Love Petros. Clay H was a class act, good person. Very similar overall record as Lincoln, better conference record. Clay just didn't fit with the unrealistic, "we can recapture the past" mentality. Love seeing them lose.
Do those 5 include Pete Carroll? He is an excellent coach. Strong defense and runs a tight organization with a player-focused and accountable culture. I imagine he also is a good recruiter just given his personality
Fresno State is two bad words at USC. The Toejams lost a game to the Bulldogs and the "disgrace" was so great they fired Larry Smith. The arrogance of the program and the execs who man it is insufferable. SC now administers the LA Coliseum and have turned it into a chapel for USC football.
I went to a game in Pullman where the Cougars under Mike Leach knocked off the Trojans. It's a very exciting game. After the game there was some televised USC show with this old guy and he spent his time saying the people in Pullman and Eastern Washington were a bunch of hicks and low lifes. It was really nauseating.
At the other end, Leach was interviewed on the field and they say what it's like down there. He said it's like Woodstock, except everybody has their clothes on. That might have been the Oregon game, but it's an epic line.
I've been to two games in South Bend and that wasn't my impression. I've been to games in the Coliseum too. Treated much better by domers than trojans. That might be just my experience. No matter who we hate USC - Notre Dame should still be played. College football needs to quit ruining itself.
I am pretty sure you were the announcer in 1975 when I attended my first Ducks game (UCLA did a number on the Ducks). We had moved to Ashland from Montana in 1973 and I think the Grizzlies had more fans that UO did at some games then.
I attended law school in Eugene starting in 1980 and didn't miss many games called by you in that three year period and have heard countless more games since. In fact, three generations of my family have enjoyed listening to you.
The funny thing- I'm now retired and have been for 6 years and you're still going strong.
Don. You remember our great “Giant Killer” years when we would watch The Beavers beat UO handily every Fall for about 6 years when the game was played at Autzen !…. It was always ,
“How bad are we going to beat the duX this year ?” And we did, usually by 2 touchdowns ! My 4 years at OSU 63-67, we never lost to the duX, and usually the UO coach was fired after the Civil War. ….! Great , great years , to be A Beaver !
Will USC ever be USC again? Let’s see…. Living in the (distant) past, cheating at every opportunity (Pete Carroll was best at this), only caring about themselves (destroying the Pac12) - USC has never stopped being USC!
The PAC 12 approach to media is small potatoes and lacks national exposure. Your're not talking to fans. You're selling to future athletes. That's a misfire IMHO.
As to the University of Spoiled Children (my son went there), the problem starts with the administration. Hello Hollywood. Big glitz. Big money. Small ball(s). As long as Riley is the head coach, I don't see USC climbing out of the foxhole. They recruit great athletes and coach high school. My son lost interest years ago.
They should be able to compete. They are recruiting great athletes but obviously something is holding them back, as your guest pointed out pretty clearly.
I have to admit I am surprised they didn't move on after last year.
They would have to justify going from $75-80 million per year in media distribution plus post-season shares to $8-9 million per year. Not possible to do in today’s college sports structure.
Yet I am constantly told by Oregon Duck fan readers here that Oregon State should be able to buck it up and compete with Oregon in the Civil War. I am told I am running and hiding if the Beavers don't take on the Ducks. So I guess you agree that $100M (after other revenue added) against $10M is not really a fair fight that can be won (even kept close) by the less wealthy team. Glad you concur. So why again will OSU be playing in Civil War games stupidly signed on by Scott Barnes?
Because, like the Texas Tech games this season, fans outside the Pac-12 will tune in to the game, and Oregon has graciously agreed to play every other season in Corvallis.
Ohio State does not play games at G6 Ohio University.
"graciously". LOL!! The Ducks are the only people who want this game. I don't know any Beaver fans who do. This was Scott Barnes giving the middle finger to Oregon State football and fans. As for national exposure, no thank you. How does getting your a$$ kicked all over the field by much more expensive 5 star players against middling to lower 3 stars benefit Oregon State in recruiting? 70-7 scores do not excite recruits to join the program. As for letting games get played in Corvallis, who cares. The only fans there will be Ducks fans.
