Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel: Frames Janklin to USC is possible if Helton fired
November 20th, 2018 at 1:06 PM ^
He's one of like 7 people on Earth who might actually look better with a mullet than without.
November 20th, 2018 at 10:41 AM ^
Hmmm... It's been kinda fun watching Frames doink stuff at PSU. OTOH, watching USC continue to be a shit show would be fascinating! One thing, though, about future hires for either team - I trust that USC will screw up any post-Helton search because Lynn Swan has zero experience at doing anything other than catching passes. However, I'm not sure PSU screws up a search as awfully as when hiring Janklin to begin with.
I kinda hope he stays...
November 20th, 2018 at 10:48 AM ^
I disagree. Lynn Swann was really good at stealing my hat. Bastard.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:34 AM ^
Your next-to-last sentence --- I completely 100% disagree with that.
Franklin was a credible hire in January 2014. And when one looks at where PSU is today and benchmarks it against expectations in January 2014: on the whole, he's done a fairly good job.
Now, Franklin may not be the man for PSU to take the desired NEXT steps (this is my opinion). Expectations change. But that doesn't mean he wasn't good for PSU for much of the path already traversed.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:51 AM ^
If Frames leaves and you get Moorhead with Shoop in tow (or really any other credible DC), Penn State suddenly becomes much more formidable on a year-in, year-out basis.
If, for whatever reason, you don't get Moorhead then I think you're up against the general lack of great options this cycle. But I don't really see any good reason it wouldn't be Moorhead.
November 20th, 2018 at 12:16 PM ^
I agree. He was a good hire. And, issues aside, he's done pretty well. PSU has real talent on the roster, whomever is coaching them next year.
November 20th, 2018 at 1:19 PM ^
A somewhat improved USC would prob be a good thing for Michigan. Increasing the chances of Pac12 self-cannibalizing and having a 1 to 2-loss champion each year. Wash State could (should?) be 11-0 at this point.
November 20th, 2018 at 10:41 AM ^
No way. Not buying it. Meyer all the way.
November 20th, 2018 at 10:53 AM ^
I think USC will wait 1 more year and grind it out with helton just so they can get meyer after his "recovery" year
November 20th, 2018 at 11:03 AM ^
This was my thought...
November 20th, 2018 at 10:42 AM ^
USC loves mediocrity, huh? With enough time, I guess every team has their time wandering in the woods.
November 20th, 2018 at 10:56 AM ^
They kind of always have loved mediocrity, just with Carroll they had a brief revisit to the heights they enjoyed in the 60's and 70's.
Makes it all the more inexplicable/painful that UCLA can never seem to step off of their own dicks long enough to take advantage of these periods. USC's recruiting advantage in Southern California has kind of always falsely buoyed them above what their coaching and general program management says they should be able to do.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:20 AM ^
UCLA took advantage of the rivalry when USC sucked in the 90's but couldn't get the program going except for the few years they had Cade McNoun. They were a last second field goal away from playing our 97 national champ team in the Rose Bowl.
But you're still right. USC has had so many down periods outside of Pete Carroll getting the best players money could buy. UCLA has done nothing to take advantage of this.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:57 AM ^
That was the first thing I thought of when I saw that comment too. But then I looked it up and was surprised to see that Toledo really just had two good seasons (he was 10-2 in both '97 and '98) before he flamed out.
UCLA was ranked #16 at the start of 1999, so that might have made that run feel longer than it was. UCLA finished the '99 season at 4-7.
November 20th, 2018 at 1:39 PM ^
UCLA was good in the 60s under Tommy Prothro with only one of his six season's worse than 2nd in the PAC 8, in the 70s only three out of ten seasons did they finish worse than second and then their best era was the 80s when Terry Donahue won eight straight bowl games, three of which were the Rose Bowl.
It's really only been the last 30 years that they've not been very good, with just that couple year stretch in the late 90s with McNown that you mentioned, and then the recent string of two ten wins seasons under Mora and Brett Hundley as the brightest spots.
So yes, they were up and down in the 90s, dominated in the 00s by Carroll, briefly looked like they'd take back the city in the early 00s and then fell on their faces kind of explicably because as you said, USC has been down, and Mora was recruiting pretty well.
