The 2004 USC Trojans were remarkable. Everyone remembers the clutch performance by the defense against Cal and Aaron Rodgers. Everyone also remembers the 55-19 beatdown of Oklahoma in the 2005 Orange Bowl to seal the national title. That was a truly great team which was in the midst of forging a 34-game winning streak for the USC program under Pete Carroll.
Yet, as great as the 2004 team was, the 1972 Trojans were better.
The 2004 Trojans survived a few one-score games. The 1972 Trojans won every game by at least nine points, and 11 of 12 games by at least 17 points. A 17-point win over UCLA — a team which was ranked No. 14 on the day the Trojans played them (November 18, 1972) — was the second-closest win for that USC team. This group was simply a wrecking ball. No close shaves. No last-minute finishes.
When the term “complementary football” is discussed, the 1972 USC team is a great example. If one side of the ball was less than great on a given day, the other side of the ball was perfect. Consider the Oregon game in which the offense struggled but the defense maxed out. Against Notre Dame, the defense was okay but the offense roared. USC never really had a game in 1972 when both sides of the ball struggled at the same time. That, in many ways, was the central reason this team was so great.
Let’s relive the majestic 1972 USC football season, the best in school history: