USC Do you agree, or disagree

[dante1]

USC has the best players, probably? You can't have too much bad to say about PC and the coaching. But, did you notice that they only play with intensity when they want to? They are so good they can get away with it. Twice they lost the fire that teams like LSU, Florida
and Okl seem to never lose.

They were playing flat after Neb took the lead, remember that? Then their return man was injured. They promptly navigated the field in 5 or 6 plays most or all of them on the ground and made Neb look like a good HS team. They then played like demons and scored 28 unasnwered points. Not long after they decided to down shift into second gear and Neb scored some points. This is a team that plays with anger only when they want to. That is the only way they can be beaten. Do that with a LSU, Florida or a couple other teams and you might be in some trouble, might be.

Maybe this is a tendency of West Coast teams. Witness
UCLA.

[EBone]

dante1,

I watched a lot of this game last night. Here are my thoughts:

1) USC ended with 8.2 yards per rush. I guarantee you that number was about 12-15 yards per rush in the 1st half. Lets say, at the worst case scenario, USC gets 8.2 yards per rush. My question is: why even throw the ball? It was like USC was trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. I couldn't understand that for the life of me. Keep running the ball until Nebraska stops you or at least holds you to 4 yards per rush then adjust.

2) Above brings me to this: I think OC Sarkisian for the Trojans is a little shaky. Wasn't Sarkisian an old Stanford QB? I was trying to remember who he is. In any event, if there is a defense in the Pac 10 that can stop the run and make Booty beat them, they have a real chance. The problem with Nebraska last night had everything to do with rush defense. There were a couple of holes in that game that you and I could have driven a Mack truck through.

3) I have stated on this forum before that I believe Carroll is a helluva recruiter but no so much a good "in game" coach. I am either wrong about the preceding statement or Bill Callahan is a blithering idiot. The whole 1st half, Keller is throwing slants and dump offs; just taking what the defense gives him. So, what does Carroll do? He makes an adjustment at halftime to crowd the area where Keller has been successful in the 1st half. Result? 2 INTs that change the whole complexion of the game. I'm a little bit shocked that Callahan and the offensive coaching staff didn't try to stretch it downfield a little once they saw the D-line guys fall off into the passing lanes instead of rushing the QB. I don't see this as a Keller failure; I see this as a coaching failure.


I still think Nebraska is a decent team. Certainly Top 20; maybe Top 10. I think they are going to win the Big 12 North although I'll be rooting for Mizzou to give them hell on October 6th.

In any event, my final comment for the USC/Nebraska game would be: there were a few coaching inefficiencies that happened last night that had a major influence on the final score. Bottom line.....look real hard at the Pac 10 and find a good rush defense. John David Booty is being touted as a Heisman candidate; if his play last night is indicative of how he's gonna play the rest of the year, that pass offense is gonna have real problems. If I was Carroll, I'd be working Booty and those receivers night and day to make sure they can step up when the time comes. Somehow, I don't think Carroll and this Sarkisian guy have the foresight to see that.




E

[dante1]

dante1,

I watched a lot of this game last night. Here are my thoughts:

1) USC ended with 8.2 yards per rush. I guarantee you that number was about 12-15 yards per rush in the 1st half. Lets say, at the worst case scenario, USC gets 8.2 yards per rush. My question is: why even throw the ball? It was like USC was trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. I couldn't understand that for the life of me. Keep running the ball until Nebraska stops you or at least holds you to 4 yards per rush then adjust.

2) Above brings me to this: I think OC Sarkisian for the Trojans is a little shaky. Wasn't Sarkisian an old Stanford QB? I was trying to remember who he is. In any event, if there is a defense in the Pac 10 that can stop the run and make Booty beat them, they have a real chance. The problem with Nebraska last night had everything to do with rush defense. There were a couple of holes in that game that you and I could have driven a Mack truck through.

3) I have stated on this forum before that I believe Carroll is a helluva recruiter but no so much a good "in game" coach. I am either wrong about the preceding statement or Bill Callahan is a blithering idiot. The whole 1st half, Keller is throwing slants and dump offs; just taking what the defense gives him. So, what does Carroll do? He makes an adjustment at halftime to crowd the area where Keller has been successful in the 1st half. Result? 2 INTs that change the whole complexion of the game. I'm a little bit shocked that Callahan and the offensive coaching staff didn't try to stretch it downfield a little once they saw the D-line guys fall off into the passing lanes instead of rushing the QB. I don't see this as a Keller failure; I see this as a coaching failure.


I still think Nebraska is a decent team. Certainly Top 20; maybe Top 10. I think they are going to win the Big 12 North although I'll be rooting for Mizzou to give them hell on October 6th.

In any event, my final comment for the USC/Nebraska game would be: there were a few coaching inefficiencies that happened last night that had a major influence on the final score. Bottom line.....look real hard at the Pac 10 and find a good rush defense. John David Booty is being touted as a Heisman candidate; if his play last night is indicative of how he's gonna play the rest of the year, that pass offense is gonna have real problems. If I was Carroll, I'd be working Booty and those receivers night and day to make sure they can step up when the time comes. Somehow, I don't think Carroll and this Sarkisian guy have the foresight to see that.




E

Ebone

Very nice observations, I can't comment about number two but I thought the exact same thoughts about number three. Your point in number one is also valid. I thought some play calling was a little strange.

Neb is probably a good team, that might be saying more about
USC though than Neb.

If a Pac 10 team can stop the run it might be interesting.
Question is can anybody do it, I don't think Cal can, and if that was any indication last night doubt if UCLA will have a repeat of last year.

Maybe you're right about PC. Problem is he is surrounded by such great talent you can't be sure. I always believed that talent will overcome coaching in most cases.

[WileOut]

USC, LSU, and Florida are all tied as far as overall talent level. They are also the 3 best teams in the country. Oklahoma just a little behind those three.

[EaglesPhan36]

dante1,

I watched a lot of this game last night. Here are my thoughts:

3) I have stated on this forum before that I believe Carroll is a helluva recruiter but no so much a good "in game" coach. I am either wrong about the preceding statement or Bill Callahan is a blithering idiot. The whole 1st half, Keller is throwing slants and dump offs; just taking what the defense gives him. So, what does Carroll do? He makes an adjustment at halftime to crowd the area where Keller has been successful in the 1st half. Result? 2 INTs that change the whole complexion of the game. I'm a little bit shocked that Callahan and the offensive coaching staff didn't try to stretch it downfield a little once they saw the D-line guys fall off into the passing lanes instead of rushing the QB. I don't see this as a Keller failure; I see this as a coaching failure.
E

That's the same thing most people say about Mack Brown at Texas. Great recruiter, not great with Xs and Os. I think Pete is a good coach though at the college level. You don't have your team in the hunt every year if you can't coach 'em up. Talent only takes you so far. And I do believe Callahan is an idiot.

[SBR_John]

Having the best players and having the best team are a couple of different animals.

Yes they have the top players out of high school. But top players tend to be a little me-ish. And their ain't no "I" in team.

We talked about it a lot in the recent USC - Neb threads. USC takes plenty of games off. A lot of PAC games off. Id give Ariz St a great shot at an upset when they play the trojans even as a 25 point dog because they will come to play.