USC football’s record against every current Big Ten school (75-30-3 overall)
Illinois: 11-2 (84.6%)
Indiana: 4-0 (100%)
Iowa: 7-3 (70%)
Michigan: 6-4 (60%)
Michigan State: 4-4 (50%)
Minnesota: 6-1-1 (81.2%)
Nebraska: 4-0-1 (90%)
Northwestern: 5-0 (100%)
Ohio State: 13-10-1 (56.2%)
Penn State: 6-4 (60%)
Purdue: 3-1 (75%)
Wisconsin: 6-1 (85.7%)
Compiled by Evan Desai (reignoftroy.com)
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Change of Direction Rules CFB These Days Mario Cristobal on the end of Miami’s Turnover Chain: We’re moving in a different ‘direction’ The Athletic staff — “What’s in a chain? Gold, sweat, turnovers…and now dust in Miami. “Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal reiterated the program is retiring its famous turnover chain, a ‘Cane fan fave, as the team heads in a new direction and focuses on success this coming season. “It is not a shot or a form of disrespect to anybody or anyone. Certainly, history is history. And whether it’s positive, whether it’s inconsequential, whatever it may be, it’s still… Read more »
Always seemed pretty thuggish to me. Good for Cristobal.
https://saturdaytradition.com/wisconsin-football/watch-paul-chryst-choice-words-miamis-turnover-chain-nsfw/amp/
Well, I agree.
Kirby Smart, Georgia Agree to New 10-Year Contract Worth $112.5M B/R — “After leading GA to its first national title in 41 years last season, HC Kirby Smart has been rewarded with a lucrative contract extension. GA announced a 10-year extension for Smart on Thursday. It runs through the 2031 season and includes total salary compensation worth $10.25 million in 2022 with annual increases that culminate in a $12.25 million salary in the final year of the deal. “Per Oliver Hodgkinson of Pro Football Network, USC HC Lincoln Riley had the highest average annual salary ($10 million-plus per season) among college coaches… Read more »
K. Smart is overrated….
USC five-stars (top 32 prospects) included in the latest On3 Consensus rankings: 3. QB Malachi Nelson (98.50) Los Alamitos (Calif.) High – USC commit “Quick-armed, accurate passer with strong functional movement skills. Considered one of the more talented QB prospects in HS football dating back to his early prep career. A natural, nuanced passer with a quick release. Shows some aggressive tendencies in throwing downfield. Has touch with the ability to layer his throws. Accurate with good ball placement dating back to his soph spring season which was shortened due to COVID. Good arm strength, which could improve with overall strength progression. Adept at running… Read more »
Hey Trojan fans. I’m hoping to return the favor of a request. What are your thoughts about Justin Frye? He was OL coach for UCLA and now same at Ohio State.
Frye and Ryan Day go way back, as you know, to their TEM and BC days together. That’s often all that really matters in these coaching moves.
I can’t tell you anything about him, but at least he was smart enough to springboard from the little gutties to the Buckeyes after only three years. However, I’d be much more impressed with Frye if he had escaped from UCLA quicker than that.
USC’s First Man On the Moon!
Today is the 53rd anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s Apollo Moonwalk, July 20, 1969, when the celebrated test pilot/astronaut pronounced. “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” or something like that.
In 1970, Armstrong completed his Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering at USC.
Do you remember where you were, or did you even watch the first landing on the moon?”
Neil Armstrong statue in front of USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering
https://drygoods.elevenwarriors.com/collections/t-shirts/products/thats-ohios-moon-tee
LoL!!
I watched on a small TV atop a houseboat my family rented at Lake Shasta, CA. The TV reception wasn’t very good so all we could see was a figure bouncing up and down on the surface of the moon. I was 14 years old at the time and asked my Dad if the figure was a “moonster”. When we returned home from our vacation, we watched a replay of the event. I’ve always been amazed at what it took from a technological standpoint to get our astronauts to the moon and back. It was a fulfillment of a promise… Read more »
My father-in-law worked for NASA in JPL Pasadena (really La Canada – it was located next to my high school at the head of the Arroyo Seca). He was head of the “containment” division – his job was to make certain the “Andromeda Strain” was not brought back to earth by the astronauts. Remember all the clean rooms and the 30 day isolation for astronauts and the moon rocks? He was the lead that set those protocols. The moon landing was a huge point in his life (his entire career had been invested in the moon project) and my wife… Read more »
TrojanRJJ: Did you go to La Canada High or St. Francis? I went to Glendale High from 1970-73. We always had a pre-Foothill League football game vs La Canada but never played St. Francis who was always quite a powerhouse.
St. Francis, Class of 65. La Canada High was built I think during my junior year. Our class went undefeated in football during my junior and senior years. I did not play. Best high school player I ever saw in person was Adrian Young of Bishop Amat. The LB SC just recruited reminded me a lot of Young, who was an immigrant from Ireland. We played them twice during my freshman year. We won the AA my freshman year (beating Bishop Amat) and then won the AAA my junior and senior years.
Irish Adrian Young fittingly and phenomenally picked off a whopping four passes against the Irish in South Bend in ’67 when USC beat #5 ranked ND 24-7. A true Trojan great! Three of Young’s picks were inside the 12-yd line, stopping ND scoring threats. O.J. Simpson gained 150 yds on 38 carries and scored three TDs that memorable day in South Bend. The win also marked USC’s first victory in South Bend since 1939. This was the year the game was delayed six minutes because John McKay refused to take the field first. Two years earlier, ND had kept USC… Read more »
Thank you Allen for this great post regarding Adrian Young.
TrojanRJJ: thank you for the wonderful reply. I seem to recall Bill Reddell (sp) coached football at St. Francis. Bill later coached at my son’s High School, Oaks Christian in Westlake Village where I lived for many years. I remember Adrian Young as a USC LB. Just off pure memory and no Google, I remember him having a stellar game vs Notre Dame in South Bend in the late 60s. My Grandmother had USC season tickets from 1926 to 1994 when she passed away. My first USC game was in 1965 in Palo Alto watching Mike Garrett run wild vs… Read more »
SIX USC COMMITMENTS ON 2023 POLYNESIAN BOWL ROSTER (NFL Network)
WR ZACHARIAH BRANCH Bishop Gorman, NV
RB QUINTEN JOYNER Manor, TX
WR MAKAI LEMON Los Alamitos, CA
S BRAXTON MYERS Coppell, TX
QB MALACHI NELSON Los Alamitos, CA
OG AMOS TALALELE Santa Clara, CA
THE WORLD’S TOP HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS GATHER IN HAWAI’I TO CELEBRATE CULTURE
FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2023 • 4:00 PM HT KŪNUIĀKEA STADIUM, HONOLULU, HI
polynesianbowl.com
Stewart Mandel (The Athletic) — “My two cents: Two conferences separating themselves so far from the others that all but 32 fan bases feel they’re playing in the minor leagues is unquestionably bad for the sport of college football the way we’ve always known it. USC and UCLA ditching their 100-year-old conference and jeopardizing their West Coast peers’ future is frankly a big fat F.U. to the sport of college football the way we’ve always known it. “But college football has been veering farther and farther from its roots for several decades now, and the USC/UCLA news mostly feels like the moment everyone stopped pretending otherwise.… Read more »
Normally, I follow Stu. But, this time IMO he got it wrong. First, college football as we knew it ended with the Supreme Court opinion. The era of NIL and transfers completely changed the game. All SC was acknowledge reality and adjusted to it. Second, college football as we knew it a decade ago died when Saban arrived at AL. He played basically three or four competitive games a year and dominated the sport with superior talent and genius coaching. He make the SEC a league apart except for Clemson. So, the game has changed. It has been changing for… Read more »
Fox Sports and ESPN world wide are both owned primarily by Walt Disney Corp. Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck control world sports media.
Don’t tell that to Duck fans. They might start thinking they have a chance. Donald Duck and the Oregon Duck are basically the same. I didn’t know Fox was also owned by Disney. Scary.
Hey @Scioto —
What can you tell us about S Bryson Shaw, who portaled to USC from your team?
Bryson Shaw was a 3* in the 2019 class out of Maryland’s Bullis School. The only recruit brought in by Alex Grinch (don’t ask any Buckeye fan what we think of one Mr. Grinch). He’s a good player. Good speed, hits hard. He started for Ohio State last year because Josh Proctor suffered a compound fracture of his leg in the the first half of the Oregon game (second game of the season). Proctor was a huge loss. Shaw had an awful game against Oregon, but steadily improved through the season. The Ohio State D staff last year was as… Read more »
Wow Scioto expectations are high at OSU. The Buckeyes went 13-1 in 2018, end up ranked #3 in the nation, only 4 close games. The only negative was what looks like a melt down game at Purdue. This was on top of the Urban Myer blow up to start the season. Grinch was only there that 1 year. Oklahoma was 22-5 with Grinch running the defense the last 3 seasons. What’s the beef with him?
Statistically, Ohio State’s D was its worst in history. Ohio State went 13-1 because of the offense. Grinch was co-DC. I don’t place all of the blame on him. It was a dysfunctional situation allowed by Meyer. My gripes about Grinch are threefold. One, he checked out when Meyer re-hired Schiano. That was unprofessional. I get being upset, but he was still paid high 6 figures for a high-profile position. Second, because of #1, he also didn’t recruit. He was in charge of the secondary and Ohio State is still struggling with depth in the secondary to this day. Shaw… Read more »
Well I hope for SC’s sake he has fixed most if not all of that in the last 3 years. I bet that Urban Meyer thing was a real mess with the staff. They did an amazing job considering the mess Ryan Day inherited. Coach Ed O did not behave the most professionally when Pat Haden showed him the door and he went on to win a NC.
There are clearly some hard feelings about Grinch for us Buckeye fans. But like I said, it was a dysfunctional situation created by and allowed to persist by Urban and that had to have some effect on Grinch. He’s your DC now so deserves USC fans’ full support and respect. Lincoln Riley has forgotten more than I know about college football. Grinch attended and played football for my alma mater so that also plays into my views about him I’m sure.
