Better job: Georgia or USC
BETTER JOB:
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vs. Minnesota | Maryland vs. South Carolina | Miami vs. USC
fired longtime coach Mark Richt on Sunday morning. Here is a look at both
programs, the pluses and minuses of each and Rivals.com National Recruiting
Director Mike Farrell offers his opinion on whether USC or Georgia is the better
job.
What happened: Despite a 9-3 record and a win Saturday over
instate rival Georgia Tech, Georgia fired Richt, who was the Bulldogs' coach
for 15 seasons. After being considered the clear favorite in the SEC East,
this season.
Recruiting: Georgia currently has the best class in the SEC
East and third-best in the conference behind LSU and
Ole Miss. The Bulldogs
are sixth overall. Five-star quarterback Jacob Eason from Lake Stevens, Wash.,
leads the way.
Advantages: Georgia is one of the best jobs in the country. It
plays in the best conference but in a winnable division with Florida, Tennessee,
South Carolina and Missouri all having levels of success but the Bulldogs --
with the right coach -- could dominate the SEC East.
From a recruiting perspective, it could hardly be better. The state of Georgia
has emerged as one of the top states nationally for talent and a lot of those
players want to stay home. The Bulldogs have little in-state competition because
Georgia Tech runs a funky offense so that limits the skill players the Yellow
Jackets can pursue.
History and tradition is tremendous at Georgia and it could be one of those
programs with a fresh approach and a successful plan that if all the right
pieces fall in place it could become a national powerhouse. From the team's
talent, to a solid recruiting base, to numerous other factors, Georgia is a very
attractive job to top coaching candidates.
Disadvantages: The Georgia job does not come without its
challenges. Winning the SEC East is nice and going to Atlanta is a tremendous
opportunity but the SEC West is so much better and has dominated in recent
years. A spot in the College Football Playoff means going through the SEC West
powerhouses and that is a difficult proposition in today's landscape.
Instate recruiting is solid but that means all the SEC sharks like Alabama,
Auburn and others try to steal top recruits from the state. Those teams and
others have had success in recent years so if Georgia wants to become the SEC
king it has to lock up almost each and every top player in the state.
What happened: Steve Sarkisian was fired in mid-October after
allegedly showing up to the football offices under the influence. Offensive
coordinator Clay Helton was named interim coach and he finished the regular
season with a 40-21 win over UCLA.
Recruiting: USC currently has the fourth-best class in the
Pac-12 after losing five-star linebackers Mique Juarez and Daelin Hayes
following Sarkisian's ouster. The Trojans are No. 14 nationally.
Advantages: California is fertile recruiting territory and USC
basically has its pick of players in each and every recruiting class even when
the Trojans are having marginal success on the field. A lot of top prospects see
USC as a springboard to the NFL and that helps the Trojans land many top
players.
The Pac-12 is getting better but it's certainly not the SEC yet and USC doesn't
have to go through Alabama or other SEC West powers to reach the College
competition top to bottom is an easier path to navigate.
Probably even more than Georgia, USC history and tradition is taken seriously
among top recruits especially in Southern California and if an offer comes a
commitment is almost guaranteed. Being the next Reggie Bush or Matt Leinart,
guys from these recruits' era, is a big deal.
Disadvantages: Even without a NFL franchise, Los Angeles
remains in large part a pro sports town with lots of options for entertainment
that don't involve college football. Turn on sports talk radio and there's
plenty of USC football talk but the Lakers, the Dodgers and other topics are
important. That is not the case in SEC Country.
The Pac-12 doesn't have week-in and week-out competition like the SEC but in
USC's own backyard, UCLA is becoming a serious power. The Bruins have beaten USC
in three of the last four seasons -- the Trojans snapped that streak on Saturday
-- but coach Jim Mora has a star in freshman QB
Josh Rosen and UCLA isn't going
anywhere.
Where does USC turn for its next coach? Helton has done an admirable job but it
would be surprising if he was kept on with so many hot names out there. USC made
regrettable mistakes by hiring Pete Carroll disciples Lane Kiffin and Steve
Sarkisian since both turned out to be disasters. Getting away from that coaching
tree might be smartest.
THE VERDICT
There is a lot to like about USC but Farrell believes Georgia is the better job
for numerous reasons. The SEC factor, playing in an easier division, the
recruiting base and the passion and commitment of fans in that part of the
country put the Bulldogs over the top.
Not only that but Georgia isn't exactly a rebuilding issue. The Bulldogs are
primed to win immediately under a new regime.
"Georgia is set up for success," Farrell said. "The SEC East is horrible.
Whether Tennessee is a year away or not, who knows? Whether Florida can sustain
what they're doing, who knows? South Carolina is in disarray, Missouri has a new
coach, so the division is winnable.
"You have the No. 4 recruiting state in the country and it's had the biggest
rise of talent over the last five years. You border South Carolina, Florida and
Alabama, which all have SEC talent so recruiting should continue to be great.
While you're competing with the wolves, if you get the right coach in at
Georgia, that's a sleeping giant."
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