<p>i am of course not writing for them. The information is interesting and pertinent. The comic relief they provide lightens things up a bit!</p>
<p>Looks like things are going downhill for Southern Cal. First they drop a rank in their beloved US News, which they regard as gospel. And second, they just dropped SIGNIFICANTLY in the AP and Coaches Poll after losing for 4 straight years to Stanford, effectively ending almost all hopes for a national title and Heisman for Barkley.</p>
<p>Must be feeling pretty good to be a Southern Cal Trojan right now.</p>
<p>No one’s called the school “Southern Cal” in probably 15 years. If you’re going to dump on us, at least get the stupid name right. The administration (rightly, IMHO) decided to drop that nickname because it confused us with UC Berkeley aka Cal.</p>
<p>I’m very aware of the fact that Southern Cal doesn’t like being called Southern Cal for that reason. You don’t need to explain it to me SouthernCalAlum05.</p>
<p>notaznguy,</p>
<p>You bring up a good point. The character and calibre of USC football is being tested. The weeks and months ahead, starting with the UCLA game, will be telling. You might want to take your discussion to a sports blog somewhere.</p>
<p>My interest is USC, and presumably most on college confidential, is as an educational institution. A one place drop or rise in a ranking scale of unknown reliability and validity, but one soundly criticized upon critique, is difficult to use as evidence for your position. If you choose to, please incorporate in your reasoning the same ranking rating USC as one of the up and coming universities.</p>
<p>Lol it seems like Coach Mora brought back Southern Cal, too funny!!</p>
<p>Even the media is calling them Southern Cal…</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/pac12/story/2012/09/16/stanford-upends-no-3-southern-cal/57786854/1[/url]”>http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/pac12/story/2012/09/16/stanford-upends-no-3-southern-cal/57786854/1</a></p>
<p>What’s wrong with Southern Cal? I’ve been using that for years.</p>
<p>If Southern Cal could confuse with Cal,
USC could confuse with South Carolina…</p>
<p>or SC need a new brandname…?</p>
<p>You say Southern Cal, we say Southern Branch.</p>
<p>I don’t understand. For years, all of my out of state buddies and I have referred to USC as Southern Cal, especially on the East Coast where most folks don’t know what “SC” means or confuse it with South Carolina…</p>
<p>We deserve better.</p>
<p>Good way to judge a school is by the amount of hate it gets - I don’t understand why people would go on another school’s forum to spout vitriol if they weren’t butthurt over one thing or another</p>
<p>Hey Arctic92,</p>
<p>Shakespeare beat you to your observation…, “the lady doth protest too much methinks”</p>
<p>Seems USC attracts a lot of these “ladies” (no gender offense implied) :).</p>
<p>I agree… even reading the overflow of posted jeering comments everywhere on SC’s football loss to Stanford. Many people out there just hating USC to their guts… </p>
<p>USC football team is LA-City’s team without NFL,
even under heavy sanctions, SC team is fighting hard to come back,
and there are many rich kids school in the country,
why you rarely see people bash BostonU or Tufts much at all…</p>
<p>Should I take it positively it’s recognition because SC’s truly on the rise?
