FOOTBALL

Lincoln Riley On His Defense

Here is what Lincoln Riley said at the Cotton Bowl press conference when asked about the defense and his confidence in Alex Grinch.

“We just got done playing a game 15 minutes ago so I’m not going to give any big picture assessments. We didn’t play good enough today. The big plays are obviously, and the lack of, just not tackling to the level we would expect are very, very alarming and something we’ve got to do a much better job of.

“We’ll take a deep dive into every part (of the program) here over the next couple of weeks.”

104 thoughts on “Lincoln Riley On His Defense”

  1. Pay the entire SCOTT WOLF AND THE ENTIRE InsideUSCSPORTSBLOG and their families LIKE CHINA TEXAS AND JZ BEYONCÉ . Present this coupon for payment, this says the Lord…..lol lol lol lmao! Fight On!

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      2. Luckily, I was at the bar paying the Oscar Award winner who immediately followed that Chris Rock/Will Smith debacle…true that….He lives in Los Feliz, CA…..Pay Los “ Felix the Cat” CAR DEALERSHIP AND THEIR OWNERS, EMPLOYEES AND FAMILIES,(my favorite parking curbside for games), and, pay Los Feliz, CA, like Arlington, Texas……it is stranger than fiction….God has those tapes lol lol!

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    2. People knew what they were getting when Lincoln Riley was hired, a coach that has a total disregard for defense. Most of his wins at Oklahoma were high scoring games, the last one with the ball wins.😂😂😂😂. And it’s not going to be any different at USC. So those delusional Ass Lick Trojans fanboys better get use to it

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  3. No reason to deep dive as this defense as been such all year. Prior to this game, the usc defense was ranked 103 out of 130 D1 schools. He knows the problem as we all do. Get a real coordinator in there. With the money usc pays it shouldn’t be too difficult. Hell, we all listed several names for a new coach on a previous thread.

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  4. Over the last 5 seasons, teams trailing by 15 or more points with less than 5 minutes to go had a record in those games of 1-1692. Now it’s 2-1692.

    Tell me again why Grinch should not be cleaning out his desk and giving back his key to the men’s restroom?

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    3. Speaking of men’s restrooms…..our blog dunce is now moonlighting as a custodian at Heritage Hall. The SS check just isn’t paying the bills because Biden has single-handedly jack-up prices.

      According to a source, he does an excellent job polishing the shitters….yet his outhouse is disgusting….the shar pei rather dig a hole and dump…..ouch!

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  5. Because Riley likes having friends instead of competition. Like I said, talk is cheap, show me the money and get a better defensive coach.

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  6. Greetingsfans, well college football is corrupted point shaving riley needs to change that act !!!! tcu there throwng games southern corruption ! will georgia throw the game for tcu !? arrests need to be made here???????? regards , E

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  7. Same as the First Football Game on the Road against UTAH… The Grinch Ffff it uppp. Losing by 1 F in point.. muffed punt 2 point safety…news years gift for tulane

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  8. Didn’t watch the collapse in Jerry World due to family emergency.

    The whole country knows USC defense is weak. However, I didn’t see any good defensive performances in the 2 CFP games either. Michigan? OhIo State? TCU? GA?

    Not sure how CLR can keep Grinch. Someone needs to be held accountable. I refuse to believe Clay’s defensive players can’t learn how to tackle.

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    2. Hope the emergency was resolved as well as can be expected.

      As the kid in the Dr Pepper commercial concluded, there are many things in life more important than football. My stalker doesn’t comprehend this.

      But then again, there are many things he doesn’t comprehend.

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      1. Once again, as always. slo troll never gets any response to his comments. He has offered zero replies to the game. I’m starting to think he has no idea what’s taking place between the goal posts…..similar to nothing taking place between his ears.

        He’s still obsessed with my mom’s breasts. Plus, he wouldn’t even know what to do with them, stage fright(aka-limpdick)……Since the shar pei is a flat board….ouch!

