Just like the players, RipsIt is finishing out the week strong with four more questions of the day. Check out what the USC football team has to say about the Spirit of Troy, favorite alternative position, best words of wisdom and the team's best dancer.
As always, if you want your question answered by the players, tweet it to www.Twitter.com/USCRipsIt with the tag #QOTD, or leave it in a comment below. If we use your question, we'll be sure to give you a shout-out.
Can you update on the Dillon Baxter investigation?
Will this violation have any effet on the appeal?
It's unclear whether this was a hoax thought up by Dillon Baxter as a publicity stunt or some kind of smear campaign by the USC compliance office. I'm guessing it is likely a smear campaign, designed to shift some of the heat to other schools.
It is really naive to assume that the whole web of lies was just concocted by Dillon Baxter. Even friendly Trojan beat writer in the OC Register is pointing to the possibility that "someone - perhaps a member of the USC coaching staff - told Baxter to make up the story."
I think the coaching staff is responsible for pitching false allegations of recruiting violations by other schools to the media. A clear pattern is emerging, which is why I think it’s important the NCAA not sweep this under the rug as some sort of silly misunderstanding.
They had to go to plan B:
Smear other programs to create a “They all do it” defense. They think the NCAA is pretty stupid.
It’s just one more incident in which they are thumbing their noses at the NCAA.
NCAA is not going to penalize Trojans any further, so just forget about it!
from today's paper:
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/sports/ci_15537352
No bowls! A drastically limited ability to re-stock the cupboard for the near future. A clause that allowed juniors and seniors to transfer without having to sit out a year. A new head coach with a questionable record.
But in spite of all of this, Trojans will be back on top in 10 years. Just wait and see.
Thomas,
Are you certain that USC juniors and seniors can leave school without sitting out a year? That doesn't seem fair.
Yes, they are no penalties for players who want to transfer.
Dillon, as I understand it, did receive the calls. What cannot be determined is by whom and what are their affiliations. They were probably made using *67 to hide the caller IDs or they could have been prank calls. As such we had to retract the allegations even if they were actually true. It is all unfair to Dillon and we should all give him the benefit of the doubt as he has a great future and is a great kid with no reason to makeup anything. The farfetched ideas that a coach or administration personnel put him up to making it all up is really ludicrous to say the least!
As for Scott Wolf, he may run Inside USC, but it is all negative and very inaccurate. For example, we will never be limited to 55 scholarships as his article states; the limit is 75 (10 short of the normal 85) should we lose the appeal - otherwise it is 80. We typically recruit 20 and will do so again this year taking a voluntary 5 reduction while the case is under appeal. We also are often under 75 total as we are now. Scott should know this. On top of our recruits we typically gain several team members via walk-ons such as Clay Mathews. Walk-ons do not count towards the 15 limit that will be imposed for 2 years (not 3 as we are taking a partial reduction this year and will have one more such year to follow the 2 year larger reduction) should we lose our appeal.
Our program has the best athletes in the conference and all but DJ that has left probably would not have started at any time at USC. As for the incoming recruits, Henderson had many academic issues and possibly would not have made it anyways. Each year we lose recruits for academic and other issues as does most other universities. Miami is much easier, which was no small consideration for him all alone. Glen has issues as well and that is why he may not go to a major college anyways. As I understand it Bowl ban was not the issue for Glen. It was not an issue for DJ and the others, it was playing time and in DJ's case he wanted to play tailback. Only Henderson has made the sanctions an issue for leaving.
We still have one of the best classes coming in that we have seen. Our team is extremely talented and focused and looking forward to meeting the challenges ahead.
My two cents worth...
The first question asked of USC coach Lane Kiffin after the NCAA's sanctions hit was how they would impact recruiting – the lifeblood of any successful college football program. With typical calm, Kiffin replied: "I don't think it's going to have an impact on our recruiting." A few days later, recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron, delivered a similar message: "Really", he said, "nothing's changed."
Does Pete's new book discuss what he knew about Joe McKnight's violations, or does he only focus on Reggie Bush?
He probably forgot about this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOtZ-o7GfUI
Patrick,
That SUV ain't his!!
Didn't you read the paper?
McKnight told the Los Angeles Times he doesn’t drive the car and that it belongs to his “baby mama’s boss.’’