USC vs Ohio State - What a Game!

Wow wow wow...



It was the game I expected and it was the game I didn't expect.

First off, the things I expected:

• The Buckeyes played one hell of a game! I had a feeling they would...given 1) the score from last year's game and 2) OSU wanted to shut their critics up. My hat is off to the Buckeyes...there is nothing to be ashamed about from this loss. They left it all on the field. No one can ever say that OSU can't play with the top ranked teams.
  
  
• The SC defense came to play and thank goodness for that!
  

The things I didn't expect:

• The SC offense was dreadful (other than the final game-winning drive). Of course, this had a lot to do with the way the Buckeye defense played as the Buckeyes pushed the SC O-line and pressured Matt Barkley all night long. However, this was supposed to be the strength of the team, so this was very disconcerting. Only scoring 18 points is not going to cut it against Cal or Notre Dame.
  
  
• The SC special teams was even more dreadful than the offense (poor punting, missed tackles on returns, screwing up a punt for a safety, etc.). Is this what we can expect with the special teams even though we have a Special Teams coach this year? Not a very good return on investment on the coach's salary (if you ask me)!
  
  
• Matt Barkley was calm and poised tonight. That game-winning drive will go down in SC Football lore just like Matt Leinart's drive against Notre Dame in 2005 (you know, the Bush Push).
  

The team gets to enjoy the victory tonight and then immediately starts to prepare for the Washington game next Saturday. I have a feeling it'll be a tough game against the Sark offensive playbook and the Holt defensive schemes. It's basically a battle between the teacher (Coach Carroll) vs his pupils (Sark and Holt).

Fight On!

Update 9/13/09:

The Barkley drive and Leinart drive for your viewing pleasure: