As a former coach and a current analyst, I have to applaud what coach Pete Carroll has done at USC. In the past six years, he's won two national championships, has a 5-1 BCS bowl record and six consecutive Pac-10 titles. On Tuesday, we saw what a healthy Trojans team is capable of -- fast on defense and boasting so many different elements on offense. The Trojans have the ability to make plays happen. Against Illinois, USC finally looked like the team we expected to see in the preseason.

Illinois fought the jitters in the beginning of the game, but did a good job of fighting back. The Illini had a few opportunities, but it's tough to win when you turn the ball over four times against the Trojans. For a team that had won just four games in the two seasons prior to the 2007 season, the Illini have made leaps and bounds, and they showed heart and toughness against USC. Illinois will continue to improve, and this game will be a great learning experience for a young team.