Lincoln Riley said today that he is retaining Alex Grinch as defensive coordinator.
“I know what he’s made of. I just do. I know what’s getting ready to happen defensively,” Riley said. “And so, I just have a confidence and a belief there, not just in Alex, but the other guys in the room.”
REACTION: So the “deep dive” took about a week and no changes were deemed necessary. This is a big call by Riley because he is willing to believe the defense will improve. It should to some extent with better players but fundamental problems remain.
This is all related to the fact that Riley is an offensive-minded coach with no defensive background. He doesn’t have a network of defensive coaches that he knows and doesn’t want to leave his comfort zone to hire someone he is unfamiliar with.
InsideUSC with Scott Wolf 
Well, hope Riley proves us all (most of us) wrong because now this sits squarely on Riley’s shoulders.
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We KNOW what Coach Grinch is getting ready for next year too, Coach Riley….
#That’sWhatScaresUs
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He doesn’t care about USC in the long run, MG! He’s trying to parlay this gig for his next stop the NFL. He keeps his friend for failure and tries to give some bs pep talk excuse about testical fortitude in Grinch. When he didn’t even have the testical fortitude to take CW out of the PAC 12 championship game at 40% with a playoff spot on the line. LR is a fraud just like them okies said. I was one of the first that noticed Haden was a fraud as AD at USC. Only out for himself. I’m calling the it here with Lincoln!
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The Ghost of Clay Helton, no gut, no glory… lol 😂. Lincoln Riley knows he doesn’t need a defensive coordinator, he needs a buddy. 😂. Historically, Riley’s style of play is, whoever has the ball last wins 😂. If that fool thinks he’s winning a National Championship like that, he needs to consult with Sonny Dykes.
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The defense will definitely improve next year if Coach Grinch mix up his formation. Go 3-3-5, than go 4-3-4 than go 5-2-4 than go 6-2-3 and go 4-4-4. If Coach Grinch does that, the defense will be a top five defense in the country
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Must be that USC is giving the Grinch 1 More year to get off his Frickin A Oo..
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That’s 1 year too many wasted with this garbage defensive scheme. LR is a fucin fraud keeping his friend as DC. You fire for failure. Not give pep talks about I know what’s in him crap. We all know already! Failure on defense. Like if we haven’t seen what he’s made of already.
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Coach Grinch going to prove all the haters wrong next year. USC defense going to be a top 5 defense in the country next year. You heard it here first. We Are SC, Go Trojans And Fight On To Victory ✌️✌️✌️💪☝️
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That’s a Clay Helton-ish decision…concerning
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What a dumb take. Riley doesn’t know any defensive coaches because he is offensive minded? Seriously? Seriously? Even if that were true, it’s not, all he would have to do is ask his agent to put out feelers. Riley is represented by Athletes First, they represent coaches throughout the NFL and college. With one call he could be connected to 20 d coordinators.
Lazy reporting, Scott.
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I usually agree with you, Goose —but —– I think it’s possible that Scott means that when and if Riley got “connected” with those 20 coordinators they’d all say “no.”
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No kidding … DCs kniw $$$
Bo,d move by LR these 26 year old qbs in the Pac are tough
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The Buckeyes were the #1 offense in America–without Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Took UGA to the wire, and with just a little luck would have beaten up on TCA themselves. The Buckeyes have slowly built a better defense under Day. But my point is that UGA–coached by a great defensive coach (Kirby) gave up 40+ points to tOSU.
The Trojans were the #2 offense in America–without Jordan Addison most of the way and without Dye down the stretch and with Caleb gimpy for the last two games.
This Trojan defense was difficult to watch, and I think it was the players and not the coach. We need a 320 pounder (and a backup) at the nose tackle and some bigger and faster LB’s and EDGE/DE.
In my prior post I outlined all the talented QB’s coming back to the Pac 12. Nix, Pennick, De Lauria, Rising. DJ Ugia trf to Oregon State. UCLA will have a potent offense. Yeah, USC needs a better D, but the Pac is going be offensively robust no matter what. In time, we will build a better D. I would have taken Jimmy Leonhard or Gary Patterson or Morgan Scalley (not leaving), but it’s not happening.
Here’s to building on a successful first year with better practice, better players (portal+recruits) and better coaching in 2023!
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Even with Grinch, and the staff as it currently is, the defense can make a giant leap forward by doing just one thing: learning how to f*cking tackle.
They do that, and, all things being the same on offense, we go to the playoffs next year.
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One problem –Grinch said he thought they were ready to tackle in the Utah playoff game….and he then said he was sure he had them ready to tackle for the Tulane Bowl game…..
#It’sNotClearGrinchGets”Tackling”
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I just read from a very reliable source that uclol has spent $47 million on NIL. That’s a lot of cabbage, fly Wasserman Airways.
