USC Quick Thought

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darnold-asuDoes Sam Darnold already rank as the best USC QB in terms of pure ability? I’m not talking about accomplishments of course. Just talent.

56 thoughts on “USC Quick Thought”

  2. Best thing about Darnold is that when he makes mistakes he doesnt dwell on them or hurt his confidence

    • Sorry about your horrible little gutty team. With any luck, you’ll actually be able to compete against the Trojans next year, though I doubt you’ll avoid another Coliseum beat down.

      Bye bye bruins. That’s the bottom of the drain you’re looking at. Boo hoo.

        • You’re just too ashamed to admit it now.

          Don’t feel bad. Lots of other little gutty “fans” are deserting the ship too. You poor little bruin bottom feeders have nothing else to do but bow down to the Trojans now. So bow down, as usual. Maybe you can beat CAL. They’re awful just like you.

        • What weirdo actually up-votes his own posts like you?

          Just another confirmation you’re a pitiful little gutty.

  3. Darnold is #1.

    He can do it all. No one can predict what his final record and numbers will be – but USC football is officially back because Darnold gives the team a total combination of dimensions at the QB spot it has never had before, while operating behind an average-at-best OL.

    Right now, USC could beat any team in the country except ALA. That’s on Darnold, though he is still just developing with only 8 starting games under his belt.

    He’ll be in the NFL after the 2017 season, a top five pick, maybe #1. He’s already better than Goff and the Rams would have won yesterday if they had Darnold – a cerebral, natural born leader who commands respect from the team and coaches because he’s great on and off the field, has the arm, the touch, the release, the guts, the legs, the moxie, the perfect QB mentality and the “it” factor. Reminds me of Joe Montana but with much better wheels.

      • Quit trying to pretend you’re a Trojan. Have you no shame? Being a little gutty fan is a tough road now, I know. Too bad. Better luck next year, as usual. Maybe you’ll get into a bowl game next year. Whoopee!

          • Try to stay on topic little gutty.

            No fool would ever suggest USC fans buy into everything USC does. CH almost ruined the entire USC season with his bonehead QB starter decision and feeble 1-3 start.

            Darnold saved him and CH, whom the players seem to love, has capitalized on the Darnold phenomena to his credit. USC has beaten two of the nation’s top 10 teams and just curb-stomped UW in Seattle. That takes some doing, regardless of your silly posts.

            But your baby bruins started off bad and you still stink. This bruin team is among the worst ever fielded in Wimpwood. So as I said, bow down to the Trojans. We own you. That may not be saying much, but you leave us USC fans no choice, because you stink.

    • Palmer threw 38 picks to go along with his first 38 TDs and was not really a running threat. Just a slightly different learning curve.

      • I get why your saying and I have to agree with you. But Palmer was on some really sh*tty teams.

        • Palmer was great. Best HS QB I ever saw in person, that’s for sure.

          But he doesn’t have Darnold’s athletic ability, period, and not near his escapability. Maybe a better arm in terms of strength but he wasn’t a double threat guy and had very poor judgment as a USC beginner. Tried to carry the team on his shoulders and ended up hurting the team because of it with all the picks.

          Palmer was literally an interception machine in college before his last year, Bad teams don’t make you throw picks. You do that on your own.

          • Agree 100% Just saying the talent around him wasn’t the same. Also gonna say that even if it were I still think Palmer throws a lot of picks because he just throws a lot of balls in tight windows that shouldn’t be thrown.

          • You just like Palmer a little more than I do. Most QBs get picked for throwing balls they shouldn’t ever launch in the first place, like Palmer.

            I would take Rodney Peete over Palmer too, though I would take Palmer over Leinart. And I would take Darnold over all. None of those guys were as good as Darnold after 8 redshirt frosh games.

            I’ll never forget watching Peete run down ucla’s fastest DB over a length of the field foot race just before half, preserving the chance for USC to win the game.

            These are all very special guys, but somebodies gotta win. I’m goin’ with Darnold. Thank God we have him.

          • I would take Darnold over them all but it’s early. Palmer was the prototype “prototype qb” but didn’t have the mobility or even the pocket awareness that Darnold has. Peete could play but we found out quick (NFL) that he was more a game manager. Darnold to me is the whole package. Something we’ve never had really.

          • But Peete could play with measles. Also had the best smile in college football. Finished #2 to Barry Saunders in the Heisman. Peete was pretty damn great and while at USC, I think he was a lot more than just a manager. In fact, I’d say Rodney was one of the most inspirational gamers USC has ever had. Beautiful player.