I don't want to play Oregon State. Why give up a home game to go play in a 36K seat stadium against a lower division team every other year? Makes no financial sense whatsoever.
They’re never gonna have any success in the Big 10. Oregon is the only west coast school that will. Better playoff access in the Pac. Shouldn’t have bolted in the first place
Ask yourself this: if you were given the opportunity to increase your wealth by 20%. But you were told that increase would come at the expense of 9 of your 11 good friends, with two of them being forced to move out of their homes and flee to the other side of the country, two would have to live on the streets for two years, and everyone else would have a sharply reduced quality of life, would you take that deal?
USC will remain mediocre and insignificant in the Big Ten. And they deserve it.
What if, for your entire adult life, about 2/3 of your income had been in the form of donations from your neighbors. Instead of doing anything to improve your ability to earn for yourself, you made fun of your neighbors for putting themselves out there and being too fancy. Imagine that those neighbors eventually moved away and the donations stopped. Would you be angry at them for moving, or grateful for what they gave you while they lived next door?
(This is pretty much the explanation for the Mountain West teams leaving for the Pac, but if it applies elsewhere, so be it).
IMO, USC’s problems are less related to the move than they are to total leadership dysfunction. At this point I think it’s too hard to isolate one factor from the other.
You left out the part about said Heisman-winning QB writing F Utah on his knuckles prior to one of those Pac-12 title games. I didn't have a horse in the race, but after I saw that I was thrilled when your Utes pummeled that immature punk.
Sorry John but not a guy who wants to listen to podcasts/I like to read what you have to say and I am disappointed that I now have to listen as well to get your stories and all I get are teasers about what the interview contains. Not my cup of tea to have to listen to get the story!
I agree. I won't make a difference and I understand that, but with all the push towards podcasts and interviews in lieu of the written word, I'll most likely cancel my subscription. I know I'm in the minority but I subscribed to READ the stories. Not a fan of listening to podcasts at all, just not my cup of tea.
They were underperforming horribly before NIL. And it’s beyond ironic they led the collapse of the PAC -12 when they were middle of the PAC despite all the five star players.
The John McKay USC Trojans I grew up with and the John Wooden UCLA Bruins, are artifacts of history. The world has changed so much with NIL and Rev-Share those dynasties can never be repeated. Also, Los Angeles itself has changed a lot since the 1960s. Very few paying fans would live in LA proper in 2026. UCLA is still in Westwood and closer to the western suburban money to fund a solid basketball program. But it will never again build a dynasty
Dynasties? Nebraska/Clemson...probably won't be back. Miami/Florida St...have recruit area fit and fan engagement they probably can "be back." My sense is USC can be in the latter rather than the former group?
When USC started going country club that started under Pete Carroll with movie stars on the sidelines and practice and in games, casual practices, winning on talent and not effort, it caught up with them.
If they'd hired a coach like Tedford De Boer, or somebody who puts people through insane, grind it out practices, they would lose a lot of the country club players, but in the end they would be better off. But no one wants to do those kinds of practices and grueling workouts at USC or UCLA.
When they run into some school like even Michigan State under hard nosed guys like Pat Fitzgerald, they're going to run into big boy football and they don't like that. I remember seeing USC play a very hard-hitting Utah team years ago. It started snowing in the 4th quarter and USC promptly mailed it in. I think when the last USC receiver went over the middle and dearly paid for it, that was enough for them. Eventually you can't just win on five stars, you have to win on grit. The SoCal schools just don't have that.
Some of you all don’t believe this, but the current NIL era has brought enough parity to ensure that nobody will ever be like the old USC or Alabama or Nebraska during their big runs. Talent is much more spread around, and there are 10-12 teams in any given year who can compete for a championship where it used to be 2 or 3. We’ve never had it better.
Your website will not take my new card. Tried repeatedly. It continues to try and use(default) my former expired card. There has to be someone who can help.
I had the same issue and frustrations. It put me in a circular loop with no ability/link that worked, to update my expiration. I gave up and now paying via Apple Subscriptions.
