1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: Lincoln Riley then poaches players from some of the teams 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:05,240 Speaker 1: across the country, and then they all make off in 3 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 1: this big getaway card of the Big Ten. 4 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:09,319 Speaker 2: Do you feel dirty? Covering USC now? 5 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 3: Welcome to the solid verbal hell. 6 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 2: That for me, I'm a man, I'm forty. 7 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 4: I've heard so many players say, well, I want to 8 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 4: be happy. 9 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 5: You want to be happy for a day? Edith Steak 10 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:24,080 Speaker 5: is that whoo whoo? 11 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:26,400 Speaker 6: And them and. 12 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: Tie Welcome back to the solid verbal boys and girls. 13 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:33,320 Speaker 1: My name is Ty Hildenbrandt. That fine gentlemen. 14 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 4: As always over there the heart of the Midwest. 15 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: First day of spring were this no March the twentieth, sir, 16 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: welcome back. 17 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:45,239 Speaker 2: How are you? 18 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:49,560 Speaker 5: I mean, I'm in the shadow of like thirteen degree weather, 19 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 5: so it doesn't feel like I have entered into a 20 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 5: new season. But all the same, Ty, it's been a 21 00:00:55,840 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 5: productive morning. I got my cold shower in. I'm always 22 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 5: amped to have on Ryan in Abraham just because it 23 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:05,319 Speaker 5: ties me back to my homeland of southern California. So 24 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 5: life is good. 25 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: Ty, Well, we're starting to do here on the show 26 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 1: now because we've turned the corner into the spring season 27 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 1: for most anyway, m Hm, We're starting to do some 28 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 1: debriefs on year one coaches, most notable of which is 29 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: probably Lincoln Riley. Had a really good year eleven and 30 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,680 Speaker 1: one regular season for USC. Of course, lost the Pac 31 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 1: twelve game, lost to the Cotton bowlt to Tulane, but 32 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:31,479 Speaker 1: a lot to build on moving forward, and I think 33 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 1: a lot of reason to be excited about twenty twenty 34 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: three and beyond, not just in this final season of 35 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,039 Speaker 1: the PAC twelve, but as we move ahead now to 36 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 1: twenty four and start talking about all things big ten. 37 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 1: USC has been a very, very lively topic of discussion here, 38 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 1: at least in our parts, in our little corner of 39 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: the college football universe. So we're pleased, as you said, 40 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 1: to bring back Ryan Abraham longtime front of the verbal. 41 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: We haven't had Ryan on in a while, so it'll 42 00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:59,240 Speaker 1: be good to catch up with him, of course of 43 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: USC foot in the Parastyle podcast, just to get his 44 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: input on how we would grade out Lincoln Riley. 45 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 3: Where are the. 46 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: Areas that they need to get better, Where are the 47 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: areas that you know he had some concerns last season, 48 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: and what things look like as we move ahead now 49 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: into the new season ahead. 50 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 3: I'm excited about this. 51 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 5: You know, a lot of people tell me, and I'm 52 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:21,359 Speaker 5: sure they tell you the same thing. How lucky are 53 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,079 Speaker 5: you You get to watch college football for a living. 54 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 5: This is your life, this is your livelihood. Let me 55 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 5: tell you about Ryan Abraham. Ryan Abraham covers college football 56 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 5: for a living and plays beach volleyball year round. Ty, 57 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 5: that's a whole different world. Yes, And by the way, 58 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 5: you mentioned Lincoln Riley being the most notable of post 59 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:44,720 Speaker 5: year one debriefs. We may be able to do my 60 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 5: question bank about Mario Christobal might disagree on our future 61 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 5: Miami episode. Most successful perhaps, okay one coach No, I 62 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:58,600 Speaker 5: think either way, notable, successful, whatever adjective you want to use. 63 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 5: That unexpected change from going from Oklahoma to USC I 64 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 5: think makes Lincoln Riley the most notable name on our 65 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 5: list of post year one debrief So now I'm totally 66 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 5: with you and quite excited to speak with Ryan. 67 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: We're going to talk with Ryan Abraham here momentarily. Don't 68 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:19,120 Speaker 1: forget to hit subscribe or follow whatever your podcasting app 69 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: of choice allows you to do. We'd love to have 70 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 1: you with us two public episodes every. 71 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 3: Week all throughout the off season. 72 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,640 Speaker 1: We also offer bonus stuff out at our Patreon at 73 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: verballers dot com. 74 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:33,520 Speaker 3: V E R B A L L e r. 75 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 1: S dot com. Sign up to be a certified or 76 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:37,800 Speaker 1: premium for Baller. You get access to not only the 77 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: bonus stuff, but also our discord server and also some 78 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 1: of the cool off season stuff that I believe we've 79 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: got planned now, some of the off topic stuff. We're 80 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: going to be ratcheting things up here a little bit 81 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 1: now as we've had a chance to settle in, get 82 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: ready for the off season, and build towards the new 83 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: season ahead in twenty twenty three. You can also follow 84 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 1: along with social media and of course make sure you 85 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 1: smash the subscribe button out on the YouTube channel as well. 86 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: Thank you to one and all who are watching us 87 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 1: out there now. 88 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 5: Dan, Yeah, I have nothing to add. I just want 89 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 5: to get my questions answered. 90 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 2: Joining us now. Long time friend of the verbal you know. 91 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 1: From USC football dot com, from the Parastyle podcast, The 92 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: One the Only Ryan Abraham, Sir, how you doing? 93 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 6: I'm doing okay. How are you guys doing? 94 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 2: We're doing all right. It's it's great to have you back. 95 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:32,599 Speaker 1: It's been a long time, man. How you been It's 96 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:33,039 Speaker 1: been a while. 97 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 7: I know, we're like when I ever I listened to 98 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 7: your Guys' show and thinking back to when we both 99 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 7: started podcasting, which I believe was two thousand and eight. Yeah, 100 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:45,480 Speaker 7: it's many many years doing this podcast thing, so it's 101 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 7: kind of fun and see it grow and you know, 102 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 7: now everybody has a podcast, but we were doing it 103 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 7: back in the day when it was before it was cool. 104 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:51,799 Speaker 2: Before it was cool. 105 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: You know. Man, Well, it's great to talk to you 106 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:57,720 Speaker 1: as always. Look, we brought you on for a year 107 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:02,160 Speaker 1: one debrief of USC Lincoln Riley, but I think we'd 108 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: be remiss if we didn't at least recognize the incredible 109 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 1: year it must have been for you as a USC 110 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 1: content guy. 111 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:10,479 Speaker 2: Because this was sort of the year that USC. 112 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 1: Became the villain, the quote unquote villain, right, because they 113 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 1: poach Lincoln Riley. Lincoln Riley then poaches players from some 114 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:19,480 Speaker 1: of the teams across the country and then they all 115 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 1: make off in this big getaway card of the Big Ten. 116 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 2: Do you feel dirty covering USC? 117 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 6: Now? 118 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 3: Where are you at with this? 119 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 6: Yeah? T I feel pretty good. 120 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,080 Speaker 7: I mean, there was it was sort of like seven 121 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:33,599 Speaker 7: years of squeaky clean Clay Helton really nothing going on, 122 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 7: Fans not excited, and we just it didn't matter what 123 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 7: we do. You got you know, you guys create content 124 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 7: all the time. If USC signed you know, a five 125 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 7: star player, everyone on our message boards or on Twitter 126 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:47,839 Speaker 7: would say, well, it doesn't matter, Clayhilton's the coach. 127 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:50,160 Speaker 6: It was years and years of that. 128 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:54,159 Speaker 7: Yeah, it started in that September, you know, after losing 129 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 7: to Stanford and the fired Clay Hilton, and then fans 130 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:00,600 Speaker 7: started to go, oh, maybe the administration actually cares. And then, 131 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 7: like you mentioned, there's just sort of been this whirlwind 132 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 7: of positive news around the program, which we've been covering 133 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 7: crazy drop everything news around USC for a long time, 134 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:12,479 Speaker 7: but usually it was on the negative side. There are 135 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 7: actually some things that were that most people would consider positive, 136 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 7: you know, hiring Lincoln Riley, you know, being able to go, 137 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 7: you know, win eleven games in the regular season, win 138 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 7: a Heisman Trophy, sneaking out to. 139 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:26,240 Speaker 6: The Big ten. 140 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 7: I mean, that's some crazy stuff that's been going on, 141 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 7: but it has generated some juice in the fan base, 142 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 7: and like you said, maybe you know, being more of 143 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 7: a national villain. I think that was the biggest issue 144 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:39,479 Speaker 7: through all of this, is USC wasn't nationally relevant, like 145 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:41,919 Speaker 7: you didn't need to talk about USC. Why haven't I 146 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,919 Speaker 7: been on your show? Was USC didn't really matter in 147 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 7: college football? And now, for one reason or another, they 148 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 7: do again. And so that's that's been good to cover. 