DTR stayed because he was making more than pro QB’s.
VP of a uclol booster club.
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GT posted that about 6:30 last night. Is that your reliable source? 😉
Good to see you up & about and feeling well enough to join us knuckleheads.
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Cal75,
How are you doing? I hope you are doing better. Get better.
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I look forward to each new day.
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Terrible decision.period
No way we compete with the OSU or Georgia…not even Oregon or Washington.. What a waste…
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8-4 next season with Grinch as DC I’m calling it here first. The get beat by Oregon, Washington, Oregon St, and Notre Dame.
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Um, they don’t play the Beavers this next season. I mean, they could play in the championship but if they make it with a 8-4 record then yikes!
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hmmm, not sure we play the Beavs, but keep it coming.
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You might be right Scott (regarding the limited Rolodex) or perhaps there are some strong recruits we need to secure who’ve made strong connections to Grinch.
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If you look at Grinch’s record from Washington State to now, he has never been successful on a power five level. This is a mistake and shows me that riley is more loyal to his buddies than to the program that is paying him millions of dollars. I hope this does not come back to bite him in the butt.
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Bohn should of saw this and forced LR hand to fire Grinch. USC is bigger than your friendship. Especially after failure the last 2 games and missing the playoffs. USC missed out on a great opportunity this year. Then they wonder why big time recruits in the portal are going else where.
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As I have been saying, Riley is a fantastic OC, but not a good head coach. Grinch has had a long time to prove he is an excellent DC, but that never happened.
I think the defense can be a heck of a lot better next year, even with Grinch. But they need to turn over the linebackers completely – Cobb, Tackett, Raesjon and a beefed-up Gentry. Please dont play Shane Lee except in a very limited capacity on certain downs.
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He is running the same schemes with 5-4 star players he did in Oklahoma for three years. It did not work. Will not work at USC. Wasted year for Caleb Williams.
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Scooter,
If Grinch stays then he has to learn and develop:
he must go to bama, georgia, or some place that has a great defense and learn the schemes and learn what each player does, how he is lined up, and teaches them how to be discplined
HIS DLINE MUST STOP THE 50 YARD GASHES
Learn how to cover the te and chuck him at the line of scrimmage,
lbers must learn how to fill the holes and cover the te.
Get more physical
Dbs need to be in position.
Players must execute. Going half ass won’t cut it.
dline must push the oline back 1 yard on every play. If they do that then the lbers can fill the holes inward instead of outward. Lot easier for lbers.
Players must get off their blocks. get to the passer and runner.
players must give full max effort. no more hesitency.
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The main job for ‘D’ linemen is to rush the q/b on pass plays to hurry passes,or knock down passes, a sack is great of course; on runs knock down blockers and/or tackle the runner,as the linebackers secure the tackle; SC had good linebackers not very good or great; 2023 will be different.
SC DB’s are just avg at best…I think the back is either real good in and of himself or always just a project…I would not go after anyone less than 6’1 that is a tackling machine and fast. Now’a days the ncaa won’t even let teams practice or play football, they want something foreign to football. Georgia and BAMA getting the very best is why they win now. They pressure everything 24×7.
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that is all subjective assumption and I agree with retaining him another year
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Bingo
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I don’t really believe that LR thinks he can win a NC without a defense and he does want to win a NC. We’re in much better hands than when CH was here. I, for one, am willing to continue to support him. If his offensive minded plan to win a NC doesn’t work out, I think that he will see the need for a change. All he has to do is change the defense. His offense will always be good.
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Look at the very last series of downs by tulane. SC went after them and nearly stopped them,instead of playing a prevent defense which tulane gobbled up. Going after them made them work the hardest the whole game,and some really bad tackles when the player was in the grasp is the tacklers fault. I honestly believe ,2023 will see a real vast improvement in defense,plus some new personnel with experience are coming in to get the job done.
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They need to get Anthony Lucas. The crystal ball says he’s coming to SC. But there will probably be others. That receiver from Cal whose name was Michael Sturdivant(he caught 65 passes last year….8 against SC) has entered the portal and I hear SC is going after him.
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Disappointed, but not surprised. Grinch has a terrible scheme that everyone in the nation has figured-out! Keeping him only prolongs the agony and will cost us at least 2 wins next season. You can bring in all the top defensive players, but the scheme is still shit so we won’t stop anyone from scoring on us. Riley better get ready to pull the plug if this defense gives-up big numbers after the first 3 games next season! Lincoln Riley has to learn to make big boy decisions or he’s going to be the one getting fired!
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Read tweet attachments for Riley’s complete comments.
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I believe the highest rated Grinch scoring defense as a DC is #29. You don’t have to be Georgia to slow down Tulane. All those off-tackle plays that went for big gains and the missed tackles. That was the worst the D looked all year.
