Remember too that this was supposed to be USC’s year. The schedule was favorable, as it had all the so-called tough games (Ohio State, Oregon, Arizona State, Cal, Notre Dame) at home. The Trojans kept linebackers Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga from bolting to the NFL (a lot of good it did them Thursday) and were said to have the most efficient defense this side of NORAD. The offense was green in spots, but the richness of the talent pool was supposed to compensate for that.

All of that is over now. The Trojans won’t be building momentum toward a title, but rather will be answering questions about why they haven’t appeared in a BCS title game since the Vince Young Rose Bowl Relay (Jan. 4, 2006), and why they haven’t won one since whipping Oklahoma the year before that.

USC isn’t the only team out there that has landed with a splat. Oklahoma seems to do it also on a fairly regular basis. Ditto for Texas, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Auburn and many more. The college football season as a whole is a lot like that drill done in practice in which players high step through an obstacle course of tackling dummies and rope mazes: somebody always wipes out.

But when USC does it, the tumble is more pronounced. It has established itself as a gathering place for the nation’s finest college football players, where the elite meet to decleat. So when the Trojans take the gas pipe when they should cruise, the consequences are more severe, the plummet more dramatic.

Never bet money on any electorate. Strange things happen when knowledgeable people go to the polls. It’s possible USC has built up enough respect that voters in November will say, “All is forgiven.” It’s also conceivable a rash of upsets could throw the map into disarray.

Right now, though, it doesn’t look good for the men of Troy. Playing Oregon State in September is like a primary before the general election. And in this scenario, the Trojans are bankrupt and broken, and won’t even be invited to participate in the debate.

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