I am a die-hard 'SC fan and even I cringed when I read Harbaugh's comments. There is no doubt that they will be good. But that offense is still fairly unproven and undeserving of the title of "Best Ever". There have been some pretty great teams in the past, including some better Trojan teams to my recollection. Slow down there Jim Bo'!

Nebraska will prove that USC is beatable. Honestly, September 15th we will finally earn a little respect again, and it will be about time.

what a subtle move by harbaugh. there's no way he actually believes USC is the greatest of all time. But, not only does he take the focus off his squad (and the rest of the league), he also adds to the already huge target on USC's back. by calling them the "greatest of all time" he has created a whirlwind of hype around SC which will add even more pressure to them. meanwhile, Stanford and the rest of the league can go about their business as usual without being bothered while everyone focuses on USC. now, all of the sudden, if 'SC doesn't win it all with the "greatest team of all time" they are a complete failure. 'SC fans are cringing just at hearing the thought. Pete Carroll is "thanking" Harbaugh for his praise. That's just what USC needs; more media attention and scrutiny. Brilliant Jim.

USC is WOR (way over-rated) in a CC (crappy conference).

Pac-10 is the equal of any conference in the country. Anything else is just regional bias. Look at the interconference records over the past 5 years. The Pac-10 holds its own against anyone and everyone. So just quit it with the Pac-10 bashing. There's absolutely no support for it.

The PAC-10 definitely has a great team (USC) and a decent but not great team or two (Oregon & Cal, but lately no one else). And the PAC-10 is a conference with a lot of really good offense, for the most part. But PAC-10 defenses might as well not take the filed, most games. That's not regional bias, it's just a fact. The PAC-10 is an offense oriented conference. It's like a bunch of Kentucky's playing each other, except you have USC in the mix.

Stew,

Recent history tells you that Miami Hurricanes 2001 team was the best in history.

Portis
McGahee
Frank Gore
Davenport

Shockey, Winslow, Andre Johnson

Dorsey's record is equal or better than Leinhart's with better competition.

Here is the kicker, They had a defense.

USC was a great team. But Miami 2001 blows them out of the building by 20+. I am serious!!

I think most college coaches would agree.

Not so fast there hurricane fan, i think most media outlets, coaches and sports fans out there would tell you that although 2001 Miami was good, the 95 Huskers have been said and claimed to be the best ever. So i don't know if i would go so far as to say 2001 Miami is the best ever.

Interesting comment about Nebraska. I give them respect for the run they had, they played in 3 straight National Championship games, which is impressive.

But that 1995 team by itself, would have gotten a beat down too.

They were a one dimensional offense with a Great Defense. But, Miami had players that could turn the game around it a second.

Nebraska was a confident team in 1995, but they would have had a come to Jesus meeting against the 2001 hurricanes.

There was just too much talent on the field. Emotion will only carry you so far- about a series or two.

It is hard to believe, that Miami with Ed Reed, McDougal, Jon Vilma, Vince Wilfork, Buchanan, and Rumph William Joseph, and others would have let Miami lose to Nebraska - Those are just first rounders on Defense.

RegbWhite: All I said was that '05 USC had the greatest collection of offensive skill players. I specifically said I do NOT want to get into the all-time greatest team debate.

In terms of that one area, n question 2001 Miami's group was comparable. But first of all, let's not play revisionist history. McGahee and Winslow were freshmen who barely saw the field that year.

So basically you're comparing:

Leinart
Bush
White
Jarrett
Smith

to:

Dorsey
Portis
Gore
Shockey
Johnson

My take: Leinart was a better QB than Dorsey, Portis and Gore are both outstanding RBs but Bush was on another level and Jarrett/Smith vs. Johnson/Shockey is a draw.

Harbaugh is "gaming" SC and good ol' Pete Carroll has taken the bait. Yeah, SC will crush Stanfurd but a good psych job and a few breaks and Stanfurd might be able to stay in the game...and I say this as a Cal fan. Good for Harbaugh.

Yeah I dislike SC as much as anyone but you have to respect them and as a Pac-10 team support then when they kick non-conference butt. Over the past 5 years there hasn't been a team as good...period.

Re: about the Pac 10; no other conference plays every team in the league, no other conference plays as many BCS top-ranked non-conference teams and no other has the same offensive fire power.

The SEC and Big 10 are great but until they play everyone in their conference and schedule some "red meat" non-league games, they should just STFU.

ml_8000: Yeah, you're right. The SEC should schedule all their members and "red-meat" non-conference games. So, in that scenario, Alabama. for example, should have on their schedule...

Ole Miss, Miss. St., Vandy, Kentucky (our easy games)
Arkansas
South Carolina
Auburn
Georgia
Tennessee
LSU
Florida

and, perhaps,...