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You could argue that Riley is showing leadership by not giving into the calls to fire Grinch. The idea that the Head Coach is sticking his neck out and “has your back” carries a lot of weight internally with the coaching staff and players. “Circle the wagons!”
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Okay, I like this angle CR! Hope players & coaches return the favor with TCB.
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“You don’t have to be Georgia to slow down Tulane.”
That’s what concerns me, the fact that Grinch had weeks to prepare for Tulane and we shit the bed.
As has been stated, the defense appeared to get worse as the year went on. Again, pray Riley proves everybody wrong.
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Fanboys can spin all day, but the turd in the punch bowl, which can’t be scooped out, is this is an element of the Air Raid mentality. Disregard the fundamental principles of championship football, resist seeing what’s before your eyes ( like watching Georgia, OSU, Michigan ( this year ) , Alabama ) for championship formula of defense, LOS play, good special teams, top assistants). What else gets overlooked is the how significant it impacts recruiting 4-5 star kids. Until corrected by an epiphany from the heavens, we will be a WSU on steroids yearly.
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As a Sooner fan I can say LR is a really good offensive coach and thats it . But waiting on grinch to get you guys a defense is probably not gonna happen , probably have better odds of every USC fan winning the lottery. I seen this happening to you all when he was announced USC’S coach . But I don’t think he will try the NFL there’s way too much talent and would make him look like Spurrier 🤔
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Your as much an Oklahoma guy as a cow patch. Don’t embarrass yourself with the fraudulent opinion from doesn’t know Cale Gundy from Mike.
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AS A FORMER USC LB AND CAPTAIN, I AM VERY DISSAPPOINTED IN THE HC POSITION ON RETAINING THE LOUSY DC..
THE DEFENSIVE SCHEMES ARE A JOKE. PLEASE JUST DO WHAT THE WINNING BIG BOYS DO (GEORGIA, OHIO STATE AND ALABAMA).
IT’S CERTAINLY NOT ROCKET SCIENCE,, NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN THE 53 YEARS SINCE MY 1969 TEAM WON THE 1970 ROSE BOWL 10-3 OVER MICHIGAN, WHO HAD JUST BEAT THE CURRENT NATIONAL CHAMP OHIO STATE AND AVERAGED CLOSE TO 42 PTS PER GAME.
LET’S SEE, GEORGIA HELD TCU TO 6 PTS!! DEFENSE WINS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS!!
BOB JENSEN #51 LB 1967-1969
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11-2, again. I don’t get what his need to be loyal to Grinch at the cost of winning a championship. Grinch needs to change his philosophy if he stays. And from what I see, small guys are his preference in the middle of the line. God bless the Trojans, being fed to the slaughter like the charge of the Light Brigade in Crimea.
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You all actually believe Lincoln Riley has no awareness of where his coaching record is esp. after last night’s ‘Cannae’ at SOFI? He knows he also knows far more the state of the team he inherited from Helton et. al. and even more telling the culture there. USC was a complete mess, no one believed otherwise esp. parents of some bright prospects.
As much as so many here believe firing Grinch ‘isn’t’ the answer anymore than the incessant drum beat when all were hollering for Urban Meyer. Prudent minds at USC (Foyt and Bohn) prevailed and USC avoided what JAX encountered – a presumed ‘sure fire solution’ which was complete unmitigated disaster.
Riley is not going to be pressured to do anything because the: alumnae, LA Times & SCNG sportswriters, Yahoo Sports, ESPN, rabid fans etc. say so.
This is his decision and he is well aware of what the outcome will be a less than a year hence if he is wrong about Grinch because he’s heard the unrelenting summation of his lack of winning big games as what defines him.
He is his own man and will succeed or fail because of his choice and not the hysterical mob’s diktats.
Move on
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So you reward your friend for failure? With a 106 ranked defense and your teams are soft year after year. This is a pattern here that needs to change. NO matter how much he tries to put lipstick on a pig. He’s paid over 10 mil a year to change the program that was expected. So now it’s he’s job to make changes on defense, not stick with the status quo and expect different results. That’s considered insanity!
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You know his linemen are too small on both sides of the ball. You see the lack of strength and balance when Murphy gets knocked down like a toddler or the nose tackles get put on roller skates by the opposing team. You know who’s glad that he won’t change? All the other teams in the conference.
You want the Trojans to go 8-4 because he’s being stiff necked? When the secondary gets cooked and guys start leaving in droves on defense? Do you really think Grinch can motivate these players to do the extra work they need to be the best defense in the conference at least? Players can’t get fired. You bring in a coach who has no personal ties or friendships and says to the players the business: do what I tell you, get some extra work or I will replace you with coeds if I need somebody to do the job right! The fact it took the last game of the season for Grinch to put Davis on defense tells me he plays favorites.
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