USC, Colorado bring similar rebuilds into titanic Saturday battle
Examining the wildly different and yet generally alike leadership styles of Lincoln Riley and Deion Sanders
Luca Evans (OC Register) — In appearance, in public persona and style, the architects behind two of the most visible programs in college football couldn’t possibly be more different.
One is an oft-described football genius with a light Southern drawl and heavy weight on his shoulders, who has made waves helming two national contenders but earned heavy backlash in the process, who often approaches the public with cards tucked carefully against his chest.
One is a bona fide marketing genius who has led an entire city – scratch, that, country – to rally behind cowboy hats and shades, inspiring collegiate football hope in the town of Boulder, Colorado, where there was little, so self-aware of his own incendiary charisma that he’ll show his cards to anyone who asks and dare ’em to raise the pot.
The process by which Lincoln Riley and Deion Sanders have approached respective rebuilds at USC and Colorado, though, is much the same. Ignore the criticism, and unabashedly blitz the portal in lieu of an extended recruiting rebuild – Riley bringing in 20 transfers in his first year at USC to reignite Trojans glory, Sanders going so far as to tell returners to skedaddle and welcoming in an unprecedented 51 transfers this year to the Buffs. Build a dynamic offense behind explosive quarterbacks – Caleb Williams and Sanders’ son Shedeur – they both brought from previous stops.
So Sanders and Riley have waxed poetic about the job the other’s done in pre-week availability, a far cry from Colorado’s recent opponents
“I see right where he’s coming from,” Riley said Tuesday.
Yes, their approaches are radically different. But Sanders has been genuine in that approach, Riley said. And leadership, Riley expressed later in the week, thrives on authenticity.
“When I’ve seen, in my opinion, guys fail or mess up or maybe not hit the mark, it’s been like – guys try to be something they’re not,” Riley told media Thursday. “And then the people they’re leading typically see through that.”
The trajectories of two of the most vaunted leaders – and interesting personalities – collide Saturday at Folsom Field, a game that Trojans and Buffs fans have had circled and the national media have licked their chops over since Sanders began dominating college football headlines.
USC and Colorado walk in with something to prove: the much-hyped Buffs were throttled in a 42-6 loss to Oregon last Saturday, and the Trojans left with a laundry list of issues to correct after a sloppy 42-28 win against Arizona State. And the spectacle at Folsom on Saturday (will Lil Wayne lead Colorado out of the tunnel again? Will rumored guests DJ Khaled, Will Ferrell and Snoop Dogg share a suite together? Will Buffs fans rush the field even after their athletic director wagged his finger?) will be a sight to behold.
When Colorado has the ball
Through three weeks, Jackson State transfer Shedeur Sanders was generating considerable Heisman Trophy buzz. That vanished in the span of four quarters and a single touchdown at Oregon. Only so much a man can do, though, when he ends up on his backside seven times; the quarterback has thrived in spite of a flimsy line, completing 77% of his passes with 11 touchdowns.
“That’s phenomenal,” Deion Sanders said of his son in pre-week media availability, “considering what we’ve given up sack-wise and pressures.”
It doesn’t get any easier for the Buffs on Saturday, as USC enters tied for second in the nation in sacks. If Solomon Byrd and Bear Alexander (90) can continue dominant play generating pressure, it will take plenty of pressure off a highly inconsistent secondary – particularly as Colorado’s two best receivers Xavier Weaver and Travis Hunter might be out.
When USC has the ball
The main area emerging for USC to correct last Saturday – of many – was pre-snap issues. The Trojans racked up six penalties in the first quarter alone, the offensive line looking so out of sync at times in a roaring ASU atmosphere that Justin Dedich accidentally snapped a ball directly into an unsuspecting Williams’ groin.
“It probably was somewhat disappointing, that we’ve been practicing crowd noise since day three of camp,” Trojans offensive line coach Josh Henson said Wednesday. “So we didn’t handle it very well. We’re going to handle it better.”
If the line can keep Buffs like Jordan Domineck – whom Henson pointed to as a “talented guy” – out of Williams’ hair, he should rain hail on Colorado’s secondary, which has struggled with injuries.
NO. 8 USC (4-0, 2-0 Pac-12) AT COLORADO (3-1, 0-1)
Saturday, 9 a.m. PT, Folsom Field, Boulder, Colo, FOX (Ch. 11)/790 AM
ocregister.com
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After a long day watching games it seems parity is coming to college football. Several good teams struggled to win against what seemed to be lesser opponents. This is really relected in the football contest as nobody seems to be able to jump out to a big lead like in previous contests. Makes the bets tougher, but the games can put you on the edge of your seat at times.