LSU fired Ed O after a string of humiliating losses and massive sexual harassment scandals. He allegedly failed to report sexual misconduct allegations against his players. In March 2021, a 74-year-old woman accused star RB Derrius Guice of sexual harassment from an incident at the Superdome in 2017. Orgeron had allegedly told one of the victim’s then-boyfriends that ‘everybody’s girlfriend sleeps with other people’, and made no effort to report the alleged crime. Ed O reportedly was paid a buyout of about $17.8 mil. Orgeron was hired by LSU to replace Les Miles, who was fired for sexual misconduct as he had allegedly… Read more »
This will be a bummer, but I could easily see USC opting to not play ND every year once we move to Big10.
Why? USC gets the best of both worlds, the Big Ten, plus the only school the Big Ten wants, ND. I would never give up the USC/ND rivalry were I either school. The greatest intersectional rivalry isn’t going anywhere per Arash Markazi. SI.com — USC vs. Notre Dame isn’t going anywhere “USC plans to continue its annual tradition of playing Notre Dame,” according to Arash Markazi of ESPN Radio. “The storied football rivalry began in 1926 and will continue with USC in the Big Ten. A lot will obviously change with USC leaving the Pac-12 but the Trojans will still… Read more »
Chris, That will never happen. The audience is too large for that game. The B10 will demand SC keep ND, hope SC kicks ND’s behind having far more income to invest in staff and players, and that ND chooses to enter the B10 to keep up.
I think USC may drop ND for multiple reasons.
just a thought. Texas no longer plays A&M. Pitt and WVirginia stopped playing.
with realignment you sometimes get rid of long standing rivalries.
I’m with RJJ and Arash Markazi. USC will not stop playing ND, no way. It’s just too mutually beneficial for both programs and their storied legacies, not to mention their pocketbooks. Stop playing STAN or ORE or ASU, fine. Stop playing ND? Dumb. USC never played ND in the first place because of geography or conference affiliation (like TEXAS/A&M; PITT/WV). And the truth is, ND helped put USC on the national football map. USC will end up playing cupcakes in the Big Ten, just like the Trojans always did in the Pac-12. USC still needs ND on its schedule and… Read more »
If ND remains independent, I could see the superconferences squeezing ND off their schedules in not needing a marquee non-conference game anymore to get into the playoffs. USC would then be ND’s salvation in giving it a boost in schedule ratings.
ND still holds all the cards, as the only real desirable school unattached (IMO) by a mile, and always has the ACC in its back pocket for football if necessary. ND doesn’t have to move. It can literally wait as long as it wants, and choose.
Every conference would take ND in a heartbeat. I just don’t see the Irish being squeezed out in football. Like it or not, they’re the #1 CFB brand in America, I think. I could be wrong of course, but if not ND, who? Big debate? Or easy choice?
When you think about the probability USC will be in the western division of the Big Ten playing the likes of Minnesota, Nebraska, Illinios, Northwestern, Iowa and Wisconsin, there will be plenty of winnable games to be had. Of course there will be cross over division games playing Penn St. Michigan, Mich,St. & Ohio St. but not all in the same season. Playing your arch rival with the programs knowing eachother so well is not going to be a negative when it comes to wins & losses. It will only showcase an advantage in national ratings.
CBS Sports is reporting that Notre Dame is looking for $75M annually from NBC in order to remain independent. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/notre-dame-targeting-75-million-annual-media-rights-payout-in-quest-to-remain-independent/amp/ No way in hades do I see ND getting that kind of payout. I believe currently they are getting around $22M from NBC and another $10M from their ACC arrangement. That’s only 7 games on NBC. ND hasn’t won a NY6 bowl game since January 1, 1994, and let’s not even mention how they’ve fared in BCS championship games (I think only the 2012 season championship) and the CFP. They’ve fared even worse than Lincoln Riley and Oklahoma!!! Zing. September… Read more »
The Big Ten “Settled” For UCLA
CBS Sports — “The Big Ten reportedly wanted USC and Notre Dame before it settled for USC and UCLA.”
Texas Tech collective offers $25,000 NIL contracts to 100 players, ranking among biggest team-wide deals The contracts can be renewed after a year and come in exchange for community service “A collective at Texas Tech is promising to sign every scholarship player and a number of walk-ons to a $25,000 name, image and likeness (NIL) contract. The Matador Club, a collective run by five Texas Tech graduates, has proposed signing 100 players — all 85 scholarship players and 15 walk-ons — to one-year contracts that can be renewed heading into next season. More than 1,000 people have donated to the… Read more »
Interesting, 1,000 donors kick in an average of $2500 and you have a base income for every member of the team. I think Utah or BYU have a similar set up. I wonder what other NIL structures are going on? Are many of the millionaires sharing the wealth? With donor money flowing to NILs will donations to the school AD decline?
