From the press box: IMHO Sunday – A Lynn-Lynn situation and can the Trojans cage the Cardinals in San Diego?
In my humble opinion, USC cardinal and gold views from the press box on what I see, what I hear, and what I think from Los Angeles…
Nobody asked me, but…
Well, you can’t say this has been a dull cardinal and gold weekend beginning with Friday afternoon’s surprise defensive coordinator announcement, an interesting Direct TV Holiday Bowl invitation on Sunday afternoon, and as the clock struck midnight and turned into Monday, release the fury of the transfer portal Kraken and round and round the 2024 USC roster goes, where it stops nobody knows, but it would sure be nice if it landed on some quality Big Ten-style physical linemen on both sides of the ball…
Before we turn to the official announcement that the Trojans are headed to the Direct TV Holiday Bowl in San Diego against Louisville, you have give credit to Lincoln Riley and his athletic director Jen Cohen for shaking up the L.A. college football scene by extracting “former” UCLA defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn out of Westwood and turning the young 34-year-old coach into a cardinal and gold beacon of defensive hope for Riley’s beleaguered history of subpar and flat-out porous defenses…
Let’s be honest here, Lynn was probably not the home run hire choice that many USC fans expected. Most were hoping – or should we say praying – for highly-coveted Jim Leonard, the Midwest defensive guru formerly of Wisconsin. No question that Riley and company pursued Leonard, perhaps over and over. However, the guy is Midwest through-and-through, and every indication is that he just didn’t want to come to the West Coast and Los Angeles no matter how many millions of Ben Franklins were waved in his face. And, there might have been some added apprehension regarding the stability of Lincoln Riley’s status if the Trojans don’t rebound from the disaster of the 2022 season…
Lincoln Riley is hoping that new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, formerly of UCLA, is the defensive answer for his program.
(Photo above by Matt Cashore | USA TODAY Sports)
According to The Athletic, Lynn was making $1 million a year as a rookie defensive coordinator for UCLA. At USC, Lynn will pay the Trojans’ new DC $2 million a year plus a $500,000 housing stipend. The Bruins did make a last ditch effort, according to The Athletic, to retain Lynn, but obviously, IMHO, this was a business decision that probably also had to do with Chip Kelly’s future job status with UCLA.
As for D’Anton Lynn, who has only one season of experience as a defensive coordinator, the kid-coach took full advantage of 2022 to carve a name for himself across town. The upside and pedigree is impressive and if he isn’t a home run hire, a triple ain’t bad either. If Lynn can turn this defensive fiasco around – no guarantee – and show marked improvement. It will help greatly if Lynn can secure and/or flip some quality recruiting talent for the prep class of 2024 and the transfer portal, as well…
Changing gears, given the option of playing in the Direct TV Holiday Bowl in San Diego or competing in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, you didn’t have to think more than one second to make the right bowl destination decision, although that game now features Oregon State and Notre Dame. So, after some real intense jostling by the ACC on Sunday regarding the team they would send to San Diego for the Holiday Bowl – Clemson or Louisville – when the dust settled, it’s the CFP No.15 Louisville Cardinals, who lost 16-6 in the ACC Championship Game on Saturday night to CFP No. 5 Florida State…
Petco Park is the home of the Direct TV Holiday Bowl in San Diego and will host USC and Louisville on Dec. 27.
(Photo above by © Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
The Trojans and Louisville might not seem like compelling viewing, but there is interest to find out which team doesn’t want to end its season with another loss. With a victory over Louisville, can the Trojans get some sense of positive closure to a failed season, or will they return to Los Angeles with yet another defeat and finish 2023 with a dismal and disturbing 7-6 record?…
For Lincoln Riley, the Holiday Bowl is a good or bad news scenario. The good news is that a victory over Louisville on national television would give the Trojans one last remembrance nationally that they are still relevant in a positive way. The bad news is if Riley can’t get his team up to play Louisville or they just play poorly and get their butts kicked physically, they will have lost their last six out of their last seven games, and Riley’s bowl record would also drop to 1-5, tarnishing even worse that Riley is not an elite coach, especially in bowl games…
This may be a whacko observation, but is it really too ridiculous to ponder that maybe Caleb Williams feels he is not just emotionally ready to jump to the NFL, but actually enjoys being a college student-athlete – albeit a rich one – and wants to experience one more year of fun before heading to a losing NFL (No Fun League) franchise where he will get brutalized by maniacal NFL linemen? This kid is wired differently in a good way, and I don’t think it’s impossible that he might shock the world and return to USC because he just likes being in college, likes L.A., and wants to atone for this season’s disaster, and is intrigued with the 2024 new 12-team CFP format…
However, Caleb’s return to USC is probably just a pipe dream when it was learned that Lincoln Riley recently took a visit to Manhattan, Kansas, where the coach met with Kansas State grad transfer quarterback Will Howard about becoming a Trojan. Did that visit signal Caleb is heading to the NFL, alerted Riley’s current returning USC quarterbacks that he is not confident they can handle next season’s daunting 2024 schedule, or Riley just needs to have a third, experienced signal caller on the 2024 roster? That said, one has to wonder what current USC quarterbacks Miller Moss and Malachi Nelson thought when they learned of Coach Riley’s visit to see Will Howard, who has one season of eligibility remaining…
Is former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard on the verge of becoming a USC Trojan?
(Photo above by Kansas State Athletics)
The Holiday Bowl, however, could also be a great opportunity for quarterback Miller Moss and possibly Malachi Nelson to get ready for spring ball QB competition and the difficult challenge of the 2024 schedule. Of course, the Holiday Bowl will also give the Trojans’ new defensive coordinator, D’Anton Lynn, the opportunity to just see how much work he has to do during spring ball – as if he didn’t learn firsthand after watching the UCLA offense look all-world when the Bruins took down the Trojans this season…
IMHO, I think if the Trojans had played Clemson and not Louisville in the Holiday Bowl, there would have been a large turnout of USC fans because of Clemson’s football brand name, and Trojans fans would have been inspired to attend. I am not so sure that the USC faithful will buy into or care about playing Louisville, which is relatively newcomer to national interest. That said, Louisville has been recruiting in the SoCal area for awhile and has had some success…
Scouting Louisville, the Cardinals’ offense is led by a quarterback, Jack Plummer, whom the Trojans’ defense has some real past negative nightmares. In 2022, Plummer lit the Trojans up when he was the QB at Cal. Who can forget when Plummer passed for 406 yards, four TD passes, and completed 71% of his passes in a 41-35 loss to the Trojans in the Coli? We know the Trojans’ defense has turned offensive weak spots into offensive sweet spots, and don’t think that Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm isn’t already aware of that and the USC secondary…
Louisville’s first-year head football coach Jeff Brohm will match wits against the Trojans and Lincoln Riley in the Holiday Bowl.
(Photo above by Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sport)
If you’re looking for a nice and convenient hotel to stay in San Diego for the Holiday Bowl, we’d suggest the Omni next to Petco Park. Go to the Holiday Bowl official website and check out hotels, and there’s a good deal for the Omni, which actually has a bridge from the hotel to the ballpark that avoids long fan lines…
Louisville quarterback Jack Plummer (No. 13) has faced the Trojans before when he was the quarterback at Cal in 2022.
(Photo above by Rob Kinnan | USA TODAY Sports)
It was disappointing to me that when the College Football Playoffs were announced Sunday morning that Pac-12 Champions Washington Huskies, the official CFP No. 2 seed, would not be playing in the Rose Bowl but rather the Sugar Bowl against CFP No. 3 seed Texas. The Rose Bowl will host CFP No. 1 seed Michigan against the CFP No 4 seed Alabama, which isn’t exactly chopped liver matchup. That said, for nostalgic reasons, it would have been nice had Michigan played Washington in the Rose Bowl. Damn you Georgia. You messed up one final Pac-12/Big Ten traditional Rose Bowl…
It has always been said that when it comes to UCLA football, as long as the Bruins beat USC the season is considered a success. However, the Trojans’ influence on UCLA was never more evident when a Bruin fan paid to have an airplane fly a banner over UCLA demanding Chip Kelly be fired. Sounds like a page out of the “Fire Clay Helton” playbook…
Who will ever forget the fire Clay Helton banner over the Coliseum when things went downhill for the coach?
