Weekend Forum

The defensive problems have been evident for 3 weeks now. Do you think it is more the coaches not making adjustments, or the players particularly linebackers and safeties not making tackles or plays?

Will Trojans lose more games? UCLA is an easy victory (naturally), but do you see Arizona and Stanford challenging USC?

Does this loss show SC needs bigger names at deffencive and offencive cordinators? This reloaded coaching staff isn't working. What if any changes can we expect on next years staff?

Considering that the entire secondary will be gone next year, the front seven will most likely be back (although Everson Griffen may leave early) but got man-handled last night, the o-line will lose at least 2 starters and the offense seemed to struggle in the second half after Damian Williams, who may also leave early for the NFL, reaggrevated his injury, how do you see this team shaping up for next year? Basically will they be worse or is there a chance they will improve?

Is USC's problem besides stopping running quarterbacks , stopping small running backs? LaMichael James showed what Rodgers did to USC last year by running everywhere. USC defense has players that do not tackle properly small running backs( Remember James getting stopped and running to the side for a gain) . USC cannot stop small running backs and Pete Carroll has never corrected this issue. I though this issue was correctable with Curtis McNeal on the scout team and during practice helping prepare the defense, but it seems the only reason McNeal was so great in practice was USC's defense cannot stop small running backs. What's your take on the issue.

after this humiliating loss, i am planning on burning all my USC t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, foam fingers, flags, posters, can coozys, calendars, videos, golf club head covers and my fussili chetey petey statue. so my question is: can i legally burn this crap in my yard or do i have to go a industrial incinerator to have it professionally torched?

Just how much influence does Rocky Seto have in calling defensive plays? Obviously, there's a problem in making halftime adjustments compare to the previous seasons. Also, we were told that this defense was much faster than last year's defense but it looked like a Big-10 defense last night against a team that look much faster. Is Carroll and crew recruiting names and not actually players? Recruiting is not exactly a science and while it's great to shoot for all the "so-called" 5-star recruits, is it possible they're losing focus on recruiting "players"? Those that are not 5-star but have the ability to play within the system.

The USC rule over the Pac 10 over, it seems like Oregon is the best team in the Pac 10. Did you ever imagine USC being defeated under Pete Carroll like this, where they are dominated on offense and defense?

Scott --

Can't say you didn't warn the irrationally exuberant fans this might happen ...

Okay, question: Isn't it a fact that an unavoidable shortfall of experience at many key positions (including, let's be honest, QB) is 'SC's most profound problem?

It's easy to say guys like Shane Horton got repeatedly tricked, turned around and run all over ... but that's what happens to rookies.

Thanks!

Assuming 'SC wins the remainder of their schedule, wouldn't you think they get an at-large bid for a BCS bowl game? Despite the Oregon loss and look at USC's credibility from 2002-Present.

It's an ongoing tendency on the blog and in the comments to regret the loss of Chow on offense, but the real problem the last few games has been defensive adjustment. PC used to be one of the sharper halftime adjustment coaches, often shutting down opponents in the second half even when those teams had spread offenses and quick players. The last few games the second half has been a complete failure on defense. Is it the players, the coaches, both, or something else causing this adjustment failure? Is PC losing his edge when it comes to cutting-edge halftime adjustments?

Do you agree the problem is the staff vs 2004 and earlier:

Head Carroll/Carroll
OC Chow/Bates
DC Carroll/Seto
LB Holt/Norton
DL Orgeron/Franklin
OL Davis/Ruel (ok, one imporvement)

What do you think?

USC has always been known for its speed escepially for recovering on defense with its speed advantage. Oregon was faster and had the more quicker team as seen from their special team and offense. Do you think this USC team lacks overall team speed and athleticism compared to past USC football teams? Also, what position areas does the speed lack the most significantly ( special team, running back, wide receiver, safeties, and linebackers)?

Scott, I believe that USC has now only scored 30 or more points 11 times in the last 33 games against PacX opponents. USC has also not finished in the top 10 in any major offensive category since 2005. PC appears to have completely ripped out the last remaining vestiges of the Norm Chow West Coast passing game in 2006. Any chance that seeing Oregon's explosive spread attack in person motivates PC to overhaul the offensive system this offseason by bringing back some of the West Coast offense? This pro-style, play action offense simply puts too much pressure and responsibility on the decisions of the QB.

Scott,
What do you think is going on? This team is obviously getting worse as this season goes on. The mantra of the program in the Pete Carroll era has always been 2nd Half adjustments, once we get to November we really get rolling. Well all season long the 2nd half has been awful and now they couldn't make it to halloween.

scott
I am not going to ask a question like the delusional posters on www.wearesc.com who seem to be pretty sure
we are going to go 10-2 and beat Texas in the fiesta bowl and end up ranked #2 in the final poll...

My Q is..Stanford looks to be very good, and Arizona St. is no slouch either...what would be the result of
USC going 8-4 with a holiday bowl loss?

