FOOTBALL

USC Morning Buzz: Some Things That Bother Me This Week

Here’s a few things that have rubbed me the wrong way this week:

USC says it will be 6-0 for the first time since 2006 if it beats Oregon.

This is true but one of many disingenuous stats USC puts out that demean past teams. None of those teams had cushy Pac-12 only schedules. Would this team be on the verge of 6-0 if it played Alabama in the first game? What would the mood be if USC lost to Notre Dame in its final game this season?

  • The media-industrial complex wants to anoint Talanoa Hufanga as a great safety after he had 17 tackles, a forced fumble and interception against UCLA.

Remember this is USC. A great safety is Charles Phillips. He had 13 interceptions in his career. He still has a piece of the school record with three pick-six touchdowns. One was against No. 5-ranked Notre Dame in 1974. Not some run-of-the-mill Pac-12 team.

Former USC safety Tim McDonald had 11 career interceptions. Hufanga has four interceptions, all this season.

Now it is true this is only Hufanga’s third season and it’s a short season. But Phillips only played three years and I’m guessing teams passed a lot less in those days.

I’m only mentioning these two because it’s likely some people didn’t see or don’t remember them playing. There are obviously many others.

Hufanga is good. But by USC standards, not yet great.

  • Would Brandon Pili have been better off opting out of the season? He was billed by some as the best returning defensive tackle once Jay Tufele turned pro but broke his finger right before the season-opener vs. Arizona State.

Pili made two tackles against Utah and those were his only tackles of the season. He hasn’t started a game all season.

It might not hurt his draft stock because it’s a crazy season but it hasn’t helped returning either.

46 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Some Things That Bother Me This Week”

    1. You could spend the entire week giving your honest opinion on a variety of topics and there is no way you can top the accuracy of your take on Little Snarky Scotty in this one statement of yours. That’s just in his dna — like most Debby Downers, he can’t help himself.

      Liked by 1 person

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      3. What people miss sometimes is: all the fun blogs are about what bothers the blogger —all the worst blogs are about ‘things that make me cry tears of happiness.’

        Liked by 4 people

      4. Yes Michael, but a little balance would improve Scotty’s image/readability IMO. I really have started to doubt if he’s capable of acknowledging good play/improvement — just not part of his psyche.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. You know who bothered that girl Talanoa Hufanga?

      That no star Arizona RB that trucked that girl Tanya Hufanga and knocked her on her ass, out of the game to where she couldn’t see straight for a week.

      Tanya Hufanga is a God Damn embarrassment. She got trucked by a no star Arizona RB that she outweighed by 30 lbs. and now these fucking clowns want to anoint Tanya Hufanga the next Ronnie Lott.

      LMFAO!

      OH MY SIDE HURTS FROM LAUGHING SO MUCH!

      AHA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

      GOD FUCKING DAMN…NOW I’VE SEEN EVERYTHING! WOW!

      Like

      Reply

  4. Did scottie look at the 2006 schedule? This team could well be 6-0 vs that schedule, as the only OOC teams were a run only Razorback squad and a husker team that was irrelevant. Oh, and the cushy Pac12 teams.
    How does Huf stack up against those guys? You can’t compare safeties based on INTs, they are asked to do different things and play different roles. Hug has played more at LB the past three games than at safety. But you be you scottie, all the others are wrong and only you’re (and swanson) are right.

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      1. In Corvallis?
        Quizz Rogers and his older brother shredded the Vaunted Trojans all day long. As I recall, Quizz was so diminutive (height) that he could hide behind his O-line until he hit the second level and was then gone…..

        Liked by 1 person

    2. And while we’re talking about 2006, how’d they do vs a subpar ruin team? Did they win? Almost come from 2 scores down to pull it out?

      Nah, they couldn’t score 2TDs period. 13-9 ruins. And scottie would lead you to believe that team deserves the greater accolades? Funny stuff.

      Liked by 4 people

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      1. These last couple of replies involved research!
        #ThinkOfConsequencesForAChange….
        #WhatIfEverybodyDidThis?
        #[WhatKindOfWorldWouldItBe]?!

        Liked by 3 people

      5. Those 2 games and season still hurt. Stupid ass Lame Lame calling a lame fade route. 2 yards from the end zone at the end of the game to Steve Smith also getting jobed by the refs against Oregon st.
        Then John David Booty gets hurt with a fractured hand during the UCLA game. Does Pete Carroll run the ball for the rest of the game with Chauncey Washington and co.? Or take him out so he can throw deep with Sanchez sitting on the bench? No, he leaves Booty in when he can’t really throw it more then 10 yards. Keeps on throwing almost every play in the 2nd half. The play calling didn’t make any sense. Lane and Pete had their heads somewhere else that game. The only thing I can think of, is that they were trying to get John David Booty the Heisman that year. USC lost 13-9. No chance of playing for the Natty!

        Liked by 5 people

      6. Thanks for picking that scab for me…let’s talk about that stanfurd game next…you know the one where we were 40+ pt faves.
        Actually let’s not.🙈

        Liked by 3 people

      7. Yeah. Great. Now harmonize quantum mechanics with the theory of relativity, Albert, and we’re good to go….
        P. S.
        Smartest thing he ever said was, “there is a power behind every known power.” Strong nuclear force, weak nuclear force, electro magnetism and gravity ain’t the whole picture.