149 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: So let me start with the obvious question. I would 150 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 1: presume it's relatively easy for you. I think it's relatively 151 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,360 Speaker 1: easy for Dan and I. But you're the guru. People 152 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 1: want to hear from you from A through F. If 153 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:05,280 Speaker 1: you are grading year one under Lincoln Riley, what is 154 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 1: the grade? 155 00:07:07,040 --> 00:07:09,040 Speaker 7: It's their question I would say. I mean I would 156 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 7: probably go like an A minus or so. I mean, 157 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 7: just I don't want to undersell how bad they were 158 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 7: the year before. 159 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 6: You know, they were four and eight. 160 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 7: To turn around and win eleven games, you beat both rivals, 161 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:26,880 Speaker 7: UCLA and Notre Dame. You know, the schedule wasn't as hard, 162 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 7: and you know they lose to Utah twice, they lose 163 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 7: in a bowl game, but they won a Heidsman Trophy. 164 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 7: I mean that's like a thing that you you talk 165 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 7: about year in and year out. I mean there's you know, 166 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 7: you don't win eleven games off and you don't win 167 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:40,760 Speaker 7: Heisman trophies often, so to do that in one year, 168 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 7: I think it's a pretty big improvement. They definitely need 169 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 7: help on the defensive side of the ball. The special 170 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 7: teams were pretty bad too, But I would just say overall, 171 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 7: taking over a team that was really in the doul 172 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 7: drums and if you hired someone that was like a 173 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 7: really good Power five coach, but maybe not the level 174 00:07:57,200 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 7: of Lincoln Riley, and we all thought like, hey, eight 175 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 7: nine games, that would be a great turnaround. So you've 176 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 7: sort of changed the bar. I don't want to like 177 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 7: change the bar later on. You know, four and eight 178 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 7: to eleven wins Heisman Trophy. I'm going to go like 179 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 7: a minus or. 180 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 3: So it's good. 181 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:16,000 Speaker 5: Yeah. Yeah, unquestionably a wildly successful year one considering where 182 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:18,520 Speaker 5: that program was, and even if the talent wasn't horrible, 183 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 5: in that four and eight season, it was clear that 184 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 5: the culture was off, the the motivation was off, and 185 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 5: this was not a team that could get up to 186 00:08:25,800 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 5: play even medium size games. What to you now after 187 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 5: year one? Is there anything clearer about Lincoln Riley's vision 188 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 5: for the program? Obviously, it's get as many good players, 189 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:40,440 Speaker 5: win as many games, and figure it out as we 190 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:44,560 Speaker 5: go initially, but whether it comes to recruiting strategy, whether 191 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 5: it comes to co hiring strategy, whether it comes to 192 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 5: scheme strategy. Do you have a clearer picture now as 193 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 5: you assess? I know you've spent more time now with 194 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 5: Lincoln Riley than you did originally. What is the vision 195 00:08:57,559 --> 00:08:59,679 Speaker 5: for the next two to three years as they make 196 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:01,040 Speaker 5: the trainransition to the Big ten? 197 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:01,959 Speaker 6: Yeah. Yeah. 198 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:05,080 Speaker 7: We actually had a couple months ago a sit down 199 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 7: with and maybe seven or eight of us that are 200 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 7: local Beat reporters, and it was like two hours of 201 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 7: just talking with Lincoln Riley in a room, and it 202 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 7: was it was really insightful, and I feel like the 203 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 7: message that he was portraying, and you know, I'm not 204 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 7: you know, coaches say whatever they want all the time. 205 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 7: But the message that we were getting out of this was, hey, man, 206 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 7: when I took over, there were so many problems, and 207 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:30,840 Speaker 7: I get it. I think Mike Boone, the athletic director, 208 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 7: did the same thing when he took over at USC. 209 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:35,680 Speaker 7: There were so many problems and you got to start 210 00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:37,560 Speaker 7: fixing the little ones first and some of that low 211 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:41,640 Speaker 7: hanging fruit. And the message he was conveying to us 212 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 7: was I really just needed to get things going in 213 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:47,679 Speaker 7: the right direction. And obviously they were able to do that, 214 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 7: and now you can kind of focus on some of 215 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 7: the more. You know, he can as a head coach 216 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 7: instead of just looking at the offense, can look on 217 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:56,680 Speaker 7: the defensive side of the ball more and kind of 218 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:59,679 Speaker 7: spread his time out a little bit more. But he, 219 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:01,679 Speaker 7: you know, he was talking about all the different little 220 00:10:01,679 --> 00:10:03,319 Speaker 7: things that you need to fix and this wasn't right, 221 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 7: and that wasn't right, from nutrition to wherever it was. 222 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 7: And now they've built some sort of base and he 223 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:11,679 Speaker 7: didn't make any changes on the coaching staff, and some 224 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 7: of that was, you know, hey, now we've all been 225 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:17,679 Speaker 7: in the system before, and last year everyone coming in 226 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:20,120 Speaker 7: it was new to everybody. You were either if you 227 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 7: were on the team before, it's a whole new program. 228 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:23,760 Speaker 7: If you weren't on the team before, now you're on it. 229 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:25,720 Speaker 7: You know it's and then the staff was new, and 230 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 7: everything was it was new to everybody. And now there's 231 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:30,280 Speaker 7: at least a bunch of players that have been there 232 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:32,840 Speaker 7: before and coaches that have kind of gone through it 233 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 7: and they know the expectations of what everyone is looking for. 234 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 7: And I feel now the new players coming in can 235 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 7: kind of learn from. 236 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:41,439 Speaker 6: The players that were there last year. 237 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 7: That's kind of what he was, you know, you know, 238 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 7: talking about, and it made sense, you know, that they 239 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 7: needed to kind of build get some sort of continuity 240 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:51,720 Speaker 7: from last year. I know a lot of fans wanted 241 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 7: to see defensive coaching changes and things like that, but 242 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 7: Riley was sort of like, Okay, where to go with 243 00:10:57,240 --> 00:10:59,440 Speaker 7: what we have. We're to get some better players in 244 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 7: here and you know, kind of build on what they 245 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,000 Speaker 7: established last year. I think it's going to be, you know, 246 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 7: the proof will be in the pudding because it's a 247 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:08,920 Speaker 7: tougher schedule and all of that to build on. And 248 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:11,560 Speaker 7: you already won eleven games and you already won a Heisman, 249 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 7: So I mean, the expectation levels have risen. But I 250 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:17,120 Speaker 7: feel like that's where they're sort of going with dan Is. 251 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 7: They needed to kind of build that just the foundation 252 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 7: of this house and then kind of build on top 253 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:24,200 Speaker 7: of it from there. We'll see how successful they'll be. 254 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 7: But that's that's kind of what the message has been 255 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:27,559 Speaker 7: this offseason. 256 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 5: So you mentioned the defense and the struggles on the defense. 257 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 5: Obviously it was quite clear to anybody who watched this 258 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:37,440 Speaker 5: USC team that they largely had to outscore teams rather 259 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:39,920 Speaker 5: than shut down other teams in order to come away 260 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 5: with those eleven wins. They hit the portal hard once 261 00:11:43,080 --> 00:11:46,720 Speaker 5: again on both sides of the ball. No surprise when 262 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:50,480 Speaker 5: you look back at the season. Was it an Alex 263 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 5: Grinch thing? As a lot of USC fans will point 264 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:55,679 Speaker 5: to that, it's a scheme thing that they're not utilizing 265 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 5: players correctly, and you know they're not teaching players correctly. 266 00:11:58,920 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 5: Is it a talent thing? Is it a you know, 267 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:05,080 Speaker 5: an everything thing. How do you diagnose what exactly went 268 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 5: wrong for what down the stretch? Was a pretty woeful defense? 269 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:12,880 Speaker 7: It was, And I think the tough part Dan was 270 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:15,680 Speaker 7: if you look at the prior year, they were really 271 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,680 Speaker 7: bad on the defense too. So that's been the one 272 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:22,720 Speaker 7: kind of constant. And I feel like, you know, bringing 273 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:25,800 Speaker 7: it the guys they brought in on offense to bring 274 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 7: in like a politanickof Award winner and jorye Assen to 275 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 7: bring in the eventual Heisman Trophy winner, Caleb Williams. I 276 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:34,559 Speaker 7: think that made a big difference. And you know, Lincoln 277 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:38,440 Speaker 7: Riley can coach offense, so I feel like you fix 278 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:41,200 Speaker 7: things on the offense quickly. It's probably easier to do 279 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:43,920 Speaker 7: that too. The defensive side, I think they tried to 280 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 7: do some things, but they weren't really bringing in established 281 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:50,680 Speaker 7: starters or all American type of players on the defensive side, 282 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:52,160 Speaker 7: so I think they tried to do that a little 283 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:55,520 Speaker 7: bit more. I feel it's more of a combination of 284 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:58,360 Speaker 7: of kind of everything. You know, we got to watch 285 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:00,840 Speaker 7: one spring practice so far. They took spring break, but 286 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:02,880 Speaker 7: the one practice we watched, they did a lot of 287 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:04,559 Speaker 7: tackling drills, like right in front of us, Like the 288 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 7: twenty minute portion we got, they did a lot of 289 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 7: tackling right in front of the media. So I think 290 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:10,480 Speaker 7: that's something they're trying to push out there, like, hey, 291 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 7: we tackled a practice. We're trying to do this. But yeah, 292 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 7: I feel like it's more of a combination of everything. 