Steve Sarkisian Relieved of Head Coaching Duties at USC

USC has fired Steve Sarkisian after allegations of alcohol abuse have emerged.  So given this very sad event, I thought I would continue to look at these teams as head football coaches change.  I have written about USC after Lane Kiffin was let go at the end of September 2013.  Hence, this is more of an update on USC's program since Kiffin's firing.  Below is a chart of USC's production rank using the Complex Invasion College Football Production Model.  All rankings will be based on this model.

 Pete Carroll final two seasons as head football coach

2008
I do not have all the data to run the model before the 2008 season, so I am unable to show how USC performed in the previous seasons with head coach Carroll.  As such, I can only evaluate based on the data that I have and the model that I am using is the same since the 2008 season.  That said, USC finished the 2008 regular season at 11-1.  USC was bowl eligible and defeated #4 ranked Penn State 38-24 in the Rose Bowl.  USC played against an "average" strength of schedule (SOS) as compared to the "league" average, meaning that their actual SOS was within one standard deviation of the "league" average SOS.  USC's best game was their Rose Bowl victory over #4 Penn State and their only loss was 21-27 to #28 ranked Oregon State.  Overall, the Trojan's had the #2 most productive college football team with the #12 ranked offense and the #1 ranked defense.

2009
In what ends up as Pete Carroll's final season as head football coach for USC, the Trojans finished the regular season at 8-4 playing an "average" strength of schedule (SOS) as compared to the "league" average SOS.  The Trojan's best game was a 18-15 victory over #9 ranked Ohio State and their worst game was a 13-16 loss was to #75 ranked Washington.  Overall, the Trojan's had the #31 ranked team in terms of total production with the #33 ranked offense and the #36 ranked defense.  This was Pete Carroll's final season with USC, as head football coach Carroll took the Seattle Seahawks head football coaching job after the season ended.

Lane Kiffin (2010 - 2013) as head football coach

2010
USC enters the 2010 season on a two year bowl ban and with a new head coach, Lane Kiffin.  USC
finished the regular season at 8-5 while playing against a "average" strength of schedule (SOS) as compared to the "league" average SOS.  The Trojan's best game was a 49-36 victory over #13 ranked Hawai'i and their worst game was a consecutive loss to #87 ranked Washington.  USC finished the season with the #52 ranked team in overall productivity with the #42 ranked offense and the #75 ranked defense.

2011
In Kiffin's second season as head football coach the Trojans finished at 10-2.   USC played an "average" strength of schedule (SOS) as compared to the "league" average SOS.  The Trojan's best game was a 38-35 victory over #8 ranked Oregon and their worst game was a 22-43 loss was to #62 ranked Arizona State.  USC had the #27 ranked team in terms of total production with the #16 ranked offense and the #47 ranked defense.

2012
The Trojans finished the regular season at 7-5 with a bowl loss to #50 Georgia Tech. USC played against a "tougher" strength of schedule (SOS) as compared to the "league" average, meaning that their actual SOS was between one and two standard deviations lower than the "league" average SOS.  The Trojan's best game was a 38-17 victory over #24 ranked Arizona State and their worst loss was to #61 ranked Arizona 36-39.  Overall, the Trojans had the #46 ranked team with the #42 ranked offense and the #42 ranked defense.

2013
Lane Kiffin only lasted five games into the 2013 season (3-2).  USC finished the regular season at 9-4 and defeated #19 Fresno State in the bowl game. and played against an "average" strength of schedule (SOS) as compared to the "league" average SOS.  The Trojan's best game was their bowl victory over Fresno State and their worst loss was to #81 ranked Washington.  Overall, the Trojans had the #34 ranked team with the #38 ranked offense and the #36 ranked defense.


Steve Sarkisian (2014 - 2015) as head football coach
2014
USC hires Steve Sarkisian away from Washington for the 2014 season. USC finished the regular season at 8-4 and defeated #40 ranked Nebraska in their bowl game to end the season at 9-4.  USC again played against an "average" strength of schedule (SOS) as compared to the "league" average SOS.  This season the Trojan's best game was a victory over #20 ranked Stanford and their worst loss was to #62 ranked Utah.  Overall, the Trojans had the #26 ranked team with the #27 ranked offense and the #56 ranked defense.

2015
Steve Sarkisian only made it through half of the regular season with a 3-2 record.  At the time of Sarkisian's departure USC played against an "average" strength of schedule (SOS) as compared to the "league" average SOS.  The Trojan's best game was a victory over (at the time) #44 ranked Arizona State and their worst loss was to (at the time) #36 ranked Stanford.  At the time of Sarkisian's departure USC had the #7 ranked team in total production with the #23 ranked offense and the #14 ranked defense.

2015 In Season NCAA FBS Head Coach Changes
University of Illinois and Tim Beckman
University of Maryland and Randy Edsall
University of North Texas and Dan McCarney