Colin Cowherd said earlier today after interviewing Reggie Bush:
“Now the Pac-12 is going to be the only (Power 5) conference not playing. It bums me out for USC, because USC is the one national power that now won’t play. There’s about seven programs that are really national powers, and USC’s the one sitting out there going, ‘Alright, we’d like to play but we can’t.’
“I said this years ago to somebody. I said, ‘USC should go independent. Just call UCLA, Stanford and Cal and say we’ll play our California partners. We got your back. We’ll take care of you, and the UC system, but we’re gonna go independent. We’ll play Notre Dame every year. We’ll go play Navy every year. We’ll play BYU. But we’re gonna go independent.’
“As an athletic director, you start thinking, ‘What am I doing here? Why are we playing Oregon State? What’s the value for me in this? Why am I playing Washington State? Why am I playing Arizona? What do I get out of it? For 35 years, you get something out of it. I don’t get anything out of it.
“If BYU can do it, schools like OHIO ST (and USC) can do it and go independent. They can fill stadiums anywhere in the country.”
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Bleacher Report — Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott released a statement Wednesday saying there’s no change to the conference’s football plans after the Big Ten confirmed it will attempt to start the 2020 season Oct. 23, reversing a prior decision to move football to the spring. Scott’s statement: “At this time, our universities in California and Oregon do not have approval from state or local public health officials to start contact practice. We are hopeful that our new daily testing capability can help satisfy public health official approvals in California and Oregon to begin contact practice and competition. We are equally closely monitoring… Read more »
The Pac12 has had this testing ability for what a week. If Scott was proactive he would already be on the governors to open up football practice and have a start date for the season just like the NFL in California. Of course the West coast is a joke, run by incompetent, politically correct, unionized bureaucrats.
Amen to that, GT. I wonder how the Big 10 was able to overcome the Marxists that occupy most of the governors’ mansions in the midwest?
Larry Scott is a frickin’ tool.
I am not surprised by the Big 10 and their schools voting to play. If you go on the thought that college is where you prepare for a professional career, then not not playing would be the same as shutting down the architectural school before the final year. Although football players can and do skip years and go pro early, there are many who labor behind upperclassmen and wait for their spot in the sun. Those players should get their shot. So my question is about the elephant in the room. The PAC 12 is now behind the curve in… Read more »
Right RT. The Pac12 will be lucky if the media does not begin using the phrases “Power 4” and “Group of 6” very soon — the next rung we are careening toward.
Well, as expected, the Big 10 is playing, leaving the PAC as the sole Power 5 conference not playing. It is obvious that the bag of wind who presently occupies the PAC Commissioner chair is totally incompetent. Allen predicts the PAC will now follow the Big 10 again. Allen is far more astute at such matters than I. Rather, I use this as an exercise to evaluate the leadership at ND versus that at SC. The leadership at ND takes pride in its heritage and legacy of excellence in football as an integral part of ND culture. Make no mistake,… Read more »
I’m so glad the Big Ten will be playing and that the Pac-12 will now trail along like a little puppy dog as always. At least I think that it what will happen. I’m certainly no more astute than you are RJJ, and I always enjoy our conversations. I just don’t see anyway else out for the Pac-12, which now has to save some face due to its isolation within the Power 5, even though it undoubtedly thinks it did the right thing originally by cancelling the 2020 season. I’m looking forward to seeing Gavin Newsom’s reply to the USC… Read more »
(CNN) Game on. The Big Ten Conference will play football this fall after all. On Wednesday, the conference reversed its postponement decision made last month, saying play would start the weekend of Oct. 23 and 24. The Big Ten decision came after months of pressure from coaches, parents, players, politicians, and even the President of the United States, who called on the conference to reopen both on Twitter and at rallies. President Donald Trump welcomed the news in a tweet Wednesday morning, saying, “Great News: BIG TEN FOOTBALL IS BACK. All teams to participate. Thank you to the players, coaches, parents, and all school… Read more »
We’re now officially a joke, and when I say “we,” I mean USC, its band of idiots who cannot lead, and the state of California. Football players and coaches are not dropping like flies. Cases are minimal. LSU’s entire team caught Covid, and they’re getting ready to play! More football players are catching Covid in community spread than in practices/games. My son is doing great in school in Indiana. They have their precautions in place, but in the entire school, they have had two cases in the last week, and they isolated those two. Now things may change, but those… Read more »
Rock — I’m actually surprised at how much I am able to enjoy college football so far, even though USC isn’t playing. I’m not letting USC hold me hostage just because the school refuses to move forward in ways which I think it should. I truly wish USC was more like the school I attended than it is now. What a place it used to be (even though I used to complain about a difficult class registration system when I was in school from ’70-74). But I’m looking forward to seeing a few CFB games this weekend and I still… Read more »
Well put Allen! And trust me, that class registration system had still not improved by the late 80s when I started there!