        Watch, his retort will focus on Biden….or how intelligent I am. I don’t understand why he even posts here…..he never provides any relevant content related to USC….Dementia is some nasty stuff!

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      2. “Never gets any response to his comments.”

        At least half of the posts don’t get replies. No one cares. You constantly act as if you’re still in junior high school. Grow the fuck up! If you’re going to act like a child, I’ll treat you like one and speculate about you still being breast fed, because that’s the way you act!!!

        At least a half dozen people on this blog have given you similar advice and you ignore it, acting as if it never happened. Quit lying to yourself. If replies are so important, how come no one ever rallies behind your childish shit towards me?!

        Owns and Oaktown disagree with me on politics, but neither of them is so childish and lacking any real response that feel the need to resort to personal attacks. At worst, Owns responds with something about Trump. WEAK, but not the childish crap you have to resort to. (As I’ve said, you get what you give. The sooner you can grow up, the sooner it will stop.)

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      3. WOW……whining and crying again, just a pathetic relic, lacking any relevance on the blog.

        You keep crying and using the word “childish”. Yet you continue to make juvenile comments about my mom lactating into my mouth……that’s fucking creepy and perverted, take some fucking ownership of your lame comments. FUCKING HYPOCRITE

        No one on this fucking blog gives a shit who I voted for or looking for daily Biden updates, but you seem to think it’s important to remind everyone of your man-crush on Biden….

        You definitely have cognitive issues and refuse to address them. This beef is between you and me, stop trying to make shit up about others calling me out. People read my football comments and respond back with respect…..why post on a blog when people never engage with you….are you just fucking retarded, what is it?

        Plus, get a new shtick….you use the same fucking stale talking points, need I remind you. You’re overdue for a good ass whipping!…..O’ wait, the shar pei took your balls, so hiding behind the keyboard is all you have.

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      4. Still lying and in denial about the fact that you get what you give. Too stupid to get it.

        #NotShocked

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      5. Dude…..here’s the fucking reality with you…..you’re a fucking joke who I treat like a pinata. You’re just cheap entertainment. And I enjoy pissing you off. It’s comical how easily I get under your skin.

        No one giving a shit how I talk to you, they see your childish stupidity. Your value to this blog is zero. Yet your cognitive ability lacks reasoning skills to comprehend it….old age is taking over, embrace it!

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      7. wow!!!!….my little bitch wants to engage in more just fucking outright stupidity…..it kills him inside to get slapped around and feel helpless…. Hey, shitter #2 has fart art all over the seat and floor…..get on it!

        And exactly what is it I’m lying about….details…..take your time…I know it’s hard transferring thoughts into words, plus the extra burden of typing the words…..

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      8. instead of stalking me, post some thoughts on the game…….try to engage in the main event of the day……YOU CAN DO IT!

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      9. Stalking him?! LMAO

        He’s the fool who often brings me up when I haven’t even posted. It’s hilarious the shit he makes up in his delusional head. No wonder at least a half dozen have called him out. The Village Idiot!

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      10. Poor slo cal…..no coin no brains no pussy no life, diaper-wearing waste of space(claims his wife)….. he enjoys trolling a sports blog where he knows absolutely nothing about sports…..He claims I am the stupid one…toooo funnnny!….and uses imaginary people to support his lies…..hey, he proves the onset of dementia, but continues to live in denial….just a sad sad pathetic old man who failed in the game of life…..so he vents about political issues to feel like he’s relevant….we laugh at his efforts!

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      11. “WE?!” He’s hearing voices in his head, yet claims I’M delusional.

        And still lying about the half dozen or so who have called him out for his childishness and personal attacks when he’s got nothing else. Claims to have “won” after being proven over & over again to be the Village Idiot.

        Lies as much as Dementia Joe. LOL

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  9. There’s some word going around about the Utah D coordinator being available for USC if they’re willing to pay and make him co-head coach! If that happens and he keeps Williams as recruiter-oops! Corners coach then that will show how serious Riley is about winning.