What I watched at Boulder, was not Championship Caliber football by either team….Sorry…we’ve been sold a phony bill of goods !!
Even if we got there, Considering Riley Teams performance in prior playoff games 0-3
I see at least two losses in the last half of the season.
The axiom “Defense Wins Championships” is more relevant than ever !
It appears Riley is so myopic on Leaches Offensive theory, he’s oblivious to the existence of the defensive part of the game and it shows.
Thoughts from the sidelines
I have come to the conclusion that this is what we get. Grinch will not change his ways, the players are dedicated to him, and the open field defense will continue to give up the big plays which will lead to their downfall. If Riley is okay with that then I am starting to consider the fact that USC made a big hire for big money and in return gets half of a football team. All offense. With Riley confident in Grinch, the writing is on the wall, no CFP. What a waste of talent, time, and a lot of… Read more »
At the end of day, we won the game and are now 5-0. While the win wasn’t as impressive as we would have liked, the issues on defense can be fixed. Keep in mind that Alex Grinch calls the schemes and the players who need to be in each down. He isn’t responsible if a player doesn’t make a tackle or doesn’t get in the proper position to make a play.
“Can be fixed” my ass. Just wait till they play an offense like WSH or ORE. Gonna get ugly. Same old Trojans. All O and zero D.
Who teaches the players? We are on our second year of the same problems. Last year it was the players were not good enough. This year there was a huge upgrade and the same problems. Sorry Grinch is the problem.
Your remarks seem more like an excuse for lousy play rather than an explaining the lack of accountability of each player AND HIS COACH.
Try selling that to a Super Bowl Winning DC. Our linebackers constantly over pursue, our corners out of position or get beat one on one. I don’t know who’s the worst, Grinch or Donte Williams, however their leaving would be a benefit to the team. How many Quarterbacks have run through a empty secondary for touchdowns. Cam Rising will make our secondary look like the ‘Keystone Kops’
Well NY Sports Radio stations starting to give their impressions of SC for the 1st time this season and …….THEY AIN’T IMPRESSED !!!!!
It does take awhile for people to come out from the ether effects of constant media plebes hyperbole and sycophantic ignorance.
Lincoln. Riley says the defensive problems are different this year than they were last year, really? Taking bad angles, tackling, can’t stop the run and giving up way too. Many big plays were all problems last year and this year.
I remember when Steve Spurrier couldn’t outscore enough teams to get into the championship game at Florida, he brought in Bob Stoops to shut down the other team’s offense. LR is going to have to swallow his pride and do the same I’m afraid if he wants to get in the playoffs.
Based on LR’s post game comments, he still believes in Grinch.
He is a majority of one.
Oregon losing to Stanford 6-0. Stanford is controlling the clock and keeping Oregon’s offense off the field.
This aged well.
While I understand everyone calling for Alex Grinch’s head, we have to realize it takes time to build a championship defense. I don’t think in Year 2 at Alabama that Nick Saban was contending for a championship. Ultimately, it is Lincoln Riley who needs to decide how long he wants to give Grinch to get the defense to the championship level.
He lost to Tim Tebow or he goes to national championship in 2nd year.
Personally I have seen enough. Grinch has failed at Ohio State, really failed at OU and now he is providing the same results with same or better players. We don’t need to see anymore from him. If we want to be a championship team we need a better D Coordinator that can coach and get the 4&5 star talent. Grinch is not that guy and so long as he remains, we are not going to win a championship.
I think LR is the right guy and do not want any other coach. With that, I hope the media and fan base stays all over him about grinch. Hope he has to answer “why was the defense so poor” until he has no choice but to make drastic changes. It’s time
CAL beats ASU 24-21 in Berkeley.
Lincoln. Riley knows his job is safe at what point does the new A.D. step in and say something needs to change
I don’t think LR is taking orders yet. JMHO.
maybe that is part of the problem
Riley is definitely off his pedestal. Maybe that’s wrong, but it looks like some people on his staff are lacking.
As John pointed out earlier here, it’s tough to hold people accountable and still get the results you want sometimes. LR’s got to figure out some better staff solutions in my mind. If he doesn’t, I predict more losses and am just grateful we are now 5-0 with a brutally one-sided team.