Petros has it right: 5 bad hires in a row. That will kill you, even USC.
They're too arrogant to even consider great coaches like Chris Petersen or DeBoer because they coached at Boise State and Fresno State.
They deserve their losing.
Love Petros. Clay H was a class act, good person. Very similar overall record as Lincoln, better conference record. Clay just didn't fit with the unrealistic, "we can recapture the past" mentality. Love seeing them lose.
Do those 5 include Pete Carroll? He is an excellent coach. Strong defense and runs a tight organization with a player-focused and accountable culture. I imagine he also is a good recruiter just given his personality
4 I guess, Kiffen, Sark, Helton, Riley.
Kiffen had a mixed drink cart for coaches at practice, and was NOT fired for this, despite A.D. knowing.
And Coach Orgeron
For real?
Yep. Kiffen got fired for losing, not boozing.
Kiffin
Fresno State is two bad words at USC. The Toejams lost a game to the Bulldogs and the "disgrace" was so great they fired Larry Smith. The arrogance of the program and the execs who man it is insufferable. SC now administers the LA Coliseum and have turned it into a chapel for USC football.
I went to a game in Pullman where the Cougars under Mike Leach knocked off the Trojans. It's a very exciting game. After the game there was some televised USC show with this old guy and he spent his time saying the people in Pullman and Eastern Washington were a bunch of hicks and low lifes. It was really nauseating.
At the other end, Leach was interviewed on the field and they say what it's like down there. He said it's like Woodstock, except everybody has their clothes on. That might have been the Oregon game, but it's an epic line.
But a solid move swapping Notre Dame for Fresno State. Although. ND had it coming.
Compared to the Domers, no program is arrogant.
I've been to two games in South Bend and that wasn't my impression. I've been to games in the Coliseum too. Treated much better by domers than trojans. That might be just my experience. No matter who we hate USC - Notre Dame should still be played. College football needs to quit ruining itself.
The University of Spoiled Children still fits! Doesn’t matter who’s coaching.
The VOICE of Autzen Stadium...
The VOICE of Autzen graduated from Oregon State and the VOICE of Reser graduated from Oregon.
My wife Kim still remembers Don as her HS Principle at North Eugene.
Brian Brooks is the voice of Reser Stadium, not Mike Parker. He did not graduate from Oregon.
I am pretty sure you were the announcer in 1975 when I attended my first Ducks game (UCLA did a number on the Ducks). We had moved to Ashland from Montana in 1973 and I think the Grizzlies had more fans that UO did at some games then.
I attended law school in Eugene starting in 1980 and didn't miss many games called by you in that three year period and have heard countless more games since. In fact, three generations of my family have enjoyed listening to you.
The funny thing- I'm now retired and have been for 6 years and you're still going strong.
I look forward to hearing you this Fall.
Those early days games in Autzen it was pick your seat, any seat as there were lots to choose from then.
I bought seasons' tickets in 1984 and everything was available. It's very different now.
Nice to hear from you, Don.
I remember you trying to take our heads off with a dodge ball in elementary school buddy
Don. You remember our great “Giant Killer” years when we would watch The Beavers beat UO handily every Fall for about 6 years when the game was played at Autzen !…. It was always ,
“How bad are we going to beat the duX this year ?” And we did, usually by 2 touchdowns ! My 4 years at OSU 63-67, we never lost to the duX, and usually the UO coach was fired after the Civil War. ….! Great , great years , to be A Beaver !
He wised up eventually! ;)
I kid. Those years must have been a lot of fun to be a Beaver.
Have to smile when someone is talking about USC and saying the coach “lacks humility”. Seems like he should fit right in!
Love, love, LOVE Papadakis. SC should be listening to him - but I don't think they are.
Hire him as a consultant.
The Trojans needed a $1 million-a-year 'consultant' to teach a $10 million-a-year coach how to recruit.
Will losing at home to Oregon and Ohio State and on the road at Indiana be enough to pull the plug on Linc?
And look out for UW in LA and road games at Penn State, Wisconsin and UCLA.
The missing Linc is 1-6 in true Big Ten road games.
Will USC ever be USC again? Let’s see…. Living in the (distant) past, cheating at every opportunity (Pete Carroll was best at this), only caring about themselves (destroying the Pac12) - USC has never stopped being USC!
The PAC 12 approach to media is small potatoes and lacks national exposure. Your're not talking to fans. You're selling to future athletes. That's a misfire IMHO.
As to the University of Spoiled Children (my son went there), the problem starts with the administration. Hello Hollywood. Big glitz. Big money. Small ball(s). As long as Riley is the head coach, I don't see USC climbing out of the foxhole. They recruit great athletes and coach high school. My son lost interest years ago.
USC won’t be USC until they rejoin the Pac-12
Think they're going to have a really difficult time registering in the Big Ten.
They should be able to compete. They are recruiting great athletes but obviously something is holding them back, as your guest pointed out pretty clearly.
I have to admit I am surprised they didn't move on after last year.
Dunno. They should admit USC (assuming SC achieves a desired level of grovel) and the not schedule them for any games. :)
They would have to justify going from $75-80 million per year in media distribution plus post-season shares to $8-9 million per year. Not possible to do in today’s college sports structure.
Yet I am constantly told by Oregon Duck fan readers here that Oregon State should be able to buck it up and compete with Oregon in the Civil War. I am told I am running and hiding if the Beavers don't take on the Ducks. So I guess you agree that $100M (after other revenue added) against $10M is not really a fair fight that can be won (even kept close) by the less wealthy team. Glad you concur. So why again will OSU be playing in Civil War games stupidly signed on by Scott Barnes?
Because, like the Texas Tech games this season, fans outside the Pac-12 will tune in to the game, and Oregon has graciously agreed to play every other season in Corvallis.
Ohio State does not play games at G6 Ohio University.
"graciously". LOL!! The Ducks are the only people who want this game. I don't know any Beaver fans who do. This was Scott Barnes giving the middle finger to Oregon State football and fans. As for national exposure, no thank you. How does getting your a$$ kicked all over the field by much more expensive 5 star players against middling to lower 3 stars benefit Oregon State in recruiting? 70-7 scores do not excite recruits to join the program. As for letting games get played in Corvallis, who cares. The only fans there will be Ducks fans.
I don't want to play Oregon State. Why give up a home game to go play in a 36K seat stadium against a lower division team every other year? Makes no financial sense whatsoever.
Great. We agree. Please let your AD know to cancel this ridiculous exercise in futility
Ohio State didn't have a 120-year prior relationship with Ohio U when both were in the same league together, either.
Apples and oranges.
They’re never gonna have any success in the Big 10. Oregon is the only west coast school that will. Better playoff access in the Pac. Shouldn’t have bolted in the first place
Yep, and UCLA is even worse off. Decent football hire, not sure if that's enough.
Check out UCLA recruiting to date under Bob Chesney. Like Cignetti, Chesney has won everywhere he has coached.
I think UCLA will go over 6.5 wins and finish the regular season 8-4.
Ask yourself this: if you were given the opportunity to increase your wealth by 20%. But you were told that increase would come at the expense of 9 of your 11 good friends, with two of them being forced to move out of their homes and flee to the other side of the country, two would have to live on the streets for two years, and everyone else would have a sharply reduced quality of life, would you take that deal?
USC will remain mediocre and insignificant in the Big Ten. And they deserve it.
There are plenty of businesses in this Country where that fight goes on every year at the partner/executive level.
People don't hesitate to "take that deal", sadly.
What if, for your entire adult life, about 2/3 of your income had been in the form of donations from your neighbors. Instead of doing anything to improve your ability to earn for yourself, you made fun of your neighbors for putting themselves out there and being too fancy. Imagine that those neighbors eventually moved away and the donations stopped. Would you be angry at them for moving, or grateful for what they gave you while they lived next door?
(This is pretty much the explanation for the Mountain West teams leaving for the Pac, but if it applies elsewhere, so be it).
Good comment. Great argument.
How has stabbing all their brother in arms in the back worked out for USC 3 1/2 years later?
