The Good:
- Starting pitching
- CT3, AJ, Fresh Prince, JT the Ginger, Mad Max
- Corey’s return
- 7/29 trade for Madder (German Tank Commander) Max and Trea
- Andrew Friedman, and the best front office in baseball.
- The Joe Kelly adventure
- Joe Davis
- Dingers
- the tweaker looking pitcher (forgot his name)
- Belly’s DEFENSE

The Bad:
- Injuries
- Subpar season for Mookie
- BA w/RISP
- The Joe Kelly adventure
- Middle relief in general
- Kenely’s inconsistent

The Ugly:
- Bauer
- 1 and 12 in extra inning games
- Blown Saves
- CODY BELLINGER AT THE PLATE!!!!!!!!

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two points i found interesting:

1. the number of times he says "we"

2. sc's nil pot is now (purportedly) $18 mil

I think this needs its own thread, but we should definitely still keep the Transfer Portal Rumors thread going:

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Happy for my guy Sam Darnold... his team LOVES him...

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Offensive snap counts (74 total plays):

QB Jayden Maiava 74, LG Emmanuel Pregnon 74, C Kilian O'Connor 74, RG Alani Noa 74, RT Tobias Raymond 74, LT Justin Tauanuu 69, WR Ja'Kobi Lane 69, TE Lake McRee 67, WR Makai Lemon 64, WR Kyle Ford 57, RB Bryan Jackson 37, RB A'Marion Peterson 36, TE Walker Lyons 24, WR Jay Fair 10, WR Jaden Richardson 6, LT Elijah Paige 5

Top-graded USC offensive players:

1. RG Alani Noa 74.2
2. WR Ja'Kobi Lane 73.8
3. WR Makai Lemon 73.3
4. RB Bryan Jackson 69.0
5. C Kilian O'Connor 67.5
6. RB A'Marion Peterson 65.8
7. LG Emmanuel Pregnon 65.8
8. WR Kyle Ford 64.2
9. QB Jayden Maiava 63.9
10. WR Jay Fair 57.1

Offensive stats and analytics:

-USC had three backup linemen playing their first truly significant snaps as RT Tobias Raymond and C Kilian O'Connor made their first starts and LT Justin Tauanuu got thrust into action after just a few plays when Elijah Paige was injured (he was in a walking boot after the game).

Here's how the linemen fared:

LT Justin Tauanuu: 2 pressures, 0 sacks, 0 penalties, 55.5 PFF grade, 44.5 pass-blocking grade, 58.7 run-blocking
LG Emmanuel Pregnon: 0 pressures, 0 penalties, 65.8 PFF grade, 77. pass-blocking, 62.8 run-blocking
C Kilian O'Connor: 1 pressure (1 QB hit), 0 sacks, 0 penalties, 67.5 PFF grade, 66.7 pass-blocking, 65.5 run-blocking
RG Alani Noa: 1 pressure, 0 sacks, 0 penalties, 74.2 PFF grade, 56.9 pass-blocking, 78.7 run-blocking
RT Tobias Raymond: 3 pressures, 0 sacks, 0 penalties, 54.8 PFF grade, 38.0 pass-blocking, 61.0 run-blocking

-QB Jayden Maiava was all over the place, completing 22 of 39 passes for 295 yards, 4 TDs and 3 INTs -- season-highs for both TDs and INTs. Looking at the advanced stats, he was just 1 of 8 for 28 yards and 2 INTs on passes that traveled at least 20 air yards. From 0-19 yards, he was 14 of 20 for 203 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INT. He did not fare well under pressure, completing just 4 of 11 passes for 80 yards and an INT in such situations. PFF credited him with zero "big-time throws" -- which it defines as a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window.

