USC to Join Ohio State as 'Big Two' of the Big Ten

[FishDuck Article]

Darren Perkins of FishDuck.com believes USC and Ohio State will become the Big Two of the B1G conference.

 

USC to Join Ohio State as the "Big Two" of the B1G

FISHDUCK.COM

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Darren Perkins of FishDuck.com believes that USC will join Ohio State as the "big two" of the B1G Conference.

 

[Log Haulin]

Forgive me if I hold off on crowning USC until they beat half the teams in the pac. So far, the only way USC has remotely beaten the Pac is with slimy conference realignment. 

 

No... i don't think USC finds its way to the top of the B1G for many reasons. First, they will have to get through Oregon. Second, cheaters never prosper.

 

They had to cheat in the early 2k's and now they pulled this garbage,  hurt a lot of folks. USC demise will be spectacular. 

[Smith72]

Darren I agree that Oregon should become the "Clemson" of the West Coast. 

 

That is IMHO why Oregon should lead the move to keep the PAC together.  Adding San Diego State makes sense.

 

Oregon leading and winning will be better than joining a transcontinental conference!

[Charles Fischer]

I am also one of those who believe USC will be very good later, as Alex Grinch is a great Defensive Coordinator.  Give them a few years to get all their personnel, and they will be tough in any conference.

 

I had just looked forward to epic match-ups with them in our conference.  Great article Darren...thanks.

[The Kamikaze Kid]

I'm going to have to see it to believe it. 4-8 SC hires a coach that didn't even have his team in the big two of the Big 12 last year, doesn't scream to me The BIG has a new sheriff in town. If SC goes 7-5 this year, does that open the floodgates of 5 star recruiting? If the Ducks go 11-1 and into the playoffs, can SC put up a wall around the LA recruiting hotbed?

 

I think SC ends up having a middle of the Pac year, Riley loses his new car smell, recruiting tappers off and Tommy Trojan heads to the land of ice and snow a perennial 6-6 team. This isn't just projection from an anti fan, this is just reading the continuum of SC football. 

 

Me and Pepperidge Farm both remember Wonder Coach I, Kiffin (28-15), Wonder Coach II, Sarkisian (12-6), and even Super Coach Orgeron  (6-2).

[McDuck]

On 7/26/2022 at 8:13 AM, The Kamikaze Kid said:

Me and Pepperidge Farm both remember Wonder Coach I, Kiffin (28-15), Wonder Coach II, Sarkisian (12-6), and even Super Coach Orgeron  (6-2).

Don't forget Ted Tollner, Larry Smith, John Robinson (second edition) and Paul Hackett.  Before Riley seven of their last eight coaches fired since 1982.  The only exception snuck out of town under a thundercloud of suspicion and sanctions.

 

 

[Darren Perkins]

On 7/26/2022 at 3:05 AM, Log Haulin said:

Forgive me if I hold off on crowning USC until they beat half the teams in the pac. So far, the only way USC has remotely beaten the Pac is with slimy conference realignment. 

 

No... i don't think USC finds its way to the top of the B1G for many reasons. First, they will have to get through Oregon. Second, cheaters never prosper.

 

They had to cheat in the early 2k's and now they pulled this garbage,  hurt a lot of folks. USC demise will be spectacular. 

Well the past is the past. A top lineman just chose USC over Oregon because of the move to the B1G. Unfortunately, there will be more of this. 

[Darren Perkins]

On 7/26/2022 at 6:29 AM, Smith72 said:

Darren I agree that Oregon should become the "Clemson" of the West Coast. 

 

That is IMHO why Oregon should lead the move to keep the PAC together.  Adding San Diego State makes sense.

 

Oregon leading and winning will be better than joining a transcontinental conference!

And if the Pac get an autobid that would be even better to give the Ducks a shot at the title, we'll see...

[Darren Perkins]

On 7/26/2022 at 6:48 AM, Wrathis said:

Clemson has become who they are (perception-wise) by winning their out of conference games. When they play 'Bama, they don't get rolled.  To become Clemson of the West, we have to do the same and we can start by giving Georgia all they can handle and by beating the brakes off of BYU, then not losing our Bowl game.  It would help if the rest of our conference would do the same, but since we can't control that aspect, it's up to us to control what we can and beating teams like we did 10 years ago is a great place to start...

Winning cures all that ails!

[Darren Perkins]

On 7/26/2022 at 6:49 AM, Charles Fischer said:

I am also one of those who believe USC will be very good later, as Alex Grinch is a great Defensive Coordinator.  Give them a few years to get all their personnel, and they will be tough in any conference.

