FOOTBALL

USC Morning Buzz: Is Offensive Line Big Enough?

An observer told me Sunday that Clay Helton walks around the McKay Center like everything is rosy. Helton might reading and believing everything that says USC has turned a corner.

One area that remains a concern in the offensive line. An NFL scout who saw a practice described the current offensive line as “undersized” to me. That’s not a typical USC critique.

  • Maybe Lynn Swann will return to Heritage Hall today after spending the weekend in Canton, Ohio. Maybe.
  • USC resumes practice today after taking yesterday off. Two practices and a day off? Sounds like a relaxing start.
  • And in case you missed it, here is my Pac-12 preview, where I do not pick USC to win the Pac-12 South.

50 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Is Offensive Line Big Enough?”

  1. The offensive line (play, but due to poor development/coaching) has obviously been one of the primary culprits in the program’s substandard performance over the last decade…

    That said, this is the program that produced Tyron Smith…so the “undersized” line about the line…probably not the most advisable line to take…

    Liked by 3 people

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      1. BK-
        That’s why I first emphasized poor performance due to coaching…Zach Banner’s size didn’t do us a lot of good against Bama…I wouldn’t go so far as to say that size is overrated, but it often is…would rather have well coached/developed/trained linemen executing a coherent plan…if they just happen to be huge and athletic, so much the better (and certainly they can’t be small)…mostly just pointing out that there are a million things Wolf (and us) can point out about the failings in the program under Helton (and Pendergast and Calloway and the WKU clan), but this would probably not be near the top of the list…
        JM

        Liked by 2 people

    3. You’re essentially agreeing w/ Wolf, plus Tyron Smith played here 9 years ago, plus they’re talking about THIS line.

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      1. The site doing it’s frequent “sorry, won’t let you post that” – so will shorten to “No, don’t agree, but that’s fine…”

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  2. Flow, maybe proofread your posts before you shit on everything USC. Those one-two punches might have a bit more sting if one could read through this garbage more clearly.

    Anyway, if the football practice schedule is set to start on a Friday, and then have another practice the next day, Saturday, then why can’t the team take their regular Sunday off? Remember, these practices are pretty much sanctioned by the NCAA with how many they can have and when they can and can’t wear full pads, full contact, etc.

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    1. Please don’t confuse Scott with someone who knows football. His shtick is negative writing. His prediction for the PAC 12 is not worth reading unless you buy his fertilizer. But know this if you choose his brand you will be paying for dirt and horse crap.So why do I come here? Because every field needs dirt to level it. It’s one way I can temper my expectations with a little leveling dirt.

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      1. Take out the snark and Scott’s predictions are pretty realistic. Utah is the favorite. And USC is seen as the only real threat to Utah in the Pac 12 South. If we can take Utah on a short week Helton will have a very good reason for “walking around McKay Center like everything is rosy.”

        Liked by 5 people

      5. Wouldn’t everybody on this site (especially Owns) be disappointed if the Duke and Scott met, became friends and teamed up to arrest Swan and Helton —but protected them from the bloodthirsty mob forming outside Heritage Hall while they awaited a fair trial?

        Liked by 4 people

  3. Putin has been seen walking around the Kremlin like everything is rosy. Maybe he believes everything he reads that says Russia has turned the corner.

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    1. If only we had him as coach! Of course, judging by what is reported, he would show up at practice once a week and put the pads on, stealing reps from the QBs (and we know that isn’t what we need)!

      Liked by 3 people

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      1. Ha! And engage in martial arts with the poor players who’d have to let him win……and “entertain” the poor cheerleaders in the back seat of his limo after practice….
        #…And,Then,ExecuteTheNCAAInvestigators……

        Liked by 3 people

  6. It wasn’t the OL lack of size but the lack of coordination/communication that often did the offense in. In the 2015 (?) bowl game with Wisconsin their defenders walked into the backfield 3 times in a row in an embarrassing display of lack of coaching. Not only did SC have a center who could not snap the ball but apparently couldn’t QB the OL. The OL would double up on one defender leaving an unguarded gap for a linebacker to shoot through without any H back of F back to pick up the attacker. This carried on after the 2015 bowl game. Of course in the Ohio State bowl game the opposing linemen just bowled over the SC O-linemen due to lack of size. So PAC 12 games they may be OK but any bowl games, probably not.

