

Two USC Players Make Hall Of Fame Ballot
Former USC defensive backs Mark Carrier and Dennis Thurman are on the ballot today for the College Football Hall of Fame. Last year, the ballot included Reggie Bush, Jeff Bregel and Carrier. Bush was the lone USC player selected. Here are the bios: Mark Carrier, USC-Defensive Back-Two-time First Team All-American (1988-89), earning unanimous honors in 1989…1989 Jim Thorpe Award winner as the nation’s top defensive … Continue reading Two USC Players Make Hall Of Fame Ballot

USC Lands Four-Star Cornerback
Dakoda Fields, a four-star cornerback from Serra High School in Gardena, committed to USC this morning. He chose the Trojans over Oregon, Ohio State and Miami. USC supposedly got three commitments over the weekend according to Lincoln Riley so now we know two of them. Fields is a Class of 2024 prospect so the question is will Donte Williams be at USC to coach him? Continue reading USC Lands Four-Star Cornerback

Morning Buzz: USC Can Still Land A Top Lineman (It Hopes)
It’s kind of hard not to notice that as USC received a commitment from three-star offensive tackle Hayden Treter over the weekend, top 10-ranked offensive tackle Brandon Baker of Mater Dei High School appears to be favoring Oregon and doesn’t have USC listed among his top choices. Now all is not yet lost for USC and top offensive lineman, as another top-10 prospect, offensive tackle … Continue reading Morning Buzz: USC Can Still Land A Top Lineman (It Hopes)

USC Gets Three-Star Lineman
Hayden Treter, a three-star Class of 2024 offensive tackle from Englewood, Colo., has committed to USC. Treter is 6-6, 300 pounds. He was also offered by schools like Oregon, Tennessee, Colorado, Arizona State, Colorado State, Iowa State and Purdue. Lincoln Riley has tweeted out three times this week to signify commitments, so we will see who is next. Continue reading USC Gets Three-Star Lineman

USC Sunday Buzz: A Weekend Commitment
USC received a commitment this weekend according to a tweet from Lincoln Riley. It makes sense because USC is hosting a lot of recruits this weekend and has a camp today. USC has just three commitments for the Class of 2024 but that number should pick up considerably during the summer as recruits visit the campus. Here’s the movie. At the 17-minute mark, you can … Continue reading USC Sunday Buzz: A Weekend Commitment

The Saturday USC Column Supplement
This is what a USC rally a looked like on Sept. 19, 1952, the day before the Trojans faced Washington State College (it wasn’t yet a university). The 12 p.m. event at Bovard Auditorium was highlighted by the debut of George Tirebiter II. And when I say highlighted, I’m not kidding. Unless you wanted to hear a speech from Coach Jess Hill, who was known … Continue reading The Saturday USC Column Supplement

USC Saturday Buzz: Another Thing That Needs To Get Done
If we need another example of how Mike Bohn shirked job duties, here’s one that bugged me throughout his tenure. USC has not inducted a Hall of Fame class since 2018. Bohn clearly had no interest in the matter as he did nothing while athletic director. I asked a USC official back in 2021 about the Hall of Fame and got the usual excuses: “Mike … Continue reading USC Saturday Buzz: Another Thing That Needs To Get Done

USC Notes: A Bohn Betting Pool
What happens first? Mike Bohn speaks to the media or puts his South Bay home on the market? Continue reading USC Notes: A Bohn Betting Pool

If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column
As we like to say, if it’s Friday, it’s time for a USC notes column. Siemer was born in New Zealand and settled in Los Angeles in 1906 at the age of 32. He was commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce to paint a series of mural-size canvases to promote the area. USC was ranked No. 4 in the nation and 7-0 overall in 1975 … Continue reading If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

USC Notes: A Candidate To Take Seriously For A.D.
I’ve seen 20-30 names already mentioned for the USC athletic director’s job in media reports. One candidate is Tennessee’s Danny White. But he makes $2.31 million a year to live in Knoxville. What would he need to make at USC? I know Carol Folt just wants it all to go away and hire an uncontroversial athletic director. But how much money will Folt (and Rick … Continue reading USC Notes: A Candidate To Take Seriously For A.D.