Never a Good Sign
After USC recovered CU’s desperation onside kick in the final minute, Buff fans, whose team got blown out by ORE last week in Eugene, chanted “over-rated” as the Trojans took knees to end the game.
I am inclined to agree with them after today, aren’t you?
Absolutely. And I don’t objectively see how we win in Eugene or South Bend, though my Trojan blood fills me with the belief we somehow have a chance.
We are way overrated
Now the question becomes will USC start losing position with the better defensive recruits/transfers because of Grinch’s long-tolerated crapstorm? Seems like a possibility with at least some kids.
Right on. Who would want to come play for Grinch. Riley has nobody to blame, it is all on him. He kept Grinch after last seasons sh!t show.
I’m guilty too. I was in favor of giving Grinch a chance to fix his ways. Turns out I was dead wrong.
me too, Allen
The defense (again) failed us, and made this closer that it should have been. But how does the offense score 7 touchdowns thru 3 quarters, and not score again?
We all thought we could win by outscoring people, but with our offensive performance the last two weeks, I don’t see how. We could be looking at 3-4 loses coming up.
At least USC came out to play to start the game. Sadly, unable to sustain that effort. Baby Steps seems to be a problem at USC these days.
Caleb Williams is Riley’s Darnold or Brady. Coaches that looks better than they are with great QBs.
Grinch Grinch Grinch…. Sure the defense sucks but SC’s last score came with 11:24 to go in the 3rd. Colorado owned SC from there on out. Riley and his offense got schooled by Prime.
Caleb lost his magic and focus in the second half. He holds the ball too long and is too impressed with his overall game and running ability. Those are tough words about USC’s best QB ever IMO, but more is expected of greatness, as they always say.
Agree that Caleb didn’t play well in the 2nd half and O-Line blocking wasn’t great either in the 2nd half.
The second half they played not to lose instead of to win big. That is how Colorado kept momentum.
Was unable to copy/ paste a comment from Sua—point of his post was that Caleb & the offense shouldn’t be required to score48 points every game & prop up the defense.This is me now: Defense has to do better and has to start doing it quickly. Normally not in favor mid season coaching changes.But I am beginning to think a different voice other than Grinches is in order. A new DC likely brings an ability to honestly assess what is wrong with the defense. Last year I put it on the players & limited talent. This year I put in… Read more »
So much for that defensive advisor LR brought in. What the heck is that guy doing? Nothing visible I can see. Smoke and mirrors.
He isn’t in charge. Who knows if Grinch listens, to anyone.
Grinch is LR’s little puppy dog who collects a big paycheck, as John alluded to in different words, assuming I understood John correctly.
Who would want to fire their puppy dog? They have a serious problem and need to put friendships aside for the best of the team.
Allen we wouldn’t want a guy that hasn’t been around.
We wouldn’t want a guy who doesn’t make any difference either.
Our defense hasn’t improved one iota even with better and more experienced players. Very unimpressive to me regardless of where Greg Brown has been. A big “nothing burger“, as they like to say in politics nowadays.
About Brown, I don’t know a lot about him. Do you? Would a change to him be any worse? Riley must have known a lot about him to hire him. 😂✌️
They could use the defensive analyst Greg Brown. He has been a DC at several places.
Maybe now we know why he’s been at so many places.
That is the second game in a row.
If Grinch isn’t fired, then LR doesn’t have what it takes to win the Natty. Grinch is an absolute liability. He gets much less out of his players unlike the first 5 coaches USC has faced this year. What an embarrassing performance.
I think he makes it to complicated. Guys are talking and pointing and the ball gets snapped. Perhaps Riley needs to demand he make it simple and hardnosed. A few blitzes and a couple of stunts is all they need. Will Riley demand changes? Heck no.
How tight of a game with a 21 point underdog does LR finally realize he has a problem on the defensive side? You think ND isn’t feeling pretty good about themselves right now playing the Trojan D ?
The focus will certainly be on another defensive collapse. But will someone explain to me why, KNOWING our proclivity for defensive implosions, and KNOWING Colorado’s lack of quit (see CSU game), we were still running a hurry-up offense when up 41-14? We were snapping the ball with 27 seconds on the clock. Yeah, CO blew the game with bad clock management, but we were helping them too. And yes, I know we couldn’t fully slow it down because we couldn’t run the ball, but we could slow it down between plays. Instead, we left it to CO to do the… Read more »
USC’s over-rated. But we sure are fun to watch, though I could do without the towel wavers for sure. Prime’s late-game tactic of running down the clock when behind two TDs late remains a head-scratcher to me. I guess nobody’s perfect.
