Lori Laughlin's Daughter Lives It Up at Santa Barbara's Rosewood Miramar Resort While Her Mother Lori Does Time for Admissions Scandal Conviction at Federal Correctional Institution, in Dublin, California

Oh these daughters make my blood boil. 

Sure, these parents are literally imbeciles, especially for the fact that for all they did to get their daughters into an "elite" private university (U.S.C.'s not "elite," but that's another story), their daughters couldn't care less. Olivia Jade even attacked her mom when the scandal broke --- she slammed her for getting arrested, because it ruined her career as a YouTube influencer. The youth generation is the greatest generation of spoiled, no-talent trust-fund brats. This story has always blown me away. 

See, "Lori Loughlin's daughter Isabella Rose Giannulli, 22, relaxes at a luxury Santa Barbara resort as her parents languish in jail for paying $500k in bribes to get her and her sister into USC":

Lori Loughlin's daughter Isabella Rose Giannulli, 22, relaxes at a luxury Santa Barbara resort as her parents languish in jail https://t.co/ob4otPcae3

— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) November 27, 2020

Her parents' prison time seemed a distant memory as she relaxed with a dark-haired male companion wearing a dark t-shirt and blue shorts and joked around, appearing to bury her feet in the sand at one point. 

Rooms at the luxury beachside getaway currently start from $806 per night, with many boasting views across the ocean. 

It's a far cry from the current dwellings of her parents who are both serving time in California prisons for their parts in the college admissions scandal. 

Loughlin, 56, started her two-month sentence at FCI Dublin in California on October 30. 

She is said to have been a 'wreck' during her first few weeks behind bars. 

A former inmate turned prison consultant told DailyMail.com this month that the mom-of-two was 'anxious about contracting COVID, is living off a diet of dry cereal and fruit and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, is sharing a cell with three other inmates and is only allowed to shower three times a week.

Still more. 

USC Fights On

They really did. A great game last night at the Coliseum.

Here's Bill Plaschke, at LAT, "On improbable night, USC lives up to its motto and silences critics."

Plaschke: On improbable night, USC lives up to its motto and silence critics https://t.co/N1DyqTqqdh

— L.A. Times Sports (@latimessports) September 21, 2019

Parenting and Privilege in College Admissions

At the Los Angeles Times, "A wiretap brings privilege and helicopter parenting to the fore in the college admissions scandal":

A wiretap brings privilege and helicopter parenting to the fore in the college admissions scandal https://t.co/Xmitac00jq

— Benjamin Oreskes🦅 (@boreskes) March 21, 2019

Gordon Caplan had a problem. Last year his teenage daughter was slogging her way through a series of practice ACTs. But her scores were unlikely to get her to where he believed she should be: a high school senior with a clutch of acceptance letters.

She needed a higher score.

Caplan, a high-powered lawyer from Greenwich, Conn., and his wife began talking with William “Rick” Singer, the admitted mastermind of the college admissions scandal that continues to dominate a national conversation about privilege and parenting.

According to transcripts of wiretapped conversations that were released by federal prosecutors when charges against 50 people — including Singer and Caplan — were announced, Caplan was concerned that his daughter might find out about the ruse.

“To be honest, I’m not worried about the moral issue here,” Caplan said. He was worried about discovery.

“If she’s caught doing that, you know, she’s finished.”

The Newport Beach admissions consultant told his client that their silence was key to achieving the desired outcome. Authorities say that Caplan, who declined to comment through his attorneys, then signed off on a $75,000 payment, which was masked as a donation to Singer’s foundation.

Wealthy parents have been going to great lengths to help their kids get into elite universities for years. But this well-documented — and viral — moment in the helicopter-parenting era indicates a willingness to go to greater extremes.

In an era of badly behaving bankers, entertainment and sports figures, and government officials who tweet first and think later, the cheating may seem like perversely logical behavior.

But experts in parenting say the win-at-all-costs attitude can have a pernicious effect on a child. When they try to clear the way for their children’s success, parents are essentially saying to their kids that they can’t do it on their own, a stance that may block the path to successful adulthood.

In an effort to ensure that his son was admitted to the Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy at USC, Bill McGlashan allegedly paid Singer $250,000 to, among other things, fabricate a football career. Although McGlashan’s son’s high school didn’t have a football team, his son was suddenly a kicker. Authorities say the new addition to his list of achievements partially came thanks to Photoshop.

McGlashan, who founded and was fired last week from the private equity investment firm TPG Growth, had been called “one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent voices for ethical investing.”

According to the transcripts, McGlashan asked Singer, “Is there a way to do it in a way that he doesn’t know that happened?”

Singer told him that his son would know only that Singer was “going to get him some help.”

“That [networking] he would have no issue with,” McGlashan is quoted saying to Singer. “You lobbying for him.”

“No issue.”

But a slew of people who regularly interact with and study the behavior of frantic parents overwhelmingly disagree.

This kind of behavior can breed a helplessness in children who never face adversity or failure. That, in turn, can lead to increased anxiety and depression, said author and teacher Jessica Lahey, who regularly writes about parenting and is the author of a book titled “The Gift of Failure.”

Lahey recounted a recent visit to a college where she met the mother of a 20-year-old with diabetes. The mom still tracks her daughter’s blood sugar via a computer app and says she has no plans to stop. That’s an indication, Lahey said, the mother doesn’t think her daughter is capable of doing this seemingly basic task on her own...

Keep reading.

Coliseum's Ongoing Renovation Means Different USC Game-Day Experience for Fans (VIDEO)

College football season's almost upon us.

And here's this, at LAT, "It will be a season of 'growing pains' for USC fans at the Coliseum":

The Coliseum has come together and is ready for the 2018 season. #FightOn pic.twitter.com/OMhiJDtJAt

— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) August 15, 2018

USC’s 95th football season in the Coliseum will be unlike any other. And that will have nothing to do with what happens on the field.

As the Coliseum undergoes its real-time renovation in preparation for a 2019 unveiling, more will be asked of the Trojans fans in particular. USC and Coliseum officials scheduled a news conference Wednesday morning to address the biggest challenges fans will face and what specifically they can do to make 2018’s temporary game-day experience palatable enough to get through it and onto next season, when the fun can really start.

“It will be a season of change for a lot of fans when they come into the Coliseum,” USC athletic director Lynn Swann said. “Everybody will be going through some kind of adjustment, in terms of where they used to sit and to where they’re going to sit this year and how it’s going to change in 2019. Growing pains, if you will."

USC fans and alumni who would have preferred that the athletic department not touch the venerable stadium have been heard, but that ship sailed long ago. Since the end of the Rams’ 2017 season in January, 12,514 cubic yards of concrete have been poured; 2,131 tons of structural steel have been used; and 46,000 cubic yards of dirt have been exported.

All of this comes in the name of progress — if you are willing to define progress as spending a lot of money now to make a lot more money over the coming decades thanks to new revenue streams created from building luxury boxes — and USC would prefer that the process doesn’t have to be that painful...

More.

#USC Drops to #6 in AP's Top 25 College Football Poll

Both Penn State and Oklahoma State leapfrogged USC in the rankings. USC was #4 last week. I can see why, but sheesh. The Trojans got heart!

At CBS Sports, "Tomorrow's Top 25 Today: Mississippi State jumps in after upset as LSU falls."

Oklahoma State up 21-0 at Pittsburgh, has outscored its opponents 59-0 in first quarter this season (Watch: https://t.co/vJmgCJY0Og). pic.twitter.com/MVHn3dJ7xR

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 16, 2017

Sam Darnold Brings New Confidence to USC (VIDEO)

I watched.

USC looked a little rusty at times, but the Trojans combined a strong running game with Darnold's formidable passing offense. I like what I see.

Here's Bill Plaschke, who likes it too, at LAT, "The Sam Darnold of old is back, and he's brought USC new confidence":

The relief washed through the overheated USC football fans like that cool breeze that poured into the Coliseum.

In his second game of the season, Sam Darnold finally threw his first touchdown pass.

And his second. And his third. And his fourth.

One week after saying the muddled victory in baking temperatures against Western Michigan was “probably the worst I’ve felt after a game in college,” Darnold was soothed, the Trojans were refreshed, and their peskiest of rivals were rolled.

For only the third time in 10 games, USC actually beat Stanford — actually beat the Cardinal here, and actually beat them with smarts and toughness and a quarterback who epitomized both. This was a story of an athletic defense, acrobatic receivers and runners who flew behind a dominant offensive line. But it is a story that began and ended with Darnold, who threw for 316 yards and four touchdowns despite two more interceptions in a 42-24 victory Saturday at the Coliseum.

“It was nice to kind of feel like — it’s kind of cliché — but to kind of feel like my old self,” Darnold said.

From Darnold, Trojan fans love cliché, because cliché is him leading them to 11 consecutive wins while barely raising his voice. The unusual was Darnold being shut out against Western Michigan. The cliché was Saturday when at times it seemed the only person who could stop him was himself.

And you thought all the Los Angeles quarterback hype today would be about UCLA’s Josh Rosen...

Rosen had a great day against Hawaii, throwing for five TDs.

But keep reading. (More about Rosen shortly.)

