The USC Trojans and Lincoln Riley obviously need to move quickly in hiring a defensive coordinator. Recruiting needs an immediate boost. The transfer portal is open on December 4. The conference championship games this weekend will dominate the news cycle, meaning that USC needs to get ahead of that cycle and make an announcement of a new coordinator on Thursday or Friday. All of those points remain important in the bigger picture. USC needs to be effective so that it can get the word out to recruits and potential portal prospects.
Yet, there’s another reason for USC to get a deal done by late Thursday or early Friday at the latest: The Trojans need their coordinator to be on board — as a USC employee — before the Pac-12 Championship Game on Friday night between Oregon and Washington.
Since Oregon and Washington are following USC and UCLA to the Big Ten, it matters that the new defensive coordinator watches the Ducks and Huskies live in Las Vegas. Obviously, this coordinator will have a chance to watch the game on film, but part of studying Oregon and Washington is enhanced by getting a live look and then being able to study film later. USC needs every last bit of leverage it can get. It needs to be ahead of the curve to the fullest possible extent.
Land the plane by early Friday if at all possible.
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