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    1. Co- HEAD coach? He might as well ask to be made President of the Board of Trustees too….
      #ItClearlyAin’tGonnaHappen…
      #[AndItWouldn’tEvenNeedToHappen…
      #….JustPayHim5MillionAsDC]…..

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    1. Reading between the lines, I think Riley would LIKE it to happen…
      #Let’sSeeIfUSCIsReallySeriousAboutANationalChampionship

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      1. I assume you mean Bohn? I would be shocked and amazed if Bohn was willing to force a coaching change on Riley in the first year.

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      2. yes Bohn!….. If you’re paying Riley $10 million, you’re serious about winning. So why keep a coach on staff who has repeatedly put winning in jeopardy. This isn’t a rebuilding phase, it’s a win now!

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    3. Unfortunately this maybe fact. USC kept Clay Helton for how long? If you are paying a 10+ million a year he better produce. You would think he is smart enough to understand that the defense IS the problem. Friendships only go so far. If Riley is not willing to get serious then Bohn is going to have to force a change.

      If the defense was just adequate, USC would have been playoff material.

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      1. Here’s the reality, we have a generational QB that has willed this team to wins and stubbornness to make defensive changes. Like oil and water, they don’t mix. The same scenario will lead to unfavorable results again.

        Riley is the old dog who needs to learn a new trick, take a page from the NFL. Teams bring in new Defensive staff when the job isn’t getting done.

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  11. I agree Grinch is bad. Seems like a soft mentality coming from him. But the athleticism of the players is seriously lacking. It contributes to being out of position and poor tackling. Grabbing and tackling are 2 different things. Also out of position in pass coverage. The Tulane receiver was running away from Max Williams. Williams couldn’t beat him with a head start. That Tulane team seemed fast cause USC defense is slow. Gotta get Bigger and Better athletes. Duh

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  12. I had this thought taken from the Texas game in 2006. When Tulane got the ball at the 3:20 mark, should have left them score immediately.

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    1. Going into the Texas game I knew that USC would have to score 45 to win. That’s how suspect the defense was that year. Remember, Fresno State put 42 on them. But this 2022 USC defense has been an embarrassment from the word go.

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  14. We don’t need to destroy our program ourselves by throwing away our coaches. The defense has not had the personnel for years. Part of what turns kids off is the instability and turmoil. College football has significant player turnover every year and the attractiveness of a program is the stability that allows the players to reach their full potential. The rest of the PAC-12 has been able to scoop up the talent that USC used to have locked up because of the 15 plus years of turmoil in the program. We had a great season. The defense was better. But we’re nowhere near the top or where we want to be. That’s OK. We’re going to have a target on our backs next year and it’s going to be fun to be a Trojan. We know that a good defense is going to keep us in the hunt for a championship and a great defense will put us over the top. That’s not bad at all!

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    1. Ordinarily I’d agree that this season has been a fluke and we need better players, but the offensive line was patched together in three weeks and performed well. The coaching on defense would have earned a pass just tackling more often, but they couldn’t even stop a one trick pony offense.
      USC defensive coordinator knew the tackling was bad, a blind man could see that this was the problem. The fact that, over the season, nothing improved tells me the man has no answer for the problem.

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    2. The problem is the West Coast kids are soft and basically play 7 on 7 as opposed to real tackle football. Defense and Offense are both soft that’s why the safety happened. Special teams are horrendous as well! 😂
      #icantbelievetheseclownswereranked#4

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    3. Lame excuse.

      Are you telling me that USC had worse personnel than 102 other D1 teams?!? Come on. They were ranked 103 out of 130 teams prior to this game. Plus, proof is in the pudding. He HAD TALENT at OU and still failed. To think it will change when he gets “his guys” is delusional and hubris.

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    4. The defense never improved from the get go. The one way you can tell if a coach has buy in from his players is if they play hard and get better. This is not the case with Grinch.

