Today on ESPN.com, Ivan Maisel writes that the rest of the Pac-10 has caught up with USC and therefore could be the best conference in college football going into next season.

Going into this season, I was on the Pac-10 bandwagon. I knew USC was still the best team in the conference but Cal was a tough draw as was Oregon, Dirk Koetter had things going well in Tempe and Mike Stoops was turning around Arizona. And then it happened. The Golden Bears went into Rocky Top to play the Vols, who were still reeling after failing to make a bowl the season before.

Nate Longshore looked pitiful and got pulled, Joe Ayoob came in and looked just as bad, Cal couldn’t cover anybody and Marshawn Lynch was rendered useless. And that was when I turned on the Pac-10.

Regardless of what happened toward the end of the last season (read: It doesn’t matter that UCLA beat USC and ruined their chance at a national title), USC is still one of the premier programs in the country and certainly the elite program in the Pac-10. Other teams are making headway but if you look at how recruiting went this winter, it’s hard to argue that the Pac-10 title doesn’t run through the Coliseum and the Men of Troy. They’re returning Booty, both tailbacks and Patrick Turner, who is a Dwayne Jarrett/Mike Williams clone.

I like the Pac-10, it intrigues me. But I’m not drinking the Kool-Aid. Not again. And it’s Nate Longshore’s fault.

Here’s a link to Maisel’s article if you care.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 16th, 2007 at 7:44 pm and is filed under College Football. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.