IMHO Sunday: Will the Boulevard-Bound "BLVD Studios" turn the 2021 Trojans onto Victory Lane?
In my humble opinion, cardinal and gold thoughts on what I see, what I hear, and what I think from Los Angeles.
Boulevard bound: By now you are aware of the aggressive public relations campaign known as BLVD Studios and its boulevard bound mission to turn the USC football program into a perception of Hollywood glitz and glamour, and the Trojans players into leading gridiron movie stars. Continuing the “BLVD Studios” theme from the past off-season comes the seasonal premiere of a video series known as BLVD Bound – Episode 1.
Before we get into a discussion of BLVD Bound, for those of you that aren’t familiar with the extensive marketing “drive” and the BLVD series, for your viewing pleasure below is the aforementioned BLVD Bound – Episode 1.
Boulevard bound – Part 2: Okay, did you like what you saw? Pretty slick and well done, IMHO. It’s sort of like a cardinal and gold rah-rah movie trailer. It’s all part of a conscious effort through social media to energize the fan base and get recruits into a frenzy for the upcoming 2021 season. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with promoting your product like you’re a movie studio or at the very least a college version of NFL Films. However, by the calendar, we’re getting very close to when high-tech marketing like BLVD Studios finally meets the reality of the actual season, a time when perception transcends into reality – meaning wins and losses. A time when that perception meets the viewing numbers of the Coliseum scoreboard.
Boulevard bound – Part 3: To reiterate, there’s nothing wrong at all, IMHO, trying to fire up the masses and galvanize future recruiting classes with high-energy visual candy. There is, however, something lacking when you talk the talk but can’t walk the walk. Translated: No matter how much you say you are and what you want the masses to believe, it eventually must be proven on the field. In other words, if you want to be the hero, you have to slay the dragon. The hero is the 2021 Trojans’ football team, and the dragon is the twelve USC opponents that need to be scoreboard slayed.
Boulevard bound – Part 4: No question players, coaches, and recruits embrace this BLVD Boulevard video marketing campaign. Not only does it promote the USC football program and the surrounding riches of the Los Angeles area, but it also gives an NFL flavor with the deep-voiced narrator, which adds to the dramatic effects. In the end, however, this off-season and preseason marketing campaign is the warmup act for what is hoped transcends into a hugely successful performance by the main attraction: Clay Helton’s 2021 USC Trojans.
Boulevard bound – Part 5: In the Clay Helton era, a slickly produced video full of “episodes” or hyperbole cutups can make the coach’s Trojans appear on track to be the reincarnation of the John McKay and Pete Carroll eras, but the BLVD Studios can’t obscure the facts that in the past five seasons the Trojans have won just one conference title (2017) and no College Football Playoff (CFP) appearances.
Boulevard bound – Part 6: This Boulevard Bound promotional blitzkrieg can be a gold mine if the Trojans have a great 2021 season by winning the conference and at least advancing to the CFP semi-finals. Heck, a trip to the Rose Bowl would set the video folks down at USC into a filming euphoria. However, not capturing the goal of a conference title – let along a CFP berth – could turn BLVD Bound into a comedic series of punchlines. Needless to say, it is a video strategy and risk the USC athletic department and football program is obviously willing to take. Can you imagine how successful the BLVD Studios strategy could be if the Trojans actually accomplished something higher than a Pac-12 South Division title?
Boulevard bound – Part 7: To their credit, those in charge of the “BLVD Studios and BLVD Bound” have taken the cardinal and gold visual campaign as far as they can take it because the moment of truth is almost upon us. Once the games begin with the opener Sept. 4 against San Jose State in the Coliseum, the results will test the BLVD Studios ability to tell it like is, especially when they come to the proverbial fork in the reality road.
