FOOTBALL

USC Morning Buzz: Bad Spin Comes In Many Forms

Whatever USC does regarding the college admissions scandal, everyone will need to try and forget USC interim president Wanda Austin said the school was the “victim” or that athletic director Lynn Swann said he was “blindsided” by the revelations.

In other words: No accountability.

It’s not even good spin.

Speaking of bad spin, let’s switch over to football, where Clay Helton is back making public comments about spring football.

Helton addressed the departure of recruiting director Eric Ziskin on Tuesday.

“It’s such a big hire. It’s like having an OC, a DC, a special teams coordinator. Strength and conditioning. This is a big hire,” he said.

Strength and conditioning? That was such a big hire that Helton went and rehired Lane Kiffin‘s strength coach. Talk about inspiration.

I’m amazed at how recruiting sites and then Helton elevate the recruiting director position to such importance.

USC is losing recruits because players do not develop and they are unsure about the future with Helton on thin ice. That has nothing to do with the recruiting director and everything to do with Helton.

Ziskin might be great at his job but he couldn’t convince this coaching staff to recruit two big-time wide receivers at Calabasas High School who do not list USC among their top choices.

If the position is as important as Helton makes it, why does he undercut it by failing to contact important recruits?

It’s not really that big a hire despite what Helton says. A big hire is who replaces Helton? A big hire is replacing special teams coach John Baxter, which will not happen apparently.

A good recruiting director could not prevent a lousy season and disappointing recruiting class. Only a good coach and competent athletic director could influence that.

43 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Bad Spin Comes In Many Forms”

  1. 2018 bozo FB — 5 – 7 (no bowl game) & lost the Vic Bell 34 -27

    2018 – 19 bozo BB — 8 – 10 conf.; 16 – 17 overall; 2 – 9 away games

    2919 bozo baseball — currently 2- 1 in conf.; 8 – 11 overall.

    A very good reason the “Conjoined bozo Twins,” Pusley and MG, wish to make asses of themselves over at Inside UCLA.

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    1. So it’s ok for you to make an ass of yourself on this site for years, while not ok for Pudly and MG did it for a few weeks on the BelAir tech site? You need to shut up. Come to think of it Gomer needs to shut up too! Everything that comes out of his mouth just illustrates that he’s not head coaching material.

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      1. I never said Pusley and MG couldn’t shouldn’t make themselves asses on inside UCLA.

        I just gave them Clown u reasons to do so.

        Hey CToejam, if you don’t like what I write, ignore it.

        Only AH’s like yourself tell people to shut up. Who are you, the Clown U Homecoming Bimbo?

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      2. Pudly has been hanging by his lips from Helton’s nut sack since as long as anyone can remember, lets see him try and spjn that.

        Pudly will do and say anything to try and deflect away from that fact.

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    2. Such a reach for you Owns. How did your FB and BB teams do this year? Baseball is in March, a long way to go. Your incessant need to come to this site and try to be profound with your nonsensical tripe is telling of your Cerritos education. A wanna be bruin that could not make it in prime time. ROTFLMAO!!!!

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    3. Absolutely. owns you are right again. If our football team was 3-9 then we could crow. Seriously, are you this stupid that you’d post these numbers without thinking or is your logic so distorted you just can’t see the forest for the trees?
      Either way. You’re still an egg sucking mongrel.

      2016 – 4/8
      2017 – 6/7
      2018 – 3/9

      Hahahahaha!

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    4. Tebow is a homophobe of the first degree and always preoccupied by Helton and his genitalia. Nothing but a troll who tries to act as if he cares about anything Trojan. Laughable at best. The next compliment he gives anything dealing with USC will be his first.
      I challenged his last year to show me ONE positive post about any Trojan and he couldn’t then and he can’t now.

      Hillbilly troll. Egg sucking mutt.

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      1. “I challenged his last year”?

        Putzly gets flustered when the truth hits too close to home.

        Hey Pud wacker, how about you quit running over to the 247Sports Trojan board and Twitter, plagiarizing everyone elses thoughts on USC football and try and give your own take on the team for once.

        Or is plagiarism some sort of therapy that keeps you from expressing your undying love for that numbskull dumb fuck clown Clay Helton who’s dick you’ve been riding since he was hired?

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      2. I don’t and haven’t ever except for a free week ever been a member of 24/7. You on the other hand are and will always be a homophobe. As far as your challenge of saying anything good about SC is still at over two years and counting.
        And if we’re were having a discussion of original thought, did you ever have one beyond everything dealing with SC sucks? At least teddie and owns stand up and take ownership. You thought are a shiftless egg sucking mutt.
        Hillbilly troll.

