... entering the 2009 college football season was whether or not USC was on the verge of an uncharacteristic down year.

The Trojans had lost a significant part of last season’s Rose Bowl team. They would be forced to start plenty of inexperienced players—including a true freshman, Matt Barkley, at quarterback.

After seven straight Pac-10 titles, many wondered aloud whether 2009 would finally see a new champion on the West Coast.

Perhaps it would be Cal’s year, many said. The Oregon Ducks were loaded with talent, others noticed. Some analysts warned that you could never count out Mike Riley’s Oregon State Beavers.

But Stanford? Who saw this comin...

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