Pete’s on the Hot Seat

Time for some multiple choice.  Pete Carroll’s behavior at Mark Sanchez’s press conference was:

A)childish

B)rude

C)self-serving

D)exactly what we at Pete’s On The Hot Seat have come to expect from the man

The answer, of course, is all of the above.

Perhaps I overreacted just a bit.  Firing Pete Carroll in the middle of the season might be a bit rash.  Though if it were to happen, I’d be all for it, just as the fans of Auburn are dancing in the streets now that the so called “offensive guru,” new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, has been shown the door.  Their dismal efforts (both in victories and defeats) so far this season reminds me a lot of USC as of late.  Hey, come to think of it, when Pete is finally thrown out, maybe he should take his “defensive know-how” and combine it with Franklin’s “offense” to create an unstoppable team.  They’d be number one year after year…in ESPN’s Bottom 10.

Well here we are, a day away from another dreaded PAC-10 opener.  Pardon me if I avert my eyes from the screen.  I don’t expect this to be pretty.  Not because the competition is tough (actually, just calling it ‘competition’ makes me chuckle), but because Pete Carroll has shown a clear disdain for opening the PAC-10 season with a win.

I for one am tired of Carroll’s blind adherence to his bankrupt ideology “finish strong.”  How about starting strong?  Or better yet, playing strong the entire season?

The spread on this game is 24 points.  Boi From Troy says to take the points.  Coaches Hot Seat goes a step further and predicts that the Trojans will lose this game.

I couldn’t agree more.  Under Pete Carroll, USC has lost FIVE times in September, causing the Trojans to slip in the polls during the early weeks of the season when first impressions are made and forcing the players to rally in the later half of the season in order to get USC back onto the radar.

In ‘honor’ of those five losses, I present five reasons we will likely lose tomorrow night.

Mark Sanchez’s postgame interview with College Gameday is up at FanDome, and there are a few interesting things to note from it.

He praises the fans and the team effort, mentioning nearly all of the receivers by name. Understandable, for if it weren’t for their fantastic athletic ability, they never would have been able to score on a Buckeyes team that was obviously better coached.  They were expecting the pass and nearly stopped all four of Sanchez’s touchdown passes.

Carroll does know his players are allowed to run the ball into the endzone, right?  The Trojans had 20 less rushing yards than passing yards, and the difference would be greater if not for Joe McKnight having a few big runs.  Offense balance is key.  We got lucky.  If the Buckeyes hadn’t felt the lead was insurmountable, they would have eventually shut down our one-sided attack.