Arizona-USC: It’s always been personal

Jedd Fisch invoked his “It’s Personal” tagline during his Thursday press conference in advance of the Arizona-USC matchup.

The Wildcats coach was talking, in response to a question by the Arizona Daily Star’s Michael Lev, about the three players from last year’s Arizona team who are now playing for this Saturday night’s opponent – No. 9-ranked USC. That would be wide receiver Dorian Singer, cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace and defensive lineman Kyon Barrs.

“Decisions were made at the end of the season by certain players,” he said.

“Decisions were made by staff. Decisions were made by the program. We don’t get into why people transferred and whether people were encouraged or discouraged to transfer. But I would say that this has to be about us.”

Fisch went on to explain that he doesn’t want his players on Saturday to get caught up in any of the emotions surrounding the trio of transfers. But he did work himself up a bit as he concluded his response.

“Certainly, it’s personal,” he said. “Let’s just say that, and the team understands that.”

It’s personal.

It’s Arizona-USC.

Jedd, it’s always been personal.

That’s about the only way to explain a series that, to any outsider, looks lopsided way in USC’s favor. The “big brother” Trojans – with their history of national championships and Heisman winners – is 30-8 against the Wildcats since 1978, when the Pac-8 expanded to take the Arizona schools.

USC has won the past 10 meetings, and is 19-2 vs. the Cats since Arizona and coach Dick Tomey parted ways after the 2000 season.* Sounds boring. Sounds predictable. The team with all the five-star recruits beating up on the team without any. Nothing to see here. Move on, people!

*Tomey went 5-4 against Southern Cal from 1990 to 2000.

Where it gets weird is how close Arizona-USC has been. Closer than the final conference standings would indicate. Far closer than the oddsmakers think.

Get this: 13 of the past 16 matchups have been decided by a possession (eight points) or less. Starting in 2007, the teams played nine consecutive one-possession games, which is absurd. USC won seven.

The only way to describe Arizona-USC from the Arizona side is, it’s personal.

The Wildcats always have filled their rosters with kids from Southern California – the ones USC didn’t want. The kids Arizona landed usually weren’t deemed good enough, big enough, tall enough for their hometown school. That’s the theme. Most of Arizona’s players weren’t high school prodigies. They had to work harder. They needed time. They had that chip on their shoulder, loving to prove the naysayers wrong.

Playing USC, smack in the spotlight in front of family, friends and doubters, was personal. It ranked just behind the ASU rivalry. For the Trojans … eh. Arizona-USC has usually been just another game – and not a very interesting one at that.

For Arizona, to borrow a phrase from the SEC, “It just means more.”

And now it’s ending.

USC and UCLA are off the Big Ten. Arizona and others are skipping to the Big 12. Fisch says he’d love to find a way to keep playing the Trojans, the Bruins or schools like San Diego State, Cal and Stanford in nonconference games.

The Wildcats can’t — and won’t — abandon their Southern California roots.

Fisch, as much as any Arizona coach, has won some key battles for recruits that USC actually wanted – guys like receiver Tetairoa McMillan, receiver Kevin Green and tight end Keyan Burnett. Let’s go back about 30 years. It’s a pretty short list of Arizona victories over USC for L.A.-area recruits. Guys who come to mind are Chuck Osborne*, Dennis Northcutt, Brandon Manumaleuna and Devin Ross.

*Love this story about Osborne: In November 1973, doctors told his mother that Chuck was the biggest baby they had ever delivered — 13 pounds, 7 1/2 ounces, and 24 inches. One of the doctors commented that Chuck one day “better play for USC.” Many years later, USC (and former Arizona) coach Larry Smith recruited Osborne hard, spending 90 minutes on the phone with him, making one last pitch, on the eve of the 1992 Signing Day.

Anyway, it’s now one last (scheduled) trip for Arizona to the land of the freeways.

USC was favored by 21.5 points on Thursday night at BetMGM.

Hmmm. Not sure the oddsmakers have factored in how personal it is for Arizona.

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