293 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:19,280 Speaker 7: And you know the fact that Lincoln Rally is sticking 294 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 7: with that staff, he has confidence in Alex Grinch that 295 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:24,640 Speaker 7: they can deliver, and they've you know, he's had some 296 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:26,960 Speaker 7: good defenses in the past, a lot of you know, 297 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:29,640 Speaker 7: criticism as well, so you're sort of like, if you're 298 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:32,000 Speaker 7: trusting the Lincoln Rally, you're kind of rolling with his decision. 299 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:35,160 Speaker 7: But if we're seeing the same sort of tackling issues 300 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 7: and you know, giving up first downs on third and 301 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:39,600 Speaker 7: logs and all that, then you're gonna have to, you know, 302 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:40,720 Speaker 7: take a look at something else. 303 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:41,840 Speaker 6: But the I. 304 00:13:41,760 --> 00:13:45,080 Speaker 7: Feel like that they feel pretty confident that they're going 305 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:49,680 Speaker 7: to make the defense significantly better in twenty twenty three. 306 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 6: That's just the kind of vibe I get. 307 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:53,240 Speaker 7: But like I get, you know, we're up to wait 308 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 7: and see, but I feel like they feel like they've 309 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:58,560 Speaker 7: made the enough moves that this can be, you know, 310 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:01,480 Speaker 7: an elite offense again, but also a good defense, and 311 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 7: if you have that then you should be able to 312 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 7: win a lot of games. 313 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: What's your biggest question for Alex Grinch if you had 314 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:12,440 Speaker 1: him on your show, Like what what? What answers do 315 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:14,760 Speaker 1: you want from him directly on how he's going to 316 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:17,720 Speaker 1: fix what was wrong last season? Because, as you said, 317 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: it's probably a collection of factors, but in looking at 318 00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 1: the efficiency numbers that Dan and I look at frequently, 319 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 1: it's kind of a car crash. They were all bad. 320 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:29,800 Speaker 1: So where do you start with that? Rather than turnovers, 321 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 1: starting field position on defense, everything else is in the 322 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:36,560 Speaker 1: deep red? What what would you want to pin him 323 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 1: down and get from him. 324 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:40,760 Speaker 7: Ryan, Yeah, the turnovers were a big you know, that 325 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 7: was that was what kind of kept the defense afloat. 326 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:45,520 Speaker 7: And to be fair, like Alex Ritchard's come on my 327 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:47,960 Speaker 7: show when you talk to him, I don't know if 328 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 7: there's anyone that's going to be more honest. USC fans 329 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 7: hated when we would interview Clay Hilton, then you might 330 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 7: lose to like Oregon State or something, and the first 331 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 7: thing he would talk about is how hard they played 332 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 7: and how proud he just wanted to like they just 333 00:15:02,560 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 7: want to jump off a building. You're like, what are 334 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:06,560 Speaker 7: you talking about? Alex Grinch will come out and say 335 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 7: we were gone awful, like that was the off field. 336 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:12,080 Speaker 7: We needed to tackle better. So he's I think he's 337 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:14,800 Speaker 7: really sort of upfront about when they have, you know, 338 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 7: the deficiencies and how bad they've been. Sometimes when they're 339 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:19,640 Speaker 7: really bad, we don't get to talk to Alex Grinch, 340 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 7: so he doesn't we don't get to hear that. But 341 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:25,240 Speaker 7: I think he's been pretty honest about most of his 342 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 7: assessments of what's going on. And you know that the 343 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:31,920 Speaker 7: tackling has certainly been an issue, and sometimes when you 344 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:34,240 Speaker 7: hear from Lincoln Riley and he'll say like players were 345 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 7: in the right position and they didn't. 346 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:36,840 Speaker 6: Make the tackle. 347 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:39,040 Speaker 7: To me, that's more of a saying like, hey, I 348 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 7: think we had a good scheme, we just didn't have 349 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 7: the right guys making plays. 350 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 6: I look at it. 351 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:47,520 Speaker 7: I mean, when we see college football, you know there's 352 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:50,320 Speaker 7: so much offense going on. The wide receivers are great. 353 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 7: You always have three four great wide receivers. I think 354 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 7: when you become an elite team, it's that defensive pass 355 00:15:56,760 --> 00:15:59,120 Speaker 7: rush is really good. You got these elite you know, 356 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:02,280 Speaker 7: guys that are just come off the edge and making sacks. 357 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:03,880 Speaker 7: And they had two let two and Plow to lead 358 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:06,560 Speaker 7: the nation in sacks. But outside of that, they didn't 359 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 7: really have anybody. And I feel like they got to 360 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:12,160 Speaker 7: get better there and for years they've just underperformed. 361 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:13,480 Speaker 6: I think at the linebacker spot. 362 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 7: They've had good players in the secondary, but just not 363 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 7: getting that kind of production that you want out of 364 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 7: the linebackers. And they brought some. They got a couple 365 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:23,840 Speaker 7: of young guys in this year. You know, they bring 366 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 7: in Mason Cobb for a Oklahoma State who was a 367 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:28,800 Speaker 7: kind of tackling machine. So they're trying to assess that, 368 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 7: but to me, it's a lot of the front seven. 369 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 7: You've got to get a better edge, pass rush, and 370 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 7: just get better play out of the linebackers where I 371 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:38,000 Speaker 7: feel like they've had some talent, they just don't seem 372 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:39,440 Speaker 7: to be able to bring it there. 373 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 5: One of the things that's interesting you bring that up. 374 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:43,240 Speaker 5: One of the things I looked at before we started 375 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 5: recording is where USC under Lincoln Riley is recruiting on 376 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:49,680 Speaker 5: defense and sc famously, and it's not just a Pete 377 00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:52,040 Speaker 5: Carroll thing. You look at Lane Sark, even Clay Helton 378 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:56,840 Speaker 5: went across the country looking for big defensive talent up front, 379 00:16:57,120 --> 00:17:01,120 Speaker 5: and we got some great individual performances, but it's it's 380 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:04,320 Speaker 5: been a USC unit the defensive line, the front seven 381 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:07,439 Speaker 5: that hasn't you know, has sort of fallen off in 382 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:11,200 Speaker 5: these last fifteen twenty years, and under Lincoln Riley they 383 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 5: haven't necessarily had the recruiting success on defense. And certainly 384 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:17,119 Speaker 5: you mentioned hitting the portal, and that's that's a vision 385 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:20,960 Speaker 5: for where USC can go on defense. But how do 386 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:23,400 Speaker 5: you I mean you use the word assessed, but how 387 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 5: do you assess what this staff has done on the trail. 388 00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 5: I looked it up. It was I think one blue 389 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:32,119 Speaker 5: chip defensive lineman in these past two classes, whereas you know, 390 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:33,639 Speaker 5: you look at the new Big ten teams they're going 391 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,120 Speaker 5: to be facing You're talking you know, five, six, seven, 392 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 5: eight guys Oregon in the last couple of years, as 393 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 5: you know, six seven guys blue chip defensive lineman. Do 394 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 5: you see this, you know, ticking in an upwards direction 395 00:17:46,359 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 5: these next couple of years. Should that be a piece 396 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:51,879 Speaker 5: of concern or is it just going to be you know, 397 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:54,120 Speaker 5: all systems go to the portal on defense. 398 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:57,280 Speaker 7: You know, I think Lincoln Riley's vision was to not 399 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:00,520 Speaker 7: have to utilize the portal as much even in year two, 400 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:05,080 Speaker 7: you know. And I feel like they were recruiting last 401 00:18:05,119 --> 00:18:07,679 Speaker 7: year for the class of twenty twenty three on the potential, 402 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 7: and I think now they're looking for twenty twenty four. 403 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:11,960 Speaker 6: Is it's usually like the year before, like. 404 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:14,240 Speaker 7: Hey, you know, this team did win eleven games and 405 00:18:14,280 --> 00:18:16,880 Speaker 7: they were in the Pac twelve Championship and all that. 406 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:19,200 Speaker 6: You know, it was a big turnaround. 407 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:20,840 Speaker 7: And I feel like they're getting a little bit more 408 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 7: momentum in twenty twenty four, but they didn't have as 409 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:26,440 Speaker 7: successful of a you know, a recruiting class of twenty 410 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 7: twenty three as you would have liked, especially on the 411 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:30,240 Speaker 7: defensive side of the ball. They brought in some really 412 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:32,440 Speaker 7: studs on the offensive side, but you know, they get 413 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:35,679 Speaker 7: attack at Curtis, the linebacker out of Louisiana that they 414 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:37,520 Speaker 7: they're in love with and they really love him. But 415 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 7: you know, the big defensive lineman's like an Anthony Lucas 416 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:42,880 Speaker 7: who was a five star recruit. But you know, transfers 417 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:44,919 Speaker 7: in from Texas, A and M. They want to get 418 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:47,680 Speaker 7: those guys kind of out of high school and sort 419 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:50,480 Speaker 7: of developed them. So I feel like their focus is 420 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:53,720 Speaker 7: now on twenty twenty four trying to get those guys 421 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 7: into the program, the elite defensive players from high school, 422 00:18:57,280 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 7: because they haven't, like you mentioned, they just haven't been 423 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:02,399 Speaker 7: able to land some of those guys, you know, in 424 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 7: the last couple of years. And you know, if they 425 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:08,000 Speaker 7: have more success on defense this year, like Lincoln Riley's 426 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:09,880 Speaker 7: talked about and you know what they really focused on, 427 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 7: I think they will be able to have more success. 