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  15. ehhh 11-3 with this rag tag bunch
    A likable coach that shows exciting football and likes to win
    No more Kiffy Suck Gomer crap

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      1. Yeah sure you say that now. You are one dumb little cunt! Your team is terrible and I told you so! Please move on and go watch some more CNN. Thanks!

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    2. 11-3 [with 2 losses coming from team that got creamed in the Rose Bowl] —–USC will be lucky to finish the year in the top 20…
      #ThatIsNotAHugeSuccess

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      1. You could keep him for another year but my guess is that we will waste Calebs last year and not do as well as this year. Next year the schedule will be harder, not easier(as I understand it). We have to play Oregon and Washington as well as UCLA and ND. We don’t know how good Colorado and Arizona State will be. Arizona will probably be better. We have to play Utah again. We don’t know how good Stanford will be with this new coach. He has a proven record as a winner at the lower levels.
        Getting rid of Grinch will be a hard decision to make but this defense was terrible this year and it wasn’t because of injuries. He would not have survived at Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia or ND(under Kelley).

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      2. I vote move on too. Nobody likes to see a guy lose his job but in College Football, losing your job is the nature of the beast. If you can’t handle getting fired….try another career.

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  19. Grinch cannot pin his problems in the kids he inherited. He has plenty of infusion of talent from el portal de transfer, but he doesn’t use personnel well. He knew tackling was bad months ago, but he failed to fix it (which was his job) He alone is responsible for the collapse on his side of the ball.
    The offensive line lost two starters before the game and cobbled together a passable line. The one blemish, although untimely, was the safety. It cannot be blamed on the line. (Who calls a run up the middle from the goal line?-Kiffin is long gone)
    Grinch and his staff needs to be let go.

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    1. Owns =2/3 of the word “clowns.” So I think I’ve discovered why the dipthong is always showing up on an SC blog. Like most Bruins, he has a psychological need or want to be a Trojan. He’s maybe a closet Trojan? (have fun with that phrase)
      He forgets conveniently, that the Bruins lost to the “Clowns” and by two points in their bowl this year.
      I’m not going to sugar coat the loss today. The defense has bad all season and they didn’t put up much of a fight today. So the bottom line is Owns needs to embrace the Cardinal and Gold.

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      1. I’ve been saying this for the past 12 years. BruinRob is the poster boy for Trojan Derangement Syndrome. Too bad you couldn’t see his DateMeLA profile page. It’s filled with all kinds of anti USC Propaganda. Dude is a total whack job.

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  21. there is no way grinch is fired. the issue with the USC football program goes deeper than just alex grinch. it is the commitment of the administration to having an elite program.

    USC is not elite right now and we are not on the path to elite. USC could have a great season next year, with Caleb Williams healthy, playing superman all year long. But the team and program will still not be elite, it will be just another Clay Helton team with a good QB and a really good offensive coordinator.

    The real problems are that Heritage Hall still has too many bums and Bohn is a mediocre AD. Throwing money at Riley to come to USC does not make Bohn a great AD. It just means they threw a ton of money at a coach. I could do that.

    you cant hamstring your program with no external NIL collectives and expect to be elite.

    honestly, even the lack of fan support at the Pac-12 game and in this bowl game shows that the program has a long way to come back.

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    1. You make some sound points but tamp down the Monday morning arm decision making of ‘…I could do that…’

      Good night what are you another Jim Buss? Someone who claims all one needs to do is get 5 NBA all stars and have a WC squad? These last two games were awful and telling esp today’s. I remember reading an unnamed parent of one of the players just after Helton finally got sacked stating bluntly that USC ‘1 do over’ wasn’t even close to what was needed what was needed was 4 – 5 ‘do overs’ based on the condition of the program left from that back end of a horse Helton. No one thought this team would be 11 – 3 especially 11 – 1 prior to the Pac12 CCG against UT.

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    3. Exactly so Bohn should fire Grinch just like he fired Helton and poached Riley from OU. He should send a message that USC is committed to winning.

