Tag: Bryson Shaw

Bryson Shaw’s claim that the players let down Alex Grinch just doesn’t hold up

Sorry, Bryson Shaw. It’s Alex Grinch’s mess at USC.

Bryson Shaw meant well. He wanted to stick up for his coach, Alex Grinch, earlier in the season. He told the media following the Colorado game that the players were failing Grinch, not the other way around.

How does that comment look and feel, several weeks later? Not good, as USC football analyst Josh Webb points out:

“It would be disingenuous to say Grinch didn’t have the players to implement his plans this year,” Webb told us. “While most of the recruiting focused on the offense last year, the defense was clearly the focal point not just for recruiting, but also for the transfer window. Many of the best available defensive players came to USC, including Mason Cobb, Anthony Lucas, and Bear Alexander. Grinch might not be working with Georgia’s two-deep, but he has a roster full of players willing and able to make a play. So why hasn’t it come together this year?

“There’s only so long you can continue to vouch for a bad decision. At some point, you have to take inventory of what’s working and what needs much more time in the oven to cook.

“It’s also not just the tackling. The Trojans also seem to be late to arrive, which makes them miss the tackle. This means they aren’t playing with anticipation and that means they aren’t putting in the work during the week. All of those things are bad and are also indicative of poor coaching practices in the lead-up to the game.”

There are so many reasons why Grinch, not the players, has to be held primarily responsible for this 2023 mess at USC.

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Oklahoma fans were right about Lincoln Riley, at least for this specific season.

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Lincoln Riley did not assemble an elite 2023 roster, which surprised us and a lot of other observers.

Is USC ready to win in 2024 with Miller Moss or Malachi Nelson at quarterback? Lincoln Riley has to be honest about how he answers that question.

Brent Venables is coaching Oklahoma far better this year than Lincoln Riley is coaching USC. It’s up to Riley to change that reality.

USC statistical leaders through six games

You probably can name one of these guys offhand.

USC nearly lost its perfect season against Arizona but survived. Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff chances ended with a loss at Louisville. Neither team is coming into their annual meeting with the best momentum. That means talent could be the game’s determining factor.

This is a perfect opportunity for the Trojans to make a statement. They’re catching the Irish when they’re fatigued and struggling. The only thing that could slow them down is the wet conditions forecast for the game, but they’re preparing for that by using water in rather interesting ways in practice. While there’s no way to tell if that will affect anything, it shows they’re not leaving anything up to chance.

As you’re about to see, there are several players responsible for the Trojans’ offense being the country’s highest scoring, not the least of whom is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback. Here he is among the top Trojans players on both sides of the ball:

USC’s Bryson Shaw defends Alex Grinch after playing a subpar game

Players are defending a man who isn’t coaching them well. Bryson Shaw’s level of play is an argument against Alex Grinch

If you have seen it once, you have seen it a million times: Players who like playing for a coach defend that coach when things aren’t going well. Yet, the contradiction is obvious: If the coach was better, the players would perform better. If players received a higher level of coaching, the players would display their best stuff on a more regular basis.

This is what we have at USC right now, with safety Bryson Shaw passionately defending defensive coordinator Alex Grinch after the frustrating 48-41 win over Colorado. USC led 48-21 and yet had to hang on by its fingernails at the end instead of putting the game to bed well before the final minute.

There is a clear contradiction here: Players who surely want to become the very best — and at least have the chance of pursuing an NFL career — might enjoy playing for a coach they like as a person, but their NFL prospects aren’t helped by playing for that same coach. Playing for a mediocre coach doesn’t help anyone. USC needs something better.

Let’s see how fans and commentators reacted to Shaw’s defense of Grinch.

If only USC’s defense on the field was as strong as Shaw’s defense off the field:

Bryson Shaw could be the X-factor for USC defense in November

Tired: Korey Foreman as the X-factor, an added piece who steps up for #USC’s defense. Wired: Bryson Shaw could be that guy.

October is ending. November is about to begin. We are through Week 9 of the 2022 Pac-12 football season, heading into Week 10. USC is almost certain to be 9-1 through 10 games. The Trojans will have everything to play for heading into their rivalry games against UCLA and Notre Dame. This is how it should be.

What isn’t how it should be: USC’s health.

The Trojans are missing a lot of bodies, including on defense. They didn’t have Eric Gentry or Ralen Goforth against Arizona this past weekend. They also didn’t have Korey Foreman. We keep waiting for Foreman to give this team more, but injuries haven’t cooperated.

Maybe it’s time to look for a new X-factor on this defense.

It could be Bryson Shaw. Let’s dive deeper into this topic:

The biggest point to remember about Bryson Shaw in his first season at USC

We talked to @MarkRogersTV about Bryson Shaw and the evolving #USC secondary. Shaw needs to internalize one important reality this season.

Bryson Shaw, having come from Ohio State, already knows what it is like to have championship expectations at a college football program. The difference between Ohio State and USC, however, is that the Buckeyes were an already-established power when Shaw played for them. USC is a former power which has fallen on hard times but is expected to regroup this season and become nationally relevant again.

