The USC Trojans won a very draining game against Oregon State in Week 4. They are battling injuries on their offensive line. They have big games against Washington State and Utah coming up. This Saturday’s game against Arizona State was a sandwich game. It was a trap game. It was a hangover game. It was an attritional game.
Over the course of a long season, teams won’t be able to play at the same energy level or with the same degree of enthusiasm and clarity every Saturday. This is partly because we’re dealing with 19- and 20-year-old athletes, but it’s mostly because any sport at any level is a grind. Most games might be the same (for better or worse), but some will be different. In football, injury situations and the significance of games change from week to week. One week’s big moment is the next week’s slog. Games acquire a different feel, and that’s part of the challenge of greatness.
USC did what it had to do against Arizona State, winning 42-25. We’ll certainly discuss over the next few days how significant this game’s finer details were. For now, enjoy the various Twitter reactions and comments during the Trojans’ victory: