Asked Monday what the best part about being back has been so far, a big smile crept across Watkins’ face.
“Honestly everything,” Watkins said. “Like I don’t even know, the smallest stuff just gets me excited.”
Watkins’ return is a momentous mile marker for a Trojans team that has serious national title aspirations this season. Her status remains uncertain, and reporters in attendance Monday were told not to inquire further about Watkins’ recovery timeline. But she did say she’s already been able to scrimmage during USC’s summer practice and that she’s “feeling back like myself.”
“It’s just been a long time coming,” Watkins said. “I’ve just been working out and grinding every day so that I could be in position, so to see all of that hard work pay off right now, it’s really fulfilling.”
Watkins was a two-time consensus All-American and the Associated Press player of the year in 2025, when her knee buckled that March 24th during a breakaway in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The injury, a torn anterior cruciate ligament, not only derailed a possible title run that season, but also upended the Trojans’ trajectory for the next one.
Facing one of the toughest schedules in the nation, USC missed Watkins dearly. The Trojans finished their frustrating season ninth in the Big Ten without her and 18-14 before losing in the NCAA tournament’s round of 32.
As she sat out, Watkins said she struggled to keep still. Patience didn’t come naturally. She found herself leaning on others, she said, like Dallas Wings point guard Paige Bueckers, the #1 overall pick who went through her own ACL recovery.
“She was constantly checking up on me, sending me texts, encouraging me,” Watkins said of Bueckers, who played her college ball at UCONN where she won a NC in 2025. ‘I really appreciated that.”
Coaches suggested she pour that energy into her teammates. So she took solace in doing the little things, like arranging the locker room chairs before games.
“Just to watch her take something that was so difficult and pour herself into everything that went into last year was something I’ll never forget,” coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “I really do take a lot of inspiration from it.”
The silver lining, coming out of a season without their superstar, was the emergence of freshman Jazzy Davidson, who came to USC to play alongside Watkins. Instead, she ended up winning freshman of the year and becoming a rising star in her own right after averaged 17.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.
This month, Watkins and Davidson finally were able to take the floor together, just as Gottlieb had envisioned. She’d waited quite a while for that pairing, she reminded reporters Monday. But Davidson, she thinks, will be all the better for having survived her freshman season without Watkins.
“You just come back with a different level of confidence,” Gottlieb said. “I hope she brings with her every experience she had because who had more experience than Jazzy in terms of a freshman year where she handled so much?”
Saniyah Hall marks the third straight No. 1 overall prospect to sign with Gottlieb and USC, but she steps into a decidedly different scenario than the other two did. In addition to Watkins and Davidson, the Trojans also brought in two other top freshmen in Sitaya Fagan and Sara Okeke, as well as two priority portal additions in Ryann Bennett and Pania Davis.
“P (Davis) is 6-foot-6, she’s mobile, she’s got great hands, but she made a decision, when she finished up at Florida State, to not go home to Australia, to come right here,” Gottlieb said. “If you also talk to anyone who’s coached her or knows her, the first thing they say is winner, connector, understands people – and that’s what we’ve seen.”
Guard Kennedy Smith, who hails from Chino, added that she’s particularly looking forward to playing alongside Bennett, a Long Beach local, who she has competed with since she was eight.
“With the talent that’s on the team,” Hall said, “I think it could be something that’s very special.”
That starts with Watkins, who, in spite of a year away, apparently hasn’t skipped a beat in her return.
“I feel like she’s back like she never left,” Smith said. Even Smith, the Trojan’s highest ranked recruit in 2024, was ranked sixth in her class.
“It’s just been a long time coming,” Watkins said. “I’ve just been working out, grinding every day, so that I could be in this position. … One thing I’ve learned about myself throughout this process is patience is the biggest thing.”
“All the talent we have should make everybody more efficient and everybody’s lives a little bit easier,” Gottlieb said. “Collectively, we’re even better than they would be individually. That’s the idea of a team.”
USC had a team dinner last week, will practice at the Los Angeles Sparks’ training site on Tuesday, and have workshops on financial literacy and mental strengthening, Gottlieb said. Smith added that the Trojans had a “Love Island” watch party on Friday.
