So grinch now blames himself

I'm talking long-term down below. This season has been needlessly wasted, but it is what it is. Without much better tackling by all defenders, any changes to the scheme won't matter. Improved tackling won't happen now; that should have been the goal of the spring and fall camps, but Riley is a Heltonesque dipshit. Frankly, Riley needs to go. Grinch is just a symptom of his ineptitude.

Unfortunately, USC is where DB's go to see their NFL dreams die on the vine. How does Donte keep his job year after year?

They got pressure vs weaker opposition. ND, UTah, Cal? Not so much. 1 Sack in 3 games.

Good choice.

Allen from Indiana won't have a job soon either.

I only have so many good ideas. I just came up with two. Everyone else can fill in the rest. I'm retired.

Either way. Grinch isn't goi g anywhere and as perverse as this sounds. Here's how it's gonna likely play out.

1 we watch and excruciating 3 games plus a crummy bowl where usc gives up 40-50 a game. It will be like having your appendix taken out. While you watch. With a broken coke bottle as a scalpel. And you're given cough syrup for the pain. You can have two gulps though. And yes. This means Alex Grindh will be coaching in the MAC next year.

Or

2. Somehow. After two years and everyone filling the wrong gap. It clicks. The Players get it. The scheme works. USC causes turnovers. Stiffs the run. Frustrates qbs and usc beats 3 ranked opponents. Enters the top 10 etc And Alex grinch is hailed as a genius and returns.

Yeah I'm not really betting on 2 either.

No clue which direction to cheer or root. Maybe I'll root for 2 and hope that Grinch decides he really wants to see Mike leach again.

Well those names have been floated for more than a minute.

Riley knows Arnett...

Grinch is gone after UCLA, the recruiting season is too short to wait until after a Christmas bowl game.

this isn't an aggressive vs passive argument. Grinch's scheme DOES NOT WORK. His gap assignments don't work and it's too easy to mislead the defense with faulty key reads to leave gaps unassigned. This is where the calls to simplify the defense are correct.

While I understand what Grinch is trying to achieve with his 4-2-5 nickel base D, That lacking 7th man in the box is where this fails. There is always a gap left unassigned and the play of the DL and misreads by the 2 LBs leave others unassigned post-snap. Grinch needs to switch to another Big DT/NT along with Bear, and get true DEs on the field, and then play man on the outside (big ask with USC's CBs and how they are being taught to NOT PLAY THE BALL) and zone inside, with essentially 2 SFs (one with nickel responsibility, the other serving as the missing 3rd LB). The CBs need to play off the inside shoulder to take away the in-routes and be mentally ready to turn and run on the fades. Force the qb to make the more difficult out routes which if underthrown provide better pic opportunities. CBs need to be coached up to get their heads turned to make better efforts at playing the ball and quit grabbing/playing thru the wrs.

Given USC's poor coverage skills, USC must get a better pass rush out of front 4, with a strong emphasis on DE contain/never rushing past the QB. The goal here is to force the ball out quick and tackle immediately to keep the gains short (and again, not tackling enough in practice causes as issue here - that's on Riley for being far too soft). DL that aren't getting free on their rush need to get the hands up to disrupt these short passes, another thing that Grinch does not teach.

Good post. We're saying the same things.

My earlier reply was intended for unknown member. Not clambake