FOOTBALL

Morning Buzz: Can USC Become National Contender Again?

When will USC become a national contender again?

Let’s see: Texas, which is not much different than USC in terms of losing its stature in the past decade, just spent $24 million to get rid of Tom Herman and Co.

USC? It’s hiring an offensive line coach and strength coach.

Oh, and I hear it just added some recruiting staff and will probably put some money into hype videos and name, image and likeness consultants.

Are fans supposed to do a backflip over that?

Carol Folt thinks 5-1 and losing to Oregon is OK. Mike Bohn talks a good game behind the scenes. But there’s no appetite for a bold, expensive move. No desire to tap a mega-booster to pay off Helton and staff. Everyone just shrugs at the thought of a big move.

So is 2021 going to be Helton’s D-Day? Or 2022? Anyone?

  • If you want to see how serious Steve Sarkisian is, let’s see if he hires former assistants like Johnny Nansen and Peter Sirmon. Or if he goes for guys he met from being at Alabama.
  • A year ago, I was talking to former USC players and boosters about Iowa State coach Matt Campbell. Now, he’s being mentioned for the New York Jets job. See what happens when you wait?
  • Let’s hope now that USC officially has five-star defensive end Korey Foreman, he isn’t dropping 30 yards on pass plays next season.

84 thoughts on “Morning Buzz: Can USC Become National Contender Again?”

  1. I don’t think the problem is with Bohn. I think that he wants to bring SC back to the glory days. The problem is the administration….the people Mike Bohn takes orders from. Texas is not the only ones who want to do what it takes to get back to the top. I think UCLA wants to turn the corner with their football team. How much did they spend to get rid of Mora and bring in Kelly. So far it hasn’t worked but at least they seem to be willing to do what it takes to make themselves a top 5 program. SC obviously isn’t willing.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. You’re right about Bohn being hamstrung by the president (who is, herself, hamstrung by the board chairman). But, just the same, I think you’re letting Bohn off the hook way too easily, parcelman. Any effective department head knows how to play his superiors to get what he wants. The fact Bohn continually gets checkmated on the Big Decisions proves he’s not a player.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

      1. Bohn acts like he’s just collecting a paycheck until his contract runs out and he can move on to a school that cares about sports

        Liked by 3 people

      2. Carol Folt is a huge problem. Last Fall, she claimed there were no constraints on searching for a coach. Then, she told Bohn and other administrators that Meyer is “radioactive”.

        She was an awful administrator at UNC, where she was fired. She has no leadership skills, no ability to bring people together. Caruso loves that about her, so he can be de facto president.

        Liked by 3 people

      3. karma –do you think there’s any truth to the rumor running on all the far right sites to the effect covid was invented in a Chinese lab to save Helton’s job and, thereby, bring down America as we know it…?

        Liked by 3 people

      5. Yes, 67……
        #ThereIsMoreToThisHeltonThingThanMeetsTheEye…
        #..AndIBetIt’sWayWorseThanWeCanImagine….
        [I don’t believe these rumors personally —but there are those who claim they have evidence that, for the last year, the person we’ve been calling “Helton” is really Jeffrey Epstein hiding in a Helton body suit]……
        #StrangerThingsHaveHappened…..
        #LikeCallawayAsO-LineCoach

        Liked by 2 people

    2. It doesn’t help that USC is in the midst of multiple national cringe worthy scandals. USC has a bad rep across the country right now (med school, gynecologist, admissions scandals).

      USC is wary to bring on a HC who could bring more bad rep to the school. In that case, it’s easier to keep nice guy Clay and hope he gets it and turns it around, e.g. keep the HC but keep changing the assistants.

      If not for these scandals being around, I think USC might have moved to replace Helton already.

      #Urban’sBaggageWouldn’tMeshWellWithUSC’sCurrentScandals

      #IStillThinkUSCWouldFumbleAHCSearch

      Liked by 4 people

      Reply

      1. No question as to the last hashtag. It’s been a long, long time since USC hired the right person for anything…. it’s even been a long, long time since an outside agent has hired the right person for USC (Korn/Ferry anybody?)…….
        #SureSignInstitutionIsInADeathSpiral

        Liked by 2 people

      2. So righting the ship known as the football program at SC would be a bad idea?. Am I missing something here? Tired of that lame excuse there’s plenty of money to get the football program right. GTFOH with that tired excuse.