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Where is USC football ranked right now? USC is currently ranked No. 14 in the CBS Sports Rankings (same as Athlon) and No. 16 in the Yahoo Sports College Football Rankings heading into the season. Pre-Season mag Lindy’s gives USC a #10 nod. In the final national 2025-2026 polls, 9-4 USC nailed the AP No. 20 spot and No. 21 in the Coaches Poll. The expected advancement of inconsistent Jayden Maiava, USC’s improved and more experienced OL and DL, a large #1 2026 recruiting class, as well as the addition of coaches Gary Patterson (and his new D) as well… Read more »
Well USC was not in the AP Top25 at the start of last season and ended up #16 so starting this season around #15 sounds about right. Unless Lindy’s knows something we all don’t, #10 sounds like a reach right now.
USC has more questions to answer than a burglar caught in the house without keys. I’m sure Lindy’s knows about as much about USC football as the average Trojan fan, who is often overly drenched by the KoolAid splash. Lindy’s current Top 10 is ORE, TEXAS, OHIO ST, ND, IU, GA, MIA, LSU, OLE MISS and USC. Frankly, USC looks like it really belongs in the second ten: ALA, A&M, OU, TT, BYU, MICH, HOU, LOUIS, UW and SMU. They even stick PSU at #23, who I expect to give USC a boatload of trouble in Happy Valley on Oct.… Read more »
More sports than politics… Trump may be a jinx/mojo killer… He goes to see the Knicks in game 3 at MSG and they lose… Wants to help USMNT and they lose. All in fun guys, not worth getting upset. 😎✌
He loves America and he is a real sports fan–that’s good enough for me. And he doesn’t throw like a girl.
He’s always been(since he was young) more of a Knicks fan than Hochul and Mamdani(and his wife) who tried to portray themselves as Knicks fans when they know nothing about the Knicks or basketball in general.
Everyone was complaining about Trumps intervention into soccer. That’s just more of the international hate america crowd. But there is just as many people out there who love america but aren’t saying anything. America is a great country. The greats have always had 2 opposite opinions about them. Just look at the Yankees, Dodgers, Lakers, Celtics, Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, ND football, USC football. There was always very few ‘couldn’t care less opinions’. You either loved them or hated them and so it is with all of the america.
TDB was for “daily discussion of USC athletics”. How did this become a political soapbox?
Well, it’s not just about USC athletics. It’s about athletics in general. Am I missing something here? Am I the only one who has talked about things like american soccer and Caitland Clark and other things.
If Allen tells me I shouldn’t talk about american soccer and the world cup, then I won’t argue. He’s in control. It’s his forum.
Football info is super lean lately. I’m not that interested in 2028 recruits who haven’t been offered or visited yet. Ball is right around the corner and the USA is hosting the World Cup, the biggest sporting event in the world every four years. When the Olympics comes around, we’ll be into that too. The opening ceremonies will be split between the Coliseum and Sofi. I’m not sure how they intend to work that out (see below). And Trojans dominate the Olympics! I’m pretty sure we have more individual medals than any other school in existence. And whether we all… Read more »
I am not trying to bring politics onto this website. I actually follow sports, in part, to get away from politics. But, like you said, sometimes it’s hard to separate the two.
Hardly a political soapbox if you are talking about love of country.
problem is it is always one side of the aisle that hates America when they are out of power. Y’all understand.
Sad, but true
The USMNT has 14 players playing in the top 5 leagues in Europe. Belgium has 21. The US had enough talent to play Belgium close but instead got blown out. What happened? They came out flat and Belgium was fired up. Getting the red card reversed was a factor. Without the reversal, Belgium is feeling overconfident and the US is feeling anger at the bad call. Instead, it was a distraction for the US and a huge motivator for Belgium. Some injuries to key players also hurt the US. In the end the US is not a top 10 soccer country. US soccer is still held back by… Read more »
My take……in football tons of opportunities to run ads. They even add a dumb 2 minute warning which is just another ad buy.
Basketball…..tons of time outs, video checks, player injuries etc etc.
Baseball…..designed for TV with innings.