Michigan
Texas
South Florida (sorry, non-red meat)
Utah (again, sorry, we need a homecoming opponent).

In all, that's eleven conference games and four non-conference for a total of fifteen games, nine of which are almost always in the top 25 (many in the top ten). Then we'll go to Atlanta and play a top ten or top five opponent for the championship.

Yeah, that's what we should do.

I just wanted to say Stewart I think it's cool that you responded to what someone said...shows you actually read the posts on here unlike a lot of other writers....and as a Texas fan I LOVE that the last time SC was touted as the greatest team of all time the Longhorns sqaushed that...as far as this year goes I dont think Les Miles, Rich Rodriguez and Loyd Carr mind having SC called the greatest team of all time...

Responding to the guy who said that USC is in a crappy conference...ok, maybe were not the SEC...but the only teams to beat USC recently was OSU, UCLA and Cal. All the OOC teams that couldnt beat USC were:
Nebraska
Auburn
Virginia Tech
Hawaii
ect...

Oh..and speaking of defense. That supposed #1 ranked defense Texas had in the Rose Bowl a few years back, yeah..USC put up 575 yards on them....and that was an off game for them.

Stewart,

McGahee started at fullback in the National Championship game. Davenport was hurt..

Bush over Portis? slightly but not much Portis had 1200 yards and never played in the 4th quarters. Remember Gore had 600 yards.

Winslow played special teams and caught a few balls. He played WR that year, not TE. He was a player, but he dominated in 2002-2003...So I give you that.

Leinhart over Dorsey?? I have a hard time giving you that one, but I understand your point.

The real Match-ups are:
Ed Reed vs. Matt Leinart
Phillip Buchanan vs. Jarret
Steve Smith vs. Mike Rumph
Reggie Bush and Lyden White vs. Jon Vilma and DJ Williams.

Also, Miami's DLine vs. USC's O'Line. I think Leinhart would be holding that ball alot longer and taking some hits.

Thus, you would be scratching your head on those match-ups between USC's Offense vs. Miami's Defense, but you would not do that with Miami's Offense vs. USC's Defense.

Anyway, those are all NCAA08 issues today. There is nothing we could do about it but debate.

Besides, you have to give Nebraska and USC credit. For all the dominance Miami has had, they have never repeated as champions. Those teams have, well sort of!!

Also, if Miami played USC in the Fiesta Bowl, I think I would have to take USC. Miami just can't win there!

ml-8000,
If a SEC team scheduled your Cal Care Bears, would that be non-conference “red-meat” enough for you? Oh wait, Tennessee already did that. How did that game turn out anyway???

Stewart,

Sorry for getting into an all time debate. I was just venting!! Because I hate that people talk about USC so much.

Anyway, what are your thoughts going into the season about:

The chances of two or more BCS teams being undefeated this year? I don't think LSU will make it.

Could we see, Louisville/West Virginia vs. USC/Texas?

Those four have the best chances. Everybody else is playing for the #3 ranking.

Or do you think Boise St can make it back into the BCS? And will the memories of their performance push the media into making a cry for them to be in the championship game?

If they are undefeated, and ranked number 2 or 3 in the AP(because they would be the media darling), could they make it to the Championship game?

The Oklahoma Sooners team that went undefeated in the heart of the 47 game winning streak - Best Team in History.

Way to really go out on a limb with 700 words of analysis that boldly conclude that certified crazy man Jim Harbaugh is incorrect and the 2007 USC Trojans probably aren't the greatest team of all time.

As I recall, people were calling Nebraska one-dimensional back in 1995, and the experts predicted that Spurrier's Gators -- one of the most awesome aerial attacks in college football history -- would beat them in the Fiesta Bowl. Um, yeah, that didn't work out so well -- Nebraska crushed the Gators 62-24. I have never, ever seen such domination (both offensive and defensive) in a game of that importance -- over 600 yards of offense, negative rushing yards for Florida, an endless number of sacks and interceptions. If you don't believe me, just watch the tape of the game. So while the 2001 Miami team and 2004 USC teams were great, I wouldn't be so quick to rule out the Huskers.

The Longhorns with Vince running the show are right up there as the best team ever...smothering D and the most dangerous college QB to ever play the game....oh yeah, didnt we beat the so-called best college team ever that year..cant remember who was on it, but i remember a they had a couple 1st rounders...hahaha...suck on that trojans...get in a real conference and then you will have more ground to stand on as you sound like idiots!!!!

to that miami fan arduing about miami being the bast team in histury. who is lyden white?

The past four or five years has shown the "dominance" of the SEC. I do believe the past four years USC has crushed Auburn and Arkansas both TWICE.

