FOOTBALL

Discuss The USC-Tulane Debacle

What did we just witness?

An utter disdain for defense, tackling or pride in getting a stop.

That was a disgraceful performance in the Cotton Bowl. And it probably didn’t really surprise anyone who watched USC closesly this season.

Does Lincoln Riley care about defense? This was answered previously here.

USC could not stop the run today. Tulane had 305 yards rushing. Tyjae Spears had 205.

Tulane had a pretty average QB and pass offense. It threw 10 passes before the final drive. But did anyone think the USC defense would stop Tulane on that final drive?

Riley’s never had great defenses but this year’s defense was terrible. Is Alex Grinch capable of fixing it? Is it time to make a big-time hire for defensive coordinator?

Are you satisified with a Heisman Trophy and huge offensive numbers every week with poor defense?

It’s going to take awhile to get over the pathetic nature of this loss.

97 thoughts on “Discuss The USC-Tulane Debacle”

  2. LOL
    ROFL
    ROFL

    atleast we didn’t lose to a group of 5 school ROFL
    🤣

    If we had our new qb in late November 2022, we beat the condumbs by 2 scores.

    I hope y’all were thanking DTR for the 4 turnovers. He played similarly against our power 5 opponent.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    2. That makes no sense. If we had our new quarterback? USC was in a no win situation and got exposed. Next year needs to be perfect. Can UCLA be perfect next year? You don’t even have a defensive coordinator. Your still $65 million in debt and no left tackle. And all you have look forward to is SC losses? Your not a real Bruin fan. Just a Trojan wannabe.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      2. Arrogance lost this for Southern Cal.
        Man coverage up 15? Score!
        Trying to catch kickoff? Set’em up to…
        OL weak, run deep handoff? Score!
        Clock stopped, TO to set 4th down D? No!
        Tulane spikes, TO to set D? Never thought of it…

        Liked by 1 person

      3. And a broke response from a broke fan of a bankrupt program. Just 4 clap until March Madness because your argument lacks intelligence.

        Like

      4. You’re definitely from USC. At USC, they stopped teaching the difference between your & your.

        If you studied with purpose, UCLA might have been an option.

        Liked by 1 person

    3. Go away and go hug owns! UCLA will always be irrelevant; something lame ass ruin fans can’t fathom. With that pea brain of theirs. It’s called critical thinking. Misery loves company. Migulito and owns 2 trolls in a pod on a hill with nothing to do but troll and stalk USC fans. Get a fucin life. You suck and UCLA lost on a comeback also against Pittsburg. You have no room to talk.

      Like

      Reply

      2. OMG I got curious what USC fans had to say about yesterday’s debacle… I hadn’t visited this site for at least 12 years…then I read this comment. I’m flattered to be living rent-free in your head, for going on two decades. I’m assuming you were referring to me? Topix trash talk?

        Like

      3. They were referring to the stench of your breath(aka penis breath)….nice try…. may it be 12 more years until you reappear, owns!

        PS…. shitter #3 has fart-art all over it, chip claims it was an accident. You might need a Haz-Mat suit, just saying!

        Like

      4. 🤣 someone is butt hurt. Get over it, usc will always be usc, the kings underachieving. Doing the least with the most. You can bring JK McKay back, and even Vince Lombardi from hospitals grave, and the results will be the same..unless s you revert back to paper national titles usc will never win a title. Get used to it, “Gabriela”. Go make yourself happy and visit the nearest adult store and use that glory hole to suck some homeless cock. LMAO

        Like

      5. 🤣 someone is butt hurt. Get over it, usc will always be usc, the kings underachieving. Doing the least with the most. Go make yourself happy and visit the nearest adult store and use that glory hole to suck some homeless cock. LMAO

        Like

  4. Depends on how hard Mike Bohn leans on Riley to fire Grinch. JIM LEONARD IS AVAILABLE. . .

    Your losing a coach anyways to Incarnate Word.

