Pete Carroll and the Art of Complacency

By Paul Gotham

Admitting to something is the first sign of recovery. College football fans outside of Southern California might want to keep that one to themselves.

When the USC Trojans take the field Saturday at Martin Stadium against the Washington State Cougars, they will be in a familiar situation: trying to recover from a national title deflating loss.

Last Saturday, Erik Folk split the uprights with three ticks left on the board, and the Washington Huskies (near three-touchdown underdogs) upset the Trojans, 16-13.  A week prior Washington ended a 15-game losing streak, that began in the Ty ‘Losing’ham era, defeating Idaho, 42-23.

After the game, SC running back, Joe McKnight, stated: “Washington wasn’t the better team, they just outplayed us.” McKnight’s quote is eerily reminiscent of the comments made by another Trojan a few years ago. Moments after their loss in the 2005 Rose Bowl, Matt Leinart remarked: “I think we’re a better football team; they just made the plays in the end.”

That’s okay guys. You just keep saying that, and eventually you will convince yourself it is reality.

In the mean time, USC’s stumbling has become a rite of fall as common as a New York Mets’ implosion.  In ’06 the 10-1 Trojans ended the regular season with a 13-9 loss to the 6-5 UCLA Bruins. A year later the Trojans’ 35-game home winning streak came to an end. Tavita Pritchard completed a fourth and ten pass with 49 seconds remaining as the Stanford Cardinal won 24-23. Stanford entered the game 41-point underdogs.  Oregon State trimmed the Trojans a year ago, 27-21. The Beavers entered the tilt 25-point underdogs.

The constant throughout those upsets is Trojan head coach, Pete Carroll. Last week’s loss carried a different bite than previous setbacks. Washington’s first year head coach, is the former long-time Carroll assistant, Steve Sarkisian. What are the chances the former USC offensive coordinator used the apparent complacency of the Trojans as a motivator?

What could get lost in the mix here is that aforementioned loss to Texas in the national title game. How many coaches in the history of college football have had two Heisman winners in the same back field?  That’s what USC had that year in Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart. Not even Al Davis, the famous collector of Heisman winners, could brag of such a feat. Beyond that, had LenDale White returned for his senior season, he too might have climbed the platform at the Downtown Athletic Club.  Still, Carroll’s bunch came up short, 41-38. Don’t forget the “Bush push” earlier that year that helped the Trojans avoid a loss to Notre Dame.

Carroll supporters will contend that his teams  always find their way into the national champion discussion. There is no arguing that.  One has to wonder if USC’s talent gets them into the discussion, and the coaching falls short.

Yes, Carroll is responsible for bringing the talent to the university. How much of a challenge is that? Let’s see. Prospective players are told that the coach has NFL experience. None of them are old enough to remember that dismal existence. All they hear is NFL, and they think they have punched their ticket.

Next, the teenager gets on a plane and flies to Southern California. Yeah, that’s got to be rough. The kid gets off the plane and it’s 75-85 degrees outside (Because everyone knows – “it never rains in Southern California”). One of the staff greets the recruit and shuttles him off to campus. The prospect doesn’t have a chance to comprehend the traffic, and it really doesn’t matter anyway. Once there, the blue-chipper is introduced to the state-of-the-art facilities. Then a ride on the shuttle takes the delirious youth to the Coliseum.

If none of this works, some of the current Trojans take the recruit on a sight-seeing tour. The first stop is the beach. Done deal. Does anyone else wonder how many kids request a red shirt year so that can spend that much more time near the beach in Southern Cal?

In the past, I have lobbied for a playoff in college football.  Pete Carroll and USC might cause me to change my mind (JD is laughing to the point of incontinence). A playoff would help the Trojans find redemption every year because more than likely they will win the PAC 10.

No, Pete Carroll is no longer the Coach Fredo he was once anointed as.  He has just mastered the ability to overlook his opponents. Here’s hoping the recovery takes a while.