In this segment a reader asks where Lane Kiffin needs to improve for USC to win a national title.

Q: Troy said:
I remember reading an article on Rivals back in November 2011 saying that a lawyer, a former USC grad, has collaborated with other lawyers about taking the NCAA to court. The lawyers are not representing USC but they are using them, as well as other schools, as evidence. Have you heard anything about this? Also, how does Townsend look? I haven’t heard much of him in the news and I’m starting to think he may be a letdown. Thanks Wolf!

A: I have not heard about the potential court case you are referring to but I’m sure one of the readers is well aware of it. I spoke to Ed Orgeron about Greg Townsend on Saturday. He said that Townsend is doing a good job but still needs to figure out how to go hard an entire practice and the intensity it requires. That is normal for first-year players. Townsend is in the mix for the No. 3 defensive end spot with Morgan Breslin probably the frontrunner.

Q: USC – 714 said:
What are the chances of Kevin Greene being in the defensive end rotation this year and how is he developing?

A: He looks imposing physically and is finally getting mentioned by coaches when they talk about rotating defensive linemen during a game. I think he has a chance to be the No. 3 defensive end but he will need to beat out Morgan Breslin, among others. That will be difficult because when new recruits arrive they usually get more reps and a greater chance to get playing time and the older players sometimes get taken for granted a little bit. But he does have a chance this year.

Q: zweigj said:
Though the national media still treats him as a joke, Lane Kiffin has certainly shown improvement as a head coach over the past couple years. He seemed to keep the team focused and motivated each week last season. His offensive game plans are pretty good and he appears to allow his defensive coaches autonomy in structuring their game plans and strategies. Ultimately, do you think Lane Kiffin is a good enough coach to lead USC to the national championship this season? Are there any places where you think he needs to improve?

A: I’ll try to answer this without repeating anything I’ve said in the past. He can lead USC to a national championship this season because the schedule is favorable and he is not coaching in the SEC. So he has a better than average chance to win games.
I’m not sure how great the game plans are but I know Matt Barkley, Robert Woods and Marqise Lee will score a lot of points this season. The biggest part of being a good coach is having good players.
One area I think he needs to improve defensively is constantly talking about rotating more players into games and then not doing it on Saturdays. That means he does not trust his roster.
He also could improve by stop trying to be so cute. Last year, he went for 2 points unsuccessfully twice against Minnesota and it nearly cost USC the game. Imagine if USC’s national title was ruined because he did it against a good team?
He also needs to mature a little bit by not letting his emotions take over, whether at the end of the Stanford game or running up the score against UCLA (and going for two points needlessly just to prove a point).