FOOTBALL

USC-TCU Live Blog

Lincoln Riley has lost 15 games in the past 3 years at USC but he’s making progress

Where does this rank among Lincoln Riley choke jobs?

On third-and-20!

USC should really have put this game away given TCU’s QB situation.

Jaden Richardson with the highlight reel one-handed catch and it’s USC, 21-14.

It’s a good thing Jayden Maiava re-signed BEFORE the bowl game.

Jayden Maiava really lacked zip on some passes in the first half.

USC’s defense making the shorthanded TCU offense look great.

One thing I like about King Miller is he rips off a 24-yard run and just gets right back up, doesn’t need to motion to everyone it is a first down. Tanook Hines, on the other hand . . .

Dawg Work looked similar to D’Anton Lynn on that TD drive.

Why did Lincoln Riley get conservative and go for field goal on 4th and 3?

USC right guard Alani Noa is out for the game. He has not yet re-signed for next season.

Eric Henderson is going to call the defense tonight. This is interesting because defensive line coaches usually do not know coverages.

37 thoughts on “USC-TCU Live Blog”

    1. Ed., I think he’s going to call a lot of Barstow Cover 3s on third down with more than 5 yards, and a lot of Barstow T/E stunts on second and long.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

  4. Lincoln shares one problem with Helton: His playcalling falls off inside the 20…

    #DifferenceIs:Clay’sPlaycallingWasn’tSoGreatOutsideThe20Either

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. I’m a HUGE USC Fan …but… that was actually hilarious. I’ve watched Lincoln blow it to Utah and Tulane…. but… this was better. To try to outpower —rather than finesse —TCU from the 2 yard line was plain dumb.

    Who would want their kid to play for Lincoln Riley?

    #HeAlwaysBlowsIt

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  11. Interesting how the zebras missed 3 PIs on Tanook Hines. Any one of them would have put the game away. But in any case, with nearly 30 USC players out of the game, it was next to meaningless.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Yes –we got jobbed. No question, 67. But Lincoln did his part, Absolutely terrible play calling inside the 10 yard line. It’s become his specialty.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      2. You mentioned all the interference against us taking place in the endzone — add to that all the blatant holds taking place on EVERY big TCU running play…. it would taker a Meyer or a Saban to overcome all that….

        #…..AndLincolnAin’tThat

        Like

  12. It takes skill to blow a game like this one. Up by ten with 7 minutes to play. The other team has third and long – play prevent. Give them the first down. Then after they score try to run out the clock when you don’t have a run game and its almost 5 minutes left to play. You have a second string quarterback on the other side and you never blitz. You go to the 3 man rush. Seriously, if this was a fight there would be an investigation into whether the favored team threw it. And you can’t score against the mighty TCU defense on first and goal from the one. Amazing.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. I told you, the #1 recruiting class is nice. But Lincoln will find a way to get the least out of them.

      We will not win a National Championship with him at the helm.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    2. ….the “throwing the game” angle is worth looking into….check Riley’s emails and bank accounts….

      #No One Can Keep Doing This Year After Year By Mistake…

      Like

      Reply

  15. Before Wiley Riley came here I said everything about why he was a bad selection, that he was a con man, and everything that would happen. Oh the wasted posts and the abuse I took, but I had a plan! Obviously I have been paying him $11 million and $1 each year to prove me right.

    A few guys who used to post here and on the forums have paid me on bets for being right, which is how I am able to pay Wiley so much to do my bidding. lol It’s why 90% of the traffic on this blog and the forums has disappeared, it was part of the bets!

    PS ditto about Sarkifelton. I paid them off too.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. What does “make the play offs” become the criteria for USC success? Make the play offs means to finish 3rd or possibly 4th in our conference. Now if a coach can finish 3 or 4th in the conference every 5 years or so, that’s where we are?

        We don’t aspire to win national championships, or conference championships, or win the big bowl games, or even beat Notre Dame (now we duck them)!? Apparently SC doesn’t even aspire to win crap bowls anymore… The program is trash, and let’s not even get started on what’s been happening on other parts of alma mater…

        It’s just not the same place anymore, in so many ways. I get it, things change, and sometimes not for the better. I hear houses on the Row are disassociating with the university. Some of the houses have turned sketch (I’ll bite my tongue at that), but hopefully they can come back. I’m reaching here, but this: no one can take away the SC I and many of us remember and keep alive by not buying into the bs. Never let down the standard (and I mean that in both ways). Again, things (eventually) change. Fight On and Happy New Year!

