Ahead of Saturday's game, the Washington Huskies and USC Trojans have been caught up in an exchange of words. The comments haven't been entirely negative but mirror the idea of boxers in a ring, tiptoeing around each other and buying time prior to the first round of a primetime fight.
Huskies defensive coordinator Nick Holt made the following statement following Washington's loss to the Oregon Ducks:
"Their play action game is real good - pretty similar to our stuff. But we'll be OK against these guys. I'd rather play USC than Oregon, quite honestly.''
Holt has since stated that his statement was meant as a compliment to Oregon instead of an insult towards USC. Holt won't have to convince Trojans head coach Lane Kiffin, who had this to say in response to Holt's comments, according to Ryan Divish of the News Tribune:
"I don't make much of it. They can say whatever they want. They beat us (last year). This is not about Sarkisian vs. Kiffin."
Kiffin is right. The hype surrounding Saturday's USC-Washington game so far has centered around the comments of Holt and head coach Steve Sarkisian, who stated that he would select USC quarterback Matt Barkley over consensus No. 1 pick Andrew Luck in this year's draft.
The attention should shift towards the players and stakes involved. Washington and USC both sport high-scoring offenses and two of the best quarterbacks in the country (Keith Price for Washington and Barkley for USC). Both teams will strive to build on their successful seasons this Saturday, hopefully giving fans and viewers an entertaining game to watch along the way.
For more news on USC Trojans football, be sure to read Conquest Chronicles.
For more on Washington Huskies football, check out UW Dawg Pound.