NEWS

USC Notes: Player Transactions And A Light Sentence

The Varsity Blues case really closed with a whimper today as former USC athletics administrator Donna Heinel was sentenced in a Boston federal court to six months in prison Frida

Heinel admitted to taking more than $1 million from corrupt college counselor Rick Singer, initially as donations to a university account she controlled and later as payments made to her directly under the guise of a consulting contract. But she was ordered to only pay $160,000 forfeiture. She will also have two years of supervised release.

Overall, there were 53 convictions in the Varsity Blues scandal.

  • Tailback Austin Jones said he will return for one more season. Ho hum. So Jones, Raleek Brown and new transfer MarShawn Lloyd from South Carolina will fight for playing time? Where does this leave Darwin Barlow?
  • Defensive tackle Brandon Pili, who spent six seasons at USC, is declining a seventh and entering the NFL Draft.

105 thoughts on “USC Notes: Player Transactions And A Light Sentence”

      1. LOVE ONE ANOTHER

        NO NO NO

        I DIDNT MEAN IT LIKE THAT

        I WANT TO REMEMBER PAT FROM THE EARLY SEVENTIES

        PAT HAS SAID HIS SON IS GAY
        AND HE IS PROUD OF HIM
        LOVES HIM VERY VERY MUCH

        SO YEAH PAT FUCKED UP AS A D

        TIME TO MOVR ON ?????

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Darwin should leave. I wasnt terribly impressed with Austin Jones in the last two games either.

      This USC roster keeps getting players it doesnt really need and missing on the ones it needs.

      Liked by 2 people

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      2. I expect Lincoln Riley to leave with Caleb Williams, because his lack of recruiting reflects that. He’s an overrated coach that relying too heavily on his quarterbacks arm talent, nothing else. It took Sonny Dykes one year that Riley couldn’t do in five.

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      3. gabby, here is my general philosophy on the roster.

        first and foremost, coaches need to be developing the talent they have. if younger players on the team who have a high ceiling feel they will not play because we grab more experienced players out of the portal, then why should they stay at USC, or stay motivated? my example of this is Raesjon Davis. this team would have been better by the end of the season if Raesjon were starting, rather than pulling in Shane Lee, who proved to have very limited upside from the portal.

        USC had alot of young talent in the secondary that never got developed, like Prophet Brown. After seeing how Raesjon is better than Lee, I really wonder if Prophet has gotten a fair shot?

        So when you bring in players from the portal, they should either be proven stars, like Addison, or players in positions of need, where the existing talent simply cant be improved. for example, Mason Cobb is a player at a position of need, who is also a proven star at his position.

        I have no doubt that Dorian Singer will be a great addition, but that receiver room is crowded and I would much rather have a left tackle that is a proven, top talent who will keep Caleb healthy. The players that have been added on the defensive line or offensive line have some experience, but not proven talent that are plug and play playmakers. My problem is that we are missing on the proven stars on the line.

        as far as this new running back, sure he is probably better than the current ones, but is that really a position of need? Given that USC is going to be a pass-heavy offense again, why not develop the two high school recruits and Barlow/Jones/Raleek? I would rather have a system that was focused on giving lots of playing time to Quinten Joyner and Raleek Brown next year, the upside from both of them is higher than the other players and they have more productive years ahead of them.

        isnt USC already over their limit on scholarships? i would rather have an extra slot for any d-line or o-line talent, rather than bring in a running back who might be marginally better than our current running backs.

        I actually think the core problem with USC’s defense were the more senior leaders who just never got any better. Shane Lee was horrible against Tulane. Max Williams was very inconsistent in his results on multiple plays in multiple games. Tuli didnt step up in the Tulane game in a big way. The linebackers left over from the Helton era are equally horrible Figueroa was a non-factor. Bullock was a non-factor in the Tulane game.

        So maybe my problem with this roster management is that there is not enough focus on developing all the players and letting less experienced players replace the veterans if they dont perform, which would push the veterans to perform.