    Like

    Reply

    1. No , Bohn don’t need to lean on anyone. He needs to personally fire Grinch himself and send a message that was unacceptable at USC. LR better higher his standard’s real quick. this is USC not the big 12 and Oklahoma. It’s about Natty’s and big time football not just the Heisman trophy and accolades! Get it right.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  5. I feel bad for Caleb. He puts on an MVP, game-winning performance only to have the defense display another utterly pathetic effort……What the fuck was Grinch working on over the last month?……he’s stealing paychecks

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Caleb didn’t deserve this. He worked his ass off to get ready for this game….and he played his ass off during the game.
      Riley owes it to the team to get a first rate d-coordinator [and pay him outta his own salary if he can’t Bohn to pony up]…
      #…ButEVERYTHINGTellsMeGrinchWillStinkUp2023Too

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      2. You have top get rid of Grench. He’s not a proven winner. He may have had one good season at Washington State but for the most part his defenses couldn’t stop the Chicago sisters of mercy with mother theresa at tailback.
        What do you do when you have a player who is starting and not producing? Do you just leave him in there? Only if you are Clay Helton and your starting center is Toa Lobadahn. A good coach takes the 2nd string guy and makes him a starter.
        What do you do when you have a co-ordinator who is not getting results? Come on Riley….you hire someone who can get the job done. It’s sad when a guy loses his job but this guy is making a million a year. You can’t just keep trying to win by outscoring the other team. We gained 600 yards and scored 45 points in this game and still lost. You only have one year left with Caleb. Grench has got to go NOW.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Embarrassingly bad defense. But let’s not forget Mario Williams’s massive screwup on the kick return and the dumb play calling just after that with the ball on the 1. Plain and simply, USC really only had two defensive starters who would have been starters for any other Top 10 team. They don’t have the talent on D and their fundamentals stink, which can definitively be blamed on the coaching staff.

    That said, look how lousy the D was in the two CFP semis. Bad D seems to be endemic in college football these days, just not quite USC bad. Williams is already an NFL level QB. He had a very solid supporting cast this year and it will be stellar next year. Let’s hope, however, that they find some real defensive players in the transfer portal. Otherwise, I don’t see how they win the National Championship next year, even with an even better offense.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. Did anyone from the defense sit out this game? I don’t think so. The only one I can think of is Raland Goforth. For the most part the defense was intact. Yet they were miserable, which is what they have been for the whole season. Last years defense under Orlando was better than this years defense.

      Like

      Reply

      1. That’s not true. Last years D gave up multiple record setting games in every home game. This D is better but that ain’t saying much. Very very low bar.

        Like

      2. Just for the record: SC’s defense in 2021 compared to 2022.
        Yards/game: 2021…88th in nation(409)
        2022….101st in nation(415)
        Passing yards/game…..2021….88th in the nation(242)
        2022…..111th in nation……(266)
        Rushing yards/game…..2021…..91st in nation…….(167)
        2022…..62nd in nation……(148)
        Points/game……………..2021…..83rd in nation…….(32)
        2022…..80th in nation…….(28)
        As you can see, Orlando’s defense in 2021 was every bit as good as Grinch’s defense in 2022 if not better

        Like

      1. Can the transfer portal save us? ……A slight ray of hope!

        We all know 42 points is not enough to win with Grinch running the D. Any D coordinator would be overjoyed to get 42 points from his offense.

        There wasn’t much D played in the CFP semifinals. Perhaps it’s just superior offense across the college football landscape.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Who made the change at kick returner. Brown had every kick return until for some unknown reason they put Williams back there. That mistake by Williams was his solely. It is something he should have instinctly known.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Have you ever listened to Mario get interviewed? Unlike all the other players Lincoln brought over he seems lost and confused. He’s got the skills but lacks the mental toughness and awareness to be an asset to this team. This game got too big for him.
        And, everybody remember, he didn’t put himself on the field for that last kick — Lincoln [who saw him drop 2 other sure things] PUT HIM IN. Crazy.

        Like

  9. We have a club house above our golf villa —I walked by it after the USC loss to get some air —- and I heard one of the guys saying to his girlfriend, “fuck –USC is hilarious!”
    Nothing good came from this loss. No star player will want anything to do with Grinch. Why should they? [It’s obvious his players don’t play hard for him —he challenged them and they disrespected him, the fans….and themselves].
    And Lincoln WILL keep him.
    Beyond all of that, Riley called a dumb game —trying to run down the clock instead of continuing to attack, letting his return guys put their hands on the ball instead of taking the ball on the 25 [when we haven’t had a runback ALL year] —and worst of all — convincing Caleb to get the hell outta Dodge as soon as next December rolls around.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  10. It was well known that Riley didn’t pay attention to defense loooooong before he got to USC. His teams gave up 162 points in his first 3 bowl games, that’s ONE HUNDRED SIXTY TWO or 54 points per game.

    It’s troubling that Riley or his Grinch or his DL coach can’t seem to get top defensive players trough the portal.

