USC/Notre Dame Conspiracy Theory

[rickh150]

This whole Barkley thing at USC smells fishy to me. Here, the University of Southern Cal pulls him out of a huge Saturday game on the SUNDAY BEFORE because of a shoulder STRAIN...Stay with me here.

 

1. Have you ever heard of as highly thought of quarterback be pulled out of a start six days before a game, any game, for a strain. IF it is a strain, why not wait a few days and see how Barkley throws on Tuesday or Wednesday? Why the need to announce to the world so early that he's out for the game?

2. How much money will Notre Dame get for winning this game against USC (Championship)? How much will they get if they lose? The gulf between those two numbers is in the tens of millions range. If USC loses, there is relatively no gulf. They'll get a lower tier bowl

3. Of all the football schools outside of Miami, what college program gets itself into the most trouble for a variety of issues? On top of that answer, which coach has routinely made questionable choices outside the box of conventional thinking?

 

If you're not with me, I'll lay it out.. Could USC have made a deal, intentionally keeping their QB out after talking with the Irish? Not saying USC throws the game, no way. USC simply says that they'll go with their back-up in exchange for some cash from the national championship game. Notre Dame needs to win this game. Barkley needs a little time to heal for his NFL career and bowl game. USC can get a preview of what they got in their Favre to Rogers transfer next year. Barkley does not even know about it. They tell him that they want him at 100% for the bowl game. They announce this last Sunday so no one can see how well Barkley can throw on Mon. or Tues. at practice. Plus, they can't make the injury too severe-shoulder STRAIN works. Can't throw for a week. How could they explain the huge improvement, right? Seriously, who gets benched six days before a game, not to mention a home game, Barkley's last home game ever, against the #1 team in the land for a strain?

[patrickgpe]

i don't my credence to that theory. why would barkley agree to this if he could play. i think he would want to play on senior night if he could. just because USC makes a deal doesn't mean that Barkley would have to stay quiet. he is done with the university so why would he care.

[rickh150]

LOS ANGELES -- USC quarterback Matt Barkley suffered a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder against UCLA on Saturday and will not play against No. 1 Notre Dame this week, Trojans coach Lane Kiffin said Sunday night.

Redshirt freshman Max Wittek will start in Barkley's place, Kiffin said.

Barkley hurt the shoulder when he was sacked with two-plus minutes remaining in USC's 38-28 loss at the Rose Bowl. He was examined on the field by the school's training staff before walking off on his own but did not return to the game.

"I feel bad for him and his family," Kiffin said. "This is obviously not how you want it to be."

Roughly an hour after the game ended, Barkley left the stadium with his right arm hidden in a sweater. His shoulder appeared to be supported by a sling, but he declined to offer information on the injury, citing the program's policy.

USC normally does not disclose or discuss injuries unless the players are confirmed to be out for the season.

This will be Barkley's second time missing a rivalry game against Notre Dame. He sat out of the teams' matchup in November 2010 because of a sprained ankle suffered the previous week against Oregon State.

..................

Everything went down way too fast.

He won't comment on his own injury?

Do you think Favre would have been ruled out six days before a game with a strain?

[TooLiveBrew]

I'm not sure what looks so shady here. This is a young man with a legit shot at a career in the NFL, and whose stock shouldn't rise or fall much based on another game or two. So, because Kiffin (and admittedly shady-seeming dude) and Barkley decide to play it safe with his career... it's a multi-million dollar conspiracy? The simple reality could be that the first glance/diagnosis of his shoulder didn't look good, and the parties involved would rather not hurt Barkley's draft status by going public with info.

[paul253]

Lane Kiffin is apparently fighting for his job at USC. No way would he hold Barkley out of this game if he didn't have to. A win over the #1 team in the country would surely give him another year (even though I suspect he'll get one anyway).

 

I'm just glad Notre Dame won (did I actually say that?) The absolute last thing I want to see is another SEC-SEC championship game. Those folks are arrogant enough.

[Dollarbill13]

I'm fine with anything that brings forth massive sanctions against both programs

[RockCoCougars]

Please don't get me started on Lane Kiffin. I don't have a clue what he's ever accomplished to justify his status. I can understand his getting somewhere because of his bloodline, but he's gotten much further than he should have.

 

As for USC, I'm surprised that their D held up like it did against Notre Dame. They've been pretty brutal all season. I'm not a big fan of Barkley either, from what I've seen, he's the least impressive of the 'name' QB's that they've had there over the past 10-12 years (Palmer, Leinert, Sanchez, etc.).

[jerichoholicninja]

I have no idea nor do I really care but NCAA D1 athletics is nothing but scandals, rules violations, and shady dealings so I wouldn't be surprised.

[trwi7]

He sprained his AC joint. Even minor sprains of that joint take 2-3 weeks to recover from.

[Point Beer Is Best]

Interesting. What are your thoughts on the Hollow Earth theory?