One thing that has really shocked me living in LA for almost 15 years at this point is how little support USC gets on a week-to-week basis. I know its easy to call LA fans front-runner, fair weather, etc. - but even the atmosphere at this past year's game (where they had a chance to knock us out of the playoffs) felt like a spring game. Its pretty wild how empty the Coli gets on a week-to-week basis when they're not a top 15 team. I have no frame of reference if this is typical / cyclical since the decade before I moved to LA, USC dominated the sport, but its been shocking to me to see I assume this gets translated to donor support and how SC views football in relation to other sports, other pursuits as they try to break into top 20 university rankings, etc. I do give them a bit of credit that this 'Chad recruiting momentum' is getting some people excited, but that's definitely a short-term wave until on-field results hit and not sure it lasts more than a year or two
Other than the Pete Carroll window, USC hasn’t been consistently elite since the 1980’s or even 1970’s.
Being elite in CFB is entirely predicated on getting the head coach position right. If you do, you can be elite. If you don’t, it wont happen. Theres no need to complicate it anymore than that. USC is one of those schools - like 20+ others - that just need to figure out the head coach. It was the same for ND.
Just came to post this. Alum with NBA front office experience and a solid playing history. I'll take it.
I still remember the days I thought ND would never again beat USC. Bush Push really fucked with a young me.
Obviously the history won’t carry over, but as a big game, and even as a primary rival (*cough* Michigan), USC is extremely replaceable.
Michigan won’t schedule us regularly. They, more than any other school, want to pressure us into joining the B1G
It’s not going to be Michigan It’s going to be Clemson, Miami, and FSU in some rotation might get more Purdue and Michigan State again
I think the 2029-30 round of ND and Big Ten contracts get interesting for NBC. I would much rather see NBC take a larger role with us. No one at OSU is happy with Fox. Our president is openly complaining about their idiotic noon format. If there is an SEC-Big Ten challenge set of games, then we won’t be interested in more ND. If not, I could see NBC pushing more scheduling and paying a premium for more Big Ten-ND games without formal conference membership.
this is definitely already happening it’s just limited by ND playing so many ACC games now plus Stanford and Clemson deals if USC drops ND the tv partners for the B1G will want another ND game somehow which is where Purdue and Michigan State probably come in
Our conference games are divided in tiers, with five network choices each week. Fox, NBC and CBS get a set number of weeks to pick, then take priority in the weeks chosen. Fox has the most weeks, so they choose the weeks that have OSU-Michigan, etc. without choosing actual games until those weeks are up. The Big Ten Network has been majority Fox owned since 2007, when we needed a traditional cable partner to get on local subscriptions. This round, NBC outbid Fox for the tier four games to put them on Peacock. I would love for them to displace Fox in tier one. If it means more ND games against USC, Michigan, Purdue, MSU, etc. that’s a lot of cross over for them.
Insult to injury was definitely the cut aways to the sideline and Carroll just being smug as a motherfucker Never thought I could hate a person so much and then go on to love a person so much. Slaps differently when he’s trotting on your own team’s sideline.
Woof. Probably not making the tournament now, probably needed 2, definitely 1 in the ACC tourney Tough spring sport cycle
Malik Hooker didn't see the field at Ohio State until 2016, two years after Chris Ash left. Domers, be on the lookout for #herbfacts
D3's updated mock class based on his latest intel Spoiler Hope to have a full intel report over the next few days, but talked to enough sources to be able to update my projected class. Please keep this on this board only. Do not go running with this to other boards, premium or free. Keep it here. QB Noah Grubbs RB Javian Osborne RB Jonaz Walton WR Kaydon Finley (feel less confident about this, but still going with it) WR Kohen Brown WR Bubba Frazier WR Dylan Faison TE Evan Jacobson OL Tyler Merrill OL Ben Nichols OL Gregory Patrick OL Sullivan Garvin OL Grayson McKeough (not super confident but leaning this way) DE Rodney Dunham DE Ebenezer Ewetade DE/DT Elijah Golden DT Tiki Hola DT Alister Vallejo LB Thomas Davis Jr. LB Jakobe Clapper S Joey O’Brien S Nick Reddish CB Ayden Pouncey CB Chaston Smith CB Khary Adams I think one of Brayden Robinson or Devin Fitzgerald could also join the class, but right now I’m comfortable with the four I have for now. If I had to rank the player I’m least confident in right now it would be Finley. Overall I’m not super confident with how the WR class will fill out, but this is where I’m at today. Tight end is an interesting cycle. I’m trying to figure out why Notre Dame is having such a tough time really closing on some top guys. They got on Matt Ludwig late, so that makes sense, but Ian Premer is a different situation. I hear good things about where Notre Dame stands with Premer, but not enough to really say I think ND gets him right now. The officials are going to be HUGE for the tight end position. The three new offers are too early to project into the class. I’m still leaning towards Notre Dame for McKeough, but I don’t project that with a ton of confidence. He’s still the most likely OL, although they could still make a move with Claude Mpouma and they are still battling for Ekene Ogboko. The DL class is still up in the air. Right now I’m most comfortable with the five I projected. Notre Dame wants McHale Blade, but he’s been really unwilling to commit and his visit schedule is odd. Part of me wonders if he wants to be a big fish in a small pond. Odd recruitment. ND is still pushing hard for Dre Quinn and Khary Wilder, but right now I wouldn’t pick ND for either. The officials will be huge. I was told Quinn wasn’t happy about a recent report saying ND was basically out and he assured the staff that wasn’t accurate, but I still don’t think ND is No. 1 right now. They are still battling hard for him though. Staff LOVES Quinn. ND is making big time moves with Vallejo. I’m not sure he’d pick ND today, but right now I think when it comes time I like the way this is going. There’s a chance he could visit ND twice in June. ND would like Tank King but I need to see how his official visit goes first. My prediction for O’Brien and Adams is different than most, I realize that, but I like my intel on this one. Mike Mickens is doing big time work with those two. Also, keep an eye on Donovan Webb, a new offer that Mickens is really pushing for. They have made a strong early connection but I need to see him get on campus before I can even think about him jumping in the class.
That defensive class as a whole. Damn. Especially the DL. Vallejo is going to blow up, but regardless of rank, he's going to be a dude.
I’m not worried about TE at all. Never been a worry at ND. Not highly featured in Denbrock’s offenses. Would rather not rely on the position to drive the offense moving forward.
O’Brien and Vallejo and I am good with whatever. Those two are beasts. Have no clue how Vallejo fell under the radar in this modern era when anyone can see tape
Pete seems fully invested in football... just hope he is forward thinking and aggressive like Jack was on all of this stuff. Swarbrick played this perfectly.
Its funny that the numbered / no-bye format helps us probably 9 time out of 10, but would have really hurt us last year lol