Stanford Takes on Southern Cal

Silicon Valley Takes on Hollywood

The second week of the season brings a matchup between the premier private universities in Southern California and Northern California. USC and Stanford are the only private schools in the Pac-12, and their rivalry dates back to 1905. The matchup highlights an interesting contrast between two of California's most iconic industries, Hollywood and Silicon Valley. The two have become increasingly intertwined during the past decade and have close ties to the two universities.

USC is one of the all-time great college football programs, with over 8oo victories, 11 national titles and seven Heisman Trophy winners, dating back to 1888. The Trojans play in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which was built in 1921 and has hosted two summer Olympics (and will host a third in 2028), two Super Bowls, a World Series and is once again home—at least until the $5 billion Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood is completed—to the NFL's Los Angeles Rams. Yet things have been a little rocky since the Pete Carroll era ended in 2009. The team has gone through four different head coaches and endured severe NCAA sanctions over improper athlete benefits.

Stanford is not without its own rich history. The Cardinal began play in 1891 and has racked up 650 victories and two national titles, including one in 1926 under the leadership of legendary head coach Glenn "Pop" Warner. Stanford has faced USC 97 times since their first meeting in 1905. The rivalry has turned acrimonious at times, such as in 1972 when USC coach John McKay accused the Cardinal of having "no class," and said he would have liked to beat them "by 2,000 points." The Stanford Daily student newspaper later featured a cartoon depicting the Trojans having a 1992-0 lead with one second left, while McKay tells USC quarterback and future Athletic Director Pat Haden that they will go for two if they score. And in 1979, in one of the greatest games of the twentieth century, Stanford came back to tie #1 USC 21-21, giving USC its lone blemish of the season and essentially costing them a national title.

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