You couldn't annoy Pete Carroll by proclaiming his team No. 1 in August.
Some coaches will shake their fists at you for complicating one particular facet of their job, which is to tell their players during the preseason that they suck and need to get better. Carroll, on the other hand, held the door wide open for the proclamations and plaudits. He rolled out the red carpet, which is the Hollywood thing to do.
He wasn't pretending, either. USC as preseason No. 1? Fine with Carroll.
"He loved it," said Sam Baker, a former offensive lineman and All-American for the Trojans.