Yesterday I mentioned that no “special event” had been announced for former players during spring practice, which was promised when the spring game was canceled. Well lo and behold, USC suddenly announced that former players are invited to football practice on April 12. “A practice is the special event?, ” a former player said. “So special.  Attending ANY practice was something usually encouraged (pre-Riley) with … Continue reading USC Saturday Buzz: A Not-So Special Event

USC coach Lincoln Riley gave his reasons for not doing a spring game on Thursday. “The biggest thing for us is the spring game is for the fans and the spring game is a chance to get guys out in in front of a stadium,” Riley said. “The negative to the spring game is it now is being broadcast all over the place so nobody … Continue reading If It’s Friday, It’s Time For A USC Notes Column

USC took a commitment yesterday from offensive tackle Chase Deniz of Cathedral Catholic in San Diego. He didn’t even have any stars yet from Rivals and his only offers were from Sacramento State, Nevada and Fresno State before USC offered him Wednesday. Of course, Rivals suddenly awarded him three stars AFTER the commitment. Was this Chad Bowden’s decision or did Lincoln Riley play a part? … Continue reading Morning Buzz: USC Or San Diego State About To Be Proven Right/Wrong

The first day of spring practice is when obvious things are proclaimed as news. Eric Gentry gained 10 pounds! Lincoln Riley said true freshman QB Husan Longstreet “is further ahead than most freshmen at this time” because he attended some bowl practices and team meetings in December. Is this news? Here’s the only question regarding Longstreet: Will Riley put him in a game if Jayden … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: A Spring Practice Ritual Arrives On Schedule

It was utterly ridiculous how Lincoln Riley ignored Mater Dei High School and focused so much energy on Georgia. But Riley’s clearly no longer following his preferred plan, for whatever reason. I won’t say general manager Chad Bowden is the sole reason because things started changing before he got hired. Remember, Riley met Mater Dei coach Raul Lara for the first time at Mater Dei … Continue reading USC Shows New Philosophy On Recruiting

Stanford general manager Andrew Luck fired football coach Troy Taylor today. The GM can fire the coach? Can Chad Bowden fire Lincoln Riley? Now a couple things about Stanford. It doesn’t currently have an athletic director, so the decision fell to Luck. But the question remains why did Stanford keep Taylor following two investigations into his behavior but only fire him after ESPN reported on … Continue reading USC Notes: A General Manager Can Fire A Coach?