Give Trojans time to rebuild

Shame on J.A. Adande [Oct. 29] for suggesting that the Trojans have been masquerading as championship contenders, for it has been sportswriters, pollsters and oddsmakers who have been creating the unrealistic hype since the preseason.

USC has not been a realistic No. 2 or 3 team.

USC has some great players and fine freshmen, but they lost enough players (including juniors) to the pros to fill an NFL roster. Most teams in that situation would be said to be rebuilding. Any serious fan has known that we have not covered the spread since the first game, usually missing by two touchdowns.

Realistically, we should have been hoping for the Rose Bowl. And we still should.

DAVID EGGENSCHWILER

Los Angeles

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Take heart, Coach Carroll, look at the positives in your situation. The BCS championship race is all but over and the national pressure is off, expectations have been lowered significantly for the Trojans and you and your ace coaching staff have made a lot of new friends and followers in Austin earlier in the year and now the list expands to Corvallis and Boise.

We Trojans fans pray this list does not expand to include such places as South Bend, Berkeley and Westwood.

ROBERT J. GAGLIANO

Palos Verdes

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Obviously, the Trojans were looking ahead to the Cardinal.

DAVID MARSHALL

Santa Monica

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A note to Coach Pete: special teams, special teams, special teams.

JIM ROACH

Indian Wells

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Mr. Carroll, as a lifelong Trojan, I would like to thank you for your years of coaching success and innovation that have led this team to national recognition once again.

It may be too much to ask, but could you possibly see your way to coach about three more inches of height into John David Booty?

BRIAN DULL

Huntington Beach

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UCLA’s head coach actually called a pretty good game last week. Unfortunately, Mike Riley was doing it for Oregon State against USC.

The problem isn’t one game or even one season; it’s a program that has no excuses for not being near or in the top 10 every year. Mediocre offensive and defensive coordinator selections, average recruiting, poor play calling and game time management; at this point, it’s beyond a learning experience for Karl Dorrell.

Dan Guerrero may know baseball, but football is a totally different sport.

DENNIS WHITE

Santa Monica

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I am a glutton for punishment (I love T.J. Simers, what can you do?). So it may not surprise you that I am not on the get-rid-of-Dorrell bandwagon. But here’s something radical. Let’s get Bob Toledo back as offensive coordinator. If both Dorrell and Toledo can swallow their pride and keep DeWayne Walker around, there’s no telling what excitement may be in store for us next year.

ERIN KATZ

Rancho Palos Verdes

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If UCLA had run three running plays and made a first down against Notre Dame, Karl Dorrell would be the toast of the town. If he’d thrown the ball and it had been intercepted or fallen incomplete, he would be an idiot, and all the critics would have been screaming about how he should have run the ball.

This is what passes for sports talk. Every ex-jock, fantasy football player, blow-dried announcer or pathetic cheerleader has to have a rant, and every rant is made from the comfort of hindsight.

Let it go, people. Move on with your lives.

PHIL BRIMBLE

Los Angeles

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I’ve got just two words for the Bruins’ football team: Butch Davis.

BOBBY HERBECK

Long Beach