When it comes to Chip Kelly, did UCLA learn anything from watching how USC badly handled the Clay Helton saga?…
Will anybody be shocked if “former” Trojan running back/receiver Raleek Brown ends up at Oregon?…
So, how many other Trojans are going to transfer out when it’s all said and done? If you are not aware, the transfer portal is open for business beginning on Monday, Dec. 4…
Trojans’ running back Darwin Barlow (No. 22) is the latest Trojan to place his name in the transfer portal.
(Photo above Erik McKinney/WeAreSC)
More than an All-American quarterback and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, when Caleb Williams makes his announcement that he is entering the NFL draft, USC will also be losing a generational on-the-field talent but an off-the-field talent and an ambassador for the USC, as well. Williams’ “Caleb Cares” foundation and other projects he’s involved make him one of the most unique brands in the history of USC…
I can’t think of a player that has come through Troy that has had any bigger impact in USC football in the short amount of time he has been in Los Angeles. It bothers me when I see some mocking of Caleb after some of the USC losses that brought tears to his eyes or hugs from his mother. To me, he’s a man’s man and shows no concern in showing his emotions. To have the spotlight on him shining as bright as ever in this day and age of massive exposure and his ability to handle it for the most part is exceptional…
I will say this regarding Caleb Williams, there is enough blame to go around, but it is a crying shame that this young man never won a conference title or made the CFP post-season. The failure to give Caleb a team in 2023 that didn’t play to its alleged talent level is criminal. A really substandard offensive line and a completely disastrous defense put Williams in an impossible position. I hate to say his time at USC was wasted, but I can say he wasn’t put in the best position to succeed even though he did most of the time…
Trojans’ quarterback Caleb Williams (13) scrambles yet again against the UCLA defensive line that controlled the USC offensive line.
(Photo above by Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports)
To me, one of the most intriguing aspects of what’s going on with the USC football program during this lull is the potential for great roster change. There have been some early transfers out of Troy, and I suspect we may see a lot more…
I also suspect Lincoln Riley could be caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to not only trying to quickly bring in defensive and offensive line help and plugging in some gaps here and there, but he has to worry about recruiting his own players that may have a wandering eye for the grass is greener on the other side of the hill…
One thing we have learned about the NCAA transfer portal is that there is no guarantee that the player the Trojans are getting is going to turn out to be a position unit changer. Case in point, for the most part, is the Trojans offensive line parade of transfers. You can also make a strong case that the defensive line transfers didn’t make a major case, with the exception of Bear Alexander, who was inconsistent on a daily down basis. That said, the Bear will likely be heading to the NFL after the 2024 season…
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The Jennifer Cohen Quotebook
Trojans’ athletic director Jennifer Cohen at her introductory press conference
(Photo above ascreenshot of USC livestream)
This week Trojans’ athletic director Jennifer Cohen sat down with The Times Ryan Kartje to discuss USC athletics – past, present, and future – and the present state of the football program. Asked about the disappointing 2023 football season, the first-year AD didn’t hold back.
“First of all, really disappointing year. We had big goals, and we have high expectations for us here. And that’s why we’re here. He (Lincoln Riley) loves the pressure of that and the expectation of that, and so do I.
“So disappointing and frustrating, not just for the coaches and the players, but obviously for our fans and for our former athletes. That’s not the standard, and that’s not where we’re going. As far as Lincoln goes, I have full confidence in him. He has my full support. It’s been incredible getting a chance to work more closely with him.”
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The post-game show…
(Photo above by Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images)
The buck stops here: After reading The Times Q&A, I am more convinced than that new USC AD is the right person for the job,
Don’t shoot me: The NCAA adopted legislation that schools may not arrange for photographs or photograph a recruit or those accompanying the recruit. This also includes video shoots. So all those quickly released social media posts showing recruits in uniforms of the school they were visiting are no longer going to make the “Hollywood” scene perception. The new rule also includes photos of family members, high school coaches, and teammates.
