Are USC and CA Players Overhyped?

[evillawyer]

Here's the Pro Bowl voting from this year: Titans' Johnson unanimous All-Pro; four Vikings tabbed for team

One thing I noticed is that despite having such amazing classes over the last 7 or 8 years (often made up of lots of CA kids), USC really hasn't produced any real great pros from those classes (Carson Palmer was not a Carroll recruit). This year there's exactly 1 former USC player who received a vote (Brian Cushing--whose from Jersey, not CA). UT had three players get votes. Even such "powerhouses" such as UVa, Memphis, Purdue, and Maryland had more former players receive votes.

When you dig deeper, few of the players who got votes are from CA. Why is this? I keep on coming back to something I've always thought: CA kids just seem soft when it comes to football. Given the state's population, it just doesn't make sense that CA's not producing more great players.

 

[NEO]

over hyped. I was about to be sarcastic but its a very good question. Let's look at the players who were so highly regarded on that team. Leinhart, White, Bush etc. Kinda been NFL bust. yeah, yeah Bush had a nice run back but that doesnt make him Johnson from the Titans. On the other hand, how many players come out of TN and the SEC and play and start and have very long careers. I believe alot of our 89 championship team is still playing and have broken rushing records and passing records. What have the USC and Cal players done? Not much.

 

[tmac5469]

Some CA players are overhyped and the fact that some recruits get overhyped because of where they go. Our recruits generally go down and Alabama, Florida, and Usc recruits tend to go up just because they go to those schools IMO.

 

[orutvol]

Yes and no.

 

[FlipsideRunner]

USC players are overpaid.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

 

[n_huffhines]

Polamalu
Palmer
Matthews
Cushing
Maualuga
Tatupu

Most of them are still young and will make their mark. USC didn't start getting loaded until around '04 which means most of their guys are in their first couple of years in the pros. It took Clifton like 10 years before he finally went to a pro bowl. Gibril Wilson never has. They are solid players. USC has guys like that in the pros that we don't realize are good because they don't play in the AFC south.

 

[n_huffhines]

Here's a list of what I would call solid USC players from the Carroll regime:

Sam Baker
Reggie Bush
Matt Cassel
Brian Cushing
Sedrick Ellis
Kevin Ellison
Lawrence Jackson
Winston Justice
Ryan Kalil (he's a starter, right?)
Deuce Lutui
Clay Matthews
Rey Maualuga
Carson Palmer
Mike Patterson
Troy Polamolu
Keith Rivers
Mark Sanchez
Steve Smith
Lofa Tatupu

That's a lot of guys making significant contributions to their respective teams.

 

[SandoVOL]

USC players are overpaid.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

haha THIS

 

[KingNick865]

One word.

No.

 

[NEO]

USC in the NFL now:
21 players currently in NFL
Reggie Bush RB, New Orleans Saints
Dominique Byrd TE, St. Louis Rams
Matt Cassel QB, New England Patriots
Shaun Cody DT, Detroit Lions
Keary Colbert WR, Carolina Panthers
Justin Fargas RB, Oakland Raiders
Ryan Kalil C, Carolina Panthers
Brian Kelly CB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sammy Knight S, Jacksonville Jaguars
Matt Leinart QB, Arizona Cardinals
Willie McGinest LB, Cleveland Browns
Billy Miller TE, New Orleans Saints
Carson Palmer QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Mike Patterson DT, Philadelphia Eagles
Troy Polamalu S, Pittsburgh Steelers
Junior Seau LB, New England Patriots
Steve Smith WR, New York Giants
Lofa Tatupu LB, Seattle Seahawks
Kenechi Udeze DE, Minnesota Vikings
Mike Williams WR, Tennessee Titans
Manuel Wright DT, New York Giants
Mark Sanchez QB, New York Jets

UT in the NFL now:

