I think it’s say to say many of the USC fan sites have already been won over by the offseason changes. Six new assistant coaches and a graphics designer but some other support staff hires did the trick.
Of course, most of the fan sites were won over by the changes made last offseason too.
It’s a natural response to be supportive when you are a fan site.
Since I think nine victories is realistic next season, I guess that can viewed as an endorsement of the changes.
But I believe USC is a program that shuld annually contend for the College Football Playoff. And I know that cannot happen under Clay Helton.
I think Helton can still override some of the changes with his lack of leadership, and I think it’s dangerous to simply have an attitude of “let’s move on” regarding Helton.
You can’t move on past the leader of the program.
- If you want to say USC will be better next season because it signed Evan Mobley, the No. 2-ranked player in the nation, I’m skeptical.
For one thing, is Onyeka Okongwu coming back despite being projected as a lottery pick? Equally important, basketball experts tell me Mobley is not going to make the impact Okongwu has this season. And Okongwu’s impact has been dampened by Andy Enfield’s refusal to run an offense through the talented freshman.
InsideUSC with Scott Wolf 
USC’s new football staff COULD move past Helton this season —but they’ll need Bohn’s help…
#”Coach,WeNeedYouToTakeAKnee….WeGotIt”
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Sadly I dont know the first few games on the schedule this season. Clay Helton will do that to ya. But if he gets blown out by Bama (haaa if) and loses game 2 or 3 he might be calling it a career at USC. I hope Bohn has some plan and is ready for that scenario.
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Scott,
I agree with you. I like the hires, but not won over on Helton. I don’t think he decided to let anyone go or had the heavy hand in the hires. Nope not won over, and I am a total homer rah rah.
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We have been down this road as recently as last season and I bought it hook line and sinker. Last season I thought replacing Helton at the offensive coordinator position would improve the team. Boy did I feel like a sucker. If you felt there was significant improvement I can’t help you.
The head coach was still pulling strings and STUPID football followed. Then Helton used the hallmark of all ineffective leaders; He accepted responsibility as he eased the players and coaches under the bus. That the administration viewed this verbal crap as integrity shows their gullibility.
I am not but even a modicum of improvement and do not expect to see it. Until the cancer, which is Helton, is dealt with there will only be the the appearance of improvement, with usual letdown at the end of the day.
I’m Truman and I approve this message!
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Okongwu only took something like 10 shots against Utah. With a depleted lineup, he definitely needed to shoot more than that.
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I am not won over at all. Until i see a better product on the field i will continue to look at it as Bohn putting lipstick on a pig in regards to keeping Helton. Nothing short of beating Alabama will make me believe this coaching staff is good enough to return USC back to prominence. I will not forget the performances against BYU, Oregon and Iowa any time soon.
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I still can’t believe that Helton said the team “is on the cusp of greatness” after getting throttled by Iowa. I mean, who else would say that after that type of loss? Nobody.
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Custer is reported to have said it at the Little Big Horn…
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GT22, perhaps also Yamamoto at the Battle of Midway?
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You are correct 67′ No other coach would say that after letting a team with less talent beat you down like that. The excuses are just gut wrenching. I guess he felt the need to say that crap after promising the fans and players he would have it figured out by November. I guess us fans are the only ones keeping track of all his lies and false promises. Bohn wants us to move on but how can we in good faith?
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Gut wrenching is right. And also excruciatingly slowly. We just keep waiting and waiting. Seems like it has been forever since Darnold was here.
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Several teams will be much more competitive in the PAC 12 next season, but USC will continue to walk in place . Clay Helton will never take the Trojans to another level, because he’s going into his 5th season, and the program is worse off then when he started . The assistant coaches have changed many times under Helton, and it made no difference at all. There’s nothing special about Todd Orlando, he was fired from Texas, where he had all the resources in the world, and still didn’t get it done, but SC fans want to get excited about him ?!! And Sean Snyder couldn’t find a coaching job after his Father retired at Kansas State, so what’s so special about him ??!!
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I am not won over. But I am a smidgen more optimistic about next year than I was at this time last year going into the 2019 season. It is a younger, more energetic staff, so that in itself is an improvement over Clancy’s gang of has-beens and neverwas. But if it’s enough, because the UCLA and ASU will also be a smidgen better, who knows? The Clay Effect says always bet the under. If they can keep Slovis healthy for 12 games, then 9, maybe 10 wins is doable.
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The fish rots from the head, Scott. Bohnerino & Dolt had the chance to fix things – even if they replaced Helton with the dog driving a car in the meme – and they didn’t. It’s baffling that they weren’t willing to eat $20m (reportedly there was even a booster who’d write the check) while possessing a $5.75 billion dollar endowment. Writing that check would wipe out 0.00347826086% percent of their endowment.
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They’d make that buyout back in 2-3 years, maybe less.
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Since they won’t, and don’t -private school thing- release how much of their revenue is a product of butts being in seats / season seats or whatever their called there’s no way to guess how the certain to be much low attendance brought on by fan apathy will hurt their cash flow. They’re going to wear it attendance wise this year. The only desirable game is the Notre Dame game and it’s at the end of the year. The next best game is Washington who’ll bring starting a new QB. And, the UCLA game is in Pasadena. Sooo….
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I do not think the Offensive line can keep a quarterback healthy all season long which is why i am gonna say the Trojans win under 9 games this season.
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A team without an OL goes no where. Bama, Oregon, Washington, Az St, ND, Stanford, Cal, Utah all have at least a reasonable chance to beat us. Some much greater than 50/50.
The talent leaving after this year will not be able to be replaced since two years of recruiting was a bust.
So smoke the admin pipe or hope for a couple of weird games and no injuries…..bama fumbles 6 times, Oregon throw 5 interceptions, Udub runs the ball the wrong way and the rest have some serious injuries.
Helton vs Dabo……….I’d love to see it……….USC plays a new record of 6 QB’s in one game.
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Look I’m no fan of Enfield and think he has no clue how to motivate (or teach how to shoot a free throw despite TV announcers always calling him a “shot doctor”). But Scott this – “And Okongwu’s impact has been dampened by Andy Enfield’s refusal to run an offense through the talented freshman” – is just so wrong. Okongwu IS our entire offense. Watch the games, then you could maybe offer the right kind of criticism.
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