05-26-2011, 07:51 AM
Synthesizing some interesting analysis from the other board.
1) USC has a total #\'s roster cap  AND a limit on the number of recruits they can take each year.  They will deal with this by continuing to recruit their full 15 scholarships per year and by mercilessly running off or setting up for transfer out  players that cannot become regular contributors.  A lot of the JC transfers they brought in to get around the NCAA rules will be prime targets because in some cases they only have two years of eligibility to win a starting spot and contribute.  This Darwinian process will continue until they can bring in a couple of normal freshman classes on the far side of the sanctions.  It ain\'t gonna be pretty but I think they have correctly estimated that the damage to recruiting mystique after the sanctions won\'t be all that great.
2) Although they stocked up this year,  eventually the numbers will catch up with them.  For three classes they will only be able to take a total of 45 freshman commitments.  Nominally that is 30 short over a 3-year period.  They might be able to maximize their talent coming in under the 15-per-class limit,  but that\'s still 30 bodies they don\'t have for depth,  can\'t use for practice fodder  and....will go elsewhere to opponents.  Easy to see a lot of them ending up at Az. St.
3) Swagger  and  genuine toughness:  Both might take a hit.  Kiffin had to declare a moratorium on lots of contact during practice this past Fall.  He supposedly lifted the ban this Spring,  but observers noted the practices still weren\'t like the gladiatorial contests in the Pete Carroll days.  As the roster gets thinner most people think physical contact will become  Pete Carroll Lite at best.  Some think this leverages back into genuine toughness and contact skills,  but also into the attitude of physical domination that characterized USC teams.
To echo my thoughts above...yes, Â but how much? Â If USC still has Robt. Woods/ Matt Barkley talent levels, Â they can contend and can spoil some dreams. Â Hope it\'s not ours and I hope the doomsayers are right on.
1) USC has a total #\'s roster cap  AND a limit on the number of recruits they can take each year.  They will deal with this by continuing to recruit their full 15 scholarships per year and by mercilessly running off or setting up for transfer out  players that cannot become regular contributors.  A lot of the JC transfers they brought in to get around the NCAA rules will be prime targets because in some cases they only have two years of eligibility to win a starting spot and contribute.  This Darwinian process will continue until they can bring in a couple of normal freshman classes on the far side of the sanctions.  It ain\'t gonna be pretty but I think they have correctly estimated that the damage to recruiting mystique after the sanctions won\'t be all that great.
2) Although they stocked up this year,  eventually the numbers will catch up with them.  For three classes they will only be able to take a total of 45 freshman commitments.  Nominally that is 30 short over a 3-year period.  They might be able to maximize their talent coming in under the 15-per-class limit,  but that\'s still 30 bodies they don\'t have for depth,  can\'t use for practice fodder  and....will go elsewhere to opponents.  Easy to see a lot of them ending up at Az. St.
3) Swagger  and  genuine toughness:  Both might take a hit.  Kiffin had to declare a moratorium on lots of contact during practice this past Fall.  He supposedly lifted the ban this Spring,  but observers noted the practices still weren\'t like the gladiatorial contests in the Pete Carroll days.  As the roster gets thinner most people think physical contact will become  Pete Carroll Lite at best.  Some think this leverages back into genuine toughness and contact skills,  but also into the attitude of physical domination that characterized USC teams.
To echo my thoughts above...yes, Â but how much? Â If USC still has Robt. Woods/ Matt Barkley talent levels, Â they can contend and can spoil some dreams. Â Hope it\'s not ours and I hope the doomsayers are right on.