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If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

Mater Dei’s Bryce Young is the No. 1-ranked dual-threat QB in the nation. Kedon Slovis is “as good as I’ve ever seen,” according to offensive coordinator Graham Harrell.

But it is JT Daniels who will hold the starting position hostage for the next three seasons? Really? With all that arm talent behind him?

Doesn’t USC want to win? Clay Helton wants to win . . . with Daniels.

The only way Daniels loses his job is if Helton loses his.

  • And what of Jack Sears? Sounds like he will be the scout team quarterback. Maybe he should have thrown 10 interceptions in training camp instead of one.
  • Harrell really came off as a company man in his interviews with reporters after the QB decision. At least Kliff Kingsbury said he would choose the starter. Harrell made sure to explain he agreed with Helton.
  • How are USC ticket sales going? Well, USC had a flash sale this week offering 20 percent off Fresno State tickets and 25 percent off a two-game combo of Fresno State/Stanford.

After the flash sale ended, USC extended it again.

  • Helton said Thursday if quarterback Daniels goes down, even in an early game, true freshman Slovis will replace him.
  • USC’s athletic dept. should be ashamed of itself for the way it is buying in to some Helton’s regressive measures that deprive fans of information. Even basic functions are not performed anymore.
  • USC doesn’t allow the media to watch anything but 20 minutes of Tuesday/Wednesday practices. And Helton won’t even release a depth chart until a week from today, the day before the Fresno State game. The day before? Like no one knows if Michael Pittman, Tyler Vaughns and Amon-Ra St. Brown will start?

Helton can’t offend any players between now and then, I guess.

  • Then Coach Spineless offers up this pablum when asked about the future of Sears: “Jack Sears is one of the best men that I know and one of the most honorable men I know. And one of the fiercest competitiors I know. We’ll always support him.”

Another non-answer that fans are used to hearing at this point.

  • Why is Curtis Conway on USC’s pressbox wall of football players turned broadcasters but not Petros Papadakis? The wall is just a “representative sample” not an accurate list of all broadcasters.

And if you believe that, you will believe the crowd at last Saturday’s scrimmage was “10,000-plus.”

  • Former USC baseball player and long-time Toronto Blue Jays GM Pat Gillick celebrated his 82nd birthday Thursday. One of Gillick’s special talents was an ability to memorize pages out of the phone book.

Gillick (below) was a pitcher on USC’s 1958 national championship team.

GILLICK
  • USC pitcher Wally Hood, who went 21-2 in 1948, the year the Trojans won the national championship, was part of 2019 class that will be inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame. Hood was 29-4 in two seasons.

He is the fifth USC player/coach inducted in the College Hall of Fame, joining Rod Dedeaux (2006), Fred Lynn (2007), Roy Smalley (2013) and Bill Bordley (2014).

95 thoughts on “If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column”

  1. A lot there Scott and a lot of needless nasty sniping over the same – Harrell and others better parrot their boss or look for another job and if they do leave having taken issue with their boss that doesn’t set well with a new coach or staff.
    Papadakis face is not on the wall because of his and Pete Arbogast dislike of one another
    Gillick was a very shrewd GM…. he hosed the LAA back in 1992 being traded for Luis Sojo to the Blue Jays. LAA GM Mike Port didn’t think to do a pre-trade medical exam. Turned out he needed rotator cuff surgery…played 18 games…career over. The Jay would win back-to-back Word Series in 1992 and 1993 with Gillick as GM

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    1. Agreed soviet.

      Listened to a podcast yesterday and heard Keely and Ryan say there are a lot of “pundits” who were calling for certain QB’s to play who never attended any practices. That’s certainly the case for our friend Scott.

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      1. Yea Scott is great as trying to piss on anything USC. Helton is bozo being loyal to Max Browne and prick for picking Slovis over Sears and Fink. It Scotts world you can have it both ways as long as it paints USC in a bad light.

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      3. Keely and Ryan, two reporters who actually attend practices, talk to coaches, talk to players, you know….they report what’s actually happening.

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      4. The sunshine pumpers report what their readers want to read, and the brain dad rah rah’s, like you, apparently like to read bullshit from ass kissing reporters

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      5. And you would rather read fiction from a second rate blogger using second hand info, wait…. that what he does at his very best. His typical report involves anonymous players and coaches.

