[CTcard]

I think it's totally appropriate to consider all of 2015 and be skeptical of Helton for that exact reason. While there's time to turn it around, 7-7 is a full season and change by this point. It's kind of weird *not* to have an opinion, though I think it shouldn't be firmly set yet. 

But one reason I think your opinion should be getting pretty solid: it's not just that Helton has only been successful with Darnold, it's that he's failed with a pretty reasonable crew otherwise. It'd be one thing if Helton had one great quarterback and then (for whatever reason) had to work with a bunch of walk-ons and two-stars. Helton's QBs when not playing with Darnold have been: Cody Kessler, a four-star and third-round NFL draft pick; Max Browne, a former top-ranked (literally #1) QB recruit; and JT Daniel, another #1 QB recruit. While the book's still unwritten and songs are yet to be sung on Daniels, the frequent ineptitude displayed by the Trojans despite running out a very accomplished crew of quarterbacks shouldn't be reassuring.

7-7 is not good for a U$C coach, but there is also a bit of "he wasn't a very good coach in the games where U$C wasn't very good" to that sort of analysis. 
Helton's overall record at U$C is 28-11, which is okay-ish though far from Carroll, Robinson, McKay levels. The games with Darnold mean something. It may be that he has trouble putting together good offenses without a plus-QB, but at $C he's likely to have a plus-QB fairly often. 

And two further points in the "I'm not defending Helton, but like proper arguments" category.
- Not really relevant, but Daniels seemed to be mostly the #3 QB last year, behind the guys who went to Clemson and Georgia. 
- Slightly more relevant, Max Browne is probably leading the competition for worst ever #1 ranked QB. By signing day there was already lots of questioning, and within a week after he arrived on the $C campus I heard reports that he'd never be a starter. 
Of course it may be damaging to Helton's case that Helton did make him a starter for three games

[CTcard]

I think it's totally appropriate to consider all of 2015 and be skeptical of Helton for that exact reason. While there's time to turn it around, 7-7 is a full season and change by this point. It's kind of weird *not* to have an opinion, though I think it shouldn't be firmly set yet. 

But one reason I think your opinion should be getting pretty solid: it's not just that Helton has only been successful with Darnold, it's that he's failed with a pretty reasonable crew otherwise. It'd be one thing if Helton had one great quarterback and then (for whatever reason) had to work with a bunch of walk-ons and two-stars. Helton's QBs when not playing with Darnold have been: Cody Kessler, a four-star and third-round NFL draft pick; Max Browne, a former top-ranked (literally #1) QB recruit; and JT Daniel, another #1 QB recruit. While the book's still unwritten and songs are yet to be sung on Daniels, the frequent ineptitude displayed by the Trojans despite running out a very accomplished crew of quarterbacks shouldn't be reassuring.

7-7 is not good for a U$C coach, but there is also a bit of "he wasn't a very good coach in the games where U$C wasn't very good" to that sort of analysis. 
Helton's overall record at U$C is 28-11, which is okay-ish though far from Carroll, Robinson, McKay levels. The games with Darnold mean something. It may be that he has trouble putting together good offenses without a plus-QB, but at $C he's likely to have a plus-QB fairly often. 

And two further points in the "I'm not defending Helton, but like proper arguments" category.
- Not really relevant, but Daniels seemed to be mostly the #3 QB last year, behind the guys who went to Clemson and Georgia. 
- Slightly more relevant, Max Browne is probably leading the competition for worst ever #1 ranked QB. By signing day there was already lots of questioning, and within a week after he arrived on the $C campus I heard reports that he'd never be a starter. 
Of course it may be damaging to Helton's case that Helton did make him a starter for three games