Matt Leinart thought USC was hiring CMC
- Thread starter State43
- Start date
What this tells me, is USC made a concerted effort to go after Matt and thus anyone who heard they were offering/what they were offering, assumed that it would close due to USC>ISU.
Or he just didn't think Riley was available and is assuming.
The story is that CMC had received assurances to his concerns that the boosters were not going to be meddlesome, that he would be given free reign to run his program. CMC was considering the offer when Riley suddenly became available because they weren’t going to be in the CCG. He was their #1 choice all along but they weren’t willing to wait apparently. Things materialized very quickly with Lincoln, and here we are.
USC's entire search was rife with boosters and donors trying to make connections to guys when there may not have been one. When Carson Palmer dropped the Tomlin thing, that was entirely some boosters wish list, not an actual candidate.
Between that and the twitter/cfb media echo chamber, we will likely never know how far USC got with Campbell.
Between that and the twitter/cfb media echo chamber, we will likely never know how far USC got with Campbell.
If this is true...then it shows the need to have an agent take care of all the "other" stuff in terms of negotiating for a position so the coach doesn't have to do it! I love that CMC doesn't have an agent...but it will hamper him if he really does want to coach at a USC type school.
This is similar to my thought process. Oklahoma is a destination job and one of the best jobs in college football. A coach there, or at any blue blood in unlikely to make a lateral move. So, naturally those coaches are kind of not a reasonable target. I think that Campbell was USC's top choice until it became known that Riley was interested in leaving. Once Riley wanted to leave, things changed.
How can any school or AD make those assurances? All it takes is a couple of whales to start stirring up trouble.
Leak their concerns anonymously to the LA Times and the fire is lit.
This. Matt's not dumb enough to think that those "assurance" carried a lot of functional weight.
Be thankful OU didnt win that game Saturday
Some Oklahoma fans are claiming the courtship of Riley began as far back as September. Can't see how Campbell would have been the #1 choice if that is true.
Oklahoma WAS a destination job before they opted to join the SEC. Now recruiting/facilities/path to playoffs is much more difficult and it is the 4-5th best job in the SEC. Riley realized this and thus a job that he may never leave while in the B12 was open to taking USC (or I'd guess NFL in a month). This has Nebraska vibes of conference realignment expectations vs reality coming in 4-5 years.
I agree unless the playoffs are expanded which would make way for more SEC teams.
If Texas can blow up their culture there is a path for them.
I agree that OU basically doomed their football future for a quick financial boost when they were already a top 15 or so program financially.
all of the original Big 12 should have viewed Texas hs football culture as something to hoard. Instead they viewed it as something to ***** out.
I think it all depends on what you use for criteria.
In a vaccum of which program is it easiest to build the best team - I think it is LSU, USC, OU, ND.
But the challenge is at LSU and now OU, you've got massive competition to win your division in the SEC. You also have the heaviest meddling from outside the program.
I think when all factors are considered, I'm going against the grain and thinking I would take USC over all those jobs. Tons of money, easy to get talent, surprisingly patient administration and minimal outside influences given their ego and money, and of course WAY easier path to win the conference. Basically you can get near-SEC level money and talent without the SEC level competition and outside pressures.
So while I think you can build the best team at LSU, I think you are just going to get way more whacks at the playoff pinata at SC.
the math still is nearly a push.
At 16 teams vs just ten the SEC barely has an edge if they get double the teams as old big 12 every year. Need steady three to one to have an edge. Big 12 would have had solid shot at 2 teams in top 12 this year even in a down year.
let’s say our 10 teams get 2 in the top 12, that’s one out of 5 teams.
Let’s say SEC gets 3 in top 12. That’s 1 out of 5.3, slightly worse.
The only way they’d have a big edge is if they are always getting 4 or if the old Big 12 with just ten teams never had a second team in top 12…very unlikely.
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OU fans have been saying for years the Big 12 was holding them back on the recruiting trail. Will be interesting to see what happens when the SEC move is done.
Winning a conference over and over does have some weight. Coming in middle of the pack? Maybe a little shine does leave Boomer? I doubt it with ESPN pimping them, but it'll be interesting to see
He may not have a gut that is technically an 'agent' but he's a got a law firm that's handling all of his contacts and negotiations. It's not like he and his wife are sitting at the kitchen table fielding phone calls.
That is just what I was thinking.
And the big USC boosters are just as insufferable as those in Texas.
There is no way CMC could believe any assurances would hold.