USC Football Should Be Ranked in the Top Three Next Season (VIDEO)

My earlier Rose Bowl coverage is here.

Oh my gosh, what a game.

Here's the sports crew from the L.A. Times, with their post-game wrap-up from Monday night. Bill Plaschke argues that right now USC is in the top three nationally, and thus should be ranked in the top three next season.

We'll see. There's some turnover on the team, and some key players may opt for the NFL draft. But QB Sam Darnold's definitely going to be around, and I think that's key.

Watch:

How Close is #USC Football to Winning the National Championship?

I think they're very close.

As long as they've got Sam Darnold at QB, I think USC could win the national championship next year. I think they're that good.

At LAT, "How close is USC to winning a national championship?":

How close is USC to winning a national championship? https://t.co/bXTgflhfqk

— L.A. Times Sports (@latimessports) January 4, 2017

.@ColinCowherd on Sam Darnold: "I think it's the best quarterback I've ever seen at USC." pic.twitter.com/hw8a8OiWTd

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) January 3, 2017

In a boisterous corridor outside the winning locker room following a classic Rose Bowl game on Monday evening, Lynn Swann, USC’s athletic director, was asked if the win meant the Trojans were back at the top of college football.

"No, if we were back at the top of the national landscape, we'd be playing on Monday, January 9th,” Swann said, referring to the national championship game. “We're not there yet. It's a building process.”

USC’s nine straight wins, its sizable chunk of returning talent and its quarterback, Sam Darnold, will likely thrust the Trojans into the national championship hunt next season. So, how close are they to being capable of winning it?

In short, they’re two offensive tackles, one linebacker, one defensive tackle and a couple receivers away. The return of a couple playmakers — receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and cornerback and return specialist Adoree’ Jackson — wouldn’t hurt either.

Whether USC can effectively plug those holes will determine whether it is a playoff or national championship team next season.

One player has elevated expectations to such levels: Darnold, who as a freshman set Rose Bowl records with five touchdown passes and 473 yards of total offense in a 52-49 victory over Penn State. It seems a foregone conclusion that he will begin next season as a Heisman Trophy front-runner. The hype is already stratospheric.

The morning after USC’s Rose Bowl victory, ESPN was teasing to a commercial with questions such as: "Will Sam Darnold be as good as Vince Young? We'll debate, next."

One his radio show, Colin Cowherd said Darnold is “the best quarterback I've ever seen at USC.” Darnold, he said, reminded him of Andrew Luck and Brett Favre.

Darnold deserves to be praised, but no team can win with one player alone. Much attention in the coming days will be given to Jackson and Smith-Schuster, who will decide whether to enter the NFL draft or return for their senior seasons. Both have said that coming back to compete for a national championship is attractive. But both are considered high-round draft prospects.

After the game, Smith-Schuster said he would “take about a few days” to make his decision. Jackson was noncommittal. “I don't know,” he said. “I'm out here living in this moment.”

The focus on Jackson and Smith-Schuster obscures what might be more impactful losses: offensive tackles Chad Wheeler and Zach Banner.

Unlike at cornerback, where there is a replacement, Jack Jones, waiting in the wings, or at receiver, where Darnold prefers to spread the ball around to many options, there are no clear replacements at tackle, where mistakes can be magnified.

More.

This 'May Have Been the Most Exciting Rose Bowl Game Ever...'

That's Penn State Head Football Coach James Franklin, at the Los Angeles Times:

Matt Boermeester's field goal caps wild comeback, lifts USC over Penn State in an American beauty of a Rose Bowl https://t.co/EvkcWpHUnf

— L.A. Times Sports (@latimessports) January 3, 2017

Clay Helton looks a little misty eyed. pic.twitter.com/4OBH7nHMhN

— Zach Helfand (@zhelfand) January 3, 2017

Here is happy Clay Helton and happy Sam Darnold. pic.twitter.com/5D5fGq61yB

— Zach Helfand (@zhelfand) January 3, 2017

The enormity of it all seemed to stun USC Coach Clay Helton. Some fans had called for Helton’s job after USC started his first full season 1-3. After Monday’s game, he stood atop confetti with an arm around his son, Turner, his eyes a little wet as he watched the band.

“It felt like a tennis match, just going back and forth and back and forth, the mood swings and the emotion,” Helton said. “It was an amazing game. It’s what fairy tales are made of.”

Penn State Coach James Franklin conceded that it “may have been the most exciting Rose Bowl game ever.”

He had a point. Penn State’s Saquon Barkley ran 25 times for 194 yards and two touchdowns and caught a touchdown pass.

Darnold passed for 453 yards with one interception and five touchdowns, a Rose Bowl game record. His total yards of 473 set another record, breaking Vince Young’s 467 in 2006 against USC.

