You probably saw former USC defensive lineman Devan Thompkins is transferring to Alabama.
My question is whether he has a break out season like Romello Height did at Texas Tech? Height had 10 sacks for Texas Tech this season. He was the fourth-highest graded defensive players in the nation acccording to PFF Focus.
Think about that. Fourth-highest overall. Not fourth-highest at his position.
Have you heard that from anyone who writes about USC? No?
With that in mind, this guy below should take a look at who covers college sports. It’s become just like entertainment coverage.
InsideUSC with Scott Wolf 
Indeed sports is entertainment. ESPN began in the 1970s, as the “Entertainment Sports Network”, so this evolution has been going on since we were in college.
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USC is bringing in several undeniably good [maybe even very good] players —- but, so far, not one superstar …..
#…WeHaven’tYetGottenThePlayerWhoAssuresUsSuccessInBig10
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Hope Riley didn’t really say “We don’t need a D-Coordinator any more than we need a Special Teams Coach”……
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There are a number of good DCs. There is the Iowa DC, who year in and year out does a great job. Very disciplined, physical, rarely do you see a bad play from them. If you beat them, it has to be with far superior talent.
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And… even with far superior talent… you’re only gonna barely beat ’em….
#HopeWeFinallyGetAGuyOn”D”WhoGetsTheMostOuttaPlayers
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The bottom line for USC is what trajectory will the football program have before the season starts. Having Maiava back and getting a majority of the first year and second year players to return bodes well. But Riley’s obsession with offensive development and poor CEO management is holding back the productivity of the entire football program. If Riley is intelligent, he’ll beg Klingsbury to run his offense and he settles the defensive staff drama by having Henderson and Belk Co-Defense playcall and he sets last call on defensive plays.
The same way Jim Harbaugh did to a national championship for Michigan. Highly effective assignment football in all three phases creates winning teams, that’s what separates Indiana from every other team in Division 1 this past year.
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Indiana is “separated” from other teams by having so many experienced, loyal, team-spirited juniors on its team…
#Let’sSeeHowTheyDoIn2026
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P. S.
If Riley hires anyone presently on staff the big talk about “the phone ringing off the hook” is gonna be seen as just more bullcrap….
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AI tells me that the average age of Indiana’s football team is about 23 years old.
WTF happened?
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Answer: Indiana is part of NFL expansion….[only slightly older and more experienced than the Raiders]….
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Riley does a lot of talking without substance . . . like Clay Helton used to and many other mediocre football coaches in the past. He knows the his act is getting tiresome, henceforth the shenanigans to get a contract extension last year. If he’s honest with himself and desires integrity, then he knows who to trust and who to be honest with. He’ll also heed good counsel (ha!) and proceed with boldness and not cowardly ass actions. If you want to preserve the recruiting classes and add veterans who are more lunch pail than flashy recruiting lists hype, then Riley needs to build up the accountability, encourage more workaholic, self powered improvement. Empower meticulous development; not internet, TikTok moments that don’t mean squat on gamedays. Riley can only get rid of the phoniness unless he stops being a phony, himself.
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There’s a scene in “Sideways” where a woman is telling a guy named Myles about all the lies his friend, Jack, told in order to bed her best friend. Myles tries to defend Jack by saying “He’s an actor…I’m sure he believed it all when he said it.” Like all good liars, Lincoln believes his own lies…he believes the culture has changed, the widow is open, the phone is ringing off the hook, the defense “only makes mistakes at the worst moment.”
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The best lie he tells himself is that he’s as good a coach as anyone he faces. Can’t wait until he runs for political office.
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Outstanding movie! In 2 hours, it pretty much summarizes all of the best and worst traits of males.
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“EXTRA!! RILEY DENIES MAMDANI 2ND TERM IN HUGE UPSET…BECOMES MAYOR OF DEVASTATED NEW YORK!! SOPHISTICATED NEW YORK VOTERS EMBRACE HIS ‘WINDOW IS OPEN!’ SLOGAN!!
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100%, 67!!
Act one: “I’m gonna get my rocks off before I marry Christine, Myles…. and you’re not gonna stop me!”
Act two: “I know I’m a bad person, Myles! Without Christine I’m nothing! Ya gotta help me!”
#We’veAllBeenThere…
#…[SomeOfUsSeveralTimes]
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