All the Pressure in on USC – Can Utah Take Advantage?

[The Miami Ute]

Over the last couple of days, I’ve been going on a tour of all major USC affiliated websites and YouTube channels to try to get a sense of how they feel about this game.

It’s been an interesting journey and really shows the difference between USC/Utah and even probably LA/SLC.

Bottom line up front, this game has almost taken an Armageddon-like perspective amongst the USC fanbase and associated media.

It’s almost as if this game is turning into a referendum on Riley’s future tenure with the team. The conventional wisdom I’ve seen states that if USC can’t beat an undermanned Utah team at home, a Utah team that’s beaten them three times in a row and in which they have the revenge factor going for them, a Utah team which has little to no offense, who else remaining in their schedule are they going to beat? Oregon? Washington? UCLA? And all of this while having the supposedly best college football player in the planet on their team. What’s going to happen when he leaves at the end of the season?

So, if Utah beats USC in the Coliseum tomorrow, that win has the potential to completely ruin their season and turn an already restive fanbase against Riley. You talk about second and third-order effects, this game definitely has the potential to have serious downstream repercussions for USC.

In closing, the funniest thing about all the YouTube channels that I reviewed was the massive and constant presence of Oklahoma fans who are fanning the flames of dissent against Riley. Their dislike of Riley is so great that they don’t even refer to him by name. They call him The Bitch Out West or TBOW for short. I had to look that up because I didn’t know what it meant and it was popping up in almost all comments.

[MDUte]

I’m definitely not expecting it, but….the meltdown from the Trojan faithful if Utah finds a way to win tomorrow would be glorious!

[The Miami Ute]

I agree….just bring the popcorn and watch the fireworks.

[CityCreekUte]

Over the time in the PAC12 USC has been the rivalry game in football. Given where this season is and where next year takes us I’d pretty much be happy to win this one even if it means we lose the rest.

Beat LA is just so Utah.

[The Miami Ute]

I don’t like losing. However, if some higher power was to offer me a deal where Utah could lay a beating on USC reminiscent of what happened in Autzen in 2015, I’d have half a mind to take it. This even if it meant that we lost to Oregon and Washington later in the season.

[lgt4141]

I am glad I am not the only one who would take a loss to Oregon and Washington to beat USC. I have gotten the same feeling from coworkers who are USC fans that they are concerned and an Oklahoma fan who has no love for Lincoln Riley.

Like all of us I want to see Utah win out but beating USC would be especially sweet given they started the end of the Pac 12.

[2008 National Champ]

I’m too greedy. If I was guaranteed the SC win, I’d still try to find a loophole that would allow wins over the other two.

Might as well just let it play out and enjoy the ride

[MDUte]

Me too! I’d thank the football gods and chalk it up as a fantastic season!!

[Jim Vanderhoof]

Fun posts to read. Thanks Miami for the USC fan board update .

This game big for them. They are still undefeated in conference and can’t afford to loose another game to make it to the CFP.

[Tony (admin)]

Realistically if Utah doesn’t ruin their season, one of their other opponents will. They’re most certainly NOT playoff worthy and that will be more than evident soon.

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[The Miami Ute]

Yeah Tony. I think they call that “Dead Man Walkin'”.

[Jim Vanderhoof]

I agree USC will loose at least 2 games.

[D T]

I watched that entire ND beatdown & it was 100% something we’re capable of duplicating.

ND’s D did all the damage, while their O only had to muster 200+ yds.

The key is to bully their OL & we win this game.

[Charlie]

It will become easier to beat USC as the season continues, however, the first Pac team to beat them will have the greatest satisfaction. USC feeds off success and the complementary expectations but that also makes them more venerable to downward spirals that are hard to reverse.

[The Miami Ute]

I know it’s hard to fathom, but I truly believe that a significant portion of USC’s fanbase is already off the Riley bandwagon. These are the people which claim to have seen enough of Riley and his buddies and are expecting USC to lose today so that they begin one of their favorite pastimes: shopping for a new HC.

[Jim Vanderhoof]

If rumors are true Riley wants to go to the nfl and his team hears the rumors will they play hard for him? Has Caleb gotten bigger than the team? Can they regroup after Norte dame loss?

[The Miami Ute]

Has Caleb gotten bigger than the team?

Well, when you’re having your “people” tell prospective NFL franchises that for you to sign with their team you want a piece of the franchise, I’d say, yes, probably so. I’d even go as far as to say that if USC loses to Utah and Washington within the next three weeks, we might have seen the last of Caleb in an USC uniform, and it makes perfect sense. If USC is already knocked out of the CFP and CCG, why would Williams, the presumptive #1 draft pick in next year’s NFL draft, continue playing games that essentially don’t mean anything?

[lgt4141]

Are we seeing the negative effects of NIL where a player, a Heisman Trophy winner makes a lot of money and thinks he is bigger than the team? How many NFL quarterbacks have played great, sign a big contract and seem to take a step back in play like they lost a bit of their fire?

[The Miami Ute]

I think you are. And remember this…these guys are younger and less mature than the pros, who only really strike it rich from their second contract onwards.

[Jim Vanderhoof]

Good point Miami lets send him to the showers with an L. He is a front runner. Hard to beat when things are going his way. Fall apart when things don’t go his way.

I think it’s a classic case of entitlement. He thinks he is better than everyone else. Riley has been the instigator.