USC Morning Buzz: The Conference Of Champions Suits Up A Day Early

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The Pac-12 championship game should be known as the one with no national title implications, the JV game on Friday before the varsity conferences play Saturday. That is the subject of my column today.

Excerpt: Stanford is always in the picture because it has the conference’s best coach. That gives it a chance despite the horrible circumstances of the game, where Stanford plays two games in six days and USC is coming off a bye.

If Shaw is the best coach, no one will confuse USC’s coaching staff as being the best in the Pac-12, so maybe that is where things even up. How many games did USC play this season with a clear talent edge only to go to the final seconds before the game was decided?

Wolf: Pac-12 championship game only lacks national title implications

100 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: The Conference Of Champions Suits Up A Day Early

  1. Sounds like “Inside Stanford” to me. I sure hope USC can put one game together and totally humble Wolf the hack.

    • Stanford may be missing their two fastest corners to injuries, which could open up the field for Sam.

      • Where can I read more on this? That’s huge news—-especially since their starting corners were consistently ranked tops in the conference.

          • Fake news? Oh, I hope not, Gabby.
            You know, we needed Porter on the rush cuz we can’t count on our corners at the other end. Stanford losing their corners would even things up.

          • Thing is about our corners, is that Stanford puts big slow guys out in pass patterns. Coverage should work as long as they can tackle them.

          • Exactly!….If they do make the reception, being able to tackle in space and limit forward progress can make the difference in a first down or punting the ball

          • Update time! One of Stanford’s back up cornerbacks, Terrence Alexander, is questionable for Friday’s game. Their best corner, Alijah Holder, has been out since the beginning of November. One of their starting DE’s, Eric Cotton, is definitely out for Friday’s game.

          • Thanks for the gumball!…….What’s does the injury update look like on our side, outside of Gustin, any other significant players possibly out for the game.

            I appreciate the time you spend provide us with information…thanks

          • No problem Gabby. Chris Brown, Tyler Petite, and Rasheem Green are all listed as ‘probable.’ But Velus Jones is listed as ‘questionable’—–which is crappy since he’s the only person on our team who is dangerous as a kick returner.

          • Velus jones has come close, would love to see him break one this Friday. He’s still looking for this first career TD

            Thanks for the update

  2. If he’s the best coach w arguably the best OL recruits, smartest kids and a QB he took over Rosen how’d they lose 3 games?

          • Dude, ingesting the cleaning fluids is dumbing you down even further….(drink more, the end is near)

          • That’s what happens when they legalize MJ in California (don’t think they got a head start the last few months)…..

      • Did you read Wolf’s article? EVERY team that played back to back road games with the second on Friday LOST, 0-4, not just SC.

      • If you actually had an ounce of football knowledge, you could easily comprehend the challenges USC faced leading up to the game

        Playing on the road with three Oline with little to no experience would be crippling to any coach, Saban including

        You’re an embarrassment to all “TRUE” USC fans that have a real perception on what takes place between the goal posts

        30-27 hardly convincing

  3. You could put any number of head coaches in Clay Helton’s head coach position at USC and the Trojans would have made all those games where they struggled under Helton’s coaching and play calling to eek out wins, other coaches would have the Trojans winning convincingly.

    And if the Trojans had a quality head coach and proper staff, they would be undefeated right now and they would be a legit contender for the national title with all the talent they have.

    But Max Nikias has his head up his arse, hates football and has hired a wimp of an athletic director who is clueless to the fact that Clay Helton can’t coach worth a damn. And Lynn Swann supposedly attends Trojan football practices, sees how Helton runs his so called practices with no contact or physicality thats required to toughen up the players and still Swann does nothing.

    Nikias, Swann and Helton should be ashamed of themselves.

    • Hey Killer, is that you? The voice might of changed, but the breath still smells the same. How much is Wolf paying you to post this garbage.

      The real shame here is your low football IQ, you have no clue how the system works internally

      By the way, same comment 562 times…..get a new job

    • Nikias should be ashamed because he hired Helton. Helton is not smart enough to be ashamed he is a lousy coach. The jury is out on Swann.

        • I agree with you I think its not a record issue with him rather than control issue and development of the players so far all these kids have under played. except for a few of them. I think sc needs a guy that’s gonna get the most out of kids not someone that gonna manage them.

          • I agree with some of your points. But what kind of precedence would you be setting, if a 2nd year coach started getting pressure from the powers that be with a 10-2 record.

            Do you think any coach, in their right-mind, would want to coach a program with this type of expectations on his shoulders, no

            Some people get the cake but demand ice cream, is that reasonable?

          • S**t !!!, I about fall off my chair when I read that, good thing I didn’t hurt myself

            One more time, you’re narrow-minded and missing the big picture.
            Don’t drink the koolaide, it’s poisonous, trying to help you

    • Is there some emotion —-way beneath shame —-that UCLA should feel?
      #WhatShouldOregonStateFeel?

