10-29-2011, 11:00 PM
USC is one of the best teams in the country. Barkley is a great QB. USC has the best WRs in the country, and it really isn't even close. USC also has a very good OL and TEs. They have some of the best DL in the country as well.
Stanford is not going to play a more talented offensive team all year. Even if they play LSU or Alabama, neither team has a QB as good as Barkley, or WRs as good as Woods and Lee.Â
If LSU and Alabama played this game people would be saying how great those two teams are. When it's Stanford, it's "they struggled on defense." I'm not saying Stanford is elite on defense, but they don't have to be because the offense is so good.Â
To me, the game turned on the questionable holding on Hewitt on the long Wilkerson run. Had Stanford scored a TD on that drive, it would have been 14-3 and I think Stanford would have pretty much won convincingly. It was a little bit like the OPI on Baldwin last year at Oregon. Just like Oregon did, USC took advantage and scored a TD to take the lead after that drive stalled in part because of that penalty.Â
But unlike at Oregon last year, Stanford didn't fall apart after USC took the lead. They showed a lot coming back down 10 in the second half, and to me, they proved they are worthy of being no worse than #4. If they can beat Oregon, they will deserve to be #2, IMO. Luck showed me more tonight coming back after the pick 6 than he has shown in any blowout win.
Truly epic game for the ages tonight, and a GREAT showcase for the Pac-12 for a mostly national ABC audience. Even those that saw the Clemson game got to see Stanford and USC in overtime.
Stanford is not going to play a more talented offensive team all year. Even if they play LSU or Alabama, neither team has a QB as good as Barkley, or WRs as good as Woods and Lee.Â
If LSU and Alabama played this game people would be saying how great those two teams are. When it's Stanford, it's "they struggled on defense." I'm not saying Stanford is elite on defense, but they don't have to be because the offense is so good.Â
To me, the game turned on the questionable holding on Hewitt on the long Wilkerson run. Had Stanford scored a TD on that drive, it would have been 14-3 and I think Stanford would have pretty much won convincingly. It was a little bit like the OPI on Baldwin last year at Oregon. Just like Oregon did, USC took advantage and scored a TD to take the lead after that drive stalled in part because of that penalty.Â
But unlike at Oregon last year, Stanford didn't fall apart after USC took the lead. They showed a lot coming back down 10 in the second half, and to me, they proved they are worthy of being no worse than #4. If they can beat Oregon, they will deserve to be #2, IMO. Luck showed me more tonight coming back after the pick 6 than he has shown in any blowout win.
Truly epic game for the ages tonight, and a GREAT showcase for the Pac-12 for a mostly national ABC audience. Even those that saw the Clemson game got to see Stanford and USC in overtime.