        Adding incrementally better players from the portal, when the existing talent can be developed is not the best use of a scholarship. Maybe part of the reason USC’s high school recruiting class is not top-notch is that USC is known to bring in experience from the portal, and not develop/play high school recruits.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. DARWIN LOOKS GOOD IN GAMES BUT IVE HEARD HE DOESNT PRACTICE WELL
      BUT I REALLY DUNNO

      OUR NEW GUY WAS RATED THE NUMBER FIVE RUNNING BACK IN THE NATION COMING OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL

      IF I HAD TO GUESS I WOULD SAY HE STARTS OVER JONES
      PRACTICE WILL DETERMINE
      MEANWHILE THE TWO NEW GUYS PROBABLY REDSHIRT
      RALEEK IS GOOD BUT TOO SMALL TO BLOCK
      NOT AN EVERY DOWN TYPE OF GUY
      BUT I WANT HIM TO GET MORE TOUCHES
      HIS SPEED IS ELECTRIC

      BY THE WAY TIM I JUST SENT A POST TO YOU ABOUT CARMICHAEL ON THE EARLIER THREAD TODAY
      AND ANOTHER ONE ON THE THUNDERING HERD TOO

      Liked by 4 people

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      1. THANKS, I will try to find it ,not sure what you mean by earlier thread…I have a super large book actually written by Carmichael and his son, titled ‘106 yards’ funny how something that a 9 yr old watched is still important to him…I have loved SC and its sport teams and privileged to watch them since 1951…not just football but the great swim teams,track,baseball,basketball,tennis…never saw the golf or gymnastics;it has been like an adventure in paradise until the ncaa stepped in to ruin it in many ways.

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  3. With Jones coming back do we really need another RB. I bet the two 4 stars coming in the fall are thrilled. I guess LR can’t resist getting more offensive players.

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    1. If Jones goes down what’s left?…..a bunch of guys with little to no experience….I respectfully disagree with you.

      There is no substitute for experience. Its been the experience through the portal that has teams making great strides from one season to the next…..great example USC

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Hey Crabs, sorry to hear your father, former porn star Ron Jeremy will be declared incompetent to stand trial for rape. What a bitch, all that boning he did and he can’t remember a thing.

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  4. Lloyd seems like the perfect size for a running back……5’9″ and 212. Sort of like a little manhole but I’ve seen his films…..he’s quick as hell. At that height he can hide behind those big 6’5″ O-Linemen. You can’t see him. Then he looks for daylight and darts through the smallest hole and is past the D-lineman before they know it. With that powerful offense, they shouldn’t have problems finding great offensive players. They all want to play in an offense like that.
    But defensive players don’t want to play in a trash defense. They feel that the problems that are hindering the whole defense from performing probably trace back to the players individually and therefore they won’t get developed.
    I don’t think that they will get really good defensive players as long as Alex Grinch is there. If they were to hire that coach from Wisconsin, they would start having outstanding defensive players commit right away. He’s got a reputation which will draw great players. What are they waiting for?

    Liked by 4 people

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    1. What are they [Bohn & Riley] waiting for? For the criticism following the Cotton Bowl performance to blow over… so they can hobble along with Grinch for another year…
      #GivingGrinchAYear’sWorthOfSeverencePayBeforeUSCJoinsBig10..
      #…[WhileWastingCaleb’sTalent]….

      Liked by 3 people

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    2. Here is a list of the NC teams going back to 2004 and where they finished nationally defensively.
      2021              Georgia               #2
      2020              Alabama             #32
      2019             LSU                     #32
      2018             Clemson              #4
      2017             Alabama              #2
      2016            Clemson               #9
      2015            Alabama               #2
      2014            Ohio State            #14
      2013            Florida State        #2
      2012            Alabama               #1
      2011            Alabama              #1
      2010           Auburn                  #60
      2009           Alabama               #2
      2008           Florida                  #8
      2007           LSU                      #3
      2006           Florida                  #10
      2005          Texas                     #6
      2004           USC                     #7

      You have 18 years listed. Out of those 18 years, 14 were in the top 10 defensively nationally. The only big exception was Auburn in 2010, who finished 60th. But that is much better than 106th which is what we finished this year. You can’t win a NC without a defense. I don’t see why such a smart guy like LR can’t see that. He has an over rated view of his offensive talents. He needs to get another DC and get him NOW before the recruiting season is over. Otherwise we will waste 2023, a one in a lifetime opportunity.

