USC beat Colorado by only seven points in a game it was favored to win by 21. Many people will therefore conclude that the early start time — 10 a.m. local time in Boulder, 9 a.m. Pacific time — was an impediment for the Trojans.
Wait a minute: That’s not true.
USC was not prepared to play against Arizona State. The Trojans were sloppy from the start.
Against Colorado, USC came out firing and ready to play. The Trojans got a 34-7 lead and owned the first half. The “breakfast football” portion of this game was the period of time in which the Trojans played really well.
It was the lunchtime part of the game — after 12 noon in Boulder — when USC faltered.
The early start didn’t hurt USC. The Trojans just didn’t finish. We dan’t allow lazy narratives to get baked in when they plainly aren’t true.
We talked about this with Mark Rogers and Tim Prangley at The Voice of College Football:
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