USC To Open Season Vs. Kansas State
USC (read Bronny James) will open the basketball season vs. Kansas State at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 6th, according to Jon Rothstein. It will be a doubleheader as Oregon plays Georgia in the other game. Now the first reaction is “USC vs. Kansas State. Good game. K-State had a great run in the NCAA Tournament.” But . . . Kansas State isn’t … Continue reading USC To Open Season Vs. Kansas State

USC Morning Buzz: A Unique Challenge For Coaches
I spoke to a USC coach this week about the Trojans’ schedule and asked about what team is posing the most challenges as the staff spent the spring scouting opponents. “No doubt Colorado,” the coach said. “They changed their entire roster and that’s just in the past month. You couldn’t even watch the spring game and use it other than some basic stuff but not … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: A Unique Challenge For Coaches

USC Notes: Holiday Bowl Sues Pac-12, UC Regents
This is a typical Pac-12 story. The Holiday Bowl has filed a lawsuit agains the conference and UC Regents seeking more than $3 million in damages after UCLA elected not to play the 2021 game hours before kickoff, according to Brett McMurphy. Here is a twist I never heard before: “Because the Pac-12 didn’t compensate the Holiday Bowl for the 2021 cancellation, the Holiday Bowl, … Continue reading USC Notes: Holiday Bowl Sues Pac-12, UC Regents

Early USC Games On Pac-12 Network
The Pac-12 announced some kick off times today and it’s the usual bad news: The San Jose State game on August 26 and Nevada game on Sept. 2 will be on the dreaded Pac-12 Network. The San Jose State game will kick off at 5 p.m. while the Nevada game will be at 3:30 p.m. I wonder what the temperature will be at 3:30 on … Continue reading Early USC Games On Pac-12 Network

USC Morning Buzz: Linemen And Defense Win Titles
Brandon Baker of Mater Dei High School is ranked the No. 1 offensive tackle in the nation by some recruiting services and it doesn’t appear USC is going to make the cut. I’m tempted to write that 10 times because it’s almost hard to believe. Oregon is the leader and Baker also has Texas, Ohio State, Georgia, Miami, Florida State and Tennessee atop his list. … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Linemen And Defense Win Titles

The USC Scholarhip Offer Most Fans Forgot
Arizona State forward Marcus Bagley plans to stay in the 2023 NBA Draft. He played a combined five games in the past two seasons because of an injury. Does USC’s offer to his younger brother, Pooh Pooh Bagley, still stand? Remember USC offered him in 2017 when he was 7-years-old. This was when USC was trying to get Marvin Bagley. Pooh Pooh is now in … Continue reading The USC Scholarhip Offer Most Fans Forgot

USC Notes: The Bronny James Effect Continues
What a shock that USC tweets out Bronny James is graduating from high school but hasn’t done that with any of its other recruits. But when USC social media employees are bragging about the biggest follower growth in the history of Trojan basketball since James committed, there’s a craving to do as much about James as possible. You didn’t see USC tweet out anything when … Continue reading USC Notes: The Bronny James Effect Continues

USC Morning Buzz: Will Sir Lincoln Of Riley See His Castle?
Lincoln Riley wants a new football-only building. But will he be at USC when it gets built? The ideal time for such a facility to begin construction would be around fall of 2027 or maybe summer of 2028 when Dedeaux Field is apparently turned into a swim stadium for the Olympics and then a new baseball stadium gets built, presumably closer to Vermont Ave. And … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Will Sir Lincoln Of Riley See His Castle?

