USC Morning Buzz: Quicker Decisions Needed On Defense

A lot of people confuse getting playing time with being good.

Just because someone plays a lot, it doesn’t mean they are having a good season. I’ve noticed this looking at the USC depth chart.

Last year was a great example. Domani Jackson started 11 of 12 games. A narrative also emerged that Jaylin Smith was indispensable.

But if USC had a better secondary coach last season, no way Jackson starts almost every game. And no way is Ceyair Wright still starting Game 4 over Christian Roland-Wallace.

This is where I’m hoping the USC defense is better this season by making quicker decisions on making lineup changes if players don’t perform.

  • USC was supposed to be the frontrunner for guard Jamari Phillips after he decommitted from Arizona. But Phillips has committed to Oregon.
  • Former USC guard Boogie Ellis has worked out with the Orlando Magic and Dallas Mavericks.
  • College football reporter Andy Staples has done a 12-team College Football Playoff prediction. Where’s USC?

44 thoughts on “USC Morning Buzz: Quicker Decisions Needed On Defense

  1. Come on Scott cool-it, obviously SC would need a great year even to make the Playoffs so maybe Trojans’ attitude should be to live-it-up for each game, treating it as a ‘universe’ unto itself

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  2. Not good that Staples doesn’t see us in the playoffs [but does see our 2024 Big Game opponents in it]…….. even worse [cuz he’s a better…and more USC-sympathetic prognosticator] is the fact Phil Steele is going to rank USC out of the playoffs AND all major Bowls …at #25 in his rankings when they come out in late June.

    College Football Previews seem to demonstrate a loss of faith in Coach Riley….seeing him as a guy who needs a miracle maker at QB….and doesn’t know what it takes to field a defense. I think they’re mostly wrong on both counts. Riley put together a strong team of coaches on defense [who, unfortunately, don’t have a strong team of players to put on the field]…and Moss is gonna be fine as long as he doesn’t have to play from behind [he was never in that position against Louisville]. The BIG problem is gonna be the O-Line. Top players don’t want to play for our O-Line coach.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. So SC is well-coached with little talent- Knute Rockne could coach any of us all day long and still not get much out of us- Not that Trojan talent has sunk to that depth

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    2. Mostly agree MG. Very difficult to predict how a team will perform when you change almost the entire defensive coaching staff and bring in defensive backs and linebackers through the portal that are likely to start. I think the prognosticators are undervaluing the changes we made on defense. And I think that if Mason Murphy can perform at right tackle and the rest of the line stays healthy we should have a solid offense. (Those are big Ifs)

      I am more optimistic about Henson than others. I like the fact that he is bringing in guys with huge frames. This may pay off in a few years. Overall, I think the last two o line recruiting classes are solid. Need to give these guys time to develop.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Nice, Plow. Bottom line, I think USC is better than #25 in the nation. I wouldn’t be surprised if we beat LSU [as a matter of fact I’m pretty sure we will beat them —I’m not entirely impressed by their new QB]. Riley knows we have to strike first in the first 3 games to take the pressure off Miller…..I’m sure he’s already drawn up the first offensive series against LSU and Michigan….and I’m sure he has some tricks up his sleeve.

        P. S.

        So, so sad about all the implications of poor, poor Hunter’s criminal trial…….by authenticating the drug buys documented on HIS laptop, prosecutors simultaneously authenticated all the stuff about Joe getting 10% of all that Ukrainian and Communist Chinese energy bribe money…..

        #GuessIt’sFinallyTimeToImpeachTheTraitor

        Liked by 3 people

      2. Good observations on the laptop Michael. It stuns me that so many people seem apathetic to the Biden family receiving tens of millions of dollars from foreign countries like China, Russia, and Ukraine. What stuns me even more is that the President opened up the southern borders to millions of unvetted immigrants some of who are likely terrorist. How can you be apathetic about terrorists? Most of the media doesn’t even report on it and feign outrage that Trump paid a porn star $130,000 to shut her up.

