Curt Cignetti isn’t waiting until next week to make his presence felt.
With USC set to face Indiana on November 14, the Hoosiers’ coach spent this week taking aim at two of the biggest power players in college football: the SEC and ESPN. Cignetti was speaking about the first College Football Playoff rankings show when he delivered a line that landed hard.
"These people -- and there's a whole bunch of them -- they march out of the tent, they're given instructions on what to say and follow the company line. I don't need to go any further."
The comment was an unmistakable shot at what many see as SEC-friendly treatment in the rankings, and Cignetti made the connection plain. ESPN, which carries SEC games under its conference deal, was part of the target, along with the league itself. The point he was making was simple: the benefit of the doubt often seems to flow toward SEC teams, Alabama especially.
For Big Ten fans, the message will ring loud and clear. Cignetti may not be their favorite figure, but on this issue he’s speaking for a lot of people across the West, Midwest and East who have long bristled at the same pattern.
And next week, the coach who just took his swing at the SEC will be standing on the opposite sideline from USC.
The Trojans visit Indiana on Saturday, November 14, with CBS carrying the game at 12:30 p.m. Pacific time, 3:30 p.m. Eastern time.
In Other News...
USC Baseball Mourns A Program Figure Fans Wont Forget
USC baseball is remembering Frank Sanchez, a longtime program figure whose impact stretched well beyond his years in Cardinal and Gold. Sanchez died Nov. 4 at 73 from complications related to a brain tumor, closing the book on a coaching career that included a decade as USCs lead assistant from 1987 to 1996 before he moved on to become head coach at Pepperdine.
For Trojans fans, Sanchez was part of an era that helped shape the programs identity, and his name carried weight in college baseball circles long after he left Los Angeles. He was recognized for his contributions to the sport and is survived by his family, leaving USC and the broader baseball community to reflect on a career that made a lasting mark. [Read more 🡒]
USC Just Got Pulled Into A Fascinating Arch Manning Debate
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That conversation picked up when NFL Network draft scout Daniel Jeremiah floated the idea that Texas quarterback Arch Manning could view USC as a landing spot if he ever entered the transfer portal. The reasoning is easy to follow from USCs side: the Trojans have playmakers around the position, and Riley has already built a reputation for developing quarterbacks. For now, it is only a possibility, not a decision, but it is the kind of speculation that keeps USC in the middle of every major quarterback debate. [Read more 🡒]
USC Volleyball Finally Got The Reset Trojans Fans Needed
After four straight losses, USC womens volleyball finally got the kind of reset it had been chasing, taking care of Rutgers in straight sets and looking much more like the team that had been missing in recent weeks. The Trojans were efficient from the start, hitting .351 with 42 kills and 12 blocks, a sharp contrast to Rutgers .133 attack and four blocks.
Mia Tvrdy, London Wijay and Adonia Faumuina were among the key pieces in a performance that gave USC a chance to breathe and regroup. For a team trying to stop a slide and steady itself, this was the sort of clean win that can matter beyond the box score, even if the real test is whether it carries over into what comes next. [Read more 🡒]