Photo shoots like this picture of offensive line Elijah Paige in a USC uniform on a recruiting visit will no longer be allowed,
according to the NCAA. (Photo courtesy of Elijah Paige)
And so: The new banning of photo shoots of recruiting may or may not have its desired effect. However, I laugh every time I think of when the NCAA, in its divine wisdom, decided that college football media guides should not have any color picture outside the front and back cover and should be limited in the number of pages.
Amtrak: For those thinking of taking the Amtrak down to San Diego for The Holiday Bowl, getting there by rail from Los Angeles to SD won’t be a problem for the 5 p.m. kickoff. However, the latest train back to L.A. departs at 9 p.m., which would cut it close if the game doesn’t finish by 8:15 p.m.
One form of transportation to the Holiday Bowl from Los Angeles to San Diego is taking the Amtrak down the California coast.
(Photo above by © David Loe/Special to The Star)
In attendance: It is expected that Caleb Williams will not play in The Holiday Bowl because he will announce prior that he is entering the NFL draft. However, I would be surprised if he isn’t on the Trojans’ sideline cheering his teammates on.
One too many: Former Trojans quarterback JT Daniels, who transferred three times in his college career, has elected to retire from football after suffering multiple concussions. Daniels, whose final playing stop was at Rice University, has informed that his new direction is to begin the process of being a football coach.
Former USC quarterback JT Daniels out of Santa Ana Mater Dei High, whose last transferring spot was Rice University in Houston, has retired from football due to too many concussions and will pursue a new career in coaching football. (Photo above courtesy of Rice U.)
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The Call-in Show…
Caller 1: Hey, Greg, great to see you’re taking calls again now that the regular season is behind us. In one word, how would you describe the 2023 season?
Caller No. 1, I think the one word I would use to describe the 2023 season would be – and I don’t mean to be mean, cruel, and heartless – a failure.
Caller No. 2: Gregger, who do you hold responsible for this disastrous football season?
Caller No. 2, not to sound crass about the whole thing, but a fish rots from the head down. It starts with the head coach, he’s makes the most money. The buck starts and stop with Lincoln Riley, and I think he would be the first one to take responsibility.
In college football, Lincoln Riley, like all head college coaches, is the main CEO of their program, and the buck stops with them.
(Photo above by Darren Yamashita | USA TODAY Sports)
Caller No. 3: GK, can a new SC defensive coordinator turn the Trojans defense around in one season?
Caller No. 3, ask UCLA, they did it.
Caller No. 4: Mr. Katz, I saw on “Inside the Trojans’ Huddle” that you were giddy about next season’s game at Michigan. Why so much excitement?
Caller No. 4, I’ve always wanted to see a game at “The Big House.” That and the fact that I’ve seen the Trojans play at Ohio State, which was quite an experience. The bucket list demands I see the Buckeyes’ archrival in Ann Arbor.
My bucket list is attending the USC at Michigan game next September in the “Big House,” Michigan Stadium.
(Photo above credit: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Caller No. 5: Coach, Las Vegas, Chicago, New Orleans, or New York?
Caller No. 5, if you give those choices of cities to spend a weekend or a week, it’s New York without question. There is so much to do there, and there is a 24-hour buzz. It’s Las Vegas without slot machines.
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The Scoreboard Show…
(Photo by WeAreSC/USC Athletics)
FRIDAY – DEC. 1
THE PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
CFP NO. 3 WASHINGTON 34 (13-0), CFP NO. 5 OREGON 31 (11-2)
Huskies remain undefeated, “upset” 10-point favorite Oregon, and lock up a CFP post-season.
ORE 0 10 14 7 31
UW 10 10 0 14 34
SATURDAY – DEC. 2
THE BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
CFP NO. 7 TEXAS 49 (12-1), CFP NO. 18 OKLAHOMA STATE 21 (9-4)
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers passes for four touchdowns and 354 yards…in the first half!
OSU 7 7 0 7 21
UT 21 14 7 7 49
THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
CFP NO. 8 ALABAMA 27 (12-1), CFP NO. 1 GEORGIA 24 (12-1)
Repeat after me, “Alabama is still Alabama, Alabama is still Alabama, Alabama is still Alabama.”