 

I had just looked forward to epic match-ups with them in our conference.  Great article Darren...thanks.

Yeah, it'll take a couple years to recover from the Helton years, but they'll get there, unfortunately. 

[Darren Perkins]

On 7/26/2022 at 8:13 AM, The Kamikaze Kid said:

I'm going to have to see it to believe it. 4-8 SC hires a coach that didn't even have his team in the big two of the Big 12 last year, doesn't scream to me The BIG has a new sheriff in town. If SC goes 7-5 this year, does that open the floodgates of 5 star recruiting? If the Ducks go 11-1 and into the playoffs, can SC put up a wall around the LA recruiting hotbed?

 

I think SC ends up having a middle of the Pac year, Riley loses his new car smell, recruiting tappers off and Tommy Trojan heads to the land of ice and snow a perennial 6-6 team. This isn't just projection from an anti fan, this is just reading the continuum of SC football. 

 

Me and Pepperidge Farm both remember Wonder Coach I, Kiffin (28-15), Wonder Coach II, Sarkisian (12-6), and even Super Coach Orgeron  (6-2).

Yeah, it won't happen right away, they'll need some time to recover from the Helton tenure. But, keep in mind, Pete Carroll went 6-6 in his first year, then in year 2 they went 11-2, won the Orange Bowl, and finished #4.  So, it doesn't take long to get things turned around, especially now with the portal. 

[Darren Perkins]

On 7/26/2022 at 9:01 AM, McDuck said:

Don't forget Ted Tollner, Larry Smith, John Robinson (second edition) and Paul Hackett.  Before Riley seven of their last eight coaches fired since 1982.  The only exception snuck out of town under a thundercloud of suspicion and sanctions.

 

 

A nice walk down memory lane, I remember my dad screaming at the tv when Tollner choked away a game against Notre Dame, good times!

 

But, with their new coach and AD, they've entered the modern age of college football, the past Trojan administrations never kept up with the top programs in the country, even during the Pete Era, they are now... 

[DUCati855]

Darren,

 

Really enjoyed your article and I agree that USC will be much more competitive in a few years. I will have to hold off from anointing them part of "The Big 2". That feels like quite the stretch from anything they have shown this century.

 

I foresee them being very, very similar to Michigan, Penn State, and Wisconsin. They will have their good years here and there. But, nothing close to the consistency that OSU does. Here are a few reasons why:

 

1) USC is located in LA where it is very difficult to keep 18-24 year old's focused on one task. Far too many distractions.

2) USC fans. They love to hype things up. These kids feel they are the greatest before ever hitting the field. Work ethic will always be an issue for them.

3) USC boosters have ZERO patience. 9-3 will never be good enough. Lincoln Riley will not last more than 4-5 years.

 

Now, on a personal level. I hope USC never even gets that 9-3 record. But, realistically I believe they will always be in the 8-4 to 9-3 range.

 

[Duck 1972]

They'll have to get past Wisc and Iowa, away games in the snow, and defense's that'll knock you in the mouth.

 

His offense is controllable and even with Grinch, teams that run the ball, control the clock, and don't play shootouts, defeated him over the years.

 

I didn't believe OU had as much talent,  but you look at the recruiting rankings over the last decade I believe it shows them as top 5.

 

I might be wrong, but history shows us teams that change leagues take numerous years to adjust. I just can't see this being any different.

[Darren Perkins]

On 7/26/2022 at 11:16 AM, DUCati855 said:

Darren,

 

Really enjoyed your article and I agree that USC will be much more competitive in a few years. I will have to hold off from anointing them part of "The Big 2". That feels like quite the stretch from anything they have shown this century.

 

I foresee them being very, very similar to Michigan, Penn State, and Wisconsin. They will have their good years here and there. But, nothing close to the consistency that OSU does. Here are a few reasons why:

 

1) USC is located in LA where it is very difficult to keep 18-24 year old's focused on one task. Far too many distractions.

2) USC fans. They love to hype things up. These kids feel they are the greatest before ever hitting the field. Work ethic will always be an issue for them.

3) USC boosters have ZERO patience. 9-3 will never be good enough. Lincoln Riley will not last more than 4-5 years.

 

Now, on a personal level. I hope USC never even gets that 9-3 record. But, realistically I believe they will always be in the 8-4 to 9-3 range.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

I've never really bought into the kids can't stay focused in LA. Kids are kids, if they're gonna screw off they're gonna screw off no matter what, whether they're living it up in a fancy club or raising hell in a cornfield. I can remember some Bon fires back in the day in the middle of nowhere. Good times!

