USC fans have just about had enough of Steve Sarkisian already. After getting outcoached down the stretch in multiple games last season, USC fans attributed the late-game plunges to the lack of depth on the roster because of the scholarship sanctions. That excuse is no longer relevant and the bulk of the blame for this season must be placed on Sarkisian. At a program like USC with the amount of talent currently on the roster, losing three or four games is embarrassing and unacceptable. At best, Stanford is the fourth-best team on USC’s schedule, and that’s being generous by putting them ahead of Arizona State, Utah, and Arizona. If last night is any indication of the future of this season, Sarkisian won’t be around to coach the Trojans in 2016.
Steve Sarkisian’s Seat is Scorching Hot
When the hiring of Sarkisian was announced, critics immediately compared him to former USC head coach and current Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin. Apparently, those comparisons aren’t too far off. Both coaches are tremendous recruiters, and there’s no doubt about that. Sarkisian formulated one of the best recruiting classes in the country last season and there’s little doubt he could do that again this year. However, when it comes to in-game adjustments, Sarkisian might be the worst in terms of head coaches of major programs. Most head coaches would probably smack their defensive coordinator across the face if he allowed a mediocre quarterback to shred a talented defense because of a consistent refusal to blitz. (Seriously though, why is Justin Wilcox allergic to sending an extra man?) Even if we pretend it’s not Sarkisian’s fault that he hired a defensive coordinator with half of a brain, it is his fault that he refused to make a halftime adjustment. As the head coach, it is your job to make sure your defensive coordinator has a pulse and perhaps make an adjustment or two if he doesn’t so that your players aren’t stranded on the field without any coaching. There is no reason that a Trojan defense stacked with talent should look like a high school defense against an anemic offense that was held to 6 points by Northwestern.
In terms of talent, the USC Trojans are stacked and should have been national contenders. Even a modest projection would not give this team more than one or two losses based on talent alone. However, with the current coaching staff, it is very possible this team could finish with four losses again. Arizona State has looked pretty bad this year, so next week’s game is a must-win. If the Trojans drop the first two conference games with even more difficult games lying ahead, Sarkisian and the rest of the coaching staff don’t deserve to stick around. When the Trojans fired Kiffin mid-season, the team rallied around the interim coach and the talent of the team propelled them to a solid finish. Whenever the head coach directly hinders the success of a talented team, it is time to move on. While one upset loss happens to every coach, it should not happen multiple times against clearly inferior teams in consecutive seasons. If Sarkisian slips up again in the near future, he won’t have a future at the University of Southern California.
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