INTEL: Irish Fans Should Be Thankful
With an 11-0 team and a trip to the College Football Playoffs within reach, Notre Dame fans have plenty to be thankful for this year.
And while they’re at it, they should be thankful they’re not USC fans right now as well.
Now, the Trojans have a chance to ruin everything for Irish fans with an upset victory on Saturday, but even that wouldn’t solve USC’s problems.
In the leadup to this weekend’s game, we reached out to multiple sources intimately connected to the USC program – some of the people you’d expect to be able to find the bright side of a 5-6 season if anybody could, but it’s clear even they have stopped trying.
“Their mentality at USC isn’t going in the right direction,” one source said. “They’ve got a ton of injuries and it just ain’t good for them.”
That was among the most positive sentiments we heard regarding the Trojans this week.
The ugliness has been obvious to those on the outside, but even a slight peek inside reveals deep-rooted issues.
Each of the sources we spoke with believe the problems start at the top with head coach Clay Helton.
“USC needs a no-nonsense guy,” one source said. “They don’t keep guys in line.”
The lack of discipline within the USC program right now was a consistent theme with each of the people we spoke with. They pointed to multiple departures within the program this year and how the absence of accountability has been obvious off the field and on.
However, the sources we spoke with weren’t in consensus about Helton’s future.
“Ain’t nobody getting fired, I can tell you that,” said one person who has been tied into the USC program through four coaches now.
Another expressed belief that Helton is at least acting like somebody who has zero worries about his job, pointing to the fact that the school is in the midst of a presidential search as one reason to doubt a move being made.
But some aren’t as sure.
A growing contingent of the fan base has certainly made up its mind. One group has already raised the funds necessary to fly an aerial banner over the Coliseum during Saturday’s game calling for Helton’s firing in addition to a fullpage ad in the LA Times expressing the same message.
At least one source seemed almost envious of the current state of affairs in South Bend versus L.A.
“They’re going to beat USC and they’re going to go to the Playoffs,” he said. “Coach (Brian) Kelly has the big, NFL linemen and USC (doesn’t). You can push them around.
“They don’t have a line, they can’t block. They won’t be able to stop the rush. JT is going to be under pressure.”
A separate source agreed.
“They’re playing with a high school quarterback,” that person echoed. “Their line sucks too.”
As is always the case with an underperforming football team, the quarterback position is being scrutinized closely, but Helton seems intent on letting his fate ride on the shoulders of JT Daniels, a decision that has been perplexing to some USC beat writers – and the players as well, according to those same writers.
Now, this isn’t to say that USC has no chance against the Irish on Saturday night, but it says a lot about the current state of the Trojan progam that these people don’t believe USC has a chance.
“It’s not possible,” one guy said. “They don’t have a chance in hell of beating them.”
But isn’t it at least possible for the Trojans to rally together to end the year on a high-note while ruining a rival’s season?
“They can say that, but it’s not going to happen,” another guy laughed dismissively.
A different source added, “My prediction is by halftime, the game is over. Notre Dame will have it won. It’ll be clear to everybody that the game is over.”
Again, these are people who will be cheering for the Trojans on Saturday night.
We pressed one source about USC having at least some shot in the game.
“Hell no! A shot to beat who? Notre Dame? That ain’t happening. That ain’t happening at all.”