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  22. congrats to branden rice for a great game. earlier in the season he was inconsistent and hurt the team, but it appears he has taken big strides. really good to see him step up his game. looking forward to seeing more of that next season.

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    1. I recall when you were hard on him, I respect your opinion. It seems he’s turned the corner and emerged as a key target….yes, he had a great game, with some tough catches!

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      1. i’m no expert, but early in the year, i thought it was an insult he was on the field (dropping passes) ahead of other talented guys, but he turned the corner in a huge way. I am always happy to be wrong (or have a player turn it around). big congrats to him.

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  23. watching over the highlights of the game and looking at individual players, there are some key players that are just so out of position on every big play, it is easy to see why this defense does not work. shane lee consistently goes to exactly the wrong spot and is out of position on most of the big plays. nick figueroa also seems to not be able to complete plays. korey foreman doesnt do anything on the field. max williams gets burned on big plays quite often. there are no linebackers, even gentry, who make a difference.

    of course the defensive line is horrible too, but it just feels like it is the linebackers and edges are the worst part of this defense.

    i noticed raesjon davis with a few nice plays, but then he was no longer on the field. not sure if he got burned on a big play, but why was he not playing more? next year, with mason cobb, davis, tackett and jamil muhammed, i think we solve the linebacker problems.

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    2. Gentry is totally overrated. We don’t need an ankle biter playing MLB. Dude is way to skinny and tall and easy for lineman to get under his pad level. Run at him and he’s toast. Sorry, but we need a total remodel at all linebacker spots!

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  25. one more post and i will be done. OK, i realize the reason the Alex Grinch defense sucks so much. the defense team captain, Shane Lee, is the worst player on the field. Sorry, I’m sure he is a great leader and a great guy in the locker room, but he is horrible on the field. watch the replay of the big Tulane plays and he is constantly duped into going the wrong way, misses tackles where he could stop a runner who is directly in front of him.

    you just cant have a team leader be the worst guy on the field. it sends a bad message. you cant continue to play players that fail, no matter how much you like them, or how great they are as teammates.

    results matter.

    seeing another highlight play where raesjon tracks the runner, fights through a big blocker and takes down the runner. ok, watching the tape, davis is all over the field on multiple plays at the end of the game. he’s going to be good next year. he’s not dominant yet, but with another couple good linebackers, he will do great. why was he not brought along earlier, so he could develop? keeping senior players on the field, despite poor performance is the key of bad teams. does grinch play favorites?

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    1. Good insight – as to ‘…does Grinch play favorites?…..’ frankly who of us doesn’t….if you saw on a big screen that much chaos or repeated high jinks of missed tackles or coverage, I assume others do too. Let’s hope a ‘3rd voice’ enters the discussion that is respected giving blunt assessment especially noting who did and didn’t do their assigned job.

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    2. LIKED!…..the defense team captain, Shane Lee, is the worst player on the field

      I have voiced the same observation!….The guy plays like he’s pulling a trailer, has no speed and the coverage skills are glaringly weak. I see why Riley brought in the kid from Ok St,…..don’t recall his name

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    3. Great points, game….. Grinch has a Heltonian approach to who plays —it’s the guys he likes, not the best 11. It fucked us over repeatedly but the lightbulb NEVER went on……
      #AndItNeverWill….
      #Lincoln–DoTheRightThing&GetItOverWith

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    4. There’s a reason he couldn’t get on the field at Bama. He has all the physical qualities but he lacks the instinct to be a playmaker. Ever notice how players like Matt Groetegood were always around the ball?

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  26. Made this comment months ago and am sticking with it. We will be very happy for awhile that Riley brings USC to Oklahoma levels. But eventually we will need a coach that can bring USC to Pete Carroll’s USC level.

