Well, surprising to me, at least. I know you guys think he's an abject duck homer, but he is as impartial as you can be as an outsider looking at another team's offense and defense based on quantifiable facts and plays, I think.
From his article linked below (Alicia is from Reign of Troy):
The central question about USC is why, despite returning the entire staff and nearly all key personnel from last year, they appear to be struggling so much more than in 2022. The tempting answer offered in popular media is that the defense had become such a liability that it was no longer survivable. While it’s certainly true that the Trojans have significant defensive problems and this is the team’s main overall handicap, I don’t think it’s the right way of looking at the above question. After charting all of USC’s games, performing a statistical regression, and enjoying a long and productive conversation with Alicia, my conclusion is that a marginal decline in offensive performance has greater explanatory power regarding 2022 vs 2023 game outcomes, and this article will demonstrate how.
Interested to hear your rebuttals, and I know there will be many....lol
SC lost two games by 6 points. They could easily be ranked 6-9
That was a brutal read.
Poorly coached on both sides of the ball. Oh and special teams too. sc
I have said that it's 1) Riley's inexperience running a program 2) The aggressive nature of Grinch's defense with inexperienced (in his system) kids. 3) Caleb missing reads and running around like a headless chicken.
It's obvious it's all of those things.
I have said this and I am apparently a hater
I will tell you why. Because everyone in America knows what they are going to do on any given play. Caleb will squirm and shimmy and then throw to an area and hope the reciever can win the battle and come down with the ball. I do think that the Oregon game will be close, USC defense will just go out and be the high rannked players they were when they were recruited, just play football, stupid! Oregon has scouted Grinch's tendencies but he is gone, so the players will make it opposite day and it will have some success and look like it will work, as a situation like this usually does, and then they will overthink it all for the next game and poo the field.