Darnold stood near Helton as the band played, and he looked as though he had just awoken from a nap. USC players said they couldn’t remember a time when they’ve seen him rattled.

As he huddled the offense with 1:59 to play, USC down by seven points and 80 yards to go, his voice was calm.

“I just said, ‘Do your job,’” Darnold said.

More.

And see Bill Plaschke's front-page column at today's newspaper, "USC fights on and on — and wins a thrilling Rose Bowl on a last-second field goal."

USC's greatest Rose Bowl win in one of greatest Rose Bowls ever https://t.co/8MUtSliDYK

— Bill Plaschke (@BillPlaschke) January 3, 2017

USC Beats Penn State in Rose Bowl, 52-49 (VIDEO)

I just can't get this thing out of my head. Folks are going to be talking about this game for a long time.

Here's the totally apt headline at SB Nation, "USC beats Penn State in the game of the year, with the most points in any Rose Bowl ever":

Penn State and USC entered on a combined 17-game winning streak. The Lions and Trojans both hadn’t lost since the weekend of Sept. 23-24, when USC lost at Utah and Penn State lost at Michigan. Both had been a buzzsaw ever since, and they only missed the Playoff because they got started just a little too late this season.

The Trojans capped their brilliant run in style, finishing the year 10-3 after a 1-3 start. They’ll be a popular Playoff pick heading into next season, and the emergence of Clay Helton as a really smart-looking head coach hire now has another chapter...

And at USA Today:

#USC rallies to edge #PennState in wild #RoseBowl. #USCFootball #FightOn #BeatTheLions #NittanyLions https://t.co/zg7D6b5Fl1

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) January 3, 2017

I'll have more.

The Los Angeles Times sportswriters are still working on their coverage. It's going to be a full separate pullout section tomorrow, I'm sure, part of the overall Rose Parade/New Year's Day reporting. It's glorious. I swear USC winning the Rose Bowl is just one of those things. If you're a Southern Californian, it doesn't get any better.

After Penn State scored three touchdown on three plays to start the second half, I thought the momentum was over. USC was done.

I had hope though, and it was prescient:

.@LindseyThiry Still lots of time Darnold's the kind of QB to make things happen. Defense needs to settle down. #FightOn #RoseBowl #Trojans

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) January 3, 2017

And check the highlights:



More later.

USC to Play Penn State in Rose Bowl 2017

I pulled my USC Rose Bowl post yesterday because I got confused about the process. (My apologies.)

But it's all clarified now.

USC will play Penn State on January 2nd in Pasadena.

Both teams have huge winning streaks. USC's got an 8-game winning streak since starting 1-3 on the season. Penn State's currently running a 9-game winning streak, so the Rose Bowl match-up promises to be one of the most exciting of the New Year's "Big 6."

See the USC Trojans sports page, "No. 9 USC Football To Play No. 5 Penn State In 2017 Rose Bowl."

And at LAT, "USC earns Rose Bowl berth, capping dramatic turnaround":

@LindseyThiry can you tell me how USC is in the rose bowl? I thought the winner of the PAC-12 goes. UW is 4 so why isn't it Colorado?

— Andrea Cajuste (@GoodLooknNSmart) December 4, 2016

After Pac-12 Champ goes to CFP, Rose Bowl takes next highest ranked team, which ended up being USC (Beat UW & CU, plus CU lost badly to UW) https://t.co/ZitiBZ96Jm

— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) December 4, 2016

The return to the Rose Bowl culminates a stunning turnaround for USC, which lost 52-6 to Alabama in the season opener, then dropped games on the road to Stanford and Utah. The Trojans finished the season with a 9-3 record.

During that stretch, pundits speculated about Clay Helton’s job security in his first season as full-time coach, and Helton changed quarterbacks, entrusting the offense to Sam Darnold. The redshirt freshman quarterback dropped his first start to Utah on a late comeback, but he has not lost since, becoming one of the most effective quarterbacks in the nation.

USC dominated its last eight games, winning by an average margin of almost 20 points. It played in only one close game late, against Colorado, when USC turned the ball over four times. But USC still would’ve won that game by two scores if not for a late knee by JuJu Smith-Schuster, who opted to end the game rather than score an unnecessary touchdown.

USC and Penn State first met in the Rose Bowl in 1923, resulting in a 14-3 USC win. They didn't meet again until 2009 for a 38-24 USC win.

Neither team has been back to Rose Bowl since. In the interim, each team was rocked by some of the most crippling NCAA sanctions in the organization’s history — USC for its student-athletes accepting impermissible benefits, Penn State for its wide-ranging child sexual abuse scandal.

USC will make its record 34th appearance in the bowl game, where it has a 24-9 record. Penn State will make its fourth. It has gone 1-2 all-time.

USC Finishes Season 9-3 After Horrendous Start (VIDEO)

Heh.

I wrote about the horrendous start back in September, "Lane Kiffin's Revenge: Alabama Beats USC 52-6 in Season Opener."

It wouldn't be so lopsided if the teams were to meet again today. USC's now got one of the hottest programs in the country, having won their last 8 starts, culminating with a crushing victory over Notre Dame yesterday.

And last night I was rooting for Utah over Colorado so SC would win the division. They still have a chance to go to the Rose Bowl, depending on how things shake out elsewhere. And what would the New Year be without SC in the Rose Bowl?

At LAT, "USC beats Notre Dame for eighth win in a row but will not play for Pac-12 title":

After he hurdled Notre Dame’s last defender, Adoree’ Jackson had enough time as he raced down the sideline to contemplate his touchdown celebration.

It was Jackson’s third score in USC’s 45-27 win over Notre Dame on Saturday. What was the best way to mark both USC’s stunning turnaround, from a 1-3 record to one of the hottest teams in the nation at 9-3, and the best performance of Jackson’s magnificent USC career: Front flip? Or Heisman pose?

“I told them I was going to do a front flip and then do the Heisman pose,” Jackson said. “But I was so tired from the kickoff return.”

As Jackson was celebrating (he went with the Heisman pose) a sizeable portion of the fans in attendance turned their energies to more important proceedings.

And that is how a “Let’s go Utah!” chant broke out at the Coliseum, for what was probably the first time.

To win the Pac-12 South Division, USC still needed help. Utah would kick off against Colorado shortly after the game’s end. If Utah defeated Colorado, USC would win the division.

USC’s players filed out of the locker room and marched through a postgame spread quickly after the game. Then they rushed through the rain, clutching their taco bowls, to pack into dorm rooms and apartments to watch, with disappointment, as Colorado fended off Utah, 27-22.

The outcome didn’t eliminate USC from the Rose Bowl, but it did make its path more complicated. Washington, the North Division champion, is a contender for the College Football Playoff. Colorado, the South winner, is more of a longshot.

If the Pac-12 champion reaches the playoff, the Rose Bowl would select the next best Pac-12 team, most likely based on CFP ranking. Washington was ranked No. 5, Colorado No. 9 and USC No. 12 before this weekend’s games.

Some players were keeping expectations in check.

“I think we’re going to San Antonio” for the Alamo Bowl, receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster said. “But I think the Rose Bowl, we worked so hard and we deserve it.”

The Cotton Bowl also remains an option if the Trojans ascend high enough in the rankings to earn an at-large bid.

Any of the possible destinations seemed like fantasy after September, when USC began its season 1-3, shackled with two Pac-12 losses in two tries.

Saturday evidenced the team’s evolution...

More.

Stanford's Christian McCaffrey Too Much for Flustered USC Trojans (VIDEO)

Maybe I should be rooting for Stanford.

Christian McCaffrey's the man!

At LAT, "USC can't keep pace with Christian McCaffrey and Stanford in 27-10 loss":

Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey always seemed to be one cut away from tearing a huge chunk out of USC’s defense Saturday evening. There were exceptions: On some plays, he actually did tear huge chunks out of USC’s defense.

There was a long touchdown reception when he was inexplicably uncovered. There was one of the patient, tackle-shedding runs that have made him a Heisman Trophy favorite. Mostly, though, he wore USC down with consistency.

USC could not get in McCaffrey’s way often enough, nor could it get out of its own way with enough frequency. The Trojans hobbled themselves with penalties and muddled play calls in a 27-10 loss to the No. 7 Cardinal in a Pac-12 Conference opener.

USC committed six false starts. Officials threw eight flags on USC overall, for 56 penalty yards, enough to saddle the offense with too many third-and-long tries.

“We clean up the errors, we will be a good football team,” Coach Clay Helton said after the game.

Instead, USC was left gawking at another masterpiece by McCaffrey, who has quickly become a vexing nemesis. Last season, in two games against USC, McCaffrey tallied 710 all-purpose yards against USC, including 461 in the Pac-12 title game. In the past 20 years, only two FBS players had more all-purpose yards against the same opponent in a two-game span.

This season, McCaffrey relegated USC to 1-2, with a suddenly crucial trip to Utah on Friday looming over the Trojans like an anvil...

More.

Also, from Bill Plaschke, "So far it's a bad deal for USC after a 27-10 loss to Stanford."

