Bush is back and that’s good for USC and the Pac-12
Reggie is back.
USC two weeks ago ended its 10-year, NCAA-enforced disassociation from Reggie Bush. One of the greatest players in school history is free to rejoin the Trojan family. The excommunication was as comical as the sanctions against USC, handed down by a compromised and hypocritical Committee on Infractions.
While Bush’s return to good graces is specific to his alma mater, it’s also a victory — a major victory — for the Pac-12.
Bush is on the short list of the greatest players the conference has produced in the past 30 or 40 years and retains exalted status, even with players who were toddlers when he won the Heisman in a landslide. If USC can associate with Bush, the Pac-12 can, too.
And it just happens to own a media company to facilitate the branding opportunity.
The more Bush — the more he is seen and heard — the better for the conference at large.
On to the rest of the Stock Report.
Rising: USC
The winning streak could come to an abrupt end on Sept. 5 in Arlington, Texas, where the Trojans are scheduled to play Alabama. But for now, the Trojans have hit their marks throughout the offseason:
• Smart staff hires
• Recruiting momentum
• Social awareness by Clay Helton (and the athletic department)
• The Bush reunion
(No surprise: As we wrote in November, Mike Bohn was a smart hire.)
And now, here come the Trojans with the outline of a plan for the in-stadium experience.
Last week, they announced an opt-in/opt-out plan for season-ticket holders in 2020 — the first step toward determining the who and how of seat occupancy for the Coliseum. We expect other schools to take the same approach in order to avoid alienating fans during economic and public safety tumult.
Key points on the planned experience:
• All fans, according to USC, “will be required to wear a mask for the duration of the football game.” In our opinion, every school should require masks. There is simply too much evidence that singing/shouting are causes of transmission.
Put a mask on the fans, provide significant distancing for seating, add the outdoor setting, and the risk calculation seems favorable. Oh, and keep the concourses clear.
• USC addressed that issue, as well, in the note to ticket holders:
“Coliseum Amenities/Public Spaces: Concession stands, restrooms, elevators, United Airlines Coliseum Clubs, and other private and public premium spaces throughout the Coliseum will adapt to follow social distancing guidelines and capacity will be limited.”
Don’t be surprised if Pac12 stadiums prohibit concession and alcohol sales — if fans are only permitted in the concourse/tunnels at the beginning and end of the game and to use the restrooms.
Rising: Cal and UCLA
Nope, the UC schools aren’t getting left behind. Last Wednesday, with a one-two combination, UCLA announced that voluntary workouts could begin this week, while Cal opened its doors immediately.
In both cases, there are strict protocols in place, including
quarantines, testing and smallgroup workouts. Cal, for example, cannot use equipment (i.e., no weights) during the initial phase and must conduct all workouts outdoors. But at least the programs are moving forward.
Falling: Utah
The Utes were falling two weeks ago because of defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley’s use of a racial slur in a text message, critical comments by former players, and the resulting investigation. Almost nothing has changed.
The investigation remains ongoing, Kyle Whittingham remains silent on the matter — what did he know and when did he know it? — and Scalley’s future with the program, not only as the DC but also the presumptive coach-in-waiting, remains uncertain.
If there is one coordinator on one program in one state in the conference who could survive an incident such as this, it’s Scalley. He’s well-liked in the locker room, in the athletic department and in the community, and we all know the state’s political leanings.
Falling: Arizona (the state)
Readers might recall that in the middle of May, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey offered his state as a haven for sports teams unable to compete in their home venues because of coronavirus. At that point, it sure looked like Arizona State and Arizona would have a smooth path to training camp and an on-time start to the regular season — much smoother, for example, than the California schools. Now here we are, rapidly approaching July 4, and Ducey has led his state into a hot mess of viral spread and health care system stress.
Oh, and the mayors of Arizona’s biggest cities just revolted over Ducey’s refusal to enforce mask wearing, causing him to reverse course.
The path, it seems, has become a tad treacherous for the Sun Devils and Wildcats — to the point, frankly, that even Los Angeles County, tenuous as its situation might be, seems better off than Maricopa County.
Arizona isn’t the only state in the Pac-12 where case counts and public concern are rising. But at this point, it feels like the most precarious situation.
Falling: Washington
The Huskies bolstered their quarterback room last week with the addition of Kevin Thomson, a graduate transfer from Sacramento State and the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year in 2019. Thomson joins a position group that includes sophomore Jacob Sirmon, redshirt freshman Dylan Morris and recruit Ethan Garbers.
The Huskies now have more QB options, but no more QB clarity. One is a graduate transfer, and three have either zero or limited college experience.
Plus, the offensive coordinator (John Donovan) is new. And so is the head coach (Jimmy Lake).
Anytime a touted Big Sky quarterback joins the Pac-12, a hopeful comparison to Vernon Adams — the former Eastern Washington star who led Oregon to nine wins — is sure to follow. But there are just as many, if not more instances of Big Sky quarterbacks not making a positive contribution in the Pac-12 and turning into Dakota Prukop, the lauded Montana State transfer who didn’t win the starting job in Eugene the year after Adams flourished.