Thoughts on USC vs. Ohio State

Wow, what a final drive. With USC down 15-10 in the 4th quarter, true freshman quarterback Matt Barkley was thrown into the wolves.

Winning your first game at home against San Jose State is one thing, but putting together a winning drive in front of over 100,000 rabid fans at the horseshoe in Columbus is a whole different ballgame.

The Trojans were able to eat much of the clock in an 86-yard drive that saw Barkley complete the smart passes he needed to make, while Joe McKnight did the rest.

McKnight was highly touted coming out of high school. He was supposed to pick up right where Reggie Bush left off, but for one reason or another, he hasn't been able to live up to the hype. That was until Saturday.

He channeled his inner Reggie Bush, and eluded Ohio State tacklers to rip the hearts out of the Buckeye faithful.

Barkley only threw five passes in the final drive, while completing three of them, but the key is that he didn't make any mistakes. Unfortunately for Matt Barkley, he did suffer a sore shoulder during the game. It occurred during the 3rd quarter after a big hit, but he was still able to put together the winning drive in the 4th.

Barkley's shoulder is still giving him some problems, so it's unknown at this time if he will start tomorrow as the Trojans take on Washington. USC has a good back up option in Aaron Corp, but if Barkley is close to 100%, it would be tough for Pete Carroll not to play him.

Finally, I believe the media has overblown Barkley's role in the Trojan drive in the 4th quarter. I mean it's the easy story to go with. The golden child, former high school player of the year, starting with USC and leading his team to victory, but Joe McKnight was the real reason the Trojans won that game.