428 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:15,680 Speaker 7: I guess the fallback though, is if you can't, then 429 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:18,399 Speaker 7: there's guys that are willing to come to La for 430 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:21,480 Speaker 7: whatever reason and try try their hand at playing for USC. 431 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 7: But I think the focus they would love to get 432 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:26,440 Speaker 7: that success on that from high school, but they didn't. 433 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 7: They did pretty well in twenty twenty three on offense, 434 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 7: just not on the defensive side. So they'll try twenty 435 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:32,560 Speaker 7: two and four, and if not, like I said, like 436 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:35,240 Speaker 7: you guys mentioned, it'll be probably more hitting the portal 437 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 7: as hard as. 438 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:40,320 Speaker 1: You can, Ryan, USC had the top rated offense per 439 00:19:40,359 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 1: the sp plus last season, as you mentioned earlier. Look, 440 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:46,160 Speaker 1: we know Lincoln Rilly can coach offense. If there's anything 441 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:49,159 Speaker 1: Lincoln Riley can do, it's coach offense. So maybe not 442 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:50,080 Speaker 1: a great surprise, But. 443 00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 5: Where the hell out of avisor Tie? 444 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:53,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, where's the hell out of Advisor? 445 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:57,640 Speaker 1: And clearly is enjoying the warm weather of southern California. 446 00:19:57,720 --> 00:19:59,600 Speaker 1: So all these things I think we know to be true. 447 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:03,199 Speaker 1: But I'm curious from your standpoint, Ryan, how much of 448 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:06,159 Speaker 1: what we saw last season from that offense was clever 449 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:11,960 Speaker 1: play design and clever schematics versus an exceptional talent, a 450 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 1: Heisman caliber talent in Caleb Williams running around behind the 451 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:19,400 Speaker 1: line creating hero plays, playing hero ball. 452 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 7: Yeah, I think if you just looked at the twenty 453 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:26,480 Speaker 7: twenty two USC offense in a you know, in a vacuum, 454 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:29,199 Speaker 7: you could say this was Caleb Williams, like he just 455 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:33,720 Speaker 7: went off and you know, he lost top receivers from 456 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:35,879 Speaker 7: time to time and would other guys would fill in. 457 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:39,840 Speaker 7: You've seen multiple guys have you know, huge receiving games 458 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:41,439 Speaker 7: where a guy like cal Ford is not even with 459 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 7: the program anymore, has a monster game and then he 460 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:47,120 Speaker 7: doesn't do anything for a while. Or Brendan Rice, who's 461 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:50,400 Speaker 7: the transfer from Colorado, has like a you know, huge 462 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:51,800 Speaker 7: game here and doesn't show up there. 463 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:54,199 Speaker 6: He sort of was able to do it with no 464 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 6: matter who was out. 465 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 7: There at the wide receiver spot or if they had 466 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:00,679 Speaker 7: running backs banged up. But looking at the whole track record, 467 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:03,360 Speaker 7: I think Lincoln Riley's proven that he's probably a big 468 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 7: part of why all of this is working, you know, 469 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:09,199 Speaker 7: And the fact that he's had as many Heisman winners 470 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 7: and Heisman finalists as he's had, I think, and with 471 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:16,639 Speaker 7: guys that have different skill sets, I think it shows 472 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:16,920 Speaker 7: a lot. 473 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 6: And for him to come in and all the things. 474 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 7: That he did have to fix when he was at 475 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:25,520 Speaker 7: USC that wasn't just things were on the field, off 476 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 7: the field, whatever it was the perception, and there was 477 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 7: a lot of problems that he had on his sheet. 478 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 7: He said he had like six pages of notes or whatever, 479 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 7: I forget what it was, and some crazy amount of notes. 480 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:37,240 Speaker 6: He normally has like one or two pages of things 481 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:37,760 Speaker 6: to focus on. 482 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 7: It was like a lot, But I think he did 483 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:43,920 Speaker 7: a good job of, you know, putting the guys in 484 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:47,440 Speaker 7: a good place and allowing a guy like Caleb Williams 485 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 7: that have so much talent to you know, look for 486 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:52,560 Speaker 7: the first couple of reads and if things do break 487 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:54,639 Speaker 7: down or if the offensive line isn't you know, playing 488 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:58,360 Speaker 7: as well as they should be, he's able to go 489 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,399 Speaker 7: off off script and make some sort of play down feeling. 490 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:03,679 Speaker 7: The last time you saw something like that when Sam 491 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:06,520 Speaker 7: Donald was at USC, I really felt like that was 492 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 7: an offensive just the plays never really worked and Sam 493 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 7: Donald just sort of took off and made things happen. 494 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:14,920 Speaker 7: I feel like the plays had a good chance of working, 495 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:17,280 Speaker 7: and if they didn't, Caleb Williams could go off and 496 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:18,000 Speaker 7: make things happen. 497 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:19,080 Speaker 6: So it's a little bit different. 498 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:21,199 Speaker 7: I think with Donald it was just more about he 499 00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:24,200 Speaker 7: was just special and he made everything work. I feel 500 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:26,400 Speaker 7: like you had It's sort of like you know, doubling 501 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:28,640 Speaker 7: down when you have eleven and the dealer has a six, 502 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:31,560 Speaker 7: like the play might work, but also you know, hopefully 503 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:34,200 Speaker 7: the dealer bus and Caleb just makes a play. 504 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:36,080 Speaker 3: What needs to get better on offense? 505 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,159 Speaker 7: You know, I think this year it's going to be 506 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:43,320 Speaker 7: on the offensive line. They one of the things that 507 00:22:43,640 --> 00:22:46,720 Speaker 7: Lincoln Riley didn't realize was how you know, good of 508 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:47,640 Speaker 7: a veteran. 509 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:48,960 Speaker 6: Group he had last year. 510 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 7: So losing a guy like Andrew Voorhees and Brett Elon Uh, 511 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 7: they bring back Justin Dida Twitch helps, but they had 512 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:59,359 Speaker 7: some really good veteran leadership on that that offensive line, 513 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:01,960 Speaker 7: and they didn't have a lot of depth. They didn't 514 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:04,680 Speaker 7: have great high school recruiting from the lineman like you 515 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:07,480 Speaker 7: had mentioned, you know, for the last few years. Now 516 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:10,000 Speaker 7: this year they bring in like five you know, freshmen, 517 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:12,080 Speaker 7: and they brought in three more transfers. So they're going 518 00:23:12,119 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 7: to have some guys that they're going to move around 519 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:16,199 Speaker 7: for some more veteran leadership. But they're going to have 520 00:23:16,240 --> 00:23:18,920 Speaker 7: to make that work because it's a different looking line, 521 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:22,240 Speaker 7: a lot different than it was last year. And even though, 522 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 7: when guys got banged up last year late in the season, 523 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:26,359 Speaker 7: the offensive line struggled, and I think you needed to 524 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:29,159 Speaker 7: see Caleb Williams kind of do more with his legs. 525 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:32,720 Speaker 7: When they were all together, it was actually a pretty 526 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:35,760 Speaker 7: well performing offensive line. So to get back to that 527 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 7: stage or so at least you're not going to take 528 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:41,040 Speaker 7: a step back on the offensive line, I think that's 529 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:42,399 Speaker 7: going to be the biggest aspect of it. 530 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:43,440 Speaker 6: Making these guys work. 531 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:45,400 Speaker 7: They bring in some talent, a couple guys from Florida, 532 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 7: started from Washington State. You know where those guys going 533 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:50,720 Speaker 7: to play. But you got to make them all work together. 534 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:52,800 Speaker 7: Like the cliche is, you know, it's like five fingers 535 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:55,040 Speaker 7: on a hand. So getting those guys that kind of 536 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:57,480 Speaker 7: all play together and protect Cayleb Williams. 537 00:23:57,480 --> 00:24:00,360 Speaker 6: I mean, he's a proven guy. He won the Heismoot Trophy. 538 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:02,120 Speaker 7: Just don't let him get sacked a whole the time, 539 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:04,400 Speaker 7: and you're probably gonna be okay, Sure, who do. 540 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:07,159 Speaker 5: You anticipate being the names on offense? Obviously losing a 541 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:10,280 Speaker 5: couple of big ones Travis Dye and Jordan Addison to 542 00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:13,359 Speaker 5: the next level and running out of eligibility. Who do 543 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:16,479 Speaker 5: you expect to be the the players that take on 544 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:20,280 Speaker 5: that workload as as the offense takes the next step. 545 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:23,639 Speaker 7: You know, I like what Austin Jones was able to do. 546 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:25,640 Speaker 7: He's going to be a senior this year. The transfer 547 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:29,399 Speaker 7: from Stanford. But there's a lot of people high on 548 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:33,240 Speaker 7: Marshaun Lloyd, the transfer in from South Carolina. And you know, 549 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 7: Rayley Brown showed a lot of flash last year as 550 00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:39,480 Speaker 7: a five star freshman running back. So I'm not sure 551 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:40,920 Speaker 7: how loud that we're going to do on the running 552 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:42,560 Speaker 7: back spot, but I think you're going to see kind 553 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:46,359 Speaker 7: of a combination of those guys. And you know, a 554 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:48,359 Speaker 7: guy like Taj Washington who transferred in a couple of 555 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:51,480 Speaker 7: years ago from from Memphis has you know, he would 556 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:53,640 Speaker 7: have flashes of some really great games. And we saw 557 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:58,720 Speaker 7: Brendan Rice have a Monster Bowl game. You know, Dorian 558 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:00,959 Speaker 7: Singer that you know, he was in number two receiver 559 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:03,840 Speaker 7: at Arizona in the Pac twelve last year is transferring 560 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:07,159 Speaker 7: in from Arizona, and they love zachar Ya Branch, the 561 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:09,720 Speaker 7: five star freshmen coming in. So I again, I feel 562 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:12,159 Speaker 7: like there's gonna be, you know, some good spots at 563 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:16,080 Speaker 7: the wide receiver spot at running back. They didn't really 564 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:19,600 Speaker 7: do a lot at tight end, so you know see 565 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 7: kind of what they can do you know, on there. 