Matt Barkley (Shotgun Spratling/Neon Tommy)

Whatever word you choose to describe the USC Trojans’ 50-0 victory over cross town rivals, the UCLA Bruins, it probably isn’t harsh enough to describe how embarrassing it was to watch Lane Kiffin take out his sanction aggression on the soon-to-be-fired Rick Neuheisel.

Most importantly, the big win in the final game of the last of two sanction-shortened seasons, marks the beginning of the Trojan football program’s return to prominence. In the span of only a few months, the Trojans went from barely beating a lackluster Minnesota team by two points to upsetting the fourth best team in the nation. The boys that started this season have quickly become men.

Without the chance to play in the Pac-12 Championship game (which UCLA will play in instead of USC) or a bowl game this year, commentators, fans and Trojan players have already turned their attention to next year, in which the Trojans are looking like one of the big teams to beat. Well, that is if star quarterback Matt Barkley returns for another year.

Already projected to be a first-rounder in the 2012 NFL Draft, Matt Barkley finally met expectations and established himself as one of the elite quarterbacks in college football. After having arguably the best single statistical season by a USC quarterback, he’s been able to get his name into the conversation for the Heisman Award. As many people have noted, without Barkley at the helm, there’s no way that the Trojans could have accomplished everything that they did this season. Barkley not only led the offense, but he served as the emotional leader in the locker room, rallying up the troops week after week.

Even though he stands to make millions of dollars if he leaves, it’s essential to the Trojans that Barkley stays if they want a shot at the title. As we sit on the edge of our seats in Trojan Nation waiting to hear his decision, here are a few reasons why I think Barkley should stay in cardinal and gold, for one last season:

1. Stick it to the NCAA: Since USC got hit with major sanctions, Ohio State University and the University of Miami (among other schools) had some scandals of their own. Yet, no other school has/will receive a punishment that can even compare to that which USC received. What could be a bigger ‘eff you’ to the NCAA than contending for the BCS National Championship during our first year of bowl eligibility? Oh yeah, winning the National Championship. Barkley’s been denied bowl games for two straight years. He must be itching to play in a big game.

2. Be #1: While Barkley established himself as an elite quarterback, there’s no question that the first quarterback selected in the 2012 NFL Draft will be Stanford’s Andrew Luck. This is USC. We don’t settle for second best. Spend another year in college, continue to refine the skills (specifically, work on throwing the long ball) and be the first quarterback selected in the 2013 NFL Draft.

3. Do it for the Fans: There’s no question that USC students love Matt Barkley. He’s a nice guy, he doesn’t think he’s better than anyone else because he’s a football star and he loves his fellow Trojan students. We’d all understand if Barkley left, but we would really prefer it if he stayed around for reasons that transcend the football field. Considering all the love we give him, nothing would show his appreciation for our support more than coming back to hang out with us for another fall semester. I think those ‘one more year’ chants during the UCLA game proved how much we want him back.

4. To Be the Best Ever: Barkley’s name is already thrown around in the conversation for best USC quarterbacks of all time. Let’s take it a step further. Assuming he comes back, doesn’t get hurt, continues to put up unbelievable numbers, and wins a National Championship, you can automatically put Barkley’s name in the conversation for greatest Trojan football player of all time. Period.

Whatever Matt Barkley does, the Trojan Nation will undoubtedly support his decision. That being said, I think I can confidently say, we would all really appreciate it if he came back to take what rightfully belongs to the USC Trojans: the BCS National Championship.