When people talk about what a great coach Lincoln Riley is, they list the fact he coached three Heisman Trophy winners as a major accomplishment. It is something Riley can be proud of as a coach.
But there is another way to look at it: Who else has won three Heismans and never won a national championship? Or maybe even just multiple Heismans and no national title.
Worse, Riley hasn’t even made the national-title game despite his three Heisman winners.
The reason I bring it this up is to illustrate a familiar point. Riley might have won three Heismans and a national championship if he valued defense as much as offense.
If he really cared about the defense, he would have hired an elite defensive coordinator right when he got the USC job. Or after last season.
Why not do it when it seems like such a simple fix?
Maybe because if you hire the best defensive coordinator, it will take away attention from the offense.
All the Mike Leach disciples seem to want their teams to be known for offense. They don’t want the defense to take away the spotlight.
It kind of reminds me of when Pete Carroll said he took over parts of the USC offense because he thought Norm Chow got so much credit, recruits would think the offense would never be the same if Chow left.
Well guess what? The offense wasn’t the same after Chow got pushed out by Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin.
USC never won a national championship without Chow. The only people bothered by Chow’s contributions were Carroll, Sarkisian and Kiffin.
InsideUSC with Scott Wolf 
You’re amazing, me! I love me!
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“I’m Good Enough, I’m Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!”
– Stuart Smalley
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😂😂😂
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Sweet. A post about USC’s defense. So an opportunity for me to project my homosexual insecurities on the blog.
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I heard Ed Orgeron on the radio a while back and he was indirectly, saying that he would love to be back at Usc. It is really troubling how Riley sticks with an unproven coach when he can get one of the best in the country. Maybe Ed has too much baggage I don’t know. I do know he was a great guy and you had a coach
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As do we all, Scott.
#KeepUpTheGoodWork
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Replying above to “Scott”….
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Your hero hits us with another zinger…..I am speechless!
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Your hero is a zero, Cowardly Gabby
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“Maybe because if you hire the best defensive coordinator, it will take away attention from the offense.”
Exactly Right!
‘Ol Mule Shoe doesn’t want to strain his relationship with his boyfriend Alex Grinch. ‘Ol Mule Shoe thinks if he holds Alex Grinch’s hand throughout the season everything will be okay…good luck with that.
Had USC been smart and hired Chris Petersen they wouldn’t have this problem that continues with the program, the hiring of incompetent coaches.
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I’m so predictable (and flamboyant)!!!
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Senor Wolf nails the real Clown U, FB point One More Time!
#LR, bozo FB’s $10 million Flim Flam DUDE.
#BTW MG, hope you’re out of harm’s way from the T/S Calvin emergency.
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Thank you, my friend. I just read Maui is due for up to 7 hurricanes this summer. Hope I get to see the 2023 season……
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Pete’s ego got in the way of his success when he fired Chow, and that was the beginning of the end. We all know that Grinch has to substantially to improve this year or he will be gone. The D line and LBs should be much better this year, we will see how much of a difference that will make in terms of the secondary. Once the opposition figured out they needed to double Tuli last year, the opposing QB had all the time in the world to pick a target and throw.
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Agree 67. I recall that both Grinch and Reilly were interviewed about the defensive failures on multiple occasions. They emphasized poor tackling more than anything else. When I watched the Tulane game I couldn’t believe how many times SC was in position to make a play for no gain and yet missed the ball carrier resulting in a first down or big play. Is that really on the coaches? I think a healthy Gentry along with Alexander, Lucas, Sullivan and especially Cobb should change the “missed tackle”/ can’t get off the field on third down dynamic.
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The kind of missed tackles we saw in the second half of the Cotton Bowl evidenced a lack of ‘want to” on the part of corners and safeties. Yes, Gentry was far less than 100% …but… there were guys behind him that weren’t giving it their all. I think that’s partly on the players themselves ….but…. probably suggests a coaching deficiency as well.
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Pete’s ego gets in his way everywhere he goes. And to MM, no way in fucking hell will Ed O EVER be at USC again with Folt in charge, NEVER
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Pete was nothing after Chow apart from that whole successful NFL career and SuperBowl.
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Good one Mrs. Helton. But, I recall Pete saying that Norm Chow was the best play caller that he had ever seen. He endorsed Chow as offensive coordinator for the Titans. If that was the case, why did he hand the play calling duties off to Kiffin and Sarkisian when Chow was still SC’s offensive coordinator. What Pete did to Chow was unforgiveable and ultimately hurt the team.