I too am enjoying the return of football and looking forward to some truly competitive games coming down the pike. I have to say that it chaps my hide that ND is playing and we’re not. Every play of their games is further embarrassment!
It has just been so long since the first consideration at USC was the kids. If you just got back to that focus, so much could improve.
I don’t watch or listen to Cowherd very much anymore, but he does have a point. Contractual obligations aside, I agree with him that USC would be better off as independent. While our football program hasn’t been up to prior standards lately, other programs continue to excel. Why USC would want to continue to be mired in mediocrity is a mystery to me. I think both Folt and Caruso need to go. Folt’s lack of leadership is very disturbing to this two-time SC alum.
rlee, I truly hope that Folt is feeling a ton of heat at this time. I personally detest her leadership. See my post above about the totally different leadership at ND versus USC.
Excellent synopsis TrojanRJJ of the leadership at ND vs USC. Folt’s disbanding the alumni clubs, removing the John Wayne exhibit and support of the BLM organization, as opposed to just the slogan, is treason in my mind. Since 1917, when my Grandfather graduated USC Law and a decade later served in the CA Senate, my family has contributed millions of dollars to USC. My Grandfather was instrumental in raising funds for the USC Band to travel to South Bend in 1932 where SC’s OG, Johhny Baker, kicked a game-winning field goal in the final minutes to stun ND. I’m sure… Read more »
rlee, Thank you for your kind words. From what I can see, the SC we all knew and loved is gone. It may return some day, but for now, all we can do is admit reality and cease supporting the abomination that it has become. I think Folt is going to be very surprised at what it going to happen. My prediction is that she will fail at her efforts to turn SC into Dartmouth (where I think her husband teaches) or Harvard or Columbia. And, make no mistake, that is what her goal is. The Trojan Family is going… Read more »
I agree 💯 percent TrojanRJJ. I’m supporting my son at Cal Lutheran. If he ever married and I’m blessed to have Grandkids, I would dissuade them from applying to USC if the farce Folt and Caruso have created lingers on. Such a different feeling than when my Grandparents encouraged me to go to USC. As they had football season tickets from 1926-1994, so it was a foregone conclusion as to where I would go to college. Even though I was accepted to Michigan’s Graduate School of Business, my Grandmother said she would pay for me to continue at USC so… Read more »
What a crazy idea! It sounds like something I’d say…oh wait I did say it, here a couple of days ago, with crickets chirping. But thinking it through I know USC will not do it. The cost of cancelling games would not be offset by the new schedule. One thing I am sure of, presently is USC is in cheap mode. If they wouldn’t part with the cash to correct the mistakes made by Lynn Swann in keeping Helton, they aren’t going to pay to get out of contracted games. As for keeping rivalries as an independent, I would bet… Read more »
I don’t think USC could go independent at this time. But I also think it needs to be an option on the table. This conference has used USC for years without fair compensation. USC has only gotten an equal share as the likes of Oregon State and Washington State. When the NCAA came for USC’s head the rest of the conference gladly stood by and watched.
I agree 100% Utah. In fact, I’ll go this far — when any Pac-12 team plays an OOC team (Colorado and Utah are the exceptions because they weren’t in the Conference then), I take delight when they get beat. I realize that’s not cool, but screw them — they sat back and took delight at our plight with the NCAA). 👎
I don’t often root for the rest of the Pac-12 either, but I pick my spots. I love it when UCLA and CAL lose, every time. I used to like seeing STAN win, but when they started beating us too often, I got off that bandwagon. Love seeing ORE lose. But I would like to see the conference win more big games, regardless of how the Pac-12 abandoned us when the NCAA came calling. Boundless jealousy run wild was how I viewed it. Blame Pete Carroll. Unlike many, I enjoy UTAH and CU being in the Pac-12 and think they… Read more »
USC football team letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom today (partial), requesting the opportunity to play for a 2020 national championship. California and Oregon’s Covid-19 ordinances don’t allow USC and other local institutions the ability to practice. (Trojans who shared this social media address include QB Kedon Slovis, OC Graham Harrell and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, who first tweeted the plea to “Please let us play. We want a chance.”) “Governor Gavin Newsom, our request of you is that you work with us – urgently and purposefully – to find a path forward for us to resume competitions later this fall so that we can have the… Read more »
Great! 19 and 20 year old kids are providing the leadership for SC football. Did any other school’s kids do the same, or are Kedon and Amon Ra providing leadership for the whole conference? The total lack of leadership by the Commissioner and the Presidents is astonishing.
BATON ROUGE, La. —
LSU head football coach Ed Orgeron said Tuesday that most of his players have caught COVID-19.
According to Orgeron, he currently has three or four players with the virus while other players are in quarantine.