From the press box…
Saturday’s final Coliseum scrimmage: It all depends on what side of the ball you were looking at. The offense looked better and so did the defense, which was expected given that this was one of the last showcases for players to plead their case for a starting position or key backup role. For every good play on one side of the ball accomplished, you could say the other side of the ball could have done better, which is par for the course. At this point in time, the only way to now get a true barometer of the 2021 Trojans is to play the games. You can learn only so much from getting after each other.
Saturday’s final Coliseum scrimmage – Part 2: Offensively, quarterback Kedon Slovis looked efficient. An eye-opener was the play of the available scrimmage running backs, namely junior speedster Kenan Christon, who showed his home run ability, and true freshman Brandon Campbell, who played beyond his freshman tag. Sophomore transfer receiver Tahj Washington looked like somebody that wants to be an every down guy, and afterward Helton was effusive in his praise of the Memphis transfer.
As for the scrutinized offensive line, the coach feels it has made progress, has taken a step forward, and “loved” its efficiency in short-yardage situations. Helton did say that he had a pretty good idea of the starting offensive tackles, but he didn’t officially name names, although it sure looks like Courtland Ford at left tackle and Jonah Monheim at right tackle. The coach did not make a comment on the backup quarterback situation, but true freshman Jaxson Dart took most of the snaps with the second unit, so read the tea leaves.
Saturday’s final Coliseum scrimmage – Part 3: Defensively, Helton said he was very excited with the progress of the young defensive backs. The coach pointed out that a number of the DBs had also played offense in high school and it showed. As a group, the defense was aggressive and showed to be ball hawks with three combined interceptions (Isaiah Pola-Mao, Jaylin Smith, Prophet Brown) on the day. The coach also pointed out he was impressed with true freshman linebacker Raesjon Davis, the stud out of Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei, who showed exceptional ability in making a one-on-one tackle in the open field near the goal line.
On3: If you’re familiar with national college football websites that cover recruiting/teams like Rivals, Scout, and 247, now comes the newest entity into the national conscience of the college football fan. It’s called On3 (On3.com), named after the snap-count when an offense breaks the huddle. The man that created Rivals and 247, Shannon Terry, has assembled a company and staff that has the industry buzzing. It is widely accepted in the industry that when Terry builds a new platform, he brings game.
On3 – Part 2: On3.com has assembled an impressive foundation of writers and recruiting experts that can challenge the best in the business. Naturally, On3’s Shannon Terry believes this new venture will surpass the success of his two previous products, Rivals and 247. Still in its On.3 infancy, you can see the possibilities of taking the best of his previous models and advancing new and innovative ideas.
On3 – Part 3: What caught my eye were the On3 foundational writers or should we say national writers like former celebrated ESPN college football columnist Ivan Maisel. Writers like Maisel, who also has a financial investment in the new entity, bring big league credibility to this new venture, and he isn’t the only recognizable name. Recruiting guru Bobby Burton is also on board and his credentials speak for itself.
On3 – Part 4: In case you missed it this past week, Ivan Maisel wrote a national column for the On3 network regarding Trojans’ head coach Clay Helton. Maisel pretty much hit the nail on the head when he wrote, “Helton is the self-effacing, self-assured, self-described servant leader who occupies the most prominent college coaching job west of the central time zone. He has been good (45-23, one Pac-12 championship) in a job that demands great. Helton wins Pac-12 South titles (three) for a fan base that expects national championships. He is a coach who shuns spotlights in a city that lives in their glow.”
On3 – Part 5: Maisel went on to write, “And as of a month ago, the pressure on Helton increased twelve-fold. With the SEC executing the perfect flex by taking Texas and Oklahoma, it’s more important than ever for the Pac-12 to end its College Football Playoff drought. It’s been five years since the Pac-12 last qualified for the playoff. Five years, as in the Obama administration. Five years, as in the virus we worried about was Zika. Five years.”
On3 – Part 6: Maisel continued, “The Pac-12 needs USC, ranked 15th in the preseason AP poll, to win now. The Pac-12 needs USC in the spotlight. College football needs USC in the spotlight. Remember what it felt like in the last decade, when the Trojans owned college football? They owned all of Los Angeles, too. Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush became A-listers. Movie stars and music icons alike flocked to the Trojan sideline, all invited by coach Pete Carroll, who became the highest-profile coach in a pro town.”
