Throwback of the Week: Trojans Forever

With the expectations for my Trojans back up to where they were in the mid to late 2000s, I cannot help but think back on the Pete Carroll era. I remember my cousin Ricky telling me in '02 about the Trojans and how they were gonna be a good team that year. Sure enough, Carson Palmer helped lead USC back to elite status, and it only got better with Matt Leinart. '03, we got a split of the national title (I still maintain the BCS computers fucked them over), and we left no doubt in '04. '05, I thought we would do it again, but Vince Young played his ass off to pull it out. The next 3 years were more BCS bowls and more great memories, despite no national titles. As we all know, it ended controversially when Pete Carroll resigned after the 2009 season to avoid the sanctions that eventually hit USC. But, this does not take away from my argument that from 2002-2009, there was no better coach in college football than Pete Carroll. Consider these stats: 

- 91-13 record overall, 57-11 in the Pac-10 conference 

- 6-1 in BCS bowls

- Back to back national championships in 2003 (AP) & 2004 (unanimous)

- 34 game winning streak

- 3 Heisman Trophy winners

- 14 1st round NFL draft picks

 There are a lot of other accomplishments, but I don't have that much time. I know some of these were vacated by NCAA sanctions, but screw it. It may not exist in official records anymore, but it exists up here, *points at head*, in my memory as a fan. I know it was Reggie who took the money, but are other major football powers really innocent when it comes to players taking money and coaches turning a blind eye to it? It just so happened USC got caught. Ohio State got caught, though for some reason, they weren't fucked in the ass like the Trojans were. Miami and Oregon have also faced similar accusations in recent years. Some say "Ohio State players took less money." Doesn't matter, they did the same thing USC did yet faced less punishment. Don't give me that "lack of institutional control" nonsense either. Other schools have done the same thing yet were not punished as harshly as USC. We're still paying for the sins of Reggie Bush, and to a certain extent, Pete Carroll, but I wouldn't trade the memories and good times of 2002-2009 for anything. So, thanks for the memories Pete, Carson, Matt, Reggie, and the rest of the Trojans. I'll never forget you guys.