USC Morning Buzz: Max Browne Faces Rough Early Schedule

Posted on by


I’m not convinced Max Browne is already the starter at Pitt simply because I’m not overly familiar with the other quarterbacks. But if Browne wins the job (and I hope he does because he was a classy guy at USC), he won’t have an easy opening month.

The Panthers open with Youngstown State on Sept. 2. who only lost to West Virginia, 38-21 last year. But that’s not the worrying part. The following week the Panthers play at Penn State, and we all know how good the Nittany Lions can be, led by quarterback Trace McSorley. Then comes a home game on Sept. 16 vs. Oklahoma State, which returns quarterback Mason Rudolph.

Sounds like opening with Alabama, Utah State and Stanford. Maybe not winning the job works out better in the long run. Ask Sam Darnold.

21 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Max Browne Faces Rough Early Schedule”

  1. It won’t be easy for him. It wasn’t supposed to be from the time he lost the starting job at SC. His competitive spirit should be commended, though. I wish him the very best. Not just in football, but in everything he does in the future.

  2. When did Youngstown State become a power, because when I went to bed last night , they were a subdivision team

  3. As I’m on my way to breakfast i just want to say thanks for the Max Browne information since he’s all i think about in February.

  5. This could be a big story. Think about it Pitt could win out and meet USC in the Disney bowl. There would be a fairytale ending no?

  6. #1 CB in the west Isaac Taylor-Stuart 6-2 188 of St. Augustine San Diego sounds like he’s a USC lean. Here’s the kicker….Besides being a San Diego product like his childhood hero Reggie Bush, the kid has taken a serious liking to DB Coach Ronnie Bradford. Far from a decision but we are hot right now for 2018 kids.

  8. Yale O. Leftwich, your post should replace SW’s header and many of the Max Browne negative blowhard posts above and below.

  9. Jack B, I believe Max Browne’s performance the first three games will be exceptional. We’ll see.

  10. I would like to think Max will have a better grasp of what he needs to accomplish with his experience and watching Darnold. Of course, playing Youngstown and not Alabama-meatgrinder will make some difference in his first game.

  11. Well, he did compete for the starting job and won it, but he lost it to Darnold, in case you didn’t know. Then he realized he had no chance of getting it back, so he decided to compete in another school. Again, in case you didn’t know that.

    • In case you didn’t know, he didn’t WIN the starting job. They gave it to him because they feared (correctly) he would leave and they wouldn’t have a back up. In case you didn’t know, multiple media outlets have written about the knowledge in the coaching staff that Darnold was vastly better but they feared Browne leaving. In case you didn’t know…it isn’t hard to figure this out.

    • Here is a thought….if you root for a school…try learning a thing or two about the team. Browne was an absolute crybaby about losing the starting job he didn’t earn in the first place. I love when people get smug and then announce they are clueless

    • Oh an fyi, how is it competing when you announce you will leave if you don’t get the starting role. That’s like saying a kid is good because they didn’t throw a temper tantrum for not getting a cookie by announcing that if they didn’t get the cookie they would throw a temper tantrum.

    • In case you didn’t know, there is a video out there of Sam Darnold being interviewed after he didn’t win the starting job. In case you didn’t know, in that interview he clearly states that he is going to keep competing for the starting job and prepare every day as if he was the starter. In case you didn’t know he humbly announces the Max won the job even though it was well known in the program that he didn’t win but was given the role under threats of leaving. In case you didn’t know, what Sammy did is called class and competing. In case you didn’t know, what Max did was called a temper tantrum.

  12. No, USC fans slam Max because he threatened to leave the program if he wasn’t named the starter. Then when he lost the job, instead of fighting for it back, he quit. That is why we slam Max.

  13. EVERY coach knew Sam was better than Max. It was well known in the Media. Colin Cowherd said on his show that he talked to coaches who openly said that Sam was significantly better but they feared giving the job to Sam would cause Max to leave (which proved correct) and they would not have had a true back up (Jalen Green was the number three and in the Rose Bowl he was actually number 2). To say Sam was underwhelming in 7 on 7 is ignorant as hell. Sorry bud but you have no idea what you are talking about.

    • I wrote that Darnold was “less than overwhelming” (as opposed to “underwhelming”, your misquote) in 7-on-7 camps, based on an interview with Yogi Roth that I saw/heard (don’t recall which). As I’m sure you know, Darnold was #292 in the 2015 Scout 300, and the 20th ranked QB. Roth’s interviewer was surprised that Darnold had not been perceived as the prodigy that that he now seems to be.

      Roth personally observed Darnold among the others at several camps (the “major” one at U. of Oregon included, if I recall correctly), and stated that Darnold was not as accurate or otherwise impressive as Rosen or Barnett or some of the other top QBs. Roth added that Darnold has qualities that didn’t appear so obvious in a camp setting.

      I wasn’t there to observe any of it first hand, which is why I wrote: “I gather that…”

      If Max in fact did not deserve to be named the starter for 2016, and did threaten USC about leaving, please explain why Coach Helton did not: (1) start Max vs. Alabama, and then start Darnold thereafter, once Max was “stuck” at USC for the year; or (2) follow Nick Saban’s example and insert Darnold against Alabama when the offense fared poorly against the Tide (Saban started Barnett, but then switched to Hurts when Barnett was ineffective).

      Regarding Max not fighting back for the starting job, I think that statement is unconvincing. Admittedly, I did not follow Max’s psychology in the week prior to the Utah game. Against Utah, however, Darnold played well enough that Helton would have risked a huge negative storm, AND appeared indecisive, had Helton not started Darnold the following week, against ASU. Commencing with ASU, it became clearer and clearer that Darnold was/is a Genuine Prodigy. Barring injury to Darnold, Max was NEVER going to start for USC. He stayed pretty quiet. He finished the year. He moved on. What’s your complaint about that?

      It’s your prerogative to feel hostile toward Max. He’s a young guy, and he’s been way more mature about it all than I would have been at his age.

      I offered two cautionary notes about what to expect regarding Max’s FB career going forward. Nonetheless, I personally hope that he’s that first QB to transfer out and to become a star in his own right.

      I reiterate my final observation: “USC fans now take [Darnold’s stunning performances] for granted, as though Sears, Corrall, etc., will be just as good as Sam. Not saying it can’t happen, but it’s not the way to bet your money.”

      I observed in a separate comment that between Darnold and Rosen, 2017 was shaping up as the best year ever in college quarterbacking in Los Angeles. (Goff starting for Rams makes it all the more interesting.)

      It should be fun.

Comments are closed.