USC Football: CFB Columnist Dissatisfied with USC vs. Stanford Pac-12 Finale

This seems like a strange thing to complain about.

Over the weekend, the USC Trojans improved to 3-0 on the season with an impressive performance against the Stanford Cardinal. The Trojans dominated the entire game, and the USC faithful were entertained throughout. It was the kind of performance that fans want to see from their team each week.

However, one college football writer was left feeling something different. David Kenyon of Bleacher Report was disappointed in what was the final annual matchup between the two teams, with USC heading to the Big 10 next season.

“Because of conference realignment, Stanford and USC—one of the oldest rivalries in the sport—will no longer be played annually in 2024 and beyond. And the last matchup was a dud. Stanford entered as a four-touchdown underdog, sure. But the Trojans almost covered the line in a 21-point first quarter.”

Per David Kenyon of Bleacher Report

While Kenyon may be right about this being a dud of a final game, it just shows exactly why the Trojans need to move to a different conference. They shouldn’t be able to do this to a conference opponent with such ease. The Trojans are in another class than Stanford, and while the game may have been a blowout, it shows how good USC is this season.

They were in command from the jump, and for the second straight week, they showed major potential. The defense showed out again, and quarterback Caleb Williams looked the part of the reigning Heisman Trophy winner again.

“By halftime, USC owned a 49-3 advantage. Caleb Williams threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns and scampered 21 yards for a fourth score. For the second week in a row, he didn't play in the second half. Most remarkably, Stanford's new-look offense could hardly connect on a pass. Ashton Daniels and Justin Lamson combined to complete just 10 of their 25 attempts for 140 yards. USC improved to 3-0 in the 56-10 laugher.”

Per David Kenyon of Bleacher Report

No matter if this game was close, it was a key game for the Trojans. They started their conference play with a win and kept the dream of the undrafted season alive.