Golden, You nailed why SC’s move to the B10 is pure genius. It puts at least $50 million more in the SC Athletic Department’s coffers, thus freeing up donor money for the NILs. The full impact of the NIL/transfer rule will hit in about two years. For example, Oregon State is going to very competitive this year. It has a great OL (better than SC’s), solid RBs, a very talented QB and a very competent coach. I would not at all be surprised to see the Beavs beat the Trojans this year. But, that success is very short lived. The… Read more »
1976 and 2001 are my favs. Having Trojans on it leaves no doubt. When my mom moved to North Carolina, folks would see her license plate cover and ask if she is a Gamecocks fan!
USC Trojans Win Interlocking Logo Battle Over Gamecocks In USC v. USC, Supreme Court Favors West Coast Oct 5, 2010 athleticbusiness.com — A 13-year trademark battle ended Monday, as the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a ruling that the interlocking letters in the “SC” logo belong to the University of Southern California, not the University of South Carolina. The Los Angeles Times reports that the high court turned down an appeal from USC in Columbia, S.C., which since 1997 has sought to register its own interlocking “SC” logo for the sale of sports merchandise. USC in Los Angeles objected, and a special Trademark… Read more »
I always walk around ATL and the rest of the Southeast announcing I attended the “real USC” and now I have the law behind me for support!
I prefer the 1976 version as well.
Some early Vegas odds for five USC games:
Sept. 10: USC (-11.5) at Stanford
Oct. 15: USC (-3) at Utah
Nov. 11: Colorado at USC (-21.5)
Nov. 19: USC (-6) at UCLA
Nov. 26: Notre Dame at USC (-2.5)
Officials from the Big 12 told Pac-12 officials on Monday that they’re no longer interested in exploring the partnership
Pete Thamel (ESPN) — “Sources: Big 12, Pac-12 won’t partner as talks among the two conferences officially end. The two sides had at least three lengthy Zoom calls to explore options within the last two weeks. No strong revenue driver emerged.”
Herbstreit thinks there will end up being 3 power conferences. It’s a shame that what remains of the PAC seems to be the least attractive merger candidate. I wonder if the ACC will be the aggressor trying to add teams quickly because of rumors that the SEC may go after Florida State, Miami and Clemson
I don’t think the SEC can do diddly about any ACC members until someone shows their ACC Grant of Rights obligations through 2036 are legally breakable, which I sincerely doubt based on legal opinion reports. The SEC has indicated it will sit still for now and watch what happens. They can afford to wait around. Now that the Big 12 has cold-shouldered the Pac-12, I’m thinking more and more that the Pac-12 might hold firm as is, or poach a couple of select others, maybe more. I also don’t buy the Pac-12 combining with the ACC in any way. That’s… Read more »
I agree Allen. The ACC is locked up until 2036 with only Notre Dame free to leave that conference. If NBC is unwilling to up the ante paying ND a reported $75million they are asking in playing the home games of the likes of Navy, Army and others (with the exception of USC every other year) ND will soon see the writing on the wall and join the Big Ten which would be more attractive to NBC to bid for that package instead. The SEC would then feel the pressure to expand, but who could they bring in other than… Read more »
The Pac-12 can do all it wants to try and fix itself, but it can’t change its time zone.
Hence, its members, assuming they actually stay together, will always have a permanent monetary disadvantage which negatively affects facilities, coaching hires, recruiting, TV exposure, and everything else needed to be successful at the highest levels of CFB.
I wonder. Were I a fan of CU, ASU, ARIZ or UTAH, would I want my team to stay in the Pac-12, or go to the Big 12? What would be better?
Not that I care (for I do not). As you noted, I have no sympathy for the rest of the Pac – they did this to themselves. Hypothetically, if I were Utah, I would leave the Pac and go to the B12 for several reasons: first, the culture matches much better and I get to accompany BYU (this locks up the SLC/Vegas market for the B12); second, Utah will never been viewed as a equal in the Pac (Stanford, Cal, and UW will see them as second rate barbarians who are tolerated at the table) – Utah will be seen… Read more »
I agree with Herbstreit…but who will the third Super Conference be…?
alfa, I think there may be four, but not five. It appears to me that the B12 and the ACC are stronger than the Pac. The remaining Pac has two quality teams(Oregon and Utah) and a bunch of second tier teams. Oregon State should be very good this year. But, in the world of NIL and transfers, in two years, the Beavers will be on a par with San Jose State or Utah State. The same with Washington State. The starting QB at WSU got $90,000 in NIL money – compare that to what a kid can make at SC… Read more »
San Diego, Isn’t it nice to be on the inside looking out? For the first time in a decade, SC is now ahead of the game. In fact, SC’s management saw the writing on the wall and jumped first. Combined with the advent of NIL and transfers, SC’s move was really earthshaking. It has forever changed to landscape of collegiate football. In the days of NIL and transfers, you need media income to support your staff as the booster funds will be going to pay players. I hope SC’s “you earn it” NIL approach works – but I have my… Read more »
Keeping in mind, the new members of the BIG12, starting next year 2023. BYU, Cincinnati, UCF and Houston would not be push overs for any of the remaining PAC12 teams. I see from a media perspective the addition of perhaps, Colorado(former B12 team) Utah or Arizona State as additions whose media footprint is as good as any of the BIG12 future teams, with the exception of Houston, who’s coverage is large.
