USC has two sophomores who are considered special — JuJu Smith-Schuster and Adoree Jackson. And a fair question today is whether USC’s squandered their first two years with a couple four-loss-or-more seasons?
The Trojans could still win two games and go to the Rose Bowl but if they don’t, it will be one more season with two talented players and little to show for it. Just think about how Oregon failed to land Smith two years ago (not a surprise) and USC still goes to Eugene and gets blown out.
Last I checked football was a team sport. There are 22 positions, not to mention kickers and special teams players, so a couple of stars are not going to win the day.
BREAKING NEWS: Las Vegas came out with the point spread and they have marked SC as a 3-point favorite over SUCLA.
And truth be told, does SUCLA really want to take another bath at the hands of Stanford?– SC plays the Indians (Cardinal?) much better than the Midget-Bears do.
Tell Adore Me it’s a team sport, he doesn’t know.
Wolf has a fixation on Juju and Adoree. At least once a week he has to bring them back into the conversation. I think he wants to be their agent after next season.
Of course it’s a fair question.
In fact it’s the elephant in the recruiting room. Pre-season #1 to unranked, this year pre-season # 8 and now unranked, a new coach (or two) every year and the same old guy at the helm. SoCal has to recruit kids that are blind to the fact that there’s a much better option in a better part of the same city.
Cal State Fullerton?
Actually, Yolo, I believe metaphor is talking about the Midget-Bears on Westwood Boulevard who once won a Rose Bowl game 31 years ago. Yes, many of us on the blog were not born then (Note: I was)
Comparing SUCLA football to SC is like comparing a meal of lima beans to Italian spaghetti.
Now that is a metaphor, metaphor.
Note to Walnut: UCLA has beaten SoCal (badly) three years in a row so you are correct when you say the comparison is inappropriate. Another note to Walnut: SC is now a tennis school.
Yeah – they guy applied and got rejected and still can’t get over it huh metaphor?
I applied to and graduated from UCLA so there was no reason to apply to SoCal. If I had exhibited the grammar and syntax you used in your post above, I may not have been accepted at UCLA but I would have no problem gaining admission to Second Choice.
Maybe Garrett is bringing football back to Cal State LA?
Tougher to get athletes into CSLA than SoCal.
One of my ex girlfriends went Westwood, ended up trying to become a veterinarian there, do you know what she’s doing now? Well let’s just say she’s just my ex now.
SC geography major?
Ancient History, just like a Bruin in a Rose Bowl game 🙂
:)!
Are we still all in on John Harbaugh brother?
Until the ink has dried and it says otherwise….yes! There hasn’t been any real talk of potential coaches publicly, but so far the most rumored and favored talk has been Harbaugh to SC. And now there’s the talk from media like Cowherd and even Harvey Hyde mentioned today that SC is gonna put up 8-10Million for the next coach. Most of the arrows so far point towards JH. And that much cash sounds like an NFL guy or Nick Saban and/or Urban Meyer. Maybe, just maybe Dantonio. But for that much loot it has to be one of those names. Supposedly it’s been settled and the “next coach” said if his name is publicly leaked that he has agreed to take the job, he will back out and walk, so it’s probably gonna be as secret as possible.
Team needs one of the above. Somebody to tell them what’s what, make them get in shape, and play their hearts and minds out week in and week out —not just when they feel like it and for as long as they feel like it.
Yep. I hope Haden doesn’t pull a fast one and dump Bob Stoops or Chip Kelly on us without even an going for a more credible hire.
I think you said it before, sas —we’re probably all going to be surprised at who it really is [I just hope it’s pleasantly surprised].
Good to have you back, man.
That game was too much, I have never seen a defense that terrible haha – hope they get it figured out before Ucla
The only thing I could think about during the game was our friend, sas. He so badly wanted USC to get even with Oregon for 2012 —and I kept thinking, “Crap, now we have TWO games to get even for.”
Also another elephant is Oluwole Betiku, I’d say he’s more of a stud and speaking of recruiting it looks like SC’s in the drivers seat no matter who the coach will be.