        Liked by 4 people

      3. TrojanBoogs,
        USC should fix the football program immediately, no doubt about it. It’s just tricky to do it while looking at an expensive class action lawsuit in the eye (gynecologist patients). I believe the estimate on that pricetag is north of 200 million and last I heard USC’s insurer tried to claim publicly that they were not going to be responsible for it.

        #IWouldHaveFiredHeltonYesterday

        #IWouldHaveHiredUrbanAndGivenHimABlankCheck,Too

        Liked by 2 people

      1. MG, the perfect Dionne Warwick song that expresses all the JO’s love and hate for his sucla football joint must be “Heartbreaker”. lol. Do you remember that song?

        Happy New Year!!

        Like

  5. To answer Scott’s question, no, USC will not be a national contender again until the WOKETARDS are out and that ain’t happening because they won’t let it happen.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    1. Can you imagine President Folt leading USC back to greatness…..?
      #Yeah,NeitherCanI…..
      #TalkAboutWrongPersonInWrongPlaceAtWrongTime..

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. I am on most things as well, but this is USC in 2021, not much to be optimistic about but I do like the baseball coach hire..

        Liked by 4 people

    1. Hopefully those 2 don’t get together and come steal all of SCs top Cali recruits. That would definitely strike a blow to USCs recruiting rankings.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Well I hate to say this but I think Sark is gonna be a problem for USC for offensive players much like Ed O has been for defensive kids lately for us.

        Liked by 1 person

      1. Haaa!
        SARK- “I never said I was hiring Tee Martin, I said the first thing I want to do buy a bottle of Remy Martin”

        Liked by 1 person

  7. As I recall USC retained Clay Helton in order to bring stability to the program. There are however a few flys in that ointment. First Helton routinely fired assistants, the coaches most players get close to. Second Helton has changed philosophy about as often as Phuck Que changes underwear. (Once they discover they’re full of sh*t)
    An old saying I just made up goes like this; Even a dead tree is stable until it meets a strong wind.
    Helton blew over. And like Linus and the Christmas tree the administration wrapped a security blanket around the base and propped him up, hoping the wind wouldn’t continue to blow.
    Stability isn’t the only way to shore up the program, improving the coaching and treating the real coaches correctly will go a long way towards stability.

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

  8. The Helton who was hired as HC in 2015 was never an HC-kind of guy. He was a decent guy whom the players liked. Haden made the mistake of thinking that Helton was “a leader of men” based on the players liking him.

    The Helton of today is still not an HC, no leadership skills, but he has morphed from the decent guy he had been into a phony who many of the players don’t like. And somehow Folt thinks that retaining a phony brings respect and stability to the program…SMDH

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

      2. …or footnote # 1…..
        #..Which,OfCourse,WouldBeFirst&OnlyFootnote….
        #Publisher’s2ndEditionRequest:”IntoductionByLynnSwann”

        Liked by 2 people

      1. Number 8 ranked class, with arguably the best recruit in Foreman. At 18, Korey’s numbers would place him near the top of the NFL combine for DLs. Double-edged sword, as we all want the team to succeed, though that keeps Helton as HC…

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Even with a very good class …and some proven players in the skilled positions —Helton’s only chance is another covid-truncated schedule (with BYU and Notre Dame games scrapped)…
        #EveryoneExpects&ForgivesPac12ChampionshipLoss

        Liked by 2 people

      3. Poor 22, his Messiah, Don the f**king mini me, is loser desperate drunk. Isn’t it hilarious 22, that the election fraud “Cheatin'” Trump pathetically claims emulates from the Oval Office. My side hurts from LOL.

        https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/03/politics/donald-trump-brad-raffensperger-call-washington-post/index.html

        22, just imagine how those stupid Congress members planning to disrupt Biden’s election certification must feel(Funny,funny,funny). The POTUS, those cretins are helping, is rudely caught on a Oval Office call trying to bully GA’s SoS to find 11,000 + fraudulent Trump votes.

        LOL!!!