566 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 7: But they Linke McCree should be back healthy and he's 567 00:25:23,800 --> 00:25:27,040 Speaker 7: someone that they people feel have a lot of upside. 568 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 7: But I think it's just going to be more of 569 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:31,639 Speaker 7: kind of a spreading it around. I don't know if 570 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:34,160 Speaker 7: they're going to establish like a clear number one guy 571 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:36,240 Speaker 7: like when you had Addison when he was healthy last year. 572 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:37,200 Speaker 6: I think he was that guy. 573 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:40,080 Speaker 7: But if they can keep spreading around and keep defenses 574 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:42,479 Speaker 7: kind of guessing, I you know, that's probably the way 575 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:44,600 Speaker 7: they're going to go. I think the one change is 576 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:46,320 Speaker 7: going to be they're probably going to try to get 577 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:48,760 Speaker 7: you know, the tight ends involved more. They just you know, 578 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:51,040 Speaker 7: they would get an occasional touchdown here or there, but 579 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:54,240 Speaker 7: they just weren't a consistent part of the offense last year. 580 00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:57,679 Speaker 5: I'm wondering where is Lincoln Riley's had, where is the 581 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:01,720 Speaker 5: USC programs had in terms of the Big Ten? And 582 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:04,080 Speaker 5: obviously you don't just build for what you want to be, 583 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:06,960 Speaker 5: but you build for who you're playing against as well. 584 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:09,680 Speaker 5: And it looks like the top of the Big Ten 585 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:11,919 Speaker 5: is going to be a very different style than what 586 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:15,680 Speaker 5: the Pac twelve has offered USC these past few years. 587 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:18,639 Speaker 5: Whether it's you know, I guess New Look Wisconsin, but 588 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:21,600 Speaker 5: Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State. Right, this is these are 589 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 5: a lot of teams that put a lot of players 590 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,520 Speaker 5: into the NFL along the trenches. Is there any eye 591 00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:31,800 Speaker 5: towards future opponents of USC in terms of where recruiting 592 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 5: is focused, where the offense or defensive scheme is focused. 593 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:37,720 Speaker 5: Is there that I yet? 594 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:40,080 Speaker 7: You know, it's interesting that you know, most of the 595 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:43,760 Speaker 7: focus is on now obviously, but we've heard we've heard 596 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:46,879 Speaker 7: that every once inle like you'd see someone like, you know, 597 00:26:46,880 --> 00:26:49,560 Speaker 7: in the Big Ten just maybe would drop that as 598 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:52,040 Speaker 7: like sort of like a hint of what's the common 599 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:54,879 Speaker 7: I think it's sort of where you've you know, alluded to, 600 00:26:55,119 --> 00:26:58,640 Speaker 7: is that they have to get better in the trenches 601 00:26:58,680 --> 00:27:00,600 Speaker 7: and it's just going to be a different and style 602 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:04,600 Speaker 7: of football most of the way across in the Big Ten. 603 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 7: And no one's come out and just said, you know, hey, 604 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:08,480 Speaker 7: we really need to do this for you know, because 605 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:09,960 Speaker 7: of Big Ten purpose. I think you want to do 606 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:12,240 Speaker 7: that anyway, just to be a if you want to 607 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:15,439 Speaker 7: be a nationally competitive program, not just nationally relevant like 608 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:18,880 Speaker 7: they become you need to get better in the trenches. 609 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:21,159 Speaker 7: But I feel like that's where a lot of the 610 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:23,960 Speaker 7: focus is. That they've been able to get skill guys, 611 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:26,800 Speaker 7: and you know, you can you know, clayh Helton brought 612 00:27:26,800 --> 00:27:29,240 Speaker 7: in great skill guys, but to get elite, you know, 613 00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:31,639 Speaker 7: linemen on both sides of the ball, I think the 614 00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:34,359 Speaker 7: team has to be, you know, performing at another level. 615 00:27:34,359 --> 00:27:36,800 Speaker 7: And I feel like that's where the focus is going 616 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:39,680 Speaker 7: to be going forward. And it's been little hints though, 617 00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:41,359 Speaker 7: Dan about people kind of mentioned in that, but I 618 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:43,840 Speaker 7: don't have any doubt from the people you talk to 619 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:46,160 Speaker 7: behind the scenes that they know that that's something that 620 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:48,920 Speaker 7: if you want to be competitive in a conference like that, 621 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:50,679 Speaker 7: and then you know, going on and trying to be 622 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:52,960 Speaker 7: competitive in the college football playoffs with us he's never 623 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:53,520 Speaker 7: made before. 624 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:55,720 Speaker 6: You got to be better on the lines. There's just 625 00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 6: no question about it. Ran. 626 00:27:57,400 --> 00:27:59,800 Speaker 1: How excited are you to visit Chicago in the winter? 627 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 5: Ryan's from Big ten country, He's from PA. 628 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 6: Yeah, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts. 629 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 2: When I would yeah, sorry, yeah, yeah. 630 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:09,360 Speaker 6: I know. I came out here to get away from 631 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:09,639 Speaker 6: all that. 632 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:13,600 Speaker 7: Yeah, USC fans get a little dose of that when 633 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:16,280 Speaker 7: they go to you know, South Bend. Well, they mostly 634 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:18,399 Speaker 7: go to Chicago, but that's in October. I mean, if 635 00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:20,840 Speaker 7: they're going to be a Minneapolis trip in November, like 636 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:21,440 Speaker 7: that could be. 637 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:23,160 Speaker 6: Icy. 638 00:28:23,359 --> 00:28:25,520 Speaker 7: Yeah, I think the question is going to be, like, 639 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:28,399 Speaker 7: we don't know what this schedule is going to be, 640 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:30,960 Speaker 7: like what the Big ten is going to want to do. 641 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:34,480 Speaker 7: But if you want some sort of mutually beneficial you know, 642 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:36,960 Speaker 7: like Notre Dame in USC, they make it so Notre 643 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:39,920 Speaker 7: Dame comes to Los Angeles in November and USC goes 644 00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:44,520 Speaker 7: to South Bend in October. If you're you know, from Minnesota, 645 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:47,200 Speaker 7: you'd probably rather be in LA in November if you could. 646 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:49,719 Speaker 7: And so maybe USC has more November home games than 647 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 7: normal and maybe more road games in September October. 648 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:54,560 Speaker 6: I'm curious to see what they do with all that. 649 00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 7: But yeah, you know, if you're in Wisconsin you want 650 00:28:57,680 --> 00:28:59,959 Speaker 7: to come to southern California, it probably makes sense if 651 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 7: you'd rather do it November than September when it's warm 652 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:04,719 Speaker 7: where you are too. So I'm curious to see how 653 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 7: it is. But there's gonna be a lot of trips. 654 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:07,720 Speaker 7: I got to you know, you got to increase the 655 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:10,400 Speaker 7: travel budget. Now it's going to be a little bit 656 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:11,520 Speaker 7: different while doing that. 657 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:15,480 Speaker 1: What's the reaction been among the USC base. Because of 658 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:18,640 Speaker 1: the USC people, USC fans, super fans that I know 659 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:19,040 Speaker 1: here in. 660 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:21,120 Speaker 3: PA, they're thrilled, they love it. 661 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:23,960 Speaker 1: But my hunch is that people who are in California 662 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:27,440 Speaker 1: maybe feel differently, maybe because of weather considerations or I 663 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:31,000 Speaker 1: don't know, more travel. We're like, nobody could tell the 664 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:33,800 Speaker 1: temperature of the fan base better than you where people 665 00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:34,200 Speaker 1: at with this. 666 00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:35,480 Speaker 6: It's funny. 667 00:29:35,520 --> 00:29:38,880 Speaker 7: In the beginning, it was pretty fifty to fifty and 668 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:43,040 Speaker 7: I thought they would be overwhelming, like, you know, enthusiasm 669 00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:46,640 Speaker 7: about this, and then it sort of shifted and I 670 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:48,720 Speaker 7: feel like there's a lot of USC fans that feel 671 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:51,440 Speaker 7: like the Pac twelve never had their back when the 672 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:54,080 Speaker 7: Reggie Bush sanctions and all that stuff was going on, 673 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:56,920 Speaker 7: and they felt like they were, you know, carrying the 674 00:29:57,200 --> 00:29:59,400 Speaker 7: torch for the conference for years and weren't you know, 675 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:01,600 Speaker 7: didn't really get anything out of it. And then they're 676 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:03,200 Speaker 7: sort of like, hey, look now, you know, now we're 677 00:30:03,240 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 7: taking off. 678 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:04,360 Speaker 6: To do this. 679 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:09,160 Speaker 7: I think because it's such a football focus, that's why 680 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:11,080 Speaker 7: a lot of the fans are on board. I think 681 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:13,240 Speaker 7: more so than UCLA fans that I talked to that 682 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:16,240 Speaker 7: USC fans for the most part, are kind of happy 683 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:19,160 Speaker 7: about the way this is going. I feel like though, 684 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:21,120 Speaker 7: if you're a fan of you know, like the the 685 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:23,719 Speaker 7: volleyball teams and stuff like, man, it's good. I think 686 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:26,440 Speaker 7: it's gonna be tough, you know, uh, you know, but 687 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:30,000 Speaker 7: I think the focus for the football fans has been 688 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:33,760 Speaker 7: mostly positive after kind of an initial of like there's 689 00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:36,280 Speaker 7: there's there's old school fans that don't want to lose 690 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:39,480 Speaker 7: the rivalries with like cal and Stanford, you know, and 691 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:41,200 Speaker 7: even you know playing you know the stuff with like 692 00:30:41,280 --> 00:30:44,040 Speaker 7: Utah or Oregon or Washington. There's just a lot of 693 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:47,040 Speaker 7: history there that the fans don't really want to get 694 00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:48,840 Speaker 7: rid of. But they're excited about playing some of the 695 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:51,200 Speaker 7: brands I think in the Big Ten as well. 696 00:30:51,240 --> 00:30:52,840 Speaker 6: And you know, the fact that UCLA will be there. 