USC Trojans Say They're Ready Against Utah State Aggies

USC dropped out of the top 25 at A.P.'s college football poll after last week's ultimate shellacking at the hands of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

It's going to be quite interesting to see if they can redeem themselves a bit this weekend.

At LAT, "As USC tries to stabilize against Utah State, the energy — and the tension — ratchet up":

The entire USC defense streamed onto the field at the end of Wednesday’s practice, the Trojans’ last heavy-contact session before they attempt to stabilize their season against Utah State on Saturday.

For roughly 15 minutes, the defense had been working itself into a lather. After each pass breakup or big hit, the sideline buzzed, as if the players had consumed too much coffee. Now, on the last play, Adoree’ Jackson swatted away a long, might-have-been-a-touchdown pass down the far sideline.

So the defense sprinted to the end zone, circled around Jackson and danced.

USC has responded to the indignity of a 52-6 loss to Alabama and a head-spinning array of off-the-field incidents by increasing its intensity. A spirited, sometimes angry, edge punctuated the team’s practices this week. A brawl broke out Tuesday.

Running back Justin Davis said the emotion reflected the Trojans’ search for the “fire in the belly” that they lost during Saturday’s defeat. They hope they rediscover it.

“I know my team,” right tackle Zach Banner said. “And I know we’re going to bring it.”

The energy also has been a response to the upheaval that USC hoped it had left behind upon promoting Clay Helton to coach. The past two weeks of USC football have read like overwrought UCLA fan fiction.

National commentators pounded USC players who crawled out of the tunnel pre-game last week. Linebacker Jabari Ruffin was suspended for a half and required to write an apology letter for stomping on the groin of an Alabama player. JuJu Smith-Schuster, the team’s best receiver, sparked a fight at Tuesday’s practice, then stomped off in a huff and needed to be coaxed back to the field.

There was the heartbreaking: A key starter, center Toa Lobendahn, was declared out for the season after undergoing his third knee surgery.

There was the ridiculous: Steve Sarkisian, who was fired by USC last season for erratic behavior and alcohol-related incidents and later sued the school, took a job as an offensive analyst for Alabama, the team that had just embarrassed USC and already employs the Trojans coach who preceded him, Lane Kiffin...

More at that top link.

And Sarkisian? The Alabama folks sure know how to pile on the insults. Sark's the second USC head coach to go to 'Bama's program. Sheesh.

Alabama has hired Steve Sarkisian as an offensive analyst https://t.co/mSRyEWPFIX pic.twitter.com/IfQkNDdzKH

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) September 6, 2016

Lane Kiffin's Revenge: Alabama Beats USC 52-6 in Season Opener

Last I checked, the Angels were 20 and 1/2 games back, so I've obviously blown them off for the season. I'm looking for Houston or Seattle for the playoffs and World Series, and of course San Francisco and the Dodgers for the National League.

With that in mind, this year gives me a chance to really get into college football from the opening weekend of the season (I won't be watching nearly as much baseball), although the USC Trojans got off to an extremely inauspicious start. The Crimson Tide pounded USC 52-6. It was merciless, and frankly, Alabama wasn't even playing that well. The Trojans pretty much gave it up after about the first quarter. Man, it was ugly. But oh what sweet revenge for former USC Head Coach Lane Kiffin, who was unceremoniously thrown under the bus on the tarmac at LAX last year, fired in one of the most embarrassing moments in Trojan football history.

In any case, at the Los Angeles Times, "Alabama overpowers USC early and then often in 52-6 rout." And from Bill Plaschke's column, "Trojans aren't ready for Crimson Tide, prime time or much of anything":

It was the first game of the season, the most celebrated game in several seasons, and the USC football team was not ready.

How could they not be ready?

It was heralded as the beginning of a new era, the start of a new chapter, and USC acted like it was still on stinking probation.

How could a traditional national power take the national stage looking like … this?

The USC football team was many things in its 52-6 loss to top-ranked Alabama on Saturday night at AT&T Stadium. But there was one thing it was not, one thing that will be sure to upset the thousands of USC fans who joyfully and hopefully traveled here, one thing everyone had counted on seeing from this new look of a Clay Helton-coached team.

The Trojans were not Trojans. They were not the program that once had the discipline to create a dynasty. They were not Alabama, and that’s fine, because Alabama has won four national titles in seven years. But, seriously, they were not even within six touchdowns of Alabama in a game that wasn’t that close.

“Cold hard truth is we didn’t play up to ours,” Helton said of the Trojans’ potential.

Cold hard truth, they didn’t show up, and how could they not show up?

They were recklessly undisciplined. Jabari Ruffin stomped Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick directly in the crotch and got tossed out of the game.

They were distracted. Iman Marshall quit on a play and allowed ArDarius Stewart to race freely for a 39-yard touchdown pass.

