Christmas Eve Buzz: How Far Is USC From Glory Days Return?

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Merry Christmas Eve! Here’s my story on how Steve Sarkisian implemented changes at USC during his first season and whether the Trojans can return to the success of the Pete Carroll era?

Excerpt: “Former athletic director Mike Garrett used to say new football coaches did not get a honeymoon or grace period at USC. If that is the case, Sarkisian’s first season was a mild success. The Trojans (8-4) need to win the Holiday Bowl to avoid losing more games than last year’s team (10-4), which performed under tumultuous circumstances and three different coaches (Kiffin, Ed Orgeron, Clay Helton).

`After Stanford, he realized he couldn’t go uptempo all the time because he needed to rest the defense,” Pac-12 analyst Rick Neuheisel said. “If he had taken more time off the clock, they would have won the Arizona State game.”

Full story here

48 thoughts on “Christmas Eve Buzz: How Far Is USC From Glory Days Return?”

  1. Never again, those days are gone. With the TV deals schools can now afford the best coaches available for hire.

    USC’s past glory is as meaningful as UCLA’s past glory in basketball, not very meaningful in today’s day and age with recruits. Better coaches, better school location, better education, flashy uniforms, winning teams, that’s what attracts kids today.

    UCLA has usc beat in all the aforementioned. The only way for usc to return to the “glory days” again, will be to return to their old ways of paying top dollar to their players…remember “greenbacks, usc football”? Google it.

      • So you are saying the problem with SC losing three straight to the ruins is coaching, not talent.

          • Gosh fotv, and I thought it was a matter of UCLA scoring more points than SUCC’s FB team.

            Last Nov. 22. SUCC’s best receiver caught only two whole (2) passes – Whoa Nelly, huge talent.

          • What happened to your NC run along with the Heisman! The Ucla Zeros were suppose to set the world on fire! Not SC!!!!!
            HAHAHAHA# LMAO

      • Because USC stocks up in 5star recruits that you really don’t need – how many frickin WRs do you really need in one team? USC ignores positions with low depth like your DLine and you LB spots, while UCLA signs recruits that fill depth needed. So you can have all your 5 star WRs warming up you bench, while our 4 srar recruits are contributing on the field…your higher ranked class, it’s all fluff.

          • Yet they fine ways to constantly beat teams with “better recruiting classes”, weird.. .

        • Look stupid! Some of the best athletes on any team are WR’S! They are versatile players! A lot of them can play multiple positions! Sua Cravens is a great example! He also a WR in HS!
          Ucla Zeros are as smart as a box of rocks

          • what, do you have rocks for brains? Su’a Cravens played linebacker because you needed somebody at that position, because there was no depth. and not everybody is capable of playing multiple positions like Adoree Jackson, they DBs can’t all catch like him, that’s why DB’s are DBs, or Myles Jack, who can run around you, over you and stiff arm linebackers, these two gifted at multiple positions. Many are capable physically to play multiple positions, but lack the Brains to absorb what’s in the playbook on both sides of the ball, you dim wit. Can WRs pay LB? DL? OL? This where USC has depth issues, you dip stick.

          • Look thupey! You forgot JuJu Smith! Next year he hopes to play both sides of ball! And yes a WR in HS probably played CB or S! GROW A BRAIN!!!!

          • You’re as stupid as they come, EVERYONE that’s any good, plays both ways in High School. You were obviously a bench warmer, or spent your HS years smoking crack, because clearly your brain is fried.

          • Sorry, crack wasn’t around when I played! When I played you were still swimming around in your dad’s sack! I wasn’t a bench warmer either!

      • Recruiting =
        UCLA ’13 class > USC class
        UCLA ’14 class < USC class
        UCLA '15 class ? USC class

        Actual playing of games =
        '12 = 38-28
        '13 = 35-14
        '14 = 38-20

    • Except SUCLA’s basketball glory days ended in 1974, 40 years ago, whereas SC football was playing for a third straight national championship in the 2005 season.

      • Time for the spear carriers and cult followers that are preparing the ‘faux’ study of ‘woodie the peckerhead’ to come to his rescue…..bel-air tech needs a new Sam Gilbert coupled with a skilled and cowardly HC like Wooden.

      • And snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. So as of today Jersy, SUCc has just 1/2 half an AP/BCS NC shared with LSU since 1978. I’m lowly impressed.

      • JW…let me correct you slightly. UCLA won the NC in 1975 & 1995. UCLA has been in 6 Final 4’s since Wooden’s retirement after the 1975 season. So, while not dominant, it is still a pretty good record and not quite as dire as you might have thought. That being said, the last Kentucky game certainly was not a glorious outing.

        Glory days aren’t easily repeated. SC football had some decent years after Robinson’s first stint, but not dominant until Carroll. There is no magic wand. As Jack B has mentioned here, the only sure things in coaching at the moment are named Saban and Meyer.

        The recruiting classes should be very competitive and within the “margin of error”, so to speak. No player ratings or rankings are perfect. Mistakes are made all the time in evaluating talent. I think we have some interesting years ahead.

        And, Merry Christmas to you and yours.

  2. The only way SUCC can return to Cheating Years glory, is to take their football home, go independent and schedule only Div III team mismatches in the crumbling Mausoleum.

  3. Funny how the UGLY dudes post here more quickly than any USC buds. Insecurity much?? Absolutely yes!!! Maybe you can ask Santa for a potion for dealing with your insecurities.

  4. It could take a decent coach 2 or 3 years to get USC back to being relevant nationally. So, Sark gets at least 2 more, then a new coach could come in….so the answer is at least 4 or 5 years, depending on how soon Sark gets fired. But it seems Sark could hang around for longer and will be like Bo Pellini – win 9 games or so each year – not enough to get fired but never challenging for even a division title.

      • Who is Bill? But to my point, Josh Shaw lives in a swanky apartment where the rent for 1 bedroom apt is $2500. He couldn’t possible afford that on the stipend he would get for housing… Where did he get the money?

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