USC had a lot of rough and ragged edges in its season-opening win over San Jose State. Yes, Alex Grinch’s performance as defensive coordinator rates as significant cause for concern. Even though it’s only the first game of the season, Grinch made some plainly bad decisions which can’t be accepted or tolerated. We can put that out there and acknowledge it without anyone thinking we’re trying to ignore or minimize that particular problem. It’s a genuine concern and we’re not afraid to say that directly.
However, the main reason no one should hit the panic button just yet is that the coaches — for all the mistakes they made — nailed one part of their responsibilities for this game: They played a lot of different players. This is the whole point of scheduling a cupcake game for the season opener. Against LSU or Florida State or Alabama, USC would need to find its best players and stick with them. Against San Jose State, with Nevada next week, USC did not have to worry about overextending its starters, who will need to be kept fresh over the course of the full season. This was indeed a game in which to give everyone meaningful snaps. This meant USC won by 28 points instead of 42 or 49.
That’s fine. That’s perfectly fine. It’s not USC’s job to cover the Vegas point spread. It’s the Trojans’ job to develop players so that they’re ready and healthy for the biggest games of the season. Playing more players achieved that goal, and it’s something to keep in mind as we go forward.
Here are some of the notes from commentators and reporters during the game, which underscore just how many lineup combinations the USC coaches used: