A one-way dialogue that seemed to be confined to west coast media sources has gone national. Pete Thamel reports in the New York Times that new Stanford Coach Jim Harbaugh continues to offer his opinion of Pete Carroll and this year’s USC team: “They may be the best team in the history of college football.” Thamel references earlier comments from Harbaugh suggesting that Carroll would soon bolt for the NFL when he describes Carroll’s response to the Stanford coach as ”dripping with sarcasm”: “Gotta love Jim, don’t you?” Carroll said. “I’m glad that he thinks that.”

The article highlights USC’s linebackers, safeties, and its two senior defensive linemen as the strengths of this year’s USC squad which is being characterized as a “team for the ages.” Thamel cites two other flattering coaches in Arizona coach Mike Stoops (“I think this defense is very similar to the one that won the [2004] championship”) and Nebraska Coach Bill Callahan (”They’ve got pro-caliber players at every position”) .

As Usual, U.S.C. Is Loaded, but Now It’s on Defense (The New York Times)