IMO, USC’s problems are less related to the move than they are to total leadership dysfunction. At this point I think it’s too hard to isolate one factor from the other.
My Utes beat SC the last 3 times they played them and with a Heisman winning qb.
A winning culture begins with the head coach.
You left out the part about said Heisman-winning QB writing F Utah on his knuckles prior to one of those Pac-12 title games. I didn't have a horse in the race, but after I saw that I was thrilled when your Utes pummeled that immature punk.
Sorry John but not a guy who wants to listen to podcasts/I like to read what you have to say and I am disappointed that I now have to listen as well to get your stories and all I get are teasers about what the interview contains. Not my cup of tea to have to listen to get the story!
I agree. I won't make a difference and I understand that, but with all the push towards podcasts and interviews in lieu of the written word, I'll most likely cancel my subscription. I know I'm in the minority but I subscribed to READ the stories. Not a fan of listening to podcasts at all, just not my cup of tea.
I moved the curser around until I got to the part I wanted to listen to (i.e. USC's issues).
It was actually kind of nice to listen to that part of the interview.
They were underperforming horribly before NIL. And it’s beyond ironic they led the collapse of the PAC -12 when they were middle of the PAC despite all the five star players.
The John McKay USC Trojans I grew up with and the John Wooden UCLA Bruins, are artifacts of history. The world has changed so much with NIL and Rev-Share those dynasties can never be repeated. Also, Los Angeles itself has changed a lot since the 1960s. Very few paying fans would live in LA proper in 2026. UCLA is still in Westwood and closer to the western suburban money to fund a solid basketball program. But it will never again build a dynasty
LA still has the recruits, but you're right... the dynasty years feel far away.
You are right....Crenshaw still cranks out the D1 football players as do a couple dozen other schools
They were mediocre from 1980 to 2001 and again since 2009. The Carroll years were the exception, not the norm
Dynasties? Nebraska/Clemson...probably won't be back. Miami/Florida St...have recruit area fit and fan engagement they probably can "be back." My sense is USC can be in the latter rather than the former group?
Maybe SC should hire another coach who played college ball at Oregon, like John McKay and John Robinson?
USC hasn’t really been USC for most of 50 years. The truth is the Carroll era is the modern day exception, not the rule
1980 to 2000:
0 top 5 finishes
12 unranked finishes
4 major bowl wins
6 conference titles
2001 to 2008:
7 top 5 finishes
1 unranked finish
6 major bowl wins
7 conference titles
2 national titles
2009 to 2025:
1 top 5 finish
8 unranked finishes
1 major bowl win
1 conference title
When USC started going country club that started under Pete Carroll with movie stars on the sidelines and practice and in games, casual practices, winning on talent and not effort, it caught up with them.
If they'd hired a coach like Tedford De Boer, or somebody who puts people through insane, grind it out practices, they would lose a lot of the country club players, but in the end they would be better off. But no one wants to do those kinds of practices and grueling workouts at USC or UCLA.
When they run into some school like even Michigan State under hard nosed guys like Pat Fitzgerald, they're going to run into big boy football and they don't like that. I remember seeing USC play a very hard-hitting Utah team years ago. It started snowing in the 4th quarter and USC promptly mailed it in. I think when the last USC receiver went over the middle and dearly paid for it, that was enough for them. Eventually you can't just win on five stars, you have to win on grit. The SoCal schools just don't have that.
Some of you all don’t believe this, but the current NIL era has brought enough parity to ensure that nobody will ever be like the old USC or Alabama or Nebraska during their big runs. Talent is much more spread around, and there are 10-12 teams in any given year who can compete for a championship where it used to be 2 or 3. We’ve never had it better.
"Parody" fits so well in your first sentence as a great pun!
(Guessing you meant "parity"?)
Sure did. The blessing and curse of autocorrect!
Your website will not take my new card. Tried repeatedly. It continues to try and use(default) my former expired card. There has to be someone who can help.
Marcosungar16@yahoo.com
503 431 1081
Please help!
Mark
I had the same issue and frustrations. It put me in a circular loop with no ability/link that worked, to update my expiration. I gave up and now paying via Apple Subscriptions.