IMHO Sunday: USC's recruiting success level is in the eyes of the beholder  

In my humble opinion, cardinal and gold thoughts on what I see, what I hear, and what I think from Los Angeles: Recruiting success: So, here we are on Christmas Day and the final night of Hanukkah and the topic around the table is whether the Trojans’ early signing period was elite, successful, satisfactory, or a disappointment given the expectations. Perhaps it depends on the recruiting eyes of the beholder, but it's probably a topic of discussion while unwrapping presents. Certainly, Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley thinks it was a success after most recruiting rankings had the Trojans around 15th - give or take - in the country. Recruiting success – Part 2: The reality is that no team gets all the recruits they wanted. At some level, Lincoln Riley is right when he said at Wednesday’s signing day presser, “The goal is to not to win signing day, the goal is to win championships.” True, but it takes elite talent to win championships. Just look at the annual star-studded rosters at Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State the past several years. Legendary Hall of fame coach Lou Holtz often has said, “It’s not about the X’s and the O’s but the Billy’s and the Joe’s.” Great coaches that coach great talent are difficult to beat. However, average coaching tutoring great talent generally falls short. LIncoln Riley is being paid an overwhelming amount of money not just to win but to win championships. Winning could be defined as 8-4, 10-2, or even 12-2, but at USC it's not just about winning but to winning championships: Conference and National Championships. Riley knows that.