When USC athletic director Lynn Swann announced that Clay Helton would remain the Trojans' head coach on Nov. 25, his statement of support contained a glaring, almost baffling, admission.
"We acknowledge and understand our deficiencies in areas that include culture, discipline, schemes, personnel and staff," Swann said.
Again: Culture. Discipline. Schemes. Personnel. Staff.
For a fan base that was already upset about the direction of the program following the Trojans' first losing season since 2000, it was maddening. Swann, in an official statement, described a broken program, and his solution, it appeared, was to let Helton make a few tweaks and expect different results.