Morning Buzz: Why Is The Bar Always So High For USC?

rogers-catch-3There was a pretty strong response to my analysis on Saturday’s 21-17 victory over Colorado. Some agreed while others thought it was too negative because USC won.

Here is what I wrote: “The Trojans still demonstrate no consistency. One week it might be fumbles. Another it could be penalties. Or the secondary might fall apart. You just don’t know. This performance certainly questions Clay Helton and athletic director Lynn Swann’s assertions USC improved every week of the season.”

And here is a reader comment: “Do you have some sort of grudge against USC?  Perhaps you write in a pessimistic way to motivate them?”

So maybe this is a good time for me to explain where I come from when I write an analysis on USC. My feeling is the bar should always be higher for USC. It has the tradition, location and facilities to be the best program in the nation. And the recruiting classes are constantly ranked in the top 10. So why is USC 37-23 in the past 60 games? Because of Pat Haden? Max Nikias? Coaching? Players? Whoever is to blame, it should be better.

136 thoughts on “Morning Buzz: Why Is The Bar Always So High For USC?

  1. What?!!! 37-23 in the past 60 games??? Hey, I haven’t done the math on wins and losses in recent years, but now I know how pathetic our teams have been in the last several years thanks to you! Those numbers are actually pretty sickening to look at as an alum and a true fan of USC football! And who should be blamed? Yep! All of those you named. Obviously!

  2. “Whover”??? Really??? In an article on perfection! What a ba%d ret*rd…. I thought you don’t read the comments? Talk out of both sides of your burger stuffing mouth much???? Good lord!!!

    • I think he was referring to an e-mail or maybe even a comment posted on the paper’s website, not the comments on this blog. But what did he say that is wrong, that’s the question here.

    • How does mocking former players like Cody Kessler fit into Wolf trying get the Trojans better? Why the lack of coverage on Enfield and his turning around of the BB program?

  3. LOL. Even in the Pete Carroll years you pooped all over the program. Nice try Mr Troll loving sourpuss. Speaking of trolls where are they? I wanted to ask them how that power offense is going?
    #tennisplayersbreak

  4. You’re Snarky. However, most of your criticism is legitimate and has proven to be a cause for concern. The readers who think you’re anti-SC also thought their parents didn’t love them if they said anything other than “Bobby, you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread.”

  5. USC fans are starting to accept not being in the National Conversation for the playoffs as okay. Wolf is right , great tradition, in the heart of a great recruiting bed for athletes. We should not accept mediocrity. We probably have the worst record of any team who has consistently recruited top 10 classes over a long period of time.

  6. All fair points by SW but that doesn’t mean that the good things cannot be acknowledged along with the bad. Pros and cons is balanced reporting and sets the table for an intellectually honest discussion, not just cons, cons, cons.

      • The defense the last 2 weeks? A more disciplined team (e.g. The reduction in penalties)? I get that a 3-3 team is nothing to jump for joy about, but I also think that a little more credit is due.

        • I’ll give you the defense though they did give up more yards to Col than ASU

          Here’s the problem(s) 3rd down efficiency against ASU was 3-13 and they still had 7 penalties but 0 turnovers, 3rd down efficiency against Col was 7-14 and they had only 2 penalties but 4 turnovers. This is what Wolf is alluding to, they can’t see to play a game without regressing in some facet of the game

          • I see your point. There’s definitely a lot to improve on in certain areas, you mentioned turnovers and 3rd downs which are 2 of the bigger ones in my mind. But overall the team seems to be improving. Not too long ago, this past game would’ve ended up as a loss. Rather than giving up a TD late in the 4th, the defense held them to a FG. Rather than go 3 and out with the game on the line, the offense put together a nearly 5 min drive to finish the game. To me those are improvements and significant ones.

          • Time will tell and the upcoming schedule isn’t very hard except maybe for UDUB who really hasn’t played anyone but going to Husky Stadium isn’t fun even when UDUB was awful.

        • The FG kicker is pretty good, and they are getting 11 men on the field for PAT’s now

  7. YES and NO…u left out ncaa too…do you remember the PCC…they devastated SC in 50’s, which is why they left it…private schools always get the shaft with penalities…lots of people can afford public programs,not private. A partial scholarship is still way more expensive at a private than a public and that is why under ncaa ‘fairness’ equal outcome politics…yes politics in sports has ruined many programs, ncaa is political…universities mascots and politics,etc…there is even more…

    • They have partial scholarships for football ? This isn’t about baseball or swimming, it’s about football and USC should be better than they are

      • you fault the math??? if SCoffers to admit someone w/out a full scholarship to play a sport…compared to ucla….and add ncaa pilling on? I am not surprised ’cause it is like 1956-’58…and yes they should be better,but they are not partially due to what I stated,the ncaa also changed the culture at AD and coaching…and it was premeditated intentional by enemies on their board…

        • This is about football, not track, swimming or baseball. Yes, it is more costly to attend USC on a partial than a state school, but that has no bearing on football, none. And yes, the NCAA has it in for USC

          • THEY DO AND CAN ADMIT PEOPLE W/OUT FOOTBALL SCHOLARSHIPS ON A PRIORITY TO THE FOOTBALL TEAM ..UCLA AND STATE SCHOOLS DO THE SAME…I am sure you know this and when both offer THE PRIORITY and you have to pay, which is affordable…limiting scholarships directly affects football and all programs…it hurt’em bad in the 50’s and last 5 years…IT AFFECTED the culture too.

          • you made my point, THEY HAD WALK ONS ‘CAUSE IT WAS AFFORDABLE…SC was hurting, read about it,read Don Clark’s comments,I went to those games

          • It was ucla and SC,only,I recall athletes hired in entertainment industry and paid but did not work or something like that;started by Stanford…wash not penalized, and no northern teams…you made my point SC being private suffered, walk ons could not afford SC like the public schools; and scholarships limited,and players season limited,some left school.

  8. Wolfie,
    – Appreciate balanced reporting
    – Appreciate critical thinking/analysis
    – Appreciate the role a rose’s thorn has
    I appreciate Arash Markazi’s critical, balanced, fair and insightful reporting. There’s no doubt why some rise to write on a national platform and some are left behind….

    FIGHT ON

  9. Wolf, you were/are critical of Pete Carroll and he did nothing but win here. You write negative posts because they get more views and clicks. Come off it.

        • It is dead, and will be dead as long as USC makes lazy hires, going 5-1 to finish 8-4 is nothing to be proud about if you’re a USC football fan.

          • It’s something to build on unless you’re a total defeatist. I’m sure you have exhibited nothing but perfection in your life with the very lofty standards you have for others.

          • Exactly, he is clown and only wishes he was USC Trojan grad like myself… He commented yesterday I was trailer trash.. TT don’t live in a 6,000 sq ft home and employee over 200 people.. Jealous much ? .. He’s a wacko!

          • Except you aren’t a USC grad, CowPolyFan3.0. Remember when you claimed to be a Stanford grad and a Florida State transfer?

          • He’s Elmer J. Fudd, millionaire, he own’s a mansion and a yacht. And he’s an ex cop, and a mover and shaker in LA, and Stanford grad, FSU transfer, racehorse owner, former football player, single, maybe married even he doesn’t know.

          • Poor CowPolyFan3.0 must be getting early Alzheimers. He can’t remember all his stories now!

          • This team will have a better record next year than whatever record they finish with this year. I will further predict that they will open as favorites to win the south next year. Also, they WILL win the South next year. So, obviously I believe improvement is happening and will continue to happen. I’m sorry you’ll be rooting for the opposite to happen. Have fun rooting against Helton and USC.

      • Just so that I understand you, you think Lynn Swann should fire Clay Helton right now and hire another coach? Is that right?

  10. SC’s only had one excellent coach since John Robinson 1 and that’s Pete Carroll who had the best coaching record in major college football during the years 2002-2009. John McKay won 4 national championships and Robinson 1 added another.

    That’s the benchmark for USC football – championships and success.

    SW’s decidedly negative slant on USC football has always been his schtick and I am sure when USC eventually returns to power SW will be here to dwell on the negative. It sells obviously and he’s never been even remotely balanced. None-the-less, it beats the rah-rah pablum served up by the fan boy sites whose cloying take on everything positive is just as disingenuous.

    In the meantime thank God for Adoree and Darnold. Adoree’s already great and Darnold will be. Amazing how Darnold, in just three games, has already replaced Rosen as the hot college QB in town.

    But SC needs to fix its coaching and OL/DLs before winning Rose Bowls becomes a bore again. When that happens, no doubt SW will be ready to rain on that parade. So what?

    • So if Helton goes 5-1, do you think he gets canned ? I don’t. Do you think he upgrades his staff ? Can he attract better coaches ?

      • No way Helton gets fired if he goes 5-1. He’d need to end with a losing record/bad blow-out combination to force Swann to can him. Swann will use 2017 as the year to require Gomer to show he can really compete.