-USC had no dropped passes. Here was the target distribution:

Makai Lemon: 10 (6 catches for 99 yards)
Ja'Kobi Lane: 9 (7 catches for 127 yards, 3 TDs)
Kyle Ford: 9 (6 catches for 59 yards, TD)
A'Marion Peterson: 3 (2 catches for 13 yards)
Lake McRee: 3 (0 catches)
Jay Fair: 1 (0 catches)

Lane had 80 yards after the catch (11.4 per reception). Lemon had the deepest average depth of target (15.2 yards).

-Bryan Jackson (16 carries for 66 yards, TD) had 44 yards after contact and created 1 missed tackle. A'Marion Peterson (12 carries for 43 yards) had 26 yards after contact and 1 missed tackle created. Peterson had a long run of 14 yards while Jackson's longest was 12.

Defensive snap counts (73 total plays):

S Kamari Ramsey 73, CB Jacobe Covington 68, S Akili Arnold 66, DE Kameryn Fountain 54, CB John Humphrey 53, DE Braylan Shelby 48, LB Mason Cobb 44, DE Jamil Muhammad 44, LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold 43, DT Gavin Meyer 40, DT Devan Thompkins 39, LB Eric Gentry 30, LB Desman Stephens II 29, S Bryson Shaw 27, DT Nate Clifton 27, CB DeCarlos Nicholson 25, NT Kobe Pepe 24, DT Jide Abasiri 20, S Christian Pierce 17, NK Anthony Beavers 17, DB Prophet Brown 15

Top-graded defensive players:

1. LB Eric Gentry 77.3
2. S Kamari Ramsey 75.0
3. LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold 73.8
4. CB DeCarlos Nicholson 67.8
5. DB Anthony Beavers 66.8
6. CB Jacobe Covington 66.1
7. S Christian Pierce 65.3
8. DT Gavin Meyer 64.9
9. CB John Humphrey 62.3
10. DT Devan Thompkins 61.6

Defensive stats and analytics:

-USC created 12 pressures, led by Devan Thompkins (3), Braylan Shelby (2) and John Humphrey (2). Shelby had the lone sack -- his 3rd, which ties him for the team lead with Easton Mascarenas-Arnold.
-USC had 10 missed tackles, with Kamari Ramsey (2), Mason Cobb (2) and Akili Arnold (2) having the most.

-Here were the cornerback coverage stats:

John Humphrey: 7 targets, 4 receptions allowed for 37 yards, 1 penalty
DeCarlos Nicholson: 4 targets, 1 reception allowed for 40 yards
Prophet Brown: 3 targets, 2 receptions allowed for 23 yards
Jacobe Covington: 3 targets, 1 reception allowed for 5 yards, 1 TD, 1 penalty

If there's anything else you want to see, let me know!

Appears two of the highest rated portal players available are west coast.
Gusta DL from WSU and Davis CB from Arizona.
Haven't seen them mentioned. Does USC have interest? Any interest on their end?

Turn to this game. JuJu is putting on a show. Wow, she is the real deal

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Along with the lowest unemployment of past twenty years, rising wages, and curtailed inflation, that Bidenomics stuff really works eh???????? Pubs sure dont have any economic bellyache to push on voters this fall....no? Besides.....we'll all be glued to the television watching Trumpy admitted into jail. Orange IS his favorite color.....

A bit indiscrete on her part, yes.... but despite Trumpy's best efforts ..... SHE REMAINS!!! 🤣 🤣 🤣

They just couldnt reach that high bar standard for disqualification. NOW.....on with the show!!

Post'm if ya got'm. There are so many. Post them right here!


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This can be more fun than the real thing. They may or many not pan out, so we shall celebrate every damn one of them like its 1999!


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SC (non playoff, unranked) only has 2 transfers in. Seems unusually low. Especially given the high number of transfers out (19 or so). What’s the delay? This ratio of transfers in vs. transfers out is ridiculously low compared to most teams.