In soccer……play goes for a long time with little break. Not even quarters at professional level.
So…..the big money says…..forget this money loser……and it filters down thru to the junior level. Talent goes where the cash is.
Go USA!
Go USA, however, Belgium is a better ball-skilled team. It’s obvious watching the 1st half. And….. they are better actors taking dives than the Americans!
So far with the USA down 3-1 and 69 mins into the 2nd half, we sure don’t look ready for primetime against these guys. Unless a literal miracle happens, it was fun while it lasted. I don’t know how the USA could look “flat” in a game like this, and for this long, but we sure haven’t looked inspired. Weird.
The constant flopping and injury faking is laughable. Within seconds 100% healing has occurred.
I turned it off shortly after it was 2-1 and I decided that looking at You Tube videos was more fun.
I think the flopping on Belgiums part was a strategy to slow the pace of the game.
If this is a viable strategy (apparently it is), this is why soccer will never be as important here as it is elsewhere. It will always be interesting every four years, like the Olympics, but so what for the other years in between.
Ya, what appeared to be a pretty good American team made the World Cup hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada an event worth sporadically watching for me. Then the USA team laid the biggest egg imaginable. And now that all the North American teams have been suddenly reduced to rubble and it turns out your players can get brutally red-flagged, ejected, forced to miss a game, and even magically reinstated for basically doing nothing except accidentally stepping on someone’s foot, I probably won’t watch another match on the “pitch.” I suspect most of the American interest will diminish greatly… Read more »
I was kind of rooting for the american mens team but I can’t say I’m down over the loss. I just don’t follow soccer enough to care.
I’ve surprised myself and find myself watching these latter high level games. I would have loved to see Norway play England for the title. I don’t really care either, but this World Cup has steered me to watching these elite team matchups without being bored to death.
From what I’ve seen, the USA currently just doesn’t belong with the teams that made it to the quarters. Watching some of these matchups, including Spain methodically take apart and dominate high-scoring France today, has given me an idea of why these countries rabidly get into this non-American sport.
I think Americas mens team is like the USC baseball team. It’s a work in progress.
When you are at the World Cup and at less level of skill than the dominant teams of Europe and South America, you can’t have a poor game. But that is what happened.
I read today that in four of the last five world cups, the USMNT lost in the round of 16. In the remaining WC, the men’s team didn’t qualify.
US men’s soccer has plateaued.
I don’t think so. Soccer is taking on a head of steam in america. Everyone is playing it. The fan base is expanding in leaps and bounds. And nobody has the great athletes that america has. I would think that sooner or later america will be as good as anyone.
Many are saying tonight’s game vs Belgium is literally the biggest game in the history of USA soccer. Sounds good to me. (5 p.m. PT on FOX, FOX One) FoxSports.com — This is big. Huge. Gigantic, actually. The U.S. men’s national team is preparing to play arguably the biggest match in team history today, and the whole country will be watching. In the 2026 World Cup round of 16, the Stars and Stripes will take on Belgium in the knockout match in Seattle with an appearance in the quarterfinals on the line. Stakes could not be higher, and this is… Read more »
The feigning going on WCS makes this game a “turnoff” to me. I keep hearing it’s part of the game. Well it’s phony if you ask me and takes away from the ability to show skill in athletes and not acting lessons. You have 1- referee watching the whole field and 22 players at any moment taking a dive on the ground writhing in pain. Just once I’d like to see an opposing player kick a player taking a dive in the balls and then screening “ now you have a real reason to show grief!
I confess I don’t know much about soccer. But, as an outsider looking in, I’m trying to figure out what Belgium is trying to say. Are they saying that they can’t beat America if America is at full strength? I would think that this is the best ruling for both teams. If Belgium wins, they can honestly say that they were the best team. If they lose they can have no complaints because both teams went into the game at full strength. If they were to take that key american player out of the game and Belgium won, their victory… Read more »
I would bet it is the Belgium team officials and not the players making the appeal. The players want to beat the best, officials just want a win anyway they can. It would suck to say he can play then take it back. Guess that’s why the US coach was subdued at the news he could play, knowing an appeal was possible.