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Yes, he’s terrible. Nobody would even want that guy. Chow has gone on to be a huge success, Pete has just struggled.
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Green eyed Pete had a dynasty for the next decade but instead replaced his OC with his basketball buddies Suckiffian.
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Dynasty?….The NCAA kicked the program to the curb. It took s decade to recover….
(is that you slo troll?)
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And the worst 2 play calls in college football and Super Bowl history:
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empty like your brain…
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You are The Madwoman of Chaillot
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Yeah Helton, Little Petey losing the SB @ the NE 1 yd line is a major feather in Little Petey’s Pro coaching cap.
Then of course, there’s Little Petey’s choka, choka, choka, choka, choke Natty loss to Tixas.
Let’s not forget the 14 – 9 UCLA debacle.
OOOOOOOR the crumbling mausoleum, bozo FB 21 – 22 loss to Stanford, a 41 pt. dog.
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You’re not giving Coach Dorrell or the bruins enough credit for that 14-9 victory, my friend. They played their hearts out —putting the fear of God into Booty from the first series on. The final tip and interception to end the game was miraculous.
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Dorrell is probably the most decent human being the gutties have had as coach in decades, and they still haven’t delivered a season as good as his best.
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Through all the criticism Dorrell was getting the year of his miracle win over USC he kept saying “this team will finish big.” His faith in the team kept them alive. If you watch the way their QB popped back up after a monster hit on the sidelines or the desperate diving interception in the final minute you’ll see a team willing itself to victory. And don’t miss the way Dorrell looked up to heaven as the game ended.
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will the bloggur evr be happy? he wood probly complane about the color of Coach Folt’s petticoat at the celebrashun if we wuz to win the championship.
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Carol is well known for never wearing underwear.
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No petticoat?
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…well, maybe a crotchless petticoat…..
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Didn’t she play the little sister in this 1960s hit show?
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No, the reason that you bring this up is because it is your nature to be a negative ninny. You can’t help yourself. You are an insecure person and get your fix by tearing down others.
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Smile when you accuse Scott of producing InsideUSC as a drug substitute…
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Scooter,
Another factor that is missing is that when the defense for SC back in the 70’s went on the field, they brought intimidation and forcing their will on the offense. No one is afraid of SC’s defense. SC needs to get that back
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A few monster sacks in the first 3 games should help things along….
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Riley is an excellent offensive coordinator.
As for Chow……the coordinators that moved in after him were not very good…..but that is on the head coach…..just as Riley lives or dies with Grinch.
It is going to be fun watching what I consider to be one of the best college QB’s I’ve ever seen this year…….but……I’am still expecting them to lose 2 or more.
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With USC’s 2023 schedule — Utah, Washington, Oregon, Notre Dame & UCLA [in a row] —- 2 losses won’t prevent us from the playoffs.
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Agree with the Carroll analysis but the Riley take is so stupid unless you believe Riley’s ultimate goal is to be an offensive coordinator in the NFL & not a head coach. Neglecting the defense to jealously protect the offense’s image is a great way of being looked over for an HC position.
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Riley could win a Natty and the fanboy’s hero, Scott Wolf, would focus on the towel wavers along the sideline.
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Cowardly Gabby is a wanna be and a Fan Boy and doesn’t understand the meaning of the word.
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BURP!
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Norm Chow never got credit for running the offense cause carroll, sark and kiffin have small penis syndrome.
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LOL.
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Riley should’ve fired Grinch after Tulane debacle, but chose not to overhaul the staff after one year. However, Grinch’s history shows significant statistical improvement in Year 2. Defense will have better depth and returning players should be better with another year of development.
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Very fair assessment!
(fingers crossed)
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How could it be any worse?
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Riley enjoys working with Grinch and he thinks he is smart. Probably a decision made with his heart, not head.
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It’s college football. It’s hard as hell to win championships. You think Nick Saban is doing everything he can to get a competent staff that will challenge Kirby Smart? Riley recognized he was being outcoached-especially by Utah and Kyle Whittingham. The Cotton Bowl was the final confirmation. Now he has the strongest backroom in college football and enough talent to win the conference. He may not have the best defensive players and coaches but they’re good enough to win the conference this year. There will be no room for excuses. Continuity is everything.
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