They were outsmarted. Marshall and teammate Chris Hawkins both blitzed and left Stewart wide open to race downfield in completing a 71-yard touchdown pass.

They were sloppy. Chris Tilbey, the Trojans punter, dropped a snap and fell helplessly on the ball.

They were flimsy. Damien Harris ran through, and away from, the entire USC defense for 71 yards to set up another touchdown run.

They were disorganized. Helton called all three of his first-half timeouts in the first quarter, including two in seven seconds.

Finally, perhaps most painfully, they were willfully embarrassed by their former coach. Lane Kiffin, the deposed Trojans boss who runs the Alabama offense, poured it on, and on, and on. Everyone saw this coming, but it was even uglier than expected, Kiffin’s revenge even more painful than imagined...

Still more.

Holiday Bowl: USC vs. Wisconsin

It's not on until 7:30 pm (Pacific), so a late game if you're on the East Coast.

In any case, at the Los Angeles Times, "For resilient USC seniors, a period of unprecedented tumult will end in Holiday Bowl":

They came to USC knowing that part of their careers would be played under NCAA sanctions.

No bowl games for a few years? They could deal with that.

A thinned roster because of scholarship limits? That might lead to more immediate playing time.

Four coaching changes and multiple off-the-field dramas later, USC's seniors are preparing for Wednesday's Holiday Bowl against Wisconsin, a final game in a span of unprecedented tumult.

Members of the 2011 and 2012 recruiting classes will leave the program with advanced degrees in resiliency.

"We went through hell and back," fullback Soma Vainuku said. "That's how you can explain us seniors."

These are players who signed on to play for Lane Kiffin, who had succeeded Pete Carroll and in his first season guided the Trojans to an 8-5 record in 2010.

They saw Kiffin get fired, Ed Orgeron promoted to interim coach, Orgeron bolt when Steve Sarkisian was hired, Clay Helton promoted to interim coach for a bowl game, Sarkisian fired, Helton promoted again to interim coach and, finally, Helton hired as permanent coach.

They also endured three changes at defensive coordinator, numerous arrivals and departures of position coaches and controversies surrounding coaches, teammates and Athletic Director Pat Haden.

Freshman tailback Ronald Jones II marveled at the seniors' ability to play through the upheaval.

"I can't imagine," he said. "I probably couldn't have stayed. It would be hard seeing a new face every offseason and then trying to buy into his motto and system. That would have been tough."

Not everybody did stay. Six players from those classes, Marqise Lee, Leonard Williams and Nelson Agholor among them, left early for the NFL, and a handful transferred or quit or were removed from the team. But a dozen seniors from those classes will complete their eligibility this week...

More.

And don't miss Lindsey Thiry at the video above.

USC Names Clay Helton Permanent Head Football Coach (VIDEO)

Hey, USC made a major move here, offering Helton a full five-year contract.

At LAT, "USC names Clay Helton as head football coach."

And from Bill Plaschke, "USC got it right with hiring of Clay Helton."

Watch #USC players go bonkers when the announcement was made that Clay Helton is coach: https://t.co/p5BHP5XZPF

— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) November 30, 2015

'Physical' USC Beats UCLA 40-21 at Coliseum, Clinches Pac-12 South Title (VIDEO)

Everybody was using the adjective "physical" to describe USC's mauling of the virtually hapless UCLA Bruins in yesterday's citywide rivalry thriller.

At the O.C. Register, for example, "Physical, opportunistic USC beats UCLA, 40-21, clinches Pac-12 South title."

Also at the L.A. Times, "USC turns on the power to beat UCLA, 40-21, and advance to Pac-12 title game."

More, from Bill Plaschke, "This victory removes all doubt: Make Clay Helton USC's permanent football coach":

Every hit was a prayer. Every run was a plea. Every time a USC player punched a UCLA player in the mouth on a bruising, revealing afternoon at the Coliseum, there was a message.

Hire Clay Helton.

It was heard when Adoree' Jackson caught a punt, shrugged off a shot by Cameron Judge and raced 42 yards for a touchdown. It resounded when Claude Pelon racked Josh Rosen into a fumble that was carried 31 yards by Rasheem Green for a touchdown. It echoed when Darreus Rogers bullied through the grasp of Nate Meadors for a touchdown.

Hashtag Helton2016.

Pat Haden had to be listening. The Trojans alumni and boosters are surely understanding. There is absolutely no way anyone with any Trojans influence can argue against the reality of what is happening.

In the wake of USC's 40-21 blasting of UCLA on Saturday, it is clear that Clay Helton should be named the Trojans' permanent head coach, and it should happen now.

