FOOTBALL

Morning Buzz: Is This The Difference Between Oregon and USC?

USC received a commitment Tuesday night from offensive tackle Keith Olson of Napavine, Wash.

Olson is a three-star recruit who had six total offers per 247Sports and was believed to favor Oregon State before USC snagged him.

Let’s remember a few days ago, Oregon got a commitment from Kelvin Banks, the No. 2-rated offensive tackle in the nation and a five-star prospect.

And let’s note that Napavine is about 100 miles from Seattle but the University of Washington did not offer Olson. I would say this looks like the type of move USC offensive line coach Clay McGuire would have made at Washington State. But the Cougars didn’t offer Olson either.

Maybe USC knows more than anyone else in this case.

But didn’t USC just bring in some elite offensive line prospects in June for highly publicized visits? So why is the first lineman to commit a three star?

I don’t get it. As usual, I’ll be the only one to say it too.

53 thoughts on “Morning Buzz: Is This The Difference Between Oregon and USC?”

  1. By the time this 3 star offensive tackle Keith Olson is ready to leave USC after Helton & Co. are done coaching him up…he’ll be a 2 star.

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      1. Ed O’s in some ish at the moment.

        Here’s what he allegedly told an incoming player who confronted Ed O saying his LSU girlfriend claims an LSU player sexually assaulted her or raped her. He asked Ed O what going on with that?

        Ed O told him “everybody’s girlfriend sleeps with other people”

        Not saying it’s true but that sounds like a scene from Varsity Blues or The Program.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. It doesn’t matter whether it’s true, Sam —-what matters is that you brought unrestrained joy into the life of a certain miserable person.

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      3. P. S.
        ..As you see below that special someone came here to spread joy …and he deserves to receive joy in return….

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Boys will be boys.

        I heard those dinners at Ed’s house were pretty frisky after he called it a night. Something about the QB and the lady still awake.
        Prob just rumors.
        Oh, BTW, Ed did get a divorce.

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  2. What’s there not to get, it’s the air raid offense that these recruits are not wanting to sign up for. Along with the clueless hire of McGuire and Heltons good ol boy attitude; can’t close on these recruits. That garbage offense isn’t going to develop them into NFL talent. Jackson and Vera Tucker were the exception.

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  3. Yes, you’re the only one questioning our o line and our recruits in that position group. Nobody had any thoughts on last years class or our current standing with the o line, you are an island of brilliance. Don’t hurt yourself while patting your own back.

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    1. Lol you can’t handle the truth Jack Nicholson style, from A few good men. Keep on rooting for your fake family member. Mediocrity and losing works for you as long as Mr. Helton is collecting a pay check to lose big games and compete for Pac 12 south titles only. Nattys don’t count to Mr. Helton anymore. While top o-line recruits run to other top 10 programs. While Mr.Helton and his staff get the left over 3 stars that not any top football programs want. Clemson has replaced USC as one of the top programs in the nation. But USC still has Mr. Helton as head coach that all that matters to you. Now give yourself a pat on the back for your delusion that you try to sell. Way to go defending mediocrity.

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    1. Just another Andyain’twinning f**king lollipop BB game.

      In the 2020-21 season, FGCU finished 7th in the ASUN conf. @ 4-5.

      #SUCC BB is 19 point ‘dog.

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      1. It’s pronounced AndyOwnsUcla.

        Hey Owns. Should Johnny stay or go?
        CBS just released their top 100 draft picks and had Johnny #49 and Chris Smith #73.
        Isaiah Mobley ended up at #81. Mobley should come back. He worked out for the Raptors last night but it looks like he’s a guy who could end up not getting picked at all.
        I think Johnny will leave.

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  5. Difference between USC and Oregon right now.
    1) Phil Knight (NIKE) believes in donating money to his university, and the President and Athletic Director follow his commands. In the 70’s when I played in the conference Oregon had the smallest athletic dept budget in the conference, but not anymore because of Uncle Phil.
    2) Oregon is going after the best athletes at all positions including the offensive line, and the players are coming because they know they can develop their skills, and play in a winning program with a chance to get some national exposure with the help of Nike, and of course ESPN.
    3) Facilities- take a look at some of their practice facilities, training rooms, locker rooms etc. Heritage Hall, and the Mckay Center are nice, but nothing close to what Oregon has.
    4) Committment to winning a national title in all sports. Oregon fully knows USC is no longer a giant in college football, and are very determined to take their place as a national championship contender year in and year out. Winning the Pac 12 North is not the No.1 priority at Oregon, and by no means the only ingredient for a successful season.

    Imagine if Phil Knight had to work with Carol Folt, and Mike Bohn at USC. No question Phil Knight would still get what he wants, or he would make sure both of them are removed from their positions very quickly.

    Carol Folt (UCSB), Mike Bohn (Kansas) do not understand what big time college athletics is based on their backgrounds so I have to question why they were hired unless USC has made the decision to place less emphysis on college athletics, and make up the lost athletic revenue from other places.

    USC needs to wake up quickly if they are going to stop Uncle Phil from building an empire at Oregon. USC must strike back if Folt and Bohn don’t want to send them both back where they came from.