He may well be a stud but obviously doesn’t understand that poor management can and will affect his opportunity to be with a winning team as it has for so many other recent SoCal 5 star recruits.
Wasn’t he staying with Tom Bradley? I thought LaVarr Arrington was takin care of him and then something happened and Bradley became his legal guardian?
All the players have been let down by the SUB-standard coaching staff at USC… To make a big time hire is essential!
What nobody is commenting or writing about is who could come in and replace Haden. Would we want a big name? An underling? Or just anybody?
My feeling all along was that JK McKay was being groomed for the position by Haden. Let’s hope that’s not the case.
McKay will leave when Haden does, whether its on good terms or bad.
I agree = JK McKay has no public persona whatsoever – reminds one of former LAPD Chief William Parker and looks like him – an automaton
Inside info?
Lopes maybe?
I thought this was more common knowledge, Haden and McKay have been best friends since high school.
What I’am hearing from inside (and granted I only have one source, but he has golfed with PH at Augusta more than once so I trust him on USC topics) is that Haden is not going anywhere. Now with that being said, if Haden was on his way out he and his allies might not be the first to know about it.
Thank you, Bruin, for supplying the “Inside” part of Inside USC.
And what better favor for your BFF then to hand him the AD position?
Huh? USC is supposed to win games for Adoree and JuJu because they are “star” players? Where did you pull that one out of? You act like USC recklessly threw away games when they should have won those for Adoree and JuJu. You can do better than this, Scottie.
Exactly. All the players will have the opportunity to get a USC degree,value of lifetime. Squandered? Ask Williams or Nelson, Squandered? As far as the four loss seasons, yes it su.ks. College degree Oregon or USC Smith? Both of these young men and others will play on Sundays, as Trojan alumni.
You can do better than that hissy fit, Helen. USC is supposed to have superior coaching who maximize the mad skills of star players like Juju and Adoree. Instead their talent was wasted on a drunk poser with no imagination but good connections.
I love that four year loss seasons are regarded as a waste of special talent, but two three loss seasons and one five loss season (where Mora chose to throw a game) are regarded as the “golden age of UCLA football”.
I guess Wolf is choosing to see Agholor’s 1300 yard, 12TD, year in 2014 as part of the squandering of Smith’s talent. With one game left in the season, Smith has more receiving yards that any Bruin player since 2000.
Wolf’s GM strategy seems to be hire Mike Riley who has never had less than 4 losses in any season, then center the team around a receiver and a utility corner back.
It’s hilarious. You spent all week bragging about the great Clay Helton.
That’s such a cliched question. Have the Thurder squandered the early years with Durant & Westbrook? Have the Angels squandered the early years of Trout? Only one team can win a title per year. All the stars from the rest of the teams are in the same boat. Squandered.
Let alone Ernie Banks!
What is troubling is that Brown little to no snaps this year – these past 3 years have been a mess. The need is for a strong head coach who will pull a starter when he has a backup that was recruited because he was good at the previous level but there he sits.
We open against AL next year in Dallas – we need a change that finally does away with an AD’s:: ‘personal projects{Sarkisian}’ ‘public service statements’, ‘solo voce on the program that defines Troy – football,.
We need a fresh face we don’t need a current major head coach – we need Daryl Gross in that room with the rest to make sure Haden and JK McKay don’t do their giggling as they talk to each other because they know what the other will say – we need a new athletic director but at a minimum someone there as that pick is made before the current one and his ‘buddy’ implodes us for another 3 – 4 years.
You are right. They should have benched Kessler once we were eliminated from the national title playoff. That is all that matters. Once we lost to UW the season was over. Now we have a back up with no real game experience who will have to learn on the job against Bama.
9 or 10 million for a name? Give Clay a one year deal. Pay whatever is necessary to sign the coaches of his choice. Consider that (i) he has proved himself to be a very strong CEO/COO, (ii) he has proved himself to be very media savvy, (iii) he has proved himself to be letter perfect when dealing with alums, fans and the powers that be, (iv) the players LOVE him and will do anything for him, such as playing with a torn ACL, PCL or Meniscus, or five days following hand surgery, (v) he is totally a TROJAN, (vi) as HC he can retain or replace any of the current coaches, and (vii) it is always BETTER to have the man you know rather than the man you don’t know.
