Lane Kiffin says USC defense cost Matt Barkley the Heisman

Kiffin told ESPN Los Angeleshe perceives a “huge under-appreciation” for Barkley amongst USC fans, and that NFL squads should know the fact that a team that was the preseason No. 1 sputtered to a 7-6 finish was not Barkley’s fault:

I think he’s going to be a great starting quarterback in the NFL, and the film shows it,” Kiffin said. “The plays he makes, all the throws he’s made here, the leadership qualities ... I’ve said this before: If Matt Barkley had the defense that Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer had, Matt Barkley would have won the Heisman Trophy just like they did.”Thanks for this great defense you gave me, DAD. You ruin EVERYTHING.”

Kiffin’s right about one thing: USC’s defense as good as it was with Palmer and Leinart. Those defenses were elite, whereas in 2012, they allowed 24.3 points per game, the 40th-best figure in the country. However, his argument falls apart when you consider that the offense scored 32.1 points per game -- also exactly 40th in the country.

There’s no way to mask that Barkley had a worse year in 2012 than he did the year before. He had a lower completion percentage. And despite missing the season’s final two games, he threw nearly twice as many interceptions, going from just seven in 2011 to 15 in 2012.

Meanwhile, somewhere, Geno Smith would like to talk to Lane Kiffin about teams with bad defenses ruining potential Heisman candidates’ seasons.

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