YouTube Tuesday: Rematch of the Century Edition

Bookies wouldn't have put odds on me talking smack about my beloved USC Trojans taking on Ohio's only successful football export this weekend. I mean, I am an alumni after all.

But what to say...what to say...? I wish we had played the Buckeyes a few times over the past few decades, and won a bunch of games against them. Like Rose Bowls and stuff. Yeah, that'd be good.

It'd also be good if the two schools had widely disparate records in BCS bowls, with USC demolishing their competition while Ohio State continually gets run off the field by theirs.

AND it'd be really great if one of those games was, say, around this time last year in what was billed as the game of the century, and USC embarrassed the Buckeyes in front of the entire country.

Wait, what's that? OH, you mean all of that DID happen? And that I knew all of that, choosing to write that intro to intentionally sound like a condescending jackass?

You know me too well.

Of course, this year is a different game - with an 18 year old QB playing in the Horseshoe at night and all that. Because, of course, Ohio State never loses there in big time non-conference matchups...unless you count 2005 against Texas, the last time they played a decent non-conference team in the Horseshoe at night.

So let's cut to the chase: I think USC is going to win by two touchdowns. It's not the same squad as last season, but neither are the Buckeyes, having lost 13 starters of their own.

What hasn't changed is that USC is faster, more athletic, and flat out better. Ohio State couldn't run on NAVY last week; how do they expect to move the ball against the Trojans front seven, which features a deeper defensive line and a faster group of linebackers.

And yes, Navy runs a triple option that's hard to prepare for, but it doesn't change the fact that their defensive line was pushed around by the Midshipmen's undersized offensive line. USC features the country's best OLine and no less than five future NFL tailbacks.

What I'm getting at is I don't see Ohio State winning battles in either side of the trenches, and without that, they don't stand a chance.

They're best, and perhaps only hope is to hope Matt Barkley self destructs under the bright lights. What are the chances of that happening? Well, I'll let the kid speak for himself:

I probably don't know what I'm in for [at Ohio State], but I'm not going to worry about that. It doesn't matter the situation, it doesn't matter the environment, it doesn't matter how many people are in the crowd. I've got my offense and I'm confident. We could be playing in Alaska in the snow and I'd have faith we're going to win.

If Matt Barkley isn't afrid, neither am I. 28-17 Trojans.

Oh, and that youtube video? Just a friendly little reminder of last year...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsQDIMHZa2c