Pete Carroll and USC: BCS or Bust

If you have been on the campus of the University of Southern California (USC) lately you may have noticed Pete Carroll looking confident and calm. This from a man who is as driven and passionate a coach as college football has ever seen. But who can blame him, with Heisman Trophy candidate John David Booty and quarterback with a season of starting under his belt and a bevy of tailbacks and wide receivers at his disposal? After a season that ended strong with a win over Big Ten power Michigan, USC looks to get over a season that saw them lose two games. Yes, two games!

In the land of Troy, Pete Carroll has quickly established USC as the premiere program in college football. With two Heisman Trophy winners in the last four years, USC has been the desire of every major high school football player in the country since Carroll returned to college football after coaching in the NFL. With USC, Carroll has built a program that is vaunted in every area. A defensive coach in his heart, Carroll has instilled an ethic at USC that was absent for many, many years.

Since the days of Marcus Allen, USC had been mired in mediocrity and comfortable in having winning seasons. But before that stint of fifteen years, competing for national championships and having Heisman Trophy candidates was a yearly occupation for the Los Angeles university. With Carroll, USC has a coach who is committed to winning and doing it the right way. The players know if you sign up to play for Pete Carroll you are signing up to not only win but to put the work in to do it.