      Liked by 8 people

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    4. I always thought BAMA size aka OJ size was perfect overall size for back field…but this individual surely is welcometo impress me…hope you are correct.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. I guess it’s just me. Tall running backs usually run more straight up and down like Eric Dickerson and they present too much body surface as a target. My favorite running back of all time was Barry Sanders. He was 5’8″ and 200 pounds.

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  5. DEFENSE is the reason USC lost the two Utah games and the Cotton Bowl. Yet, it’s as plain as the nose on our collective faces that CLR doesn’t give a shit about defense nor will he ever. As of this moment, Alex Grinch is still the DC, and USC doesn’t seem to be a destination for any top flight defensive players, aside from Tackett Curtis, and who knows how he’ll turn out. The last thing USC needs is another running back or any other skill position player. What do the late Mike Leach, Sark, Kiffin, and Riley have in common? They’ve never won big games and defense is an afterthought. On the other hand, Saban, Meyer, Kirby Smart, and Pete Caroll have in common? They believe in DEFENSE and have all won big. If CLR can’t figure this out, get ready for more of the same of what we saw the last two games this year.

    Liked by 4 people

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    1. I actually do not think it is fair nor correct to state it is an after thought. I think rebuilding after the hellton years is a step by step arduous job. You know CW is the reason this team won 11 games…without him SC would have won most likely 7,maybe 8. The defense is not like having a miracle man at q/b. It is putting together a machine with lots of moving parts and the players to do their jobs as instructed.
      THESE DEFENSIVE players performed well at times, 30-40%?
      I honestly believe next year the defense will rise like ‘the phoenix’ from its abyss,and perform in the 75% range not allowing on avg more than 24 points /game.
      I also disagree with your statement Mike Leach did not care about defense,he did have a different approach to it,but he cared about it.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Nice point, Tim. People forget how well Washington State played defense under Coach Leach.

        Like

  6. Brian Kelly was decisive. Seeing Riley at USC was conviction enough for him to abandon his comfort zone and try to win now. Beating Alabama with SEC players vindicated his approach.

    Riley has no such proof of concept.

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    1. TIREBUMMSTER, Nick is the former President of Clown U, (2010 – 2018), C. L. Max Nikias; a worse excuse for a Univ., President would be hard to find.

      Nikias failed to act on years of female students complaints regarding Dr. Geo. Tyndall vile, on-campus, GYN practices because Dr. Tyndall was such a terrific fund raiser for SUCC’s precious, endowment fund. Increasing the value SUCC’s endowment fund was Nicky’s primary focus…..anything for a buck as it were.

      Of course, he also sanctioned the employment of St Pat(Rube), Sark, Lynn Swann, Andyain’twinning and Clay Helton.

      The Buck never got to Nicky’s desk.

      Liked by 2 people

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      1. THANXOWNS

        THE LAST PRES I HAD CONTACT WITH AT SC WAS STEVEN SAMPLE

        HE DIDNT CARE ABOUT SPORTS SO I DIDNT LIKE HIM
        BUT AT LEAST YOU COULD TALK TO HIM SND ARGUE WITH HIM

        I HEARD A LOT SECONDHAND ABOUT NIKIAS
        SAD TO SAY NONE OF IT WAS GOOD

        I GO BACK TO RUFUS V VON KLEINSCHMIDT

        NOW NOBOBY SEEMS TO LIKE HIM EITHER

        AND NOBODY SEEMS TO LIKE CAROL

        OH WELL
        THERE WAS ALWAYS FRED D FAGG

        UCLA HAD A CHANCELLOR THAT I REMEMBER
        YOUNG

        BACK TO SC

        THANK GOD FOR WILLIS O HUNTER
        AND JOHN AND MRS MORLEY !!!