        Liked by 3 people

      3. The “Media” isn’t a news source —- it’s non-stop regime propaganda.

        Think about it —Pulitzers were given to N.Y. Times writers for a FALSE Russian collusion story. The prizes weren’t returned when it was proven the Steele Dozier was bought and paid for by Hillary. Why? Cuz that’s what our “Media” is supposed to do: Lie 24/7.

        Liked by 3 people

      4. Hey coconut head……FOX was hit with billions in damages for spreading false election interference propaganda, yet you were in lock-step with everything they broacasted…..you took the bait just like the other dumbass, slo cal.

        You need to slow down on trump’s kool-aide, it’s dumbing -you-down

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      5. Plow Horse, in opening the borders, all Dementia Joe did is what he said he was going to do. So this isn’t really on him. It’s on the people who were stupid enough to vote for it. Biden voters ASKED for this border mess.

        Liked by 1 person

      6. you’re a hypocrite ……calling out voters when you don’t even vote.

        there you have it folks, the dumbest troll on the internet

        I am still laughing my ass off from his previous stupid comment

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      7. It’s called Free speech, Village Idiot. I’m still entitled to it, even if I don’t vote. Biden & Team are trying their best to take it away, but haven’t succeeded, YET.

        Every time the entire blog (which is true, not a lie as it is when YOU claim it) thinks you couldn’t get stupider, you prove us wrong.

        Liked by 2 people

      8. …….I never challenged your freedom of speech, dumbass…..I am calling you a hypocrite……ONCE AGAIN, MORE COMPREHENSION ISSUES……must suck to have a half-baked brain

        he calls someone an idiot, yet through his own words proves to be the actual idiot….you can’t make that crap up….

        the guy really needs a good ass whipping

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      9. Tell tucker that……they fired his ass ……

        it’s pathetic how you get backed into a corner when debunked and resort to deflecting your way out of it with nonsense….the kool-aide is working….and not in a good way

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      10. Gabby —Your homework assignment: research how much money has ACTUALLY been paid by FOX itself as a result of the lawsuit you’re referring to…..

        #….&MaybeDon’tMentionItAgainUntilYouHaveA$$Figure…..

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      11. I don’t give a crap about the money. Fox knew Dominion had them dead to right and folded like a cheap suit……They agreed to 700 plus billion. Dominion still has recourse.

        you want me to believe FOX will not have to pay up…….the kool-aid has you all screwed -up between the ears…..

        the nose is growing , have Sola do the pogo stick on it

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      12. Wait……are you now telling me that FOX’s insurance company(s) is now defaulting on the settlement agreement…..

        WOW!…….you’re in a position of desperation, throwing anything at the wall hoping it sticks. Given your logic, It is going to end even worse for FOX

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      13. MG thinks he has intel related to a confidential settlement.

        This freak has lost a great amount of brain cells due to trump’s kool-aid

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      14. Do your homework —these are public records. Report back how many installments have been paid….

        #Is it the Number Zero?

        #Don’tPanic….It’sOkayToSay”WrongAgain,Sorry”

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      15. Her homework should be to look up words she loves to use but doesn’t comprehend, such as hypocrite. She loves to throw that at other people even when it doesn’t apply because she is so often guilty of it. That’s what Libs do, especially the stupid ones, such as her.

        Liked by 1 person

      16. I think it’s safe to say Gabby isn’t going to do that kind of homework, So Cal…..

        #….We’reGettingCloseToMoreDog&HorseVideos,Though….

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      17. Well, when she’s so freaking stupid she doesn’t know the difference between million and billion, yeah, can’t expect much. LMAO!

        Hilarious that she actually has the nerve to call anyone else stupid or an idiot. No one comes close to her level of mental retardation.

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      18. My favorite reply: “I believe in free speech. I never interfere with free speech. You say something I no like, I kill you.”

        Liked by 2 people

  3. Yeah Wolf, “playing time” and what does it mean- seems to be highly subjective in determining who should be ‘in or out’ as evidenced by you pointing out how wrong the SC coaches were last year

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    1. Wright shouldn’t have been playing…he wasn’t interested in football all season. And Moss woulda been way better than Caleb versus UCLA….Caleb played like he was doing us a favor [he wasn’t] by going through the motions in that game.