            How any of them do in the pros is another matter, irrelevant to me as far as their USC stature goes.

            Actually, another of my favorite SC QBs was Mike Rae. No real stats to speak of. But he was the toughest close to the most versatile (kicked FGs) Trojan QB I ever saw. Nobody messed with Mike, nobody, or he’d just wink his forefinger at you and say, “Riggggghhttt!”

          • LOL Think about the “argument” you & Sam B are having. Who is bettter Palmer or Peete or Leinart or McDonald. What a wealth of college QB talent USC has had. Very few schools can match their list of stars. A fun “argument” to have.

      • I remember fearing that Paul Hackett had destroyed Carson’s confidence. Then Pete came in and with Chow made him a Heisman Trophy winner and future NFL star.

    • Seriously? Carson was inconsistent as hell until his 5th year in the program. He’s not even in this conversation.

  5. not enough of a body of work to really analyze, but i honestly do believe we’re seeing something totally different than anything we’ve seen before. to take from baseball, this is a five tool guy. he’s accurate, illusive, has the size, the brain, can extend the play til something develops. even more so has the humility that makes him just one of the guys… he plays for his team mates, the guy really gets it. you can tell his parents did a good job raising him. and when we see Alabama again, this time for all the marbles, i’ll have confidence that we can compete with Sam under center. the future is bright…

  8. Sam Darnold is the next Brett Favre.. Dude is a beast and he will do great things at SC.. Darnold will leave a huge legacy before its all said and done! ✌

    Darnold
    Peete
    Palmer
    Evans
    Marinovich
    Haden

  10. He was last year, while on the scout team. Pure ability doesn’t require any first team snaps. What’s great about Sam is not the pure ability, but his adjustments and his unflappable attitude in pressure situations. Plenty of young men have loads of talent, but when you thrust them into the crucible, they melt. Sam doesn’t. He has a steely spine, and I look forward to seeing how the kid develops over the next couple of years.

  11. He’s no Kevin Craft!

    I will say this, your QB has a cannon of an arm and is exceedingly efficient at extending plays.

  12. Having this type of QB does make a BIG difference. Just ask Nick Saban about Johhny Manziel.

  13. Sam is a great footballer, but he will need talent and dedication around him to win. With out them he would not shine very bright. The term football TEAM is what makes great sport and winning tradition, Yes i am very happy with Sam but lets remember the TEAM part
    FIGHT ON

    • Without Darnold, what would USC’s team be like now? He avoids 3-4 sacks a game easy and turns them into completions at the same time. Guy runs like a FB with moves and hits receivers in stride with touch and velocity. Quickest release I’ve seen in years.

      If nothing else, Darnold is a team guy and spreads the ball around to all and never throws anyone else under the bus. Let’s face it. He’s a godsend. Without him, we’d be mediocre, and we weren’t even that while he sat on the bench.

      On Cowherd’s show today he said that when he saw Darnold the first time ever in practice, he already looked better than Kessler in accuracy drills and Sark told him Darnold could be the next Andrew Luck. That must have been before Sark lost his mind with drink.

  14. FACTS-

    -Darnold has a really good arm but Carson had a cannon.
    -Peete was athletic and could throw but his arm wasn’t as strong as Palmers or Darnolds.
    -Darnold has a really good arm and can move really well.
    -Carson made terrible decision when the pocket collapsed and moved very slow and sluggish.
    As a whole………Darnold wins the conversation as the best all around QB in terms of abilities. But it’s early.

  15. If there are no major injuries, Sam Darnold will be the best QB SC has ever had….Including Palmer, Leinert, Sanchez and all the rest.

  16. It’s close … Darnold is that good anyone that can turn a whole dead program around is damn talented … Gomer better be given him half his pay check.
    Rodney Peete was 2 decades too early from maybe being probably the greatest college qb ever … imagine Rod in today’s O. He was so good in 1987-88. He is probably the most talented.
    Carson Palmer had all the right tools .. and then Norm Chow came and saved him. Carson has been in the NFL for 14 years now !
    So probably those 3 … Matt Leinart had a great career but he was mainly a Chow creation.

  17. DO NOT COMPARE SAM DARNOLD YET.
    There is only one thing
    you can say about him right now:

    ONE OF A KIND.

    Lets just enjoy the ride.

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