November 20th, 2018 at 10:49 AM ^
I see Urban at USC next year
November 20th, 2018 at 10:52 AM ^
Urban is going to need to sit out for a year after he leaves OSU for "health reasons."
November 20th, 2018 at 10:50 AM ^
I don't see Franklin going anywhere unless he has a couple more bad seasons. Aside from the weather and the women, USC isn't a better job than PSU.
November 20th, 2018 at 10:57 AM ^
I think it is. The PAC 12 South has a far easier path to the P 12 CG, and USC (should have) has all of CA as its crootin' playground. And it can dabble anywhere else in the country when it feels like it. PSU has a harder climb to get to a CG, and cannot just trot out to CA and take whoever they please.
Also, weather and women. I mean, what schools can compete with the Song Girls? Maybe The Grove at 'Ole Miss, but they always suck as a football team (when they're not cheating).
I need a trip to the Grove. I need to experience that.
November 20th, 2018 at 10:57 AM ^
Not having to play UM, OSU, and MSU is a huge plus for a shitty gameday coach like Franklin. I haven't followed the Pac 12 since I left Cal, but I'm pretty sure there aren't three teams in USC's division that would beat Franklin vastly more frequently than not.
Not having to worship a child molestation coverup perpetrator might also be a nice change of pace.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:15 AM ^
USC is absolutely a better job than Penn State. Franklin is from PA, so he might not take the USC job, but by no means is Penn State a better job.
USC is a blue blood, USC is in the most talent-rich area of the most talent-rich state in the union, USC has more wins, more national titles, more history, USC is a better school, etc.
The only thing that is better at Penn State is their stadium.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:22 AM ^
I'll give you the stadium atmosphere. The rickety K'nex architecture is terrible.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:23 AM ^
You're being overly generous towards that ugly giant erector set of a stadium.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:36 AM ^
Aesthetically it's garbage, and trust me, I don't like complimenting Penn State, but USC plays in a horrible stadium for a college football team.
College football is great because of the unique environments that it exists in. USC plays in a multipurpose venue from the 1920s designed to host track and field, equestrian, and gymnastic events.
Los Angeles is a trash football town in general, and both of their Power 5 programs have horrible home stadiums (yes, the Rose Bowl is iconic, but as a bowl game, not as a home stadium). If Penn State has any edge on USC, it's that it can better deliver the authentic college atmosphere.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:51 AM ^
Fair points.
As Homer Simpson said, "Your views intrigue me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter."
November 20th, 2018 at 1:00 PM ^
USC's home atmosphere is pretty good when the team is good. Not the best, but pretty good. The facility itself is fine, and the ability to draw 90,000 people in Los Angeles is actually pretty impressive.
+1 for the honest truth about the Rose Bowl. As an actual facility it's not impressive at all--narrow concourses, way too few restrooms, impossible to get the funding to properly upgrade, etc.
As an event and a setting, its peerless. But to watch a UCLA game there with 35,000 empty seats? No thank you.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:35 AM ^
I mostly agree, USC is a much easier place to win big, due to the recruiting area and the division.
However, the fanbase seems pretty spoiled -- a lot of money and demands from the program insiders but the larger campus area doesn't really support their team on game days unless their team is national championship level. Whereas PSU fans are obviously psychos who worship the program and show up in the stadium no matter what. (And I mean no matter what.)
Also, you could probably get away with going 10-2/9-3 every year at PSU and retire from there. USC would eventually fire you for that.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:40 AM ^
I totally agree with your second paragraph, and I touched on that in my other comment above. If Penn State has any edge on USC, it's the authentic college environment, where as USC feels more like a sterile, big city NFL team in a lame stadium, with casual, yet demanding fans.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:20 AM ^
All his coaches have hot wives so why would the women mayyer?
November 20th, 2018 at 11:27 AM ^
USC is a GREAT job, top 5 in college football easily. Penn State is a very good job, but basically everything PSU offers, USC offers better.