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    1. I’m not sure we really need a huge investment to turn around USC, we just need a new head coach and quality coordinators and position coaches all around. TO and Donte and Vic seem to get good athletes. It is the offense that is really holding recruiting back. Graham Harrell came from North Texas, that is NOT where you want to pull your OC from. Clay McGuire came from Texas State (what the F is that?). Is there any doubt why top o-line commits dont come to USC? or why top running backs dont come?

      I believe that Bohn is giving Helton/Harrell the chance to hang themselves. Unless Clay McGuire is actually a great coach that will build a real offensive line, the house of cards will fall down at the line of scrimmage and SC’s run game will not improve at all. If that happens, it will be plenty of reason for Bohn to finally axe Helton.

      So as long as SC administration agrees to the high standards of “competing for national championships” as being the bar that Helton must clear this year, I am fine with whatever happens. If SC is so good that they get into the CFP (probably requires an undefeated or one loss record, including the Pac-12 title game), then I dont care if Helton stays. But the chances of that are almost nil. So he is either gone, or pulls off a magical season.

      Actually, with Jaxson Dart (or MM) and Devin Brown at QB, we have the ability to make massive improvements to the offense by the following season. Can you imagine a top notch new HC and OC and OL coach all descend on USC and let it be known they are searching for o-line players out of the transfer portal? I think we could nab some really top talent that could play next year. Combine that with better schematics and coaching and maybe a transfer running back or Raleek Brown and this team could be headed in the right direction fast. It still might take 2 banner recruiting years to beef up the roster, but that is really all that is required.

      If our coaching staff were on par with the top teams, the other benefits of SC would help to land ALL the best players.

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    2. Yeah, maybe Phil can get U Oregon* out the the lower tier of American colleges and at least into the top 300 (out 800). I think even ‘Bama–never known to do anything academically–outranks UO.

      That said, they do have nice facilities where a young student-athlete can either fail academically or graduated and then fail in life. Hard to find a single UO graduate with any history for success in the NFL (Dan Fouts was some time ago).

      *the Ducks, #350 school in America–like a bullet!!!

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      2. Oregon grad to interviewer: “We have a Top Ten Athletic Program.”
        Interviewer to Oregon grad: “So is Oregon Top Ten Academically?”
        Oregon grad: “Not exactly.”

        Liked by 2 people

  6. Last year’s o-line and rushing performance (the worst in 20 years) was forgivable due to obvious practice limitations. If USC doesn’t produce a 1000 yard rusher this year, however, we won’t be getting top runners or top o-linemen until we change coaches.

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    1. Even PC would often NOT have a 1000 yard rusher, Michael–but he’d have 2 men rush for 700 and the third RB rush for about 500.

      Irrespective, I agree with you. It would be nice to see the new kid from Texas and K Christon each have 700+ yards from scrimmage and 1300 yards rushing the ball.
      If the AD will commit to 30 rushes per game with 5 yards per carry, we will get there vs 8-9 of our opponents. Running vs ND, Utah, and maybe BYU could be difficult.

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      1. Agree (I even agree with the “MAYBE” BYU part —-BYU lost a lot of guys off their D-Line — but the newbies will have a season’s worth of experience by the time they face us)…..

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  7. Number of stars for O-linemen depend significantly on height and weight, and Keith is a 6’6″ 270 lb tackle. Not surprising he doesn’t have more stars at that weight.

    That said, Wisconsin takes plenty of 3 star O linemen year after year and turns them into highly functional O lines. That is the challenge for McGuire. If he does that, good things will happen. If not, Slovis spends another year on the run.

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      2. Dart could be that “third guy” you were talking about, Bourbon —the guy who ends up with 500 yards rushing…..
        #50YardsPerGameOuttaTheQBCouldReallyChangeThings…
        #[IfWe’reAlsoGetting250InThePassingGame]

        Liked by 1 person

      1. That is a heck of a record, not to mention the $40 million athletic dept. deficit. Clearly a leading candidate for Shaqtin the Fool.

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      2. With a 12 point lead and 10 minutes to go, SUCC FB snatches defeat from the jaws of a NC victory vs Tixas U.

        #13 – 9
        # SUCC loses to a 41 point Stanford ‘dog @ the crumbling mausoleum.
        # SUCC “shocks the world” defeating Alabama FB 6 – 52.
        # Etc.

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      3. “As a human being I must confess I feel great pity for these wretched people….even though they are supposed to be my enemies.”
        — Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

        Liked by 3 people

  8. Celebration 🥂🍻🍺We love 3star OLine at USC.
    Keep up the good work Helton LOL!
    No disrespect to the kid but we don’t exactly coach up players at USC anymore so this is not good news in my opinion. Congrats to him and wish him the best. Hopefully he’s a better talent than his future head coach.

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    1. On a positive note, I do think Stiner is a big improvement and will get the o-line players into better shape (and maybe better mental discipline). He is training players for their position and for stamina, whereas the previous S&C coach just trained everyone the same and was more just a weight-lifting guy.

