Dr. Sample needs to put down the pipe. Props to him for what he’s done at USC, certainly it’s become a pretty good university under his leadership, and that’s impressive for what was basically an expensive commuter school 15 years ago.

But any suggestion that USC is academically more distinguished than Cal and UCLA in any department other than film/television is nothing more than wishful thinking. Cal has more top 5 ranked grad programs than any other university in the world, generations of groundbreaking research and excellence, and a history of sending more undergrads on to PhD programs than any other university. SC fans like to point out that their incoming freshmen have higher average SAT scores than do Cal’s. Some years, this is true. They also have much higher average family incomes. Cal educates more Pell grant recipients than all Ivies plus Stanford put together. Cal still gets more applicants and admits a lower percentage than USC. Football is great and I look forward to the inevitable day when Cal knocks SC off the Pac 10 throne. But when it comes to academics, the two schools play in different leagues. There is no rivalry between Cal and USC. Period.

16 players at USC in one major? You’re the only one who doesn’t see what is going on.

Football is for marketing and keeping the alumni coming back, so I don’t care if the fooball players aren’t chemistry majors – as long as they meet the minimum reqs. and can handle load, I’m happy. Stick with USC is great at football, but I wouldn’t tout them academically.

You have an image problem with the academics of your football team because a huge percentage of your players are in one major. That’s known as a “major dump” and typically, the major the players are dumped in are easy.

If you go over your roster — only 30 upper division (junior or senior) players even list a major — that’s a perception issue right there when advanced players still haven’t declared a major. Of the 30 who have declared, over half — 16 — are in Sociology. And another 3 are in American Studies. That’s an awful high percentage, and it becomes a perception issue because Sociology and Am Stud classes are typically graded by papers, not tests. And while it’s tough to have someone take a test for you, it’s not tough to have someone write a paper for you.

Sure, there’s no proof of anything going on that would violate academic integrity — but when more than half your players go to one single major — historically that says something, and not something good.
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I have heard that was put up by Sherman the good old tool who “advises” football players in the Social Welfare Department. Let’s cut to the chase. One of the dirty secrets of the Tedford era is that admission standards for recruits were lowered and then players were herded into gimmee programs – Social Welfare, Sociology, Ethnic Studies, American Studies and Art. Sherm’s analysis means nothing. Let’s say for instance that a program has a large contingent of players in the engineering program or pre med program. Would that be considered “not something good”? What Sherm “Advising Bear” should do is to build the case that Sociology at USC is a problem major. He doesn’t and he won’t. That is because UCB players are just as guilty and cannot take the high road. As for those upper division players at USC who have not declared majors all I can say is – UCB has them too.

You have an image problem with the academics of your football team because a huge percentage of your players are in one major. That’s known as a “major dump” and typically, the major the players are dumped in are easy.

If you go over your roster — only 30 upper division (junior or senior) players even list a major — that’s a perception issue right there when advanced players still haven’t declared a major. Of the 30 who have declared, over half — 16 — are in Sociology. And another 3 are in American Studies. That’s an awful high percentage, and it becomes a perception issue because Sociology and Am Stud classes are typically graded by papers, not tests. And while it’s tough to have someone take a test for you, it’s not tough to have someone write a paper for you.

Sure, there’s no proof of anything going on that would violate academic integrity — but when more than half your players go to one single major — historically that says something, and not something good.

How many SC WRs had catches beyond 10 yards in the first half? One! Boring!

In academics, “(USC) outstripped UCLA five years ago, passed Berkeley two years ago, and are now nipping at the heels of Stanford. Today USC dominates over all competitors” – USC President Steven B. Sample