        Liked by 1 person

  9. After 6 years in school on a four year scholarship, the player feels it’s time to move on? Maybe Grinch is on to something saying the defensive players can’t be taught.
    Just sayin.

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  13. IF BIDEN AND HARRIS DIE BEFORE SEVEN PM PDT TONIGHT
    DO YOU KNOW WHO BECOMES PRES ??

    I KNOW

    TAKE A GUESS BEFORE YOU SCROLL DOWN

    GIVE UP

    OK

    ITS

    PATTY MURRAY

    I SWEAR ITS TRUE !!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Wrong…
      #It’dBeCarolFolt,George…
      #LookItUp….
      #Article1,Section1 —“InTheEventOfNoSpeakerAsOf1/6/23…
      #…ThePresidentOfUSCBecomesSpeakerOfHouse”

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      1. AS ALWAYS YOU WERE RIGHT MICHAEL

        BUT DID YOU SEE JOE BIDEN JUST ISSUED EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 2471 OF HIS PRESIDENCY WHEREIN HE ORDERED THAT NEXT IN LINE WOULD BE REGGIE BUSH ??
        JOE ALSO ORDERED THAT HIS ORDER NOT BE SUBJECT TO JUDICIAL REVIEW !!!!
        MARTIAL LAW MAY AWAIT !!!

        Liked by 1 person

      3. George —You’re being funny — but— we ALREADY have legislators from both sides of the aisle talking about supreme court opinions, and even constitutional provisions, as “theories”…..
        #wtf?!

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      6. Oh, it’s a constitutional right, So Cal. It’s just one of the fundamental rights found in the “penumbra of the constitution” —rather than spelled out —like all the other rights. See, sometimes the framers forgot to put what they wanted in the constitution… ….so, many years later, it was up to the New York Times Editorial Board to “discover” the rights hidden in the “penumbra of the constitution.”
        [Once, when an attorney made the mistake of talking about the “penumbra” of the constitution in a pretrial motion, everybody in the courtroom —including the clerk and the bailiff, started laughing]….

        Liked by 3 people

  14. HATE TO SPOIL THE SUSPENSE GUYS
    BUT
    KEVIN NOW HAS THE VOTES

    I JUSTGOT A CALL FROM LAUREN BOEBERT THE EX GIRLFRIEND OF SO CAL AND SHE CONFIRMED IT
    BUT
    SAID SHE WAS MAD AT SO CAL FOR WHAT HE SAID ABOUT HER COMPLEXION

    I TOLD HER I THOUGHT SO CAL WAS RIGHT

    SHE HUNG UP ON ME AFTER SHE SAID SHE KNOWS WHERE I LIVE
    SHIT !!

    Liked by 2 people

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    4. THAT WAS THE PLAN ALL ALONG GUYS
      I DIDNT SAY KEVIN WOULD WIN ON THE FIRST VOTE TONIGHT
      THEY PLANNED TO FALL ONE SHORT ON THE FIRST VOTE
      THENVOTE TO ADJOURN
      THEN REVERSE THAT VOTE
      THEN VOTE AGAIN
      HAVE TO BUILD UP THE SUSPENSE WITH THE NATION WATCHING

      AS YOU OFTEN SAY SO CAL MY FRIEND
      YOU CANT MAKE THIS SHIT UP
      INCLUDING THE FAKE FISTICUFFS !!

      Liked by 2 people

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    1. No one is above the law…Glade to see they are still coming after these criminals. All in the name of the orange cheeto, pathetic!…..

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      2. What the fuck dude….Your party is displaying childish behavior on tv…..Hey, you voted for this fucking mess. Your boi McCarthy is a fucking dick walking up to Gaetz and calling him out in front of a National audience…. embarrassing!

