The biggest difference between Alex Grinch and Brian Ferentz is nepotism. Yes, Ferentz "calls plays" for his dad Kirk's Iowa Hawkeyes offense. While Grinch's father is not a future College Football Hall of Fame head coach, there is no reason he should still be employed by USC in such a prominent role on Lincoln Riley's Trojans staff. He has stolen so many Christmases from us. USC fans are furious over it.
He may have cut his teeth as a defensive disciple in being able to stop the Air Raid attack that Riley's teams run. Now in year two together at USC, they are not a serious football team until they get rid of Grinch. Without Caleb Williams, this team may not even be bowl-caliber, to be totally honest. As if this USC defense could not play any worse, Grinch revealed he prepares for games like Tony Romo would.
In the aftermath of USC's second loss of the season, Grinch said he was not prepared to see Utah Utes safety Sione Vaki run wheel routes out of the backfield in Andy Ludwig's offensive attack. Utah has owned USC throughout the Riley era in Los Angeles. For the second straight season, the two-time reigning Pac-12 champions have officially eliminated USC from the College Football Playoff.
Here is Grinch saying that he had never seen Vaki run wheel routes for the Utes prior to last Saturday.
Well, as it turns out, Vaki most definitely ran a play out of the backfield in the Utes' victory over Cal.
For as long as Riley continues to employ Grinch, USC simply does not matter as a football program.
Alex Grinch pretty much sealed his fate as USC's DC over Utah comment
We are roughly two years through the Riley era of Trojans football. While he has brought USC back to national relevance, it has been more sizzle than steak. Williams is a mega-talent offensively, but this is his last season of college football. He will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by some quarterback-desperate team like the Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings or New England Patriots.
For as much promise as Williams' successor Malachi Nelson offers at the quarterback position, USC will remain the equivalent of empty-calorie nonsense like the Los Angeles Angels have been for about a decade now as long as Grinch coordinates this defense. He is absolutely awful at his job. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out. He is not blood with Riley, but this is totally on him.
I do not know who out there makes sense as a replacement for Grinch, but Riley and new athletic director Jen Cohen have to do something. Maybe Dave Aranda bombs as Baylor's head coach? Perhaps you try to steal Manny Diaz away from James Franklin's Penn State staff? You. Have. To. Do. Something! This is finesse football at its finest. It is why Riley will never win a national championship.
Fact: You can take the man out of Texas Tech, but you cannot take the Texas Tech out of the man...