You know I’d say you’re right save that the margin of victories have been razor thin (save UT) and the game preparaton yesterday was not just the defense – Kessler is still taking shot gun snaps – Kessler doesn’t see any one else but Ju Ju – the offensive line is overweight and it shows – they can’t make holes for the RB – stuck with the pass.
If we keep Helton what’s to say he’ll choose a decent set of assistants? No – good luck to him but we need a sea change
When will we see the return of your Charlie Bucket avatar?
Did Maurice Drew and Marcedes Lewis squander their college careers at UCLA instead of playing at USC? I’d say no, they both were drafted and went on to have success in the NFL.
Squandering, bad decisions, bad trades, you live with it. And Juju and Adoree’s careers at USC are still doing really well and they aren’t over. Both have 1 or 2 years left and then they get drafted, and then they make meeeellions!…….
I’d say yes, would you prefer to be coached by Pete Carroll or Karl Dorrell?
Of course.
So they did squander their college careers with the fuclans.
I’m trying not to hurt an cubs fans feelings
I don’t know if Jones gets enough or any carries on the same roster as “thunder and lightning”.
But imagine what Drew would have done returning punts and kick offs. I never got why Marcedes didn’t follow his 3 teammates to SC.
I’m thinking Marcedes Lewis sits in bed every now and then thinking about why he chose the Bruins over USC. It’s gotta be a never ending nightmare. Manual Wright, Hershel Dennis, Darnell Bing, Winston Justice all TROJANS. And Champ Simmons younger brother also a stud at Poly decommitted from UCLA for SC but ended up at Kansas St because of grades or an off field issue. All from Long Beach Poly’s #2 team in the nation. All picked SC. And the rest is history.
You are right, 5 teammates!
I think they are both gone and thus the SoCal nightmare continues.
I don’t think either was offered by USC, by not positive on that. There was a dark period where we didn’t win a single recruiting battle with you guys.
They were offered. Pete wanted all the Poly boys. And Drew was a silent commit until Reggie committed, and Pete wanted Reggie, Lendale, and Drew and had Drew on board until about the last two weeks leading up to signing day.
Hmmm, interesting.
That pendulum can swing either way. Some say Kiffin enhance carreers of certain players at expense of team .
Kinda like saying Cody Palmer was squandered house first 4 years. Or Bush and LenWhale the first first year. Derp!
One other thing, Yolo. Vernon LOVES the game. He smiled, and jumped and said a prayer every time they scored. Contrast that with our sullen quarterback —who more and more looks like he just wants the season to be over. I hate having our fate in his joyless hands. [Scottie pointed out that he has gotten us back into the game after some big first half flops —and that’s true—but he could never lead a late 4th quarter rally. The pressure would be too much for a guy who has so little love for the game].
Im interested in seeing Darnold play, I am tired of the Kessler era – he could have been much more effective if he at least some of the time ran for first downs, like what was talked about pre season, instead of taking sacks – he ran maybe twice this year so far, once in the duck game and maybe against stanford – but too little too late. Hope he can at least win a rose bowl or he’s Rob Johnson II
Cody is not in top physical condition —I’m sure the stories of how hard he works throwing balls at practice are true but I wonder how much time he spends running and working with weights. He’s probably put on 15 pounds since the beginning of the season—and that’s not good. Barkley’s best season —his junior year—he took off 20 pounds. He moved around in the pocket that year and avoided a bunch of tackles. As many have noted here, our o-line looks out of shape too. Overall, other than a few star athletes, this whole team is just not in football shape. And Helton, fighting to be Mr. Popular to save his job, isn’t the one to tell them that.
But having said all that, I still think we can take UCLA (if we don’t get a bunch of bull crap interference calls when we break up Rosen’s passes).