Is USC still an Elite College Football Program

[Matt]

While listening to The Solid Verbal Podcast today they brought up this question. They made some good points.

It's an Elite reputation but not an Elite Program


Cons

- Only one coach in last 30 years has figured out how to win at USC

- No A+ prospect at the QB position

- Not the most attractive college experience compared to other Pac 12/SEC Schools

- Notre Dame in down times still had coaches take them to BCS Games.

- Question the "hotbed" of Southern California recruits.


Pros

- History of putting players into the Pros

- Academics

- Facilitles

Even with the academics and new facilities, they are still not 2-3 games better with a "ok" hire of a coach.



Top Candidates:
Chris Peterson - Boise State
James Franklin - Vanderbilt

Thoughts on Jack Del Rio becomming the head coach would be a terrible hire. They need to get away from a USC guy and go after a successful college football coach.

 

[Jayrock]

- Notre Dame in down times still had coaches take them to BCS Games.

Notre Dame being criteria for an elite program :smug:

 

[Villain]

Thought Number 1: This thread needs a poll.

Thought Number 2: USC is located in one of the worst neighborhoods in the United States. You are literally in South Central Los Angeles if you walk off of the campus.

Thought Number 3:

 

:lol2:

Thought Number 4: 8th best winning percentage all-time in division one and 9th most wins overrall = yes, those douche bags are "elite."

 

[NAHSTE]

- Notre Dame in down times still had coaches take them to BCS Games.

Well when 9 wins gets you an auto bid...

Notre Dame has a lower threshold to clear to make a BCS game than other programs.

Anyway, not to derail, let's get back on topic. Rubenstein brought up some good points, especially about the recruiting base being overrated because SoCal players typically are, but I still think it's one of the 5 best jobs in the country.

 

[ram29jackson]

they were never an elite program till the poodle got there and now he is gone.

they had some great RBs and some winning seasons...they haven't been elite since the 1920s and the recent run


http://www.laalmanac.com/sports/sp01h.htm

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Of course it's an elite program.

I know we live in a "what have you done for me lately" sports culture these days, but it's USC. Let's be serious.

 

[ram29jackson]

Of course it's an elite program.

I know we live in a "what have you done for me lately" sports culture these days, but it's USC. Let's be serious.

look at the history. Theres nothing long term fascinating about them. They were average for 20 years till Carroll got there

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

look at the history. Theres nothing long term fascinating about them. They were average for 20 years till Carroll got there

McKay & Robinson went undefeated four times and won eight Rose Bowls. I can forgive a couple of lean years with Paul Hackett or Ted Tollner. Everybody has lean years.

 

[ram29jackson]

McKay & Robinson went undefeated four times and won eight Rose Bowls. I can forgive a couple of lean years with Paul Hackett or Ted Tollner. Everybody has lean years.

1980 to 2001 is not a couple of lean years

 

[JeremyHight]

Was Alabama really an elite program before Saban got there? They were on probation, hadn't had a solid season that wasn't vacated in years, had rivals who were recruiting amazing talent, etc. All USC needs is a good coach and they will be right back in the mix.

 

[Maynard]

ram once again showing his complete lack of knowledge

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Alabama, Texas, LSU, Oklahoma, everybody goes through lean years. Even during the USC dry spell, they had some really good teams under Larry Smith and when Robinson came back in the 90's. Only Tollner & Hackett were complete disasters.

 

[Glenbino]

I can't see how anyone could visit the UCLA campus and still want to go to USC.

 

[ram29jackson]

Alabama, Texas, LSU, Oklahoma, everybody goes through lean years. Even during the USC dry spell, they had some really good teams under Larry Smith and when Robinson came back in the 90's. Only Tollner & Hackett were complete disasters.

really good teams don't mean crap in his case with only one 10 win season and the rest lower - Larry Smith.

they are a successful , long history football school but a 20 year gap means eliteness is lost. Yes they have been elite but aren't now and like I said, they weren't for 20 years before that.

at least Kiffin is gone

 

[ram29jackson]

ram once again showing his complete lack of knowledge

you are such a moron. The majority of that time period is not eliteness by any stretch

 

[NAHSTE]

Alabama, Texas, LSU, Oklahoma, everybody goes through lean years.

Yep. There is a reason each of these programs has at one time or another been considered a "sleeping giant" ... These things are cyclical, but certain programs will always have built in advantages that make it easier to reverse a down cycle. For some schools, all it takes is one good hire.

"If they could ever get the right guy in charge, we'd all be playing for second place" - Vince Dooley once said this about LSU, but it applies to any of the handful of programs with the right combination of money, fan interest and access to premo talent.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

Of course it's an elite program.

I know we live in a "what have you done for me lately" sports culture these days, but it's USC. Let's be serious.

They can recruit based off name alone, and just that name attracts everyone, coaches included.

I agree with the poster who said stay away from USC guys. It's about time to bring a fresh perspective to the table.

Until USC goes the way of Miami, then we can talk about this thread.

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

They can recruit based off name alone, and just that name attracts everyone, coaches included.

I agree with the poster who said stay away from USC guys. It's about time to bring a fresh perspective to the table.

Until USC goes the way of Miami, then we can talk about this thread.

Miami is the definition of what Warner is talking about. Everyone goes through lean years, especially when you have consecutive bad hires at HC, but that doesn't make it not an elite program. And in case you weren't aware...Miami is on the rise once again...

:theu:

College football is a bit cyclical. Someone has to be down for others to rise up. You can't have a college football season where Washington, UCLA, Oregon, and Stanford are all top ranking teams (while Oregon and Stanford are basically 5 years on top) while USC, is, too. CFB just doesn't work out that way. Teams often recruit from the same talent base and just the nature of talent accumulation will lead to someone lacking while others are flourishing.

And, as for Matt's assumption that SoCal's talent is overrated...its not. Its just USC doesn't have its pick of the litter anymore. The entire state of California, usually, USC has their pick of the litter. Unfortunately, they don't anymore and haven't for a few years now. That talent is going to Oregon, Washington, Stanford...UCLA is just starting to jump into the mix.

This happens a lot where the big schools and talent pools are...Florida, California, Texas. So many teams feed off that talent, especially power players, that for others to rise, some must fall. In the mid-late 90's while Miami was down due to probation, FSU and UF flourished. Miami came up in the late 90's-early 00's, FSU and UF went down. Miami goes down again, UF rises. UF comes down, FSU goes up. Now Miami is back on the rise and its looking like UF might make that decline.

Talent is a renewable resource, but there is only so much to be distributed throughout any single year.

 

[Hasselbeck]

USC is absolutely an elite program still. Lane Kiffin did set the program back a little bit, but so did those sanctions.. as Larry touched on, the recruits that USC was getting in the Carroll days are now going to their conference rivals.. not to mention, for the last several years.. they've had 10 less schollies to deal with. So not only are they now competing with the likes of Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, etc.. but they don't have as many scholarships to hand out as these other schools.

If they get a good coach in there, USC will be back much sooner than later.

 

[NAHSTE]

Miami is the definition of what Warner is talking about. Everyone goes through lean years, especially when you have consecutive bad hires at HC, but that doesn't make it not an elite program. And in case you weren't aware...Miami is on the rise once again...

:tellmemore: