USC football has won just one Pac-12 title game and yet to appear in the College Football Playoff under the stewardship of head coach Clay Helton. Underwhelming results, considering the program's pedigree and status.
But Helton isn't one to be distressed by the constant pressure and criticism from disgruntled fans, according to longtime Trojans voice Pete Arbogast.
"He's not that kind of guy. I'm sure he sees it all and hears it all -- how could you not?" Arbogast told The DA Show on Thursday. "But he's been with the program basically forever now. Just after the Peter Carroll years, so he's been with [Steve] Sarkisian and [Lane] Kiffin and [Ed] Orgeron, and now himself as head coach. And was working under those other guys or alongside them as an assistant coach for a long time...
"He's heard it all and seen it all, and you can't let that kind of thing bother you. You just go out and do your job, and that's what he does. He's surrounded himself with good assistant coaches, as good as you can. They recruit pretty well. And now you've got to go out, put the product on the field, and prove it. And as long as you do that, you'll keep your job. But if you don't, then like any good position, you'll be replaced by somebody else pretty soon."
USC, which lost the Pac-12 title game during the abbreviated 2020 season, enters 2021 as a heavy favorite to repeat as the South Division champion, according to the conference's preseason media poll. Although Helton has a career .662 winning percentage in six seasons as head coach, the program hasn't competed for a national championship since 2005.
The Trojans will open the 2021 campaign at home against San Jose State on Sept. 4. According to the William Hill Sportsbook, USC currently has the second-best odds (+350) to win the Pac-12 title and the 11th-best odds (+5000) to win the national title. The Associated Press' Top 25 list will be released on Monday, Aug. 16.
The entire USC conversation between Arbogast and DA can be accessed in the audio player above.
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