Allen, I think the number of superconferences will be 3 or 4, certainly no more than 4. Hence, the race is on between the Pac, the B12 and the ACC to see which ones will make that cut. Personally, I think four will survive and I give the Pac the least chances. This report matches what I would expect – George is not going to get any relief on the conference to conference level. As you report, the B12 has turned him down and I cannot imagine the ACC will be interested. The B12 is now at 12 teams and… Read more »
I really don’t hold any sympathy for the Pac-12’s plight. Sure, we played those guys for many, many years and developed interesting rivalries in the process. Some will be left permanently in USC’s wake. But the Pac-12 sat back forever just making money off USC’s back and refused to acknowledge USC’s right to a fair slice of the pie. So USC remarkably kicked the Pac-12 to the curb with one huge swing. The future of CFB is all about the SEC and the Big Ten now. The Power 2 is gonna rule the roost, get richer and richer, and send… Read more »
NBC Sports will continue overpay for Notre Dame because it is their only way to have college football on their network. The only that will change NDs mind if their chance to play in the playoff were increased by joining the Big Ten.
Per CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd — “Notre Dame is working on a deal to remain independent in conjunction with a new media-rights package with NBC worth $75 million annually. “Notre Dame’s current deal, which pays the Irish $15 million a year, will expire in 2025. Should the new deal come through, it would end speculation that the Irish would consider jumping to the Big Ten, which is negotiating a new deal with Fox Sports that would pay each member an estimated $80 million to $100 million annually. “The Irish prefer to remain independent, and according to its contract with the… Read more »
If NBC buckles under fearing they cannot get into some kind of package arrangement with Fox or CBS to broadcast superconference CFB, and gives ND what its asking for (which will be 2nd rate games compared to the superconference one’s) and, ESPN keeps the Big-12 & ACC games and any leftover superconference games, then I don’t see the Big Ten expanding any further unless inviting Stanford and CALwith their superior academia is what the Big Ten wants to enhance itself with. Oregon without ND to ride its coattail is out of the scenario.
I don’t think the additions of STAN and CAL would help the B10 enough financially, or with media rights. Image-wise, for sure.
But CAL has almost always been a dumpster fire program, and STAN frequently goes through long streaks of total careless ineptitude.
They’ll split the pie more, without adding enough $ IMO. I hope USC and UCLA exclusively remain the only west coast B10 members. Doubt it, though. This must just be a hellish period for the remaining Pac-10 right now.
Couldn’t help it. Came across 60 min replay of the USC/UCLA 11/20/21 football slaughter. Forced myself to watch about 1/2 of it. Hard to believe USC had sunk to this level of sorry 62-33 ineptitude. USC’s DBs and special teams were beyond woeful. Jaxson Dart seemed overwhelmed and had little protection. USC hired LR on 11/28//21, one of the most surprising and emotionally uplifting days in USC football history, at least from my perspective. Now USC is suddenly beating OHIO ST and WIS for the best hitting ‘backer in Louisiana. Imagine Clay Helton trying to reel in Tackett Curtis? Helton… Read more »
LB Tackett Curtis in action last season:
hudl.com
Yes, he’s in the mould of Matthews III, McGinest, Cushing, Maualuga
and should wear one of their numbers.
USC’s Stars Shine Grace Raynor (The Athletic) — BRADENTON, Fla. — “With the offseason nearing a close and HS football set to begin in the next month, Under Armour put a bow on its 2022 summer camp series this weekend with one final event. “The UA Next Future 50, held at IMG Academy, featured 62 of the nation’s most coveted recruits going head-to-head in individual drills and culminated with a 7-on-7 game Saturday afternoon. With four top 10 players in the 247Sports Composite in attendance — USC QB commit Malachi Nelson, uncommitted CB Cormani McClain, USC WR commit Zachariah Branch… Read more »
Hard-hitting Top247 4-star LB Tackett Curtis (6-2, 218; Many, LA) commits to USC over OHIO ST and WIS. “Middle of last week was when my head starting tilting towards SC,” the nation’s #5 LB told 247Sports. “Last night was when I decided and SC it is.” “I have a really good relationship with that staff since they’ve been at Oklahoma,” Curtis told On3’s Sam Spiegelman. “I’ve always clicked with Coach Riley and Coach Odom and the rest of the staff. They’re all good, genuine people, but they know their stuff about ball, too. They’re gonna push me to be the… Read more »
That’s a big time commit! He was OSU’s top LB target. Let’s keep it rolling!
Nice get after a dry commitment spell. USC had four good 3-star commits in June, missed on some well-publicized bigger ones, and now comes up with their first July commit, a 4-star Louisiana LB who turned away both OHIO ST and WIS, strong defensive teams generally known for their physical LBs. It’s amazing to watch USC winning some of these huge battles for elite preps again. Wait until USC starts showing on the field what Lincoln Riley has in store. I like that LR and Odom had cultivated a relationship with Curtis while at OU that was so strong he… Read more »
Thanks for the good news, Allen. I’m 100% confident in LR to bring in a great class with legit playmakers everywhere. I think he will surprise us all with o line guys this year, either with flips or with transfer portal guys. Like you, I trust in LR.