        Keely and Ryan actually talk to former players and coaches and have them on their podcasts. Not real anonymous.

        But go ahead, be wrong.

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      6. Sorry, Chris – I neglected to put the name of that Blue Jay the LAA traded for – Kelly Gruber…..I have such mixed emotions re. the team this year – I want them to win but I also so want change at both AD and head coach.

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      8. That clown Ryan Abraham and that senile old fool Dan Weber or whatever his name is were saying that Sears looked good in Fall practice. They reported that his pass completion rate was better than the other QB’s, they were reporting on all the interceptions J.T. Daniels kept throwing. Those idiots were going so far as to put out stats that showed Sears was having a better showing than the other three Trojan QB’s.

        Those clowns Abraham and Weber were giving the impression that it was a two man race between Sears and Daniels for the starting QB job, Slovis wasn’t a factor in their reporting.

        Then Graham “Abba Zabba” Harrell comes out and praises Kedon Slovis and has him listed as the #2 and all of a sudden those two Tunnel Vision Bozo’s fall right in line like the good little Sunshine Pumpers they are and start talking up Slovis like they knew all along that he was going to be #2 on the depth chart.

        And that Keely whatever the hell her name is, is just as bad. She has gone so far as to say that Sears and Fink should have started packing their bags like yesterday because there’s obviously no place or future for them at USC. What a fucking cunt she is!

        Keely whatever the hell her name is, her big teeth looking like Mr. Ed. Hell, they should strap a saddle to her back and trot her around the Coliseum like Traveler and no one would know the difference, with the lone exception being that she’s more full of shit than Traveler’s stall.

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      9. tebow —-maybe don’t lump Dan and Keely together (please don’t read too much into that last sentence). Keely knows that Helton is not the guy —she said it all last year. If you listen to Keely on her podcast you’ll find her to be first rate football smart—-and very critical of the way Helton is handling the offense (no, make that the whole team). As for Dan, his reporting philosophy is to take the path of least resistance —-right up to the point logic & reality FORCE him off that path (as they did last year during the Cal game)….
        #…&NotThatItMatters,KeelyIsLovely

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      11. Dan Weber has JT Daniels Bean bag is his mouth. Maybe that’s why he mumbles. I’ve never seen a journalist campaign so much for a guy who throws this many picks. That dude actually thinks 7 on 7 like practices are good enough to evaluate a starter. How about last years stats?

        Against (Texas, ND, Utah, Stanford) teams that will hit you JT Daniels choked.
        (2 Td’s 5 Int’s)

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    2. I like the fact that WOLF points out we were lied to again by hellton and SD fake AD…there are no real new position coaches, THERE ARE NO REAL PHYSICAL PRACTICES…just more fake ones and coaches that are puppets…real coaches do argue with their head coach,especially when they are in a OC /Q/B coach position…GH is another loser hellton puppet…

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  2. You really need to ask why Petros isn’t recognized? Because he’s a jackass. And his dad’s old restaurant sucked too btw.

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    1. Petros has the guts to publicly recognize SC for being a disgrace. Furthermore, he”s not an arrogant punk like Arbogast.

      “How do you do?” Not very well because SC is a corrupt joke.

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      2. The more I think about it, the more I respect Petros Papadakis for exposing the idiocy, greed and corruption at SC.

        p.s. – Hey Pudly, it’s time for you to report for piss boy duty.

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      1. May I answer that one, gt? It’s because Papadakis created a great atmosphere, was a wonderfully engaging host and the place epitomized the golden years for USC. [And I think all that provides a backdrop for Petros’ profound disappointment with the current goings on]…….
        #I’dLikeToSeePetros’CriticsTakeTheBallInFromThe3YardLine…..
        #..WithNoBlocking,AllOnTheirOwn….

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    3. Harry you are a complete asshole. Papadakis was a very good Greek
      restaurant. Keep your mouth shut instead of being an idiot. How many times did you eat there? The restaurant really missed you being open
      for a very long # of years.

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    4. He doesn’t belong in the coliseum or Galen Center. He actually thought he could p*ss on USC during the day and then show up to P.A. during the evenings.
      We know how that turned out.

      #NotUpInHere!