Erik Ainge Quarterback New York Jets
Jason Allen Safety Miami Dolphins
Rashad Baker Safety Oakland Raiders
Kevin Burnett Linebacker Dallas Cowboys
Chad Clifton Offensive Tackle Green Bay Packers
Dustin Colquitt Punter Kansas City Chiefs
Brad Cottam Tight End Kansas City Chiefs
Shaun Ellis Defensive End New York Jets
Aubrayo Franklin Defensive Tackle San Francisco 49ers
Omar Gaither Linebacker Philadelphia Eagles
Deon Grant Safety Seattle Seahawks
Jabari Greer Cornerback Buffalo Bills
Chris Hannon Wide Receiver San Francisco 49ers
Parys Haralson Linebacker San Francisco 49ers
Justin Harrell Defensive Tackle Green Bay Packers
Albert Haynesworth Defensive Tackle Tennessee Titans
John Henderson Defensive Tackle Jacksonville Jaguars
Anthony Herrera Guard Minnesota Vikings
Mark Jones Wide Receiver Carolina Panthers
Jamal Lewis Running Back Cleveland Browns
Leonard Little Defensive End St. Louis Rams
Peyton Manning Quarterback Indianapolis Colts
David Martin Tight End Miami Dolphins
Jerod Mayo Linebacker New England Patriots
Turk McBride Defensive End Kansas City Chiefs
Tony McDaniel Defensive Tackle Jacksonville Jaguars
Robert Meachem Wide Receiver New Orleans Saints
Marvin Mitchell Linebacker New Orleans Saints
Arron Sears Defensive Tackle Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Donte Stallworth Wide Receiver Cleveland Browns
Jonathan Wade Cornerback St. Louis Rams
Darwin Walker Defensive Tackle Carolina Panthers
Kelley Washington Wide Receiver New England Patriots
Scott Wells Center Green Bay Packers
Gibril Wilson Safety Oakland Raiders
Jason Witten Tight End Dallas Cowboys
Eric Young Offensive Tackle Cleveland Browns

Now this is a list that is mostly comprisied of UT players who started the year before our Championship and the bleak years since. The USC list is from their top of the world years (per ESPN). Let us the questiom, which players would you have on your team?

 

[evillawyer]

Here's a list of what I would call solid USC players from the Carroll regime:

Sam Baker
Reggie Bush
Matt Cassel
Brian Cushing
Sedrick Ellis
Kevin Ellison
Lawrence Jackson
Winston Justice
Ryan Kalil (he's a starter, right?)
Deuce Lutui
Clay Matthews
Rey Maualuga
Carson Palmer
Mike Patterson
Troy Polamolu
Keith Rivers
Mark Sanchez
Steve Smith
Lofa Tatupu

That's a lot of guys making significant contributions to their respective teams.

True, some of these guys are solid, but I was talking about all-pros. I did forget Polamolu, he's from CA, but he wasn't brought in by Carroll. Tatupu I think was a transfer from Maine and was raised in Mass.

 

[n_huffhines]

USC in the NFL now:
21 players currently in NFL
Reggie Bush RB, New Orleans Saints
Dominique Byrd TE, St. Louis Rams
Matt Cassel QB, New England Patriots
Shaun Cody DT, Detroit Lions
Keary Colbert WR, Carolina Panthers
Justin Fargas RB, Oakland Raiders
Ryan Kalil C, Carolina Panthers
Brian Kelly CB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sammy Knight S, Jacksonville Jaguars
Matt Leinart QB, Arizona Cardinals
Willie McGinest LB, Cleveland Browns
Billy Miller TE, New Orleans Saints
Carson Palmer QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Mike Patterson DT, Philadelphia Eagles
Troy Polamalu S, Pittsburgh Steelers
Junior Seau LB, New England Patriots
Steve Smith WR, New York Giants
Lofa Tatupu LB, Seattle Seahawks
Kenechi Udeze DE, Minnesota Vikings
Mike Williams WR, Tennessee Titans
Manuel Wright DT, New York Giants
Mark Sanchez QB, New York Jets

Where did you get this list? I'm looking at ESPN right now and they have 39 NFL players.

NFL Players by College - U - National Football League - ESPN

 

[NEO]

Bush is till over hyped and the Saints cant wait to be outta that contract. cassel is unproven.

 

[NEO]

Where did you get this list? I'm looking at ESPN right now and they have 39 NFL players.

