The toughest year in USC football in a decade is in the books.
With just days left in 2010 and no more games to play, Lane Kiffin and his staff finally get to shift their attention to the future after spending the year managing the past.
The Trojans finished 8-5. A failure to the head coach who sets the bar at 2004-05 heights.
"We don't ever want to have this feeling again. This isn't what USC football is about," Kiffin summarized the season.
However, any grade has to be given on a curve.
Kiffin took over a team that had gone just 9-4 last season, including embarrassing beatdowns against Oregon and Stanford.
After focusing on restoring discipline to the program throughout spring practice, the Trojan Family was rocked by summer sanctions, which knocked USC out of postseason play and created free agency among the upperclassmen.
Kiffin had done well to keep a top recruiting class together after Pete Carroll's untimely departure to the NFL and he managed to secure the top line of the depth chart at Troy despite a healthy handful of defections after the NCAA's hammer blow.
Going into fall camp, the talent was in place, but the pool was far too shallow to withstand a 13-game grind.
The soft schedule raised early season expectations, but the Pac-10's NFL QB's Jake Locker and Andrew Luck exposed the conference's worst pass defense. The Trojans rallied to win three of the next four, including a signature win at Arizona, before dumping a game in Corvallis and a real crusher to the rival Irish.
After salvaging a win over UCLA to end the season in smiles, Kiffin summed it up best. "In a weird way, there is some sense of relief. We can go on to year two now. We can address our needs in recruiting and build this thing back."
As the calendar soon turns to 2011, hope and optimism are popular feelings around Heritage Hall.
The NCAA appeal could lighten the load, but even if it does not, a fresh batch of Kiffin's recruits will hopefully recreate the atmosphere of competition that was replaced by survival on the practice field this season.
USC will enter 2011 with a Heisman candidate at quarterback and some new explosive toys for the offensive play-caller like redshirts WR Kyle Prater and RB D.J. Morgan. Plus, the offensive line will return four starters.
Defensively, with Monte Kiffin's system in place, the players should be mentally free to play faster next season led by defensive ends Nick Perry, Wes Horton and Armond Armstead.
As long as there are scholarship restrictions, depth will be the overlying issue, but the worst is behind this program and help is on the way.
National signing day is just 57 days away...
Tweet
With just days left in 2010 and no more games to play, Lane Kiffin and his staff finally get to shift their attention to the future after spending the year managing the past.
The Trojans finished 8-5. A failure to the head coach who sets the bar at 2004-05 heights.
"We don't ever want to have this feeling again. This isn't what USC football is about," Kiffin summarized the season.
However, any grade has to be given on a curve.Kiffin took over a team that had gone just 9-4 last season, including embarrassing beatdowns against Oregon and Stanford.
After focusing on restoring discipline to the program throughout spring practice, the Trojan Family was rocked by summer sanctions, which knocked USC out of postseason play and created free agency among the upperclassmen.
Kiffin had done well to keep a top recruiting class together after Pete Carroll's untimely departure to the NFL and he managed to secure the top line of the depth chart at Troy despite a healthy handful of defections after the NCAA's hammer blow.
Going into fall camp, the talent was in place, but the pool was far too shallow to withstand a 13-game grind.
The soft schedule raised early season expectations, but the Pac-10's NFL QB's Jake Locker and Andrew Luck exposed the conference's worst pass defense. The Trojans rallied to win three of the next four, including a signature win at Arizona, before dumping a game in Corvallis and a real crusher to the rival Irish.
After salvaging a win over UCLA to end the season in smiles, Kiffin summed it up best. "In a weird way, there is some sense of relief. We can go on to year two now. We can address our needs in recruiting and build this thing back."
As the calendar soon turns to 2011, hope and optimism are popular feelings around Heritage Hall.
The NCAA appeal could lighten the load, but even if it does not, a fresh batch of Kiffin's recruits will hopefully recreate the atmosphere of competition that was replaced by survival on the practice field this season.
USC will enter 2011 with a Heisman candidate at quarterback and some new explosive toys for the offensive play-caller like redshirts WR Kyle Prater and RB D.J. Morgan. Plus, the offensive line will return four starters.
Defensively, with Monte Kiffin's system in place, the players should be mentally free to play faster next season led by defensive ends Nick Perry, Wes Horton and Armond Armstead.
As long as there are scholarship restrictions, depth will be the overlying issue, but the worst is behind this program and help is on the way.
National signing day is just 57 days away...
(Photos by Jon SooHoo)
Tweet
Leave a comment