2012 Trojans eerily similar to 2007 Cal


This is the story of a college football team, one with supreme talent and supreme expectations. One that spent more than half the season ranked in the Associated Press top-15 poll, only to finish unranked. One that lost at least four of the last five games it played. One with elite talent at, among others, […]

USC in no hurry to change coaches


We hear so often about money in college sports. Head coaches bolt for other schools for more money. Schools build new training facilities and expand 60,000-seat stadiums to eventually earn more money. Conferences expand to add new members to increase the geographic footprint they point out, to annex television markets and, yes, to haul in […]

A bowl bid still counts for something


Conference championship Saturday has come and gone. The BCS selection show came and went. What did both of these television programs have in common? Neither of them involved USC. If you had told me when the season began that USC would be playing Georgia Tech in a bowl game, I’d have guessed the Trojans got […]

NFL draft looms for pair of star Trojans


To me, awaiting word on whether USC will play in the Holiday Bowl or Sun Bowl carries about as much intrigue as the Chevron car races we’re forced to watch at every football and basketball game. Frankly, I don’t care, although it is entertaining to watch people go bonkers when the fire truck wins. I’ll […]

Making the case for patience with Kiffin


The whispers started with USC’s loss to Stanford in mid-September. They grew louder after the shocking upset loss at Arizona in late October. When USC Athletic Director Pat Haden indicated before the Notre Dame game that Kiffin would be retained for next season, no matter the result of the looming matchup versus the Fighting Irish, […]

This group of Trojans has shot at postseason


On Sunday, the USC men’s basketball team took on No. 23 San Diego State. It was a tale of two halves for the Trojans, who looked absolutely abysmal in the opening 20 minutes of action before coming all the way back and nearly winning the game. Ultimately, the Aztecs pulled out a 66-60 victory at […]

Trojans managed their talent poorly


Go ahead and argue the expectations were too high. Feel free to question whether USC, once the Associated Press’ preseason No. 1 team, was overhyped heading into this season — that a top-10 rank in August was unbefitting for this group. But before you rant about premature predictions from the summer, before you declare that […]

Barkley’s career leaves behind mixed legacy


There are, in life, things that’ll always seem incomplete: a piece of art you can’t quite seem to add the finishing touch to or a home-cooked dish missing that spice giving it the extra kick. These circumstances puzzle us. We’re left scrambling to understand what is, in fact, missing. Why didn’t it turn out the […]

It might be time for a coaching change


PASADENA, Calif. — It was almost exactly a year ago to the day that USC took down No. 4 Oregon on the road at Autzen Stadium, improving its record to 9-2 en route to a 10-win season and a No. 6 final ranking in the Associated Press poll. The Trojans were riding high. Lane Kiffin […]

Lessons on rivalries from a Red Sox fan


As a diehard Boston Red Sox fan, I’ve been spoiled with a great sports rivalry. In 2003, I witnessed rocket-armed ace Pedro Martinez head-lock 72-year-old Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer during a benches-clearing scrum and toss him to the ground in the same way Patriots tight end Rob “Yo soy fiesta” Gronkowski spikes a football. […]