USC Morning Links: Ed Orgeron Debate Heats Up and Neuheisel Sings

USC must look for new coach elsewhere(Jacob Freedman | Daily Trojan)

"Pat Haden can’t be nearsighted now. Not after the Kiffin saga. Orgeron should not have the interim tag lifted, no matter what the result against UCLA is in two weeks. He has somehow turned the media’s attention back toward USC, but if he becomes permanent head coach, then USC will win as many national titles as it has won since Matt Leinart and [redacted] left Troy. Coach O is winning thanks to scrappy plays and a positive attitude. He has been not just backtracking, but sprinting in the opposite direction from the ways of Kiffin."

After What He’s Done, Ed Orgeron Deserves a Chance to Be USC’s Head Coach(Adam Kramer | Bleacher Report)

"In the last six weeks, Orgeron has largely displayed the anatomy of the ideal USC coach: winning (of course), recruiting and owning Southern California with a little bit of flare. Not too much flare, but just enough. This 48-hour window is not the reason USC should hire Orgeron. It’s part of the reason, another plus in a small sample size that’s turning the pros versus cons into a lopsided affair. Under Orgeron, the team is 5-1 and entering the home stretch playing its best football of the year. Excluding a cross-country trip to South Bend, the performance has been night and day since he took over. There is excitement in the program that has been absent really since Pete Carroll left for the NFL."

USC Recruiting Trail Heats Up, Makes Pat Haden’s Job That Much More Difficult(Trenise Ferreira | Bleacher Report)

"When USC flipped longtime Alabama commit Viane Talamaivao earlier this week, the Trojans football program reestablished its foothold as a top destination in college football. Additionally, interim head coach Ed Orgeron incidentally made it that much more difficult for USC athletic director Pat Haden to look outside the program for his new head football coach. It’s no secret that Orgeron has dramatically turned the sinking USC ship around in his seven weeks at the helm, and high school recruits are starting to take notice. Under Lane Kiffin, USC was still USC, but a lot of its allure and appeal were gone. Some of that had to do with NCAA sanctions, but Kiffin’s style of coaching didn’t do much for anyone. Last season, we saw half of USC’s highly-coveted recruiting class abandon ship as the Trojans dramatically underwhelmed in 2012, and the residuals of that even carried over into this season."

Rick Neuheisel sings the praises of USC’s Ed Orgeron(Pac-12 Network)

USC attempts to maintain its focus against Colorado(Darian Nourian| Daily Trojan)

"As the Trojans continue their preparation for Saturday’s Pac-12 matchup against Colorado, interim head coach Ed Orgeron has emphasized the importance of focusing on the Buffaloes, and not looking further ahead to UCLA. Now that the team’s 24-hour rule to celebrate the Stanford win has expired, the Trojans are back to work and moving on to the next opponent. “It’s a challenge, but we are going to stay focused on beating Colorado, and trusting our process,” Orgeron said."

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