697 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:55,160 Speaker 7: I think it's it's not like a Texas Texas, Texas 698 00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:56,840 Speaker 7: A and M thing where you're kind of getting split up. 699 00:30:56,840 --> 00:30:59,239 Speaker 7: At least you have your your dance partner for it. 700 00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:02,600 Speaker 7: But you know, and and the question would be, you know, 701 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:04,040 Speaker 7: it would be better if there was sort of a 702 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:06,880 Speaker 7: West coast pod, like if an Oregon in Washington were involved. 703 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:09,760 Speaker 7: But there's also the USC fans that that really hate 704 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:12,160 Speaker 7: Oregon for all the success that they've had recently, and 705 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 7: it'd rather leave them behind. So there's kind of, you know, 706 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 7: it's sort of a mixed bag. But for the most days. 707 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:18,840 Speaker 7: Of course, for the most part, I think most of 708 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:21,680 Speaker 7: the fans are really happy about this, after initially maybe 709 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:23,719 Speaker 7: being more of a coin flip kind of thing. 710 00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:26,320 Speaker 1: Where yet does it make you said, yeah, let's hear 711 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:28,040 Speaker 1: the Ryan abrahead where are you at? 712 00:31:28,680 --> 00:31:28,880 Speaker 6: Well? 713 00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:31,239 Speaker 7: I mean I do the podcast the Champions too, like 714 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:33,520 Speaker 7: David Woods and I so he's the UCLA guy. 715 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:35,640 Speaker 6: We've that's been mebe six or seven years. 716 00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:37,960 Speaker 7: We've done a pack to a podcast, and I've loved it, 717 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:40,840 Speaker 7: Like it's helped me cover USC because all the play 718 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:44,600 Speaker 7: all the teams that USC plays, I now have more 719 00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:47,000 Speaker 7: deep intimate knowledge of and I got to talk to 720 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:50,600 Speaker 7: reporters from those markets, and I don't want to see 721 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:52,720 Speaker 7: that split up. But obviously something's going to have to 722 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:55,360 Speaker 7: change with with all of that. So as a collegeortaball 723 00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:57,480 Speaker 7: fan and just as a you know, just you know, 724 00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:00,320 Speaker 7: doing my job. I think it's I'm kind of sad 725 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:01,920 Speaker 7: about it, you know, I don't want to see the 726 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:05,320 Speaker 7: West Coast sort of break up like it is. But 727 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:08,360 Speaker 7: I think, you know, as a business person, like it's 728 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:10,120 Speaker 7: you know, I'm going to lose something on the Pac 729 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:12,640 Speaker 7: twelve side, But my main business is USC and I 730 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:15,120 Speaker 7: feel like, just from what's happened in the last year 731 00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:17,520 Speaker 7: and a half, it's probably going to be a good 732 00:32:17,560 --> 00:32:20,800 Speaker 7: thing for business. You know, playing Michigan and Ohio State 733 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:23,560 Speaker 7: and Wisconsin and Penn State all the time, I feel 734 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:25,400 Speaker 7: like it's going to be you know, a positive there. 735 00:32:25,440 --> 00:32:27,920 Speaker 7: So college football changes a lot. I you know, I 736 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:30,080 Speaker 7: love the tradition of it, so it kind of makes me. 737 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:32,880 Speaker 7: It definitely makes me sad to see something like that change. 738 00:32:33,320 --> 00:32:35,640 Speaker 7: But going forward, I mean, I feel like it's going 739 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:38,880 Speaker 7: to be you know, a benefit for USC football dot 740 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:41,280 Speaker 7: Com and everything. But it's it's not something I would 741 00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:42,040 Speaker 7: have picked. 742 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:44,080 Speaker 3: I guess you could say, yeah, that's fair, that's fair. 743 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:50,120 Speaker 5: Which Big ten destination should expect the biggest influx of 744 00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:55,120 Speaker 5: traveling Trojan fans? Where is the enthusiasm, where's the road enthusiasm? 745 00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:56,760 Speaker 5: Is it the Big House? Is it the shoe is 746 00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:59,160 Speaker 5: a Penn State? Is it Wisconsin? Where? 747 00:32:59,280 --> 00:32:59,440 Speaker 6: Where? 748 00:32:59,480 --> 00:33:02,520 Speaker 5: Who should it expect the interlopers from l A. 749 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:04,520 Speaker 6: Oh, that's a good one, I would say. 750 00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:09,600 Speaker 7: I mean, I think Columbus as far as like how 751 00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:12,800 Speaker 7: you know USC fans remember like when Matt Barkley and 752 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:15,040 Speaker 7: Joe McKnight went there and with two thousand and nine 753 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:17,320 Speaker 7: or whatever, And it's not as hard to get to 754 00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:20,160 Speaker 7: as some of the other spots, like no offense time. 755 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:21,840 Speaker 6: You know, Penn State not exactly. 756 00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:23,440 Speaker 5: Sure, Oh my god, Penn State. I am the worst 757 00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:27,120 Speaker 5: in America. I am Ryan. How dare you? And he 758 00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:30,080 Speaker 5: also agrees, by the way, but I've been But. 759 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:32,840 Speaker 7: I think for me personally, I've never been to the 760 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:34,600 Speaker 7: Big House. I would love to do that. I want 761 00:33:34,600 --> 00:33:38,840 Speaker 7: to go check that out. But I the there's just this, 762 00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:41,600 Speaker 7: you know, this USC Ohio State thing. I I don't 763 00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:43,480 Speaker 7: know how they're going to pair everything up. I feel 764 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:45,600 Speaker 7: like USC Ohio State are gonna get paired up somehow, 765 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:47,880 Speaker 7: like that's gonna have to be a thing. And the 766 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:51,240 Speaker 7: fact that US Ohio State canceled their Washington game for 767 00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:53,840 Speaker 7: twenty twenty four, my guess is they're coming to the 768 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:56,160 Speaker 7: Coliseum in twenty twenty four, you know. 769 00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:57,960 Speaker 6: And that'll be crazy year. 770 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:01,480 Speaker 7: USC starts with LSU and and Lost Vegas potentially has 771 00:34:01,520 --> 00:34:03,200 Speaker 7: like you know, and he has Notre Dame, and then 772 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:05,360 Speaker 7: you might have Ohio State in the colosseum. But I 773 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:08,200 Speaker 7: feel like the Columbus one will be a big one, 774 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:11,280 Speaker 7: you know, Michigan, Ohio State, you know, at Penn State's 775 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:14,320 Speaker 7: big as far as it's like environment, like going to Madison, 776 00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:16,040 Speaker 7: I think is going to be, you know, amazing, but 777 00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:18,640 Speaker 7: I think it's it'd be hard not to say Ohio 778 00:34:18,680 --> 00:34:19,720 Speaker 7: State at this point. 779 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:21,719 Speaker 5: I want to finish this out just staying in your 780 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:24,359 Speaker 5: backyard in LA. And this is since you mentioned that 781 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:26,040 Speaker 5: you spend you know, a good chunk of time with 782 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:28,719 Speaker 5: Lincoln Riley. I don't know how to phrase this correctly, 783 00:34:29,200 --> 00:34:34,480 Speaker 5: but is Lincoln Riley sort of getting more comfortable in 784 00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:37,840 Speaker 5: his own skin as the USC coach as you know, 785 00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:40,200 Speaker 5: a southern California resident, you know, he doesn't have the 786 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:43,000 Speaker 5: history out west, you know, the entirety of his time 787 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:45,680 Speaker 5: as a coach has been you know, Midwest East coast. 788 00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:50,080 Speaker 5: Does does he seem to be adapting I would say 789 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:54,520 Speaker 5: to a pretty different way of living out west yeah. 790 00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:58,720 Speaker 7: I think as far as his adaptation goes, I feel 791 00:34:58,719 --> 00:35:01,359 Speaker 7: like he sort of raced it early. I mean, he's 792 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:04,000 Speaker 7: got young kids and a wife, and they're like, oh, 793 00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:07,960 Speaker 7: we have the ocean and Disneyland and they're pretty I 794 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:10,520 Speaker 7: think they're like buying. It's like you're on vacation, you know, 795 00:35:11,239 --> 00:35:13,520 Speaker 7: and a bunch of the coaches, you know. I talked 796 00:35:13,560 --> 00:35:16,040 Speaker 7: to Benny Wiley, the strength and conditioning coach sometimes. You know, 797 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:18,520 Speaker 7: he posts on his Instagram all the time about like 798 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:20,960 Speaker 7: live where people go on vacation. It's like, okay, that 799 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:24,440 Speaker 7: makes sense, you know. And but for for Lincoln I 800 00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:27,480 Speaker 7: think he's one of this is now, you know, his 801 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:30,040 Speaker 7: second time being a head coach, and I think the 802 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:32,600 Speaker 7: first time when he was Oklahoma, obviously you get to 803 00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:35,319 Speaker 7: learn from, you know, one of the greats of all 804 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:38,640 Speaker 7: time and Bob Stoops. It was a you know, pretty 805 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:41,480 Speaker 7: closed program and I talked to media members that were covering. 806 00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:42,800 Speaker 6: There just wasn't a lot of access. 807 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:45,480 Speaker 7: You never talked to assistant coaches, and USC was the 808 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:47,480 Speaker 7: kind of the other opposite, you know, opposite end of that. 809 00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:50,200 Speaker 6: And I feel like he's adapted what. 810 00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:53,240 Speaker 7: He would normally do to you know, kind of USC's 811 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:54,920 Speaker 7: waves where there's more open, we get to talk to 812 00:35:54,960 --> 00:35:57,800 Speaker 7: more assistant coaches, you can watch a little bit more practice. 813 00:35:57,840 --> 00:36:00,440 Speaker 7: It's still more close than it was before, but it's 814 00:36:00,840 --> 00:36:04,239 Speaker 7: I think he's adapted that to, Hey, we're in Los Angeles, 815 00:36:04,239 --> 00:36:06,239 Speaker 7: you're not We're not the only game in town. There's 816 00:36:06,440 --> 00:36:11,160 Speaker 7: you know, Caleb Williams won the Hydrotrophy. He's probably not 817 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:14,239 Speaker 7: top fifteen sports stars in the city, right, Like, I 818 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:16,400 Speaker 7: don't know, what would you say, you know, he's not 819 00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:19,400 Speaker 7: bigger than Lebron James or Why Leonard or things like that, 820 00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:22,040 Speaker 7: So like it's that's different. So I think he's adapted 821 00:36:22,080 --> 00:36:24,240 Speaker 7: to sort of the differences of being in a major 822 00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:27,560 Speaker 7: pro sports town. Uh, you know where Mike Trout is 823 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:30,720 Speaker 7: walking around versus you know where you're in Norman, Oklahoma. 