        I don’t know if Gomer’s looking or if Swann wants him to make any switches. With the right two-year buy-out, most any asst can be coaxed to come unless Gomer finishes weak which would only confirm the sinking ship image he has to reverse to be successful.

        • If Swann has to tell him to upgrade his staff that shows that Helton has no clue

          • Gomer’s had a really bad start and obviously has been learning on the run. Anyone who denies that isn’t credible. It’s obvious! The thing I wonder about is does Gomer have the instincts? Great coaches just have a feel for what to do at the right time in many aspects of their program that eventually produces dominance, especially in huge games – like Carroll.

            Gomer’s got until mid-2017 to save himself. That’s totally fair to show he can kill the weaklings and challenge and also beat the best. He got what he asked for. So far, USC has been shortchanged again. But Gomer’s still got a shot. He needs to improve radically and fast. When he started the season with Browne instead of Darnold, he set himself back 1/2 a season. Not smart. He’ll have to live with it and see if he can beat anyone who is any good, you know, like top 15. The jury’s out on that.

          • Forget about it. Not fair yet. Petersen has too much of a lead on him in the trenches – both the OL and the DL. SC will do well to lose by less than 14 and Swann won’t judge Gomer on that game unless he loses by 50+, then all bets are off.

            UW’s a possible playoff team. I would say likely. USC will be very lucky to somehow slink into the top 20-25 by season’s end. Not realistic to say Gomer should beat UW in Seattle now.

          • So, when you said, “he’ll get his shot” you simply meant that the game will actually be played. Another genius contribution from you. Thanks for your continuing insights. Stop wasting everyone’s time and your own with your nonsense. Beat it, scrub.

          • SC has the talent to pull off the upset, especially if the injury bug starts biting the Huskies. They have had a remarkably smooth ride so far.

          • OK. If Helton beats both ND and UCLA, he stays to try again. If he loses one or both, he is shown the door.

          • With due respect to you, where would you upgrade with coaches? The way I see it, the running game is not where it should be due to injuries, hole not opening, or not selecting the correct lane. Is this on the rb coach? Until matey it is the responsibility, but it does not mean the coach is doing a good job. I would wait and see how the team does with the last six games. It looks like the team is starting to get its legs underneath them. I see more positives than negatives with the defense coming together really well

  11. I hate to agree with Scott Wolf, however he’s right about this. USC should be better!!!

  12. Before the 2005 Offense which was the rare convergence of experienced Juniors & Seniors coming together (much like the 2008 Defense), USC historically won a lot of games with scores like 24-7 by playing some of the best defense in the country. We have lost our way thanks to Head Coaches with an offensive mindset. Jack Del Rio would have been the perfect choice to get back to what makes USC USC. By the way, Alabama has won a lot recently playing great defense and having nothing in the way of NFL Caliber QB’s. The Oregon Duck style ball is starting to go the way of the Oklahoma WIshbone.

  13. It could be worse – Notre Dame and Texas keep firing coordinators instead of the head coach. Give Head coaches 2 years to build a program that is trending toward the top or show them the door.

    • Texas will have a new coach next year and ND will give tater tot one more year or he’ll be gone as well

      • And they’ll still never catch up to all the hires we’ve made. I see you’ve changed your story to firing him at the end of the year now. So, why not shut up about it until the end of the year. I’m glad we got that all figured out at the end here.

    • Two years is more than enough time to build a national championship program. Don’t be silly. Any coach worth his salt should be able to do it in less than a year at USC or he’s stupid and incompetent.
      -USCFOOTBALLISDEAD

      • How long did it take PC to win a NC ? He had ZERO talent aside from Palmer yet he turned the program into a dynamo in 2 years, so did John McKay. It took Saben 2 years to win an NC at Bama, it took him 4 years at LSU but after season 2 they were ranked 7th. Meyer turned Utah around in 2 years and he won an NC at Florida in 2 years and in 3 years at OSU. It can be done, you just have to have an AD that isn’t a lazy drunk who accepts mediocrity like you do.

        • So because Clay Helton is not Pete Carroll he should be fired? Ok. You are the irrational USC fan people talk about. Plus, you’re an immature idiot. Admit it, you complained when Pete Carroll was hired and you complained when he went 6-6. Don’t try to roll him out there now like you saw his success coming a mile away. You complained the whole time just like you do now because that’s what you do. Just STFU dude, you make no sense.

          • No, because he has no clue he should be let go at the end of the season. He never should have been hired to begin with.

          • He was hired. Complain on about it or give the guy a legitimate chance. That’s the choice we all have and you have obviously chosen the 8itch and moan about it route.