The result of today’s performance by USC ? …..Doubt !!!!!
I would say it reinforces the Grinch narrative and makes the take on SC football mostly negative, not positive. LR made a huge mistake in returning Grinch. I hope he decides to change the narrative. I doubt the D will play worse under an interim.
Caleb’s numbers: 30/40/403/6/1
Caleb must wonder what world he lives in when he can do stuff like this every week and still be plagued with an underperforming USC team coached by an elite but stubborn coach who might just not have what it takes to lead USC to the promised land. The OU fans were saying this about LR all along, even though they hated losing him.
Still undefeated. But maybe not much longer for sure.
I would be shocked if this teams does better than 10-2 this year. I think we are looking at 8-4 t0n10-2. And, how would you fell as a D player? The talent is no where near as bad as it is playing. Would you trust your DC?
Maybe LR’s tragic Shakespearean flaw is that he can’t change even when threatened by demise. Hope he wakes up before we have three losses under our belt.
LR is going to need to decide if he wants to hear the Grinch narrative all season. He can end it quickly and easily: admit he made a mistake in not replacing him last January, remove him and make the D analyst the temporary DC. I doubt LR will do that soon. After all, we are undefeated (but the last two victories were turned into Grinch narrative losses – with the negative reporting on SC football completely dwarfing the positive). This performance will only strengthen the Grinch narrative.
I am very disappointed in the fact Colorado was able to fire their team up and get more out of them than their overall talent provided.
USC couldn’t even play up to those talent level.
That sits squarely on LR.
Oh yeah, Grinch has to go. He really sucks.
With that defensive back-end, we are one twist of Caleb Williams’s ankle away from being the same team we were under Clay Helton, although better organized. This sealed the deal for me. Grinch has to go. If Colorado’s coaching didn’t let them down, we’d probably still be playing with an excellent chance to lose.
They did blow the game with poor clock management in the 4th. Had there still been more time on the clock we would have gone to OT. It is so hard to understand how these coaches can watch the film and not see the weakness and shortcomings. Only 1 or 2 times did the DBs make a play on the ball. And how many times did the defense rotate out of the play. Don’t get me started on Bryson Shaw.
I think they see it on the film. They just don’t seem to have the ability to do anything about it.
Oh no, you said the Helton “F” word! 😉
I really like the inconsistent former Buckeye Bryson Shaw, especially since we don’t have anyone any better.
The truth is so many guys in the USC secondary don’t make plays that it’s hard to find one who deserves any props nowadays. Maybe Donte Williams should be canned. The so-called great recruiter apparently can’t coach either.
Rock, We are seeing a repeat of the last 7 games of last year. No difference. First, our O will need to develop a killer instinct and count on putting up 55-65 on everybody. Second, our D will stop no one over a game. The AZ game will be no different than last year’s game, which Caleb won on the last possession. This game, the FG kicker failed to seal the game.
LR finally gives him a scholarship and look what happens. Clutch kicker turns into a wide-right guy. When it rains, it pours.
USC will beat Arizona…..and then the season will begin. We have a very good football team, however the strength of the team is Qb and receivers…..the rest of the team is average. I’am going to stay at 10-2 for now. We should beat Utah and Cal, UCLA I think we beat. Hoping to pull one out against ND, Oregon and Washington. Still make a nice bowl. What comes next year without Caleb is for next year.
Utah will have those QB back and be a different team.
Will he be at 100%, will he be rusty. I don’t think we will see the same guy we saw 2 times last season. He will be an improvement, but how much remains to be seen.
Agree with all of this, but with our defense, I don’t take anything for granted anymore
Illinois – I would not count your chickens. AZ has as good an O as CO and probably a better D. I think we will win, but with Grinch leading our D, no game against a competent O is a for certain victory. The only for certain W I see in the next 7 games is Cal.
I published a post under the Riley vs Prime article pointing out that our team was going to be winded in the second half. Check it out. I think to apply the results of this game to others is a mistake.
You mean the same Cal who was up 17-7 over ASU last I checked?
I think Call is going to be closer than most because they will be off bye, we will be traveling and we play a lot of tough teams before and after……but…….to call Cal a favorite……nonsense. We have what amounts to one of the best offense’s in college football. We should beat them comfortably.
