Football team needs a new group of leaders


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It’s been more than two weeks since USC finished its disastrous 2012 season. But the news just keeps getting worse. On Wednesday, ESPN Los Angeles reported that sources told them a fight took place after the Trojans lost to Georgia Tech 21-7 in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31. An anonymous player said the scene […]

Firing of O’Neill is bad news for Kiffin


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On Monday morning, I was woken up by the sound of my phone vibrating. Still groggy, I picked it up and was immediately snapped out of my daze: men’s basketball coach Kevin O’Neill had been fired. My initial thought was how strange the timing seemed: After all, the team had just won a game, something […]

What’s next for the USC basketball team?


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On Monday morning, USC Athletic Director Pat Haden dismissed USC coach Kevin O’Neill after more than three seasons on the job. O’Neill was 48-65 during his time at USC, despite the fact that the team was coming off a 76-59 road victory over the Utah Utes and seemed to be gaining some momentum. Haden said […]

O’Neill ran out of time to show improvement


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The stare was telling. It was the second half of a blowout home loss at the hands of Minnesota in early December.  USC Athletic Director Pat Haden, sitting courtside, wasn’t so much watching what was happening on the court but staring, fixated on USC coach Kevin O’Neill, who frantically paced the Galen Center sidelines. The […]

Why you shouldn’t skip the Sun Bowl


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The setup is less than ideal. Playing in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, against a 6-7 team from the ACC? Not exactly somebody’s ideal New Year’s Eve plans. Throw in the fact that kickoff is set for 11 a.m. on the west coast and I’m starting to question just how many people will […]

2012 Trojans eerily similar to 2007 Cal


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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


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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


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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


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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, […]