Perhaps no other team in American sports has fallen from such great heights in so little time as the USC Trojans football team. Southern California's historic squad was humbled in June 2010 after the NCAA imposed sanctions on the program for violating a wide range of NCAA protocol, summed up vaguely as a "lack of institutional control". USC was banned from postseason participation for the next two years, lost a significant portion of its scholarships over the next three years, and was forced to forfeit all its wins from 2005, when the Trojans won the Orange Bowl and the BCS National Championship game. Current New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush was also asked to return the Heisman Trophy he won that season, after the investigation revealed that Bush had received improper benefits during his college playing days.

In their first season dealing with NCAA sanctions, the Trojans' program has looked like what it is: young, shaken, but still talented enough to win games in a tough conference. USC sits at 7-3 overall and 4-3 in the Pac-10 with three games to go on their regular season schedule. After the departure of legendary head coach Pete Carroll to the Seattle Seahawks, the Trojans' place in the college football standings this season is without question a happy surprise. New head coach Lane Kiffin has done a quality job utilizing the talent at his disposal, and keeping his team focused on winning games and avoiding getting caught up in the swarm of negative publicity the program has a generated.

Quarterback Matt Barkley has shown great improvement from a year ago, when the first-year pivot threw 14 interceptions to 15 touchdowns. This season, Barkley has completed nearly 64 percent of his passes and has 25 scores to nine picks. Kiffin has to be slightly concerned about the number of sacks (13) his quarterback has taken this season, but many of those hits can be attributed to a shaky offensive line.

Freshman tailback Dillon Baxter has shown great potential in limited minutes and should be a cornerstone of USC's offence next season. The receiving tandem of freshman Robert Woods and senior Ronald Johnson have combined for 14 touchdowns this season, and the Trojans' defence, which was nothing short of awful early in the season, has made tremendous strides.

Most recently, USC beat 18th-ranked Arizona away from home in a stunning display of physical dominance. For the young Trojans, this is the type of morale-boosting win needed to create the aura of confidence that will be necessary for the team to succeed next year. Recently, USC athletic director Pat Haden announced that the football team will be receiving a huge bonus in the form of a new athletic building with top-notch football facilities. The Trojans will continue to play in the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, but the new facilities will undoubtedly help the program maintain its impressive recruiting classes. USC is making the best out of their rebuilding process, and if this season is anything to go by, the Trojans will once again be putting up football scores in high-profile bowl games in a few years' time.