One of the great traditions in football is the USC Trojans. Since the days of Notre Dame going  West by train to play the "best of the other side of the country", USC has been in the forefront of the national spotlight.  Coach John Robinson put them in the top ranks during the 60-70's by winning key games and national titles.

With the explosion of the west coast population USC was a natural to go to the top. If you sign the elite players south of Bakersfield you could be a top contender. You can't count the amount of four and five star high school athletes in the Southern California area that choose to attend USC, not to mention the top talents from all over the country that make the decision to be a Trojan.

What's USC got that most everybody else does not? Well the school has a direct pipeline to the pros. The number of players getting to the pro ranks is remarkable. If you are a RB or QB just plan on getting drafted in the first round of the NFL draft. One QB starts in the pros and didn't start a game for the Trojans.

Heisman Trophies- where do they put them all? With the L.A. media, the national television exposure and a major league P.R. department - you're going to get your shot at the big award. Better yet, no pro football in the area to interfere with the fan support and media attention.
Let's not forget great weather, the beach and need I say  as the Beach Boys did " I wish they all could be California girls". Let's face it, when you're eighteen years old the cheer squad - no the opposite sex in general- is a factor in where you go to school. USC has more than their fair share of show stopping young ladies.

Finally there is one other factor- they cheat! Yes the maroon and gold cheat. The grey ghost of a coach Pete Carroll has spun deals and avoided the rules of the road for years. Now former Heisman winner Reggie Bush is under investigation for illegal benefits - like he got a house! The NCAA is not letting up on this and more will follow. This year's top player, running back Joe McKnight, is going pro to avoid the review of his use of an SUV that didn't happen to be his.

Coach Carroll, who always stated he will never go back to the pro's (he was a head coach for a few years in the NFL), is sprinting to Seattle and it's not to get fresher Starbucks. Yes the heat is on and the coach is exiting stage left.

A.D. Mike Garritt, whose basketball program is also under review for the payment of money to the former star O.J. "hold the" Mayo, also did the USC thing. He hired a replacement for Carroll from the USC past, Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin. This guy was at the big orange for one year and kicked them to the curb, leaving them with over three million dollars of guaranteed money to the assistant coaches.  Kiffin is so USC that in his one year at Tennessee the program was cited for four NCAA violations.

This school is heading down the road of Florida State from a few years ago and it's sad. USC and this new coach will be something to watch in the next few years, but if the NCAA completes their investigations, we might not see USC in their traditional BCS game appearance. This looks like the perfect storm with a loose A.D., a "free-wheeling" coach and loads of talented kids.