          • Whatever. All it took was a press conference and you were sold and had no complaints even after the bowl loss. All because your keen insight told you Carroll was the one as soon as he held a press conference.

            Honestly, I don’t have time for this because it is just utter nonsense. If your story is now to wait until the end of the year to fire Helton regardless of performance, then that is as realistic as you’re going to get. You can’t squeeze blood from a turnip. I’m glad I turned you around from the fire Helton and hire Herman now ledge at least.

          • BTW, I’ve coined a phrase to describe you, your boy Fred and the rest of your kind. I’m pretty sure you would regard me as a “rah rah” although I’m the one who is rational and objective. Anyway, if I’m a rah rah, then you guys are “blah blahs”. Because that’s all YOU guys do, blah blah blah blah blah with your negative nonsense constantly. Plus, it just describes your outlook: blaaaaaaah… See?

        • So, because he’s not Pere Carroll, Nick Saben, Urban Meyer or John McKay he should be fired. He’s not Vince Lombardi either so maybe we should fire him twice or something. You have no point. Hurry up and figure that out.

          • You made a comment and I showed you 3 coaches who have done in in the last 15 years

          • How many coaches haven’t done it? You named me 4 coaches in 15 years, how many coaches were hired in that same 15 years? There’s your homework, go find that number. I’ll help you make the point you’re poking in the dark to find and then I’ll turn the lights on for you and show you why you’re still wrong. Your task for your ongoing education is to find that number and report back. I’m willing to help you if you’re willing to help yourself. I’m here for you, poo butt.

      • Pete Carroll is “stupid and incompetent”??? He went 9 and 8 in his first seventeen games as HC at USC. And then…”you know the rest”.

  14. The bar is set high because USC is rich in tradition, and they have the ability to win on a consistent basis. Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, and a few others are expected to win championships, and produce winning records on the regular. And all of them have had ups, and downs over the last couple of decades. But none have consistently made horrible coaching hires like, SC. Paul Hackett, Lane Kiffen, Steve Sarkisian, and Clay Helton were horrible hires, and Ted Tollner was average at best. All of the super powers have head coaches that have a history of winning , and have done it before at other schools. And that’s the difference between the University of Southern California, and the programs that are currently winning. The administration at USC rather roll the dice on Bozo coaches with no winning resumes, as oppose to going out and getting a winner.

    • USC has been playing football for 130 years and in that time it has won 11 national championships. But Clay Helton needs to be fired because he might not win one this year or next. Your standards aren’t high, they are a fantasy that you made up in your mind.

      • So how long do we give Helton to learn on the job ? What is acceptable to you for his job performance ? If he is still going 8-4 4 years from now is that acceptable ?

        • Is 4 years from now right now? You want to argue about hypotheticals 4 years out. You want to fire Helton because of his record in 2020 that you’ve predicted from your fantasyland gigerbread house? Dude, seriously, just be quiet. Your thinking has no basis in reality and I don’t have time for childlike expectations. I hate to be the one to break this to you, but the gifts under the tree were bought by your parents. It wasn’t Santa Claus. Sorry about that too.

          • How long do we give him
            8-4
            8-4
            8-4
            8-4
            do you keep Helton , yes or no. It’s not that hard, well maybe it is for you.

          • He’s been there less than a year and you want him fired this morning. Saban, according to you, needed 4 years at Bama, but Helton should only need a few months. You’re not very smart. Get a clue about how things work and then Pop off.

          • Give him til the end of next season unless they implode down the stretch this year. Assuming that doesn’t happen, 2 full years at the helm should be enough time to accurately evaluate his abilities. If the team hasn’t markedly improved over those 2 years, as evidenced by Ws and Ls, then move on.

          • So you let a Tom Herman walk to another school while you wait to see if Helton can figure it out ?

          • Yes, because there will be another Tom Herman next year and the year after that. There’s always going to be a “hot” coach that is in high demand.

          • So why does USC continually miss these hot coaches year after year and settle for narcissists, drunks and newbies ?

          • Cravath, Ex USC football player
            Hill, Ex USC football player
            Clark, EX USC football player & assistant
            McKay, Current USC assistant
            Robo, Ex USC assistant
            Tollner, Current USC assistant
            Hackett, Ex USC assistant
            Kiffin, Ex USC assistant
            Sark, Ex USC assistant
            Helton, Current USC assistant

            From 1942 to 2016, only TWO coaches were hired with no previous USC connection, that’s why they miss the hot coach, they don’t look for them.

