Washington Waddler

Penix is listed as a sixth year senior.

No elite program stays that way without having to survive periodic hard times. The difference between USC and many other blue bloods is found in how they approach, and what they do during those periods. Those that find their way back to the top do so with a hard, self-critical reinvention of themselves, as opposed to the Trojans who avoid looking in the mirror, and settling for make-over after make-over (Helton being a temporary exception). It’s tough, long term work that requires letting go of the past in order to get a program back on track. The most successful at making this transition are typically found in smaller, university-centered communties where a lack of distractions make them the only game in town — neither condition of which describes where and how USC operates. There was a time when USC knew how to do the hard work. But not now. Now they just seem mesmerized by the Hollywood mystique of replacing reality with fantasy; substance with image. Yes. You reap what you’ve sowed.

A close listen to Taggert’s and Cristobal’s answers compared to Lanning’s shows the first two throw the question back at the asker (the use of ‘you’), while DL owns his answer by referencing only himself. Like people with hidden agendas that get caught in their own lies, they defensively deflect, while DL doesn’t hide behind his answer because he has nothing to offer but the truth.

The pressure of higher expectations from last year, for everyone, has certainly climbed. And, unlike receivers who run a bad route or drop a pass, kickers have no quarterback to go back and talk it over with. It’s all on them. You might compare his mental situation to that of soccer players assigned penalty shoot out kicks. You can see the ones who get the job done never over think it. They just go out and execute — head down, cold execution. I don’t know if Camden is over thinking it or not, but it makes me uncomfortable every time this year seeing him out there during time outs kicking at air.

Enjoying all the Trojan ribbing as much as the next, but in the back of my mind, there’s a nagging thought that won’t go away: this is a team with nothing left to lose.

I’m with you Charles regarding our offense, but I think what impresses me most about this team is being 11th in the country limiting scores against arguably the best group of quarterbacks in the nation.

Killer Bees. What’s not to like?

It’s rumored that the first 1000 fans through the turnstiles will receive a Caleb Williams bobble head hugging a puppy dog.

800? He’s talking 1st half, right?

Lucky number 13?

I choose not to rely on any image DL projects, just the results on the field, and so far I’ve really got nothing to complain about.

The only upside for college football of a player of William’s importance quitting is the outrage it would cause, leading to a more decisive review and overhaul of NIL and the rules governing the transfer portal.

What’s wrong with the Casanova Complex? Everyone of us is the greatest Ducks lover of all time, right?

Another option - Riley leaves USC to take a job at Disneyland playing Mickey Mouse.

Stuff the Ute’s run game in SLC, box-up Williams at Autzen, and be ready for anything in the Civil War. But, please oh please, don’t forget about Cal and ASU! Then we can start thinking about Lost Wages.

As always, check your source. The flagship media company for the SEC will probably grab any opening to downgrade the value of west coast contenders, which can only enhance their primary investment teams’ chances at the brass ring.

All of the above plus the mongrel masses in the stadium sounded more like a Stanford crowd until the last couple of minutes.

Cognitive_dissonance posted that he’d booked a room in El Paso. Probably should move his res from Dec to next week so he can enjoy the Dia De Los Muertos parade which should feature his team with a float.

Wake-up call and breakfast at the Moshofsky Center curtesy of the athletic dept?

An atmosphere like we experienced in Seattle couldn’t have come at a better time to prepare the team for how to handle things in Salt Lake.

When teams undergo the emotional extremes that marked the game in Seattle, the following week of practice can only partially limit an inevitable hangover from that experience going into their next game. While the Ducks shook it off after one quarter, it almost did in the mutts to the worst team in the PAC 12.

Short game is clicking!

Got it recorded, but just can’t hit play. But then I have the luxury of wallowing in my pain until it subsides enough that when I finally do press play, I’m looking past the game towards next year’s rematch. Good thing the team can’t afford that comfort zone needing to review and be ready for the next game. I envy that right now.

Not sure 2 pt conversions are as much a product of risk in the eyes of either coach as understanding defensive grouping and player strengths within those groupings. If the % shows an advantage, you go for it, just like Lanning suggested was the case on his 4th down at the end of the 2nd quarter. If that plays well in a recruit’s living room, so be it. DL can get the bit between his teeth, but that’s a learning curve that aggressive but open-minded young coaches have to weather. Don’t really see Cristobal as either that aggressive or open-minded.

Klatt sounded the right note on DL’s play choice ending the 2nd quarter. It’s the kind of risk young, aggressive coaches make, and have to learn from experience to situationally temper. Everyone has to build that, “. . . now, wait a second” library in there heads in order to survive and succeed. But, you know? I’ll take a guy whose eyes tell me how determined he is to win over someone’s who don’t every time.