FOOTBALL

USC Setting Itself Up For Rocky 2021

I had a conversation with a friend this morning, where I said the big fear should be that Clay Helton wins enough games next season to save his job. Or retain the support of Carol Folt, which is the same thing.

The problem is it will set up a potentially rocky 2021 because that is when these indifferent recruiting classes start catching up with USC.

You will see even worse offensive and defensive linemen playing in 2021.

The hope is USC loses enough games to fire Helton this season. But the Pac-12 is not a good conference. Helton also has better assistant coaches now. And Kedon Slovis is not JT Daniels.

Throw in Helton’s reputation as the luckiest man alive with no accountability and it is not far-fectched to see him surviving next season. Also, Coach Bohn probably wouldn’t mind keeping him and having an “I told you so” moment to fans if USC does not implode next season.

But what kind of future does USC have if Helton returns?

You could have three straight poor recruiting classes by USC standards with Helton in command. We’ve already seen Korey Foreman (No. 1 player in the nation) and Beaux Collins (No. 24) select Clemson. The SEC and Oregon keep raiding Southern California too.

USC is digging a hole that gets deeper and deeper for itself to climb out of and that makes it even less attractive for potential coaching replacements.

Things are bad right now but could be worse in 2021.

27 thoughts on “USC Setting Itself Up For Rocky 2021”

  1. The SC admin and Helton are living in their own little bubble. This morning, Keyshawn Johnson spoke about meeting Bohn’s assistant at the Rose Bowl, and exchanging contact information, and that Keyshawn said he would be very happy to help out with football. Nothing from Bohn. Not a word, not even an acknowledgement of receiving Keyshawn’s cell number.

    I don’t understand Helton. The buyout would have him set financially for life. If he wanted to coach again, he could spend a couple of years visiting different programs and learning, and then offering to coach as an assistant somewhere. Guessing that he is delusional at this point.

    What he, Bohn, and Folt are doing now will not end well for any of them, or anyone else for that matter, other than Trojan opponents.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. How is it not turning out well for them? They are all millionaires, they are shedding meddlesome alumni and Boosters and changing USC into The Stanford of the West just as they planned.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      4. Funny, but I thought Stanford was in the West. Guess they need a geography lesson or try one of the following handles:
        1- Stanford of the SouthWest;
        2- Harvard/Yale [insert preference here] of the West

        PS: If they follow the Stanford model, they wouldn’t have scholarship restrictions in many of the non-revenue sports, which may be a good thing. But that would entail that they give way more scholarships to all students, so that costs money, which they want to keep for themselves rather than share ergo it would be a no-go.

        Like

  2. Wanna know how dumb Bohn is? Think about this: Helton has convinced him that —if he wins the Pac 12 South —recruiting will skyrocket (or, as Helton would put it, he’ll “garner” a better class). The problem with that logic? Recruits don’t give a flying shit whether he wins the Pac 12 South or not. The ONLY thing that will alter USC’s recruiting at this point is a NEW, BIG NAME Coach.
    #HopeBohnRecallsHelton’sBigPromisesWhenHeGetsHisAssFired…

    Liked by 7 people

    Reply

    1. Bohn knows that as well. It’s not some sort of secret. Bohn is sharper than anyone on here gives him credit for. He totally understands Clay is inferior and we are hemorrhaging recruits, fans, dollars, etc. His decision to keep Clay was from above, not his own (my opinion). He’s trying to make chicken salad right now until he can get rid of him (again my opinion). If a bunch of commenters on message boards like you and I can point out all the glaring problems with our team, so can Bohn. Now we just wait and see if he can come through with changes. I think the info leaked to Plaschke is the plan. I also think he could have canned all of the mess in the department and the football coach, but apparently Folt disagrees.

      No matter how well we do next year, if Clay stays we know the fix is in. My grace meter is just about burnt up, I suppose yours was long ago. That’s understandable.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      2. Guess why most of us are questioning Coach Bohn’s intellect or balls is because – why would he leave Cincinnati [where he had success, comfortable lifestyle and no/less stress] for SC [more money, prestige BUT way more stress] unless he was in control of his destiny [ie he’s running the show in the AD].
        Now maybe Coach Folt lied to him [I know this is a stretch] and he’s in no-man’s land so he’s making the best of it. But the football program is becoming less attractive by the sday for a proven winning coach, who when hired will most likely replace the staff again. How much do you think that will cost. From a financial pint of view, they would have been better off biting the bullett this season rather than down the road, especially when you take into account lost revenue and donations from keeping Clay.

        Like

  3. This was the year to have made the change. There is still a lot of talent on the roster. If an HC change had been made in December, then there was a chance that the future decline associated with this year’s recruiting class would have been mild. But every year that Helton stays means another 2 years to restore the program – assuming that a really top coach is hired.

    Liked by 6 people

    Reply

    1. 67 — It’s clear that you’re exactly right. How can Bohn not see that keeping Helton is gonna get him fired? Or that cutting Helton loose after Alabama and making Harrell or Orlando head coach is gonna get him fired? Or that playing fall guy for Folt is gonna get him publicly castrated (and eventually fired)?