        People had to be restained……..The party of egos……Dude you cry about inflation and the price of diapers, yet the fools you voted for can’t seem to govern….sad day for the GOP…

        Just like McCarthy, you two both need a good ass whipping

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      3. Wow!!!!!…..What a shit show taking place from the House GOP. This is just fucking crazy…..and you talk fucking shit about Biden’s incompetence…..A bunch of fucking narcissists that can’t stand the loss of power. Their job is to govern not pout over lost vanity….

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      4. Quit making up shit up and lying, as usual. Talking about everything our current adminstration has done to drive inflation is not “crying” about it.

        Typical Lib. THEY don’t care about things until it affects them directly. They can’t imagine those of us who don’t enjoy seeing OTHER people struggle.

        Karen Bass: “I did feel safe until my safety was shattered, like so many Angelenos,” she said of the troubling break-in at her home in Baldwin Vista.

        “My safety was shattered,” she repeated.

        Those of us with any sense could have told her that WITHOUT having our homes broken into.

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      5. STFU……It’s not my problem or Biden’s your poor……

        You fucking talk shit about the people at the border trying to start a new life…..they don’t count?…..

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      6. That’s her opinion…dipshit…..dude, you really are limited….you have serious comprehension issues or dementia?

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      7. Her statement confirmed what I stated in the previous paragraph and he claims I am limited and have comprehension issues! LMAO

        I have said it before and I’ll say it again. I actually feel sorry for him sometimes. So sad.

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      8. You senile troll, CR posted an article about FBI/DOJ and a judge supporting it. Your reply was-” Democracy? Constitution?! They don’t care about either one, CR”

        From out in left field you posted a quote from Bass that read- “I did feel safe until my safety was shattered, like so many Angelenos,” she said of the troubling break-in at her home in Baldwin Vista.”

        Next came this lame-ass comment- “Her statement confirmed what I stated in the previous paragraph and he claims I am limited and have comprehension issues! LMAO”

        You dementia idiot, how is criminal behavior(house break-in) by a private citizen related to government overreach, democracy, and the Constitution?….. Once again, you lack cognitive presence and fail to comprehend the context of what you read. Then you reply with some comments totally unrelated. You have been doing this more often lately……sounds like the dementia is advancing!…..ouch!

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      9. Too slow to follow along AGAIN.

        “From out in left field?!” No. In response to the dumbass’s previous post. Anyone with a functioning brain would have comprehended how the reply was related.

        Like

  16. Gaetz just gave slo troll’s boi Kevin a massive crotch kick….poetic justice….The GOP reflects a party of clowns….Boebert is nothing but a joke….how do these people get elected…. 14 votes and counting….nothing like this in the history of our country….. dysfunction at the highest level…..

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    1. Fuck me. I was getting ready to blast you & then you called out Boebert for being a joke —-destroying any chance I had for a rebuttal.
      #DamnYou

      Liked by 1 person

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      2. Lots of fine talk …by people who ended up begging for chairmanships to committees in exchange for their vote…
        #NowWeCanAllReturnToPorkbarrelPolitics…
        #…UntilTheDayFinallyComesWhenWeCan’tFinanceOurDebt
        [If you want a good laugh watch Boebert being interviewed by Sean Hannity…. like watching two ground sloths slowly wading into La Brea Tar Pits]…..

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      3. MICHAEL. GABBY. AND SO CAL
        SEE MY LATE POST ON THE STUFF I WATCHED TONIGHT

        YOU CANT MAKE THIS SHIT UP

        RE BOEBERT
        SHE TALKS LIKE A BITCH
        HALFWAY CUTE BUT ID KICK HER OUT OF THE BED !!

        My POST IS AFTER SO CAL WAS DISCUSSING THE FINAL VOTE

        HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY IT
        LOL

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      4. Yeah, MG. But seeing someone write “how do these people get elected” after that person voted for dementia is fucking hilarious!!