USC Baseball Gets Snubbed By NCAA Tournament
USC was considered a safe bet for the NCAA Tournament by the “experts” but was shocked this morning to learn it did not make the postseason. In fact, it wasn’t even that close because USC was not one of the last four teams out according to the NCAA. Arizona State, Kansas State, Kent State and UC Irvine were the last four. Apparently, where you finished … Continue reading USC Baseball Gets Snubbed By NCAA Tournament

USC Morning Buzz: Caleb Williams’ Super Busy Month Of May
This could have been an interesting talk if it had just happened a month later . . . and if Coach Bohn were attached to a lie detector. The tougher question is whether anyone recognized him? Who else was there Sunday? Soccer stars Neymar and Thibaut Courtois; actors Tom Holland and Orlando Bloom; UFC star Conor McGregor; model Alessandra Ambrosio; singer Kylie Minogue and comedian … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Caleb Williams’ Super Busy Month Of May

Projections Place USC Baseball In NCAA Tournament
USC will be one of the final four teams to make the NCAA Tournament according to D1Baseball.com’s final mock bracket Sunday night. The Trojans also make the cut in the final mock bracket of Baseball America. Both send the Trojans to Coral Gables, Fla., where the University of Miami is the host. The official bracket will be released Monday. Continue reading Projections Place USC Baseball In NCAA Tournament

USC Notes: Big Win For Legacy
Joelle Trepagnier, the daughter of former USC basketball player Jeff Trepagnier and ex-Trojan sprinter Malika Edmonson, had a big day at the California State Track and Field championships. The Culver City High School sprinter won the 200 meters (23.62); ran a 52.11-second anchor lap to give the Centaurs the victory in the 4×400 relay and finished second in the 400 meters with a time of … Continue reading USC Notes: Big Win For Legacy

Sunday Buzz: USC Keeps Consultants Happy
USC loves to hire professional consultants. There was Korn Ferry, which was used when Steve Sarkisian was hired as football coach. Max Nikias hired Brill Neumann to hire an athletic director, although he just went with Lynn Swann on the recommendation of booster Wayne Hughes. Carol Folt used Turnkey ZRG to hire Coach Bohn. Now we have another player: Huron Consulting Group, which is based … Continue reading Sunday Buzz: USC Keeps Consultants Happy

Brandon Sosna Watch
Brandon Sosna has not spoken on the record yet about Mike Bohn. Considering he was thisclose to Bohn at USC and Cincinnati, he obviously has a wealth of knowledge about what was going on. He had to know about disgruntled employees. I heard from some at USC during his time there, including a few who thought Sosna was unapproachable, just like his boss. A few … Continue reading Brandon Sosna Watch

Saturday Buzz: Impressive Array Of Athletes At USC
There were more than 1,400 college athletes on the USC campus this week as the university hosted the Black Student-Athlete Summit. Many schools sent 5-10 athletes to the summit and more than 165 colleges were represented. The University of Washington sent 19 athletes along with 10 coaches/staff members. A random sampling of attendees: Washington State QB Cameron Ward, Georgia Tech all-conference safety LaMiles Brooks, Tulane … Continue reading Saturday Buzz: Impressive Array Of Athletes At USC

The USC Friday Column Supplement
A play in two acts: ACT I #USC fans will want to read this. Great insight from @Williams_Justin on how AD Mike Bohn’s run at #Cincinnati vaulted him to USC and what it means for the future of both: https://t.co/S2cd4vF4xu — Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 2, 2019 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js ACT II "They gave the keys to an idiot again, and he’s not even their idiot.” USC … Continue reading The USC Friday Column Supplement

If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column
The USC baseball team wrapped up its regular season on Thursday and is projected to make the NCAA Tournament. The Trojans (34-23-1) find out officially Monday when the bracket is released. Freshman Austin Overn hit .314 with four home runs, 38 RBI, 54 runs scored and a nation-leading 14 triples. Then at 3:15 p.m., USC professor Frank Baxter delivered his famed Christmas recital of prose … Continue reading If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