Tough loss for the good guys. You guys got a good one. This one hurts.
Best wishes kid. I’m sure he’ll ball out. See you in two years.
Pac-12 TV Performance Rankings
Not sure how to digest all the stats there. What stands out to me is Oregon. For what success it has had over the last 10 years it really doesn’t have the fan base that a very mediocre USC has over the same time. No wonder the BIG 10 had no interest.
Surprisingly, UCLA is only #6. That’s what stands out to me. UCLA will be finally forced to pay serious attention to football. If they don’t, they’ll get killed in the Big Ten IMO.
The only school that this whole thing is a win-win for is USC. We (and I use that in the loosest terms possible!) earned it. Glad USC took it, no questions asked.
Just now guys on NFL Network doing a piece on “Who Will Be This Seasons #1 Wide Receiver in the ENTIRE NFL ? ” getting some votes for “Best WR in NFL ” this season ?????>>>>> Colts Michael Pittman ! (Gotta say it would be kinda cool but I gotta see it first ) .
It appears that the B10 is done with expansion unless ND wishes to enter. If ND wants in, it appears that the B10 would welcome ND and Stanford and call it done. Oregon and UW simply do not fit in the picture. I wonder what Oregon will do? My guess is Phil Knight’s best play is to hold together the Pac and have Oregon dominate it. Right now, the issue is what will the 4 corner states (ASU, UA, Utah and CO) do? As a package they bring a solid media presence. I do not know if they will get… Read more »
If you were ORE, would you wait around for ND to dictate your future somewhere down the line, whenever the Irish want? Or would you move now to secure the best you can make of the CFB world as a non-Big Ten member? This is an amazing predicament for the Ducks.
Have I missed something? When did USC turn its back on Charles White? According to the Times that’s what has happened. I know I’m getting old but I have always thought of him as a USC treasure. Someone may have escorted LenDale White out once, but even that is past history. Anyway Charles White is living in an assisted care facility, he has dementia, but I don’t think the University has turned their back on him. Finally, a few days ago people were posting degrees from USC and I didn’t say anything. My degree is cobbled together by New York… Read more »
You played in the USC Band? That makes you a Trojan! We need way more electricians than Humanities Majors that’s for sure. Fight On! 😎✌
Speaking of electricians, my old office (thank the Lord, old office) had an electrical fire on July 4 no one hurt but made a big mess. A good electrician will save lives.
Thanks I was afraid of being labeled a Tino (like a Rino or a Dino)
Rialto, Your views are always welcome by me. I was extremely fortunate to get to go to Law School at SC when it was affordable and accessible. At the present tuition rates (when I attended tuition started at $1800 per year, when I graduated it had increased to about $4,000 per year, and is now $73,000 per year) and with the present entrance requirements, I doubt my family would have been able to afford it and doubt I would get in. I think I have posted that I would discourage any of my grandkids from attending SC undergraduate. First, SC… Read more »
I totally disagree that USC turned its back on Charles White, who was employed by USC for so many years while he was addicted to whatever and in declining mental health. Poor, misleading column by Plaschke IMO.
That’s Plaschke–standard operating procedure is to make SC look bad any way he can. The dude is way over-rated as a “journalist-columnist.”
Some people are madder than hornets about the Bruins’ “ham-fisted ambush” move to ditch big brother CAL and the remaining Pac-12 desperados: A former Washington state legislator had this to say about UCLA’s move: “UCLA’s leadership committed a cardinal sin,” he said. “I can only imagine how much Gov. Newsom’s phone was blowing up from politically connected boosters and donors when the Big 10 news broke. Set aside the clear fact that it risks damaging Cal and putting taxpayers on a greater fiscal hook, UCLA’s ham fisted ambush on a sister public university on a holiday weekend effectively embarrassed Gov.… Read more »
Typical legislator comment, Only they can be in charge. Backwards thinker who thinks that leaving for Big10 will be a some sort of tax drain. The football TV contract alone will pay for the rest of the athletic department. But don’t let logic get in the way of stupid bureaucracy
The UC System as well as the CSU system are a set of independent campuses. The governor oversees a few meetings a year, but really isn’t involved in the day to day operations. Ucla markets themselves as private university. They have a school president and an athletic director. They don’t need the governor’s permission to do anything. Someone is trying to make a case for student athletes being “employees” based on the move to the Big 10 having so much travel involved. I think that’s a moot point because athletes at this level are in school to showcase their skills.… Read more »
Rialto, Thanks for the info. So, Newsome complained about UCLA not seeking an approval it did not need (and would have never gotten) and it costing Cal money that Cal did not deserve and was not entitled to. All the while saving UCLA athetics and the UCLA student athletes that would have had their sports and scholarships ended.
