Lots of different reader questions in this segment.
Q: TrojanChamp said:
USCFootball.com from Rivals.com reported that George Farmer threatened to transfer if he did not get to go back to playing wide receiver. What do you make of this? Is he unhappy at USC? Are you surprised?
A: I don’t think he threatened to transfer but he made it clear he wanted to play his natural spot. He said as much at the end of the season but Lane Kiffin did not want to move him. However, Farmer’s leverage increased with the departures of Kyle Prater and Brice Butler along with the 75-scholarship limit. I think it’s the right move for Farmer because he was unhappy at tailback.
Q: NOBS said:
Scott, what is your opinion as to why bRuin fans cannot accept the fact that their football program is inferior to USC? Sure, they beat us every so often, but they have 1/2 NC, 1 Heisman and lost its only BCS appearance over ten years ago. I don’t know of one SC alum that doesn’t admit, freely, that our basketball program is inferior to UCLA.
A: If they didn’t think they had a good football program, what fun would a rivalry be?
Q: gotroy22 said:
Now that Ucla has hired the Redskins’ Lou Spanos to be Bruins defensive coordinator, what is your collective take on their assistant coaching hires? Is this more of Toledo, Dorrell and Neuheisel mediocrity or should we be worried they may actually narrow the 50-0 gap in the coming seasons?
A: I think this staff is full of some good recruiters like Demetrice Martin and Adrian Klemm, which means they will compete more with USC for recruits than in recent seasons. But at the end of the day, I don’t think it will significantly impact USC’s recruiting. The 15-scholarship limit will be more significant.
Q: SCFTBL1 said:
What is going on with the spring game at the same time and date as Swim With Mike? Football has always been a good lead in to SWM but now it has become a rival. What does Mike Rae’s caddy doing about this situation and is he out to hurt SWM? I guess it’s the end of Song Girls in bathing suits because you can’t be in two places at once.
A: I think this is the result of Lane Kiffin not wanting to be flexible with the spring schedule. Kiffin needs to realize that things like Swim With Mike and the dual track meet with UCLA are big spring events and football should be able to adjust. And it reflects on some poor planning that plagued the dept. lately, like the failure to give out all the Harold Miner bobbleheads at the UCLA game.
Q: LambdaChiTrojan said:
Scott, who would you recommend USC hire to replace Kevin O’Neill with? (One can dream, right?) Do you think he’s the right coach for the job?
A: I believe O’Neill deserves at least one more season with the players he is bringing in next season. If the job ever opens up, I still think it’s worth pursuing Jamie Dixon.
Q: marvgoux said:
Did our trouncing Sunday end our chances with SC legacy Shabazz Muhammad? Rivals.com lists his interest in SC as low now. Is Shabazz the kind of athlete who wants to be part of a great recruiting class like Arizona is putting together or is he the kind who wants to have a program built around him?
A: USC is legitimately involved with Shabazz Muhammad. I’m not sure why so many media/recruiting services do not want to acknowledge this. I know his father, Ron Holmes, has said USC’s record this season is not going to be a factor in his decision.
Just to be clear, I’m not saying USC is going to get Muhammad. But I think they are in the mix.
I don’t “think it’s the right move for Farmer because he was unhappy at tailback.” I think it’s the right move because Farmer will be a better WR than RB. I also think it’s the right move for Farmer because WR is more important now in the NFL. They get paid more and last longer. Many GMs think they can pick up a good RB in the later rounds or undrafted, like an Arian Foster.
NOBS…Bruin fans don’t argue that SC doesn’t currently and even historically have a stronger FB tradition/program than UCLA. What we find unacceptable is losing to SC..and it has become all to common the past 13 years.
Here are the stats for the last 30 games in the rivalry. SC 14 Wins. UCLA 13 Wins. 1 TIE and 2 Vacated Trojan wins for using an illegal player.
The rivalry was not always as one-sided as it is now. We find THAT unacceptable as well as your regular assumption that it will always be that way. It won’t..and that is something you fail to acknowledge.
ProbationU, I find Bruin fans-alumni unacceptable as demanding football fans……period. If an ignorant Dan Guerrero ever got hold of the AD program of SC, his life would be miserable until the day he was sent packing and I guess that is part of the story here. You so-called UCLA football fans have never complained about his obvious and I mean obvious lack of knowledge or concern about seeing a once proud football program go to fucking hell since he took over. When he came in after “affirmative action” got him the job, the football program started eroding. You people don’t demand shit when it comes to football. All you got is a career State Employee who can’t push away an all-you-can-eat dinner plate! Congratulations
dtksr you sound more like a disgruntled Bruin than a Trojan fan. Perhaps you recently jumped on the Trojan bandwagon during the Pete Carroll era and started flying one of those inane car flags you see all around LA. Will you break one out for the Clippers now that they finally fielded a decent team?
Either lower or double your meds, dude. Loaded terms like “affirmative action” show some of your true colors. Was Mike Garrett an “affirmative action” hire too? More likely an “in the family” hire on both of them. Guerrero was a baseball player at UCLA and your last 2 AD’s are Trojan football players.
SC had been a “once proud” football program in the 80’s and 90’s that brought such coaches as Paul Hackett, Larry Smith, Ted Tollner and the 2nd round of John Robinson. They were, in fact, some of my favorite Trojan coaches. Finally, after being rejected by 3 or 4 other coaches, Garrett selected Pete Carroll and SC became relevant again.
Perhaps Guerrero can be as inept yet lucky with his choice of Jim L. Mora. Hope all is well with you on the Newt Gingrich campaign.