    • Hillbilly troll, on a break from stoking the still again.. they ever stop crying in bammy yet? Hahahahaha
      Troll on out.

    • Mark Helfrich at Oregon had a couple of good years, (including a Playoff Run to the National Title Game) with Chip Kelly’s recruits before the bottom quickly fell out. Helton has had a couple of good years with Sark’s recruits. The $64,000 question is how will Helton do with Helton recruits. Will he pull a Helfrich or a Carroll? Consensus opinion is it will be another Helfrich.

  4. The Friday night thing is getting silly. I think it is great that the game is in prime time with no other conflicts — unlike the ACC and Big10 Championship Games that are up against each other. So stupid of a complaint.

    • I don’t see any problem with the Friday night game. This is more about wolf’s grievance regarding USC’s opponent having to play a game coming off a short week.

      It truly upsets wolf that this could be perceived as an advantage for USC. We all know, nothing is more dear to wolf’s heart than USC losing a football game…….pathetic, but true

    • Remember when the Pac 12 swore they would always honor the sanctity of Friday Night High School Football? That was before the conference went Mountain West.

      • No, it’s back before the days of being able to telecast every game. I like being able to see SC and all the other Pac-12 teams on TV every week. I hated the days when we got maybe 2 or 3 telecasts and had to listen to games on the radio. This is the 21st century.

          • So you’d rather have a Saturday game telecast the same time as the Big 12 or SEC championship game? You must not like football very much.

  5. “‘We’ve backed off a lot the last four weeks of the schedule anyways,’ Shaw said.

    A wise move by the Pac-12’s best coach. Who had the Cardinal winning the North when they were 1-2 after back-to-back losses to USC and San Diego State? Well, I did pick them to win it in August, but I don’t want to brag.”

    Wait – So it’s okay for the trees to “back off” the last four weeks but not for a USC team playing 12 straight weeks? I wonder who Flow is pulling for in this game. And Flow, we all get your attempt at some snide humor, but you did just brag.

    • Debbie Downer is running himself in circles trying to discredit this team and coaching staff.

      • I just don’t get it. Yes, our staffs aren’t the same. Shaw has been consistent. Helton is just building his head coaching resume, albeit on the job. But to completely discredit the staff for not “practicing physical enough” lately and for Shaw to come out and basically say they do the same thing, and Flow biting off on that as genius? Frustrating and agenda-driven.

    • Not only that, but even Shaw admitted that he was out-coached by Helton in the first game this year…

      • And indeed he was. Here’s to hoping for a repeat, because we barely snuck past quite a few teams this year.

  6. Stanford is missing at least 1 of their top corners, (maybe two) and Bryce Love’s ankle is tweaked. Love will play but he won’t be 100%. With two weeks to prepare, we should win. I just wished Porter was playing. Fight On!

    • Would not be too sure about Porter Gustin not playing…..things have a way of changing on Thursday…..key indicator would be how hard he has been pushing himself to be physically ready over the last two weeks, as well as his mental/emotional state to play. He is kind of a Wildman who plays all-out and not to just look cool out there…..Texas Hoosier

  7. Best case for SC they move up 4 spots to #7 in the CFP rankings. Stanford wins and they get in at 11-15 and SC in 16 or less. Pac 12 is the 5th best conference this year, last year it was the Big 12. Go ahead an brag Wolf once in awhile you’re right, picking the teams in the CCG is a big one, I picked on score right this year (but I didn’t brag then). Wolf you are wrong about talent edge, this team has talent but most are young and raw. Next year there will be fewer of the mistakes we saw this season. SC should win Friday if they don’t you can start with coaching/prepping.

  8. SW and Shaw had no problem with Stanford having Two weeks to prepare and Rest earlier this year. I think after playing 12 weeks in a row we deserve a bye.

  9. One thing is certain, we will not see the same Sanford this go around. In fact if the coaching staff at USC knows anything they should know better than to plan for the same trees.
    USC also needs to be a different USC. Shaw will expect this because he IS the best coach according to some columnists.
    USC needs to play their game and avoid the big gifts in the Defensive backfield. This game will show who is a real coach and who has the job in name only. One change put Martin on the sideline. He seems less distracted there.

  10. Si(dot)com/college- football/2017/11/11/stanford-washington-pac-12-college-football-playoff

    This article says Pac12 can only blame themselves for having no team contending for CFP.

  11. So OUR Athletic Director had a hand in THIS year’s schedule? The one with no byes, the one that had us playing Stanford and Texas back to back, the one that had us playing Notre Dame IN South Bend after they had a bye and we battled Utah the week before—and the one that gave us another AWAY game with Arizona State the week AFTER Notre Dame? If that’s true, we’re in trouble. Any AD that looked at THAT schedule and said, “looks good to me!” is asleep at the wheel.