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  3. Scott gets called out for his petty negativity and for never being at practices yet still spouting like he knows what’s happening there. His response? Lynn Swann signing autographs. Classic Scott, what a wanker.

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  5. “The only way Daniels loses his job is if Helton loses his.”

    Anyone who follows college football could’ve came up with that prediction. Good stuff.

    InsideUSC(theParkingLot).blog

    So who should start as qb for the Trojans SW?
    Not JT Daniels you say?
    You say no to Kedon Slovis as 2nd stringer although you report that he’s only at #2 because Sears and Fink are leaving correct? So why do you have to knock him for the head coaches decisions?
    I’m gonna reach out to some of those pictured in the Randy Johnson football game and dig up some dirt about you SW.
    It’s over for you bro!
    Over!

    Just playing with ya man, calm down.
    It’s all good.
    But look out for Mr. Daniels and Mr. Slovis from now on. I would imagine they don’t agree with all this “Inside” stuff that’s being “reported”.

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      1. I can’t help but notice there’s not many kids playing with you these days. Was it the same locked up in County?

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      4. Yeah it is, but that’s a high star rating in any conference. Although not necessarily th top ranked.

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      5. Tim –true! [But I’m still surprised we’re on top]……
        #NoExcuseForThisGroupToBePushedAllOverFieldByUtah….

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      7. Pac12 used the 24/7 high school rankings for these linemen. Trojans will be starting one five star, three 4*, and a three star with a high 4 star backup at tackle.
        Of course EJ Price was a 5* too and how that worked out.

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  7. Taylor Mays interview on Tunnel Vision, he basically said Trojan football players are soft due to Clay Helton’s no-pads practices.

    Mays also hinted that Trojan players feel a sense of entitlement.

    Mays also said that coaches shouldn’t try and change USC football, but instead should embrace the brand and style that made Trojan football great.

    Clay Helton is not the right head coach for USC is the big takeaway stated by Mays in the interview.

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  8. Its obvious that some loyalist got on the phone last night about how too much truth was being spread on this site. So four or five pumpers volunteered to try to put out the fire.
    Boys……defending this mess makes you look small. We have gotten to the point where some say 7 wins means we should keep an incompetent coach……please…..think about the kids for just one minute……not your 4 million per year coach or all the rest of the folks milking the organization. We are destroying the futures of kids who have no idea. It is our obligation to get better. Not to defend the undefendable.
    So go ahead and hate me or others. We carry the banner of what is right and honorable so we will fight on……until we make every recruit the best he can be. It will never be perfect but this is just sad.

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    1. You don’t do anything for recruits. You post on a blog. Sorry to burst your bubble.

      But I can see why you like Scott, you both feel you are more important than you actually are.

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    2. It’s hard [make that ‘it should be hard’] for Scott’s critics to ignore the fact that Scott called bulls**t on Sark and Helton before anyone else and that he reported earlier than anybody else that Sam knew how to sling the ball around way better and faster than Browne. Unlike a lot of others on site I want to give hard working and talented J. T. a chance to redeem himself this year —but anyone who thinks Helton isn’t a tin horn general has not been paying attention. And it’s not Scott’s fault for pointing it out —-it’s Haden and Swann’s fault for allowing this charade to go on (and extending Helton’s contract so that he could go on second guessing his Offensive Coordinators is plain nuts).

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      1. He also called bull…. before everyone else on Pete Carroll. How’d that work out. You throw enough rocks, ones bound to hit the ground. Big deal.
        scottie has taken to bending and inventing the truth and lost what little credibility he had..

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      2. Pudly —I’m the first one to agree that Scott’s prone to hits over truth (oh, crap —I sound like Biden) but he’s been more right than wrong about Helton. Helton routinely puts a happy face on situations that need attention —his 2 year long defense of Callaway hurt the team immeasurably. So did his allegiance to Browne and Toa. I understand and sympathize with your wanting to tone down the Helton criticism for the sake of team morale — but I think it’s okay for one person (Scott) to tell the unvarnished truth about him. I see the look on Helton’s face when he gets challenged just the least tiny bit at a presser —-and it’s not the look of a strong manager. It’s the look of a scared man. It’s the look you see on that photo Scott runs all the time. I don’t think the players should have to see that look on the sidelines. Helton should take a back seat and let Harrell and Clancy do their jobs. I think we’d all be better off —even Helton.

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      4. Well, when it comes to Helton….. even Scott would admit that when it comes to a lot of other stuff, he plays the agitator…..
        #…ButThat’sWhatMakesItAFunSite….

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      5. giving him another chance is at a great expense…you are wrong but being wrong is human , so it is your choice just like helltons

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  9. All of So called Trojan Experts who are criticizing Scott should take a step back
    And chill out.
    Scott gives you a platform to voice your
    Support or criticisms..
    He sees it like it is..
    Face it, USC stinks, Swann Stinks, Helton
    Really Stinks!
    Your unconditional support for Helton is amazing! Considering his coaching record,
    Recruiting stats, NFL draft selectees,
    You guys are either very Blind to what’s happening at USC Football, have a Relative on the Current team, stupid enough to buy a season ticket for a poor product on the field,
    A person friend of Helton or Swann or really don’t know your ass from a hole in the ground about USC Football!!
    Do you guys really think USC is heading in the right direction?
    If you do, then you’re blind to the truth!
    USC will never get back to its deserved elite
    Status until the New President fires these
    Incompetent twits and hires a great Head Coach that knows how to recruit and win!
    Fires Auto signing, oblivious to his Department failings AD Swann.
    Personally, I think if you don’t like Scott’s
    Blogs, Go somewhere else and start your own column.. Write what You think..
    Put it out in front of everybody and see
    If you like to be criticized!
    Until then, go crawl back under you rock!!

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    1. He brings it on himself. He can certainly be critical without crossing lines. But he doesn’t. He’s a jerk, unprofessional, and a hack through and through. He deserves all that he gets.

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  10. Clay Helton and USC will be lucky if attendance for the Trojans season opener next week vs Fresno St. draws 50,000.

    I’m thinking it will be more along the lines of 45,000. 10,000 of those will be Fresno St. fans.

    The game will be nationally televised. A half filled Coliseum should mark the beginning of the end for Clay Helton and Lynn Swann.

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  11. Not really defending Helton or JT, but from what I’ve heard from other reports is that Sears didn’t throw many interceptions because he would rather take off running.

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    1. …And ‘taking off’ defeats the whole idea of the Air Raid —under Harrell you need a QB “who can find the open guy” —-that is the core to the Air Raid offensive philosophy. Sears is a talented guy who didn’t fit Harrell’s offense —a fact that Harrell pointed out early in the spring. It was up to Sears to adapt…..and he didn’t.

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      3. 22, do you think Sears seems like the kind of guy that just gives up? I don’t. I think he thought he’d win and gave it his best shot.

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      1. Agreed, gt. Unless the o-line undergoes a personality transplant, it won’t matter who the QB is. What you’re really saying is the Air Raid can’t work under this o-line and Drevno….. that we’d be better off with an improvising, dual threat QB. Only time will tell if that’s the case (but, let’s face it, even if it looks like that’s the better option —-Helton will not let Sears play —it would make him look way too dumb if Sears came in and won games his way).

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    3. I read sears was 20 of22 in last scrimmage…you will never see jt run for a first down ,he will take a knee first and surrender

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  12. One thing I know for sure, is that Lynn Swann will go into hiding when Fresno State kicks USC’s ass up, and down the field. That cock sucking bastard will be lost for words , and anything that comes out of his mouth at that point, will make him look like the Dumb Ass that he is. And that’s what happens when you defend someone who’s obviously an idiot, like Clueless Clay, Bozo Helton 😂

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  13. WHAT THE HELL?

    LOL!

    There were no 10,000 in attendance for the scrimmage, not even close!

    Hell, Lynn Swann and Clay Helton may not draw 35,000 vs Fresno St.

    There are flames coming off Clay Helton’s Hot Seat.

    Good Heavens…this prolonged mess that Swann signed off on by extending Helton’s contract is going to get ugly, real ugly…real quick!

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    1. Yes, Helton is in the hot seat. Yes, USC should be worried about attendance this year (btw, that will change if they win their first 2 games).
      But the photo you posted doesn’t prove anything —the coliseum could look that way at the goal line and there could still be 70,000 people in attendance……..