That detail matters when evaluating Shaw and the other members of a highly-scrutinized USC defense which is expected to struggle early in the season. Let’s realize that remaking USC into an elite program won’t happen instantaneously, especially on defense. We could say that the offense will instantly be elite, given the total transformation on that side of the ball, starting with Caleb Williams and continuing with Jordan Addison. However, on defense, that’s where the wreckage of the Clay Helton era is still visible.

As Bryson Shaw and other players on the USC defense try to change their identity and their level of performance, they do have to realize that a transformation process will take some time. It will require patience.

This does not mean mistakes should be calmly shrugged off. It does mean that mistakes should not cause a crisis in confidence. Failure needs to be learned from. It must translate into growth when it occurs.

This also means not trying to be a hero on the field. Making simple plays, working within the system, and containing damage will work for the USC defense this year.

Let’s be honest: The 2022 Trojans are not going to become the 1985 Chicago Bears or the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers. If this defense can hold opponents to an average of 28 points per game, that would be a very good result, since the offense has a chance to average 40 points per game.

Bryson Shaw needs to lead his teammates, but he also needs to be patient in this larger process.

There’s one final thing to say about Shaw and other USC players battling for spots on the depth chart: Whether a player starts or backs up on the USC defense shouldn’t be seen as overly important. The Rice game will give starters and backups plenty of reps. It’s less about starting, more about being ready and able to contribute when called upon.

That mindset requires patience and maturity. It’s what USC hopes Bryson Shaw can deliver for the Trojans this year.

We talked about Shaw with Mark Rogers at The Voice of College Football.

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Former Ohio State defensive back transfers to USC

Former Ohio State defensive back transfers to USC #GoBucks

There has been a flurry of Ohio State football players who have been entering the transfer portal as the playing time picture starts to become more clear. Bryson Shaw was one of the Buckeyes who placed his name in the transfer portal and today it appears he announced his decision to join his former defensive coordinator, Alex Grinch at USC.

It is a shame Shaw felt the need to leave, but we wish him good luck and the move makes a lot of sense considering Grinch was his primary recruiter and his position coach in 2018.

The three-star recruit from Maryland saw the field in limited action early in his career, but started 11 games for Ohio State last season.

Bryson Shaw has entered the transfer portal

In case you missed it, another Ohio State defensive back has hit the transfer portal. #GoBucks

In case you missed a couple of significant news nuggets over the last day or so, the transfer portal has sucked in a couple of more Ohio State football players. Earlier in the day yesterday, we heard that defensive back Lejond Cavazos was reportedly in the transfer portal.

Well, that was followed up by another defensive back, Bryson Shaw, also hitting the portal according to multiple sources.

In the case of both, it was a bit surprising. Not because some are departing the program, that has to happen in some shape or form because OSU is over its scholarship limit, but more because both Cavazos and Shaw figured to be deep in the mix for playing time this fall.

It just goes to show you what can happen when a new position coach comes into the fray, most notably a guy with the background and track record that new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has.

Knowles is clearly beginning to see what guys are going to make a difference in his new way of doing things, and maybe some of the players are also seeing the writing on the wall. Still, Shaw saw a ton of snaps last season and had been running with the first and second-team early on in spring.

Jan 1, 2022; Pasadena, California, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes safety Bryson Shaw (17) runs during the 2022 Rose Bowl game against the Utah Utes at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

We’ve already said it before, but you can still probably expect a few more defections as Ohio State continues to work to get down to the 85-man scholarship limit. The Buckeyes now sit at 88 (subscription may be required) with the news over the last couple of days.

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Five Ohio State Buckeyes who could break out on defense next season

Five Ohio State Buckeyes who could break out on defense next season #GoBucks

The Ohio State Buckeyes should be ready to rock and roll in 2022 and the defense should be much improved, mostly considering it doesn’t appear it can get any worse. I am exaggerating of course, but there were more than a few pathetic outings last season by this unit.

The 2021 season was more or less a disappointment, but the 2022 Ohio State football should be primed to make a legitimate national championship run. Now spring football hasn’t even begun, but I like everyone else like to make bold predictions and wild speculations and the following are five Ohio State players that I expect to make a bigger impact during the 2022 season.

Some of these selections are going to be insanely obvious, but I would be a fool to leave them off. With that said, some of these players may raise an eyebrow, which I welcome.

WATCH: Ohio State safety Bryson Shaw intercept Cade McNamara

Ohio State safety Bryson Shaw saves a Michigan touchdown with a big interception. #GoBucks

Ohio State came out of the gates sluggish. Michigan received the opening drive and promptly went 10 plays for the score. The Buckeye offense sputtered to a 3-and-out, giving Michigan good field position again.

Wolverine quarterback Cade McNamara dropped back in threw towards the endzone but didn’t see No. 17 roaming as Bryson Shaw came across the middle for the interception. The pick was returned for 20 yards giving OSU new life.

Check out the nice hands by the Buckeye safety

The Buckeyes are driving looking to even up the score late in the first quarter.

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