82Trojan, just to let you know, i am a Reggie Bush hater. That does not mean that I do not respect USC currently and historically. Believe me, I have many friends,
OSU fans and not, who thought Bush was the [censored]. I just don't believe it. He put up great numbers in college, and had innumerable highlight plays, but I remain steadfastly skeptical. For one thing, I don't know if you can say he was huge as a rookie, considering he didn't score until week 10. Not exactly a game breaker. A #2 overall pick is expected to make an immediate impact, and Bush has fallen short. In his second year, his receiving yds went up, and his rushing yds went down a bit. But still, there were less touted players who outperformed him. I will bow down to Bush's greatness when I see it.
As far as Schlichter (not even sure if you're the one who brought that up), that was before my time. For more recent examples, Troy Smith took $500 and Clarett made a false insurance claim for about $1200 plus other infractions worth a few hundred. Both were dealt with quickly and in house, and both suspensions may have had an impact on the respective seasons. Bush, by most accounts, may have taken upwards of $100,000. I find it hard to believe that none of the SC coaches noticed that Bush and his family lived in a [censored]ing mansion when he was in school. Considering the media circus that surrounded the MoC scandal, I find it odd that the Bush story has not garnered more scrutiny.
Those issues aside, this year's game will be a great matchup. The two top programs of the past decade squaring off early in the season. Both ADs deserve praise for having the guts to schedule such a dangerous game. I don't quite agree with your USC/LSU comparison. LSU's offensive strength was their hat on a hat blocking, which they executed to perfection. I see USC as more of a pro style offense, which is actually harder to defend. The Trojans always have tons of talent and great coaching. Anyone who claims that one team is going to have a big advantage is a fool. It should be a great game. The only advantages I see are USC's home field, and
OSU's experience. Could go either way. I hope that it is a well played game and the best team prevails.