[Goose]

Honest question to which I don't know the answer: to the extent one has made sociological observations about USC over time (e.g., they're front runners and wilt under adversity), how much does that hold in an era in which captains are transfers from Oklahoma and Alabama (hardly suspect football cultures)?

I don't pretend to know the answer either. One question to be asked is why did those captains leave their previous schools? I suspect the answer is because it benefited them in some way, not because they always wanted to "Fight On". That kind of impacts their "team first" credibility. In the past, it has been difficult for any coach at SC to instill discipline. Carroll did it by convincing his players he could take them to the promised land and then did it. The minute the players don't believe that, it becomes every man for himself. How Riley will approach this issue is TBD. I am pretty sure what worked at Oklahoma will not work at USC.

[Goose]

Honest question to which I don't know the answer: to the extent one has made sociological observations about USC over time (e.g., they're front runners and wilt under adversity), how much does that hold in an era in which captains are transfers from Oklahoma and Alabama (hardly suspect football cultures)?

I don't pretend to know the answer either. One question to be asked is why did those captains leave their previous schools? I suspect the answer is because it benefited them in some way, not because they always wanted to "Fight On". That kind of impacts their "team first" credibility. In the past, it has been difficult for any coach at SC to instill discipline. Carroll did it by convincing his players he could take them to the promised land and then did it. The minute the players don't believe that, it becomes every man for himself. How Riley will approach this issue is TBD. I am pretty sure what worked at Oklahoma will not work at USC.