With Alex Grinch such an easy target at USC, what would be the most-valid criticisms, especially since safety Bryson Shaw blamed the problems on the players Saturday, not the coaches. “I think it’s about the schemes,” a Pac-12 coach said. “They run a lot of stuff and it feels like he makes it complicated. I’d like to see them play with a more simplified scheme … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: What Exactly Ails Defense?

Lincoln Riley said on “Trojans Live” today that USC offense could have aided the defense in the second half if the running game had been more successful. Did Riley even try? MarShawn Lloyd had four carries in the second half. Austin Jones had two. That’s six running plays. Who is not helping the defense? The team or the coach? This reminds me of when Chip … Continue reading Did USC Even Try To Run Ball Vs. Colorado?

You know how Lincoln Riley said in his interview with Graham Bensinger he had his parking spot moved closer to the McKay Center because he needed to save time every week to spend with his family? Well, I looked into it and was told Riley actually had his spot moved twice because of complaints about the location. And keep in mind he has a guy … Continue reading USC Notes: More On Lincoln Riley’s Parking Spot

QUARTERBACK With 403 yards passing and six TD passes, Caleb Williams had an insane passing rating of 204.1. But do stats tell the whole story? In the second half, Williams had a few ill-advised passes and the offense sputtered. Grade: B+ RUNNING BACK MarShawn Lloyd rushed for more than 150 yards last week. So what does Lincoln Riley do? He gives Lloyd 13 carries vs. … Continue reading Morning Buzz: USC-Colorado Report Card

Back to the defense. USC has allowed 121 points this season. Oregon has allowed 59. Cal has allowed 132. Do you want USC’s defense to be closer to Cal than Oregon? And that’s 121 against mostly weak opposition. Remember how pundits like Yogi Roth talked up San Jose State when USC was allowing them to score 28 points? San Jose State then scored 17 against … Continue reading Can You Really Blame USC Woes On Players?

As bad as USC’s defense was Saturday, there’s a flip side to the criticism. Since Lincoln Riley just wants to outscore teams, the USC offense didn’t do its job in the second half, scoring on just 2 of 7 possessions in the second half. That’s not to the standards of a Caleb Williams-led offense. Now it’s hard to complain when Williams had six TD passes … Continue reading USC Sunday Buzz: Lincoln Riley’s Side Didn’t Do Its Job Either