Posted on 09/15/2019 4:17:44 AM PDT by C19fan
When USC athletic director Lynn Swann resigned this week, football coach Clay Helton lost a key ally. Swann didnt hire Helton, and he and Helton werent even particularly chummy behind the scenes. But they were linked by the golden handcuffs of the ridiculous contract extension that Swann gave Helton in February of 2018. Its a deal that will be remembered as the negotiating version of Swann sitting alone at an auction and holding up his pamphlet over and over to bid against himself for Heltons services. At a time when Helton had little leverage, USC massively misjudged the market and overpaid.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.yahoo.com ...
In an era of Air Raid and like, the Michigan State v. Arizona State slug fest was something to behold. For many that game would have cured insomnia.
Iowa State fans deserve a lot of credit. The fans stayed through two weather delays resulting in over 2 hours of delays.
Bad Beat of the Week: One would feel pretty good with 33 seconds remaining if one had the Under 45.5 total for Florida v. Kentucky with score at 22 to 21 and the Gators have the ball. Well a Gator RB goes on a 76 yard run. The RB should have simply dropped to the ground once he had the first down as that would have clinched a Gator win.
Considering how bad the ACC is, if for some reason Clemson loses that might be enough to deny them a playoff spot.
The Hawkeyes escaped by one point from Ames even with two rain delays.
The game got underway at 3 pm. Finished around 9...
In better news, My Raiders beat the Gryphons 27-20.
BTW- free parking, better food, lots if neighbors to chat with.
And the young man that cuts my grass had a heck of a game.
I think college football is crazy this year.. Illinois lost to Eastern Michigan... Lovie Smith’s seat might be Extremely Hot...
USC blew it by not hiring the popular coach O, who now has his Tigers ranked at #4. The knock against coach O was that he did not have SC tradition. Read that as saying he sounded like a dumb hick.
They did not want to put that country boy in front of the mic as the voice of SC football. But the players loved him it was the Cardinal and Gold 50 yardliners who didn’t and they pay the bills.
They did not want to put that country boy in front of the mic as the voice of SC football. But the players loved him it was the Cardinal and Gold 50 yardliners who didnt and they pay the bills.
Back in 1973 and 1974, it would have been utterly inconceivable that Pat Haden and Lynn Swann, hailed by Trojan fans as super-heroes for their exploits on the football field, would take actions that would cripple USC football in the 21st century. On one online fan forum, Haden was nicknamed Bendulac--from Benedict Arnold and Notre Dame du Lac, the official name of Notre Dame University, to which his first loyalty now seems to belong.
Coach O was bullish on USC and popular with the fans, After taking the reins of the program in 2013, he quickly became a hero with his victory over Stanford. After that win, fans stormed onto the field--something that rarely happens given the tight security in the Coliseum. I, along with many others, was furious when it was announced that he would be let go in favor of Seven-Win Steve.
Here's an oldie but goody that evokes in me nostalgia for the good old days.
Coach O--The Trojan Marching Band (2013)
My Occidental College Tigers kicked off the season with a 38-7 win over the Center for Technical & Higher Education Zorros (foxes) from Tijuana, Mexico. Next week, we play Willamette.
Although the Tigers have done poorly in recent years, they hold a winning record over UCLA and still boast of their last win over USC in 1918.
The leadership of the University of Southern California across its entire campus has been completely inept for the past decade.Its astonishing really. I suspect a new era is beginning of professional leadership owning out what can only be described as the old boys network, as much as I hate to use that term.
That should have read cleaning out.
Suppose Urban Meyer wants another year away from football. Would Trojan Nation be willing to wait and let Helton linger for another year? Is there a clamour for ISU head coach Matt Campbell?
I have noticed over the years college powerhouses seem to arise in areas where demographic populations shift. Consider that boise state and north dakota and wyoming and utah were complete outliers 40 years ago. Los Angeles and environs is no longer a real attractive population draw...not unexpected that ucla...usc...cal state northridge...cal state la have less than stellar teams.
Judging from comments on online forums, the Trojan Nation (I prefer to call it the Trojan Polis) can't wait to get rid of Helton. They dread what will happen if Helton remains the head coach when we play Alabama to kick off the 2020 season. There's been a lot of talk about Urban Meyer but I haven't seen much of a clamor for Matt Campbell.
Many Trojan fans were outraged when it was announced that USC will be playing UC Davis—a Division 1AA team—in a couple years. We prided ourselves on being one of only a handful of Division 1A teams that has never played a Division 1AA team.
I was one of those.
I went to Lakewood (Class of '70). The '70 team lost to Pat Haden's Bishop Amat team in the CIF championship game in OT (30,000 people at the Coliseum was a HS record).
They used something called the 'California Tie Breaker System'. You place the ball at mid field, each team alternates four plays. Final field position of the ball determines the winners. Worst system ever. A penalty for roughing the passer in OT cost Lakewood five yards (and likely the game). That player was virtually inconsolable in the locker room after the game.
But to his credit, in a good sport gesture, Pat Haden, J K McKay, the coach and a few others came over to the locker room to give their condolences to the Lancers. It was indeed a tough loss.
A few years later, I and my future wife were at the Rose Bowl on New Years Day rooting for the same Pat Haden and the Trojans against Ohio State..
I always though Haden to be a good guy, but he may have been in over his 5'9" head as AD.
Thanks for the Coach O clip!
I hope not.
If we extend that concept to other areas, then ASU and UA should be football powerhouses now, as AZ is one the fastest growing areas in the country.
LA/SoCal in general will always be one of the most highly recruited areas in the country, simply based on the population base.
If you look at the rosters of other teams Oregon, Washington, ASU, Utah, Colorado, those teams all have many players from LA.
One of the main draws is: If you come to (you name the place) you will be a starter. If you stay in socal, you may not be.
It's all cyclical. Teams will have a few good years, it may be 3-4 or 7-8 years, then they will fade, only to be back again with a new combo of coaches and players.
I still remember when Oxy played University of San Diego on national TV with Hank Stram & Dick Stockton in the 80s (must have been around 83). My sister was going to Oxy at the time...so she had to bring her little brother with her:o). It was a crazy/entertaining game. Oxy was the best of the SCIAC at that time. I know that they almost folded the program a couple years ago. Im glad they didnt.
Poor situational awareness. That's on the coaches, they need to tell the players not to score in that situation.
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