USC Football: With Stanford Behind Them, Trojans Can't Look Past Colorado

As the Trojans try to shake off the bitter disappointment of Saturday's heartbreaking, 56-48 triple-overtime loss to Stanford, they will attempt to focus on the struggling Colorado Buffaloes in what is expected to be the chilly frost of Boulder, Colo.

It won't be easy, though.

After leaving its heart and soul in the Coliseum against the Cardinal, an early turnaround will find USC playing Friday evening in front of another national crowd on ESPN.

How the Trojans respond will go a long way toward answering how they will finish up what is turning into a very promising season.

Can the Trojans shake off any lingering disappointment and come back with another inspired effort against a Buffalo team that can't seem to get out of its own way in 2011?

Or will they revert back to the early-season Trojans when even lowly Minnesota gave them all they could handle?

To be certain, the USC team that showed up last week wasn't that same brand of bumbling, brand new freshmen and raw-behind-the-ears sophomores we saw in the first handful of games this year.

No, this recent version looks like a team that has found its stride and is ready to make noise right now as it gears up for what looks to be a big 2012.

However, it will have to continue first this Friday when the Trojans roll into Colorado to play a team that really has nothing to lose.

Having lost four in a row to a veritable "Murderers' Row" of Pac-12 opponents (Stanford, Washington, Oregon and Arizona State), the Buffs will undoubtedly throw everything they have at the Trojans as this will be as close to a bowl game as they will see this year.

Still, talent-wise, it shouldn't matter.

If USC plays half as well as it did against Stanford, it should win by 30.

And with Washington on the horizon and Oregon just after that, it better win by that much.

If the Trojans want to finish up this year on a high note so they can spend the offseason dreaming of possible glory next season, they will need to win at least three of the next four.

After all, 9-3, in a transition year with so many youngsters and no bowl to play for would have to be considered a successful campaign by any objective measure.

And it all starts (again) this Friday against a lowly team they are expected to beat handily.

For their sake, they better do just that.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/920030-usc-football-with-stanford-behind-them-trojans-cant-look-past-colorado

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