O/NSO: Cabin fever edition
The Obvious: On Thursday night, California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered its nearly 40 million residents to stay at home through mandatory restrictions to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. Californians are being asked to stay in their homes - the only exemptions being the essential public's needs for gas stations, pharmacies, grocery stores, farmers markets, food banks, convenience stores, and delivery restaurants. Feeling like millions of sports fans across the country, this whole necessary Coronavirus stay-in-your-house, self-quarantine is really testing to the extreme one's fears, patience, and self-discipline by the second - not to mention just plain cabin fever. And if you try to dash in and out of a market without the Coronavirus attaching to some part of your being, it all seems like something out of The Twilight Zone, the legendary 60s sci-fi TV show.
The Not So Obvious: Good readers, cabin fever is now fully upon us, and how is a USC football fan to survive? My friends, you need some positive diversion; something that will give you a renewed enthusiastic state of mind if not a plain diversion even for a few brief moments. So, as an O/NSO public service and thanks to YouTube, we present below nine USC football games from our favorite memory achieves. The O/NSO thinks these games from over the many decades will bring a smile and a respite from the current environment. And as a bonus, we’ve included a little documentary regarding the Notre Dame/USC rivalry, as seen through the Irish perspective. So, sit back and enjoy the show!
The Obvious: Let’s begin with the 1963 Rose Bowl game (cover photo above - No. 26 is USC standout back/receiver Willie Brown), which featured the Trojans and Wisconsin for all the national marbles. What a wild shootout that was, and it featured a Rose Bowl with no lights. Enjoy the card stunts. Card stunts, what's that? Just sit back, watch, and enjoy as Trojans’ golden throat radio voice Pete Arbogast describes the highlights.
The Not So Obvious:
The Obvious: There’s nothing quite like USC and Notre Dame. How did it begin and what is the Irish perspective of the rivalry? Let’s find out in the link below. Oh, and as a public service, this should be required viewing for Trojans’ first-year President Carol Folt.
The Not So Obvious:
The Obvious: There was never a game that inflicted so much pain on the Irish and pleasure for the Trojans than when these two college bluebloods collided in 2005 in South Bend, so help me Reggie Bush.
The Not So Obvious:
The Obvious: Okay, the O/NSO is beginning to feel your happiness. And nowwwwwww, the legendary 1974 USC comeback against the Irish. Oh, BTW, that is WeAreSC Defensively Speaking columnist Kevin Bruce (No. 50) making a big fumble recovery in the second half.
The Not So Obvious:
The Obvious: The O/NSO can see the look of boredom and cabin fever on your face slowing being wiped away. Here’s another big upper…unless you’re an Oklahoma fan. Let’s enjoy watching the Trojans and Oklahoma in the BCS title game in the 2005 Orange Bowl. We dedicate these highlights to former Trojans OC Norm Chow.
The Not So Obvious:
The Obvious: The greatest victory and game for USC? If you haven’t seen the 1967 game, here is your chance to see and hear what all the commotion is all about. USC and UCLA fighting for the national championship, the conference championship, the Heisman Trophy, the Victory Bell, and it was all on ABC in a national telecast. Enjoy the background leading up to the game itself.
The Not So Obvious:
The Obvious: USC and Ohio don’t meet very often unless it’s usually the Rose Bowl. So, the O/NSO is going to mix it up a bit and show you two Rose Bowl games and the “Drive” when quarterback Matt Barkley was a freshman against eh Buckeyes.. But first, here’s the 1972 Trojans, arguably the greatest college football team of all-time, against Ohio State in the 1973 Rose Bowl. For your info, No. 28 is tailback Anthony Davis, No. 39 is fullback Sam “Bam” Cunningham, No. 22 is receiver Lynn Swann, and No. 83 is LB Richard “Batman” Wood. The QB is Mike Rae, who was vastly underrated.
The Not So Obvious: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5hEsrwhy4o
The Obvious: If you want to make it hurt for your Buckeye buddy, let’s take a look at the 1974 Trojans and his “Thee” Ohio State. The Trojans’ QB is No. 10 Pat Haden, tailback No. 28 Anthony Davis, wide receiver No. 25 J.K. McKay, fullback No 42 Ricky Bell, fullback No. 15 David Farmer, and wide receiver No 26 Shelton Diggs. Watch this video ESPN Classic piece to the end as some of the Trojans players introduce themselves. Now this is when men were men.
The Not So Obvious:
The Obvious: Perhaps his greatest moment as a Trojans quarterback,take a look at true freshman QB Matt Barkley and his legendary, late fourth quarterback drive at Ohio State. The ending stunned the Buckeyes and a sellout crowd at “The Horseshoe.”
The Not So Obvious:
The Obvious: And finally, the O/NSO hopes these highlights and history are a little bit of a pickup and keeps you going until next week.
The Not So Obvious: Next week? Yeah, there is nothing like looking at the greatest moments of USC football. It sure beats worrying about the Coronavirus.
