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Lincoln Riley to USC

PSUcup1

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Nov 6, 2012
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Wow. That’s a shock to me. Guess he didn’t think he could cut it in the SEC
 
Grand slam hire for USC.

Riley has recruited SoCal very well, so he's going to clean up in that area. USC will be a serious power -- bad news for Oregon.

How screwed is OU now? Heading to the SEC, and now in search of a new coach.
Serves OU right. They'll probably eventually be competitive in the SEC once Saban retires, but I think if Riley wants a title any time soon the path is much clearer at USC.
 
Serves OU right. They'll probably eventually be competitive in the SEC once Saban retires, but I think if Riley wants a title any time soon the path is much clearer at USC.

Theyre gonna get lit up rekartless of where where Saban is, in this whole thing OU is stooge 1 and Texas is stooge 3 with Tenneessee Traversteers on the bye week between for bowl beer eligisponsorable.
 
I'm not convinced he takes U$C all the way. He seems to be the QB whisperer but he already got great talent at OU and no NCs. To me he may be the same guy, same results different team. Meaning he elevates U$C to winning the Pac 12 but can't do any better. Still loses to the SEC or even B10 (meaning O$U) or Clemson in playoffs. Again much better than where they are now but not what they are hoping
 
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Winning your conference gets you in the playoffs. Getting in the playoffs is the current measuring stick for eliteness. (When the CFP goes to 8 or 12 down the road, winning at least one playoff game will probably be that new measuring stick.) He can do that at USC.

His talent as OU was good...but not compared with the super elite schools (UGA, Bama, OSU, Clemson...and LSU at times). But OU's talent was good enough year in and year out to dominate the Big 12. Similarly, put PSU in the Big 12 (without all those OSU losses we've suffered, esp. 2012, 2017, 2018, and 2019) and we're playing in their championship game every year. We have enough talent to dominate the Big 12 or even Pac-12 most years.
 
Riley is a good recruiter so he should be able to keep a lot of the top California talent in state, versus losing them to OSU, Alabama, Oregon, and other schools, which is what plagued USC over the past several years.
 
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Winning your conference gets you in the playoffs. Getting in the playoffs is the current measuring stick for eliteness. (When the CFP goes to 8 or 12 down the road, winning at least one playoff game will probably be that new measuring stick.) He can do that at USC.

His talent as OU was good...but not compared with the super elite schools (UGA, Bama, OSU, Clemson...and LSU at times). But OU's talent was good enough year in and year out to dominate the Big 12. Similarly, put PSU in the Big 12 (without all those OSU losses we've suffered, esp. 2012, 2017, 2018, and 2019) and we're playing in their championship game every year. We have enough talent to dominate the Big 12 or even Pac-12 most years.

that’s a bit presumptuous to think Franklin would be in the BIG 12 title game every year. Guy can’t beat Michigan state or Iowa on a regular basis, what makes you think he’d beat Oklahoma state or Texas or even Iowa State.
 
that’s a bit presumptuous to think Franklin would be in the BIG 12 title game every year. Guy can’t beat Michigan state or Iowa on a regular basis, what makes you think he’d beat Oklahoma state or Texas or even Iowa State.
He’s 4-1 against Iowa in seasons that weren’t partially cancelled with no fans allowed due to a pandemic. That’s pretty consistent.
 
Theyre gonna get lit up rekartless of where where Saban is, in this whole thing OU is stooge 1 and Texas is stooge 3 with Tenneessee Traversteers on the bye week between for bowl beer eligisponsorable.
I don't know about that. Maybe it's true. Texas A&M seems to have adjusted to the SEC OK. They only lost to Bama last year. OU > A&M generally, so I'd expect them to contend for a title every now and then. But it was a dumb move when they were practically guaranteed a playoff appearance 50 percent of the time or more. If they make it now it will probably be once every 5-10 years or so. Maybe once in 15-20 for Texas.
 
He knows how easy he had it at OU and how hard it was gonna be in the SEC. Son now he goes to the soft PAC12. He’s an overrated coach, for sure, but he’s not dumb.
 