        Liked by 2 people

    3. The passing game is so much more advanced and the players so much more advanced in 2020 than in the 1970’s.

      I don’t recall a bunch of 6’4″ 4.40 40dash 40 inch vert leap WR’s in the 1970’s. –think Bambi and not Megatron.
      Back in the 70’s, safeties just sat back and followed the QB’s eyes to their likely only target and converged. Heck, Slovis is on option #3 by 1.5 seconds.*
      I don’t think Joe Kapp ever looked to target #2.

      Many of us recall JR 1 hiring first Hackett and then Tollner to bring a “first class” QB coach to Tailback U. It was about getting Vince Evans to excel–and it worked (to some degree).

      *Pardon my hyperbole

      Liked by 5 people

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      1. Absolutely right. And one safety plays “center field” and another run supports..
        BTW, last year Huff only had 18 tackles vs the ruins. What safety holds the record for most tackles against the brubabes?

        Liked by 3 people

      2. Oh, and sometime in the 80’s both CFB and the NFL changed the rules incredibly to allow the passing game to flourish. I think it happened soon after the GB-Detroit game ended 2-0. There also was a 3-2 game in the NFL about that time.

        Linemen were then allowed to hold the pass rushers. (Bruce and Donnie recorded endless pancake blocks in 1982 without the opportunity to hold and wrestle the DL to the ground.)
        DB’s couldn’t touch the WR beyond 5 yards, etc. (Remember when you could chuck the WR all down the field until the QB released the ball?)
        If a DB didn’t “look back” for the ball then he was “face guarding” and PI was called.

        Etc, Etc.

        It is impossible to compare FB players across these decades, so stop trying.
        I AM TOTALLY on board with reminiscing about past successful teams and athletes, however.

        #pardonmywonk

        Liked by 4 people

      3. One last point is the protection afforded the QBs that don’t allow hits after release. In the old days (60’s & 70’s) defenders were able to follow thru on tackles and take two steps after the throw. Heck how many times did you se a QB get clobbered two steps out of bounds?

        Liked by 4 people

  5. And here’s one for ya… Keyshawn rips Bohn a new one for…..wait for it!

    Not knowing what being a Trojan is about‼️

    Liked by 4 people

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    1. Dumb ass Wolf should of wrote an article ripping Bohn for not doing his job. Like Keyshawn Johnson did. Instead he goes after a player who had one of the best games of his life against the cross town rivals, UCLA. You are fucin pathetic Wolfman. The only one who likes this article is that pos tebowobama. He got all moist reading it. This article sucks! Stop fucin hating. No wonder they don’t want you anywhere near USCs campus. You earned your it with trash hating articles like this one.

      Liked by 1 person

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    2. Thanks for sharing this Pudly, because the pathetic blogger couldn’t write an article about it. He would rather write like a school paper journalist and hate on players. Absolutely pathetic! Nothing but nonsense.

      Liked by 1 person

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  6. Why is Wolf going after one of the heroes of Saturday. The kid was recognized nationally as playing an outstanding game. USC has a football heritage of great players at every position. This kid will be one of them. An anyone imagine being Wolfs friend? What a negative Nelly all the time. Be thankful Wolf you are covering a great football program and school.

    Liked by 3 people

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  8. C’mon MAN. Give these kids a break. Who knows what would have happened against Notre Dame, it’s speculation. harping on the missed games won’t change them. Enjoy the ride. Let the kids enjoy their success. Hufanga is a football player no matter who came before him. That doesn’t even matter. Can you compare Secretariat and Justify? Well, maybe their times, but when put head to head, how do you know? Stop denigrating everyone because Clay Helton is awful and we are stuck with him. Everyone knows he’s a joke and laughs at us and is happy he is still with us. But these are good football players. LET THEM PLAY football.

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    1. I will readily admit that JO offered a sincere congrats to his Trojan malefactors shortly after the end of game time on Saturday Night. He was thoroughly upset with the Chipper giving away the game–which I think is an apt assessment. Irrespective, the Chipper put up 570 (0r so) yards on the Trojans. The Chipper just got a little too cute and it cost him the game. He won’t make the same mistake next year.

      I’d like to see the Chipper leave UCLA, because I do fear that he will rebuild the program into a contender for the LSFBS* Pac12 South crown (of brambles).

      *Larry Scott Football subdivision–not quite D1 but not quite D1a

      Liked by 2 people

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  11. My thought the other day when USC posted that we were 5-0 for the first time since … was BFD! Helton had five wins total a few years ago and we wanted him gone. The perspective in this is that we played two high schools one college a JC from Washington before we came upon a mediocre Ucla. We would have lost that game if our quarterback had listened to his coach. We are four days from being tested…maybe.
    As for not opting out and getting hurt, there is an old saying, which I just made up, “Don’t complain about next year until we see what this year brings,” or something like that.

    Liked by 1 person

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