USC Morning Buzz: QB D-Day

BROWNE.SCRIMMAGEClay Helton is expected to name Max Browne the starting quarterback today. Here’s my analysis on the drama:

“By the afternoon, (Helton) is expected to name Browne the starting quarterback. It is the politically expedient decision. Browne is a fourth-year junior and could transfer to another school Monday if he is not named the starter.

“That is the dilemma of the USC quarterback position. There is nothing wrong with Max Browne. Except that Sam Darnold is special.”

Full story here

22 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: QB D-Day

  1. Dude, he won the job. The players have been giving hints who they want for now.

  2. Helton’s not a riverboat gambler-type and he never will be. McKay and Carroll were gamblers and they couldn’t help it – and sometimes they paid big prices in exchange for that mentality.

    But since Helton isn’t expected to beat ALA and his job isn’t on the line, he can afford to go with Browne which is good team management and safe.

    Darnold’s a better QB, but he’s got plenty of time to show that. So he’s gonna sit for now and that will remove an aspect of USC’s offense that Browne can’t ever give it because he can’t run, period.

    I can’t believe I agree with SW here. “There’s nothing wrong with Browne but Darnold is special.” Right on.

    My only fear is that Browne will be too good to get yanked. He won’t be great, but he’ll still keep Darnold, who could be great, off the field for now.

    • Well, Jack me boy, you just hit on EXACTLY why Max’s name is gonna be the one pulled out of the hat today —-Helton isn’t Carroll. Carroll would have gone with Sam as fast as he went with Russell. And it wouldn’t have been one of those decisions for which he “paid a big price” either—–it would have been one of the many that paid off big time. But what is done is done (even if it hasn’t quite happened yet) and I agree with what you said yesterday —-Max is a good kid and we should all wish him the best. For now.

      • It wouldn’t matter to me so much but I really want to beat ALA and I think Darnold gives us the extra dimension to make the difference. USC is in a position to return to power IMHO, and we can’t get there quickly by losing big games on huge stages.

        I hope Browne has a great game and we beat the Tide. This is a very winnable game, so let’s just get it on and show the rest of the world why the Trojans are and have always been the Pac’s signature program. We got here because we win games like this. No excuses. Go Browne!

        • I’m sure you’ve seen the “aren’t-I-clever” article by Steven Ruiz about how our “Roll Tears Roll” shirts “will be unintentionally funny a few hours after the game kicks off September 3.” Plenty of similar sentiments have been voiced in the last 48 hours. Like you, though, I see this as a VERY winnable game in terms of our talent vs their talent. Our weakness, if we have any, comes in the form of a coaching staff that hasn’t worked together for a single game vs. Sabin and Kiffin. To beat those guys is gonna take more than solid football, it’s gonna take daring and imagination. And I haven’t heard those words applied to Helton. Yet.

    • My friend I agree with all you say ,until you say “my only fear”.
      I would love to see the Darnold era begin now.Yet if Browne is our
      guy,then I want him to be not just” too good” but Great. Great would have us winning more than we are expecting.
      Couple things to note; special plays inside the red zone have been put in for Sam..also J.Greene is taking snaps again,despite the media being told he would only practice at WR. So scenarios increase ….

      • Well, if it’s true we have some real surprises in store, then I couldn’t be happier. There’s so much unadulterated excitement about the program now. I love the Roll Tears Roll idea. Great combination of fun and seriousness. We’ve definitely got the countries attention though many don’t view SC as even a top 20 team.

        It’s been a long time coming, this heady excitement, and I hope the players will use our past frustrations since the sanctions to shock the world and show just why USC has won 24 RBs, 11 NCs and is a dominant top 5 program by every measure.

        This QB issue is no big deal compared to what USC has dealt with over the last five years. Great problem to have. And if Greene is in USC’s game plan, well..that’s just perfect and shows me the kind of focus I love seeing.

  3. Max won the job. Nothing was given to him. Darnold is not special. If he was then he would have won the job.

  4. USC’s two most successful Head Coaches were risk takers. Helton may go with the “Safe Choice”….enough said.

    • Are you referring to Kiffin and Sark?

      USC’s two LEAST successful Head Coaches were risk takers.

  5. Wise choice, Coach Helton !! I am in no way concerned that Max Browne grew up Washington instead of Mission Viejo.

  6. The great thing about this QB “controversy” is everyone has an opinion and a legitimate argument in favor of their guy. Unlike many other contrived or unfair “controversies”. Funny thing is that AL has not yet named their new QB—but as Saban is a proven coach he gets the benefit of the doubt. CH far less so– and rightly so.

  7. I think Darnold is a year away from being a serious heisman contender. If he were to start this year, I think there would be a learning curve. But once this guy gets some game experience under his belt, watch out. Darnold reminds me of Carson Palmer from an athletic standpoint, but Darnold I’m sure won’t be as lazy as Palmer. If Carson Palmer weren’t so lazy, he would be spoken about in the same sentence as John elway, and many of the other greats.

  8. 1. Max is not going to transfer out of USC Monday if he doesn’t get the starting role. He could have transferred last Monday if he wanted to. How many programs don’t have a starting QB lined up 2 weeks before the season? And he is not going to walk away from a free Masters degree from USC to go elsewhere.

    2. Sam may be special, but he still will be special next year and the year after (even more special). And if he was so special then he would be head and shoulders above Max in the competition and nobody is saying that.

    3. Just because it may be the “politically expedient decision” doesn’t make it the wrong decision.

    4. What the Blogger fails to realize is the decision is not made by how “special” someone is but how many games that person is going to win this year. And talk about Sam having higher upside potential and therefore should start sooner is nonsense. Colleges are not minor leagues for the NFL. Colleges have no interest in developing players to their maximum potential for their eventual NFL future. As cruel as that may sound, their only interest is to win games and earn money. That’s reality.

    5. Sam has fewer practice interceptions not because he is a better passer, but because he is more risk averse than Max. He is often compared to Kessler in that regard. That will change as he gains experience and when the time comes he will be a great QB.

  9. stellar analysis, wolfman! you called it right down the line!!

    what you DINT say, is that if i were Sammie, i would transfer immediately once Maxie is named the starter. Maxie will be the QB for the next TWO YEARS, Darnold will have to wait for his FOURTH year at Southern Cal to compete for the position, and by then some new hot shot kid will be challenging him. no, it’s better to leave now while he still has a chance to savage a career.

    #RememberMitchMustain

    #Don’tBeThatGuey

    • Great sense of humor —as usual—Charlie!
      #SamWOULD”Savage”CareerIfHeLeftNow

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