    But, if you watched the 2 semi final games, the combined scores totaled 179, almost 45 per team, no one seems to play defense anymore, NO ONE.

    And…. I doubt Grinch gets fired

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Grinch will give ONE interview where he apologizes and promises better days ahead….. and USC will keep him around cuz it’s too cheap to go get a first rate d-coordinator ….one the team will respect and play hard for.
      USC’s defense sucked against Utah….but it sucked so much worse against Tulane. TULANE. Tulane was scoring more and faster than they’ve scored all year. That should tell Bohn something.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    2. I think Riley really wants to win a national championship. When does he finally see the writing on the wall…..namely, that championship teams play defense. This game was really embarrassing.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  11. A win was expected. Need to get bigger on the defensive line and stronger in coverage. The lack of balance and loss of poise screams immaturity. I’m going to be untested to hear who takes the blame publicly because the coaches let the plays down with some conservative calls and redundant calls. This shouldn’t have occurred, nor if you want to win championships.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. It’s possible —and I don’t like saying this —that Lincoln freezes when leading late in big games. He’s been saved by some lucky breaks …but….these kind of pathetic finishes have haunted him for the last 3 years. It’s like he gets scared of the endzone. You could see Caleb disagreeing with him when he came off the field for the field goal unit.

      Like

      Reply

      1. I tend to disagree with the analysis that Riley should not have slowed down the game. We had a huge margin in time of possession. All we had to do was play our normal game and Tulane doesn’t get the ball back. But the Mario Williams muff really hurt. Two bad runs up the middle (bad/obvious play calls) and you knew it was all over.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Here’s a thought —USC lost— not just cuz they couldn’t stop Tulane on 4th down and got scored on—but cuz they ALSO gave up a safety.
        If USC had just quick kicked the ball outta the endzone on first down —and gotten the ball to their OWN fucking 25 or 30 yard line….and Tulane took over from there, we’d have gone to overtime EVEN IF TULANE GOT THE TD AND A 2 POINT CONVERSION.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. This should not have happened. The talent gap between USC and Tulane is about the size of the gap between the Milky Way Galaxy and the next nearest Galaxy. LR’s offense did their part.They have gotten the job done all year. The defense has let the team down all year. Sometimes, a great HC makes hard decisions….decisions that he wished that he could avoid. The time has come to make some hard decisions.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. I love the sour grapes. Galaxies apart? Apparently not. Other than an amazing QB who came from Oklahoma with USC’s overpaid coach, USC didn’t show much talent on the field.

        Heisman Trophy winner notwithstanding, there was only a two-point spread on the game. That’s how professional bettors evaluated the player talent on a neutral field. Tulane would have opened a 3 to 5 point pick without Caleb Williams. And would have won the game by a larger score.

        Utah beat USC twice. Why? Because USC has no defense. Penn State crushed Utah in the Rose Bowl. Now USC wants to play Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan every year? Roflmao. Good luck.

        Maybe USC should have joined the SEC instead? Just kidding, it would lose 6 to 8 games each year. Forever.

        Say what you will about its player talent, Tulane did not give up and won the game. We are proud of our “2 and 3 star” players. We are laughing at USC’s hubris. LSU fans are laughing too. Just be thankful USC didn’t play Alabama or Georgia or Tennessee or LSU……..

        Roll Wave!

        Like

      2. All those SEC teams are great teams. They’re the best teams money can buy and they have been handing out money for years. As a result, they are way ahead of SC. Since buying championships is now legal, SC needs to go on a christmas spending spree……buy some great athletes and a great defensive coordinator. It may take a couple of years to catch up with all the teams that have been cheating for years but SC will get there.
        Your assumption seems to be that the kids in Alabama, Georgia, Tennesse and Louisiana come out of their mothers womb with a tiny football helmet on their head whereas the California kids come out with a tiny surfboard on their head. They’re born the same way in every state.
        The top 2 high school teams every year in america are right here in SoCal(Mater Dei and St. John Bosco). That’s SC’s backyard. The problem is that all the SEC teams(and the other conferences) come in here and offer them more money. But offering is legal now. SC will learn to play the game.
        Wake up pal. You seem to think that down in SEC country, the kids eat super grits and grow up to be Conan the Barbarian. There’s an old saying…..”follow the money”. It’s all about the money.

