One of the things that has frustrated so many of us so far this season is the hit that USC has taken in the polls. Now I am on record as saying that I think the polls are meaningless until after the forth or fifth game of the season. This give the team time to work out the kinks and in the case of better than 95% of the teams in FBS the opportunity tom flush out the cup cake teams they schedule in the early part of the season.
As has been well documented in numerous places SC is one of the last four teams to NOT schedule FCS cupcakes...yet SC after winning 3 of 4 on the road was still punished in the polls. Now I realize that with the sanctions in place the polls really are meaningless but while SC is punished for "ugly" wins other teams are rewarded for blowing out teams that they should beat.
The OCR has an interesting take...
Computer ratings guru Jeff Sagarin ranks USC’s schedule as just the 57th hardest in the nation. Rival UCLA’s, by contrast, is No. 3.
But as of today, the schedule-bashing will cease, at least on the part of yours truly. I’m going to defend the Trojans’ schedule as if my heels were touching the goal line. Let’s start with this: USC has played three road games so far. Do you know how many other Pac-10 teams have done that? Try zero. You can throw future Pac-12 members Colorado and Utah in there too. Same deal.
USC has a lot of things going against them this year...we all know the deal. They may not be as sexy as they once were in the pollsters eyes but some intellectual honesty in polls would be a welcome thing. It isn't USC's fault if some in the Pac-10 have been on a downward spiral of late.
I realize that in the grand scheme of things it really doesn't matter but I just found it interesting that some in the press are actually starting to get it...