Rungame success is good sign for Trojans


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College football is subject to sudden shifts and changes by nature. In 2010, Auburn stormed its way to an undefeated national championship season on the shoulders of a junior college transfer named Cam Newton. Two years later, the Tigers finished 3-9 and the school fired Gene Chizik, the same head coach who led them to […]

Concern is real for Dodgers’ tailspin


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Sometimes an answered prayer can be a curse, not a blessing. It was only a few weeks ago that I had some great concerns about the state of my Los Angeles Dodgers. I was terrified. The club was coming off of a historic 52-9 run over a 61-game stretch. The bats were blazing, pitching was […]

Win proves Trojans are worth all the hype


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What a difference a week makes. Seven days ago, in the aftermath of the Trojans squeaking by Western Michigan to open the season, their national championship hopes were dashed, redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Darnold was no longer a Heisman trophy candidate and Stanford was going to march into the Coliseum to pummel them in Week […]

Stanford offers USC a chance to restart


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OK — let’s try this again. The Trojans escaped with a season-opening win last week, battling back from behind to beat Western Michigan 49-31, but it was an inauspicious beginning for a team with championship aspirations. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Sam Darnold also got off to a sputtering start after being the preseason Heisman Trophy favorite, […]

Trojans’ title hopes depend on defense


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Defense wins championships. We all know that saying. I think it’s probably been plastered onto so many high school football shirts and motivational posters that anyone who’s ever watched or played or even been around sports knows it. Offense wins games, but defense wins championships. No matter what sport, I’ve always loved defense, perhaps even […]

Chargers could be promising this year


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Veteran quarterback Philip Rivers dropping a pass into the awaiting arms of Travis Benjamin for a 45-yard touchdown was the concluding scene of the team’s opening drive against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3 of the NFL preseason. That was exactly what Los Angeles Chargers fans want to see prior to the regular season […]

COLUMN: The hype train can officially get rolling


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We’re finally here. Let’s pat ourselves on the back and trade a few clichés about “surviving the offseason” or getting Christmas in September. Fans always cherish opening week, especially in a sport like football that makes us wait eight months between campaigns. Everyone loves a fresh start, and as the tired phrase goes, all teams […]

Pivotal season upcoming for Pac-12


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At first glance, it appears as though Pac-12 football lags far behind fellow Power Five conferences. Over the past ten years, the league has struggled to produce as many draft picks as the SEC, ACC and Big Ten. In terms of television deals, the struggling Pac-12 Network is projected to make less revenue than the […]

COLUMN: L.A. teams fighting for football relevance


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People are sincerely convinced that the boxing bout between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor was the biggest sporting event taking place this past Saturday. Let me tell you, they are sorely deceived. The biggest fight this past weekend did not take place in a boxing ring. Instead, it took place within the confines of the […]

Grinding Gears: Megafight exposes sports’ hypocrises


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On Saturday night, the sports world watched as Floyd Mayweather beat Conor McGregor in one of the most highly anticipated boxing matches in history, one that is expected to shatter pay-per-view records. We marveled at how McGregor, an MMA fighter making his pro boxing debut, hung tough against one of the all-time greats, and we […]