I hope we win but I have a lot of big time soccer fans who tell me we’ve only played the cupcakes so far. The Big Kahunas are ahead.
The host country, in this case 3, are given an easy group. That’s why all 3 got to the round of 16. Canada and Mexico have gone down to top 10 teams. #17 US now gets #9 Belgium. But hey, #6 Brazil lost to #31 Norway so miracles can happen.
FIFA rescinded Folarin Balogun’s one game suspension, making the leading scorer for US available after his bogus red card. Nice to officials fix it when they get it wrong.
Norway surprisingly beats favored Brazil 2-1 to advance to the quarterfinals.
Ya baby!
Five-time World Cup champion Brazil missed a lot of opportunities while Norway couldn’t seem to mount much of a threat until their brilliant striker Erling Haaland suddenly connected with a perfect header with 11 mins remaining in reg time. Then he drilled in another low to the ground leg-splitter near the end of reg time.
“The glitter of past years has faded for Brazil.”
Time for the Viking Row …
What else need be said?
Happy 250th Fourth of July all the TDBs. 🇺🇲 Greatest country in history. Saved more lives by freeing more people than any other.
World Cup Sweet 16 starts today. FIFA got the group draws almost perfect. The 3 host countries are still in and 8 of the top 10 are still in. Pre tournament rankings, #17 USA, without Balogun (3 of US 6 goals), plays #9 Belgium on Monday. #3 France plays #41 Paraguay today. Go Les Bleus, win it for Lafayette and all the other French who helped us beat the British!
Happy July 4th to you GT.
One of LA’s most anticipated cultural openings is about to come to life across the street from the USC campus, appropriately shaped like a futuristic spaceship and occupying an 11-acre site (300,000 sq ft) on the western edge of Exposition Park …
Officially opening Sept 22! The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, co-founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, is finally opening its doors after 8 years of construction in Exposition Park.
I hope it’s worth it. They closed coliseum parking for this monstrosity (which looks pretty cool). I assume they’re going to have an opening crawl like Star Wars had.
Well, it looks one helluva lot better than barack hussein’s cement trash can in Chicago! JMHO🤔
Ironically, to me it looks more like a spacecraft from their rivals over at Star Trek.
Looks like Jayden Maiava was overshadowed by other QBs at the Manning Passing Academy camp last week. Should we be nervous about him not winning some passing contests?
AI — “Rivals like Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin reportedly outshined Maiava during the drills, with Carr even earning the spot to go first and set the example for the other campers. “Analysts noted that Maiava’s arm strength and mechanics appeared a bit sluggish in the drill setting compared to his peers, causing him to slip slightly on some draft boards.” Per Cooper Petagna of CBS Sports, the Trojan QB’s arm strength failed to impress during reps. “Somewhat of a mechanical thrower, the ball doesn’t jump out of his hand — especially when surrounded by peers… Read more »
What really matters is how they do against 11 guys and the clock not throwing into nets, at golf cars and wide open receivers.
I never believed the old adage that there’s no such thing as bad publicity. That’s bull. There’s plenty of bad pub out there and Maiava just got a big taste of it. I’ve never thought Maiava was a great QB because he hasn’t been. So this stuff doesn’t matter much to me. But Maiava did get called out big-time here by observers for an arm that obviously didn’t impress anyone. I don’t see how that helps Maiava. If he can’t hit wide open receivers in a passing drill with sharp, good looking throws, and he looks overly mechanical, why shouldn’t… Read more »
Finally, the perfect job for Riley. Driving a golf cart while Maiava throws at him! 🏈🛺
😂
Now you’re talking! 😎
Genius!
I’am doing my best to keep my expectations reasonable this year. Maiava is no Peyton Manning or any of the other grade A QB’s. The QB whisperer is a fraud.
Let’s just hope that he plays well up to his limits, has his great streaks at the right time.
If he does we should be pleased with his contribution.
This isn’t a knock from me on Riley about his QB coaching. I’m sure he really knows what he is doing. But all this talk about his QB Whisperer abilities makes me wish I never heard the description in the first place. A lot of terrific quarterbacking has to do with natural tools, god-given ability and special mental and physical qualities that the great ones have begun to develop long before a coach like LR came into their lives. I’m no coach for sure, but it was obvious on every team I ever played on who the QB was gonna… Read more »
A lot of terrific quarterbacking has to do with natural tools, god given talent and special mental and physical qualities that the great ones have begun to develop long before a coach like LR came into their lives……….Amen.
Riley showed us he is a QB coach fraud with Miller Moss. Instead of making the most of the talents Moss had, Riley tried to ram a square peg into the only round hole he has (no pun intended). The best coaches adapt to and get the most out of the talent they have.
Ironically, Miller Moss is again a back-up to Caleb Williams. He’s a free agent Bear probably headed to the practice squad if he sticks.
He signed a three-year, $3,110,000 UDFA K ($210,000 guaranteed) with the Bears on May 8.
Bears training camp kicks off with rookies on July 25, followed by veterans on July 28.
I was planning on attending a day of Bear camp…..it’s a lot easier and more comfortable than going to a game for an old man. I’ll keep my eyes open for him. Had no idea he was still around. Thanks!.
I’d love to see Miller make the team. Great kid and I’m glad he was a Trojan for quite a while.
Absolutely!
USMNT proves it’s built different with first World Cup knockout win in 24 years Steven Goff (Yahoo Sports) — SANTA CLARA, Calif. — There are moments and remnants from the 2-0 U.S. victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday that will undoubtedly stand the test of time. Folarin Balogun’s goal and red card — the first such combination at a World Cup since Zinedine Zidane 20 years ago. Malik Tillman’s bloody sock — the result of an opponent stepping on and cutting through his shoe. U.S. bravery — on display during a shorthanded 26 minutes, plus another 10 of… Read more »
Great effort and win last night. Monday looks like a tough one. May be hard to get a win over Belgium without Balogun, an injured Tillman and Pulisic not up to speed. Belgium seems to be getting hot trashing New Zealand 5-1 then a come from behind win over Senegal. Paraguay knocked out Germany and Morocco knocked out the Dutch so anything is possible.
I was happy to be watching Tillman’s brilliant shot live. These thrilling moments that are suddenly history-making don’t happen every day.
Probably the most inspirational goal in USA World Cup Soccer History
Here’s the magnificent USA “over the wall” shot by Malik Tillman that gave the Americans a 2-0 lead over Bosnia and Herzegovina despite losing elite striker Folarin Balogun on a heavily disputed red card call which forced the team to play with only 10 men for 36 mins.
stunningly immaculate free kick
We could possibly win the NC this year. I would not bet the ranch on it but we should have a good possibility of it. Jaden Maiava is good enough to lead the team there. At least he should be good enough. I’d rather have him than a great QB who is just starting his first game in college football. Maiava is experienced. This is his 4th year as a starter. You don’t have to have a Heisman trophy winner as your QB to win a NC….just someone who can run the offense without making a lot of mistakes. Of… Read more »
Oddsmakers give USC about a 2% to 3% chance of winning the CFP National Championship.
The Trojans sit around +3500 to +4000 (a $100 bet wins $3,500 to $4,000) to win it all, which ranks us around 12th to 15th best in the country.
Remember, Lincoln Riley is the USC coach. Compared to John McKay, John Robinson and Pete Carroll, Riley’s lopsidedly inferior by any measure at USC.
I’m not saying that they are going to win it but the talent is there. There are no excuses anymore with the talent they have now, especially on the LOS(O and D). That’s where you win football games. I know that the Football Writers don’t give them much of a chance. I don’t always take what they say seriously. You and I follow one team and follow it closely. These guys follow 130 or so teams. Most of them don’t live in the towns of the teams that they are covering where you can get a closer look a particular… Read more »
I don’t think the USC talent at the LB and DB spots is even better than strictly average. LB may be even worse than average. It’s not like the football writers are dumb. They often have some excellent inside sources that you and I don’t have. That’s their job. They see what we all see, which is why oddsmakers give USC a super meager 2-3 % chance to win the NC. The betting public doesn’t like Riley, or USC’s talent that much. We’ve all jumped on LR’s bandwagon before at the slightest hint of a reason. He brought a ton… Read more »
I still think he has 2 more years to prove himself unless there is a disaster. But I do like the talent. He knows he’s on the hot seat so we’ll just have to see how he reacts. But the honeymoon is over.