It’s Open Season On Mike Bohn (Four Years Late)
I said last Friday it was “amazing” you couldn’t find criticism of Mike Bohn anywhere other than this blog before he resigned. Well, the media is making up for it. It’s an incredible case of revisionism. After sucking up to Bohn and Brandon Sosna for several years (and vice versa), everybody suddenly demands to know why USC didn’t uncover more about Bohn’s background. Well, what … Continue reading It’s Open Season On Mike Bohn (Four Years Late)

Here Are USC Baseball’s Tournament Scenarios
USC plays Washington today at 2:30 p.m. in the Pac-12 Baseball Tournament. Here are the scenarios for the tournament: Continue reading Here Are USC Baseball’s Tournament Scenarios

USC Morning Buzz: Mixed Record For Leadership Team
USC used the influential search firm, TurnkeyZRG, to hire Mike Bohn. Turnkey also ran commissioner searches for the Pac-12, Big 12, ACC and Big Ten. And Sandy Barbour, who is on USC’s new interim leadership team, has several connections with Turnkey, because she used them for several coaching searches when she was at Penn State. It wouldn’t be surprising if Carol Folt used Turnkey to … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Mixed Record For Leadership Team

Carol Folt Appoints Interim Athletic Director/Leadership Team
USC is amazing in the way it can throw money and bureaucracy at things. With Mike Bohn gone, Carol Folt announced today that she appointed a three-member team “to ensure USC continues to function seamlessly during the transition and complete its preparation for joining the Big Ten Conference.” In addition, Denise Kwok, Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development, has been appointed interim athletic … Continue reading Carol Folt Appoints Interim Athletic Director/Leadership Team

Radio, Radio
Here’s a radio interview I did with radio station KSL in Salt Lake City where I talk about Mike Bohn; who will replace him; USC’s upcoming season and the future of the Pac-12. ICYMI: USC insider Scott Wolf (@InsideUSC ) joined @975Hans & @ScottyGZone and discussed if Utah AD Mark Harlan could be a candidate to replace USC AD Mike Bohn. #GoUtes #FightOn Full interview … Continue reading Radio, Radio

USC-Notre Dame Game Will Be Night Kickoff, Of Course
The USC-Notre Dame game in South Bend will kick off at 4:30 p.m. PT. It’s no surprise because the game has been at night for the past decade. But it’s a shame because for decades this was an early afternoon game, which can be a wonderful atmosphere at Notre Dame. You also had a chance for a nice, sunny game. It was traditional college football … Continue reading USC-Notre Dame Game Will Be Night Kickoff, Of Course

USC Morning Buzz: Is Anyone In Charge Here?
So who runs the USC athletic dept. right now? There are no fewer than 7 administrators with the title “Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director.” No wonder Mike Bohn didn’t need to show up. Before it would have been easy to guess who would step into the void when Mini-Me (Sosna) was Coach Bohn’s sidekick. That’s no longer the case. They don’t even have Tim Tessalone … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Is Anyone In Charge Here?

USC Beats UCLA In Pac-12 Tournament
Austin Overn had a 3-run homer and 2-run triple as USC defeated UCLA in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament in Scottsdale, Ariz. Overn’s triple was his nation-leading 14th of the season. It’s a big victory for the Trojans (34-22-1), who enhanced their chances for an NCAA Tournament bid. USC will now play Washington on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. The Trojans’ top starting pitchers … Continue reading USC Beats UCLA In Pac-12 Tournament

Another Blast From The Past
When Mike Riley introducted Lincoln Riley at a Coliseum press conference, his performance was unforgettable. He credited the sports analytics company, SportSource, but called them “Sports Sorts.” He said “jooner” instead of journey. It reminded me of former USC athletic director Mike McGee‘s press conference introducing a new basketball coach in 1986, where he said, “Jim Raveling, George Raveling.” Here’s the press conference with the Bohn gaffes. Continue reading Another Blast From The Past

