Oregon has been the class of the Pac-12 the past three seasons, but two opposing quarterbacks haven’t made their life easy. They had to deal with Andrew Luck for a third year after the Stanford quarterback decided to return to school last season, and they faced the same fate when Matt Barkley elected to return to USC for his senior season. Coach Chip Kelly’s reaction to the news was pretty funny.
“I said this twice, and I’m being totally honest — I did it with Andrew Luck and I did it with Matt Barkley — I threw up,” Kelly told The Dan Patrick Show.
“Somebody’s gotta tell those guys they need to leave after three years.”
Barkley’s return makes USC “the most talented team in the country,” in Kelly’s opinion.
But does that mean USC is the best team?
“Oh I don’t know about that,” says Kelly. “That’s why we play the games.”
Oregon will get a chance to prove they’re better than USC at the Coliseum on November 3. Barkley has improved every season, and he played at an elite level last year throwing 39 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. I don’t think he’ll match his stats this season, but I’m guessing USC will beat Oregon head-to-head. The teams could also meet in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
