USC’s terrible first half vs. UCLA is a massive indictment of strength coach Bennie Wylie
If you watched the first half of USC’s regular-season finale against UCLA, you saw play after play in which a Bruin outmuscled a Trojan. It might have been on the line of scrimmage, a true trench battle in which the UCLA line was stronger than the USC line, both offense and defense. It might have been a UCLA defender ripping the ball away from a USC receiver. It might have been a UCLA defensive back outfighting a USC receiver for a downfield pass, gaining an interception. Again and again and again, UCLA showed it had tougher, stronger players than USC.
It is as though a message was being sent to USC head coach Lincoln Riley: “Your players aren’t strong enough. Your philosophy and vision for your strength and conditioning program are manifestly inadequate. You need to bring in a new strength coach and admit your current approach is wrong and insufficient.
USC simply has to fire strength coach Bennie Wylie. This first half against UCLA showed what we have been saying for weeks: This isn’t just an Alex Grinch problem. On the offensive and defensive lines, and on the perimeter, USC just wasn’t strong at all. UCLA was. It’s as simple as that. Wylie has to be fired, and a lot of people inside and outside the USC family agree, as you can see below:
AND WE STILL HAVE BENNIE WYLIE
Lincoln Riley lost 10 games in 5 years at OU.
He’s lost 7 (so far) in 2 years at SC.
And you guys are in the recruiting cellar.
Without a QB next season.
And you still have Bennie Wylie.
😬
— Mark (@Fedsm0ker_79) November 17, 2023
WYLIE: PART OF THE PROBLEM
It’s also the same strength coach… please highlight all 3… Lincoln, grinch, Bennie Wylie… grinch was a decent DC until he got with the other 2.
— Kevin J (@KJHolley25) November 15, 2023
BIG OR SMALL, THEY'RE NOT STRONG
Bennie Wylie plays a role in it too his S&C program is terrible the players get smaller not bigger which causes them to miss tackles cause they aren’t as big or strong. It’s a philosophy from the top down starting with Lincoln.
— Brock Toney (@BrockToney4) November 15, 2023
OKLAHOMA REALITY (SCHMITTY IS JERRY SCHMIDT)
More so Bennie Wylie. LR’s teams the first couple of years at OU had a little physicality but the further they got away from stoops and Schmitty that faded. Then throw in Grinch who wanted his interior DL playing at 280 and it’s not a recipe for success.
— kirk (@ks5_) November 15, 2023
MAKING THE CLEAN BREAK
I'm not here to poke fun. They have to get away from Bennie Wylie as well. He was Mike Leach's Strength and Conditioning coach from 2003 to 2009. Lincoln has to get away from these ties to be great. Have to be more physical to have a better defense.
— Brian (@beef8787) November 14, 2023
EYE ON THE BALL
Still not identifying the problem, Bennie wylie
— Jake Jacobs (@jakejacobs898) November 10, 2023
TRUTH
It’s gonna be rude awakening when you realize that nothings gonna change until Bennie Wylie is gone. Can’t have a good defense when the other team is consistently resetting the LOS on you.
— Brock Miller (@brock_miller44) November 8, 2023
BEDENBAUGH = OKLAHOMA OL COACH BILL BEDENBAUGH
It really dont matter when Bennie Wylie is over S&C. Even with bill bedenbaugh our OL struggled the farther we got away from schmidt
— Dalton_26 (@soonerDalton) November 7, 2023
FAIR POINT
Not sure things will get better until they replace Bennie Wylie
Not Grinch’s fault Riley teams are always getting owned by physical, tough teams
— Boomer Beamer (@ImDerBatman) November 6, 2023
WHO IS OVERRATING HIM?
They should get a new strength coach too. Bennie Wylie is so overrated.
— Joe Rodriguez (@joethebeckfan) November 6, 2023
LOOK IN THE MIRROR
What if I told you that Grinch wasn’t the problem. It runs deeper – Bennie Wylie and S&C needs a long hard look. pic.twitter.com/BMetb56HOp
— Angry_Ghost_of_Bud_Wilkinson (@gsdevons) November 6, 2023
100 PERCENT
I don’t think Riley made the call, most probably came from upstairs. He needs to fire Bennie Wylie and hire a good S&C coach then he will be moving in the right direction.
— Baumer (@baumusc) November 6, 2023
VERY IMPORTANT POINT (EVEN WITH THE MISSPELLINGS)
Ya but you have bennie wylie. No serious defensuve cordinator will wanna coach that team with him as a s&c coach.
— Rickytaffy (@Rickytaffy55) November 6, 2023
FACT
Now do Bennie Wylie. The strength and conditioning of this defense is not up to par.
— Baumer (@baumusc) November 5, 2023
REAL TALK
USC needs to can Bennie Wylie if they want to get serious about winning games
— Mouse Rat (@bdl4186) November 5, 2023
TRUTH-TELLING
And they still ignore Lincoln’s biggest flaws… his hubris, and his clinging to Bennie Wylie’s system.
— Kurt Witten (@kurtjwitten) November 5, 2023
RECRUITING IN ADDITION TO COACHES
Guy like this wont come until usc fires bennie wylie.
— Rickytaffy (@Rickytaffy55) November 5, 2023
OKLAHOMA FANS WERE RIGHT ABOUT BENNIE WYLIE
Grinch was actually respectable until he joined Lincoln Riley. If Lincoln stays at USC y’all unfortunately are going to learn the hard way that it’s Lincoln’s culture that is the problem. It starts with Bennie Wylie. Everything OU fans said would happen is happening.
— Trey (@Sooner_Trey76) November 5, 2023