      Riley should have been aware of both situations.

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  4. Not to get us off track [much] …but…. Hunter Biden just found guilty on all counts [in a verdict that CAN’T be reversed cuz its, well, LAWFUL]. Dr. Jill tore off her clothes and began wailing, “Gabby, Gabby, Gabby…wherefore art thou, Gabby?”

    #IHopeThisPostIsChildishEnough

    Liked by 1 person

  5. This picking sides- ‘Palestine or Israel, Bitin or Stump, Jew or Arab’ is exhausting- Since they’re all guilty of something it makes it easier to be ‘neutral’

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    1. I sure wish George Washington and George Patton talked like that…

      #ItWouldBeABetterWorldIfNoOneKnewWhat”Victory”LookedLike

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  6. The ‘taking of hostages’ by Palestinians proved to be great for negotiating which other terrorists might see as a ‘blueprint’

    The ‘to the soul’ hatred these neighbors have for each other creates danger beyond their Mediterranean shores with the knowledge that Israel would detonate an A-Bomb if its survival depended on it- one holocaust was one too many and there will never be another

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  7. gabbby, aka feces for brains,

    Biden is found guilty on three charges. Now, my question is, when the demented yellow helmet wearing Biden forgives his son, will the felony counts still stay on his record or are they earsed since he will be pardoned.

    Michael, can you help on this? Thank you.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Poor Joe CANNOT expunge poor Hunter’s criminal record….. but that’s just the BEGINNING of Joe’s problems……from here on it’s gonna get worse….and worse….and worse….and worse [the last 2 “worses” were for Gabby]……

      Liked by 1 person

    2. PT is jealous because his helmet is blue and his favorite color is yellow….

      Another babbling buffoon, with concept of how modern football is play….he still thinks its the 1960s when he was HS water boy

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      1. gabbby, aka feces for brains aka worthless,

        Football 101 for you, if i go too fast, let me know you twit: Great teams control the line scrimmage and time off the clock. To do that, you need great olinemen. This has been done for centuries and decades now. SC needs to get back to thant. The best defense is the best offense. You keep the other’s team’s offense off the field, they can’t score. If that was too complex or hard, I will provide tutoring for you. Now, please put your yellow helmet back on and don’t lick the bus windows when you ride in it.

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      2. clueless!!!!!…..more babbling from the limp dick who is still stuck in the leather helmet era…..you can have my yellow helmet….i like blue better.

        you were the idiot who said usc needed to run.the more when down by 14 points late in the game

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  8. So college basketball guru Dan Harley hardly gave the Lakers the time of day scooting off Back East after one-day in L.A. which might be good for the Lake since I cannot see James and Davis taking well to a screamer like Hurley, and Hurley might have realized it too

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  9. used tampon aka gabbby aka wasted sperm by your dad,

    You clueless twit. Prove that I said to run the ball when down by 14 late in the game. I said power run the ball, control the clock and keep the other’s team’s offense off the field. That means more running either by power, option, or that new fandangle thing called rpo. Too bad your dad wasted his load putting it into his mom and having you. So you dad’s mom is your grandma and mom. Your dad is ur dad and grandpa. No wonder you are such a sick fu#k. You better not go fuc# yourself because then you will create another asswipe like you, you stupid piece of feces.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. wasted sperm aka gabbby aka feces head,

        did i touch a nerve? You can always go to your mommy err grandma and she can suck your little chingas and twig, You will be comforted and she will feel like she is at home and she keeps it in the family. Like your groups says, incest is best. Oedipus Rex had nothing on you. You sick freak.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. YOU SOUND JEALOUS……NO PUSSY ON COIN NO BRAIN NO FRIENDS…..MUST SUCK TO BE YOU. YOU SOUND LIKE A DUMBASS WHEN YOU TALK FOOTBALL…. The majority of us have a far more advanced football IQ than you….HAHA!

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    1. Here’s a great idea……save your comments and meet up with gabby and voice them in person……

      does your priest know you talk this way on the internet? go and confess your sins…..50 Hail Mary’s for your crimes

      try the book “Football for Dummies”………slo cal tried it and it was too advanced for him….just saying

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