        Liked by 1 person

      3. PT…..WHAT THE FUCK DUDE, YOU NAILED IT. Massive double crotch kick! You the man!

        The best part: ….The top 2 high school teams every year in america are right here in SoCal(Mater Dei and St. John Bosco). That’s SC’s backyard. The problem is that all the SEC teams(and the other conferences) come in here and offer them more money. But offering is legal now. SC will learn to play the game.
        Wake up pal. You seem to think that down in SEC country, the kids eat super grits and grow up to be Conan the Barbarian. There’s an old saying…..”follow the money”. It’s all about the money

        Liked by 1 person

      5. No Problem. Everyone is free to comment. That’s the american way…..or at least it used to be until the woke crowd showed up.

        Liked by 1 person

  13. Last time but to reiterate (and said from time of hire on this site)…
    OUsc
    Program is not back. QB masked deficiencies (although much improved over Hell Town – but that isn’t saying much)…like when Sam afforded Swann the opportunity to extend Helton after an equally inept defensive performance.
    Next couple of weeks will say all that we need to know about whether there is a true commitment to truly restoring the program (if DC is retained and there isn’t complete ownership of the deficiencies…then it’s all talk)…
    From a certain point of view, Helton had a more substantively accomplished year at Ga. So. in driving the final nail into the Scott Frost era at Nebraska (btw – a little humor at at time like this, since invoking the Huskers…what is the difference between Corn Huskers and Corn Flakes? One belongs in a bowl…).

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. Tulane gained 369 yards against U Mass. They gained 539 yards against SC. There were only 2 games all year that they gained more than that……564 against So. Florida and 558 against Alcorn State. The Tulane offense averaged 433 yards/game. Against SC they got 539. Their offense averaged 35 pts./game…against SC they got 46. The only team that they scored more points against this year was Alcorn State(52) and SMU(59). If you bring Grench back you will waste Calebs last season.

        Like

    2. I’m not questioning their commitment to restoring the program. My question is ……..are they willing to make the hard decisions?

      Like

      Reply

    1. LR should(behind the scenes) call and see if this Wisconsin guy is interested. Since he is technically out of a job right now, that would not be illegal. This is the kind of a guy that we need and I think Bohn and Folt would be willing to pay whatever it takes to get him. If he shows interest, they should hire him. Otherwise, I can’t help thinking that LR has the desire and the proven ability as a winner to win a NC but he doesn’t have the guts to make the hard decisions.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  18. Now that I’ve watched the playoff games and USC game, the biggest thing that hurts the Trojans are guys being unsure and unable to make plays ahead of where the play is developing. Too many times players were losing their balance or late for USC. That insecurity was caused in part by fatigue but mostly, plays tend to relax and take the easy way out of they have fear. This team had to much fear and it shows when they get pressed for a full game. This was also an issue at Oklahoma when Riley was coach. Let us see how they respond to this darkness because the future is so bright for the program.

    Like

    Reply

    1. The future isn’t THAT bright. We don’t have an elite running back and we will undoubtedly have the very un-elite Grinch back uninspiring the defense.
      Caleb will do his best to lift the team ….but…. as witnessed today there’s only so much one superstar can do. Toward midseason Caleb will start thinking “how much longer to I have to wait before the NFL combines?”

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. LOL, ye of little faith. Raeshawn Davis was making plays out there. Gary Bryant had a uniform on. Yes, fix the lines but did you see the play of Justin Dedich? Courtland Ford played a whole game. The whole team needs to finish. Not just the stars. Believe and you’ll be rewarded for your faith.

        Liked by 1 person

  21. The obvious answers to your questions, Wolfman, are: debacle, no, no, yes, no. No thrill of victory today. And the agony of defeat will long linger.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  22. “I tell ya what we’re going to do. We’re going to look at the tape and make the corrections.” Alex Grinch
    In all honesty, CLR needs to hire Coach O as d-line coach and recruiting coordinator, along with Gary Patterson as D-Coordinator.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  23. I can guarantee you that certain alumni are getting into it with the athletic department as we speak. The theme is why not make the change for the coach instead of letting him decide? Somebody may lose their job at USC for this loss or take the fall and resign. Next year won’t be different unless some change is made. It’s really simple, get bigger and more athletic on the defensive line and faster linebackers with db’s who can run with receivers or play physical without fear about penalties.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  25. Our defensive coaching, much schematically, is so embarrassing that I can’t imagine any 3+ star defensive player signing on to program. Why doesn’t the special teams coach be more involved. What? No special teams coach ? Lincoln Riley’s stubborn loyalty to this DC is a window into our future. Oklahoma 2.0 without playoff appearances. Not many CW’s in this world, so then what in 2024. If a change isn’t made immediately, then we simply have another Helton but on steroids.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  26. It’s pretty clear that without CW, the team would have struggled to improve on the 2021 record, Lincoln Riley or no. I mean, even that boob Helton won 11 games once.

