Today’s college football is an arms race. Whether it’s spending millions on premier head coaches, top assistants, major stadium upgrades or decked-out locker rooms, the message is clear for programs at the top: Win at all costs.
The price USC needed to pay to begin a trek back to college football’s elite was a reported $20 million buyout for Clay Helton. The same Clay Helton who has compiled a 13-14 record against Power 5 teams with a winning record. The same Clay Helton who has 12 double-digit losses in 61 games coached.
By sticking with a perpetual underachiever for another season when he’s essentially already been given five to prove he’s the right man for the job, the message is loud and clear in Los Angeles: USC isn’t fully committed to winning in today’s era of college football.