        #F**kTedCruzandtheRatpublicans
        #Youtoo22

        Like

      4. Bruin Rob, STFU you fat sub six Fake News WaPo quoting loser.

        trojnfn4
        50m ago
        Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the artist formerly known as BruinRob. Much like Charlie Bucket, A.K.A. Tebowbama, BruinRob has had a long and infamous career posting his constant BS on this blog, beginning around 2009. Here are some of the career lowlights of BruinRob. *BruinRob is a long time resident of Cerritos and has been employed at the Cerritos McDonald’s for quite some time. He is a three time Golden Spatula winner and has enrolled in just about every class at Cerritos C.C., without earning that elusive Associate Arts Degree.

        *BruinRob spends a lot of his time touting the greatness of UCLA, despite the fact that he’s never attended the school, aside from never attending a UCLA basketball/football game, even though tickets are relatively easy to come by. *BruinRob really came into his own during the 2011 season.

        After the epic 50-0 beatdown of USC, BruinRob claimed that he and his “two kids” were verbally and physically harassed before, during, and after the game. *Two weeks later, BruinRob claimed that he and his “girlfriend” were going to drive in a convertible up the 101 to San Francisco to see UCLA get thumped by Illinois in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.

        It was during this time that BruinRob got exposed by a 12 year old for his DateMeLA profile. A link was posted and on that site there was BruinRob in all of his glory. All types of anti-USC propaganda and a portrait of BruinRob in a grey suit.

        By the looks of it, he goes around 5’7″-245 lbs.

        *For two seasons after that, BruinRob did exact some revenge on USC when Brett Hundley single handedly tore USC up three games in a row. This is when BruinRob changed his name to “UCLAOwnsLA”, mimicking the UCLA flavor of the month coach Jim Mora.

        He soon changed it to his current monicker of “JustOwns” after USC sent UCLA and Josh Rosen packing three years in a row. *BruinRob’s anti USC dystopia hit an all time high shortly after it was announced that USC would be playing Penn State in the 2017 Rose Bowl.

        He went on an all day rant about how the Bowl Selection Committee was violating their own rules by choosing USC over Colorado, who just lost the Pac-12 title game to UW. He conveniently left out the fact that USC beat both Colorado and UW that season.

        *But this was nothing compared to the Mother of all Meltdowns during the fourth quarter of the 2017 Rose Bowl. I was at that epic comeback and when I got back home I read this blog and let me tell you, BruinRob was strutting around like a Bantam Rooster during the Third Quarter. But as the Fourth Quarter began winding down, you saw him going absolutely haywire, culminating when USC won in the final seconds.

        *After that, BruinRob seemed to disappear for some time, keeping a really low profile. But now with USC sucking hind tit so to speak, he’s back spewing his constant garbage. FIGHT ON!

        Liked by 2 people

      5. They’re all latched on like large mouth bass right now. All smiles like USC just played their way into the natty! How soon they forget a few years back, when most of the 2016 recruiting class left.

        Liked by 1 person

  9. I totally agree with with the phony comment about Clayton Helton. USCs last 3 full-time head coaches have been nothing but used car salesman. Leaving coach Orgeron out of this because obviously he is not one of them. He was for real and Stupid as idiots on top thought he wasn’t good enough for USC.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

      2. …and the same might be said for not having a quarterback coach…
        #I’mThinkingOfOneParticularPac12SouthTeamHere…

        Liked by 2 people

      3. Michael, I am really at the point where I can’t hear Helton speak or read what he says. He has deluded himself into thinking he belongs where he is, and part of that delusion is the phoniness.

        Liked by 3 people

      4. In method acting classes it’s called “the magic if”…..
        #MontgomeryClift,MarlonBrando,JamesDean…ClayHelton..

        Liked by 2 people

      5. Michael, you hit on a great idea. How about this – Helton is fired as HC and he is given a teaching position in the drama dept.

