No More Art Briles, Can USC Bounce Back, and What Will Kiffin Do Next?

Heading into college football’s spring practice season, here are three Important topics to consider prior to the pads popping once again.

Author:
Brian Smith
Publish date:
Mar 2, 2022 7:50 AM EST

College Football has become a year-round sport. Winter conditioning, spring practice, summer workouts (and more conditioning), fall camp, the regular season and bowl season. Players are always on their grind. For college coaches, they monitor all of those areas, plus there’s the need to be active with recruiting for 12 months of the year as well. Within it all, that leads to college football’s competitive side. Sometimes, that’s not so good.

Grambling State and Hugh Jackson, What Were You Thinking?

Unlike teammates competing in a tug-of-war contest during a team building winter conditioning drill, the decision of now Grambling State University Head Coach Hugh Jackson and the Grambling State administration to hire such a pariah for his offensive coordinator is disturbing. That man would be former Baylor Head Coach Art Briles.

After a long scandal of over 50 different types of sexual assault cases came to his desk while in Waco, Texas that he passed off and never actually reported, what was anyone at Grambling State contemplating with regards to even consider the hiring of Briles?

It’s just mind boggling that any true leader at Grambling State would sign off on such a poor idea. At least it’s been resolved. The good news is that Briles has now backed away from being any form of coach for Grambling State. By resigning a couple of days ago just after being hired. Prior to his resignation, a prominent Grambling State alumnus and Super Bowl winning quarterback was not very happy with the decision.

There are many things that need changed or at least altered in the world of college football. One change is keeping people with no true moral values away from college campuses.

Now onto some more traditional college football news, starting with one with much intrigue.

Can The USC Trojans Actually Be The USC Trojans?

Southern California used to be a college football power. That's not been the case of late, and a coaching change was in order.

With the hiring of Lincoln Riley to lead the men of Troy out in Los Angeles, there is much rejoicing by the Southern California faithful. That’s fine, as there’s no question that Riley is one of college football’s most innovative offensive minds. Plus, there’s a certain slot receiver and quarterback that came to California with him from his old stomping grounds in Mario Williams and Caleb Williams. Those guys help just a bit, too. The issue is not offense, however, but defense, for the Trojans.

Yes, Caleb Williams provides a special talent at quarterback. That’s not really up for debate. Throwing to Mario Williams will be awesome, time and time again, as well. When those two, among other talented Trojans playing on offense are sitting on the sidelines, that’s when more pressing issues could come about yet again.

Southern California’s defense has been abysmal for far too long, and it’s why there was a coaching change in the first place. Here are the Trojans’ points per game allowed statistics over the past five seasons:

2017: 26.1

2018: 27.0

2019: 29.4

2020: 26.0 (six game season)

2021: 31.8

With those porous numbers divulging onto any given reader’s computer screen, consider the most important addition to Riley’s coaching staff and roster being his selection as the person leading the defense. That would be Defensive Coordinator Alex Grinch. As he goes, so too will Southern California’s possible resurrection as a college football power.

There’s really no debating whether the Trojans will score points. The firepower is there now and will continue to come in as Riley and his staff are off to a hot start on the recruiting trail for the class of 2023 with top offensive recruits already in the fold like Malachi Nelson (quarterback and probable No. 1 player in the country), Zachariah Branch (arguably the best slot receiver in the 2023 class), and Makai Lemon (a top-notch receiver and possible five star recruit himself). Now, can Grinch and his defensive staff slow down anyone this season and recruit defensive talent much the same way Riley is recruiting offensive talent?

Between the Transfer Portal and the high school class that was signed, the Trojans added 11 defensive players. It’s probably not enough for a true full turnaround in year one, but perhaps there will be more grit, more toughness, and a stronger overall mindset to maximize on each play during the 2022 season. That’s a start. All of those ingredients were lacking during various points of the past five seasons for Southern California.

If Grinch and his staff can get maximum effort, then combine it with a top group of defensive recruits (time will tell), the true resurrection of USC Football could be coming in year two and even more so in year three.

This is a process. College football at the FBS level allows for 85 scholarships. Riley, Grinch, and the rest of the coaching staff will need more time than what the faithful that support them would like, but it should be a really good football program in relatively short order.

Just be patient USC fans, good things are likely coming in the not so distant future. A former Trojans Head Coach and quarterback are also ones to watch this coming season

From LA to Oxford, Kiffin and Dart Have A Challenge

Ole Miss Head Football Coach Lane Kiffin is now a well traveled man. He’s found his way back into the SEC and has done well with the Rebels so far. After losing soon to be NFL Draft pick Matt Corral at quarterback, however, some were thinking that the 2022 season might be a down year for the Rebels.

That’s possible as Kiffin needs a truly talented quarterback to make his offense hum. Ironically the Transfer Portal has obliged him via the aforementioned Southern California Trojans and former elite recruit Jaxson Dart heading to Ole Miss.

With the strong-armed Dart behind center (he’s expected to win the job), Kiffin will now have a playmaker that throws the football all over the gridiron with his strong arm. Not to mention, he’s mobile and can make plays with his legs as well. The question now becomes, much like with Southern California, can the Rebels be a threat on defense?

Even mid-level signal callers seemingly play at a pretty good level in today’s college football. The rules favor the offense considerably, and the uptempo offenses often shred defenses. To that end, the Rebels need to find that balance between being an uptempo team on offense and helping to allow the defense time to rest and be effective.

Correction: Ole Miss was absolutely horrific on defense a few years ago, but improved to allowing 24.7 points per game. Can the Rebels bring that number down to say 21, Maybe even 20?

If yes, look out for Ole Miss with Dart behind center and a SEC West where Auburn and LSU appear to be down in 2022.

Of course there’s Alabama, and Texas A&M appears to be trending in a positive direction. Still, Ole Miss has a shot to surprise some people and be a truly important piece to the SEC West puzzle with Kiffin and now Dart coming from Los Angeles to Oxford.

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