Swanson: Uh-oh, USC really means business

LOS ANGELES – We are so back.

Back in the version of reality where USC is USC.

A signature win followed by a statement win and it’s apparent: This team has what it takes to make some real noise.

So strike up the marching band, Trojans. Pump up the volume, DJ Mal-Ski. USC is coming at you fast.

First the Trojans marched themselves into 2024 and promptly put the nation on notice by dismissing SEC power LSU in a 27-20 Sunday night thriller before a TV audience of more than 9 million. And Saturday they followed up by smothering Utah State, 48-0.

What, you might ask, can anyone take from the 13th-ranked USC blowing out a Mountain West school?

Yes, you might typically ask that. But against the grizzly backdrop of higher-ranked teams stumbling and struggling and being made to sweat Saturday, USC’s capacity to lock in against a lesser foe says plenty.

Just ask Oregon. The Ducks, despite being ranked No. 7 in the nation, needed a last-second field goal to survive Boise State’s upset bid. The Mountain West’s Broncos humbled their more-heralded hosts, out-gaining Oregon 369-353.

Meanwhile, under the on-and-off Saturday night lights at The Coliseum, the mood was brighter; USC out-gaining the Aggies 544-190 as it pitched a shutout that felt like a no-hitter, it was such a clinic, as stifling as any day during this brutal heat wave.

Compare and contrast, check out what happened at Notre Dame, which succumbed to Northern Illinois, whose 16-14 victory in South Bend was the first against a top-10 ranked team ever.

And then there were the Trojans, who after a disappointing 2023, started the season ranked No. 23. After leaping 10 spots up the rankings last week, Saturday’s shellacking has them knocking on the door, ranked No. 11 (too low, a testament I bet to the 11 p.m. start on the East Coast) in Sunday’s new AP polling.

Moving on up because they didn’t get ahead of themselves. They didn’t disrespect Utah State or the 68,100 fans scattered generously around the Coliseum, stepping out from the air conditioning at home and into a comfortable late night. They didn’t disrespect the process. No, they relished it. “We talked about it all week, we talked about it specifically last night in our team meeting,” Trojans coach Lincoln Riley said. “But listen, I’m sure all those other teams did too.”

Elsewhere, though, there was ample evidence of such advice going unheeded: No. 19 Kansas lost to Illinois, 23-17; No. 21 Iowa lost to Iowa State, 20-19 and No. 23 Georgia Tech got beat by Syracuse, 31-28. Madness, but in September instead of March. If you had a bracket, Saturday would have busted it.

None of that had anything to do with the Trojans, who wouldn’t even allow themselves to entertain the notion of a little suspense, scoring on their first three drives and eight of 11 total.

“They have a chance, not only to be one of the best offenses in the country, but possibly one of the best defenses,” Utah State coach Nate Dreiling said afterward. “That is a complete football team right there that’s going to play a long, long time.”

Dreiling’s players won’t even be able to tell their kids about the few minutes they were in the game against this USC team, because the Trojans made sure it was over as soon as it started.

That after Alabama, ranked No. 4 on Saturday, messed around and played the much-closer-than-the-score-indicated game with South Florida, which trailed only 14-13 entering the final quarter before the Crimson Tide woke up and eventually won 42-16.

After No. 8 Penn State walked a tightrope against Bowling Green, the Falcons trailing only 27-24 entering the fourth quarter, before falling 34-27.

After No. 15 Oklahoma held its breath and held off Houston, 16-12.

Couldn’t be ‘SC.

Not these Trojans, the bulked-up Big Ten rookies who this season will be auditioning for the role of swaggering villains. They’ll stick to the script and say the right things, for sure, but unspoken is an aura of recognizable arrogance brewing, too. It’s a fitting complement to the all-cylinders complementary exhibition of football the Trojans put on Saturday.

Truly hilarious two minutes of a presser from USC’s Eric Gentry.

Asked about how he’s been playing/how the defense has been doing: “Just chillin.”

Asked if there was a point in the second half he felt a shutout was coming: “Nah, I got it on the first play.” pic.twitter.com/u0yTxx24PS

— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) September 8, 2024

This is a team that will dance on your grave – using your own moves. A bunch of bullies who will lick their chops and decide, on the first play of the game, that because they can shut you out, they’re going to. A team that already has America’s biggest tabloid outlet bringing up old stuff, freshman roommate stuff.

They’re the team that other teams are going to hate to see coming.

“We’ve only played two games,” linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold said. “We’re not even close to as good as we can be.”

“We’re learning how to win,” defensive end Jamil Muhammad said. “There’s a good test with how you respond to adversity, there’s also a test of how you respond to success.”

“At the end of the day, it’s a players’ game,” Riley said. “And they’re either gonna listen to the things that you say and take it to heart and be ready, or they’re not. And our guys were certainly ready to go.”

Watch out, college football. Here come those Trojans.