Reign of Troy
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Trojans Open As Slight Underdog and More USC Football News

ByAlicia de Artola|

Can’t get enough USC football news? We’ve got your morning dose of all the best content from around the web concerning the men of Troy.

1st & 10:

First Take… Despite the disarray around the USC football program, Vegas oddsmakers still have some deal of faith in the Trojan’s ability to put up a fight on the football field.

The No. 14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish were favored by just two points when the opening line was released for the upcoming rivalry tilt in South Bend. Though that line shifted to four points after the news of Steve Sarkisian’s leave of absence, the relatively even odds between the Irish and Trojans is a bit of a surprise.

After all, Notre Dame moved to 5-1 with a win over Navy on Saturday while USC face planted on Thursday against 17-point underdog Washington at the Coliseum to move to 3-2 on the season.

And Ten USC Football News Links…

  1. Reign of Troy: The day went from bad to worse when four-star linebacker Daelin Hayes announced his de-commitment on Twitter.
  2. Reign of Troy: And when it rains, it pours, as USC announced that starting center Max Tuerk was lost for the season due to an ACL tear he suffered against Washington.
  3. Reign of Troy: Former USC players banded together after the Sarkisian announcement, encouraging current Trojans to follow the example of the 2013 team, which also lost their head coach midseason.
  4. Rumors and Rants: Ryan Phillips weighs in on the Sarkisian situation by critiquing certain parties on Twitter who seemed to enjoy dancing on Sarkisian’s grave.
  5. LA Times: Unnamed USC players quoted by Gary Klein and Lindsey Thiry said Sarkisian “didn’t seem right” during a morning meeting but that many players on the team have been in this position before and know how to handle the situation.
  6. ESPN: USC is now slotted into to the Cactus Bowl in Kyle Bonagura’s Bowl projections. The big surprise is Oregon’s absence.
  7. Campus Rush: Andy Staples breaks down where USC goes from here, including an admittedly harsh look at how the Trojans could handle the difficult process of firing a coach under these circumstances.
  8. Bleacher Report: Bryan Fischer lays this turmoil at Pat Haden’s feet, but he notes that Haden indicated privately prior to this incident that he intends to stay on for awhile longer while plans are made for renovations to the Coliseum.
  9. Yahoo! Sports: Pat Forde continues the piling on when it comes to Haden’s position at USC, calling the Sarkisian situation another black mark on his reign.
  10. Reign of Troy: Interim head coach Clay Helton now has the chance to audition for a head coaching job, whether that be at USC or elsewhere after this season.

Stat of the Day:

USC went 7-2 after losing two of the first five games and appointing an interim head coach in 2013.

Tweet of the Day:

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