Trojans favored to win 7th straight Pac-10 title

By DON RUIZ | The News Tribune • Published July 25, 2008

LOS ANGELES - Southern California has won six straight Pacific-10 Conference football titles, and this season's new-look Trojans remain the consensus team to beat.

Only one media member disagreed with that sentiment in the annual preseason poll unveiled Thursday at Pac-10 media day in Los Angeles, and USC's Pete Carroll voiced the only reservations among the league's coaches.

"We're thrilled that people think highly of us, but it doesn't mean anything to us," he said. "It doesn't mean anything until you start winning games. I think we have a pretty clear understanding of that, and it doesn't have us thinking that we're something that we're not. The truth is how you play. So as we start playing games and we start knocking off some wins and getting into the schedule, then you can look back and say people had a clear thought about what we could be."

Carroll arrived at USC in 2001. He won his first title in 2003 and the Trojans have stayed on top ever since, surviving the loss of players such as Heisman Trophy winners Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart.

Now, they are looking to reload again after the departure of stars such as quarterback John David Booty, defensive end Lawrence Jackson and linebacker Keith Rivers from last season's Rose Bowl champions.

"We've had a terrific run with the kids that have been in the program, that have won national championships, but they've all left us," Carroll said. "To see the change in leadership and the emergence of new leadership, we sense a whole new excitement; and I've never been more pumped up."

The 2008 Trojans will likely be led by junior quarterback Mark Sanchez, Lombardi Award candidate linebacker Rey Maualuga, Thorp Award candidate safety Taylor Mays and a deep stable of athletic tailbacks and receivers.

These Trojans earned a No. 2 national preseason projection from Lindy's, No. 3 from The Sporting News, and No. 4 by Athlon and Steele's.

Thirty-eight of the 39 media members voting in the annual Pac-10 poll picked USC to win the conference race. The only other first-place vote went to California. The Golden Bears were picked fourth overall behind USC, Arizona State and Oregon. UCLA was picked fifth, followed by Oregon State, Arizona, Washington, Stanford and Washington State.