NFL Players by College - U - National Football League - ESPN

Ok, we would agree that most NFl players dont last longer than 10 years (agree?) and we would agree that the last 10 years of UT football have been our worst in nearly 30 years and USC is supposedly so dominate this last decade. Now take your top 22 guys from USC and I'll take the top 22 guys from UT that are currently in the NFL and lets see how each team would stack up if the players we're at their peak perfomance during their NFL careers. I'll start by taking Manning at QB and Lewis at RB. You start (probably) and Palmer and either Bush or White. So far UT is killing USC. let's take the top guys from each side and make a team ... and remember this is UT's bad years ... and UT still has more talent. USC is just flat our over rated.

 

[evillawyer]

Ok, we would agree that most NFl players dont last longer than 10 years (agree?) and we would agree that the last 10 years of UT football have been our worst in nearly 30 years and USC is supposedly so dominate this last decade. Now take your top 22 guys from USC and I'll take the top 22 guys from UT that are currently in the NFL and lets see how each team would stack up if the players we're at their peak perfomance during their NFL careers. I'll start by taking Manning at QB and Lewis at RB. You start (probably) and Palmer and either Bush or White. So far UT is killing USC. let's take the top guys from each side and make a team ... and remember this is UT's bad years ... and UT still has more talent. USC is just flat our over rated.

Thank you. I got one on board with me!

 

[NEO]

ONly reason USC has a BCS title is they dodged Auburn. If they'd have played Auburn they would be another OSU and now viewed as over-rated. I live in Columbus. Even the Buckeye fans now admit their just a middle of the road SEC team.

 

[n_huffhines]

True, some of these guys are solid, but I was talking about all-pros. I did forget Polamolu, he's from CA, but he wasn't brought in by Carroll. Tatupu I think was a transfer from Maine and was raised in Mass.

A lot of USC's top talent doesn't come from CA. Carroll's philosophy as I understood it was "only leave the state for blue chips." So their roster was full of elites from CA, elites from out of state, and then mundane players from CA.

Like look at this recruiting class. They got 2 5-stars from CA, 2 from the midwest, and 1 from the south. This past year they had stars from all over the map: Havili, Mays, McKnight, and Griffen.

 

[n_huffhines]

I wonder if X will shake up the QB depth. I am so shocked Carroll had a low opinion of Mustain. He's 8-0 in the SEC, but Carroll gives a shot to a true freshman (Barkley), and a guy who sucks and has never started before (Corp). USC goes 11-2 with Mustain last year.

 

[n_huffhines]

And before anybody says, "yeah sure, you'd know more than Carroll about it" I'd like to point out Carroll said Sanchez wasn't ready for the NFL.

 

[evillawyer]

I'm still amazed with all of those great classes that Carroll brought in there's not one player that's been a consistent pro bowler.

 

[Izzy]

Peyton Manning

Travis Henry

Jamal Lewis

Scott Wells

Chad Cliton

Anthony Herrera

Robert Meachem

Jason Witten

Aubrayo Franklin

John Henderson

Albert Haynesworth

Turk McBride

Shaun Ellis

Leonard Little

Parys Haralson

Jerod Mayo

Kevin Burnett

Gibril Wilson

Deon Grant

Dustin Colquitt

And many many more baby

 

[Izzy]

USC aint got nuttin on UT

 

[evillawyer]

Peyton Manning

Travis Henry

Jamal Lewis

Scott Wells

Chad Cliton

Anthony Herrera

Robert Meachem

Jason Witten

Aubrayo Franklin

John Henderson

Albert Haynesworth

Turk McBride

Shaun Ellis

Leonard Little

Parys Haralson

Jerod Mayo

Kevin Burnett

Gibril Wilson

Deon Grant

Dustin Colquitt

And many many more baby

'nuff said

 

[KingNick865]

USC aint got nuttin on UT

Beaches, sunny all the time, beautiful women, a less competitive conference(allthough by only a small margin), laid-back practices, a bustling nightlife?

You're right. I have no clue why Kiffin would take USC over Tennessee.

 

[evillawyer]

Beaches, sunny all the time, beautiful women, a less competitive conference(allthough by only a small margin), laid-back practices, a bustling nightlife?

You're right. I have no clue why Kiffin would take USC over Tennessee.

Cali sun must have baked the brain, because we're not discussing where a person would rather coach at, but why USC, despite all its recruiting prowess under Carroll, didn't produce many great NFL players.