UT rocks, SC sucks.

If you've been following ESPN's sycophantic coverage of USC, you know they've been comparing the Trojans to the best teams in college history.

In an aptly titled piece in Slate, Why USC is overrated, Jonathan Chait exposes the farce:

For instance, the ESPN crew discussed a hypothetical game between USC and the 1997 Michigan Wolverines. That Michigan team had a spotty offense, but its defense was phenomenal, allowing less than nine points a game. The Wolverines had probably the best pass defense in college history, with 23 interceptions and just five touchdown passes allowed. It had Charles Woodson, who bucked history by winning the Heisman Trophy as a defensive player, along with three other future NFL cornerbacks. They held what was then the highest-scoring team in the history of the Pac 10 to 16 points.

What did ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit predict as the final score? 34-17, Trojans. ESPN's Mark May? USC, 49-14. Will the reader please note that mediocre defenses like Arizona State and Notre Dame held USC well below 49 points this year?

My favorite, though, was the matchup with the 1991 Washington Huskies. That team outscored its opponents by a staggering average margin of 42-9. Herbstreit's conclusion? "There's no way that that defense could stop SC." May: "It wouldn't even be close."

For amusement, also see Horn Fans' coverage of USC vs the Greatest Armies in History.

On a serious comparison, ESPN's own bowl preview notes that in close games (7 points or less, since 2001), Texas does far better:

RECORD
USC 6 - 7
TEX 10 - 2

And Chait adds:

Nor is it clear that USC is better than this year's Texas Longhorns. Both teams have fantastic offenses. (USC averages 50 points a game, Texas 51.) But Texas' defense is very good (allowing 14.6 points a game), while USC's is barely above average (allowing 21.3.)

Also, from a NYT article on Julius Whittier (now a trial lawyer!), the first Black player to play for UT, an interesting anecdote about LBJ's involvement in football recruitment:

It was Whittier's engaging personality that made him one of Royal's favorites and got him on Johnson's guest list. Johnson was crazy about Texas football and occasionally asked Royal to take players to his ranch. It was Johnson who suggested that Whittier continue his studies at the university's new school of public affairs. He earned a master's degree there, before he became a lawyer.

Whittier's success on and off the field -- he was a three-year letterman and a starter his junior and senior year -- paid immediate dividends for Texas. Roosevelt Leaks came here in 1971 and Earl Campbell in 1974, and they became all-American running backs. Soon, one of the set pieces for prospective players was Johnson's landing by helicopter on the lawn of his presidential library on campus to tell them why they should play for Texas.