        Liked by 1 person

      5. The funny part is Gabby has pretty much conceded Biden is an empty shell — his all-purpose defense [which I have to grant him is worth raising] is Trump keeps acting like a buffoon. The problem with inserting Trump [and his minions] into the debate is that it obscures the fact America is gonna gave to deal with it’s debt problem before it drowns us.

        Like

  17. This is what the 247 Sports analyst said about Marshawn Lloyd……
    “Ideal running back frame. College-ready strength. Powerful, physical runner. Hits hole quickly and can change direction at high rate of speed. Punishing runner at the second level. Quick feet and instinctive runner. Always looking to get downhill. Uses stiff arm well. Patient yet decisive. Does not waste movement. Hard to tackle behind line of scrimmage. Effective pass catcher. Ball security must improve. Work on cut-back ability and getting to edge needs to be more consistent. Impactful player at elite college program. Day 3 NFL draft pick”.
    On offense they have it all next year….RB’s, WR’s, QB…..they could use maybe one or two experienced O-Linemen. Defense is another story. What they really need there is Jim Leonhard.

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    1. HI PARCELMAN YEAH I READ THAT ANALYSIS THIS AFTERNOON
      I REALLY LIKE THE KID AND THINK HE STARTS

      WE REALLY NEED MORE O LINEMEN
      AS OF NOW NOT ENOUGH QUALITY AND NO DEPTH
      DEFENSE FRONT IS A JOKE RIGHT NOW
      HELP
      HELP
      AND HELP PLEASE

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. We can change this team from another 11-3 or 10-4 team to a challenger for the NC with one move…….Hire Jim Leonhard……Riley….what are you waiting for?

        Liked by 1 person

    1. He’s not doing interviews cuz — he knows we wouldn’t like what he has to say ….he thinks we’re being precipitous about calling for Grinch’s firing…. most of the time fans thinking the answer is to fire someone IS precipitous —-but not when it comes to Grinch —he’s a smart guy.. who will NEVER get his players to play hard for him….
      #InFact,TheyDoTheOpposite

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      1. Everyone keeps saying that LR is just being loyal to Grinch. But since SC is paying him 12 million a year, I would say that his first loyalty should be to SC. Afterall, Grinch isn’t paying him a thing.
        Also, I keep wonder if that is the reason. Is he just being loyal to Grinch? Or does he just think that he doesn’t need defense and that he thinks that he can win an NC by going 15-0 winning each game 50-49? You need a lot of luck to do that. Just look at this years Alabama team. They are just 4 points from going 13-0 and yet they didn’t even make the playoffs.

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    1. That’s good. I hadn’t seen that one. If he can stay healthy he’ll gain 1,000 yards. He’s had some knee problems in the past. We need to bring in at least one more O-Lineman and 2 or 3 interior D-Linemen. It wouldn’t help to get a good DC.

      Liked by 1 person

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  20. Maybe this is supposed to mean that Domani Jackson is considering the transfer portal. Riley has to make staff changes that he feels are necessary. If certain players don’t like it, so be it.

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    1. Riley is so sensitive to his needs as an offensive coordinator that poor Grinch doesn’t have a chance. I wonder if that’s why he isn’t looking for a new DC —maybe no serious DC wants in on that kinda arrangement…..

      Liked by 1 person

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  22. Football is over. No one really cares about basketball. And Scott has generated 100 hits.
    #RobertArmstrong:”IGiveYouScottWolf,The8thWonderOfTheWorld”

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  23. Politics are the most fun when everyone disagrees. But this is a a sports focused blog and sports are always more fun than politics. Get my drift…. Focus on sports, por favor

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Got it.
      #ThanksForTheReminder
      #WhenOpposingAttorneysWantToMakeNice…
      #TheyTurnToCriticizing..
      #….TheCommonEnemy:TheJudge…
      #I.E., TimeToReturnToGrinch

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  24. I would do her sentence in a heartbeat. She came out net positive with plus $840,000 dollars (likely more in cash and gifts). No jail time. I could do that in my sleep. Even my priest would approve.

    Liked by 1 person

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