FOOTBALL

USC Morning Buzz: Forget Washington, Here’s What Lincoln Riley Should Be Focused On

Lincoln Riley says he is focused on beating Washington, but let’s be honest, he needs to start making phone calls about who to hire as defensive coordinator for next year.

One thing that cannot happen is Riley waiting too long and then losing a candidate to the NFL or another college. That is a possibility when Riley has no real contacts with defensive coaches.

Maybe someone on that bloated football support staff can put down a towel and make some phone calls. What does the driver/bodyguard do all day? He can make some calls.

Remember, a few years, Coach Bohn and Mini-Me hired the defensive coordinator and came up with Todd Orlando. That cannot repeat itself.

Washington is clearly struggling the past 2 games but USC’s been more embarrassing during the same period. USC just let Cal score 49 points and amass 527 yards. This is Cal we are talking about. How many of you even heard of their QB before Saturday?

Can USC stop anyone right now? The Trojans’ defense is ranked 111th nationally in yards allowed. It couldn’t stop Cal. It couldn’t stop Utah. Did Oregon shut down Utah?

  • Here’s a question I posed with some USC alums Saturday: If Riley left after the season, how many people would really care? I’m not saying he should leave or wants to leave. I’m merely saying how many people would be upset? I got mostly shrugs in response. The truth is a lot less care today than a year ago at this time. That’s pretty amazing and an illustration of how fed up people are with the current product.
  • Four-star cornerback Brandon Lockhart of Loyola committed to USC on Sunday. He is only a sophomore in high school, so I have two comments:

1.) Can he play for USC on Saturday?

2.) Who will even be coaching at USC from the current staff in 2026 when he is a college freshman?

125 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Forget Washington, Here’s What Lincoln Riley Should Be Focused On”

      2. Tollner was a charmer but a realist too.
        One day I saw him and said “You’re doing a good job,”
        to which he replied, “A few more wins would help”

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Right Wolfie, the meat of the schedule is coming up with Wash, Ore and sucla
      but you want Wiley to start phoning for new defensive coordinators when there will be ample time after 2 weeks from this Saturday when the regular season is over

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      2. Riley might pull that same shit as last year, wait for the season to end with another humiliating loss and figure that he won’t have to answer to anyone for about 10 months.

        He’ll give a real quick statement about keeping Grinch another year because Grinch is familiar with the Big 10 Conference due to the fact that he sucked as co-defensive coordinator with the Buckeyes for almost a full year before they kicked him to the curb and then Riley will bolt for the nearest exit.

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      2. As alluded to by a Poster this high school coach is living in the past when McKay and even Carroll had free reign (and pick) of local kids, but now schools better shell out the NIL money or else

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      3. NIL totally changes the picture from Carroll or McKay. I’ve agreed with everything LR has done so far except bringing in and then keeping Alex Grench. Last year they were 106th in defense. He went out and got a whole lot of really good defensive players in the off season and this year they are 114th. They are currently 2nd in the nation in points per game scored and 117th in the nation in PPG given up. So trying to outscore your opponent has given us a 7-2 record with a real chance to go 7-5 this year.
        I have no doubt that LR now is convinced that he should have listened to the fans and gotten rid of Grench. The one good thing that may come out of this season is that after the last game Grench is gone.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. It’s hilarious how rah rahs claim that USC can’t compete monetarily with the other powerhouses when USC has always competed monetarily with the other powerhouses as former Trojan and LA Times writer Lonnie White documented and LenDale White admitted…

        Liked by 1 person

    5. I’m starting to agree with Wolf alot, which is a little scary…

      I hope the new AD has had a sit-down with Riley and told him that he needs to STOP being an offensive coordinator and START being a head coach. The overall program is in shambles and it is time to make some changes.

      1. Whomever came up with the idea of the towel wavers needs to be fired very publicly. Let it be known that stupidity is no longer acceptable in Heritage Hall.

      Repeat step one with whomever hired the DJ and runs the home games. Focus the home games on USC’s unique brand – Traveller, Song Girls, marching band, famous past players, etc. Look backwards to move forward.

      2. Reinstate independent Trojan clubs across the country to garner support. Try to build back the support that has been lost. Eliminate all the wokeisms. If you dont bring back the faithful, the Coli will be forever empty.

      3. Fire Carol Folt, the incompetent. OK, not likely to happen, but this is the core of all problems.

      4. Fire Grinch, hire a new DC asap and allow him to build a top notch coaching staff.

      5. Fire one receiver coach and hire a special teams coordinator. Have just one person who is responsible for making the receivers effective, so there is no disagreement on how things should be done.

      6. Fire whomever is failing at recruiting. #28 2024 class is pathetic, someone needs to be held accountable. If it is the position coaches that suck at recruiting, fire them.

      7. ONLY use the transfer portal for true stars. Dont pull in a bunch of mediocre guys that are not playing at their current program (or only playing at an average level) and promise them immediate playing time, thereby undercutting the playing time and development of the guys already on your team.