        Liked by 1 person

  16. I’ll give my complete thoughts on the USC football program and Athletic Department as a whole on January 1. But this latest USC football fiasco takes the cake. USC football is a middle of the road program and we are paying CLR a salary like he is at the top of his profession. After four years, what exactly has he done to be such a top earner at his profession? The chickens are coming home to roost next season. If CLR doesn’t make the CFP he needs to be shown the door. No questions asked, because this is absolutely unacceptable. FIGHT ON!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  17. According to Google A. I. —“Since Lincoln Riley joined USC he has demonstrated a penchant for losing games late in the 4th quarter.”

    #A.I. Lists Washington, Notre Dame, Maryland, Utah (twice), Michigan, Minnesota, Penn State and Tulane.

    #In Other Words, He’s A Bigger Loser Than Sybil

    Like

    Reply

  18. College Football and Bowl games are officially a joke other than the Playoffs/ The Alamo game was a prime example of that tonight on NATIONAL TV. I saw a USC tonight that clearly looked lost on national TV in a game that looked like a scrimmage in the spring at best. I saw many players on both teams who have hardly played a down of college football this season, but truely were not ready to perform on prime time.

    The rules and dates for the transfer portal, and declarations for the NFL Draft need to change, or the college bowl game system should be eliminated other than the playoffs for the good of the student athletes and the universities. What really bothers me is that a defensive coordinator under contract for USC making big money has an obligation to coach the team especially before he is allowed to sign a new contract with a new team yet USC lets him go with just 3 days notice before the game. I think USC lost close to 12 key players to the Portal and NFL draft. I believe every year it will get worse due to this free agency system in place, and soon we might see teams perform in bowl games with strickly walk ons hired just for the bowl game which is not fair to the game, or the fans. Maybe next year for the Holiday Bowl the USC band will donate 6-12 band members to the team just like they did back in the day with field goal kicker Tommy Walker. The constant turnover today in college football is ruining the game. Yes, USC and the conference will still make money from the Alamo Bowl, but to me if I pay to see a show I don’t want to see Bobby Sherman as a last minute replacement for Elvis.

    The sad part tonight was hearing the announcers keep saying USC is loaded for talent next season. I don’t see the talent other than WR Tanook Hines. They also stated we have the Top Recruiting Class in the Country coming in which means nothing today because 50% of these kids will transfer before their Jr. year rather than compete with a player from the transfer portal. Remember, player agents make more money each time a player transfers, and trust me players listen to them more than the coaches.

    Speaking of another mistake made by Lincoln Riley tonight. Why didn’t QB Hassan Longstreet play tonight? Riley, played many freshman in this game but no sign of Longstreet so in my opnion he transfers for sure for more money, and a shot to start next season somewhere else.

    Hard to be excited about college football anymore especially these meaningless bowl games where you don’t see the same players you have followed all season long. How long can universities and boosters continue to pay the athletes and coaches these huge salaries just to go to a non-playoff bowl game every season. Tonight the quality of play was poor for both teams, and to me it was a prime example of how the game of college football is in jeopardy except for the 3 or 4 teams who we know make the playoffs every year.

    Some will blame Lincoln Riley. Some will blame Jaden Maiva. Some will blame the defense. The entire team looked terrible, and the future talent we saw tonight is very questionable. Hard to blame the coaches to me we are going to see more of this every bowl season until the necessary changes are made. We lost tonight but sadly does it really matter anymore. If this is the talent we have returning next season maybe there will be no bowl invitation which might be the best thing to happen for the University of Southern California to face the reality that changes must be made.

    Like

    Reply

  19. I saw little talent out there tonight other than WR Tanook Hines, and maybe Maiva… The sad part of all this is the state of college football today, and these meaningless bowl games.

    A top rated recruiting class means nothing in today’s game since 50% will transfer before their jr. season for more money.

    USC is no longer a power in the game. The team on the field tonight lacked talent, and with poor coaching next season does not look very promising.

    Go ahead and blame everything on Riley, but what I saw tonight TCU had equal or better talent on the field.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to Going in the Portal Cancel reply