Don't wait for the outcome of the game against highly ranked Stanford in next week's Pac-12 Conference championship bout. How fair is it to judge an interim coach with a 6-2 record, a bowl victory, a win over UCLA and six decorated years on the USC staff on whether he can lead a team from the dregs of a distracted season to the Rose Bowl?

Save the announcement for after the game to avoid distraction, but get the news conference and paperwork ready now. The coronation occurred Saturday, when Helton's culture change was brutally evident in how the Trojans outmuscled, outhustled and simply outfought a Bruins team that had spent the previous three seasons beating them double-digit senseless...

Keep reading.

#UCLAvsUSC to Determine Line-Up for #Pac12 Championship Game — And More! (VIDEO)

Following-up from Thanksgiving, "UCLA Bruins Riding the Wave of College Football's Crosstown Rivalry in Los Angeles (VIDEO)."

See the O.C. Register, "USC-UCLA about more than bragging rights this year":

LOS ANGELES – Forget bulletin board material.

The lead-up to Saturday afternoon’s UCLA-USC rivalry game offered little as far as shots or verbal sparring between the players and coaches.

“I’m not too big into rivalries and hate for another school,” USC’s two-way star Adoree’ Jackson said. “I’ve got much love and respect for those guys over there.”

Among the Bruins, they hardly expressed love, but they avoided needling their crosstown counterparts. No one publicly said “Southern Cal,” a name unpopular among USC fans and officials, so much so that the school’s media guide explicitly requests it not be used.

During his first few years as UCLA coach, Jim Mora rarely turned down the opportunity to utter the term.

But the Bruins have moved on.

“We’re finger tips away from what we’ve worked so hard for,” UCLA sophomore linebacker Kenny Young said.

Both No.22 UCLA and USC go into this game knowing a win gives them the Pac-12 South title and a rematch with Stanford.

The winner advances to the Dec.5 conference title game in Santa Clara against the Pac-12 North champion Cardinal, which has been a thorn in the side of both programs lately. Stanford has won eight straight against the Bruins (8-3, 5-3 in the Pac-12) and five of the past seven against the Trojans (7-4, 5-3).

“It’s really not about the rivalry,” USC senior defensive tackle Antwaun Woods said. “It’s about fixing our errors. We’re not really worried about them or the rivalry.”

Clearly, much more than city bragging rights are at stake.

A win will be a narrative-shaping moment for either side, adding to USC interim coach Clay Helton’s case to take the reins on a full-time basis or putting Mora in position to win his first Pac-12 championship in his four seasons in Westwood. The former NFL coach has had little trouble putting away the Trojans, winning all three previous meetings by double-digits, but he has yet to beat either of the North Division heavyweights, Stanford and Oregon...

More.

Plus, at the Los Angeles Times, "UCLA and USC paths were filled with rocks but still could be strewn with roses."

UCLA Bruins Riding the Wave of College Football's Crosstown Rivalry in Los Angeles (VIDEO)

This is the time of year in college football I love the most. The college rivalries are awesome, and L.A.'s crosstown rivalry is more interesting than ever. The Pete Carroll era at USC is ancient history; the Trojans are corrupt shell of their former selves. Amazingly, I find myself warming up to UCLA's football program, and believe me, this is a first.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Beating USC turned tide for Jim Mora and UCLA, and Bruins are still riding the wave":

Saturday's #UCLAvsUSC game has huge city-wide consequences. It's going to be huge. #Pac12 @lamblock

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) November 26, 2015

Security was sparse at UCLA's football practice Tuesday.

The workers the school employed to guard the practice field before the Bruins played rival USC in 2012 haven't been seen in a few years.

Even the rhetoric has been dialed back. Jim Mora, UCLA's coach, used to routinely refer to the Trojans as the team from "Southern Cal," a variation of University of Southern California that is universally disliked by the USC faithful.

He still slips in the term occasionally, though in recent days it has seemed like he was trying to avoid mentioning UCLA's next opponent by any name at all.

This is evolution.

When Mora arrived in Westwood, USC was firmly established on top in the crosstown rivalry. The Bruins were wannabes.

Since then, the momentum has flipped entirely. Mora-coached teams have three consecutive victories in series.

The teams meet again Saturday at the Coliseum, where two years ago Mora could be heard shouting "We own this town!" in the tunnel near the USC locker room.

"Beating USC validated Jim's position as the head coach," said Dan Guerrero, the UCLA athletic director who hired him. "It was important for him to flip that switch."

But ruling the home roost was only part of Mora's end game.

The winner Saturday advances to play in the Pac-12 Conference title game Dec. 5. From there, the Pac-12 champion goes to the Rose Bowl game...

More.