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USC Saturday Buzz: Don’t Predict How Injury Affects Team

We are going to see what develops with USC at the center position following the season-ending injury to Kilian O’Connor but one thing I learned long ago is you cannot assume how it will affect the team.

Way back in 2001, USC suffered a blow in the fifth game of the season when defensive tackle Bernard Riley tore his ACL. It was viewed as a devastating injury but the USC coaches were unfazed.

They simply replaced Riley with a freshman named Mike Patterson, who eventually became an All-American. I’m not predicting anything this year for the center position but we don’t know yet how it will turn out. We’ll have to wait and see.

  • By the way, what is the deal with Lincoln Riley not even saying why type of injury O’Connor suffered? He is not coming back this season so what is he giving away to an opposing team by saying it’s a knee injury?

It’s just natural coach paranoia at work.

  • Remember I wrote that one of the annual rites of training camp is when players say they are closer than ever. Here’s an early nominee.

“I feel like we a brotherhood for real,” USC cornerback Jontez Williams told the Big Ten Network this week.

14 thoughts on “USC Saturday Buzz: Don’t Predict How Injury Affects Team”

  2. Scott, your comments amaze me at times. You do know as an experienced journalist that a person’s medical records are private and protected by federal law. MG, please give Scott a course in medical law. If Connor does not want his medical history known for any reason, that is his right. Why do you need to know a reason why he is injured? It might be strictly personal. The Mike Patterson information was good; so, find out who will be Connor’s replacement; now, that would be useful news. Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962

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  3. KAM: I would imagine any football team has a brotherhood element to it, just maybe not with everybody

    DON: Of course it is easier to feel the brotherhood when you are winning

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  4. KAM: It is true that when a man goes down the replacement might turn out to be a Mike Patterson or Lou Gehrig

    DON: But that’s not the way to bet

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  5. KAM: I know how the team feels about losing their 1st string center

    DON: “Next man up” sounds a bit flat

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  6. KAM: Putting up a picture filled with “Beat TCU” proves that Mr. Wolf has some meanness in him

    DON: But not much. We don’t know the guy, however this SC negativity has to be his idea of a gag

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  9. maybe Riley and Co should recruit more OL so depth isn’t an issue, losing one player off your OL should not be a disaster, then again, Riley doesn’t take OL recruiting seriously, so……………

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  10. fantastic insight, wolfman! yet, with humility to acknowledge that even you, the greatest journalist SC ever produced, doesn’t know the outcome of an injury! many of your detractors on this blog blab with a shocking degree of certitude, without ever displaying a particle of wolf-like humility!!

    insofar as the sudden concern for HIPPA privacy, numerous outlets have reported the injury was a broken leg. wolfman is completely correct, there is no logical reason to hold back this info. it is rather bizarre for Lil’ Lord Riley to refuse to state the obvious, it only serves to show his lack of confidence and timid nature. i guess not making playoffs despite a cornucopia of talent can do that to ya.

    #BarneyFifeOfBig10Coachers

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