Newsom is one of the biggest Dirtbags in all of politics, and that is saying something.
Allen, Based on my reading on the internet (and they could be all wrong), Newsome is simply grandstanding for sake of political theatre. He seems to be very good at that. From what appears to be the truth, the Regents had no control whatsoever over this issue. And, in the end, it saved UCLA athletics. So, he appeared to claim that UCLA was required to obtain Regent’s approval for the move (which is simply false) and then claimed the move was harmful to the UC system (which it is also false – it saved UCLA athletics). Man, is this guy… Read more »
Newsome , who somehow found himself completely ignored by UCLA, was also parading around the White House the other day like he owned the joint while Biden was out actually begging in foreign lands for the evil oil he says he hates. It all had kind of a “sneak attack photo op” look as you may have seen. One good sneak attack apparently deserves another.
Here’s a true USC legend for you.
Allyson Felix (USC, 2008) ran the second leg for USA’s mixed 4x400m relay team which placed third to earn a bronze medal with a time of 3:10.16. For Felix, it was her 19th career medal won at the World Championships, extending her all-time lead among all athletes. The 35-year-old American has also won 11 Olympic medals, making Felix the most decorated woman in Olympic T/F history, and with more athletics medals than any other American .
Not only is Allyson a tremendous athlete, she’s also a Mother and wonderful human being. Fight On Allyson!
Have to say, some of you guys are talking some smack. That’s fine. Trojans have two years to walk the walk. But remember, it’s not the 1970s or 2000s.
I find it noteworthy that the Trojans and Buckeyes have met on the football field twice as much as the Trojans have played any other Big Ten team with the exception of Illinois (next closest at 13 games). I’m laughing that Ohio State and USC have met 24 times, but that team up north (“ttun” from now on) has only played USC 10 times.
You are on a USC board, what would you expect?
I know man. It’s all good.
I’m assuming most of these games were in the Rose Bowl New Years Day. I always felt a little sorry for those Big 10 teams. You spend December in the upper mid west. Then after Christmas you come to So Cal. They take you to Hollywood, the Playboy Mansion and then you have to play a game in January and it’s 80 degrees! You are behind and you don’t even know it yet. All in good fun Scioto.
To this day, I still claim the Song Girls were SC’s special distraction. I know they distracted me watching the Rose Bowl on ABC as a teenager!
Free-wheeling, wisecracking John McKay and Woody (always a little hard on his troops before the big game) didn’t get along. McKay got the best of him, highlighted by when he would signal to Woody from across the field that 6-3, 225 pd Sam Cunningham was coming over high and there wasn’t a darn thing he could do about it.
Four goal-line TDs in the ’73 RB
I bet you cried on January 1, 1969. Woody went 4-4 in the Rose Bowl. #2 to McKay at 5-3. Two “what ifs”. First, what if the OSU faculty had not voted to decline the invite to a repeat Rose Bowl following the national championship 1961 season? Could that have contributed to 5 wins? Second, what if Woody had announced his retirement after the 11-0 1975 season and the team didn’t lay that egg in the 1976 Rose Bowl against UCLA? I’ve always believed Woody should have and the team would have been on fire for him in his last… Read more »
You forgot the Feast they get at Lawry’s … or use too?
Oh and Disneyland and The Beach.
Poor Woody could get combative when on the edge:
And this is the outburst that led to the ending of Coach Hayes career.
I love this photo of Carol Folt and Lynn Swann. She sure has come a long way since then.
Carol Folt….”I can’t wait to fire this golf bum empty shirt!”
Folt didn’t mince words when she quickly axed the Trojan star:
“He felt that this was the professional thing to do, to resign and allow me to build my team,” Folt said. “That really is the gist of it. We want people with experience and a track record, That really helps you know that they’ll be able to hit the ground running.”
Which uniform do you prefer for USC? I like them both so much, that I wouldn’t mind alternating them on either a game-by-game (surprise!), or yearly basis. I know. Very weird!
Top one has more style, looks faster. If you look faster you will be faster.
Good point.
But I sure loved watching this guy outrun Notre Dame!
Such big, bulky shoulder pads and jerseys in those days.
LOVE IT! Per Fox News, Gavin Newsome is now complaining about UCLA leaving the Pac for the B10 without UC Regents approval. I wonder if he will now seek to reverse it on the grounds that the move required UC Regents approval. OR seek to force UCLA to pay a percentage of its increased revenues to the UC system (or to Cal) as a whole for that permission. This is so great you could not make it up! As a result of SC and UCLA leaving, the Pac disintegrates (now at least at 50/50) and, as a result, Cal drops… Read more »
Horrible, pitiful, entitled CAL wants baby bro UCLA to buckle down and pay for CAL’s usually empty, retro-fitted football stadium even though the little gutties don’t have their own. The Regents already publicly admitted they had no control over UCLA’s move. Love it.
This news and of course Newsom’ antics, in spite of our efforts to depreciate and rile the little ‘gutties’ I do have a shallow bit of sympathy for their plight.
Not me. Thanks for tagging along little UCLA.
Now thank USC, for without us, you’d still be just another lame bankruptcy story.
