QUARTERBACK Jayden Maiava had an interception but otherwise this was another stellar performance. The question is whether he can do this in a hostile atmosphere. Things got a little dicey at Illinois and the crowd at Notre Dame will be worse. Grade: B+ RUNNING BACKS Plug in a tailback and get results. King Miller grabbed the spotlight and now it looks like he will start … Continue reading Morning Buzz: USC-Michigan Report Card

As expected, USC tailback Eli Sanders will be out for the season with a knee injury. Waymond Jordan is already out 4-6 weeks so King Miller will be the starter. Miller was named Big Ten Freshman Football Player of the Week. The Big Ten fined USC $5,000 for playing running back Bryan Jackson in Saturday’s game against Michigan. Jackson was initially listed as “out” on … Continue reading USC Notes: Eli Sanders Out For Year

Did I have more faith in USC football than many fans? I wasn’t surprised the Trojans defeated Michigan on Saturday but many fans are acting like this was a momentous occasion. Did they expect USC to lose? At home? More likely, the reflects how starved people are for any success during the Riley Era. They still expect USC to win every game, but when the … Continue reading Morning Buzz: Were People Surprised USC Beat Michigan?

USC is an 8.5-point underdog to Notre Dame according to BetOnline. So Penn State fired James Franklin this morning. His buyout is roughly $49 million. There was some thought his buyout would prevent termination this year. Would USC be able to swallow Lincoln Riley’s massive buyout? The problem is USC still is $50 million short on its new athletic facilities project; the university had a … Continue reading Is James Franklin’s Firing A Trend Or One-Off?

If you want the quickest description of what happened Saturday at the Coliseum, a multi-dimensional offense (USC) faced a one-dimensional offense (Michigan). Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood is 18 years old and he led an anemic passing attack against USC. I don’t know how a football program with Michigan’s unlimited funds can fail so much at the QB position AND with its play calling (FOR TWO … Continue reading Sunday Buzz: My Analysis Of USC-Michigan

And it’s over as Bryan Jackson’s TD makes it 31-13. Jackson was listed as “out” in the pre-game injury report, by the way. But USC’s defense still gives up deep plays even against a vanilla offense. Michigan’s offense is just vanilla and the QB is too limited to make this game interesting. King Miller’s 48-yard run keys a TD drive. USC leads, 21-7. The USC … Continue reading USC-Michigan Live Blog