There is a growing feeling in Los Angeles that Washington is not an opponent that USC likes to face. Many players and fans alike are hoping to “revenge” the last two years of UW beating them.
Three years ago USC was ranked #3 in the nation and had a legitimate shot at pursuing the national championship game but a lowly Washington team, a team just removed from a winless season, came in and beat the Trojans 16-13. Steve Sarkisian had successfully rejuvenated the fan base and the players hopes for their Husky future.
The following year, USC was ready to dismantle the Huskies for making them fall from their mighty pedestal. They were hungry to beat these Dawgs and now they had the home-field advantage. They came out hot, scored on their opening possession. It was time to put that ugly loss to the “lowly Huskies” behind them. However, UW didn’t go away, and eventually won the game on a last second field goal off the foot of Erik Folk.
The Huskies had brought down the mighty Trojans once again, and now a year later are hoping to do the same thing. USC can’t forget those two losses and they want so “badly” to beat UW this year. They are using Nick Holt’s comments as fuel and a “this time it will be different” attitude.
However, are the Huskies becoming a “rival” to USC? The question first popped up a few days ago when Trenise Ferreira came on the site and answered some questions about the game this weekend. What you don’t see is the questions she asked me and put on her site, here. The sixth question for me was; “U Dub has bested USC the past 2 times. Do these two teams have the makings of a North/South rivalry?” Honestly, I wasn’t sure how to answer at first…does USC see UW has a new rival?
I mean don’t get me wrong, no one thinks this is a Notre Dame vs. USC thing. But if the sentiment is “those dirty jerks, all I want to do is beat the snot out of them” then this thing has the makings of a genuine rivalry.
One player on the USC team tweeted this:
This player doesn’t say these things every week. Looks like there is some real strong feelings about not only facing the Huskies in a “big game” but also beating the Huskies. There is a hashtag that many of the players are using and have used in the last couple of days: #beatthehuskies.
Ferreira put it this way in her recent post on ReignofTroy.com:
"If USC were to have a Pac-12 North rival, it would definitely be the Huskies.Since Sarkisian took over at U-Dub, his team has beat USC both times. And not only have they beat the Trojans, but they have done so in the most frustrating way possible: charging down the field, running out the clock, then kicking the game winning field goal. Trojan fans certainly have not forgotten what it felt like to lose this way to the Huskies, not once but TWICE. IN A ROW. That’s just…unacceptable."
Remember, not only is a Ferreira a blogger for USC she is also a student there. The feelings run deep there, as 2 years in a row things have become a little “unacceptable” for their fan-base.
So is a rivalry brewing? I think more-so in LA than it is in Seattle. The Huskies of course are looking for a 3-peat but a rivalry is a strong word to throw around, especially as a “rebuilding” program.
UW beat USC last year when USC was ranked 18th in the nation in their own house. This year USC is once again ranked 18th, and UW is traveling to the Coliseum just like last year. Could UW upset the Trojans once again and fuel this brewing Rivalry in LA?