  12. SC in the top 3 for recruits the past several years…Stanford is around 25…both have a few dinged up starters….if SC hasn’t developed their recruits but Stanford has,stop with the injury excuses. This is about who has coached and practiced the best for 3 months and is ready for the collisions that will take place,when the blocking and tackling starts.

  13. sorry, but i dont see SC as the favorite here. looking at how the two teams finished out the season, stanford beat washington state, washington and notre dame. this is what good coaching does, it gets better with the season. SC barely escaped from UCLA. i hope i am wrong, but if SC wins this, it will have to be a great Darnold game. if stanford can shut down the rushing game, SC will need some luck to win.

    • Why did you leave out the CAL game, where STAN struggled mightily and managed a whopping 17 points at home, winning by 3? If that STAN shows up, Shaw better be practicing on his post mortem.

      • fair enough, but i still think that stanford finished the season stronger than SC. if i had to put money on it, i would be forced to take Stanford in this game. i do think the battle at the line is going to be key to this game. whenever SC is able to open holes, the backs are incredible, but they cant run if the line is not doing its job.

        • Neither team is great, but both are playing well enough to win most games. Both have big holes IMO. STAN has the better coach and a home field field advantage. USC comes in better rested and healthier than all year. Plus SC’s receivers are better now than when the Trojans easily beat STAN on 9/9. Way better. STAN has Love but USC has RoJo. Pretty close there and Love’s an ankle tackle away from being out.

          Then there’s the famous, you can’t beat teams twice in one year rule – advantage STAN again.

          But the final advantage goes to USC and that’s Darnold. Costello at this stage can’t remotely compare to Darnold in terms of experience or crucial playmaking ability and that’s just a fact, any way you slice it. Darnold’s a top 5 pick if he leaves now. Costello wouldn’t be on most teams draft boards.

          That’s why USC is favored and that’s why USC will win a close one. And if they don’t, Helton’s on the hot seat immediately.

          USC is shooting for its whopping 37th football conference title and first since ’08. Helton’s gotta win on Saturday or it’s gonna be one sad off-season for Helton with no magical Rose Bowl win to shield him from the reality that a lot already want him gone.

        • The game outcome will be determined by which coaching staff best understands the strength and weaknesses of its opponent and adjusts its gameplay accordingly, and which players step up to make it happen. I don’t think SC has what it takes in the former category…maybe the latter?

  14. The Colin Cowherd interview of Clay Helton today was a total snoozer. Pure pablum. No tough questions about the most important thing – why does USC win ugly or lose ugly all season long?

    We all know Colin is a total USC homer but he really needs to get some info out about USC that doesn’t just sound like it’s from Tim Tessalone.

  15. The 4 Years of the “Playoff”, aka the expanded BCS without the computer geeks has gone exactly as I predicted before it started. 1: One of the 2 Western Most Conferences (Pac 12 & Big 12) are the ones always left out. 2. THEE Ohio State would be the team to be given every break and consideration in the process, having Home Losses and 30 point Road and Playoff Blowout Losses quickly forgotten and 3. The SEC dominance would disappear due to having less of a chance to receive a handpicked opponent rather than the most worthy one due to having to beat two teams.

    • Letting OSU in last year was stupid, didn’t even win their division. If Ala gets in this year, I’m done, unless if and when SC is in it. With 5 Power conferences some one will get left out every year. An 12-1 SC might have got in over the ACC this year.

      • New rule….You must be conference champion to be eligible for a playoff spot.

        ….or expand it to eight teams

    • “The SEC dominance would disappear due to having less of a chance to receive a handpicked opponent rather than the most worthy one due to having to beat two teams.”

      Very good point….F**K the SEC…..and if they get two teams in I’m crying conspiracy

      • Remember the year Alabama who didn’t even win their own division and already lost to LSU in the regular season played LSU over all the other conference champions?!!? That was almost as ridiculous as calling a team that wasn’t good enough to win their own division National Champions. Joke.

        • In the short history of the BCS, Alabama was the only at-large team to play in the championship game, and the only team to record a shutout.

          They beat an undefeated LSU team 21-0, avenging an earlier season loss.

          Perhaps the committee got this one right

          • Alabama didn’t deserve to play in that game. Alabama didn’t even win their division. They didn’t play in a conference championship game. They went to the national championship game ahead of 5 other conference champions more deserving. Oklahoma St. would have had the same result vs. LSU, and they were cheated out of playing in the NC game they earned the right to play in. Bama won, but any good team that gets multiple shots to play another good team will probably win a game in a series as well.

  16. Shaw is not the best coach. Petersen is. He made it to the playoffs last year and he would have made it this year too if he had a better QB. Jake Browning is the most over-rated QB in the country.

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