On3 – Part 7: Maisel finished his On3 column by writing, “USC, the Pac-12 and college football are better off when USC football lives behind the velvet ropes. Helton is trying to return the Trojans to the spotlight while staying out of it himself. That’s a move worthy of Reggie Bush. All that’s depending on it is the future of the Pacific-12 Conference.”
The post-game show…
In memory: When people talk or read about the super boosters of both USC and its athletic department, nobody over the generations was more powerful or more generous than Bradley “Wayne” Hughes, who passed away on Wednesday at 87. The former Alhambra (Calif.) Mark Keppel High grad went from the modest means of a middle-class area to one of SoCal’s most affluent treasures. Hughes, who is in the USC Athletic Hall of Fame, created Public Storage in 1972, which became the nation’s largest self-storage company and helped Hughes become a multi-billionaire. It has been reported that he donated more than $400 million to USC over time.
In memory – Part 2: Hughes, whose daughter remains on the USC Board of Trustees, was – up to recently – a continued monetary icon and advisor to help in whatever was needed to keep USC in the game with its athletic competitors, whether it be a facility like the John McKay Center or even specific academic campus needs. Despite all his endless philanthropy and goodwill to USC, he was also scrutinized for his alleged push for the hiring of his close friend Lynn Swann as Troy’s athletic director, which turned out to be an absolute failure. Throughout his influence at USC, he never wanted the limelight and did much of his philanthropy behind the scenes never looking for credit. Many also knew of Hughes through his successes in the world of professional horse racing, which he later became owner of Kentucky’s celebrated Spendthrift Farms.
In memory – Part 3: It has been strongly rumored that Wayne Hughes was willing to step up and either assume either full financial responsibility or contribute heavily when there was early speculation of buying out Clay Helton’s contract, and it has been said that Hughes was willing to put up his financial resources into hiring the likes of Urban Meyer, the former Ohio State coaching legend and current coach of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.
In memory – Part 4: According to sources, current USC president Dr. Carol Folt apparently wouldn’t consider the Hughes buyout-and-hire coaching overture, and she initiated distance between him and other powerful longtime boosters from involvement in the university’s athletic program. With Folt allegedly putting distance between Troy’s powerful old guard of the financially elite, many wonder if there are any up-and-comers that can replace the likes of a Wayne Hughes. He was one of a kind and cardinal and gold through and through. No question, he will be greatly missed by USC.
Ticket alert: For those of you that want to watch the Trojans play at Notre Dame next Oct. 23 in South Bend, single game tickets (up to 6 tickets per order) are available through Notre Dame. Ticket locations are to the side and behind the end zones and are going from $175 to $200 per ticket with added handling fees. The irony is that the previous Irish home game with preseason No. 8 Cincinnati is sold out but not the game with the rival Trojans – go figure. For those interested in USC/Notre Dame tickets, here is the official ticket website: https://und.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?groupCode=FB-SG&linkID=notre-dame&shopperContext=&caller=&appCode=&RSRC=Email&RDAT=F21OnSaleNow
Prove it: Oregon became the first Power Five school to announce it will require those who want to attend sporting events to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test. Could USC sporting events like home football games be next?
See you in December: More and more it certainly looks like the verbal commitment of 5-star defensive end Mykel Williams (Columbus, GA/Hardaway) will stick as Williams sent out a tweet from his twitter site announcing his future intentions. See below.
The retirement: Best of luck to former Trojans’ standout linebacker Cameron Smith, who has elected to retire from the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL after careful discussion with his family and friends. In 2020, Smith had open-heart surgery and came to the conclusion that playing professional football is too much stress for his repaired heart. Always an extremely hard worker and dedicated Trojan, it wouldn’t be shocking here if Cam eventually decided to pursue a future coaching career.
The call-in show…
Caller No. 1: G-Katz, I hate to complain, but I saw recently that our No. 1 receiver recruit for the class of 2022, local Anaheim Servite wide receiver Tetairoa “TMac” McMillan, committed to Oregon last Monday. What gives?
Caller No. 1, No question, this one hurts. McMillan, 6-foot-4, 185-pound senior, selected Oregon over his other finalists: Arizona and USC. The kid said his commitment was a “lifelong dream” turned into “reality.” So maybe it was the Oregon Ducks all along. No matter, this was a big recruiting loss – period. The kid was that good.
Caller No. 2: Gregger, how much do you hold wide receivers coach Keary Colbert responsible for the loss of Tetairoa McMillan?
Caller No. 2, at face value, if McMillan always wanted to go to Oregon, so there wasn’t much more the Trojans could do, IMHO. After all, he even rejected Arizona, where some of his Servite High teammates will be attending. All that being said, the Trojans and their Air Raid offense is still a receivers Disneyland, and the fact that McMillan is local really stings. Certainly getting a degree from USC speaks for itself with all due respect to the University of Oregon. No, you have the receiver friendly pass offense of the Trojans compared to a more balanced Oregon offense, so you can draw your own conclusions. I’ll say this, when USC is “right”, they shouldn’t even be in the McMillan situation with Oregon…or an Arizona for that matter.
Caller No. 3: Greg, are you feeling better about the offensive line with a new coach?
Caller No. 3, the simple answer is no. The returning players are basically the same except without Alijah Vera-Tucker, and this stems not only from signing 3-star players because of the difficulty in signing 4 and 5-star players but the overall perception of the offensive philosophy. You can continue to fire and hire offensive line coaches, but it’s now pretty obvious that’s not the main issue. It’s the perception that the Air Raid offense – rightly or wrongly – won’t prepare you to the fullest to play in the NFL or get you into the college football playoffs. For the record, former USC first-rounders Austin Jackson and Alijah Vera-Tucker were recruited at a time when the Trojans weren’t committed to the Air Raid. It should also be noted that in the CFP era, no team that runs the pure Air Raid has made it into the post-season playoffs.
Caller No. 4: Mr. K: You continue to feel good about the defense. Why?
Caller No. 4, I am not saying the defense is going to be great, but I would say I feel much better about the defense than the offense because there seems to be more fire and emotion on that side of the ball by the coaching staff. Although I think the current defensive philosophy works against certain teams, it’s kind of a high-risk defense with all the blitzing as such. That’s not a complaint because I think that side of the ball plays with a great deal of passion and purpose, a tribute to the attitude and violence that has been instilled by the DC Todd Orlando and his defensive coaching staff. Offensively and by personality, that portion of the staff seems to be more passive and does not generate the same firebrand personality.
Caller No. 5: GK, when you travel in the USA for pleasure, what are your top three cities you like to visit?
Caller No. 5, I love what our country has to offer when it comes to leisure travel. I would rank in order my favorite cities as (1) New York City (2) Washington DC (3) Chicago/Boston. I love history and government, so DC is great. Boston’s revolutionary history also fits that category and I love watching a baseball game at Fenway Park.
Chicago fits my plans when the Dodgers are playing in Wrigley Field, but I admit whenever I go to Chicago, it just feels like I need to go to Notre Dame for a football game.
The top dog to me is New York City, the Big Apple. NYC has it all and then some. I no longer go in the summer because of the heat and humidity, but if the Dodgers are playing the Mets or Yankees, count me in along with visitations to Broadway musicals, Times Square at night, the Delis (oh how I miss the Carnegie Deli), Little Italy, and a Nathan’s hot dog in Coney Island. The place is one of a kind.
The last word: So, folks, what are your plans for the season opener against San Jose State on Sept. 4? Are you going to be sitting in the Coliseum or sitting at home on a couch watching it all unfold on your TV? Inquiring minds want to know.