Ya, too bad. Here we are in year five of the Riley era and already predicting he’ll get six years because he couldn’t get it done in year five. I don’t think there’s a snowball’s chance in hell USC wins the NC this season. I wouldn’t bet a nickel on that based on USC’s recent history. Just finally making the playoffs and beating a few really good teams would be a great start. That said, there’s no real reason to get rid of Riley immed. Cohen and Bowden have done all they can by spending a lot of money, hiring… Read more »
Unreal prediction . . . .
No prediction. Better reread my comment. All I said was that Maiava doesn’t have to have to be a Heisman winner for us to win the NC if other pieces are in place.
I don’t agree with you on everything but there is one thing we do agree on…..Thank God for Cohen and Bowen. If Nakias was still here LR wouldn’t be on the hot seat, he’d get all 10 years of his contract and then a 6 year extension with a big pay raise.
Did you attend USC?
What in the world does that have to do with it? We’re talking about what are the components that are necessary to win a NC. I say that a Heisman trophy winner is not one of them. And you ask me if I attended USC. I must be missing something here. I don’t see the connection.
Lots of talk today about USC v ORE, and the special need for USC to win this game at home. If the Ducks beat the Trojans again on Sept. 26, regardless of the reason or excuse, USC will again start to look like it’s behind the eight ball for 2026. Here’s more on Lanning v Riley, and why so many Trojan fans are doubtful USC will win. 1) The “CEO” vs. “Coordinator” Mentality — The most common argument centers on how each man approaches the role of a head coach. Lanning as the CEO: Lanning manages Oregon with a macroscopic,… Read more »
All I can say is….yep.
The Cost of Doing Business in Recruiting Texas A&M leading in recruit spending. Notre Dame paying to shut down official visits. UCLA is serious about football again… Pete Nakos (on3.com) — Across college football front offices in June, general managers and head coaches have taken note of Mike Elko and Texas A&M. The Aggies currently have the top-ranked class in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings with six five-star commits. “We’re landing punches,” a source around Texas A&M told On3. Seven Power Four general managers told On3 they believe A&M’s 2027 class is well north of the $10 million… Read more »
What a crazy world CFB recruiting has become. The GM’s offices must be nonstop mayhem juggling all the aspects and strategies to get players and keep them. I would think most HCs just have to take direction from the GM on who to talk to and when. It has been reported USC spent $10-12 million on the ’26 class. Probably why Bowden is looking at a smaller class in ’27.
Ranking the Big Ten’s five toughest 2026 schedules 1. Ohio State Ohio State has been criticized in the past for benefiting from playing in a league that’s substandard to the SEC. That, of course, changed in the recent past when USC, Oregon, and Washington joined the Big Ten. This year? Ohio State faces perhaps the most challenging schedule in all of college football. The Buckeyes face Texas on the road in week 2, one of the most highly anticipated nonconference games in the country. They also have a stretch in October and early November when they play Indiana and USC… Read more »
Compound our schedule difficulty with the travel…..Although I view Riley as a dunce if he is able to produce a 10-2 out of this schedule…..he deserves some recognition.
Hey, it would be wonderful if Lincoln Riley could actually finally do something concerning an on-the-field victory that deserved praise.
10-2 in 2026 would build him a bandwagon big enough for a huge Trojan Horse.
Make it happen Lincoln. Start off by beating the Ducks on Sept. 26! AI currently gives USC a 25-35% chance.
Everybody has their hopes…….personally I’am hoping that Halloween brings USC one heck of a treat. Let’s hope it’s a night game. They ought to issue all fans an orange light pen with white smoke emitters.
