Monrovia
Sports
USC failures underscore the importance of the transfer portal
USC football did not recruit nearly well enough in the 2023 and 2024 cycles to give itself the best possible chance of succeeding this season. That much should be clear. The Trojans have been playing second fiddle to Oregon and Dan Lanning in recruiting among West Coast schools. That matters. You can see the difference between the two programs and connect a good portion of that difference to recruiting results. Oregon has been pulling in generally better players than USC, and it shows. Let’s be absolutely clear: Recruiting is the primary driver and engine of program success in college football. It needs to be the main source of elite player acquisition. However, as much as recruiting success counts in this industry, we can’t dismiss or toss aside the crucial importance of the transfer portal. USC’s 2024 struggles magnify this, as do the Trojans’ many successes in 2022. We need to briefly but clearly mention this as we try to point a path to a better future for the Trojans under Lincoln Riley.
In rare trip to Coliseum, No. 4 PSU seeks some revenge vs. USC
For the first time since 1991, Southern California welcomes Penn State to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in a pivotal Big Ten Conference showdown Saturday. The fourth-ranked Nittany Lions (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) are facing the Trojans at USC's home stadium for the first time as conference foes. Saturday also marks the first meeting since USC won a thrilling 52-49 matchup in the Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 2, 2017. The Trojans' victory in that classic Rose Bowl encounter spoiled Penn State's latest Big Ten-title-winning season. The Nittany Lions aim to return to that apex in 2024 and are off to...
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