The Next Game

On October 3rd  I wrote in this blog that I would not make a public decision about my support or lack thereof for Coach Helton and his staff until I had seen a bit more. At that point we were 3-2 and had just played some ugly football in the desert, but there was some hope yet as we had plenty of football left to play. Our chances for a 10-win year, Pac 12 title, and high-level bowl bid were alive. Maybe not alive and well, but alive. Fast forward just a few weeks and here we sit at 4-4, just hoping we will become bowl eligible.

Changes were handed down this week as Neil Callaway was relieved of his duties with the offensive line. Tee Martin was stripped of his play calling duties, leaving me legitimately wondering what he will do from his seat in the press box during games? And if the reason Clay fired Callaway this week was that he knew it was going to happen at the end of the year and he didn’t want to delay the inevitable, then what does that tell us about Tee’s future? Clay is taking ownership of this thing at least, but the writing is on the wall. I firmly believe that Clay Helton should not, and will not, be the head coach of this program next year. It pains me to write it because he is, by all accounts, a tremendous person. He has poured unbelievable effort into this for 8 years. He just isn’t getting the job done. The kicker here is that Lynn Swann was quoted today saying, “I think the program is in good shape.” Taking that more in context, Swann expressed further support for Helton. But really, who is he fooling? And what other option does he have to say otherwise? I always laugh when the media takes a statement so literally and hangs on its every word. Do you really expect him to come out in week 9 and say “Clay is not the person to get this done”?

Here is my takeaway. Swann is just keeping us at bay because he doesn’t have his guy yet. Behind the scenes he is making every call he can to agents and prospects about a desk coming open in late December. That is my hope at least, which leads to an entirely different conversation. Who is in Lynn Swann’s rolodex? We will dig into that later down the line when something actually transpires but for now it seems changes are in the works. Even if, and this is a huge if, USC were to win their remaining games Notre Dame included I believe Helton will still be fired. It’s not that I cannot handle an 8-4 record every few years, it’s that I cannot stand being continuously let down, confused, and frustrated by a staff who is coaching such a high level of talent. Many other fans are calling for Helton to be let go immediately, which earlier in the year, I didn’t agree with. What would it have accomplished? Surely things would get worse before they get better. You would essentially be giving up on the year and that’s not respectful of the seniors who have given so much to the program. Now that we are deep into the season, I am coming around to the idea. It would send a message to recruits that we are not accepting of this lower level of play and are making changes to fix it from the top down. It would remove any argument that Clay should keep his job by beating Notre Dame and rival UCLA. I think this week is critical for how long Helton stays around. A loss in Corvallis probably puts him out of a job come Sunday, and a win allows him to finish out the year gracefully while Swann searches for a replacement. These are turbulent times in Los Angeles, and the next month will be very interesting to say the least.

It won’t come easy in Corvallis, as nothing seems to come easy anymore. The Beavers are coming off a comeback win over Colorado and would love nothing more than to hit us while we’re down. With a rainy and cold night forecasted, it just might be anyone’s game in Reser Stadium. As always, here is to coming home with a win and putting a rough week behind us.

FIGHT ON