      Liked by 5 people

      Reply

    1. Megatron — Even if USC doesn’t (completely) implode on the field in 2020, USC recruiting will continue to implode in 2021…..
      #It’sJustAMatterOfTime….
      #HowCanBohnBeSoStupid?
      #HeNeedsABigTimeCoach…
      #…IfHe’s”NotAllowed”ToGetOne,HeNeedsToCallUSC’sBluff…
      #…AndSay’Adios’

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  5. The fact of the matter is Helton is not going anywhere. He could have been fired for multiple years but was not. Just going to have to run the course of his contract is all.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  6. I can see USC losing 7 games next season, because Arizona State, and Stanford will be vastly improved. Then there’s Alabama, Notre Dame, Washington, Oregon, and somebody could sneak up on them.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. USC won’t fall into a PC hire again to save itself, Meyer is out there and Folt already said no, same for Stoops.

    USC football is dead, get used to it.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  8. USC doesn’t really need the biggest name, it needs a competent coach that coaches football for a top power brand.

    Helton could have gotten a competent OC that controlled the ball, had a strong run and passing game, got talented block/catch/run guys at the skill positions, an athletic QB, and kept his best recruiting coaches. Helton could have even taken Chow up on his offer and looked like a genius. Controlling the ball, running the ball and big play ability covers for a lot of sins.

    The list of DCs and staff Helton has run through are really casualties of a coach’s system and paranoia. Having an athletic, aggressive talented disciplined defense is all you need on that side of the ball. It’s the side that demands more culture and talent over scheme and it dictates less of the game.

    Worth mentioning is the 3rd phase, special teams. Baxter was a decent ST coach. But he fell into the Helton cultural trap of no accountability.

    Now Helton’s run his name into the mud. SC needs a bigger name but it isn’t Meyer or bust, Meyer would just do things quicker.

    And stop with the PC stuff. PC was good because of his culture, generally clear goals, and his willingness (up to a point) to employ the best people. SC gave PC the chance to really refocus on what he did well, i.e. be a CEO. Even PC’s ego tripping at the end made him a better coach for the NFL. No one ever accused him of being an Xs and Os genius, but those are people who can be hired.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  9. Holy Shit!
    News out of USC Football continues to embarrassing and disappointing!
    10th in the Pac12 and 54th Nationally in recruiting.
    No QB’s and only 1 out of the top 25 California players chose SC.
    It will take years to recover, if ever..
    The Administration seems to marginalized Football and there’s no urgency to stop the bleeding.
    My Coach, John McKay, would be truly pissed off and dumbfounded!
    My other Coach, Marv Goux, would be storming the President’s office and demanding change!!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  10. When it is convenient, SW talks up the verbal commitments of players leaving SoCal. When good players do commit, SW says that USC recruits itself, that the player was a life- long Trojan fan and would’ve committed if Mickey Mouse were coach, or some other excuse to minimize a commitment. SW, you are detriment to SC football. A hater. A wannabe.

    I get it, we all do – Helton stinks. Throw enough mud against the wall and something will stick.

    If Drake Jackson improves significantly, Foreman could flip. Beaux is a loss, but this is SoCal where finding a good WR is like trying to find sunshine.

    SW, stop whining.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  12. CH goes into a coaches meeting, other coaches in their mind are probably saying, “what a douchebag” “what a boob”, “dumbass” ,”can’t believe he got an extension with a 20mill buyout” ,”idiot”,”i’m F’ed”,”incompetent f***k”,”what a dumb AD, but I’m getting paid for one more season.” ” Please retain HIM I want to get paid one more season before i say goodbye to this clown show.”

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  13. The part you have to give credit to Helton for is he has fooled everyone to keep him on for millions a year? Wheres Bernie Sanders on this one?

    Like

    Reply

  14. I don’t get all the hate here? Folks, this is an amateur sport for student athletes. Football is as meaningless as majoring in cinematography. Bohn knows Helton is a winner, proven by his record and the fact he’s developed Sam Darnold, Jurrell Casey, and personally advised Everton Griffith that it was pointless to go 100% in college ball. He personally recruited more 5 star athletes than Chip Kelly, Mike Leach, and PJ Fleck, if you don’t understand why he’s not been fired then you just don’t get big picture stuff. USC is for academics and social climbing. I’m sick of all the complaints. Ask these elite players like Amon St Brown, Kedon Slovis, The Drakes, and Damian Lopez if Helton is the best coach ever and the nicest most righteous man they’ve known since birth. Bru McCoy and Chris Steele will tell you “Coach makes practice fun. He wants us to not worry about hitting because violence has no place on God’s glorious field. Again, he’s a winner and hypothetically he’s one of the most respected USC coaches ever as I pointed out by ex players and current players. Let alone, you can smoke a bowl before practice and play grab ass and still get playing time.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment

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