FOOTBALL

Morning Buzz: Why Doesn’t USC’s Performance Match Its Reputation?

A common question is how does USC have the nation’s fourth-best roster according to 247.com’s composite rankings but one of the most average teams in the nation?

Here is why: How do you make a good player better if he only has average coaches?

USC players actually regress, if you want my opinion. Did USC look any better with Cameron Smith back Saturday night? For several weeks, I had to hear how much they missed him.

Has Iman Marshall gotten any better? He has had a pass interference penalty in how many straight games? Five?

The roster has talent but instead of being coached up, they are being coached down.

Meanwhile, here is an example I found out of how mistrust undermines the USC program, thanks to Clay Helton. Link here.

18 thoughts on “Morning Buzz: Why Doesn’t USC’s Performance Match Its Reputation?”

  1. Don’t forget Sam Darnold’s career.

    Great, great freshman campaign then he clearly regressed his sophomore year. Some said it was because the coaches finally had him a year which made him worse. As opposed to his freshman year where he had not been influenced by the subpar coaching yet.

    Ask anyone, but going no. 3 overall in the NFL Draft was on Sam’s talent alone and not because the coaches coached him up to a top 5 slot.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. Is leading the nfl in interceptions (Sam) on callaway too? He was a great Trojan player and so much fun to watch, but was always a turnover machine. Check out his last one vs Miami yesterday, think he should’ve thrown it away? He didn’t play as a true freshman either, was on campus as a redshirt wasn’t he? Just saying. And finally his private qb coach (Palmer) have anything to do with his improvement or lack thereof?
      So much to criticize this staff for, do you need to make stuff up?

      Like

      Reply

      1. Not making anything up. From redshirt freshman year to sophomore year, Sam clearly regressed. Not because of Callaway but clearly because of the OC who USC recently demoted.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Sam is still regressing. Mostly because coaches have film on him, and are taking away his go to plays. Again you act like Tee was his only coach, but Jordan spent much time with him too and that didn’t help. And what about the Jets Coach now, he’s still turning it over. Sometimes you just have to accept facts. Or not.

        Like

  2. Clay Helton knew Neil Callaway couldn’t coach worth a damn and he kept him on staff anyway.

    Why would you do that? And now we hear that Lynn Swann felt Callaway was doing a good job. What the hell has Swann been watching?

    The Trojans offensive line hasn’t been very good in some time. The two years Darnold was the starter there was no pass protection whatsoever and there was no run blocking, no holes being opened up for Ronald Jones.

    Darnold went through two years of having to make things happen on the run because Callaway couldn’t coach up the offensive line to provide Darnold any protection.

    Ronald Jones, that guy had to fight hard for every yard he gained. There weren’t any holes being opened up for him to run through, a lot of time Jones was being hit in the backfield, but he was strong enough and talented enough to stay upright and gain some yards. Jones was pretty much doing it on his own, there was no blocking to speak of.

    Everyone knew the offensive line was a problem the last two years. Chad Wheeler and Zach Banner took some criticism for their play on the line, but no one really knew just how bad Neil Callaway was as a coach. This guy Callaway never should have been hired in the first place.

    And for Helton to stick with Callaway, knowing he isn’t capable coaching or teaching these Trojans anything they can use…why even have Callaway on the staff?

    So Helton makes the decision to start this season with a true freshman QB and stick the kid out there knowing that Callaway was the problem of why the offensive line play hasn’t been good.

    Why would Helton do that, risk J.T. Daniels and anyone else for that matter getting hurt playing QB because the offensive line coach, (Neil Callaway) that he hired, had no clue what he was doing?

    Neil Callaway had no business being anywhere near a football field trying to teach or coach anything. The talent that was wasted because Callaway had no clue of what he was doing affected every position on the team as they all rely on each other to do their job which in turn makes the team better.

    Clay Helton didn’t do his job. Clay Helton wasn’t looking out for his players when he decided to keep Callaway on as coach knowing there was a problem with player development.

    Clay Helton should be fired for allowing the incompetence of Neil Callaway to go on as long as it did.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  3. Watch this video and see if you believe Neil Callaway should have been coaching the Trojans. And Lynn Swann saying Callaway was doing a good job…shows you that Lynn Swann doesn’t know what the hell he is talking about.

    Like

    Reply

  4. Add TebowMedia. He has to be a pro like Scott Wolf. I’m not a blogger, but I’m learning from a hall of famer. Please don’t hit me with the tedious, sailor, boyo hammer. Beauty and talent is fleeting, but Shakespeare lives on.

    Like

    Reply

  7. bozo u FB: Humongous hype, mammoth, CFB playoff expectations, the always self-proclaimed most talented team & elite arrogant attitude = a National TV choka, choka, choka performance vs Alabama, ND, Ohio St. Sanford etc., etc., etc.

    Of course, SUCC never loses because they succ; no, with Clown u there is always the post-loss fireball/Rah-Rah whine: the auld excuses, excuses, excuses, excuses, excuses routine!

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.