here's a class breakdown of usc's starters

[retro44]

k

 

[OrangeMojo]

wait, is that their class by academic designation, or athletic/eligibility? How do we know if the kids who sat out a year will be allowed to return for a fifth season? Maybe they're not redshirt juniors - maybe they're really seniors and just don't realize it yet :bat:

 

[SoBristol]

Using this data, can we at last drop the mantra that "we are really young"?

 

[OrangeMojo]

the star* indicates they used the redshirt year

I realized that - just being a wiseguy and showing my annoyance at the current system being used by SU regarding a player's class/eligibility.

 

[upperdeck]

there is 4-5 star young and 2 star young

 

[cuseincincy]

there is 4-5 star young and 2 star young

Yep. Kind of a validation game for the star rating system. Most here want to and do believe that SU will have the better coach this week. If so, and the star system is irrelavant than SU should be able to compete quite well. This SU team reminds me a little of the late 70 early 80's teams with Hurley, Monk, Morris etc. Some exciting playmakers on both sides of the ball. But do they have enough?

 

[wfschrec]

Yep. Kind of a validation game for the star rating system. Most here want to and do believe that SU will have the better coach this week. If so, and the star system is irrelavant than SU should be able to compete quite well. This SU team reminds me a little of the late 70 early 80's teams with Hurley, Monk, Morris etc. Some exciting playmakers on both sides of the ball. But do they have enough?

This is by no means a clear validation of the star system ... you have 2-3 stars players that blow up and 4-5 star players that blow up ... using this argument wouldn't Boise vs OU already have decided this whole thing ... I understand this is meant to be rhetorical but its over the top ... the only thing it could do is give fuel for one side of the argument to hold over the other ...

 

[chakka3421]

My view on coaching is that great coaches can coach up the talent level 1 step higher - meaning making an average team good, a good team great and a great team a championship team contender. But no coach can take an average talented team and make them play on a championship level on a consistent basis. Talent wins out in the end over a season. The theory also works in reverse, a poor coach can take the talent level and have them perform 1 step lower. Most coaches are average coaches in that they dont coach either up or down the talent level on the team.

GRob was an example in my view of a poor coach that took an average talented team that for most games performed on a poor level. DMarrone is currently a good to great coach - if you look at last year alone. He took the same talent that GRob and coach them up to an 8-5 season. GRob had similar talent levels and I believe his best season was 4-8.

What bothers me is this year...our talent level is as good if not better but the performance of the team so far doesnt match the team's talent level - very frustrating to me. Maybe we need USC in more ways - win or lose - to pull them team out of its funk to finally perform at their current talent level or higher.

The only thing I can grant the coaches (and team) so far is game planning issues as they said they had no film to study on either team and both came out with different defenses than last year.

 

[bevosu]

GRob was an example in my view of a poor coach that took an average talented team that for most games performed on a poor level.

You make some interesting points. I'd modify the above quote by adding 'very, very' between the a and the poor.

 

[SoBristol]

The only positive note about GROB (other than being a nice enough guy) is that he recruited some interesting talent: Hogue, Carter, Bailey, Chew, Chandler Jones, Taj Smith, Derrell Smith, Nassib, Sales, Pugh, Lemon. He wiffed on a lot of bigs, did not use JUCO recruiting (with Taj the exception), and apart from beating Louisville and ND couldn't coach.

Marrone has hit some early gold on the defensive side (the Thomas kids, Spruill and EJ Carter), but so far, hasn't landed playmakers with early impact. I know this is a matter of time and development. Guys like Moore, Broyld or one of the 2012 commits may be Marrone's Carter.

 

[CaliCuse]

wait, is that their class by academic designation, or athletic/eligibility? How do we know if the kids who sat out a year will be allowed to return for a fifth season? Maybe they're not redshirt juniors - maybe they're really seniors and just don't realize it yet :bat:

Or in our case prison time credited. or perhaps owed. I'd like to know what their tax bracket is.:noidea: Presuming they declare all income. We might be able to beat them in a Ricco case.