John McKay had a famous saying: “There is nothing worse than losing to UCLA and nothing better than beating Notre Dame.” Somewhere along the line, USC lost sight of that, mainly because it panders to Lincoln Riley. What does he think matters? He doesn’t really care about playing UCLA, to be fair. But he knows he can’t end that rivalry because they are in the same conference. This … Continue reading USC Thursday Buzz: Would Lincoln Riley Play UCLA If He Didn’t Have To?

Memo someone can send this to Jen Cohen and Co. It’s John Robinson talking about his first experiences with the USC-Notre Dame as an assistant coach for John McKay. Continue reading John Robinson Knew What Jen Cohen/Lincoln Riley Do Not

I’ve been going closely through the USC roster this week and one thing stands out: I don’t think the depth is as great as has been portrayed, especially when this is Year 4 for Lincoln Riley. There are quite a few positions with unproven players and things really look dicey at some spots if injuries occur (which always happen). For example, at linebacker USC will … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: I See Soft Spots On Roster

Does a segment of USC fans realize that they trust the judgment of someone from Muleshoe, Texas, regarding the future of the USC-Notre Dame rivalry? After investigating the state of the series Monday in a column for Sports Illustrated, Pat Forde came to this conclusion Tuesday about USC: “The school is chiseling away at its athletic identity, little by little.” This is what happens when … Continue reading Morning Buzz: USC “Chiseling” Away At Identity

The future of the USC-Notre Dame series is starting to get more attention and now Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated has weighed in. Forde reports Notre Dame wants a long-term extension but USC wants to only extend the deal one year. He says USC is reluctant because of “the uncertainty of the future College Football Playoff format” and the travel involved with the Big Ten … Continue reading The USC-Notre Dame Series Pressure Is Building