      Notice that Ausmus hasnt got a job somewhere else. Neither has Drevno or Pendergast. Tee Martin took a big dive in responsibilities. Helton has loaded up the staff with people who were underqualified.

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      1. There are two kinds of Helton assistants. The guys who become star position coaches, get better offers ….and leave after one year. And the guys who stay until Helton scapegoat terminates them….. and never work again.

        Liked by 1 person

  9. Napavine, Washington is in the sticks, with a population of 1,800 people. There’s barely a decent place to stop and have a piss there when driving down I-5.

    It is Class 2B, which is the second lowest class of all high schools in Washington, with a school enrollment not larger than 224 total students for grades 9 through 12.

    That said, I hope he can play, despite the level of competition. Troy Polamalu was a three-star recruit who came from one of the smallest high schools in Oregon, after all.

    Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association Classifications

    Classification Enrollment Ranges Number of Schools
    4A 1300+ 51
    3A 900-1299 79
    2A 450-899 62
    1A 225-449 60
    2B 105-224 61
    1B 1-104 87

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    1. Great homework, Danny. Thanks.
      Someone must have stopped off I-5 to take a piss and watch the kid block a few times.
      He has a great frame to build upon. Hopefully by his rs-Jr year he’ll be a stud.

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  10. USC has alot to prove this year after losing the Pac 12 championship game. We shall see if Slovis can carry the team. I think he is very overrated.

    USC needs a very mobile QB with no running game to keep the defense honest.

    I really think UCLA will be the surprise team in the conference this year, and slowly but surely Chip has this team improving each season. . Darian Thompson-Robinson can really play, and will give Pac 12 defenses fits this year.

    Vince Evans, Rodney Peete – Car 54 Where are You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    1. With UCLA’s O-Line protecting him, the admittedly talented (and skinny) DTR will be lucky if he makes it all the way to our November showdown ….
      #…AndSoWillSlovis,btw….

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      1. DTR’s stat sheet is often something like 6 carries, -15 yards, but he probably covers about 150 yards trying to duck the rush.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Come, come MG, UCLA has a solid O-line of returning vets. We’re locked and loaded to run down hill.

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      3. Owns,
        The UCLA O-Line is about as good as ours (which is to say it’s average)— but it’s all relative —neither one of our lines is gonna have an easy time against ANY of the D-lines we’re playing against except for Arizona’s and Cal’s.
        #LotsOfGoodD-LinesInThePacThisSeason

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    2. I think pretty much every meaningful CFB QB statistic refutes you assertion that Slovis is “very over-rated.” If Slovis regresses, it is due to poor QB and OC coaching and being 2 years removed from the excellent coaching he received from Kurt Warner.

      Irrespective, keep on hatin’ on the Slovis.

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  11. Memo to: Sam

    Andyain’twinning is 9 – 10 vs UCLA since his inaugural 2013 -14 season.

    His Pac – 12 conf. record is worse.

    Andyain’twinning doesn’t own squat except a humiliating 19 point Elite Eight tournament loss to Gonzaga on national TV.

    #SUCC BB: oooooooooferever and proud of it.
    #HoorayforBoogerandhisDaddy
    #SUCC BB: Get the cupcake fever

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  12. 3-star guy, 866th best recruit in the nation. Clay Helton and his enablers Mike Bohn and Carol Folt are all just so less-than-mediocre and unworthy of USC.

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  13. GREAT NEWS FOR USC BASKETBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!: Issiah Mobley is returning. It appears the guy has really improved his outside shooting which was his weak spot along with free throw shooting.

    Isaiah Mobley
    @MobleyIsaiah
    ·
    1h
    Ain’t this what you been waiting for …. You ready! 🏁 #Fighton ✌🏽

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  14. Does everyone remember the great Herald Examiner Sport Section- Melvin Durslag, Bud Furillo, Doug Krikorian etc were all great writers.
    The Times of course had Jim Murray who was the best, but the Herald had a more more entertaining sports section. Bud, the “Steamer” loved USC football, and he was great friends with John Mckay, and his entire family. I believe they use to pull down a few drinks at Julie’s quite often along with Craig Fertig. Furillo, was also a great color commentator on USC football TV re-plays with Tom Kelly. College football was so beautiful to watch in the 60’s and 70’s especially the ABC Saturday game of the week with Chris Schenkel and Bud Wilkinson. Schenkel, was always more interested in the pretty girls or honey shots at the games so ABC eventually replaced him with the great “oh nellie” Keith Jackson.

    RIP -Bud Furillo. Great “One of a Kind” Trojan!

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  15. Petros has a great gift to orate, Furillo had that also but he could also write a great column also. Both are unique people, or should I say one of a kind.

    Scott Wolf should put together some USC football announcer history on this site starting with none other than Chick Hearn (yes he was a USC football announcer at 1 time), the great Tom Kelly, and Mike Walden who had a sensational/ enthusiastic style of broadcasting games… “Simpson to the 20, to the 5.. he scores…Touchdown USC”

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  16. Carol Folt’s non-USC football BS tweet of the day:

    Good read in the @latimes about the potential of battery-powered trains to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

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  17. Pingback: An Offensive Line Trend Continues – InsideUSC with Scott Wolf

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