Do you think USC should move Josh Pinkard to safety since he cannot handle fast receivers as a cornerback and move Taylor Mays to linebacker to add speed to the linebackers. Having Mays as linebacker gives him an opportunity to make plays since as a safety he is just tackling players in the secondary. Pinkard cannot control the deep passes and T.J. Bryant should be moved to second corner back spot. The linebackers cannot tackle small running backs and having Mays as a linebacker will scare quarterbacks from running. There was no close coverage by cornerbacks and Oregon used screen passes alot. Also, the linebackers never played close to line and force Jeromiah Massolli to pass. We need speed on defense. What chances do you think should be made on defense?

The entire defense has played terrible over the last 3 games but the linebackers seem especially bad. I know you said a few weeks ago that Gallipo was the team MVP but he looked slow and unable to tackle against Oregon. I believe not getting Burfict and Te'o has really hurt the Trojans, especially with the health problem of Telfort. Jarvis Jones should help in the coming years but he's much lighter than either Burfict or Te'o now. Is SC recruiting any 5 star linebackers this year in the caliber of Burfict and Te'o.

Aren't the number of injuries being reported rather excessive? Has anyone done a comparison to other teams on the nature, frequency and causes of injuries incurred by USC team members?

How will the lost effect recruiting especially with Lache Seastrunk visiting Oregon. Will this defeat to Oregon cause USC to have decommitments, have players lose interest in the team, and will it cause the team to recruit differently and focus on other positions? Please explain the effect on recruiting.

Scott, what were the couple of calculated errors that PC refers to in his pre game scheming?
If you don't know , could you ask him please--and thanx for the special forum.
All of my other questions have already been asked here.

What is PC's mood now, like angry, humbled, confused or ????????? Thank you, Scott

Which of the following is more likely to happen in 2010:

A) Aaron Corp will transfer from USC to another university.
B) Max Nikias will become the president of USC.

It was baffling to watch our best defensive player standing 15 yards behind the line of scrimmage all night protecting against a long bomb to Jamere Holland. It appeared that the defensive game plan was inadequate for an option team like Oregon. The Ducks reminded me of the old Nebraska teams, using lightly recruited but strong and quick players to baffle opponents with superior talent. Do you believe Pete was
simply out schemed by the Oregon coaching staff?

very bashful, the cheater Darth McGuire has been.

much confusion with this hire, i sense.

as a coach, he must finally answer questions hmmm?

I never paid attention or cared before, but please list the Pac-10 bowl setup after the Rose Bowl.

Percent chance that Joe McKnight goes pro after this season?

Why no comments allowed to your most recent AP Top 25 football poll? Technical snafu or your choice? If the latter, why? As always, thanks for the forum, Scott.

http://www.insidesocal.com/usc/archives/2009/11/the-top-25-55.html#more

Praise God! Hope Barkley is still praising as much at the end of this game as when he won. It must be God's plan for Oregon to win. Now we don't have to hear players complain about going to the boring Rose Bowl. Are those players happy now?

Doesn't this blowout loss really boil down to USC being completely outcoached by Oregon? I am a huge PC fan, but c'mon...

I haven't seen much improvement on our special team coverages even though we now have a Special Teams Coach. What is wrong?

Did you catch the men's basketball exhibition game, and if so, any thoughts?

After the game, Coach Carroll made a comment to the effect that he and his staff had anticipated one style of play from Oregon and schemed around that, but the Ducks did something different than expected and we couldn't adapt because our game plan was entirely based around that assumption.

What was the assumption?

Now that Oregon is the best football team in the history of mankind and Chip Kelly is being mentioned as a frontrunner for the Nobel Prize, how do you think Oregon will fare as opposing team's "circle-game" as USC has been for the past 7ish years? Ultimately, isn't it better for the conference that USC got knocked off its horse and its no longer the WAC-9 +USC?

Did Marquis Simmons play against Oregon? Also, did any other freshmen play that may cause them to lose their redshirt?

Scott,

What is your bowl projection for USC and who would they play?

Scott, I see your point about the Fiesta Bowl, but if we straighten up, fly right, and win out, how about the Orange Bowl like we did at the end of the 2002 season? Thanks.

This just a comment. Did you see Amanda Pflugad, why haven't you posted pictures from the game.

Do you think that PC is taking a very large part of the blame upon himself, partially in order to re-build the confidence of the players? Thanx, Scott.

SC can't win the Pac-10 title straight up, nor do they deserve it, but there are some intriguing 3 or 4 way tie scenarios that could cause havoc (a la 2008 Big XII South)on the Rose Bowl berth.

SC, Cal, or Stanford win out
Arizona wins out with a loss to SC or Cal
Oregon State wins out
Oregon loses to any 2 of @Stanford, ASU, @Arizona, Oregon St

I'm expecting Oregon to roll and would like to see them get a shot at the BCS and up Pac 10 credibility, but those are tough games for them. They obviously deserve the Rose Bowl over SC and Cal, but would a 3 or 4 way tie with an Oregon collapse mean SC lucks into another co-championship and (at 10-2 vs 9-3 teams) end up in another Rose Bowl, prolonging the status quo?