824 00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:33,200 Speaker 6: But I think the thing that he embraced the most 825 00:36:33,480 --> 00:36:34,839 Speaker 6: was you. 826 00:36:34,920 --> 00:36:38,400 Speaker 7: Have he can go to a restaurant and he's just 827 00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:41,960 Speaker 7: a guy and he's like everyone's dropped, you know, like 828 00:36:42,280 --> 00:36:44,880 Speaker 7: coming over and you'll get that. But I feel like 829 00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:46,680 Speaker 7: he feels like he can be more of a human 830 00:36:46,719 --> 00:36:50,239 Speaker 7: being in Los Angeles, where it's you're not under this microscope. 831 00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:53,279 Speaker 7: I don't think he's the most comfortable just being in 832 00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:54,279 Speaker 7: the spotlight all the time. 833 00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:55,560 Speaker 6: I think he's handled it pretty well. 834 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:57,839 Speaker 7: But he can go about him and his family can 835 00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:02,080 Speaker 7: go about living their lives and not feel like everyone 836 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:03,360 Speaker 7: that's going to come up to you and want to 837 00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:06,520 Speaker 7: say something. I think Caleb Williams had a thing before 838 00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:07,959 Speaker 7: he won the Heisman. He was like out the dinner 839 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:10,440 Speaker 7: at some nice restaurant and there's like Rihanna's in there, 840 00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:12,680 Speaker 7: so like no one's coming over to him to say hi, 841 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:15,560 Speaker 7: Like they're going over to that. So I think that's 842 00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:18,640 Speaker 7: one thing that they've kind of adapted to, uh, you know, 843 00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:21,799 Speaker 7: fairly quickly because it's you are. It's just a much 844 00:37:21,840 --> 00:37:24,239 Speaker 7: bigger pond, So you're not the hugest fish in a 845 00:37:24,280 --> 00:37:26,600 Speaker 7: small pond. People still know who you are, and but 846 00:37:26,719 --> 00:37:28,960 Speaker 7: it's not going to be the same as if you were. 847 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:30,960 Speaker 7: You know, you're you're not an A list celebrity here 848 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:33,120 Speaker 7: like you would be, and maybe more of a college town. 849 00:37:33,719 --> 00:37:37,440 Speaker 5: On the flip side, how is USC adapted to Lincoln 850 00:37:37,560 --> 00:37:41,240 Speaker 5: Riley and Lincoln Riley's what I assume to be expectations 851 00:37:41,239 --> 00:37:43,960 Speaker 5: and visions of a major national football program. I think 852 00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:45,799 Speaker 5: the last time you were on, we talked about it 853 00:37:45,880 --> 00:37:51,280 Speaker 5: where it's USC has a tough time competing with hiring analysts, hiring, 854 00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:55,960 Speaker 5: recruiting personnel, hiring nutrition, you know, overhauling facilities, just because 855 00:37:56,400 --> 00:37:59,160 Speaker 5: the cost of construction in LA, the price of the 856 00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:02,080 Speaker 5: cost of living in LA. You know, if you know 857 00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:03,680 Speaker 5: Texas A and M is going to pay a staff 858 00:38:03,680 --> 00:38:06,000 Speaker 5: for sixty thousand dollars, you just can't get away with 859 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:08,640 Speaker 5: that at USC. It's not competitive given the cost of 860 00:38:08,680 --> 00:38:12,760 Speaker 5: living in LA. Has there been investment either thanks to boosters, 861 00:38:12,760 --> 00:38:17,520 Speaker 5: thanks to administration, thanks to the anticipation of Big ten money. 862 00:38:17,600 --> 00:38:20,960 Speaker 5: Are there dollars pouring into the USC program to compete 863 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:26,400 Speaker 5: behind the scenes with Georgia, Florida, Texas, Ohio, State, Oregon, 864 00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:30,400 Speaker 5: all of these places that are able to have these huge, huge, 865 00:38:30,920 --> 00:38:34,160 Speaker 5: you know, program infrastructure budgets. 866 00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:37,840 Speaker 7: Yeah, there's definitely been an increase in their budgets in 867 00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:41,000 Speaker 7: the athletic de pariment. I think when Mike Bone took 868 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:43,160 Speaker 7: over a few years ago, and you know, there was 869 00:38:43,200 --> 00:38:47,360 Speaker 7: a lot of criticism about why aren't you firing Clailton today? 870 00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:49,799 Speaker 6: A lot of it was they needed. 871 00:38:49,520 --> 00:38:52,400 Speaker 7: To build that sort of infrastructure behind the scenes to 872 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:55,000 Speaker 7: make a soft landing for any coach that you would 873 00:38:55,160 --> 00:38:58,279 Speaker 7: bring in, right. They were basically saying like, hey, we 874 00:38:58,320 --> 00:39:00,800 Speaker 7: could fire Clayulton today, but you're not high Lincoln Riley. 875 00:39:00,800 --> 00:39:02,040 Speaker 6: You're going to get somebody else. 876 00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:05,040 Speaker 7: And you know, to their credit, like they did take 877 00:39:05,040 --> 00:39:07,120 Speaker 7: a little time to kind of build up behind the scenes, 878 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:08,880 Speaker 7: and when they did make a hire, it was big 879 00:39:08,920 --> 00:39:11,719 Speaker 7: and it was Lincoln Riley. So I you know, there's 880 00:39:11,800 --> 00:39:15,080 Speaker 7: talk about you know, facilities, They've always like you said, Dan, 881 00:39:15,120 --> 00:39:18,279 Speaker 7: there's sort of always been behind the curve there, Like 882 00:39:18,320 --> 00:39:21,319 Speaker 7: even when Pete Carroll was around. I remember talking to 883 00:39:21,440 --> 00:39:24,200 Speaker 7: their strength and conditioning coach Chris Carlisle and they literally 884 00:39:24,239 --> 00:39:26,680 Speaker 7: had the worst weight room. I mean you would go 885 00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:28,360 Speaker 7: in there and it was crazy. Chris Carla was in 886 00:39:28,360 --> 00:39:31,920 Speaker 7: a basically a closet with Reggie Bush doing like bench 887 00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:34,520 Speaker 7: presses right outside of his door, and they're like, you know, 888 00:39:34,600 --> 00:39:36,759 Speaker 7: number one in the country. And he told me at 889 00:39:36,760 --> 00:39:38,760 Speaker 7: the time, he's like, you know, hey, we need better 890 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:41,200 Speaker 7: weight room. And he said, the administration told them that 891 00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:43,360 Speaker 7: we'll go win a PACTF championship. Then they did, and 892 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:45,440 Speaker 7: they said, well, go win a national championship, and they did. 893 00:39:45,520 --> 00:39:47,239 Speaker 7: He said well, you already won, you don't really need that, 894 00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:48,880 Speaker 7: And it was sort of like that's sort of been 895 00:39:48,880 --> 00:39:51,600 Speaker 7: the attitude for years of we can make do, we 896 00:39:51,640 --> 00:39:53,160 Speaker 7: don't need to do what everyone else is doing. 897 00:39:53,160 --> 00:39:55,560 Speaker 6: But college football is changing. I think you have to 898 00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:56,440 Speaker 6: keep up with the Joneses. 899 00:39:56,560 --> 00:39:59,200 Speaker 7: Will they ever get to a budget like a Georgia 900 00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:00,960 Speaker 7: or in Alabama, I don't know that, but I think 901 00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:06,080 Speaker 7: they're definitely putting more resources into it. They're they've been 902 00:40:06,160 --> 00:40:08,600 Speaker 7: behind on the nil stuff for sure, and I'm curious 903 00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:12,080 Speaker 7: to see where that kind of goes, because you know, 904 00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:14,440 Speaker 7: they're they're more selling what you could do when you 905 00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:17,759 Speaker 7: get to USC and maybe that all changes now. But 906 00:40:17,800 --> 00:40:20,759 Speaker 7: they're they're not having programs where you know, like we 907 00:40:20,800 --> 00:40:22,759 Speaker 7: see at Texas A and M or Tennessee that are 908 00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:26,319 Speaker 7: really organized and you know, funneling money in and for 909 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:28,960 Speaker 7: these players. If you're Kayleb Williams, you're going to do well. 910 00:40:28,960 --> 00:40:31,520 Speaker 7: He gets a lot of great deals. But you know, 911 00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:33,520 Speaker 7: it's LA. It's more of a star driven town. If 912 00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:36,600 Speaker 7: you're the you know, the starting center, are you really 913 00:40:36,640 --> 00:40:38,040 Speaker 7: going to get the good the same kind of stuff? 914 00:40:38,040 --> 00:40:39,960 Speaker 7: So that's where I think maybe you've got to look 915 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:42,440 Speaker 7: at for USC needs to get better, and they've had 916 00:40:42,480 --> 00:40:45,799 Speaker 7: a few collective startup just in the last several months. 917 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:48,440 Speaker 7: But I fill with the administration they're putting money into it. 918 00:40:49,080 --> 00:40:51,160 Speaker 7: The nal thing is more of a as a I 919 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:53,240 Speaker 7: don't know. I mean, they could get left far behind 920 00:40:53,239 --> 00:40:55,760 Speaker 7: in that, or it could you know, that whole landscape 921 00:40:55,760 --> 00:40:57,879 Speaker 7: could change and they could catch up. But it's that's 922 00:40:57,920 --> 00:40:59,600 Speaker 7: one area I would take a look at that. I'm 923 00:40:59,640 --> 00:41:02,080 Speaker 7: not sure that they know exactly what they're doing with 924 00:41:02,239 --> 00:41:02,520 Speaker 7: right now. 925 00:41:02,680 --> 00:41:04,840 Speaker 1: Right Brian, what are you watching for this spring? 926 00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:09,160 Speaker 7: I think really mostly on the defensive side of the ball. 927 00:41:09,239 --> 00:41:13,000 Speaker 7: If any schematic changes are happening, you know what the 928 00:41:13,080 --> 00:41:16,000 Speaker 7: defensive personnel looks like with what we get to watch. 929 00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:19,080 Speaker 7: That the whole point if you want to get to 930 00:41:19,120 --> 00:41:20,879 Speaker 7: that next level, Like you know, they were just close 931 00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:23,560 Speaker 7: to winning a Pac Goof championship. They could have potentially 932 00:41:23,640 --> 00:41:26,000 Speaker 7: made the playoff and all that, but if they don't 933 00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:28,480 Speaker 7: have a much improved defense, I don't think any of 934 00:41:28,480 --> 00:41:31,680 Speaker 7: that matters. So I feel like now the schedule is tougher. 935 00:41:31,719 --> 00:41:34,000 Speaker 7: You got Oregon and Washington back on the schedule, So 936 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:36,279 Speaker 7: if they're not going to skate through that like they're 937 00:41:36,280 --> 00:41:38,360 Speaker 7: gonna have to have a better defense to win the 938 00:41:38,400 --> 00:41:41,160 Speaker 7: Pac twelve this year. So that's what I definitely want 939 00:41:41,160 --> 00:41:43,600 Speaker 7: to watch for. How they how much better can they get? 940 00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:46,799 Speaker 7: You talk to the guys, I mean, just Lincoln Riley 941 00:41:46,840 --> 00:41:49,279 Speaker 7: had a lot of confidence that there's going to be 942 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:51,759 Speaker 7: a much improved defensive team. So that's kind of what 943 00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:53,600 Speaker 7: I want to see. If they can do that, then 944 00:41:53,600 --> 00:41:55,480 Speaker 7: they have a real chance of actually making some more 945 00:41:55,560 --> 00:41:56,600 Speaker 7: national noise this year. 946 00:41:57,040 --> 00:41:59,160 Speaker 5: So as we get into spring football, then we get 947 00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:03,080 Speaker 5: into summer, into USC's final season fully out west in 948 00:42:03,120 --> 00:42:07,600 Speaker 5: the Pac ten twelve whatever, we have Big ten in 949 00:42:07,680 --> 00:42:11,959 Speaker 5: twenty twenty four. And that also means aside from Ryan 950 00:42:11,960 --> 00:42:15,480 Speaker 5: Abraham and all of the LA interlopers to the Midwest 951 00:42:15,480 --> 00:42:18,600 Speaker 5: and East coast, we are going to have fan bases 952 00:42:18,719 --> 00:42:21,799 Speaker 5: that are not used to coming to Southern California end up, 953 00:42:22,160 --> 00:42:25,160 Speaker 5: you know, following their team in for a UCLA or USC. 954 00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:27,319 Speaker 5: And I guess we can be specific about USC here. 955 00:42:28,280 --> 00:42:30,680 Speaker 5: Where should they be staying, what should they be doing? 956 00:42:30,800 --> 00:42:33,200 Speaker 5: You know, downtown LA might be a little bit different 957 00:42:33,320 --> 00:42:37,239 Speaker 5: than suburban Maryland or New Jersey or Minneapolis. You know, 958 00:42:37,600 --> 00:42:40,239 Speaker 5: what would you recommend to those coming out for a 959 00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:43,000 Speaker 5: USC game. How should they make make it a weekend. 960 00:42:43,680 --> 00:42:45,680 Speaker 7: It's so funny because I mean, you're familiar with the 961 00:42:45,719 --> 00:42:48,080 Speaker 7: area and when you when people come out for the 962 00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:51,279 Speaker 7: Rose Bowl or you're like, oh, I'm staying in I'm 963 00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:53,480 Speaker 7: staying in Pasadena. Is that's where everyone's staying Like, no, 964 00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:55,800 Speaker 7: you're not one staying in Pasadena. I were like, Oh, 965 00:42:55,960 --> 00:42:59,040 Speaker 7: I'm in Newport Beach. How close is that? 966 00:42:58,160 --> 00:43:00,719 Speaker 6: That's not very a day trip. 967 00:43:00,840 --> 00:43:03,840 Speaker 7: Yeah, yeah, I mean I'm a beach guy, you know, 968 00:43:03,920 --> 00:43:06,759 Speaker 7: I'm a South Bay guy. I think if you're somewhere 969 00:43:06,920 --> 00:43:08,840 Speaker 7: like in the Manhattan Beach for most of beach area, 970 00:43:09,040 --> 00:43:11,279 Speaker 7: you're gonna you're gonna enjoy yourself, you have a good time. 971 00:43:11,320 --> 00:43:13,520 Speaker 7: But you know, if you're on the coast, like in 972 00:43:13,600 --> 00:43:17,319 Speaker 7: Santa Monica or Venice, like there's some cool stuff you 973 00:43:17,360 --> 00:43:17,719 Speaker 7: can do. 974 00:43:18,239 --> 00:43:20,560 Speaker 6: So it depends. I would love you reach out to me, 975 00:43:20,640 --> 00:43:22,560 Speaker 6: you know, let me know, like what are you interested in? 976 00:43:22,640 --> 00:43:25,120 Speaker 7: But like you're like, you're not staying in like downtown 977 00:43:25,120 --> 00:43:27,319 Speaker 7: Los Angeles most likely, like oh, I'm right near the 978 00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:30,160 Speaker 7: convention Center. Like Okay, that's probably not that fun, right. 