Letters to Sports: Nobody is defending USC’s defense

I think we all knew this was going to happen. All, except Lincoln Riley, that is. The Trojans, with the quality of their athletes, should have a top-10 defense. There is only one logical reason for this disappointing unit: defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. I felt certain that Riley would replace him after last season. This team will not make the College Football Playoff without significant changes in the way the defense is run. Too bad.

Sherwyn Drucker
Winnetka

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Caleb Williams is a once-in-a-decade, generational talent. Unfortunately, he is in the unenviable position of having to outscore both the opposition and his own inept defense. That may prove to be a Herculean task in the second half of the season when the Trojans’ competition ramps up with a bevy of highly ranked Pac-12 teams led by legitimate Heisman Trophy candidates.

Mark S. Roth
Los Angeles

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Time is running out for Lincoln Riley to “fix” things. Unlike the NFL where you merely win your way to a championship, in the NCAA you have to pass several eye tests to even get a chance to play for a championship. It’s like a beauty pageant — USC might be the prettiest and most talented contestant, but if they show up with a pimple on their nose and flub a question in the interview section, then Miss Congeniality might be the best they can do.

Pete Skacan
Manhattan Beach

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Riley would do well to redirect the considerable energy he wastes defending Alex Grinch — who was clearly overwhelmed and outcoached during Colorado’s second-half surge — to either taking charge of the defense himself, or hiring a real defensive coordinator. Otherwise he risks squandering what likely is Caleb Williams’ second Heisman season and a truly remarkable offensive unit.

Douglas F. Galanter
Los Angeles

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I have a different culprit I’d like to offer up as the cause of USC’s latest defensive egg laying; Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams. Williams and the SC offense score so easily and quickly, the defense hardly has a chance to sit down, much less catch their breath. It’s not uncommon for them to reach the end zone in five or so plays in two minutes or less.

Dennis Duling
San Gabriel

Angels manager Phil Nevin deserved another year. It’s not fair that he is the scapegoat when 35 of his players were injured. It’s not his fault at all. The players all seemed to like and respect him, and I didn’t see any sign that the Angels gave up on the manager or trying to win games.

Steve Shaevel
Woodland Hills

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Phil Nevin, good guy, decent manager, now unemployed. Arte Moreno, it’s not the manager. Tommy Lasorda couldn’t win with this group. Arte, it’s you, your front-office staff and pathetic farm system that keeps the Angels from winning. You’ve got to go, not the manager.

Louis Stratford
Huntington Beach

Well, he’s gone and done it again. Bill Plaschke, the king of the “I was wrong” column, refuses to keep his proclamations to himself for the good of the Dodgers and has stated we can all read it and leap, our boys are going to win it all this year. Which probably means the Diamondbacks are going to pull off a Padres-like upset in the NLDS. Hasn’t this blown up in his face enough for him to realize when it comes to predictions about our local teams, keep your mouth shut!

Danny Balber Jr.
Pasadena

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Bill Plaschke did it again. Predicting that the Dodgers would win the World Series! That settles it, I am betting on the opposition to win, even though I have been a loyal Dodger fan since 1958. His prediction is like the “Curse of the Bambino.” Shame on him for knocking our Boys in Blue out of contention.

Terry Feigenbaum
Los Angeles

Over the years, like many Times readers, I have been upset with some of Dave Roberts’ decisions. However, his name will be forever linked with Hall of Fame managers Connie Mack and Miller Huggins as the only managers to win 100-plus games three years in a row.

Time to cut him some slack?

Dave Snyder
Grand Terrace

Once again the Dodgers show their true colors. “A select group of season-ticket holders” get to see a workout. What about the family of four that paid $200 or more to attend the one game of the year they could afford?

First management signs an audacious TV contract that blocks most of the true fans that want to watch the game, that can’t afford the cost of season tickets; now only “a select group” can watch the workouts.

Way to go, PR guys.

Joel Soffer
Long Beach

We knew the Chiefs-Jets last week would be relegated to a sideshow to the real main attraction on “Sunday Night Football,” but now let’s stop crushing on that attention-seeking diva rooting from afar in a luxury suite who’s unable to actually play football.

Yes, enough already with all the cutaways to Aaron Rodgers.

Steve Ross
Carmel

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