One thing that irritates me every year is the way some media hype up players in training camp and create the impression that the player will be vital to the team’s success. To be clear, I’m not criticizing the players. It’s not them. They want to contribute. It’s the overeager media, often with the encouragement of coaches or others inside the program, who go overboard. … Continue reading A USC Tradition Continues (Unfortunately)

USC is offering a hot dog and drink on Saturday for $10 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Coliseum in an effort to get fans into the stadium early against Michigan State. You would think the Trojans are hosting Ohio State this week, not a 17-point underdog. Did you see a USC fan survey completed this month said, “A strong majority (nearly 70% of students) thought … Continue reading If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

Alani Noa remains the starting right guard on this week’s depth chart while freshman Marcelles Williams starts again at cornerback. DJ Harvey has moved up to second-string corner now that Chasen Johnson is out. With Kamari Ramsey now at nickelback, Christian Pierce will start at safety. Waymond Jordan remains the starting tailback. Luke Skywalker has made a donation to the Annenberg School of Communication. Continue reading USC Notes: Who Starts Vs. Michigan State?

Unsurprisingly, USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn said Wednesday he had not been contacted by UCLA. It’s too early for coaches to be contacted. “We’ve got a lot of stuff on defense that we’ve got to clean up and improve on,” Lynn said. “So that’s where all my focus is.” Lynn is right. His defense ranks 14th in total defense in the Big Ten (319 yards) … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: These Stats Might Surprise You

UCLA interim coach Tim Skipper said the school has parted ways with defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe. If you read yesterday’s Morning Buzz, I wrote Skipper was taking over the defense. It makes sense because defense is his area of expertise. Did you see Pete Carroll is going to be a coach at The Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Saudi Arabia on March 21? Carroll makes an estimated … Continue reading USC Notes: What Was Caesar Thinking?

When DJ Harvey transferred from San Jose State to USC, he was projected to become the Trojans’ lockdown cornerback. Is it a bad thing that Harvey entered the Purdue as third-string on the official depth chart? Is it a bad thing that he was behind two redshirt freshmen (Braylon Conley, Marcelles Williams)? Some of the transfers who were expected to start are not starting, like … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: No One Wants To Talk About Some Transfers