USC Notes: Preseason Honors For Football
Lincoln Riley and Andy Enfield put out statements thanking Mike Bohn. You know who has been conspicuous in their silence? Women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb. Bohn hired her and gave her the crazy sum of $1 million per year to come to USC. So you would think she would at least thank him for hiring her. But all Gottlieb, who is active on social media, … Continue reading USC Notes: Preseason Honors For Football

USC Morning Buzz: Beware TV Streaming Deals
Former Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren definitely has some Larry Scott in him. And it looks like a good thing he departed, especially after ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Warren gave the 2026 Big Ten title game to NBC “without the full authority to do so” and behind the back of Fox. That sounds like Scott. So does the part about Warren expecting a bonus from … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Beware TV Streaming Deals

Andy Enfield Comments On Mike Bohn
Andy Enfield finally spoke up about Mike Bohn getting sacked, two days later than Lincoln Riley. And it’s about what you would expect. While Riley’s statement at least sounded like he might have written it, Enfield’s comes off as boilerplate. But it’s important to remember, after USC went to the Elite Eight, Enfield was upset he did not get a contract extension. He eventually got … Continue reading Andy Enfield Comments On Mike Bohn

USC Notes: At Least Bohn Wasn’t Playing Golf
What was Mike Bohn doing with all that free time at USC when he was supposed to be at meetings or events? We all knew what Lynn Swann was doing? Playing golf. Pat Haden used to play on the golf simulator in the basement at Heritage Hall. Maybe Bohn just liked hanging out at Manhattan Beach. He told me once he read this blog so … Continue reading USC Notes: At Least Bohn Wasn’t Playing Golf

Morning Buzz: USC Maps Out New Football Facility For Lincoln Riley
When USC spent $70 million to build the McKay Center a decade ago, it was considered a state-of-the-art facility that would put football on equal terms with the best programs in the nation. Well, it’s not good enough for Lincoln Riley. He wants a facility he doesn’t have to share with other sports and, perhaps amazingly, USC wants to give it him. There are already … Continue reading Morning Buzz: USC Maps Out New Football Facility For Lincoln Riley

USC Notes: And Now For A Lighthearted Moment
This will always be my favorite Mike Bohn moment. 😢 pic.twitter.com/NIXvoOg5Qs — Petros Papadakis (@Theoldp) May 20, 2023 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js I don't follow college football closely but I just saw this Lincoln Riley press conference and couldn't help myself. pic.twitter.com/4KomdVrbZY — Jason Gallagher (@jga41agher) December 7, 2021 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js I repeat, it lost to Grand Canyon and Liberty. That’s a shocking result in a sport like softball, … Continue reading USC Notes: And Now For A Lighthearted Moment

USC Sunday Buzz: Who Loses Post-Mike Bohn?
I fully expected the media, which ridiculously put Mike Bohn on a pedestal the past few years, to turn on him now, and the indignation level is high in this column. You would think Bohn was Public Enemy No. 1 now, which seems a bit over the top (and I say this as the most vocal critic of Bohn in the media the past 4 … Continue reading USC Sunday Buzz: Who Loses Post-Mike Bohn?

Lincoln Riley Weighs In On Mike Bohn
A day later, Mike Bohn’s fall from grace is still stunning. From being the most powerful A.D. in the Pac-12 to getting sacked on a Friday afternoon. On Thursday, I saw Bohn outside Heritage Hall on the phone. He was nodding his head a lot and holding his hands to his head. He had to know his exit was imminent. I will always be appreciative … Continue reading Lincoln Riley Weighs In On Mike Bohn

USC Saturday Buzz: More Fallout From Mike Bohn
Here’s an interview I did with KNX (97.1 FM) on Friday about the departure of Mike Bohn. Listen here. The schadenfreude is high in the Pac-12 regarding Bohn. I’d love to be able to see texts or emails within the conference Friday. There were definitely some USC employees also enjoying the moment. “He let his minions do all the work,” one said Friday. “He was … Continue reading USC Saturday Buzz: More Fallout From Mike Bohn