        Liked by 2 people

      6. “Professor Helton– could you tell us about the way you approached your role in the post game Holiday Bowl presser?”
        “Why, yes, Skippy. It was a tough role. I needed to hide the fact I couldn’t care less about the result cuz I knew Bohn’s hands were tied….and yet I had to project deep feelings of regret over what could have been…and overwhelming optimism about what the future held. At first, TO TELL THE TRUTH(meaning the next part is bullshit), I was stumped. But then I remembered Scarlet’s last speech in Gone With the Wind…. and I juxtaposed it with Sydney Carton’s big scene at the end of A Tale of Two Cities…”
        #”NowAskMeAboutHowIApproachedTheGameBallSpeech…”

        Liked by 2 people

      8. Yeah. You’re right —Clay’s “game ball” role was his crowning achievement. It tops the Shelley Winters’ “A Place in the Sun” speech in the row boat (before Montgomery Clift offs her) for sugary pathos.
        #”ILaughed,ICried”

        Liked by 2 people

  11. Helton’s motivation: he wants to stay in the job as long as he can as he is plugged into the sweet nectar IV cash infusion courtesy of Swann/Haden. Probably is also oblivious to how bad a coach he really is.

    Bohn’s motivation: trying to sell boosters on keeping Helton, but isn’t gaining traction, now realizing he will really look stupid and piss off superiors if he makes a money-losing HC change now. Trying to ride out one more season and remain below the radar hoping C&H doesn’t bit the shed. Still not comfortable making the tough decision. Far more of a “yes man” than even most people might think.

    Folt’s motivation: vacuous woke intellectually bankrupt 3rd rate administrator selected after a half-assed search for an underrepresented slot filler. Has no motivation other than inhabit Santa Monica digs for as long as possible. Doesn’t want scandal, has no vision, tradition is anathema.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    2. Incredibly accurate and depressing post by Trojannation. Read his post a couple of times to get a sense of just how bad it is at USC and why it won’t get better.

      Only chance is for Caruso to run for mayor so he as to get off the BOT, and then maybe something will change. But that is a big maybe in terms of change, Caruso’s buddies think like he does.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. If Caruso runs, he’ll win. And Folt’s days (and, therefore, Bohn’s and Helton’s days) are numbered.
        #PleaseRun,MisterCaruso

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Michael, I hope you are right. The problem I see is that awful decision making and lack of accountability are so ingrained at USC now that one really needs a full-scale redo, and that the median BOT person figures “Hey, we’ve got a woman prez – check. We’ve got a football coach who doesn’t smoke or drink – check. We are taking down the statues of all the old white guys on campus – check. Our job is done, put it on autopilot.”

        Liked by 2 people

      3. I wish people would think some more about the boxes they are checking. For instance, Antifa checks off the ‘social justice’ box every time they attack the police precinct that handles the 911 calls. But the police aren’t charging them $200 a month for cable. Why not attack AT&T?
        #Wouldn’tThatBoxBeMoreFulfillingToCheckOff?

        Liked by 2 people

    3. @Trojan1967 and MG
      I don’t think they care. They are still enjoying their game balls from last year’s UCLA game” by putting them underneath their Christmas Trees this year. “Helton such a great coach”, muttering to themselves. How Pathetic! When the program suffers further embarrassment, by losing the Pac 12 championship game to Oregon and cancelling their upcoming bowl game. Pathetic!

      Like

      Reply

  12. An article I ran across, while getting ready to back to work, compares two programs in the same boat with different approaches. Texas and Michigan have the same problem of being irrelevant has been programs. Texas sucked it up and will buy out the coach and his assistants, as well as, pay a new coach and his bar buddies. (too mean?)
    Michigan said, ” stay the course offer an extension.” The difference is that Harbaugh is holding off on signing the contract until after black Monday in the NFL. He actually thinks he may garner some attention from the Pro ranks (imagine him in Charger colors). They totally missed bringing the Helton situation up. My guess is they already know we aren’t going to pony up money to drive the snake oil salesman out of town and he ain’t ever going to garner interest from the NFL (unless some rich doofus needs a yes-man-platitude coach)

    Hey NFL look here! We have a coach who won most of the games this season for sale- no questions answered!
    I suppose that should be with hashtags.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. Rialto – if only somebody would make Helton an offer…if only.

      The NFL won’t. Most of NFL revenue is shared equally, so underperforming teams are under huge pressure to get better. The owners are smart, they know football, they know business, and they would laugh if Clay’s name ever came up.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. Nobody would laugh if an owner brought up Clay Helton’s name….. the league would just take his team away….
        #….AndGiveItToTheNextPersonInLine

        Liked by 2 people

  13. BREAKING NEWS!

    Donald Trump to be impeached and imprisoned after trying to strong arm Georgia Secretary of State!

