USC's toughest foe this season might not be UCLA, Nebraska, or even Notre Dame. It could be the ghost of Miami.

It was just a few short years ago when everyone was hailing the Miami Hurricanes as the greatest team of all time after a dominant national title season culminating in a blowout over Nebraska in the 2002 Rose Bowl. Just as the place in history appeared a foregone conclusion with back-to-back titles, Ohio State, a powerhouse program that hadn't won the national title since 1968, shocked the world in one of the all-time greatest games to end all talk of Miami's claim of being the greatest ever.

USC dominated in a blowout national title game, was praised as the greatest team of all-time, lost in one of the all-time greatest games to a powerhouse program that hadn't won a national title in decades. Will USC fall into the land of the way-above average like Miami did?

It's not like the Hurricanes have been bad over the last few seasons, but college football has a way of making it hard for one team to hang out in the stratosphere for too long. While big-time programs like Miami and USC simply replace all-star talent with more all-star talent, it's hard to get every break needed several years in a row to stay in the national title chase every season.

What if Cal's Aaron Rodgers didn't air mail his pass through the end zone in the 2004 classic loss in Los Angeles? What if Matt Leinart didn't fumble the ball out of bounds on his diving attempt to the end zone in the win over Notre Dame last year? There's a razor-thin margin between being 12-0 and 10-2, but can USC's talent overcome fate? It'll be hard considering USC has to deal with a Spinal Tap drummer array of maladies from injuries to legal issues to potential scandals.

There isn't a more talented roster in America with a who's who of high school all-stars brought in by Pete Carroll, but how many of those top prospects will even play? It's hard to fall too far when you have the best recruiting class in the country two years in a row, but there are big things to worry about like the health of quarterback John David Booty, the issues in the running back corps from injuries to inexperience, and the loss of most of the key players in the secondary. Of course, you don't get better when you lose some of the greatest players in college football history like Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush along with talents like LenDale White, Winston Justice, Taitusi Lutui and Darnell Bing.

Even with all the question marks, the Trojans should be in the mix for yet another national title appearance thanks to great coaching, great players, and a great schedule that's tailor-made for a championship. Then again, the same was said about Miami going into the 2004 season.

The Schedule: There are plenty of tough games, but most of them are at home. While the opener at Arkansas will be tougher than it might seem, five of the six road dates are against teams that didn't go bowling last year. The season finale at UCLA is the exception. Nebraska, Arizona State, Oregon, Cal and Notre Dame should all flirt with the top 15 this year and all could tag USC if things aren't clicking, but once again, all those top teams have to come to L.A. November is a bear playing Oregon, Cal and Notre Dame.

What you need to know on offense ... This isn't going to be anywhere near the 580-yard, 49 point-per-game juggernaut of last year losing Matt Leinart, LenDale White, Winston Justice, Dominique Byrd, Taitusi Lutui, and Reggie Bush, but there's hope for the explosion to continue, albeit to a lesser degree, thanks to the nation's best receiving corps, a good foundation on the offensive line with tackle Sam Baker and center Ryan Kalil, and more high school All-America prospects than one team should have. However, there's an outside chance the wheels could come flying off. Quarterback John David Booty is hardly a sure-thing to last the season with his gimpy back, but Mark Sanchez is back on the team after sexual assault charges against him were dropped. The running back situation is full of question marks with injuries, youth, and ineligibility playing havoc with the corps. Even so, this will be one of the nation's five best attacks if everyone stays healthy.

Best Offensive Player: Junior WR Dwayne Jarrett. He can do it all with too much size for most college corners and too much athleticism to be nullified from a double team. He was the best wide receiver in America last year, but now he'll have to shine without Matt Leinart throwing him the ball.

What you need to know on defense ... What the D lacks in overall experience it makes up for in ridiculous talent and athleticism. The linebacking corps is one of the best in America with a third string that would form a killer starting trio for about 95 other teams. The secondary doesn't have any big names, but that will change quickly if some of the superstar freshmen play well right away and if there's good competition for the safety spots. End Lawrence Jackson and tackle Sedrick Ellis are great players to build around on a line that should have few problems getting into the backfield. The return of former defensive coordinator and former Idaho head coach Nick Holt adds even more punch.

Best Defensive Player: Junior DE Lawrence Jackson. A bit overshadowed by all the superstars on the offensive side, Jackson had a fantastic season making ten sacks and coming up with big play after big play. Can he shine when he's the focus of every blocking scheme? Absolutely. He's more than just a pass rushing specialist, but that's what'll get him All-America recognition.

Key player to a successful season: Senior OT Kyle Williams and sophomore OF Chilo Rachal. Throw junior Alatini Malu in the mix, as well. Much will be made out of the replacements at quarterback and running back, but there are also some big-time shoes to fill on the line of the line with Winston Justice and Taitusi Lutui off to the NFL. The machine could break down in a hurry if Williams, Rachal and Malu don't shine on the right side.

The season will be a success if ... USC plays for the national title. Would just winning the Pac 10 and going to a BCS game be good enough at this point? It should be, but the bar is set ridiculously high after going 54-10 under Pete Carroll and losing two games in three years.

Key game: Sept. 2 at Arkansas. The Hogs are much, much better than they were last year when the Trojans won in a 70-17 laugher. With all the new starters, USC has to come out roaring to prove to itself that the mojo is still there. A close shave, or heaven forbid, a loss to Arkansas would make for a rough two weeks before facing Nebraska.

2005 Fun Stats:
- Third quarter scoring: USC 178 - Opponents 42
- Third down conversions: USC 92 of 167 (55%) - Opponents 65 of 178 (37%)
- Punt return average: Opponents 17 yards - USC 8.6 yards

The Last Time USC …
…played in a bowl game…2005 (Rose Bowl vs. Texas)
…missed a bowl game…2000
…pitched a shutout…2004 (Washington)
…was shutout…1997 (Washington)
…scored 50 points…2005 (UCLA)
…went undefeated…2004
…won a conference title…2005 (Pac-10)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…2005 (Matt Leinart)
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…2005 (Reggie Bush and LenDale White)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…2005 (Dwayne Jarrett)
…had a first-round draft choice…2006 (RB Reggie Bush and QB Matt Leinart)