They have yet to play a game and maybe they will stumble somewhere. Maybe more than once and then they will drop back in the pack.
But don’t count on it. USC is back. Back from getting whacked by the NCAA for the sins of Reggie Bush. Back from a no bowl ban edict. Back from scholarship reductions that are still having their sting. Back from the days when Pete Carroll ran a loose ship in which people laughed, played jokes and won games.
And oh yes, they broke the rules. Lots of them if you listen to the NCAA.
But now there are new sheriffs in town. Lane Kiffin is back as the head coach and his history raised some eyebrows, especially for the way he came and went from Tennessee.
Perhaps more importantly, Pat Haden is the USC athletic director and he really knows what he is doing and has given USC credibility in an area in which former AD Mike Garrett never touched.
So mix it all together with some creative recruiting and you have a formula for success that could work and should work.
Oh, there will be questions about depth–the scholarship limitations will have their desired effect of making things tougher for USC. But winning will help sooth that. The more you win, the more they will want to come.
Under Pete Carroll, USC won two national championships in five seasons. They should have won a third and perhaps even a fourth.
They were a dynasty in the making and then the Reggie Bush stuff happened and the kingdom came down.
Now it is being built back up.
USC is back. And it may be awhile before it slips.
© Copyright 2012 Mark, All rights Reserved. Written For: A Jersey Guy
Everyone says follow the USC blueprint to survive probations. However we still have to wait and see how they survive the actual reduced scholarship sanctions in the next few seasons. There is no doubt they retained key players that could have transferred, they have stock piled some new talent and found some ways interesting ways to get bodies on campus pre sanctions. But the fact of the matter is the sanctions regarding scholarships is only starting right now. The reduced limit on the number of recruits they can bring in will only cut into their depth further in the next two years. USC is a mega brand in a warm weather place with good looking coeds and heeps of local football talent. Look, even their biggest and smartest reporters(Petros 570am LA former player at USC now radio personality) says wait before we say the sanctions did nothing and they survived. And remember the sanctions were intended to temporarily slow, not kill the USC program. Any year they arent a top 2 team is a dissappointment, it is pretty clear in LA the past two seasons were disappointing and strayed from what their fans expect. Depth issues may keep fans disappointed until 2016.
you make great points. but if they win this year, more talent will come their way. And the lack of depth means that they can’t make mistakes in recruiting. winning means that the five star recruits will look at them
They can’t make mistakes in recruiting and the current players can’t get caught in off the field stuff, slack in the classroom, get injured or leave early for the NFL. In 2014 they are going to be hit with a large graduation class and they will only be able to bring in 15 players. They may be 15 five star guys but they are still freshman, especially the OL/DL players who tend to take a little longer to mature than a wideout or other skill position. However, I agree, winning can cure a lot of the potential speed bumps and if there is one team that can line up 22 five star guys, it is USC.