    They got this Commie Bastard Son of A Bitch No Good Lying Traitor Trump!

    THAT NO GOOD PIECE OF SHIT BASTARD COMMIE BITCH TRUMP IS GOING TO PRISON…BOOK IT!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Oh, joy! In the unlikely event that happens, you’ll be free to watch 4 or 5 corporations use the military you subsidize help them expand into new markets in the middle east.
      I wish you knew a teeny bit about the plans the dems have for knee jerks like you. [I won’t feel the least bit good saying “I told you so” this time next year]……
      #There’sMoreToLifeThanHavingAuthorityFigureProblems….

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    2. BREAKING NEWS

      Senile Joe to be tried for sedition and imprisoned after massive cheating scheme uncovered!

      They got this Red Chinese Commie Bastard Son of A Bitch No Good Lying Traitor Biden!

      AND NOW HIS HENCHMAN THE GEO SEC’Y OF STATE ILLEGALLY TAPES THE PRESIDENT AND RELEASES A DOCTORED TAPE TO THE FAKE NEWS WAPO?

      LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      THAT NO GOOD PIECE OF SHIT BASTARD COMMIE BITCH SENILE JOE BIDEN IS GOING TO PRISON…BOOK IT!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Can you begin to imagine what kind of pressure is being placed on that little Lilac Fairy ballerina, Brad Raffensperger, to get him to leak a private call with the president? What deals has he made with Stacey Abrams that necessitate these kind of rat fuck antics?
        And, what kind of loser does it take to not know that partial tape recordings are inadmissible? It’s the whole tape or nothing…..and the whole tape would show Trump was telling jerkoff that he didn’t need to LEGALLY audit millions of votes — only enough to change the result.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Trump reminds of Clown U: They can’t help trying to cheat and ending up busted, shot in the foot.

        #1/20/2021SleepyJoewillbeinaugurated
        #SnowFlakesRule
        #22andTrumpSUCClikeaseptictankpumptruck

        Like

      3. You remind me of George Costanza.

        You are fat short and bald and have no decent job.

        You have no morals and yet you lecture us about cheating.

        And now you support the Democrats massive cheating in the presidential election.

        Please save your lectures about cheating, George.

        Like

      1. Why are you such a moron? There is not enough words to
        describe the sickness in your head. Like to meet you to
        see what a retard looks like. What mental facility were you
        treated at that let you out on the streets from wherever city
        you reside.

        Like

  14. MG, don’t you hate it when I’m right?

    Sleepy Joe marches toward his inauguration and Dirty Donnie heads for cellblock accommodations for one at Camp Maggot la Gitmo.

    I wonder MG, do you think Trump is fluent in Arabic or other Semitic languages? Ah, no cheeseburger or tweeter, and thin, GI adult diapers. LOL

    According to the angry Iranian government, Trump won’t be safe on earth.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Bruin Rob, when have you ever been right?

      Your whole life is one big FUBAR.

      Yet you come here and make your step on the rake predictions .

      And now you support the Democrat coup attempt .

      You have no brain and no shame.

      You really are the George Costanza of Inside USC.

      Like

      Reply

      2. whitetrash22-
        Actually, his predictions have been correct this whole time! Trump lost as he predicted. Hufunga and Slovis are overrated as he predicted. You are a stupid piece of shit as we both predicted.
        #Yupthataboutsumsitup

        Like

  15. Same Old Shiite. .. ALL B.S. TALK. No 1 has the Balls to PAY OFF Gomer He’ll Ton s Buy Out… Carol Folt is Nancy Pelosi…. destroying USC. GOMER HE’LL TON calls the SAME football plays Every DAM Year. Being OUT COACHED looking like a Gomer on the football field. .. putting all the pressure on Kedon slovis to make all the plays…. USC has the TALENT just look at the Recruit s. THE RUNNING BACK S NEED A FULL BACK TO BLOCK OPEN THE RUNNING LANES… when having a average Offensive Line. …. it is all about COACHING…while Gomer is Around it is time for USC to Change UP it s OFfensive Football Play calling. ..because other teams Coaching Knows what Gomer He’ll Ton is Calling. .Being Out Coached. ..Making stupid penaltys mistakes on the football field. …

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment

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