I am who I am

The stage is set for a fantastic Thanksgiving Day battle between the No. 8 (BCS) ASU Sun Devils and the No. 11 USC Trojans that likely holds a BCS bowl game for the winner. The teams sit in second and third place respectively in the Pac-10; whichever wins the rest of their games this season will probably get an invite to the granddaddy of them all: The Rose Bowl. Keep in mind that for this to happen for either team, they’d have to win their rivalry game, which doesn’t always happen, no matter how talented a team is.

When the season began, I never thought this game would have the importance it has now. USC was primed to make a run at the national championship behind 10 returning starters on defense and a Heisman candidate. ASU was breaking in a new head coach following a disappointing previous season and was picked to finish fourth in the Pac-10. Now, 12 weeks into the season, both teams are in positions I could have never imagined.

This will be a tough game… competitive, but also difficult for me personally. It’s the first time in five seasons that I haven’t been completely sure that the Trojans would win.

Though I’ve been a Sun Devil since enrolling at ASU in the fall of 2003, I’ve spent most of my life watching USC football. Growing up in California, if you watch college football you’re either a Trojan fan or a Bruin fan. And I sure as hell am not a dirty Bruin. My step father grew up watching USC football because his father watches USC football (he graduated from the school back in the day); I grew up watching it in a similar situation.

No matter who wins on Thursday — I’ll be a bit happy and a bit sad.