So is the sky falling? For some, panic has set in before the 1st day of June. Recruits like Juarez seem to be wavering, Betiku left us off his list, Elliott took us from #1 to hello Houston, QB 1 and QB 2 commit to other schools, OMG Tate no longer has us as a leader--a freaking sophomore--, UCLA has commits from like 3 or 4 guys we offered, Jackie Jones has us off the list/on the list/visiting FSU and so on and so on and so on.
Here is the deal:
#1) we have a long long long long time before signing day.
#2) we have a long long long long time before signing day.
#3) when it comes to tradition outside of ND I do not believe there is a team in college football that can recruit like USC. We finished the season ranked #20 in the AP and #24 in the playoff polls at 9-4 and yet we end up with the #1 recruiting class on the two recruiting sites that are actually worth their membership fees--I believe in the Top 3 of the two other Majors.
#4) our phenomenal class and the amount of youngsters we played last year and will do so again this year may scare some off looking at depth charts--winning can alleviate some of this.
#5) we have a young hungry staff, that can do it all off the field, but here comes the test.
The way I see it is fairly clear. That young hungry staff has got to prove they can coach on the field…game time x's and o's will dictate. We were very close to being 11-2 last year and yet we could have just as easily have been 7-6. Our roster numbers aren't great but they are lightyears better this year. We have a 5th senior (3rd year starting qb) and depth we didn't have at a great many positions that we did not have last year. The fact that we played as many youngsters as I have ever seen in one season at USC is a major +.
If Sark wins--there is no excuse for this team not to be in the Pac-12 Championship this year--even with the banner classes of the last two years, you will see guys warming/flipping/and cardinal & gold come February.
Here is the deal:
#1) we have a long long long long time before signing day.
#2) we have a long long long long time before signing day.
#3) when it comes to tradition outside of ND I do not believe there is a team in college football that can recruit like USC. We finished the season ranked #20 in the AP and #24 in the playoff polls at 9-4 and yet we end up with the #1 recruiting class on the two recruiting sites that are actually worth their membership fees--I believe in the Top 3 of the two other Majors.
#4) our phenomenal class and the amount of youngsters we played last year and will do so again this year may scare some off looking at depth charts--winning can alleviate some of this.
#5) we have a young hungry staff, that can do it all off the field, but here comes the test.
The way I see it is fairly clear. That young hungry staff has got to prove they can coach on the field…game time x's and o's will dictate. We were very close to being 11-2 last year and yet we could have just as easily have been 7-6. Our roster numbers aren't great but they are lightyears better this year. We have a 5th senior (3rd year starting qb) and depth we didn't have at a great many positions that we did not have last year. The fact that we played as many youngsters as I have ever seen in one season at USC is a major +.
If Sark wins--there is no excuse for this team not to be in the Pac-12 Championship this year--even with the banner classes of the last two years, you will see guys warming/flipping/and cardinal & gold come February.
