Why do people still take what Lincoln Riley says seriously? Remember when he said in 2023 after USC nearly choked away a big lead against Colorado that things were not the same as the previous year, “not to the trained eye, not to a coach.” Yesterday, he said the new staff/coaching hires proved trained people see USC’s progress as a program. “They see things that, … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Lincoln Riley Has Odd View Of Progress

Lincoln Riley said today that new general manager Chad Bowden and his hand-picked team will “run the show” with recruiting for USC. This aligns with what I said this morning about Bowden’s power. Bowden then said USC will focus more on high school recruiting than the transfer portal and make recruiting in California a top priority. You can see the changes from what Riley’s preferred … Continue reading The Riley-Bowden Power Structure Takes Shape

The USC football program is undergoing a transformation and it’s more dramatic than being portrayed. Athletic director Jen Cohen, who has kept a low-public profile, is aggressively making moves behind the scenes. Sources said Cohen hired new USC general manager Chad Bowden and gave him a mandate to run things. They said Cohen is privately frustrated with Riley and the huge contract that Mike Bohn … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Jen Cohen Makes Strong Moves With Football

USC general manager Chad Bowden has hired Max Stienecker to be executive director of player personnel. Steinecker was the general manager at Wisconsin and was at Cincinnati, where Bowden also worked. Here’s the news: Bowden has now hired three people and removed one person and Lincoln Riley is basically an outsider on these moves. I’m going to write about something important tomorrow but Bowden’s got … Continue reading USC General Manager Putting Stamp On Program

I wrote the other day about a USC player wanting to wear No. 55. A reader wrote asking if I thought the player deserved it. My response: Not if they average a few tackles a game. You either come in as a five-star, can’t miss prospect or you have a great season at USC. Remember that Chris Claiborne came to USC wearing No. 55 and … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Standards Must Be Upheld

Did anyone doubt Pete Carroll would hire his sons to coach with the Raiders? His son, Brennan, was just hired as offensive line coach. He was the offensive line coach with the Washington Huskies. Some thought he might stay with the Huskies to continue to forge a path away from his father. But . . . no. Next up? His son, Nate, who was recently … Continue reading The Least Surprising Hire Of The Day