NFL draft looms for pair of star Trojans


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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


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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


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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


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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


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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


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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


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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. […]

Crosstown rivalry has produced epic clashes


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Now this is more like it. USC and UCLA will square off on Saturday in college sports’ greatest crosstown rivalry, and provided the college football fans can wake up early enough to catch the noon kickoff time, more eyes will be on this game than in recent years because of what’s at stake. The Pac-12 […]

Has UCLA emerged as USC’s top Pac-12 South competition?


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Point: UCLA’s high-powered recruiting and budding star quarterback Brett Hundley make the Bruins USC’s stiffest challenge going forward.  The week leading up to the annual USC-UCLA football game is always chock-full of (mostly) friendly banter between the two schools. In recent seasons, the pregame narrative has involved the Trojans’ win streak against the Bruins and […]

USC playing unfamiliar role in BCS title hunt


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It’s safe to say that, at this point in the season No. 18 USC was expected to be a major player in the Bowl Championship Series national championship race. And guess what? They are, still. Not in the way people expected the Trojans to be, though. Not an undefeated team on a collision course with […]