O/NSO: Facemasks, Who, and Bohn edition
The Obvious: When the USC Trojans host San Jose State on Saturday, Sept. 4, in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, not only will the Men of Troy be wearing NCAA required football helmet facemasks, but all fans in attendance will be required to wear COVID protection facemasks whether they’ve been vaccinated or not.
The Not So Obvious: If you haven’t heard by now, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is now requiring face coverings for anyone attending large outdoor events — such as concerts, festivals, and sports games — regardless of whether they’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19. For those not living in the immediate L.A. area, the updated local rule, which went into effect on Thursday evening at 11:59, and technically applies to outdoor events of 10,000 people or more.
The Obvious: So, it’s no longer “who” this mask order will apply to, but how will it be received by Coliseum fans?
The Not So Obvious: And perhaps an even bigger question is how might this affect attendance for the Trojans first game? It doesn’t help to think about the potential for a very hot Los Angeles September afternoon (2 p.m. kickoff PT) all the while wearing a COVID mask for close to four hours or more. It should be noted that masks, however, can be removed briefly to “actively” eat or drink but must be put on immediately following the partaking of food and/or beverage.
The Obvious: The Los Angeles mask order not only applies to Trojans’ home football games but to other L.A. sporting events such as the Dodgers and UCLA football.
The Not So Obvious: Another challenging question is how strongly and effectively will the mask rule be enforced once fans go through the Coliseum turnstiles? Certainly, fans sitting or standing next to fellow fans in attendance will know who’s following or violating the rule. The ONSO guesses most fans will beat the mask mandate by defending themselves by eating and saying, “I am still eating” or “I haven’t finished my drink.” BTW, you’re only allowed to eat while in your assigned seat.
Then there is the Pac-12 Networks, which will televise the game nationally and will be the big eye in the sky reporting the event in real time. Those watching at home will probably get an eyeful of whether fans are being mask compliant or not. That alone makes for must-see viewing.
The Obvious: With the new mask mandate drawing immediate attention, almost forgotten is that on Saturday afternoon, the Trojans will have their second and final scrimmage of training camp, and there are still more than enough “who” questions left to be answered.
The Not So Obvious: Like the old and celebrated Abbott and Costello baseball narration, “Who’s on First?”, the Trojans Coliseum scrimmage should begin to reveal some “who” answers: Like who’s the backup quarterback to Kedon Slovis? Who’s the starting running back next to Slovis in the backfield? Who are the starting wide receivers alongside Drake Jackson? Who’s the starting left tackle and right tackle? Who’s the starting nose tackle next to Tuli Tuipulotu? Who are the starting inside linebackers? Who’s the corner opposite of Chris Steele? Who’s the safety next to Isaiah Pola-Mao?
The Obvious: One of the “who” questions for the 2021 season that won’t be answered on Saturday: “Who are the 2021 USC team captains?”
The Not So Obvious: The question of 2021 teams captains was answered on Friday when it was released on a tweet that the four captains are running back Vavae Malepeai, safety Isaiah Pola-Mao, receiver Drake London, and punter Ben Griffiths. When was the last time the Trojans had a punter as a captain? It also seems curious that junior All-Pac-12 quarterback Kedon Slovis was not named as one of the four captains.
The Obvious: Another question that won’t be answered at Saturday’s scrimmage: Who or what is the criteria that Clay Helton must reach to continue being the head coach at USC in the future?
The Not So Obvious: On Thursday, Trojans’ athletic director Mike Bohn was asked after practice what it would take for Helton, despite the almost complete lack of confidence by the Trojans’ fan base, to return in 2022? Bohn answered by saying, “We want to be in the Rose Bowl and being a part of that College Football Playoff. Those are our goals, and you think of where we were before the ’19 season, we were ranked 47th, 48th, 49th, somewhere right in there, and we ended up 28th. The following year, through COVID, we were ranked 17 and we ended up 17, and this year we’re ranked 15 to start the season, so we’re making progress.
“I didn’t even get into the recruiting progress that we’ve made and the way this team has come together with their synergy and their affection for each other. It’s impressive and that’s a reflection on our head coach.
“We recognize the improvement in the program and all the different things we’re doing. Our trajectory is strong.”
The Obvious: No question during training camp that Trojans’ first-year offensive line coach Clay McGuire has rearranged the combinations of personnel at the various tackles, guards, and center positions to get a clearer picture of strengths and weaknesses of his unit.
The Not So Obvious: That’s why Saturday’s scrimmage could be even more revealing of the group that will soon face San Jose State. You can only rearrange the deck chairs on the Trojans Cruise Liner in so many configurations before the ship sails. Of course, the big “who” question are the tackle positions. Where does redshirt freshman Jonah Monheim start or play, and how will it affect incumbent right tackle Jalen McKenzie?
The Obvious: Most would agree that the Trojans stable of running backs is above average, and some could be starters in other Pac-12 programs.
The Not So Obvious: It appears that the present top two running backs are Keaontay Ingram, providing he is healthy, and captain Vavae Malepeai. The bigger question is just who is the next man or men up after the aforementioned? It could come down to junior Kenan Christon or TCU transfer Darwin Barlow. If both participate on Saturday, which grouping of offensive linemen will they be running behind and what grouping of defensive players will they be attacking? It matters.
The Obvious: You’re hearing a lot the name of Stanley Ta’ufo’ou as a possible candidate to step into the mix at one of the defensive tackle positions.
The Not So Obvious: You may be asking yourself, “Who is this guy?” Okay, first the particulars on one Stanley Ta’ufo’ou. He’s a sophomore out of Grace Brethern High in Simi Valley, Calif., and is 6-feet-3, 275- pounds and was once a linebacker. Coming out of Grace Brethren, Stanley made 2018 PrepStar All-Western Region, Cal-Hi Sports All-State second team, All-CIF Division 4 Defensive Player of the Year, Los Angeles Daily News All-Area first team and All-Camino League Defensive Lineman of the Year as a senior linebacker and running back.
The Obvious: Trojans head coach Clay Helton prides his program on allowing media access to view practice.
The Not So Obvious: No question that the media is grateful and appreciative of the coach in allowing us a chance to watch the players practice, and no question that a majority of the rules that prohibit specific reporting makes sense. However, following a scrimmage, there is really only one item that matters: Fans want to have at least a quick overall assessment from the head coach regarding the proceedings. As of now, Gentleman Clay does not immediately address the media following a scrimmage; he does it the following Monday. Hopefully in the future, this policy can be reviewed.
The Obvious: And finally, training camp officially ends after Saturday’s scrimmage, and the Trojans will begin their final two weeks of preparation for the season opener.
The Not So Obvious: For the devoted USC football fan, now comes the time when they await the coaching staff’s depth chart, which is officially going to be released on the Friday before the San Jose State game. That being said, Saturday’s scrimmage units should provide somewhat of a roadmap to answering the questions of “Who.”
