LOS ANGELES -- Winning is not enough, according to Lane Kiffin.
Because of the city their campus is located in, the Trojans can't just beat teams and get on with it. They must win with flair, with a sense of style all their own, the USC coach explained.
"L.A.’s a town that isn’t real fired up about winning games, 14-10, and showing up," Kiffin said Wednesday. "It is what it is. You’ve got a lot to compete with."
The last part of his comment is certainly true: The L.A. area has numerous sports interests, with six or seven other successful teams competing, including the Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers, Angels, Kings and UCLA basketball all in the news regularly.
But if USC were to win every game this season by a score of 14-10 -- every game -- would Trojan fans really be upset?
Kiffin seems to think so, citing the Lakers' exciting style of basketball under Pat Riley in the 1980s as evidence Angelenos require excitement from their sports teams.
"There is a Showtime element," Kiffin said. "There is a style factor to it.
"Obviously that was here before in the great runs with multiple sports."
USC will get a chance to accumulate some style points against Hawaii on Saturday, in a game Las Vegas pundits are favoring the Trojans by as many as 40 points.