2006: USC 50 Arkansas 14
2005: USC 70 Arkansas 17
2003: USC 23 Auburn 0
2002: USC 24 Auburn 17 then the next week beat up on Colorado (who was ranked in the top 20 at the time 40-3).

Find ONE SEC, Big-10, Big-12, or ACC team that plays the non-conference almost all of the PAC-10 teams play and you can speak. Enough of the playing Middle Tennessee States or the Alabama School for the Blind or the Mississippi College for the Ignorant. The field is all about put up or shut up...and the PAC-10 GETS IT DONE!!!!

The past four or five years has shown the "dominance" of the SEC. I do believe the past four years USC has crushed Auburn and Arkansas both TWICE.

2006: USC 50 Arkansas 14
2005: USC 70 Arkansas 17
2003: USC 23 Auburn 0
2002: USC 24 Auburn 17 then the next week beat up on Colorado (who was ranked in the top 20 at the time 40-3).

Find ONE SEC, Big-10, Big-12, or ACC team that plays the non-conference almost all of the PAC-10 teams play and you can speak. Enough of the playing Middle Tennessee States or the Alabama School for the Blind or the Mississippi College for the Ignorant. The field is all about put up or shut up...and the PAC-10 GETS IT DONE!!!!

And while your at it...enough of the wimpy non-conference schedules of the ACC, SEC, Big 10 & 12. Yes, the SEC does have 5 or 6 good teams, but they are segregated into 2 divisions..which means they only play 3 or 4 tough conference games. Then you play Middle Tennessee State and the Upper Alabama School for the Criminally Insane and great schools like that.

And btw...Nebraska doesn't have a well diggers change in hell of beating USC...regardless if it's in your precious Memorial Stadium. Nebraska can't carry USC's jock with a semi-truck. The vaunted "black-shirts" are going home with nothing but a black eye when USC runs all over them.

USC has crushed the cream of the SEC time and again. There's no Auburn or Arkansas to swat away again this year, so the SEC better man up and send a sacrificial lamb postseason.

Oh, and LSU fans, spread your cheeks and be ready for some Trojan boot (if you can even make it to the CG). Or just go back to whining about '03. Losers.

"Find ONE SEC, Big-10, Big-12, or ACC team that plays the non-conference almost all of the PAC-10 teams play and you can speak"

How about Colorado? This year, they've got Colorado State, Florida State, Arizona State, and Miami (OH).

Or look at their 2003 non-conference schedule: Colorado State, Florida State (#8), UCLA, Washington State (#14).

I'm neutral and just have some comments. Who knows who was the greatest, but here's the greatest memory I have from the games in question:

Nebraska, start of 2d half, two Nebraska guys run down field and crush the Florida kick returner, dislocating his hip or breaking his leg I think it was. They just ran over him like a couple buffalo would run over me. It was symbolic of the rest of the game as I saw it, an absolute destruction.

Also, wasn't Florida highly rated v. Nebraska, but in Miami 2001 game, Nebraska was just lucky to be there and clearly inferior?

Finally, I wonder if you should wait till this year if Florida wins again they may have a claim.

The 1-9-9-5 Nebraska Cornhuskers = greatest college football team ever assembled. The '95 Florida Gators WERE BETTER than the '96 Nat'l Champ squad, and that '95 Nebraska team absolutely swatted them off the field. They were absolutely unstoppable (and had won the '94 Nat'l Championship too). What did USC do last year? Lose to two UNRANKED TEAMS?

The Trojans haven't played a snap yet this season. For the LOVE OF LIFE, SHUT UP WITH PROPAGANDA ALREADY.

"Find ONE SEC, Big-10, Big-12, or ACC team that plays the non-conference almost all of the PAC-10 teams play and you can speak"
In addition to Colorado and also from the Big 12, Nebraska also plays USC, Wake Forest, and Nevada for its non-conference games this year, none of which are creampuffs.
SEC? Florida State plays at Clemson, at Colorado, and has 'Bama at home.
OR, and I hate to say it, you COULD mention the Domers, who play:
GA Tech, at Penn State, at Michigan, at UCLA, BC, and USC. Ouch.
I think this was one of those cases where your enthusiasm to support the Pac-10 outweighed your ability to do a shred of research before YOU spoke. Ouch, again.

"It is hard to believe, that Miami with Ed Reed, McDougal, Jon Vilma, Vince Wilfork, Buchanan, and Rumph William Joseph, and others would have let Miami lose to Nebraska - Those are just first rounders on Defense."

Ok. Here is why I think every magazine and poll finds the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers as the 'Best Ever':

Offense: Tommie Frazier, Brook Berringer (RIP), Reggie Baul, THE ENTIRE MONSTEROUS O-LINE, John Vedral, Kenny Cheatam, Jeff Mackovicka, Lawrence Philips, Ahman Green.