Hope so, but we keep saying that every week. Sigh…
Every upcoming opponent can look at the film of this game and know how to beat USC. Running the ball and short passes with an occasional long pass for a TD. Grinch will not change, Riley will not do anything to change the defense and USC will end up in a minor bowl game. Now I wonder what the hit will be on recruiting.
Defenses will look as well and see how to contain Caleb and the run game. Riley got out coached today.
Thankfully Riley ran a pretty vanilla offense. I am sure he has new wrinkles to add when the time right.
The CU broadcasters are ripping the Buffaloes’ coaching the second half. Poor clock mgmt and wasted running plays that cost CU 2 minutes of playing time late in the game. Sounds like we were lucky.
This word may HURT all USC fans ….But my dad always told me to “Face Reality” every day .USC’s reality ????? In a word ? …..OVERATED ??????????
Today was as much a Riley problem as anyone else. He knew all of the issues we had last year and they are all staring him in the face again. He needs to fix it, and do it now.
Chris, I think it is to late. Grinch will not change his ways, the DBs will not play the ball. Our defensive players are pretty good for the most part, but when you get rotated out of position they look bad most of the time. Worst of all Riley will not institute any change on the defense. We will hear the same platitudes as usual.
Have to face it. Eugene and South Bend don’t look like fun. I spoke too early about USC being a playoff team, unless the Trojans have a total defensive facelift. Our O-line just doesn’t block that well either. Seems like they just try to push or leverage people around.
O-line really letting me down lately .
How do you think Caleb feels.
Like crap, as the entire USC team must feel now. Prime and CU were the real winners today. Not on the scoreboard, but in every other way.
I am sure they feel worse than we do.
It’s always great to win though. Scoreboard is the ultimate measure.
But the wide open spaces in USC’s defense won’t be going away soon I fear. We just aren’t a playoff team yet because our OL is also nothing special, to say the least. USC remains soft under LR. Not always, but too many times when it counts. Very strange team.
To my untrained eye Dedich does not look to be as consistent and good as Neilan was. And he sets the tone for the OLine. A line that doesn’t consistently impose their will.
Sounds like a Dr Pepper Fansville commercial in here 😂
I love those commercials! Let’s swipe those Hours d’Oeuvres off the table!
Yup I just lit a fire on my pile of SC gear
Except this is real. Fansville is entertaining
I won’t fault the offense. 48 points should beat anybody. Can’t expect an offense to play perfect for a whole game.
Seriously, SC shut out in the 4th.
USC football faces a reckoning. Things are gonna have to be done.
For sure. We have 3 losses coming. Maybe more.
Realistically, I don’t see how we beat ORE or ND. Some things just haven’t changed about USC at all in the last nine months. Lots of smokescreens out there hiding some real weaknesses.
I’m as disappointed after a win as I can remember.
I have exactly the same feeling as after ASU, a win that somehow felt like a loss.
LA Times writers crictisize Lincoln Riley …….. RIP HIM !!!!!!!!!!
We’ll take the win but we got a lot of work to do.
No amount of work with change the basic abilities of the defense. At least with the coach they have now.
USC is going to lose at least 3 games this year. They really shat the bed in this 2nd half.
So will Will Ferrell be hitchhiking our bandwagon or is he staying on the Colorado sidelines?
front-running pinko, ferrell is….
STOP………….HYPEING ………..USC FOOTBALL …..STOP !!!!!
Wow. Another horrible performance in the 2nd half, LR’s got issues.
This game turned out much worse than I could have ever imagined. I now believe we are possibly looking at a 4 loss season.
Bad coaching
I’d also say that the Buff’s last series was very poor coaching. Their play calls were terrible with no timeouts and burnt way too much clock. Fortunately.
They had a shot to the win the game if they didn’t run and focused on the passing game. They lost 2mins on the clock due to their play calling.
I want to blame the refs but realistically our defense has more stink than a dead skunk
Can Kliff Kingsbury coach defense?
USC loses it poise. Bad coaching, again. Can’t wait to read Lucas Evans’ article.
This is becoming a Clay Helton special
Giving Lincoln Riley a bad bad grade for this game !!!!!!!!!!
F
We do not deserve to win this game ………FACT !!!!!!!!!!
I have yet to see Shaw make a play on the ball.
no way………..NO WAY we stay in the top 10
Top 10 offense. Bottom 10 defense.