979 00:43:31,040 --> 00:43:33,279 Speaker 7: I'm more I would focus more on the beaches. Dan, 980 00:43:33,360 --> 00:43:35,560 Speaker 7: I love when you know you're gonna come to southern California, 981 00:43:35,840 --> 00:43:37,800 Speaker 7: stay near the beach. There's a lot of cool stuff. 982 00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:39,560 Speaker 7: It's hard to go wrong with like a Santa Monica 983 00:43:39,640 --> 00:43:40,879 Speaker 7: or Manhattan beach something like that. 984 00:43:40,920 --> 00:43:42,200 Speaker 6: But just be aware. 985 00:43:42,280 --> 00:43:43,759 Speaker 7: This is not like I'm not going to jump on 986 00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:46,840 Speaker 7: a train and get to wherever I need to go. Like, 987 00:43:46,880 --> 00:43:48,520 Speaker 7: you could literally be staying like an hour and a 988 00:43:48,520 --> 00:43:50,680 Speaker 7: half away from where you need to be, and people 989 00:43:50,719 --> 00:43:52,319 Speaker 7: don't even realize that most of the time. 990 00:43:52,480 --> 00:43:55,600 Speaker 5: Yeah, and I would also add eat Mexican food. Yes, 991 00:43:56,000 --> 00:43:59,800 Speaker 5: that's the move because most likely from where you're coming, 992 00:44:00,040 --> 00:44:03,240 Speaker 5: the Mexican food will be nowhere near as good as 993 00:44:03,400 --> 00:44:05,279 Speaker 5: if you're going to UCLA game, if you're going to 994 00:44:05,400 --> 00:44:08,520 Speaker 5: USC game. Make it a point to uh to search 995 00:44:08,520 --> 00:44:12,400 Speaker 5: out the best tacos or whatever in La. That's so 996 00:44:12,480 --> 00:44:15,360 Speaker 5: that's that's I think the simplest move. Go stay somewhere 997 00:44:15,400 --> 00:44:18,240 Speaker 5: near water if you can, and seek out tacos. 998 00:44:18,560 --> 00:44:22,080 Speaker 7: Yeah you're the taco expert, but there's so many good ones. 999 00:44:22,120 --> 00:44:24,040 Speaker 7: If you're gonna be downtown, there's you know that whole 1000 00:44:24,120 --> 00:44:26,840 Speaker 7: district down there. Yeah, it's a lot of cool and 1001 00:44:26,840 --> 00:44:30,280 Speaker 7: it's funny, Lat's a big burger place, which, yeah, probably 1002 00:44:30,280 --> 00:44:31,800 Speaker 7: coming from somewhere that's great burgers. 1003 00:44:31,800 --> 00:44:32,920 Speaker 6: But there's just a lot of kind. 1004 00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:36,040 Speaker 7: Of cool burgers here obviously, you know, sushi, a lot 1005 00:44:36,080 --> 00:44:38,279 Speaker 7: of different kind of Asian cuisine you can get, but 1006 00:44:38,840 --> 00:44:40,839 Speaker 7: tough to beat. You know, the Mexican. You could just 1007 00:44:41,040 --> 00:44:43,560 Speaker 7: stumble upon a random hole in the wall Mexican place. 1008 00:44:43,600 --> 00:44:44,080 Speaker 6: It could be. 1009 00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:46,080 Speaker 7: A you know, out of this world, so I would 1010 00:44:46,080 --> 00:44:48,080 Speaker 7: I would definitely go with that recommendation too. 1011 00:44:48,600 --> 00:44:54,440 Speaker 5: Ryan Abraham Paristyle podcast usc Football dot Com is just 1012 00:44:54,600 --> 00:44:57,680 Speaker 5: one of the originals. Is an icon, is a legend. 1013 00:44:58,239 --> 00:45:00,000 Speaker 5: You know, if you happen to be down in the South, 1014 00:45:00,360 --> 00:45:03,160 Speaker 5: you'll probably run into him somewhere, because that's just how 1015 00:45:03,200 --> 00:45:06,839 Speaker 5: it works. Ryan, thank you so much for your time. 1016 00:45:08,239 --> 00:45:10,600 Speaker 6: Thank you guys very much. It's always a pleasure. Great 1017 00:45:10,600 --> 00:45:11,280 Speaker 6: to be on again. 1018 00:45:11,360 --> 00:45:13,440 Speaker 4: Thank you all right, Dary good good to catch up 1019 00:45:13,480 --> 00:45:16,319 Speaker 4: with Ryan Man simply the best. We haven't talked to 1020 00:45:16,400 --> 00:45:21,040 Speaker 4: Ryan and god knows how long. It is always a pleasure, 1021 00:45:21,960 --> 00:45:22,319 Speaker 4: it is. 1022 00:45:22,520 --> 00:45:25,239 Speaker 1: It is a moment for us as longtime podcasters to 1023 00:45:25,280 --> 00:45:28,160 Speaker 1: also talk to another longtime podcaster, because he's got the gear, 1024 00:45:28,239 --> 00:45:31,000 Speaker 1: he sounds good, he's always willing to come on. He 1025 00:45:31,200 --> 00:45:34,600 Speaker 1: knows the medium, Ryan Abraham go to USC. 1026 00:45:34,680 --> 00:45:37,040 Speaker 5: Yeah, why does Why does he have the gear? Why 1027 00:45:37,080 --> 00:45:38,840 Speaker 5: does he have the know how? Because you gave it 1028 00:45:38,880 --> 00:45:41,120 Speaker 5: to him for free, ty you're giving away. 1029 00:45:41,160 --> 00:45:42,880 Speaker 3: You have figured out he's a smart guy. 1030 00:45:43,520 --> 00:45:46,080 Speaker 5: I think he has like a like an engineering background something. 1031 00:45:46,080 --> 00:45:46,600 Speaker 5: He'd be fine. 1032 00:45:46,600 --> 00:45:48,160 Speaker 3: Clearly, he'd be perfectly fine. 1033 00:45:48,400 --> 00:45:51,120 Speaker 1: We have traded tips though over the years, and it's 1034 00:45:51,120 --> 00:45:53,080 Speaker 1: always good to have him on to get his insight 1035 00:45:53,160 --> 00:45:56,760 Speaker 1: on USC because nobody is quite as plugged in as him. 1036 00:45:57,160 --> 00:45:58,640 Speaker 1: We're gonna do more of this now. As we said 1037 00:45:58,680 --> 00:46:01,680 Speaker 1: at the top, it is the the reason for the season, right. 1038 00:46:01,719 --> 00:46:05,440 Speaker 1: We can't build towards twenty twenty three. We can't really 1039 00:46:05,440 --> 00:46:08,239 Speaker 1: start talking about spring football, at least with some of 1040 00:46:08,239 --> 00:46:10,600 Speaker 1: these first year coaches, until we do the debrief on 1041 00:46:10,640 --> 00:46:13,680 Speaker 1: the year that was so an as for USC, we're 1042 00:46:13,680 --> 00:46:16,319 Speaker 1: going to note that, We'll put that somewhere and we're 1043 00:46:16,320 --> 00:46:18,359 Speaker 1: going to continue getting grades on some of these first 1044 00:46:18,440 --> 00:46:23,160 Speaker 1: year coaches as we forge ahead. Look, we've got like 1045 00:46:23,239 --> 00:46:24,880 Speaker 1: six months, six. 1046 00:46:24,640 --> 00:46:25,760 Speaker 2: Months of time to kill. 1047 00:46:26,040 --> 00:46:28,239 Speaker 1: Yeah, maybe not even six months of time to kill 1048 00:46:28,280 --> 00:46:30,920 Speaker 1: before we start talking about week one. So let's do 1049 00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:33,760 Speaker 1: it responsibly. Let's get our heads in a good spot. 1050 00:46:33,960 --> 00:46:36,560 Speaker 1: Let's figure out what went right, what went wrong in 1051 00:46:36,600 --> 00:46:38,160 Speaker 1: the year that was for a lot of these guys, 1052 00:46:38,160 --> 00:46:41,200 Speaker 1: and you're one of their new stops. And let's just 1053 00:46:41,280 --> 00:46:42,960 Speaker 1: keep moving, man, keep the legs moving. 1054 00:46:43,440 --> 00:46:47,279 Speaker 5: Can I be so forward to ask ty is what 1055 00:46:47,400 --> 00:46:50,160 Speaker 5: is your opinion on the state of the USC program? 1056 00:46:50,320 --> 00:46:52,640 Speaker 5: And we record this March twentieth mid Day. 1057 00:46:52,920 --> 00:46:55,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I think A minus is the right answer. 1058 00:46:56,080 --> 00:46:56,200 Speaker 6: OK. 1059 00:46:56,760 --> 00:46:59,239 Speaker 1: And I even kind of alluded to that when I 1060 00:46:59,280 --> 00:47:01,760 Speaker 1: asked the question. I felt weird asking him the question. 1061 00:47:01,880 --> 00:47:04,439 Speaker 1: But people want to hear from the guru. 1062 00:47:04,080 --> 00:47:05,920 Speaker 3: The USC guru, what do you think about USC? 1063 00:47:07,080 --> 00:47:09,520 Speaker 1: If it's not an A, it's an A minus because, 1064 00:47:10,400 --> 00:47:14,239 Speaker 1: as he mentioned, for whatever reason, and it feels odd 1065 00:47:14,280 --> 00:47:17,040 Speaker 1: to say that USC was not really in that national 1066 00:47:17,040 --> 00:47:20,359 Speaker 1: conversation with Clay Hilton, not as often as they should 1067 00:47:20,400 --> 00:47:24,400 Speaker 1: have been anyway. So the fact that Lincoln Riley storms 1068 00:47:24,440 --> 00:47:26,719 Speaker 1: into town, the fact that he brings some of the 1069 00:47:26,719 --> 00:47:30,279 Speaker 1: best players from around college football into LA, that they 1070 00:47:30,280 --> 00:47:34,160 Speaker 1: have an eleven to one season for a long time 1071 00:47:34,960 --> 00:47:37,880 Speaker 1: down the stretch, they were part of that national conversation 1072 00:47:38,560 --> 00:47:41,080 Speaker 1: and could have very well gotten into the playoff if 1073 00:47:41,120 --> 00:47:42,759 Speaker 1: things had maybe shaken out a. 1074 00:47:42,760 --> 00:47:43,520 Speaker 3: Little bit differently. 1075 00:47:43,920 --> 00:47:46,760 Speaker 1: Obviously, kaya williams Wan's the Heisman Trophy. That's a pretty 1076 00:47:46,760 --> 00:47:50,000 Speaker 1: big deal at USC really anywhere around college football. The 1077 00:47:50,040 --> 00:47:53,160 Speaker 1: defense stank, The defense was not good. The defense needs 1078 00:47:53,200 --> 00:47:54,680 Speaker 1: to get better. I don't know where you start to 1079 00:47:54,719 --> 00:47:57,440 Speaker 1: try and fix things there, but just by virtue of 1080 00:47:57,520 --> 00:48:00,680 Speaker 1: like I think, rebuilding the culture as quickly as he 1081 00:48:00,719 --> 00:48:04,359 Speaker 1: did and making USC fans and members of the USC 1082 00:48:04,480 --> 00:48:07,480 Speaker 1: program believe to the extent that they have, that's a 1083 00:48:07,560 --> 00:48:09,879 Speaker 1: huge dub. It's a huge dumb. It can't be any 1084 00:48:09,880 --> 00:48:11,120 Speaker 1: lower than an ay minus. 1085 00:48:11,480 --> 00:48:11,680 Speaker 6: Yeah. 1086 00:48:11,719 --> 00:48:14,200 Speaker 5: I think USC is one of the most fascinating programs 1087 00:48:14,239 --> 00:48:16,200 Speaker 5: in the country moving forward, not just because of the 1088 00:48:16,680 --> 00:48:19,280 Speaker 5: conference shift to the Big Ten, but because of Lincoln 1089 00:48:19,360 --> 00:48:21,839 Speaker 5: Riley's name, because of his ability to attract quarterbacks. They 1090 00:48:21,840 --> 00:48:24,960 Speaker 5: have that quarterback of the future now locally in Malachi Nelson, 1091 00:48:25,200 --> 00:48:27,480 Speaker 5: who is the class of the Jewel of the class 1092 00:48:27,520 --> 00:48:29,279 Speaker 5: of twenty twenty three. So that's not going to be 1093 00:48:29,320 --> 00:48:30,640 Speaker 5: a question to me. I think they're just going to 1094 00:48:30,920 --> 00:48:33,680 Speaker 5: continually put out no matter you know, which defense they're 1095 00:48:33,680 --> 00:48:36,000 Speaker 5: playing against. If it's you know, Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin. 1096 00:48:36,040 --> 00:48:37,799 Speaker 5: I think they're gonna score a lot of points in 1097 00:48:37,840 --> 00:48:41,400 Speaker 5: the Big Ten. It's going to be to me national 1098 00:48:41,440 --> 00:48:45,759 Speaker 5: recruiting and defense and coaching staff. And obviously Lincoln Riley 1099 00:48:45,800 --> 00:48:48,680 Speaker 5: showed a lot of loyalty towards Alex Grinch, which points 1100 00:48:48,680 --> 00:48:51,759 Speaker 5: to the fact that Lincoln Riley likely felt, as Ryan 1101 00:48:51,800 --> 00:48:53,920 Speaker 5: pointed out, that the roster was not in a terrific 1102 00:48:53,960 --> 00:48:56,480 Speaker 5: place on defense, and so they were just doing the 1103 00:48:56,520 --> 00:48:58,399 Speaker 5: best with what they had and what they could bring 1104 00:48:58,440 --> 00:49:01,600 Speaker 5: in quickly. And so so if USC is successful in 1105 00:49:01,600 --> 00:49:03,960 Speaker 5: the Big Ten, if they become a perennial playoff team, 1106 00:49:04,320 --> 00:49:06,120 Speaker 5: what does it look like when you go into Texas, 1107 00:49:06,160 --> 00:49:08,040 Speaker 5: when you go into Florida to find, you know, the 1108 00:49:08,120 --> 00:49:10,399 Speaker 5: next Leonard Williams, When you you know, try to find 1109 00:49:10,400 --> 00:49:13,000 Speaker 5: the next Brian Cushing out of New Jersey. Are they 1110 00:49:13,000 --> 00:49:16,320 Speaker 5: in those living rooms? Are they, you know, into December 1111 00:49:16,360 --> 00:49:20,799 Speaker 5: recruiting these guys that huge programs nationally. When Alabama or 1112 00:49:20,840 --> 00:49:23,719 Speaker 5: George r Ohio State is USC in that final three, 1113 00:49:23,800 --> 00:49:27,120 Speaker 5: that final two, how long does it take to get there? 1114 00:49:27,120 --> 00:49:29,319 Speaker 5: Pete Carroll was in that position to a lesser extent. 1115 00:49:29,400 --> 00:49:32,759 Speaker 5: Lanekiffin and Steve Sarkisian. But what is what does the 1116 00:49:32,800 --> 00:49:38,080 Speaker 5: Lincoln Riley recruiting profile look like? As the program's profile 1117 00:49:38,239 --> 00:49:41,359 Speaker 5: has to to to be raised in the Big ten, 1118 00:49:41,520 --> 00:49:43,279 Speaker 5: That to me is going to be fascinating. 1119 00:49:44,040 --> 00:49:45,680 Speaker 2: Right in soverbot gmail dot com. 1120 00:49:45,760 --> 00:49:47,719 Speaker 1: Let us know your thoughts were also in social media. 1121 00:49:47,800 --> 00:49:48,520 Speaker 3: Don't forget the file. 1122 00:49:48,560 --> 00:49:50,640 Speaker 1: I don't forget to subscribe out on YouTube and of 1123 00:49:50,640 --> 00:49:55,440 Speaker 1: course subscribe to the podcast. Join the ongoing conversation at 1124 00:49:55,560 --> 00:49:56,919 Speaker 1: Verballers dot com. 1125 00:49:57,040 --> 00:49:58,880 Speaker 3: V E R B A L L e r s 1126 00:49:58,960 --> 00:49:59,359 Speaker 3: dot com. 1127 00:49:59,719 --> 00:50:01,719 Speaker 1: It's we can get access to the Patreon and all 1128 00:50:01,760 --> 00:50:03,279 Speaker 1: the bonus stuff that Dan and I do. And the 1129 00:50:03,360 --> 00:50:06,319 Speaker 1: span of a week and last, but certainly not least, 1130 00:50:06,320 --> 00:50:10,120 Speaker 1: we send out a weekly roundup of college football news. 1131 00:50:10,160 --> 00:50:12,160 Speaker 1: Not a whole lot of news right now, if I'm 1132 00:50:12,200 --> 00:50:14,960 Speaker 1: being dead honest with you, Dan, but we find. 1133 00:50:14,760 --> 00:50:17,200 Speaker 5: Maybe a PAC twelve TV deal. The next week or. 1134 00:50:17,200 --> 00:50:21,040 Speaker 1: Two, we find stuff to talk about on Quickslants. It's 1135 00:50:21,080 --> 00:50:26,280 Speaker 1: the newsletter Quickslants dot Solid Verbal dot com. Dan another 1136 00:50:26,320 --> 00:50:31,160 Speaker 1: team next episode, Yeah, yes, absolutely, for that guy over there, 1137 00:50:31,200 --> 00:50:34,000 Speaker 1: my good friend Dan Rubinstein, for myself, Ty Hilton Brands, 1138 00:50:34,000 --> 00:50:35,520 Speaker 1: Stay warm, my friends, stay warm. 1139 00:50:35,520 --> 00:50:38,320 Speaker 3: I'm trying and always stay solid Peace