Or maybe he was forced to sleep on the couch....
I think Gary Klein is a pretty Beat writer. I can't think of many pieces that he writes that are unfair or lack facts. For the most part I could say the same here except that he wants to beat a dead horse in a way that only Scott Wolf can.
I don't think Klein is off the mark with some of his observations. USC has lost in Oregon the last three times it has played there. USC defense has looked more porous the past few weeks than we have seen in the past few seasons.
But...I find this observation interesting.
Previous USC quarterbacks readying for first starts under Carroll were managed masterfully before and during their debuts.
In 2003, Carroll and former offensive coordinator Norm Chow built up Matt Leinart's confidence and then protected him with a game plan that played to his strengths at Auburn.
Carroll and former offensive coordinators Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin did the same for Booty at Arkansas in 2006.
Carroll and Sarkisian propped up Sanchez and treated him with kid gloves when he started in place of Booty against Arizona in 2007. And Carroll and first-year quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates put reassuring hands on the precocious Barkley's shoulders before this season's opener against San Jose State.
The formula worked. Everyone came out a winner.
But with Barkley ailing from a bone bruise suffered against Ohio State, Carroll apparently could not bring himself to afford Aaron Corp the same treatment.
Hmmm...Is Gary Klein saying that Pete Carroll plays favorites?
Is Gary Klein walking around blind without a cane?
That has to be the worst kept secret in LA. In fact if Gary Klein paid attention he would know that the only reason that Aaron Corp came to USC was because SC suddenly took a lot of interest in him after Mark Sanchez was arrested on that bogus sexual assault charge during his freshman season. PC wasn't sure how it was going to work out and they needed a stop gap measure just in case. Corp's stock rose and all of a sudden SC had this great QB.
Lets not get carried away. Corp is a nice QB for another system but not the pro-style set that SC runs. Pete Carroll knew that once he saw Corp first hand, but he played his cards close to the vest. This crap that he didn't give Corp the same treatment as the others is just another way to stir the pot.
Go take a look at how Slick Rick treats his QB's and then tell me how bad PC really is...
Klein is way off base here. Pete Carroll made Corp the starter in Spring ball before it was over just like he did with Mark Sanchez (over Mitch Mustain) the year before. Corp was the projected starter going into training camp before he was injured. Yes, we all knew that PC loved Matt Barkley but it wasn't until Corp went down with a broken fibula that Barkley took the lead.
It was rumored after the UW game that the UW coaches knew that Corp would NOT be a big threat to them...Why? Because Steve Sarkisian coached him and knew his every weakness.
And he exploited it!
As I wrote here...
Corp has been in the system for 3 years Barkley 9 months. I stand by my remarks that Pete Carroll saw something that gave him pause on naming Corp the starter early in the week. It is clear he wants Barkley. The question is where will Corp end up on depth chart? That was a terrible performance...the worst in the Pete Carroll era and it could have serious repercussions.
Barkley will continue to grow and hopefully become what we expect him to be...Corp on the other hand is a big question mark. He did not answer the bell when he was called and we saw the results of it yesterday.
Pete Carroll did right thing with Corp with getting him ready, Corp simply did not answer the bell. The questionable coaching decisions are attributed to Corp simply not being ready to grasp the playbook....after three years in the system!
How ominous was the sight of Jeremy Bates scratching off plays on his play card because Corp just wasn't grasping it in the game...again, AFTER THREE YEARS in the system.
Pete Carroll doesn't need Gary Klein to kiss his butt. But he is making a bigger deal out of this then it really is. No team is dominant forever.
Like I said in my answers to ATQ...it is the fans and the press that make a big deal out of theses games. USC just needs to go out and do their thing. All this second guessing is a waste of time. I mean the SEC is so freaking good that there is no clear front runner on the field of play...except for the officials who gift wrap calls for the popular teams.
Ted Miller thinks that the loser of this game still has a shot at the Pac-10 title because of the two teams upcoming schedules the winner could easily fall down the line as well. I don't know...maybe. Oregon may win on Saturday. They may win the Pac-10 but lets not get carried away. One great win does not a season make... one great season does not a career make. The Duckies have been close before and they wet the bed when Dixon went down.
USC is tried and true for the "BIG" games. So if we are to believe the hype that this is a BIG game then SC should be just fine right?
I mean come on 7 consecutive 11 win seasons! 7 consecutive Pac-10 titles! 2 MNC's! 3 Heisman's!
And all of a sudden the bloom is off the rose? Because the team doesn't always play like an NFL power house?
NO OTHER PROGRAM CAN MAKE THAT CLAIM IN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME!
Will losing really change anything? USC will still get the top players. USC will still be in the national picture...even if it is by default. This is the only team that matters in L.A.
That other team is still trying to pass GO...so much for them being even being in the discussion let alone taking over as the dominant team in L.A.
I guess I am just surprised...Gary Klein is usually pretty even tempered, this seems out of character for his style of reporting.
This article shows me that Klein is misinformed.
This article shows me that Klein is bored...
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