[lex24]

I no longer despise USC. I respect them. They're comfortable in their togas. Football supremacy is in their DNA and they make no bones about it.  They embrace it unabashedly, they're damned good at it and they're positioned for another era of "being USC." They will fight on. And on, and on. While some of us fume with envy. More power to 'em.

Cheating is also in their DNA.  Course, with NIL and the portal their donors can just set up a large enough war chest that they don’t have to cheat. Mercenaries and SC go together quite well. Respect? No.

“Student-athletes” was a nice fiction for a long time. There is no longer any argument to be made for major college football (or the other major revenue sport - mens basketball) having anything to do with “students”. I do think Shaw admirably attempted to fight against that. But it’s a lost cause.

[lex24]

I no longer despise USC. I respect them. They're comfortable in their togas. Football supremacy is in their DNA and they make no bones about it.  They embrace it unabashedly, they're damned good at it and they're positioned for another era of "being USC." They will fight on. And on, and on. While some of us fume with envy. More power to 'em.

Cheating is also in their DNA.  Course, with NIL and the portal their donors can just set up a large enough war chest that they don’t have to cheat. Mercenaries and SC go together quite well. Respect? No.

“Student-athletes” was a nice fiction for a long time. There is no longer any argument to be made for major college football (or the other major revenue sport - mens basketball) having anything to do with “students”. I do think Shaw admirably attempted to fight against that. But it’s a lost cause.