          • Yeah, we should definitely fire Helton and hire Herman before he gets away, but Swann is too stupid. …I got it! Why don’t you rub your magic lamp and have the genie arrange it for you? Like I said, stop wasting people’s time with your nonsense. You have no point and I’m tired of watching you floundering around in here trying to find one. Limp Bizkit told you years ago: just STFU

      • So you think Robo2, Hacket, Kiffin, Sark, and Helton were all good hires? Aside from Robo, which of those names had any background of being a winning HC prior to their hire?

        • Did I say they were all good hires, Saul? Did you see anything approaching that in any of my posts? There’s no reason for you to infer or assume anything you just wrote.

          • You responded to a post that mentioned SC’s track record of hiring unproven coaches as “fantasy.” I interpreted that as a defense of the hires. If the general point of your posts is that SC can’t fire another coach and we’re stuck with CH and might as well hope for the best; I tend to agree with that. However, “hoping for the best with CH” doesn’t take away from SC’s long history of administrative incompetence. I can’t agree with any defense of that or of any FB hires. Even PC’s hire was more luck than stroke of genius.

          • I haven’t made any defense of any coach other than to say give the current one a chance. A few months is not a chance unless you live in fantasy football world like our friend here. Gotta go guys…

          • He’s getting his chance and I hope he learns quickly and proves to be a great coach. However, hope is all I really have at this point. USC is a program that should not need to rely on hope.

  15. Obviously Gomer wasn’t a smart choice. He gets until mid-season 2017 to prove he can start hammering people, left and right. That’s how long it would take max at places like ALA, MICH, OU and OHIO ST – which were all crap before the big guns came in and took over. SC went cheap like ORE and that’s where we’re headed unless Gomer turns it around quick.

    If USC doesn’t want to be like ALA, OHIO ST and MICH or CLEM, fine. Just keep ’em off our schedule because we can’t compete with those schools anymore. We can’t even compete with STAN, which is no longer even a ranked program – just like USC. Unranked and treading water. That’s who we are now.

    Great college coaches come in and make the program better very quickly. Look what Petersen did in only three years, and he has nowhere near the built-in recruiting edge/tradition that places like USC, TEXAS, OU, OHIO ST or MICH have. Look at what Richt has done at MIA in 1/2 season. Totally new team. Completely.

  16. There are a lot of mediocre people who are perfectly fine with USC being mediocre. They absolutely defend mediocrity, and want a coach as an authority figure they can praise and feel like they are protecting, (which is usually why they are the same people who blame players).

    There should be a high bar for those who are extremely well paid to head our university’s athletics programs; they have unsurpassed resources at hand to be extremely successful.

  17. Gomer is not a new entity at USC. We watched him be part of prolonged dysfunction and failure, and we elevated him. Crazy. Besides that, he has no history no proven track record. If we had hired a young, up and coming genius with no prior experience, or a proven and successful long time assistant it would be one thing. But the hire was wrong in every way, and we are getting exactly the results you would have assumed. So yeah, this is not about “enough time to have the success here he’s had elsewhere”. This is about ending a bad situation as soon as possible by firing Gomer.

  18. Q: Why is the Bar so High? A: So our Head Coach no longer can reach it and stay sober perhaps………

  19. So the coaches with the guts to try something, to go for it on fourth and short are what we need. Most of the unsuccessful coaches I remember were afraid of the school that hired them. No guts no glory Larry Smith for instance was really good at the woulda, coulda, shoulda, excuse. Terrible Ted Tolner was master of the deer in the headlights look. Both of aforementioned coaches played not to lose. But they both looked like good hires in their day. The bar we set as fans is high, but coaches who learn to play to win are the ones we accept as good. In the most recent example of football USC played not to lose. Juju dropped before scoring, not to lose people say it was good football. I was screaming this is not USC football. When we have a coach who knows this we will have a keeper.

  20. The bar for and people expectations are three things every year and they are: Heisman and National championship, ( Rose Bowl was the third, but with the bs playoff system, the Rose Bowl is not included like the old days). USC recruits today players, so now it falls to coaching. When u have good coaching, USC is on top of the world. When not you see the results. Now, you don’t here that ugly sets the bar regarding football. People still see it as a joke of a football team. Mora had been there for five years and his program is getting worse. Yet, USC is just starting to show that they are starting to play and be succssful. USC is going through growing pains but they are moving in a good dirction

  21. The blame has to be put on the coaching but the coaches are a bi-product of Haden and Nikias’s incompetency. So I guess ultimately it goes back to them. Can you really blame Kiffin, Sark or CH for taking a job paying that much money?

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