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      1. @MG

        I didn’t post a photo, it’s a video and if you had bothered to watch it instead of running your stupid Helton Humping Sunshine Pumping mouth, you would have noticed that when the camera panned the stadium and showed those in attendance, there were nowhere near the number of people sitting in the stands as was reported.

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  17. Here are thosr clowns Ryan Abraham and Dan Weber just a couple of days leading up to that Fall Scrimmage Showcase Sham discussing J.T. Daniels and the lack of leadership he displayed in Fall practice.

    Both saying that Helton and Harrell were frustrated with Daniels and his inability to be a leader on the field. They go onto say that basically if Daniels doesn’t get the importance of leadership than it may be time to go with one of the other QB’s.

    Those two aforementioned Tunnel Vision clowns weren’t sold on Daniels just days before Helton named him the starting QB.

    https://247sports.com/college/usc/Article/usc-trojans-football-2019-fall-camp-jt-daniels-jack-sears-matt-fink-kedon-slovis-clay-helton-graham-harrell-clancy-pendergast-134424672/

    That’s the problem for Sunshine Pumpers, these podcasts the rah rah’s put out are the detriment to the lies they tell after the fact.

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    1. In the podcast listed above this Dan Weber clown even admits that J.T. Daniels wasn’t capable of making audibles and that it’s a problem.

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      1. You’re either a total idiot or a straight up liar…Dan said JT wasn’t allowed/couldn’t make audibles because of Tee. You’re such a dolt. God, this place sucks so bad owns is the best troll here. Sad day.

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      2. Jesus…you’ll go down lying and trying to force your narrative because JT slighted you one day while you were cleaning jocks in the locker room.

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  18. Was at gym this morning and they had one of the myriad college football segments on – this one featuring one of the biggest clown/propagandists who has been part of the ESPN/SEC anti-USC coverage for over a decade (Paul Finebaum) – when asked about the Pac-12 he demonstrated that he isn’t stupid (noted how awful Larry Scott and the Pac-12 network have been)…also said “USC football has been an embarrassing joke” the last couple of years…whatever position you want to take on this site, vis-a-vis the blogger, the pro or con current situation…this is the objective reality…

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    1. James, thanks for posting.

      Perhaps only “an embarrassing joke” for the last year. But it definitely feels longer than that.

      #WillSlovisBeTheNextDarnold?

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      3. Yes he has (and did at times last year as well – even many of the Mr. Magoos in the NFL (wretch) press have acknowledged it…

        Delivery from the Patriots may finally be at hand for those on that imprisoned isle known as the AFC East…

        Referencing discussion with MG yesterday – there is a good bit of Arthurian legend there…

        A fearsome dragon, but if anyone’s going to do it, it will be him.

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      4. James, great point. Sam has all the intangibles in terms of leadership and moxie to go with his arm. Fingers crossed for him.

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  19. Whatever the relative merits of the back and forth here (and I am not immune from having taken a small part in), hope for the best for the current players…I’m on record as not being a fan of the current regime and don’t think the program will be right again without a complete housecleaning (and from what I’ve gathered I believe you are also of that opinion – if not, apologies, not attempting to be suggestive)…so in a way I’m inclined to think it needs to get worse before it gets better…but that doesn’t mean I don’t want the best for the current players…and, if (MG – if!)…IF!…this staff affects a miracle…then good for them…but…guess we’ll see soon!

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    1. Yep, James. This debate over whether we have what it takes this year is not like the debate over free will or the existence of God —- (both of which I believe in , by the way) —this one will get answered in August/September…
      #MyGuessIsWeScoreMorePointsThanLastYear….
      #WhetherThat’sEnoughIsASeparateQuestion…

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      3. Tim:
        Guessing I’m not alone in this, but that line will never cease to make me sick…
        I don’t think we’ll be waiting for November…think we’ll see enough by the end of game 2 to know…
        But only one way to get from here to there…
        James

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      4. That line makes me even sicker, James —-cuz I don’t think it referred to the state of the football team. I think it was Helton saying to the fans, “wait til November …you’ll see I’m gonna be here for the indefinite future.”

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  20. Stop with Jack Sears. He’s not that good, You’ll go down in flames screaming about him because you think he’s built better. SW said that. Anyone can watch his ASU game and tell he got lucky on 60% of his completions.

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