    Liked by 6 people

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  8. Gomer struts around because he thinks Swann won’t can him and the school has so many fires that Folt won’t pay attention. Or… Gomer is just Alfred E Neuman in disguise.

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    1. Good visualization…brings to mind something different but in the end getting at the same thing…he’s like a low-level apparatchik who thinks that getting a one bedroom apartment with a window after waiting 20 years means he’s accomplished something…

      I still can’t get over how someone could be so ****ing clueless as to say anything, anything, after going 5-7 in football…

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      1. Sorry, end got (idiot writer – ie me) cut out…

        after going 5-7 in football at USC…

        Not too overly dramatic to say a historic accomplishment (my point being: You’re really going to chirp when you’ve just joined Hackett, Smith at exit, and Tollner at entry)…

        Same point I made to MG (yes, I’m a centrist, at least on this site, with a foot in each camp!) months ago about JT and perceived character concerns…when he was expressing his views on fans…

        Dude, you just joined a really, really short list of quarterbacks wearing that uniform during a losing season…

        Just play…just coach…get the job done where it matters…

        Leave this running of the mouth to professionals…us…

        Liked by 2 people

      2. I agree, James. I understand why Helton continues talking —-it’s the same reason Hillary keeps on talking —they’re both hoping they can refashion the way people see them. But in both cases it would be more dignified to just acknowledge that mistakes were made, plans were upended, things went south. To refuse to see things for what they are (“people come here for the coaching”, or “I won the popular vote”) just makes them look MORE ridiculous.

        Liked by 2 people

    1. Don’t worry, pt, Swann won’t “return”…..
      #…NotInTheSenseIt’sDefinedInTheDictionary…..
      #[He’sNeverReallyBeen”Here”]

      Liked by 1 person

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  11. Possibly the biggest problem that SC had last year was not coaching or size or *** but the inability of whomever was in charge of reading the D at the line of scrimmage was not far enough along to understand what other teams were doing.

    #MG,PleaseRemindMeWhoThatWas
    #YouWillKnowAfterFresnoIfThingsHaveImproved

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. So true, Cal75. If USC handles a first rate Fresno State d-line (and escapes without injury —another perennial USC problem under Helton), we got the tune up we needed and are ready to fight for the title in September games against Stanford and Utah.
      #…IfNot,We’reF**ked…..
      #..AndYouReallyCanGetTheNetReady…

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  12. Oregon, in their glory days under Chip Kelly, never had a big O-Line. They had a smaller quicker, more athletic O-Line and they had the best offense in the nation.

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  13. So preferred to yoga practice. There are different kinds of yoga which people can do. People can improve their healthy with yoga. They can select good food with regular yoga practice.

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  14. SC had last year was not coaching or size or *** but the inability of whomever was in charge of reading the D at the line of scrimmage was not far enough along to understand what other teams were doing.

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  15. How fascinating! I’ve always wondered how that works because I’m one of those people who “has a map in my head”, so to speak. One look at a map, the knowledge of directions and landmarks, and I can get anywhere. Honestly. And have been able to since I was a small child.

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  17. I wonder why there are not many people who whistle or hum as they work. Is it that everyone is that miserable? I doubt it. I think we’ve become a society full of individuals who have shut out everyone else. Therefore there is no one to hear the whistling or the humming.

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  18. I WONDER WHY THERE ARE NOT MANY PEOPLE WHO WHISTLE OR HUM AS THEY WORK. IS IT THAT EVERYONE IS THAT MISERABLE? I DOUBT IT. I THINK WE’VE BECOME A SOCIETY FULL OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE SHUT OUT EVERYONE ELSE. THEREFORE THERE IS NO ONE TO HEAR THE WHISTLING OR THE HUMMING.LISA

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  19. There are different kinds of yoga which people can do. People can improve their healthy with yoga. I think we’ve become a society full of individuals who have shut out everyone else. Therefore there is no one to hear the whistling or the humming. I’ve always wondered how that works because I’m one of those people who “has a map in my head”, so to speak. ornaments

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  20. Hello
    Please don’t confuse Scott with someone who knows football. His shtick is negative writing. His prediction for the PAC 12 is not worth reading unless you buy his fertilizer. But know this if you choose his brand you will be paying for dirt and horse crap.So why do I come here? Because every field needs dirt to level it. It’s one way I can temper my expectations with a little leveling dirt.

    Like

    Reply

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