NCAA 2021 - NCAA - Week 13 (Thanksgiving)

The news on Riley raised an eyebrow.

To leave Oklahoma for USC? money would be a slight upgrade. But why leave the Sooners?

I wonder if there's massive issues behind the scenes in Oklahoma (and Texas) in regards to realginment.

I wonder if Riley wanted to be the big fish in the small pond and didn't want the grind of the SEC.

So rather than have to win in the SEC, he took a cushy job where there's not much competition in conference.
 
Jul 1, 2014
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They have some good players, but will need more than 1 recruiting class to become a playoff team.

I love the hire for USC.

There will be a bunch of players - both playing for Oklahoma now or committed to them in 2022/23 who will follow Riley to SC. Two recruiting cycles should be all it takes for SC to be top of the PAC-12 with a likely playoff spot.

The news on Riley raised an eyebrow.

To leave Oklahoma for USC? money would be a slight upgrade. But why leave the Sooners?

I wonder if there's massive issues behind the scenes in Oklahoma (and Texas) in regards to realginment.

I wonder if Riley wanted to be the big fish in the small pond and didn't want the grind of the SEC.

So rather than have to win in the SEC, he took a cushy job where there's not much competition in conference.

There's never going to be one single reason why this move happened, but I suggest it's a combination of the following (ignoring a suspected pay rise):

- Competing in the SEC with Oklahoma will be a heck of a lot tougher than competing in the PAC-12. Riley's stock as a coach is as high as it has ever been even with a "down" year, but if the Sooners had a poor year in 2022, his shine would wear off quickly and future opportunities suddenly dwindle. By going to SC he has more leeway in that respect.

- SC is a bigger name than Oklahoma. "Biggest" college football team on the west coast. The chance to reignite that program gives him the opportunity to be a true "football lifer" in a similar way to how Pete Carroll is revered around both the college and pro levels of the sport.

- Would you rather live in Oklahoma or Southern California? It's a no brainer.
 
Why does everyone think they will struggle so much in the SEC? I mean, outside of Georgia and Alabama there isn't really that much going on that they should struggle with (at the moment). Are they going to win the division? No, but it is not like they will lose more than they win.
 
There will be a bunch of players - both playing for Oklahoma now or committed to them in 2022/23 who will follow Riley to SC. Two recruiting cycles should be all it takes for SC to be top of the PAC-12 with a likely playoff spot.



There's never going to be one single reason why this move happened, but I suggest it's a combination of the following (ignoring a suspected pay rise):

- Competing in the SEC with Oklahoma will be a heck of a lot tougher than competing in the PAC-12. Riley's stock as a coach is as high as it has ever been even with a "down" year, but if the Sooners had a poor year in 2022, his shine would wear off quickly and future opportunities suddenly dwindle. By going to SC he has more leeway in that respect.

- SC is a bigger name than Oklahoma. "Biggest" college football team on the west coast. The chance to reignite that program gives him the opportunity to be a true "football lifer" in a similar way to how Pete Carroll is revered around both the college and pro levels of the sport.

- Would you rather live in Oklahoma or Southern California? It's a no brainer.
I agree it'd be alot harder.
But he'd get a slight boost in talent by moving to the SEC as is.
That might actually be what's required to take them right to the summit in the SEC

And USC bigger than Oklahoma? I mean, 15 years ago, I 100% agree with you.
That's like saying Florida State's a bigger name than Florida. Yeah, they were in the 90s, but not now.
USC has been irrelevant since Carroll left.
It's a sideways move at best (though, if he gets it right and brings USC back to relevance, you might become right.)

Oh, and I agree ;) It is a no brainer. Oklahoma for me. The only thing LA has which OKC doesnt is NHL in the offseason. (Oh, and a beach, and admittedly, LA has nice beaches, but have you seen how hard coaches work? They wouldn't have time for the beach)
 
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I agree it'd be alot harder.
But he'd get a slight boost in talent by moving to the SEC as is.
That might actually be what's required to take them right to the summit in the SEC

And USC bigger than Oklahoma? I mean, 15 years ago, I 100% agree with you.
That's like saying Florida State's a bigger name than Florida. Yeah, they were in the 90s, but not now.
USC has been irrelevant since Carroll left.
It's a sideways move at best (though, if he gets it right and brings USC back to relevance, you might become right.)


Oh, and I agree ;) It is a no brainer. Oklahoma for me. The only thing LA has which OKC doesnt is NHL in the offseason. (Oh, and a beach, and admittedly, LA has nice beaches, but have you seen how hard coaches work? They wouldn't have time for the beach)

USC is unquestionably a bigger name historically than Oklahoma. Everyone knows that when SC is producing a dominant program, they are talked about with similar reverence to how people see Saban's Bama teams of the past 15 years. He has the chance to become a household name in the 2nd biggest market in the USA - if he gets it right of course. That is bigger than anything Oklahoma can provide. I don't think the comparison of Florida/Florida State is appropriate either. Florida were the best team in the country for a period and won multiple national championships in the 00s. For better or worse, Oklahoma has been wildly successful but has not won a national championship in 20 years.

You're right, SC has been irrelevant since Carroll left - that's what happens when 1) you get hit with unprecedented punishments by the NCAA and 2) you hire one of the boys (Helton) who has no idea what they're doing. They've still got more money than any team on the west coast to fund their football program, and the lure of living in Southern California is richly appealing to young kids - especially if all other things are equal.

I just don't see USC in the playoffs in 2 years even with Riley

The roster will change immensely - recruits are going to be dropping left right and centre from Oklahoma and following Riley to SC. Riley was one of the best at recruiting the top Cali kids - and now he has the further advantage of pitching the same kids to play at an elite school in their home state. And the PAC-12 isn't exactly strong. That, combined with expected playoff expansion sooner rather than later - I'd be staggered if they aren't a top 5 team within 3 years, and I think it is realistic in 2 with the right moves.
 
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It won't be either of those teams. Bowl organisers won't pass us the payday of a big school
I know it will be someone who deserves it and needs the money more like Old Dominion, Miami Oh, Ball St or Middle Tennessee
 
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Would you rather live in Oklahoma or Southern California? It's a no brainer.
LOL

Lincoln Riley isn't a 20yo hipster, mate. He is a middle-aged football coach who has spent most of his life in Texas & Okie. That's his home turf you're dissing. He grew up a tiny town in the middle of nowhere in west Texas. He played football for the Red Raiders in Lubbock.

He cut his teeth as an assistant coach at East Carolina for 5 years. And for the past 7 years, he has lived in Norman, Oklahoma.

He probably enjoyed a leisurely 10 minute drive to and from work every day with barely a car on the road and waved at his friends as he drove past.
Look at his palatial home which has gone on the market: https://www.mansionglobal.com/listings/4774809-2619-berry-farm-road-73072
He won't get anything like that in LA for under $10 million

He is leaving this behind for smelly Los Angeles and spending over an hour a day in bumper to bumper traffic snarls.
But gee, they make a nice soy mocha frappuccino...

I give him about 3 years before he calls it quits and returns to the plains.
 
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It's not you who is making the move, Chewy316 .... "LA or Oklahoma.. it's a no brainer..." :D

Imagine being 40 years old and moving to a dirty mega-city of 15 million people after spending your entire life living in rural towns.
It's a pretty low percentage of country boys who like living in cities. Most people I know from the country HATE the big smoke.
 
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It's not you who is making the move, Chewy316 .... "LA or Oklahoma.. it's a no brainer..." :D

Imagine being 40 years old and moving to a dirty mega-city of 15 million people after spending your entire life living in rural towns.
It's a pretty low percentage of country boys who like living in cities. Most people I know from the country HATE the big smoke.

I'm well aware of Riley's past living situations. I'm also well aware of how vast LA is as a city area wise that allows you to live in relative anonymity in your own little communal hubs on the beach like Malibu for instance. The beauty about LA is that you can be fully immensed in a high density urban sprawl, or you can feel like you're in the middle of no where by the beach.

It is not as if he is moving to the middle of New York.
 
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