    So what now?

    For starters, replace Grinch. Let Donte Williams go. Hire a special teams coach. Sure, scoring lots of points is fun, but defense wins championships, the Air Raid doesn’t.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    1. Additionally, get rid of the towel waivers. Replace them with 40 more beautiful cheerleaders/song girls—or whatever they’re called these days, to distract the opposing team members who identify as red blooded males.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. The great coaches(Georgia, Michigan, Saban……..) would fire him right now. Brian Kelly fired his whole defensive staff one year.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. …so you’re not talking about taking Tulane’s cheerleaders via the cheerleader portal I take it…?

        Like

  27. Until LR learns there are two sides to the line of scrimmage
    and quits relying on one man, although a terrific player,
    to win games, his teams will never make it to the promised land.
    I told my wife in the 2nd quarter they will lose this game. Depending on
    one man to win the game makes the odds 11 to one.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  28. We lost a game that we should have a won. Mario Williams dropped a touchdown pass earlier in the game and then he fumbled the ball at the one. I know Riley likes Grinch and they’re close friends, but he has to let him go. He’s really a bad defensive coach, as long as we keep him we’re not gonna win anything that’s important. I didn’t understand the plays that were called from the 1 yard line. You don’t give the ball to the running back when he is 6 yards deep to begin with. Didn’t make any sense to me at all. Grinch has to go within the next two or three days. No need to drag it on..

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  29. Before today, has a team (USC or anyone) ever lost a game when: 1: They didn’t punt and 2: Didn’t get stopped on 4th down?

    Like

    Reply

  30. USC had the conference’s Defensive POY and two first and second team all conference players. Plus they had a +22 turnover margin. How could the defense be that awful? IT’S COACHING.

    And can you imagine what our record would be without that +22 TO margin?

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  33. I have defended Grinch long enough. He doesn’t have the greatest talent but he has enough to show better than what they have shown. Riley and his play calling cost the game with that safety. His slow down in the 4th killed all mo USC had. So even the great one needs to rethink his coaching, and along those lines needs to make decisions regarding how the defense is going to get better. The portal players they have gotten are bandaids but not the cure. Start at the top and make changes before we all turn on you Lincoln Riley and Oklahoma gets the last laugh.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  34. Any defensive coach with his salt will not coach under Lincoln Riley. Why? Because you’ll never get credit for your efforts. I truly believe Grinch survives this embarrassment and will get another year. Based on what I’m seeing, they need Roderick Pleasant badly. Domani needs to step up badly and Grinch better get a monster nose tackle in the transfer portal or it’s going to be worse without Pili who took up three players on some plays.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  35. In Grinch’s Defense, he stated earlier in the year that the goal is to win by one point. Given that the safety was the fault of the Offense and Special Teams, he accomplished his goal today, didn’t he? Sincerely, Alex Grinch’s Agent.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  36. Clownsters, post no whiny, we lost ’cause excuses, you choked; deal with it. Otherwise, chug a fifth of Everclear and you won’t give damn for a couple of days.

    Like

    Reply

  38. We love USC! Can’t say the same for no blog UCLA! We take refugees but we will not accept disrespect! Helton caused great misery and Trojan fans responded. Now Riley has to prove that he can win the big games. With Bob Stoops as a mentor, Riley has a choice to make. . . can’t wait to see what he decides. That plane ride is going to be devastating.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  39. All of the USC websites are acting like Tulane never had a chance to win the game. Or that USC is ten feet tall. Well, guys come back to reality. I attended the game, and it was only a two-point spread. USC was not favored by 30. Imagine if instead of Tulane, USC had played Alabama or Georgia? Or Tennessee or LSU? And lost by 30 points?

    Maybe Tulane beat USC because its kicker missed a FG? Maybe USC lost because it had no passing game defense? Maybe USC lost because it had no running game defense? Maybe USC lost because Tulane never quit when the chips were down?

    USC was overrated last year (no defense) and will accomplish nothing by moving to the Big 10 unless it gets a defense.

    QB Williams was, however, perhaps the best passing QB I’ve ever seen. He throws like Dan Marino.

    Like

    Reply

  40. Jim Leanord is the Answer.If he can create a top notch defense at Wisconsin what will he do at a more talent rich school like USC.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment

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