Dr. Saturday - NCAAF

Since we headlined the ways the draft reinforced USC's recruiting dominance on Monday, it's only appropriate today that we go the other way:

A 2007 USC team that had 21 players get drafted by NFL teams the past two years lost to a Stanford team that had zero players drafted in the same period.

It's true: In two years, Jim Harbaugh hasn't sent a single player to the draft. Consider that -- that Stanford somehow beat, effectively, a nearly full-fledged NFL lineup without a single NFL-quality player -- and marvel again at the most unbelievable upset of your lifetime.

The Trojans can stockpile all the talent on earth, but this is still a problem: Oregon State last year wasn't nearly in Stanford's position -- the Beavers tied for second nationally with seven draft picks last weekend, not including either of their best offensive players, the Super Rodgers Bros. -- but under their current circumstances (unless Terrelle Pryor morphs into Vince Young before the Trojans' trip to Columbus September), there's hardly an excuse for USC to lose to anyone before running into a Florida, LSU or Texas at the end of the year. The blemishes here will always loom large: To whom much is given, heavy is the head, etc.

In the meantime, Harbaugh's still pulling out all the stops to convince people to actually attend Stanford games. Toby Gerhart! Off-tackle! Yeah, that's a hit.

digg delicious
more

14 Comments

Post a Comment
  1. N8
    1. Posted by N8 Tue Apr 28, 2009 12:15 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    N8 Strikes Again!!!
  2. Ian
    2. Posted by Ian Tue Apr 28, 2009 12:28 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    And Pete Carrol is regarded as one of the better coaches? He is clearly doing less with more than anyone else.
  3. Red4564
    3. Posted by Red4564 Tue Apr 28, 2009 12:51 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Is is better to win the big ones and lose a little one here and there, or to lose the big ones and win the little ones? It's a matter of perspective. I'd rather go 11-2 or 12-1 every year and beat the top-ranked teams (and suffer an in-conference loss) than lose to top-ranked non-conference teams on the schedule.
  4. Carl V
    4. Posted by Carl V Tue Apr 28, 2009 1:18 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    I don't know that Stanford over USC was the most unbelievable.
    I still find Appalachian State over Michigan to be just dumbfounding. Especially considering that Michigan ended up being a pretty good team, that year, too.
    Stanford over USC is up there, though.
  5. Michael B
    5. Posted by Michael B Tue Apr 28, 2009 1:24 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    As an ardent OSU fan, I feel the real story here is how much less of a story the OSU win over USC is. Apparently we had the 2nd most draft picks of anyone, so it almost makes sense.
  6. PurdueMatt
    6. Posted by PurdueMatt Tue Apr 28, 2009 3:04 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    These are still 18-22 year old kids. There will some inconsistencies regardless of talent level. Its not as if USC has had a 6-6 or 7-5 season with this talent. Winning 7 (?) straight conference titles is pretty damn impressive. You are nit picking for expecting a national title every year.
  7. Zachary K
    7. Posted by Zachary K Tue Apr 28, 2009 3:10 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    @iwm7272
    and of course pete carroll has nothing to do with getting that "more" onto campus
  8. ahahah
    8. Posted by ahahah Tue Apr 28, 2009 6:51 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Nope, Carl, Stanford over USC was much more shocking. Appalachian St. won the I-AA championship that year and would have murdered Stanford on a neutral field.
  9. HUh!!
    9. Posted by HUh!! Tue Apr 28, 2009 9:45 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    anybody in that div could win 7 straight give me a break,, yeah thats a really big thing when you play nobodies and that said usc should never lose but yet they do pac 10 is a joke and always will be
  10. Kevin
    10. Posted by Kevin Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:59 am EDT

    Report Abuse

    I'm a Georgia fan, and an SEC boy for life. I hate to admit it but I think USC is probably one of the few schools that could hang with the upper tier of the SEC schools. Texas, maybe. I have a lot of respect for the Torjans and Pete Carroll and what they've been able to accomplish. Sad that most people hold them in disdain just because they ahve been successful for the most part.
  11. Eric K
    11. Posted by Eric K Wed Apr 29, 2009 2:00 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    as for you being a georgia fan and thinking usc could only "hang with the upper tier of the sec", i understand your completely misguided bias. but as a fan of college football, i'll admit that the sec has only one school that might hang with texas and maybe usc, and i still doubt it. usc is the best college football team ever. they could probably even compete with some bad nfl teams and win! the pac is easily one of the top 2 conferences in the nation.
    and tell me...if the pac is so horrible than why does usc only have one non-conference loss (texas in the nc) since the dynasty while playing a schedule twice as tough as any sec team..maybe all of them combined? yet they always lose to one pac 10 team...
    its okay..the pac will put the sec in their place in the coming years. the record's already 10-6 in the bcs era for the pac against the sec!
  12. 4.0 Point Stance
    12. Posted by 4.0 Point Stance Wed Apr 29, 2009 3:34 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Stanford C Alex Fletcher was picked up as a UFA by the New Orleans Saints.
  13. Jeff L
    13. Posted by Jeff L Wed Apr 29, 2009 5:30 pm EDT

    Report Abuse

    Most folks will remember the App St. win over Michigan and that was amazing.
    But really, how in the hell did USC lose that game to Stanford?!?!?
    I bet both games. I took App St. +24.5 on BoDog, I remember thinking Michigan blows noone out.
    I also took USC -41 on BoDog, I was thinking USC may score 70.
  14. babyruth
    14. Posted by babyruth Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:30 am EDT

    Report Abuse

    I wonder how many of the USC picks over the last few years are still in the NFL? Could it be a question of Hollywood hype? Or is the talent for real? Just a question.

Dr. Saturday

Add to My Yahoo! RSS

Matt Hinton

Dr. Saturday is a college football blog edited by Matt Hinton. Email him tips and feedback.

Related Photo Gallery

Y! Sports Blogs

Dr. Saturday Recent Readers