Talent? Lots of talent for PSU to draw from. But Southern California has way more. Competition? Penn State plays in a great conference, but they play Michigan and Ohio State every year; USC has to worry about Chip Kelly in its division, a scrappy Utah team, and... that's it. Tradition? Penn State has a lot, but it's also an albatross, given the affection the fanbase maintains for Joepa and its reluctance to fully embrace Frames. And USC actually has more tradition and history than Penn State. Pressure? Both programs expect you to win, but Penn State's pressure is harsher and harder to live up to. USC's market embraces you when you win but just ignores you when things don't go well, thanks to the other sports and activities available.
A winning coach at USC has a great job. And everything is there for them to win. The Stadium is actually pretty good (and getting upgraded). There are great players which will commit to USC every year with basically any sign of human life in the program. The conference is good enough to allow you to contend for the playoff, but not so hard that you can have a really good team and lose three times.
I don't know that Frames is the right guy for USC. But if they want him, I wouldn't be surprised at all if he took the job.
November 20th, 2018 at 12:24 PM ^
Ignores you when things don't go well? This is not UCLA football or USC basketball, This is USC football. Trust me, coaches don't get ignored when things don't go well for that program. The rest of what you wrote I agree with, but that particular statement is taking the LA sports fan stereotype and running JUST a little too far with it.
November 20th, 2018 at 1:12 PM ^
No it's not. I lived there for four years. I consumed the local sports media every day.
It's not that there won't be ANY attention, but the reaction is more apathy than anger. The sports market is packed, especially with the NFL franchises in town. You don't get a situation where the whole community is obsessed with the problem the way you do in other markets.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:03 AM ^
November 20th, 2018 at 12:08 PM ^
Yes, and you live on 25% of your after-tax income (if that's possible in LA) and build up your nest egg because that would be the last HC job he would ever get.
November 20th, 2018 at 12:30 PM ^
Yep... If you can't win at USC, you can't win.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:05 AM ^
Why in God's name would USC hire Janklin? Meyer I might believe, USC is one of the few schools that can afford to buy out his contract.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:08 AM ^
Harbaugh / Michigan scaring everyone out of the league, bwahaha
November 20th, 2018 at 11:10 AM ^
Well Lynn Swann owned an arena football team that folded within 3 years, so he probably has the skill set to be an Athletic Director...
November 20th, 2018 at 11:13 AM ^
Is there anything less relevant than Talking Heads.
November 20th, 2018 at 12:21 PM ^
Well, there's Echo & the Bunnymen.
November 20th, 2018 at 12:39 PM ^
You've got it, you've got it.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:17 AM ^
This feels like an obvious play by Franklin's agent to get him a lucrative extension before the ship fully capsizes. Can't seem him leaving.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:17 AM ^
i would be surprised if USC hired Franklin... i just don't think he's a very good gameday coach. Heck of a recruiter though... but SC's issue hasn't been an issue in a very long time; they basically hoover up most of the cali kids anyways... UCLA/Oregon haven't been able to capitalize on SC's decline... Washington is the biggest threat imo for cali talent...
While there's not a ton of known options out there coaching wise you'd still think there's better guys than Franklin... Campbell should be a guy they look at... heck, John Harbaugh at USC (unlikely i know) would be hella fun for college football.
Franklin? strictly a meh hire. I'd be calling up Brohm personally if i were lynn swann
November 20th, 2018 at 11:20 AM ^
I know Louisville connections and all, but Jeff Brohm with USC recruiting could be a juggernaut.
November 20th, 2018 at 12:36 PM ^
I hope Purdue can keep Brohm. The guy gets respect and with the B1G money we should be able to keep good coaches at all of our schools.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:22 AM ^
We should be careful what we wish for. If this happens, wouldn't there be a good chance Moorhead comes back to Penn State?
November 20th, 2018 at 11:24 AM ^
USC needs a tactical whiz. Place recruits itself.
November 20th, 2018 at 11:39 AM ^
Tim "the drev" Drevno
November 20th, 2018 at 11:28 AM ^
Urban Meyer to Louisville? Would certainly be consistent with their approach to character in bringing back Petrino.
Oh right, we are talking about Frames. Maybe USC is good for him, so he can continue to ogle his assistants’ wives.