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  2. “USC interim president Wanda Austin said the school was the “victim” or that athletic director Lynn Swann said he was “blindsided” by the revelations.”

    Asked about the latest scandal regarding USC Trojan athletics, Clay Helton gave his usual response, the same responses he gives everytime his dumbass is asked anything…

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      2. James —Time to bring back the idealized heroes of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood?
        #PudlyAsLancelot?
        #Link&67&CalabasasAsTheNobleGawain,Perceval&Gareth?
        #gtAsTristan?
        #JamesAsSirGalahad?
        #OwnsAsMordred?
        #I’mOnBoard!
        P.S.
        Scott is right —“only a good coach exercises the kind of influence that leads to a winning season.” But, in my opinion, Scott has exercised the kind of influence that’s caused Helton to drop the Gomer routine. Like him or not, the editors on other sites read, pick up and repeat Scott’s criticisms. And the effect has been that Helton has been forced to grow up. The Helton of yesterday’s presser looked like a man who had undergone male hormone treatment.
        #MaybeGomer’sGoneForGood…
        #…I’mNotSayingHe’sGonnaNecessarilyCoachAnyBetter

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    2. MG:

      This is brilliant…my only alibi being that I would like a slight cast alteration so that Owns can be properly billeted as Donkey from Shrek (I’m secretly – ha – delighted that our BigBear fellow Travler – how about that? – has taken to the Mule name)…

      And much more entertaining than in-fighting…hate seeing that among us, but it serves a purpose too (since I’m frequently, as I think you are, inclined to see much of the merit in the two competing positions, on the issues)…

      Your analysis of how last year and this off season have impacted CH (to include to the extent that the rest of the press being forced to give greater force to SW’s takes…which I’m in favor of, given how much the primary fan site has slipped too much towards Fanboydom in my estimation, even though DW is still sharp as ever and makes his points all the same, even if in more circumspect manner) appears to be pretty much on the mark – I still think there isn’t entirely a there, there, but there is far more of it now in evidence than before…even if it’s still a little too much “faking of the funk” as the Army cadre used to chide us as students, it’s a good ways away from the low point and towards where it should be…hopefully he has learned from the much discussed “coasting” assessment that 10-3 season with Sam miracle Rose Bowl win over also-ran PSU isn’t cause for contentment…USC isn’t that job…there should never be more than a week or so of vacation contentment after a 55-19 or 42-17 thrashing…

      You have again Heisman stiff-armed me back into more than passing interest…I’m still codger-like in my skepticism, but let’s see what we shall see!

      And Donkey, get your @$$ over here with our drinks!

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      1. Great piece, James. As much as some people hate —and I do mean HATE —to admit it, Scott has been way ahead of the curve on Sark, Browne, Darnold and Helton. I think that’s starting to sink in ….and Scott’s opinions are now being parroted on some of the other sites.
        As far as the family feuds —yeah, they are unfortunate —-but I bear a lot of responsibility for starting them—–and, then, waiting for them to be over.
        #IfHeltonCanGrowUpMaybeICanToo

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      2. From what I’ve seen, you and I are kind of in the middle – not in our substantive views, but in our way of presenting them…but hey, it often makes it more entertaining, and after all, if it aint fun, why care?

        You are dead on right about SW – and I’ve said that a couple of times myself, so of course my agreement is self-serving…but he isn’t stupid, by a long shot…he rabble rouses like a pro, and he slips in very prescient points…he’s like a counter-tide politician who can never attain higher office, but maybe makes for a good one-term representative who can give entertaining interviews, expose the flaws of his adversaries, but do it in a way where much of the body politic detests him…

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    1. Tebow —yeah, I saw what you’re talking about. But 50% of those soft answers are probably a result of just being around Helton. Underneath all that slush, though, Graham did say something worth thinking about. USC is going to be be doing the same thing over and over at practice —doing it until everybody has gone thru “a million reps.” Every defense we come up against will get about one tenth that many reps to prepare for what we’re bringing.

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      1. This guy Harrell’s play calling will be just as predictable as Helton’s and the guy sure as hell doesn’t seem bright enough to be able to make adjustments.

        The guys offense has been getting consistently stifled by Clancy’s defense and the defense has been using 3rd string players, what the hell does that tell you?

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      2. Yeah, I think you’re both right…I don’t like the Heltonish aspects to the persona, but think it is probably a matter of his settling in and at least having to go through the charade of being Helton’s deputy…hopefully, as MG has theorized, it will be a temporary situation (ie GH takes over after a year and CH is moved out to pasture)…even though I still don’t buy the Air Raid as a long term solution…

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      3. James — Harrell can’t be judged on interviews. Tim Tessalone is pacing 2 feet behind him —ready to drag him away if he goes even a little off message. The truth is we won’t know anything about Harrell or his version of the Air Raid offense or his ability to make adjustments until USC plays for real in September.
        P.S.
        I used to think Tessalone was the wrong man for his job. But I was wrong. He does his job phenomenally. His job is to protect USC orthodoxy.
        #NobodyDoesItBetter

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  6. From what I gather, Harrell’s “Air Raid” offense is a simplified version of what Errand Boy has been running since he took over the play calling.