 

I think the kids thinking they are the greatest argument in LA could apply to all the top programs as all the top recruits have been told how great they are for a long time.

 

I think it'll just come down the basics of coaching and recruiting. 

Edited July 26, 2022 by Darren Perkins

[Darren Perkins]

On 7/26/2022 at 11:39 AM, Duck 1972 said:

They'll have to get past Wisc and Iowa, away games in the snow, and defense's that'll knock you in the mouth.

 

His offense is controllable and even with Grinch, teams that run the ball, control the clock, and don't play shootouts, defeated him over the years.

 

I didn't believe OU had as much talent,  but you look at the recruiting rankings over the last decade I believe it shows them as top 5.

 

I might be wrong, but history shows us teams that change leagues take numerous years to adjust. I just can't see this being any different.

It's more competitive league for sure, but this can be offset by top recriits wanting to play in the Big Ten and not the Pac, it'll be fun to see how it goes.

[Log Haulin]

On 7/26/2022 at 10:03 AM, Darren Perkins said:

A nice walk down memory lane, I remember my dad screaming at the tv when Tollner choked away a game against Notre Dame, good times!

 

But, with their new coach and AD, they've entered the modern age of college football, the past Trojan administrations never kept up with the top programs in the country, even during the Pete Era, they are now... 

Ah! You grew up with an SC Pops. That explains it. 

[Darren Perkins]

On 7/26/2022 at 1:42 PM, Log Haulin said:

Ah! You grew up with an SC Pops. That explains it. 

nah, he was an oregon fan, he just hated Notre Dame and hated USC for not beating them that year. We always backed the PAc-12 team. 

Edited July 26, 2022 by Darren Perkins

[DrJacksPlaidPants]

I don’t see USC being the powerhouse everybody is building them up to be this year, but I think they’ll do pretty good in their new conference. Wisconsin is the only consistently good team in the West division, so they’ll likely be in the championship game most years. 
 

I don’t think Riley gets fired at all. The only way he might leave is if Jerry Jones decides he’s worth more than $110M. He’s done quite a job of assembling “free agency” talent in short order. If he’s successful then NFL coaches will be drooling over him. He definitely has the right temperament for the NFL unlike Meyer. The NFL has its drawbacks with the salary cap and huge expectations, but the big draw is no recruiting. 

[Darren Perkins]

Yeah, it'll take a year or two to get things really going for SC. And of course they wont new playing all the top Big 10 teams every year, maybe half.

 

But, the Big 10 has a deep "middle" of the conference, more so than the Pac, imho, which can make it a grind, gotta show up every week. 

 

Will be interesting to see if he is lured by the NFL. Good point!

Edited July 27, 2022 by Darren Perkins

[Washington Waddler]

     Excellent take Darren. Appreciate the dispassionate effort which I find exceedingly hard to muster, especially when it comes to the Trojans. But I’ll grit my teeth, and give it a try.  

 

     What I see that USC’s move has done is to psychologically infuse the program with a complete sense of renewal by shedding the skin of a stalled and stale past, and replacing that with a shiny new sense of anticipation and eager excitement for an as yet to be written adventure free of PAC 12 chains.
 

     You couldn’t script a Hollywood ending any better; like watching Richard Dreyfuss departing earth by waving good-bye to all his old friends as he steps into the unknown embraced by all his new ones.

 

     How long this type of mental up-grade is good for is anyone’s guess. Usually,  it’s success dependent.

 

     Admittedly, my take is highly subjective, a bit tongue-in-cheek, and more interested in what creates momentum than the nuts and bolts of a program’s foundation. But - when evaluating Troyland - never underestimate the power of positive thinking. Make-overs are as much a daily past time as trying to remember your latest mantra.

 

     One cautionary note: in regards to how quickly USC will ascend to the promised land; their leap resembles that of Nebraska, who - like the Trojans - were growing desperate to regain their glory days, and feeling stale and  stuck in a P5 conference they perceived as beginning to flat line. Since moving to the B1G,  Nebraska has gone 40-43 for 8th place, and that’s without the additional baggage of a greater time zone challenge or being perceived as a traditional Rose Bowl enemy.

Edited July 27, 2022 by Washington Waddler
word choice

[LADuck]

It always seems to me that SC is overrated every year but thought it might be my Duck bias. Sure enough I came across stat that Trojans actually are one of the most overrated programs in the country. Since 2009 they have been over ranked nine times and under ranked three times when comparing preseason to final year ranking. The highlight was 2012 when they started year as #1 and did not finish in the top 25.