GEO 7 0 3 14 24
ALA 3 14 3 7 27
THE ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
CFP NO. 4 FLORIDA STATE 16 (12-0), CFP NO. 14 LOUISVILLE 6 (10-2)
Florida State survives battle with Louisville, but will an undefeated season get them the playoffs?
LOU 0 0 3 3 6
FSU 0 3 7 6 16
THE BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
CFP NO. 2 MICHIGAN 26 (13-0), CFP NO. 16 IOWA 6 (10-3)
Wolverines flex their muscles and lock up a CFP seeding, but will it be the No. 1 seed?
IOWA 0 0 0 6 6
MICH 10 0 10 6 26
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COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SEMI-FINAL SCHEDULE
(Photo above by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 2024
NATIONAL SEMI-FINAL: GAME NO. 1
ROSE BOWL GAME
LOCATION: PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
SITE: ROSE BOWL
TIME: 2 P.M. PT/5 PM ET
TELEVISED: ESPN
TEAMS: CFP NO. 1 Michigan VS CFP NO. 4 ALABAMA
NATIONAL SEMI-FINAL: GAME NO. 2
SUGAR BOWL GAME
LOCATION: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA
SITE: CAESAR’S SUPERDOME
TIME: 5:45 P.M. PT/8:45 PM ET
TELEVISED: ESPN
TEAMS: CFP NO. 2 WASHINGTON VS CFP NO. 3 TEXAS
MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2024
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
LOCATION: HOUSTON TEXAS
SITE: NRG STADIUM
TIME: 4:30 PM PT/ 6:30 PM. CT/7:30 PM ET
TELEVISED: ESPN
TEAMS: WINNER OF THE ROSE BOWL VS WINNER OF THE SUGAR BOWL
NEW YEAR’S SIX BOWLS
87TH GOODYEAR COTTON BOWL
TEAMS: CFP NO. 7 OHIO STATE VS CFP NO. 9 MISSOURI
DATE: FRI./DEC. 29
LOCATION: ARLINGTON TEXAS
SITE: AT&T STADIUM
TIME: 5 PM PT/ 8:00 PM ET
TELEVISED: ESPN
90TH CAPITAL ONE ORANGE BOWL
TEAMS: CFP NO. 5 FLORIDA STATE VS CFP NO. 6 GEORGIA
DATE: SAT./DEC. 30
LOCATION: MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA
SITE: HARD ROCK STADIUM
TIME: 1 PM PT/ 4:00 PM ET
TELEVISED: ESPN
56TH CHICK-FIL-A PEACH BOWL GAME
TEAMS: CFP NO. 10 PENN STATE VS CFP NO. 11 MISSISSIPPI
DATE: SAT./DEC. 30
LOCATION: ATLANTA, GEORGIA
SITE: MERCEDES BENZ STADIUM
TIME: 9 AM PT/12:00 PM ET
TELEVISED: ESPN
54TH VRBO FIESTA BOWL GAME
TEAMS: CFP NO. 8 OREGON VS CFP NO. 23 LIBERTY
DATE: MON./ JAN. 1
LOCATION: GLENDALE, ARIZONA
SITE: STATE FARM STADIUM
TIME: 10 AM PT/ 1:00 PM ET
TELEVISED: ESPN
PAC-12 BOWL GAME AFFLIATIONS
L.A. Bowl: UCLA vs Boise State
Independence Bowl: Cal vs Texas Tech
Las Vegas Bowl: Northwestern vs Utah
Holiday Bowl: USC and Louisville
Alamo Bowl: CFP No. 12 Oklahoma vs CFP No. 14 Arizona
Sun Bowl: CFP No. 16 Notre Dame vs CFP No. 19 Oregon State
Fiesta Bowl: CFP No. 8 Oregon vs CFP No. 23 Liberty
Sugar Bowl: CFP No. 2 Washington vs CFP No. 3 Texas
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The last word…
(Photo above by Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports)
Bring on the Cardinals!!!
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