Ahead of the UCLA-USC rivalry, Matt Zemek of Trojans Wire answered some questions about USC.
One of them is something everybody has been wondering: Why did this season go so wrong for USC?
“It’s the offensive line. The O-line has had its good moments. It was solid against LSU, and it dominated the second half against Wisconsin. Yet, the big reality connected to the offensive line is that it plays well for no more than 2.5 quarters, around 35-40 minutes, per game. There are always 20 minutes per game in which this line struggles to pass protect and run block. This past Saturday versus Nebraska, it was the first quarter. In the Penn State game, it was the third quarter. USC’s offensive line basically plays well for half a game, and that’s nowhere near good enough. The Trojans’ best teams, whether under Pete Carroll, or the late John Robinson, or John McKay, had top-tier offensive lines. This line doesn’t measure up.”
Truth be told, it has not been a good season for USC. A win over UCLA would help, but disappointment is real.