After blowing a 14-point lead to Utah on Friday night, the Trojans find themselves in a spot they didn’t want to be in: saddled with a 1-3 record while playing with the nation’s toughest schedule.
Yes, USC has lost to three ranked teams away from home. They’re three respectable losses to three well-coached teams. Alabama, Stanford and Utah are three teams that could beat just about anyone in the country.
All in all, it vaguely resembles the 2001 season.
That year, the Trojans were led by first-year head coach Pete Carroll. He wound up at USC after failing miserably in the NFL and despite being Mike Garrett’s pick well after Mike Bellotti and Mike Riley turned the job down.