Why The Word ‘Expectation’ Is A Bad Word To Use Around USC Fans

Growing up, I was taught not to use the word expectation because it can set you up for disappointment. The preferable word of choice is 'anticipation.' Perhaps it's just semantics, or maybe it's about training your mind not to get ahead of itself. Either way, there is a difference between expecting something to happen and anticipating that it might.

Back in the spring, USC general manager Chad Bowden gave Trojans fans plenty of reason to get excited about the direction of the program. However, in doing so, did he also set them up for a letdown?

The phrase “expect nothing and you will never be disappointed” is one version of the famous quote attributed to 18th-century poet Alexander Pope: “Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.”

As a kid, I remember that when I expected something and it never came to fruition, I was more upset than if I hadn't expected anything at all. Here's the thing, though: Kids can get over not getting their favorite toy on their birthday. I'm not so sure Chad Bowden can soothe USC fans emotions after raising expectations that the team has struggled to meet.

There's nothing wrong with being optimistic. In fact, after years of watching USC football struggle to find consistency, Trojan fans have every reason to want something to believe in.

A No. 1 recruiting class, a revamped roster and the promise of a program moving in the right direction will do that. Add in the belief that Lincoln Riley is finally putting all the pieces together, and it's easy to understand why expectations started climbing.

However, the problem with expectations, they don't care how a team was built, how talented its roster might be, or how promising the future looks on paper. Expectations are measured by results. And when the results don't match the picture we've painted in our minds, disappointment is usually waiting around the corner.

That's where USC finds itself now.

The question isn't whether Trojan fans were wrong to get excited. It's whether the people running the program have given them enough reason to believe the team can deliver on the promise.

Bowden certainly wasn't shy about expressing his confidence when he appeared on Trojans Live in the spring.

“A lot of different people have talked to me about the schedule. We don’t need excuses, that’s not what we’re looking for, we’re ready,” Bowden said. “This is a great football team. They love each other, it’s a great staff. It is the most perfect schedule for this program, and we cannot wait to play in those games.”

That's a strong statement. And there's nothing wrong with a general manager believing in the team he's helping build. In fact, you'd 'expect' it.

However, when you tell fans you have a great football team, that the staff is in place and that the schedule is perfectly suited for the program, you also raise the bar. You invite people to believe that this is the team that can finally deliver.

At some point, the optimism has to give way to accountability.

Maybe that's the lesson for USC fans. Anticipate that the program is getting better. Anticipate that the recruiting class will pay dividends. Anticipate that Riley can still turn this thing into what everyone hoped it would become.

But don't confuse anticipation with proof.

For now, keep hope alive, cross your fingers behind your back with one hand, and wave the Victory Salute with the other. Because apparently, being a USC fan means believing the breakthrough is coming while keeping one eye open for the next disappointment.

At some point, the promises, recruiting rankings, new faces and optimistic spring speeches have to translate into something tangible. 

Until then, expectations are going to keep getting people in trouble.

Not because USC fans are wrong to demand excellence, however, because they've been given enough reasons to believe that excellence is just around the corner.

And after all these years, maybe the smartest thing a Trojan fan can do is stop expecting USC to be back and start waiting for USC to prove it.