    LOL!

    Holy Hell, talk about being predictable.

    Damn!

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    1. I hate it too, mostly because it won’t win against a physical, talented defense…proven repeatedly…unless, unless, unless…you have a difference-making athlete at QB, and even then, I hate it, because great programs are built on systems, not individuals (this other approach leads to desperately trying to find the Patrick Mahomes…instead of plug and play, physical, good character types that buy in and work…don’t get me wrong, I’m shorthanding a lot of this, but this makes the essential point)…

      But…to give the devil his due…or, in this case, GH, and by extension, those supporting this direction…

      It is simpler…it is predictable…

      But those are strengths, when compared with the mish-mash approach previously employed…

      I think it will be logical, coherent, and crisp…and that combined with the level of talent available will make the offense markedly better in most games (although not against Washington, Notre Dame…Alabama…)…

      If it clicks, could be 8 or 9 wins…if it doesn’t, will be a very, very, long year…

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      2. If you’ve seen any of my previous diatribes, I’m with you – I don’t think it will succeed either (my guess is 3 wins…5 at most)…but I’ll take a let’s see (but with high level skepticism) approach…if everything went perfect, it could be as much as 9 wins…but Sark and Kiff and Clay have done that, and that isn’t good enough, given the ride they’ve been given…if you’re given what should be a Kentucky Derby contender, and you’re out of the money at the Neighborhood Stakes…it’s on the trainer and rider, not the horse…

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      3. Spot on, James. All this new offense will accomplish is making us much more competitive in the Pac 12 —-it will [probably] never get us to the play-offs. But, as you say, that’s still a big step up from last year.

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      4. And there’s nothing to say that starting with what he knows won’t lead to grafting on major components or at least philosophical approaches that possess the characteristics the Air Raid lacks…it’s been done in the NFL any number of times (Coryell, Gibbs, Walsh…they were all pass first head coaches, but they succeeded with Chuck Muncie, John Riggins, Wendell Tyler/Roger Craig, et al)…

        I look at the experience at OU with Bob Stoops – that first miracle turnaround was accomplished with a great defense (cough) and a smart QB combined with great coaching (cough, cough)….but immediately the next year he was forced to adapt when, with Heupel gone and Jason White injured, he was forced to use Nate Hybl…and at times it was ugly…but it led to Quentin Griffin, Adrian Peterson, DeMarco Murray…

        It can happen…

        I will believe it when I see it here – don’t see CH or Clancy fitting the above…but the new OC on the other hand could…so there is a ray of hope…

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      5. James —I concede (pretty fricking readily) that another 5 win season is a possibility (but, if that occurs, it won’t be Helton on the sidelines on 11/23/19 against UCLA). But a lot of what happens this season depends on (1) how much the skill guys buy into Harrell’s system and (2) how well Drevno can prepare the o-line to block for this kind of offense. What happened at yesterday’s practice (i.e., the partial collapse of the passing game) was, according to all observers, a result of the o-line not being able to protect the quarterback. Drevno is probably not the right guy [Helton seems pretty intent on making sure the o-line coach is NEVER the right guy—it’s like a death wish with Helton].

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      6. MG
        For what it’s worth (ie what my opinion is worth), I believe this last is the best argument for GH and optimism…Oklahoma at the outset of Stoops’ tenure (quick/short pass finesse approach eventually acquiring a running component…quick turnaround…good NFL player development)…of course, it also contains the argument against (i.e. 55-19…repeated failures in big games after the initial “Big Game Bob” period…finesse approach that rarely held up on the big stage…over reliance on capabilities of QBs)…but some of the failures were bad luck, not bad coaching, and they stayed on the big stage…
        JM

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      7. James –You are the rare soul who possesses an in- depth knowledge of Egyptian, Roman, Washington Redskin, San Diego Charger and USC football history.
        #SubmitSyllabusToUSC:ItWouldMakeForAGreatClass

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      8. And what does it say of the person who could recognize that! That I should be setting in their class, of which this constitute just a segment…

        And let’s not forget Carly Simon…singing your theme song!

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    1. Yeah the best was his being late for the NFL game when he told Coryell vandals had slashed his car tires and that’s why he missed the flight from SD to SEA. Guy was beautiful – a damaged soul

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