Lame bankruptcy story! Good one! 😂✌
Do I need to remind anyone this is the system politics that’s been running Sacramento for years & years. It’s called take from those who earn and give it to those who don’t. And oh by the way, don’t forget who to vote for next election to keep it going!
The essence of “Fight On” for our future conference partners….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UHftDbXiuk
alfa, I was at that game. That last drive was electric. Probably the best drive I have seen in person. My seat was in the closed end of the end zone. Stefon’s run was right in front of me. What I remember from that game other than this drive was a kid from Ohio State had a punt blocked from an outside angle; the kid left his feet on angle to block the punt from the side and the punter let him fly by and then punted it. Never seen a play like that before or since. Kind of like… Read more »
Ahhh, Joe McNight, RIP.
Looking forward to SC playing great games against great teams again.
Such a shame what happened to Joe. Unfortunately, crazy violence has become the norm now.
IMPRESSIVE!! USC is going to the right place at the right time. Always a threat of an upset so USC will have to learn to play their A game every week.
Fortunately we won’t have Larry Smith here to coach USC to more losses to Michigan St. Most of those losses to Ohio St. & Michigan happened before John McKay turned the program around and gave those two programs a good taste of losing.
At this moment in time you guys are closer to the 2017 Cotton Bowl than the 1973 Rose Bowl (dang was that one painful, but forgot about it 365 days later).
Boy what will be more fun sticking it to the Ruins and Leprechauns or sticking it to the Buckeyes? Giving the Buckeyes a black eye will be hard to beat the satisfaction of a good beat down of the other two! This will be fun Scioto. 😎✌
It certainly will be a blast. I can’t wait. Wish it wasn’t two years, but we’ll pay far closer attention to our respective new conference opponents over these next two football, basketball, and other sports seasons.
Yeah I remember watching the Buckeyes & Ducks playing last year and all in the horseshoe thought this was going to be easy destroying those little ducks in their cute little uniforms?
Ahhhh, Larry Smith. I’ll never forget when SC lost to Memphis State, ugh.
Loosey goosey Todd Marinovich drove buttoned-up Larry Smith to an early grave. I don’t think I remember any other negative public dispute between a USC player and a USC coach like what I witnessed between Todd and Larry. Then Smith finally dug his very own USC grave all the way when he proclaimed after losing 24-7 in the Freedom Bowl to FRESNO ST — “Big names and logos don’t mean anything in college football anymore.” Mark Whicker (OC Register) — “Smith might as well have left a pile of dead possums on the front porch of the Balboa Bay Club.… Read more »
Thank you for the memories Allen! I met Todd a few years after he retired from football. He was an artist and that’s what he really loved. Todd beat Ohio State twice in the regular season, one as I recall in the Coliseum in 1989 and the other in the “Horseshoe” in Columbus, Ohio in 1990. The weather was so nasty in Columbus so the officials shut down the game with a few minutes remaining. The memory of that bad weather day kept me from accepting a very good job with a company based in Columbus, OH. Like I said… Read more »
I’ve said here before I was at the 1990 USC/OHIO ST game in Columbus that was called on account of sheet lightning that was blowing up the area. Both teams were very mediocre (USC 8-4-1; OSU 7-4-1). USC escaped with a confusing 35-26 victory. Bizarre outcome with the rain and all. But I had never considered that Todd M beat OHIO ST twice as you pointed out, and the first time was in 1989, a total 42-3 destruction derby at the Coliseum: “In 1989, Ohio State played at USC in the first game of a home-and-home series. That year, OSU… Read more »
Allen: I’m glad you were able to get out of the “Horseshoe” after that sheet lightening strike in 1990. I’m sure it was scary with the weather and game being called. My best memory from that game was Scott Lockwood’s long run for a TD. Scott’s Dad John Lockwood, USC Linebacker and briefly with the Rams, was my 8th grade gym teacher at Wilson Jr. High in Glendale, CA. I’ll never forget a deer wandered on campus and John chased it away. Up to that point, I’d never seen such a big guy run so fast. Scott was blessed with… Read more »
The versatile Lockwood (#41, 5-11, 195, 4.4) was a strong player for USC in ‘87, ’88, ’90 and ’91. He rushed for 1,313 yds and 13 TDs and also had 50 catches for 387 yds and a TD. He was also a leading returner of punts and KOs and was selected in the 1992 Draft by the Patriots after an injury-plagued SR year. He split time with Steven Webster, Leroy Holt, Aaron Emanuel and Mazio Royster at USC. Lockwood lasted only a year in the NFL before joining the Bergamo Lions in the Italian Football League for the ’94 and ’95 seasons. Before choosing… Read more »
Thank you Allen for the piece on Lockwood. The year after I had his Dad for PE, the family moved to Colorado. His Dad John was one of my favorite teachers as he understood what I was dealing with coming off a broken leg suffered in a snow ski accident. I could barely walk in 8th Grade and John Lockwood worked with me patiently as I struggled in Physical Education to keep up with the other kids. Fight On to both John and Scott!