He said in a digital news conference that, about two weeks ago, all of his players except two or three were out with COVID-19.
Despite the team having caught the virus, Orgeron said he feels confident going into their first game next week.
LSU’s first game is scheduled for next Saturday.
wdsu.com
Well if everybody got it and recovers completely they are in a sweet spot. No worries about testing, getting exposed, or exposing others. Focus on football.
If USC went indy, it would benefit the school financially. If they got the type of deal ND got with NBC they would be money ahead. Any broadcast network would work. The other CA schools would tell USC to jump in the lake, but it would open doors for terrific games from teams across the nation like the SEC, ACC, and B1G. It will never happen, no leadership at USC.
I like Colin Cowherd and his rumblings. He is usually right on a lot of things. But I hope he was talking about the USC brand in “past” tense as when it used to be a major power and resting on its laurels presently. This present situation of not playing is probably just for one season until the pandemic is over. Big deal OK? Then things get back to normal. USC isn’t going to win any championships or playoffs this year. Being an independent, you have to beg in setting up full schedules with other conference teams and give away… Read more »
Were I the other California teams, I’d tell USC to pound sand for leaving us all in the lurch in a degraded Pac-12, unless I was also willing to leave. Why help big, bad USC out? But the bottom line seems to be, if I read you right, that you don’t think USC could cut it as an independent. You might be right. It would sure be interesting. I don’t understand how the economics would change if we ditched the Pac-12, which has horribly underperformed financially for many years now. Were USC an independent, it seems there would be bigger… Read more »
Jamaica – I’m not a expert on this, but I think that SC could easily set up rivalry games against top teams that are annual. I would love to see SC play Texas, Michigan, Notre Dame, UCLA, Stanford, Cal and a few other teams in major TV markets every year. I believe that when they play home and home games, they each pay the other side on the year that it is not a home game, but that the increase in revenues would make this a much better revenue deal. Of course, the really big money would be coming from… Read more »
Jamaica, I think the options are very clear. Stay in the “woke” and inept PAC 12 and see your football heritage and legacy dissolve into a distant memory or demand major changes (or force them) or leave. The present administration at this time is taking the first option; I sure hope that Allen is correct we are going to see the second option; I prefer leaving but know there is zero chance of that happening.
I have not listened to Colin for years. I understand that he has moved to the far left in his political commentary, but on this point, he is spot on. With the Big 10 firing up to play in three weeks, that conference can have a 8 game schedule and a championship game. The Pac, under the best of circumstances, will take at least 8 weeks to fire up and could have no more than a 3 game schedule. Simply silly for the Pac to even try. The damage to the Pac “brand” is massive. But, I doubt this matters… Read more »
I doubt Caruso/Folt has the “Trojan Family” right where they want us. I have little doubt they are by far the most unpopular power figures at USC in the history of the school. I don’t see the “Trojan Family” leaning their way at all. Instead, I see a disenchanted “Trojan Family” alienated from USC more than ever before.
I was being sarcastic. I do not know how others feel but Madame President Mao is the first SC President I detest.
I agree. But that state of affairs is obviously acceptable to her, Caruso, and the BOT. While I have zero personal knowledge of how she feels, her conduct indicates to me that she views the alienated portion of us with distain.
Folt’s a mystery to me, as is Caruso. I never listen to her (same as with Helton) and I don’t understand Caruso either. I’ll never understand why they decided to ban all the various and long-standing USC support groups. I can’t imagine ever thinking that would somehow work out, yet they did it in true ramrod fashion.
Caruso really isn’t much of a mystery Allen. Think of a leader who’s somewhere right of Attila the Hun and you have him pegged. 😁
But why did he hand pick Carol Folt for the USC presidency?
Why do you consider Caruso a mystery? He is the guy who has been handed power all his life. He has near total control of the BOT and allows no discussion or dissent. He hired Folt because she is weak and will do as told. And she has similar political views. Caruso’s goal with USC is to scrub it clean of any conservatism. That earns him brownie points with woke Hollywood for a future political career. His BOT fired Dean Ellis with an opaque report on discrimination in the business school. He allowed zero discussion of it by the BOT.… Read more »
I have spoken with a few people who are in much better position than myself to personally judge Caruso, and even they can’t tell me why he does what he does. People also talk about him wanting to still be mayor of L.A. (based on the fact he considered running in 2009), but I have no idea if that is actually still a goal of his. Talk comes very cheap about these matters and I’ve seen nothing concrete about Caruso outside of the fact he’s mega-rich, highly influential and operates like a dictator who runs the BOTs like his malleable… Read more »
Cowherd has indeed moved to the left politically IMO. But he remains very conservative in many other ways and his consistent encouraging of USC to fly the coop due to Pac-12 ineptitude is further evidence of that as I read him.