or take it negatively that SC school and students just tend to
incur hatred from everywhere…</p>
<p>Hey red_devils,</p>
<p>I was hoping someone would else respond to you, but since no one has and your question seems quite earnest:</p>
<p>When people feel insecure and/or jealous, they tend to attack the source. USC students are in general very happy with their academic and overall college experience. I suspect this is well known, especially throughout the West. Others are at other schools may not be quite so happy with their choice. For some, this is a cause for attack.</p>
<p>In contrast, USC does not rate as high on the USNWR and other rating scales of unexamined validity as USC students judge from their day to day experience. Contrast this with students who read that are at the highest rated universities, but don’t feel so happy/satisfied or that they fit in. This can be a cause for attack.</p>
<p>Those in power have always resisted newcomers to their ranks. USC has advanced rapidly in stature. Students at certain “top” universities may resist the rise and feel their “elite” status potentially challenged, along with others who fear their position on some perceived hierarchy displaced. </p>
<p>As far as the “hatred” this is exactly the behavior seen throughout history in similar situations. It is the basis of racial prejudice, especially those who fear their jobs or position will be displaced by newcomers or “immigrants”, which in fact it often is.</p>
<p>So yes, take it as a positive recognition USC is on the rise and well noted by others.</p>
<p>Perhaps the original thought bears repeating (thank you Shakespeare)…“the lady doth protest too much methinks.” Some may have had USC as their dream school and not be accepted or not be awarded a viable FA package or merit award for them and feel hurt tuned vindictive.</p>
<p>USC does benefit greatly from constructive criticism and suggestions from within and without, along with good spirited rivalry. These are readily distinguishable from the “hating” red_devils refers to above.</p>
<p>USC continues to be a top 10 “dream school” for both students AND parents, has received a record number of freshman applications, has been on a tear recruiting world renowned faculty from schools like Harvard and Stanford, is consistently a top fund raiser - and is ahead of schedule in its current 6 billion dollar campaign, and despite the slight drop in ranking, still sits in the top 25 national universities in the country. I would say the so called “haters” are irrelevant and inconsequential - much like haters in general are.</p>
<p>Just look at this…
[No</a>. 21 Stanford upsets No. 2 USC, 21-14](<a href=“http://discussions.latimes.com/20/lanews/la-sp-0916-usc-stanford-20120916/10?page=1]No”>http://discussions.latimes.com/20/lanews/la-sp-0916-usc-stanford-20120916/10?page=1)</p>
<p>This is LA’s “own” major newspaper.
And all the jeering comments get massive likes,
all the supporting comments get massive dis,
showing me perhaps only UCLA students read LA Times…</p>
<p>Fair enough, SC just lost one game ugly to a ranked team
by blowing the lead.
They probably quite over-rated from the start, and they
won’t be National Champ this year afterall. But being still under
sanctions, everyone can see they’re fighting back well all
along, and the heavy scholarship limit exactly showing that
U$C is fighting hard despite “being punished hard
not able to buy players”, as they being bashed all the time…</p>
<p>Barkley’s decision to stay this year is really as stupid as it gets…
Because it really makes NO sense from money view. I really don’t understand
why he stays as he’s putting NFL $millions at risk (and risk for what?)
and after the Stanford game his $millions almost down the drain.<br>
As everyone bashes all the time, if U$C
under the table paid Barkley an SUV to stay (SUV vs NFL $millions !?), then I have
nothing more to say on this…</p>
<p>But if Barkley chooses to stay really
because for the school and not just because of money as always in life, I
find his “absolute stupidity” to be actually likeable… And I do
hope Barkley gets a better ending this year, with Heisman or not…</p>
<p>What does it tell you about a fanbase when they spend that much time on a rival’s news article?</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about those knuckleheads.</p>
<p>My Trojan Angels:</p>
<p>So after our ignominious defeat at the hands of our ancient rival, I was at a sports bar in downtown Seattle licking my wounds with a beer and a very mouthy low life sat next to me and, ostensibly speaking to her boyfriend, launched into a mean spirited soliloquy about how glad she was that USC lost, how much she hates USC and loves it when USC and Notre Dame lose. Pretending not to notice my bright red, USC bedecked t-shirt, she mocked Matt Barkley by gleefully and rhetorically asking what he planned to do now that his Heisman hopes were down the drain.</p>
<p>She was obviously baiting me and believe me, this alpha male wanted to engage her and her wimpy boyfriend; however, I held my tongue and reminded myself that I’m a USC Trojan who need not lower himself to her bottom dwelling level.</p>
<p>My patience and silence were soon rewarded when not one, but four of my closest friends came to my rescue by expressing disappointment about USC, showering me with smiles and handshakes and good cheer. The provocateur immediately shut up after realizing her captive audience had gone into a safe harbor. At that point I realized the man upstairs is a USC Trojan who protects his own…</p>