Loss exposes Trojans as team in transition

EUGENE, Ore. -- The king is, if not dead, on a gurney.

There will be no national title this year, no parade, no visit to the White House.

Winning the conference title now will require major standings bypass surgery.

It's hard to believe how fast Florida, defending national champion, has fallen after a loss to Georgia on Saturday dropped the Gators to 5-3.

The USC Trojans?

Oh yeah, them.

They lost too, 24-17, to Oregon, at raucous Autzen Stadium, in what amounted to a Pacific 10 Conference changing of the guard, tackle and tailback.

Scratch USC vs. Florida in this year's Bowl Championship Series title game and pencil in . . . Oregon vs. Boston College?

It has been that kind of year and USC, like a lot of us, is now just along for the ride.

USC, this year's preseason No .1 and Florida, last year's postseason No. 1, are a combined 11-5 before Halloween, proving college football is not the same as it was last week, let alone last year, or two years ago, when USC lost out on a third consecutive national title when it failed to convert on fourth and two against Texas.

Weren't the Trojans supposed to contend again this year?

"They were supposed to," Oregon cornerback Patrick Chung said, "but we just beat them. Just because they're USC doesn't mean anything. They're just another team. They've got great players but they're just another team."

Ouch?

Reality?

Try both:

The truth of USC football is that the Trojans were not as good as advertised and the Pac-10 was better than advertised.

USC has still lost only six games since 2002 by a total of 20 points, but four of those losses have come in the last two years -- all four against Pac-10 opponents.

It was a remarkable run -- five consecutive conference championships, five BCS bowl appearances, five years finishing in the top four in the Associated Press poll.

And now people are talking Armed Services Bowl?

"When they were beating people, they had a swagger when they went on the field," Oregon tailback Jonathan Stewart, who had 103 yards in 25 carries, said of USC. "It's missing a little bit, like they've been wounded a little bit. They have plenty of playmakers, but when they had Reggie Bush and those guys they had a determination."

What is USC missing?

"Leadership?" Stewart said. "I don't know."

Oregon appears to have its best team since 2001, when the Ducks finished No. 2 in both polls but did not play for the national title because it finished No. 4 in the BCS.