USC Pre-Game: Wassup Wazzu?

USC is heading up to the Pac-10 version of the middle of nowhere this weekend to play a game with another team whose apparent strategy is not to lose by too much.

Wazzu, knowing in their hearts that the outcome of the game is already determined, has a head coach who is spending the week rationalizing a-hope-for-the-best-expect-the-worst form of preparation. Apparently, Bill Doba thinks a similar strategy worked pretty well for Bill Callahan … sort of.

Phrases like “measure of progress” and “not the end of the season” and “we’ll see where we’re at” sound pretty familiar coming from the other sideline. According to an AP piece this week, Doba says:

I think [the game vs. USC] will tell us, really, where we are. … Whether we win, lose, or draw, I don't think it's the end of the season, by any means. I don't think it validates us for the rest of the year. I think we can continue to improve, but I think it tells us how far along we are now. … You know, everything to gain and nothing to lose, really. No one expects them to win, obviously.

What the hell is this? Since when does any team play a game to see how good they think they are? Shouldn’t a coach know how good his team is? Perhaps that is the issue: Doba does know, and thus he knows his team cannot win.

Still, these people should listen to Herm Edwards: "You play to win the game!"

To his credit, Doba at least has enough sense to keep his players mouths shut, unlike Cornhusker Callahan. Whatever.

Fight On!
east coast bias