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    2. if Riley is truly willing to demand his program becomes elite, he can do it. it is whether he is willing to look at himself and identify the weaknesses as well as the strengths. he is a smart dude, but does he put other things before winning (being elite).

      i saw in the deion sanders show that he didnt want his players to simply win, he wanted them to dominate. riley needs to stop trying to simply try to find a way to win games and instead demand elite play from every part of the team. that means that any player or unit that is not elite does not play, or must strive for a new level.

      despite these last two games, this team is still fun to watch compared to the helton years.

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  27. Can you imagine being a Tulane fan the last 5-minutes thinking out loud–

    45-30, 5-minutes to go, maybe we get one last td to make it look respectable…
    Wow, wow, the guy went almost all the way, one play, and then a touchdown,
    45-37, we have a chance to tie and go into overtime if we can get one more stop…
    I don’t believe it, the SC guy flubbed the kick out of bounds on the 2-yard line, hold ’em, hold ’em hold em…
    No way Jose, a safety, 45-39 and we get the ball with 2 minutes to go, a touchdown now wins it, how can this be….
    Oh my Lord, my boys score in the last seconds and storm the field. Now that was a win I didn’t see coming”

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    1. John,
      I honestly didn’t think we’d be talking tonight about how great it musta been to see this game through the eyes of a Green Wave fan…..
      btw, Tulane NEEDED us to give them the safety AND the T.D. at the end to win. If we just quick kicked —or even fucking THREW–the ball 20 yards out of the end zone and made them score a T.D. —we woulda got the ball back and won.
      #WeHadToReallyWorkHardToGiveTheGameAway….
      #ButWeFoundAWay!

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  28. Meanwhile on the other side of the field SC is in shock as some of the dew comes off the Wiley-rose losing the last 2 games of the season with the Tulane loss an all-time shocker the way it came down.

    Any confidence Wiley and his Trojans anticipated dissipated with that
    “twilight-zone” loss to Tulane, but perhaps it was for the best inasmuch as Wiley now knows for sure which areas of his team need the “energizing-bunny”

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    1. John –I’m not sure the team will derive much “energy” outta falling to the bottom rung of the top 20, being laughed at on every sports program on air and losing to a team that wasn’t ranked in the top 50 to start the season….

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  29. I know this loss hurts and is embarrassing to so many who supports and love USC football. There is no excuse for what happened in this game. I believe Riley deserves the benefit of the doubt. He has earned that at least. It’s typical in this microwave/clickbait culture to do they should be the best when we all know the foundation hasn’t been settled yet. I wish USC was at the same level as TCU but Dykes had to go local and be selective on who he brought in this season. Riley needs to make the foundation of the program once again NFL Hall of Fame talent especially on the offense and defensive lines. The program getting there. Compare the recruiting classes along with transfers and evaluation of staff. They’re still on schedule to win a championship.

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    1. I have relatives who live in Oklahoma and they’ve seen this movie before with Riley and Grinch. They’ve always said that Riley only cares about the offense. Look at Riley’s big bowl game record and compare that with Pete Carrol’s record. Hopefully this debacle is a wakeup call for Riley to put more of an emphasis on defense and special teams.

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    1. Here is some perspective:

      “Over the past five seasons, teams had been 1-1,692 when trailing by 15 or more points with five minutes or less remaining in the fourth quarter, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The lone win came in 2020, with Texas coming back against Texas Tech.”

      That really hurts……

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  31. LR is THE coach,the head coach. He decides when to practice what.They were beat by a better coached team.3star athletes beat them, the kind wolfie disdains. A team that probably practices in full gear more than once / week. You cannot block and tackle like the big boys or even tulane by doing it 1/week. That is LR’s fault.
    Penn St dominated utah, which dominated SC. Penn St is the 4-5th best team in B10.
    SC will not win any B10 conf championships until they practice like the B10,BAMA,Georgia,etc…special teams also badly under performed.

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  32. Alex THE GRINCH IS THE PROBLEM!!!! The Defense team is FINE……..those players are good they just need a BETTER DC COACH!
    FIRE ALEX GRINCH NOW!!😡

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