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I don't know about that. Maybe it's true. Texas A&M seems to have adjusted to the SEC OK. They only lost to Bama last year. OU > A&M generally, so I'd expect them to contend for a title every now and then. But it was a dumb move when they were practically guaranteed a playoff appearance 50 percent of the time or more. If they make it now it will probably be once every 5-10 years or so. Maybe once in 15-20 for Texas.
you're working under the assumption the playoff stands at 4. It will expand because there's money on the table for that.
 
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I think career wise, Riley made a great move. He was already recruiting Cali well. Now he's in the prime job to do so.

PAC-12 is definitely easier than SEC path to the playoff,but until he's able to compliment his passing with a running game and better defense we've seen this story before.

However, losing at USC isn't going to end his career. Losing in the SEC seems to carry further.
 
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Unfortunately Oklahoma had a few of their top 2022/2023 committed recruits decommit last night, which included multiple 5 star recruits. Just goes to show you that many of these top players commit to a coach rather than a school.
 
Hard to interpret Riley’s move as anything other than him being a chicken shit as it relates to the sec. “New challenges” indeed. the pac is the only other defense optional alternative for him.

OU better like the sec’s money, because their days of winning football are gonna be over in short order.
 
Hard to interpret Riley’s move as anything other than him being a chicken shit as it relates to the sec. “New challenges” indeed. the pac is the only other defense optional alternative for him.

OU better like the sec’s money, because their days of winning football are gonna be over in short order.
What is amazing to me is how secretive USC was in finding their new coach. For the past 2 weeks, media folks were discussing Riley going to LSU and that some recruits were being told that Riley was going to LSU. And within hours of Riley publicly saying he was not going to LSU, he agrees to be USC’s next coach. Oklahoma fans and officials were “stunned”.
 
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OU better like the sec’s money, because their days of winning football are gonna be over in short order.

Do you think that Riley was going to change that?

I don't. I think he leveraged a similar situation. Still think he loses some in the PAC 12. Oregon has more talent than anybody out there and they still lost twice this year. USC lost 3 games in their best year post Pete Carroll. 1 loss seasons are hard. Undefeated seasons are near impossible.
 
What is amazing to me is how secretive USC was in finding their new coach. For the past 2 weeks, media folks were discussing Riley going to LSU and that some recruits were being told that Riley was going to LSU. And within hours of Riley publicly saying he was not going to LSU, he agrees to be USC’s next coach. Oklahoma fans and officials were “stunned”.
Definitive proof that if the story breaks without photos, somebody intentionally got it out there.
 
you're working under the assumption the playoff stands at 4. It will expand because there's money on the table for that.
Yes, I was thinking in those terms. But even if it goes to 8 or 12, there will be Alabama. Georgia, LSU, Florida, and Texas A&M to deal with. It's not a given
that OU finishes in the top 2-3 there every year. Especially early while they adjust to the style of play in the SEC.
 
you're working under the assumption the playoff stands at 4. It will expand because there's money on the table for that.
Yes, I was thinking in those terms. But even if it goes to 8 or 12, there will be Alabama. Georgia, LSU, Florida, and Texas A&M to deal with. It's not a given
that OU finishes in the top 2-3 there every year. Especially early while they adjust to the style of play in the SEC.
 
The OU decommits are proof the top kids do not commit to tradition (and OU certainly has a lot of tradition.) They commit to the coach.
 
The OU decommits are proof the top kids do not commit to tradition (and OU certainly has a lot of tradition.) They commit to the coach.
Well, if you are a player that likes Orielly’s system....and you choice is live in Oklahoma for three or four years vs Southern California ......what would be your choice?
 
Do you think that Riley was going to change that?

I don't. I think he leveraged a similar situation. Still think he loses some in the PAC 12. Oregon has more talent than anybody out there and they still lost twice this year. USC lost 3 games in their best year post Pete Carroll. 1 loss seasons are hard. Undefeated seasons are near impossible.
i think they'd have been good enough to be competitive with their current talent. Probably good enough to be competitive long enough to enable them to retool how they play defense.
 
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