ESPN CFB top 25 from 2 weeks ago, 1. Ohio St 2. Oregon 6. Indiana 15. Penn St 17. Washington 20. USC Ain’t gonna be easy for the Trojans. Maybe Indiana will have beat up the Buckeyes before they get to LA, but they will have had 2 weeks to rest up. Oregon will have 4 games of film on the Trojans. Keeping the Soccer theme, USC is playing in the Premier League. My way too optimistic prediction has USC winning 3 out 5, but realistically, 2. Which means they beat everybody else, no trap games, no food poison games,… Read more »
I think USC has a tough schedule mainly because I think a lot of the other schools like Wisconsin, Maryland, UCLA and maybe even Rutgers are going to be better than a lot of people think which could cause a lot of trap games. I could be wrong….time will tell.
And Washington is always good. Fresno State will probably be good(although I don’t think they will beat SC). Then you have the big Kahunas….Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State and Oregon. I see 10 good or great teams on our schedule.
I agree…….Rutgers depending on how some portals turn out could surprise a few folks. The others all have a chance for relatively good years.
My goodness……I had not noticed ESPN had us the 8th best team in the BIG. They have Iowa, Washington, Penn St, Michigan, O St, Oregon and Indiana above us. With our roster…….that is quite the slap at Riley.
Everyone knows that this is Lincoln Riley’s window year. He gets dumped on as a huge salary coach by more media and fans than any other big name HC by far. That’s okay. Riley’s made his bed. Now he’s got to sleep in it. You can’t read anything about USC football these days without Riley and his underperformance coming up big time. Were I Riley, I’d turn off sports TV, stop reading football magazines and start thinking about how to beat ORE in the Coliseum on Sept. 26. If he loses that game with this very experienced Trojan team, especially… Read more »
Some info for those interested….. Oregon had a defense last year that had one team score 27 points against them (USC), one team scored 24 in double over time (PSU) and everybody else struggled to score at all. One other team scored 20 with most at 7 to 14. The Oregon defense returns 8 starters, including the entire DL. The other 3 slots are being filled by folks that preseason are being considered as good or better than who they are replacing. In two cases they are highly experienced. The recruiting class is bringing in more depth talent behind the… Read more »
USC vs ORE in 2025. Another disaster vs the Ducks and Lanning. Turnover prone USC couldn’t run and special teams were a joke. Key Game Stats Final Score: Oregon 42, USC 27 Rushing Yards: Oregon 179, USC 52 Time of Possession: Oregon dominated the clock to keep USC’s offense off the field. Game Recap & Momentum Shifts Fast Start: Oregon established control early, leaning heavily on running back Noah Whittington (104+ rushing yds and a TD) and a defense that completely stifled the USC ground game, holding the Trojans to just 1.9 ypc. Special Teams Disasters for USC: The game… Read more »
As one of the greatest and original Riley haters, even I admit beating Oregon this year will be very very difficult for anybody…..even at our place. They play at Ohio State…..that might be a chance for them to go down. Our game is the other game with possibilities.
The defense gave up an average of 115 yards per game on the ground. 3.4 yards per carry. This includes the playoff games against better teams……and the entire DL is back and reinforced.
Frankly….I don’t see it.
Lanning now has his Georgia defense.
The Oregon game is a key game. You can’t lose it especially right here in the Coli. There are a lot of SC fans who are still drinking the kool-aide about LR(I freely admit that I’m one of them or, at least, I have not yet totally made up my mind about him). Lose that game and He will lose a lot of kool-aide drinkers. You have to be able to win on the road and beat the big kahunas, not just the cupcakes. And you have to stop snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
I’ve picked Oregon to win the last 4 or so times they have played.I don’t know why but I am leaning towards SC this time around. I might change my mind 2 1/2 months from now. How can you possibly be sure? But Rileys long contract is another one of SC’s mistakes. Giving him a 10 year $100 million contract was insane. I get it….he looked like the football messiah at the time but we could have gotten him a lot cheaper. Do I know that for a fact? NO! Am I speculating? YES! Just my opinion. But I really… Read more »
Other contenders, all legendary in their own right: QB Caleb Williams, OL Bruce Matthews, OT Ron Rary, WR Keyshawn Johnson, OT Tony Boselli, LB/DE Willie McGinest, QB Sam Darnold, DL Leonard Williams, CB/RET Adoree’ Jackson, WR Mike Williams, LB Clay Matthews III, OT Tyron Smith, and quite a few other WRs ...