Defense: Grant Wistrom, Jason Peter, Christian Peter, Mike Rucker, Tyrone Williams, Mike Minter, Eric Warfield, Jared Tomich, Eric Stokes.

To Quote SI: "Want to know why? The Huskers offense averaged 52.4 points a game and also led the nation in rushing (399.8 yards per game). They didn't beat opponents, they destroyed them. Think Mike Tyson and Rocky Marciano at the peak of their careers." Thats all.

Huskers95: FSU and Clemson are not only in the same conference, but also in the same division. So, that doesn't really help your argument, just to clarify.

joenationcu: I am retarded and was dropped on the head as a child. I apologize for my egregious error. :-P

So Stewart, does Harbaugh also see Baylor winning the Big 12? Because I think this just might be their year.

Wah wah... go ahead SEC fanboys, and start bitching about how weak the PAC 10 is... cause Ole Miss, Vandy, Kentucky, and Miss State are soooo tough. Didnt USC play Arkansas (who made it to the SEC championship) and beat them senseless, not once, BUT TWICE? Please, shut up. The SEC is just as, if not more, overrated as the PAC 10. Now go cry about it some more, while USC schedules legit non-conference games and LSU schedules MTSU and Louisiana Tech.

comparing the nonconference opponents defeats the whole point of what the SEC boys are arguing...I'm a GT fan in the heart of SEC country but I do think they have a point. The so-called "cupcakes" in the SEC such as Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Miss. St. still do seem to manage to give the big boys a tough time...(see Vanderbilt last year against FL and GA). The argument isnt that USC is a bad team. Its that if they played conference opponents with half a pulse they wouldnt be able to coast through 75% of their games and only focus on the big ones

BEST TEAM EVER? How about best team in last 20 years...

Candidates:

2001 Miami
1991 University of Washington
1995 Nebraska
2004 USC
1997 Michigan
1988 Notre Dame

That's it... And the winner is...

2005 Nebraska, with 1991 U. of WA a very close second...

...my co-worker just told me I was on crack for putting the 1991 U. of WA so high on the list.

The Defense was one of the best I've ever seen with Steve Entman anchoring that line.

The offense scored almost 50 points per game. The defense held opponents to 67 rushing yards per game, and 9 points per game. Dominant.

Head-to-head, I think the 1991 Huskies would slap around the 2001 Hurricanes...

The average age on this blog must be about (25) years old. Only a couple of people have mentioned any teams before 1990. Let's just establish who the best overall team of alltime is (since college football began): The Oklahoma Sooners. Just get an almanac and look at the facts, kids. By the way, everybody is making too much out of OU's "unsettled" QB situation right now...we will be dominant this year!

All these SEC HATERS!! Please if USC was in the SEC conference the 2 years they played for the BCS championship it would of been another team in that game. The year USC blasted Oklahoma, Everyone knows that either team wanted to play Auburn. Florida, LSU, Auburn could win the ACC, Pac 10, Big 10 every year. Don't forget SEC is the only conference with 3 different teams that has won a BCS Championship. Tenn, LSU, Fla. Can any other conference say that?

Every year P10 teams play the toughest schedules, combining OOC with in-conference. Hard to argue that. In fact, if you actually DO the research (check Phil Steele)you will see that pretty much every team in the P10 makes up the 10 toughest schedules in the country. I personally think the SEC IS tougher in-conference, but all that is negated by the dual division strucutre (thus, missing 1-2 powers a year)and the embarassing OOC scheduling. It would be nice to see SEC teams play someone on the road in OOC, but you just don't see it (think LSU barely scraping by a mediocre ASU team).

As for Nebraska? Come on, Callahan showed his true colors at USC last year, and he got dominated (much worse than the score indicated) and against a team that was REBUILDING. I will be shocked if Nebraska keeps it within single digits.

aight so the pac-10 is not that weak a conference, but to my knowledge the last few years has seen twice as many National Championship trophies come home south than west(usc fans don't cry, lsu has the coveted crystal football in their trophy room, not out in l.a.) for all those who denounce the sec for getting clobbered by s.c., if i am correct most of those were season openeners with s.c. bringing in a top tier team, no one knows how the first game is gonna go, still working out the kinks... Roll Tide

I believe Auburn was ranked higher than USC in pre-season the year they got shut-out.

Not that facts should stop you.

PAC 10 teams schedule tough non-conference schedules because they get to play Arizona, Arizona State, Washington, and Washington State every year.

Pretty easy to go 8-4 when you play UAB, Arkansas State, Troy, and LA-Lafayette. All you have to do is go .500 in the mighty SEC. What with Kentucky, Vandy, Ole Miss, Miss State, should be pretty easily done for a marginal team.