Trust At A Time For A Gut Check

Trusting your gut is always that little voice in your ear that creates fear and uncertainty at times of enormous potential.  We all saw it or read about it this weekend.  The USC QB battle was as good as it gets between the three athletes.  Fink was being Fink and took what was there but never really pushed his limits.  Played not to lose but had a few balls that could have changed the narrative with a little help from his friends.  Jack Sears continues to tell us he isn’t ready to give up QB-1 just yet and had a very solid day.  Then theres this senior in high school who shows up a year early after doubling up his junior year of high school academics and just shut us all up.

The USC Trojan football staff has a big problem.  A good problem to have none-the-less but a problem.  While Sears and Daniels have now separated from Fink and created a 2 man race to the finish line for QB-1 it’s not impossible for this staff to keep a watchful eye on Fink for one more hail mary attempt.  This staff is not the Tide.  They don’t have that gear that allows Nick Saban to make gut check decisions with enormous pressure on him and a worldwide television audience to boot.  He makes football decisions when the time is right and no one challenges his moves because he wins and produces.

Clay Helton is at a cross roads now.  His gut has to be telling him that he is down to two now but can he see the benefit of what he clearly has in his hands?  Does his 9+ years now with USC give him the freedom to move on his gut check and make the move?  So far we have seen and heard the opposite.  In fact, he is sticking to his decision to wait until literally its game week and then make the announcement leaving all of one week to prepare the leadership and appointment for the team and thus the huddle itself.

For this staff they have a big move to make.  Sears is the key.  He has clearly created a race where once there was a suspect or two looking to compete.  Jack has earned the right for one more week in the spotlight and if he continues then and only then would a tough week four exist.  If Sears has a less than impressive week then will this staff and Helton make the decision early and install that Huddle Build attitude to make this team’s chemistry real and payoff when the games are on the line?  Hell, will we have a huddle?  I hope so as I for one am tired of the hurry up offense that hikes the ball with under five seconds to go.

Fight On!