Morning Buzz: Pick The USC-UCLA Score

Are you excited for today’s 1 p.m. tipoff at Pauley Pavilion with Pac-12 title implications? Who do you like? What’s the score? I actually covered the last USC team to win a conference title (1985) and it came off two incredible USC-UCLA games, each narrowly won by the Trojans: A double-OT victory at the Sports Arena (78-77) and then a four-OT thriller at Pauley Pavilion … Continue reading Morning Buzz: Pick The USC-UCLA Score

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

USC will send seven players to the NFL Combine but it’s almost easy to have forgotton one of them. It’s been more than 14 months since any USC fan saw defensive tackle Jay Tufele play because he opted out of last season. An NFL scout told me he detected bitterness in conversations with USC staff about Tufele’s decision to sit out last season. I always … Continue reading If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

Notes: It’s Feast Or Famine For USC Salaries

I reported recently that USC hired Jeff Martin as its director of scouting/player relations for $150,000. Now I hear that USC got turned down by multiple candidates for its director of creative media position because it tried to low-ball everyone on the salary, which was an issue for people moving to Southern California. It highlights the topsy turvy methods of the athletic dept. There are … Continue reading Notes: It’s Feast Or Famine For USC Salaries