Ratios of some other teams:

• Ol Miss: 11:11 (seven 4 stars in)
• Texas Tech: 13:11 (eight 4 stars in)
• Oregon: 5:6 (four 4 stars in)
• Missouri: 6:12 (three 4 stars in)
• Auburn: 10:13 ( two 4 stars in)
• Michigan: 5:17
• Rutgers: 5:3
• Minnesota: 10:7
• Wisconsin: 7:13
• LSU: 9:16 (three 4 stars in)

What’s the hold up? Most of the top players have already committed.

"The smug never inherit the Earth."

Journalist/writer Ross Barkan, who is on the left side of things, may just have summed up their failure after all the demonization of Trump in one of the best statements I've seen so far.

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My parting thoughts from Las Vegas ...

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2024: 1 or 2 inches from the course of world history forever changed - unimaginable chaos

Drain the swamp.

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It's a mess given the NCAA freezing eligibility clocks for every player this year. As of now, more than half the scholarship players are officially classified as freshmen/redshirt freshmen. I asked USC how they planned to label guys on the roster next year -- if 2020 sophomores would remain 2021 sophomores or be acknowledged as juniors -- and I was told a final decision hadn't been made yet and that it could be up to each sport's coach and their preference. For now, nobody's classification moved, but since seniors/redshirt seniors who choose to return won't count against the 85 they are moved to a separate column and there presently are no official "seniors" on the chart.

If any of that is confusing to anyone, I'm happy to try to explain it a different way, so don't hesitate to ask me if you don't understand.

Scholarship Distribution Chart

I'm ready for some basketball. Let's go!

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This will be our one-stop shop for all USC transfer portal action. We can keep the transfer portal rumors thread going on its own. This is just for what has happened -- both coming and going.

Additionally, per request, I've added in all other roster departures (graduation, NFL, etc.) and additions (incoming freshmen).

If you want to see last year's breakdown, it's here.

GONE (37):

Departing to the transfer portal (18):

QB Miller Moss (Louisville)
OG Amos Talalele (Kansas State)
OG Gino Quinones (Fresno State)
K Denis Lynch
QB Jake Jensen (Montana)
WR Kyron Hudson (Penn State)
DE Sam Greene (Kentucky)
TE Kade Eldridge (Washington)
OT Mason Murphy
RB Quinten Joyner (Texas Tech)
DT Bear Alexander (Oregon)
WR Duce Robinson (Florida State)
DE DJ Peevy
OL Kalolo Ta'aga (Utah)
LB Raesjon Davis (Oregon State)
WR Zachariah Branch
S Zion Branch
DT Elijah Hughes

Out of Eligibility (19):

S Akili Arnold
CB Jaylin Smith
RB Woody Marks
LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold
DE Jamil Muhammad
LB Mason Cobb
CB Jacobe Covington
WR Jaden Richardson
P Eddie Czaplicki
CB John Humphrey
NK Greedy Vance Jr.
S Bryson Shaw
DE Solomon Tuliaupupu
C Jonah Monheim
WR Kyle Ford
WR Charles Ross
DT Gavin Meyer
K Michael Lantz
DT Nate Clifton

Early NFL draft entrants (0):

ADDITIONS (26):

Transfer additions (5):

CB DJ Harvey (SJSU)
RB Eli Sanders (New Mexico)
DT Keeshawn Silver (Kentucky)
DT Jamaal Jarrett (Georgia)
K Caden Chittenden (UNLV)

Incoming freshmen (21):
*Denotes early enrollee

*DT Floyd Boucard
*CB Trestin Castro
DE Gus Cordova
*RB Harry Dalton III
*OT Aaron Dunn
*CB Alex Graham
WR Tanook Hines
WR Romero Ison
*DT Cash Jacobsen
*DB James Johnson
*QB Husan Longstreet
*DB Steve Miller
*OT Alex Payne
S Kendarius Reddick
*WR Corey Simms
*DE Jahkeem Stewart
LB Matai Tagoa'i
*TE Nela Tupou
*OT Elijah Vaikona
*C Willi Wascher
*RB Riley Wormley

Likely clickbait, but I'm curious nonetheless. Has anyone heard anything about this?