By David Wharton (Los Angeles Times) —
The Buckeye who questioned USC’s character got a taste of Trojan style as a recruit. Pete Carroll has said his team’s ‘primitive’ pregame pump-up is unifying and stimulating.
In all the Sturm und Drang over comments made by Ohio State receiver Ray Small, comments that questioned the character of the USC football program, a key element has been missing.

What, exactly, was Small talking about?
Describing a recruiting visit to USC, he said: “Before the game, they’re all going crazy. Me and [ Buckeyes defensive end] Rob Rose was on the visit and I’m looking like, ‘Wow.’ And then the coach said, ‘You better get out of here. It’s ’bout to get hectic.’ ”

Three years ago, before the Trojans played Texas for the national championship at the Rose Bowl, USC Coach Pete Carroll invited a reporter to attend a pregame meeting.

The session began normally enough, with players seated in rows of chairs. Soon, fists started banging against walls. Then came clapping and chanting.

In a matter of seconds, shirts came off and the chairs began to fly, piled in the center of the room.

It was part tribal war dance, part church revival, with a little comedy thrown in as players and coaches were summoned into the circle to dance.

For some, the meeting got adrenaline flowing; for others it relieved stress.

Carroll insisted there was a method to the madness of riling his team before kickoff. He used terms such as “primitive” and “group consciousness” and talked about chanting as a unifying experience.

All the technical work, the practicing and watching of videotape, occurs during the week, he said. The pregame hours afford an opportunity for everyone - offense, buying medicine online defense, special teams - to congregate.

“Just lets everyone know it’s about that time,” former offensive lineman Fred Matua said then. “Get ready.”

After 15 minutes of raising hell, the team headed off to more conventional offensive and defensive meetings.

Apparently, Small encountered a very different atmosphere at Ohio State.

“It’s all quiet, everybody getting taped, coaches talking,” he said. “It’s the total opposite.”

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