... the USC offense faced scrutiny as a then-18 year old true freshman in Matt Barkley was handed the reins to the offense.  On the other hand, the Southern Cal defense, with several key members of the unit returning, faced few questions regarding their perceived dominance this year. Throughout the first half of the Trojans’ season, the defense had been the rock that has kept USC in every game they have played while the offense has endured some growing pains with injuries and a young quarterback learning the college game on the fly. However, as Barkley continues his maturation, he will eventually gain valuable experience that will be able to take some pressure off the defense and balance out the USC attack.

Bleacher Report - College Football