      8. Figure out if Henson is a decent o-line coach or not. If he cant develop players into starters that can effectively both pass and run block, then hire someone who can. Paige, Noa, Pregnon should be a very solid core to the o-line next year. If Henson cant get a few top high school players to bolster the program, then he isnt the guy.

      9. Get rid of Kliff Kingsbury. He will only serve to strengthen Riley’s failures as an offensive coach. Kingsbury is a proven failure everywhere he goes. You dont need those people around the program, whispering nonsense in Riley’s ear.

      Any coach that cant recruit isnt the guy. Defensive recruiting will take a huge step up when Grinch is gone.

      The list goes on and on and on… the results on the field demonstrate that there are alot of changes required.

      Liked by 3 people

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      1. One more point. USC doesnt really have effective tight ends this year. McCree is a decent pass catcher, but his blocking is pretty weak. Tight end recruiting should be a top priority for this team. They are very complimentary to Riley’s offensive scheme.

        And of course, we need to figure out what is wrong with the strength and conditioning program as it relates to the o and d line.

        Liked by 2 people

      7. Zero Football IQ Charlie Bucket the UCLA Fan aka Cowardly Gabby/TebowObama is afraid when called to put up or shut up!

        Plow Horse
        JUNE 22, 2023 AT 8:02 PM
        Gabby:

        Explain how a policy of hiring the best person for the job is racist. You brought it up. Please answer instead of being a chickensh*t.

        Also, I note that when you want to really denigrate the wife of someone you don’t like on this board, presumably a white person, you say that she has a black dildo. Or you suggest that she is cheating with a black man. To you a white woman with a black man is the ultimate denigration. Is that racist? Frankly, I think you are the only truly racist person who regularly posts on this board. Like most leftists, you accuse others of doing the very thing that you do -treat black person as incapable of competing on equal terms with white people. I invite you to explain yourself but predict you will be a chickensh*t.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Our fan base is expecting too much. They want a NC the 2nd year at a school that won’t pay the money. The great players are going to gravitate towards the money.

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  5. SC fan(atics) wanted these coaches fired on the spot–
    John McKay
    4-6 in 1960
    4-5-1 in 1961

    Carroll
    6-6 in 2001 (bad bowl loss to Utah, who else?)

    John Robinson
    Loses first game badly to Misery (MO)

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      1. Right, and I bet after the Utah bowl disaste ryou were first in line screaming for this NFL has-been’s firing

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      3. No one was calling for Pete Carroll’s head after he went 6-6 because nobody was paying attention to Trojan football…it was that bad.

        LOL!

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    3. I’d heard that about McKay, but he had Norm Topping in his corner, who was willing to give him one more chance. Remember also that McKay was making around $16K/year back then, so it was nowhere close in constant dollars to the $10M that Riley is making.

      I don’t remember hearing that much grumbling about PC his first year. Except for the Las Vegas Bowl, the team finished the year strong, including a 27-0 win over UCLA.

      Liked by 1 person

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      6. Zero Football IQ Charlie Bucket the UCLA Fan aka Cowardly Gabby/TebowObama is melting down once agin! Time for you to threaten some more postere and challenge them to fights and then chicken out .

        Plow Horse
        JUNE 22, 2023 AT 10:23 PM
        Gabby is the biggest pussy on this blog.

        Still waiting for dates, Mr. keyboard tough guy.

        Liked by 1 person

      8. There was no fight in Barstow, Zero Football IQ Charlie Bucket the UCLA Fan aka Cowardly Gabby/TebowObama. Why do you persist in your lies? The fight is still available any time if you can hitchhike from 6th and Grand to Pasadena.

        Plow Horse
        JUNE 22, 2023 AT 9:57 PM
        Gabby:

        You have offended my wife, my mother and my father. All sexual inferences. I let the first two go because they are both deceased but not my wife. You are the one who offended my family, not visa versa. I have never brought your wife or parents into anything. It is therefore my call – boxing gym in Pasadena CA, Mr. tough guy. Give me a date and I will make the arrangements. Stop being a chickensh*t.

        And nobody believes you are friends with Dana White. If you ever read the news, he is a staunch conservative who left the country during Covid so that the Dems. couldn’t shut down UFC. He wouldn’t allow a pussy leftist like yourself anywhere near his octagon. Rummaging the dumpster outside of the premises for plastic bottles redeemable for 20 cents doesn’t mean you know Dana White you leftist, racist, pussy.

        Give me available dates.

        Liked by 1 person

      9. Since plow wants no part of Gabby you need to step in for plow or be known as the limp dick pussy boy who has 20 sock puppets…fight Gabby or STFU!

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      6. Zero Football IQ Charlie Bucket the UCLA Fan aka Cowardly Gabby/TebowObama is afaraid to fight Plow Horse!

        Plow Horse
        JUNE 23, 2023 AT 2:02 AM
        Instead of Gabby and Fake Gabby how about Gabby and Chickensh*t Gabby. This way there will be no doubt who is who.

