the exact approach the Trojans 
need to take.

Without further ado, here are your top 10 reasons why USC cannot overlook 
Idaho:

Reason 10: Unfamiliarity. USC has faced off against Idaho seven times in the 
program's history. However, the last meeting was in 1929. Granted, USC did 
win all seven games and won the 1929 meeting by a score of 72-0, but who 
knows how much has changed since then?

Reason 9: History. The last time USC played a team with as little national 
respect as Idaho, it barely walked away with the victory. In 2006, against a 
winless Stanford squad, USC allowed a total of 208 yards en route to a nail 
biting 42-0 victory.

Reason 8: USC is banged up. Senior guard Sam Baker, junior safety Josh 
Pinkard, sophomore receivers Travon Patterson and Vidal Hazelton and backup 
sophomore quarterback Mark Sanchez, just to name a few, hobbled through fall 
practice. The guys who would fill their spots if they aren't ready to go 
were only rated 100 spots higher than their Idaho counterparts on recruiting 
lists instead of 150 spots higher.

Reason 7: Nebraska looms. USC players will undoubtedly be looking ahead to 
the Nebraska game on Sept. 15. The Cornhusker faithful have been chomping at 
the bit for an opportunity like this to prove that Big Red is back in 
business. That game is only a full two weeks from the Idaho game, and to 
make matters worse USC players can't wait to fly from Los Angeles to the 
oasis that is Lincoln.

Reason 6: Underdog emotions. Idaho will undoubtedly be revved up to get at a 
team like USC. The last time Idaho got a chance to battle a highly regarded 
team, it took the game to the wire, losing in the fourth quarter to Hawaii, 
68-10.

Reason 5: Mental acuity. Idaho is known to be smarter than most programs, 
using their mental edge to outsmart teams in the waning minutes. As former 
coach Dennis Erickson put it, "Idaho is the Harvard of the mountains." I 
swear he didn't laugh after saying that.

Reason 4: Because Rey told you so. When asked about the upcoming season, 
junior linebacker Rey Maualuga said, "It's everyone's dream to win a 
championship, but we're not looking forward past Idaho. Being No. 1 in the 
polls doesn't mean anything because we haven't proven anything yet." Just 
wait, Rey. Once you beat Idaho, your cred will skyrocket.

Reason 3: Mascot. True to their name, the Vandals are known to steal games 
that appear firmly in their opponent's grasp. The team's 14 wins over the 
past five years indicate that it may actually be fan pride that Idaho is 
vandalizing.

Reason 2: Location, location, location. Idaho is located in the college 
football belt of America. No atmosphere can match the fervor on display when 
playing at the likes of San Jose State, Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State. 
The Coliseum will feel like a living room.

Reason 1: Steroids. And you thought potatoes were just vegetables.

To comment on this article, visit dailytrojan.com or e-mail Peter at 
simones at usc.edu.

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Now you can see trouble…before he arrives 
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