        Boxing gym in Pasadena, CA – name a date you foul mouth chickensh*t. I want a piece of you

        Liked by 1 person

      10. No you don’t, you live in a dumpster in LA’s Skid Row on 6th and Grand. Go turn a trick tonight and use the money to Uber over to Pasadena and you can fight Plow Horse tomorrow.

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      11. Riley and Grinch aren’t building Rome, they’re making a goddamn mess, it doesn’t take a Rhodes Scholar to figure that out.

        Grinch’s defenses have a long history of getting torched by quality teams and struggling vs inferior teams…what more or better yet, how many more years of his crap defense do you need to see?

        Jesus H. Christ!

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      12. Sparrow Clepto only hungers for one thing, more Lincoln Riley…it’s why he always has his tongue up Riley’s ass tossing his salad.

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    5. I only want Riley to leave if he is not serious about making USC a dynasty program. If he wants to act like an OC, then he can apply for that position under a new head coach. Otherwise, he needs to act like a head coach and make decisions for the long term health of the program.

      Winning games in the last minute against far inferior teams should NOT be his main focus.

      Liked by 1 person

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  6. Wouldn’t that be something if SC wins the Pac-12 (although bad odds)
    it would probably play the loser of Ohio St-Michigan
    in a quasi Rose Bowl to harken back to the good old days

    Dreamers have more fun than “realityators”

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  7. Arizona should have beaten # 9 USC, gave # 7 Washington a game and did beat # 19 WSU & #11 Oregon St

    USC, almost lost to Colorado, should have lost to Arizona, did lose to ND & Utah and Cal beat itself. In those 5 games, USC gave up 41,41,48,34 & 49 points or 42.6 a game

    Fisch makes $3.2 million a year, little Lincoln makes $10 million

    Which program looks like it’s on the rise and which one looks like it’s sinking ?

    Liked by 2 people

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  8. I’m just glad to hear that Joe is alive. I think much of the country was wondering.

    P.S. And AGAIN with the lie that democracy is on the line and the implication they are the only ones who can save it. (Even though Joe governs like a dictator.)

    P.P.S. BEAT THE HUSKIES!! Hey, it could happen.

    Liked by 2 people

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      1. You support the Hamas murderers!

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  9. Scooter,

    I am not an SC alum, but if SC could get a coach that would be a discplinarian that coaches physicality and dominance and have a great decordinator, then hire him and let Riley go.

    Scooter, as a Loyola High alumni, BTW the greatest high school of all time and that is no brag just fact and they beat St. Paul this year,

    Lockhart cant’ play this Saturday. he is playing on Friday night against NorthVista from Riverside. Go Cubs!!!!

    Liked by 2 people

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  10. How to make enemies on a sports blog–
    Go against the grain of what all sports-nuts wish for
    and support Wiley and SC football

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    1. Guess I’m the enemy. Way too early to pull the plug on Lincoln, UNLESS he refuses to make the most obvious change necessary.

      I had said you don’t fire a man after one year, after you asked him to uproot his family and move halfway across the country. But with ZERO improvement this year, he’s got to do it.

      Liked by 2 people

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    1. And just what kind of information gold nuggets will Wiles impart-
      ‘This Washington team is great but we’ll be ready
      We still have a chance at that Pac-12 title
      Everybody should play but of course they won’t’

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      1. Actually, it’s called pnuemonia and Wiles should have remained in bed far longer than he did

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    1. I wrote that yesterday and it was a bit of hyperbole.

      What I am saying is Riley needs to step back and look at the big picture and not just try to win one game with tweaks, but look at what steps need to be taken now that can start to move this team in the right direction.

      Not sure if Scooter means the same thing I meant.

      Liked by 1 person

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  13. The way LR has been talking so passively about the defense, his coaches and the direction of the program, I’m starting to come around to the belief nothing will be changed, at least until possibly 2025. Grinch will stay. My guess is LR will do a Kliff Kingsbury to the defensive side of the ball. Another Greg Brown type analyst, but one working directly with Grinch. LR will spin a tale of serious changes, and this analyst should do the trick. I think we all know Grinch is staying, even if the additional analyst theory is incorrect.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. If Riley doesnt fire Grinch he will need to fill the Coli with the homeless. There are plenty of them around that area, but I’m not sure they will leave after the game.

      Liked by 2 people

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    1. Might have to get my pitchfork out of the barn.

      We didn’t expect night & day improvement, but SOME improvement would have gone a long way to save him. But….zero. Nilch. Nada.

      Liked by 2 people

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  16. (Required to do this to stay as an unofficial contestant in Football Contest but lost 3 in a row and down to 17,000)

    17,000 on SC + 3 or whatever

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      2. Zero Football IQ Charlie Bucket the UCLA Fan aka Cowardly Gabby/TebowObama, why couldn’t you have gone the Matthew Perry route yesterday when you ODed once again? The world and this blog would be a better place.

        Liked by 1 person

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