Matt Leinart on UW-USC Game
Former USC and NFL quarterback Matt Leinart offers his thoughts on the Trojans' game with the UW.
Transcript
00:00 Well, it's always a great day when I'm joined by a fellow USC Trojan.
00:03 And joining me now is Matt Leinart, who's coming to us on behalf of Coke Zero.
00:07 Matt, thanks for joining me.
00:08 Thank you for having me. I appreciate it.
00:09 All right. Well, we got to start with some USC football questions.
00:12 Of course, USC has lost two games already this season.
00:15 Barely squeaked out a win against Cal.
00:18 You tweeted this weekend that change needs to happen.
00:21 So what changes would you like to see?
00:23 Wow. I see you just coming out the gate.
00:26 Yeah, look, I think I think it's
00:27 I think I speak for a lot of it's interesting because I'm in the media space.
00:32 So you kind of just take your analyst hat off, your media hat off.
00:37 You just want to be a fan.
00:38 I'm a Trojan, obviously, I root for USC and want everything
00:42 USC to be be good and great and successful.
00:45 Yeah, look, I think change is inevitable.
00:48 And what that looks like, you could look at a lot of different ways.
00:51 You know, I'm not going to sit up here and fire any coach or tell any
00:57 a player that they're not playing good if that's not my position at the moment.
01:00 But I think you can see the way that this is going and the
01:05 the the fact that we continue to struggle in a lot of the same areas.
01:09 I think at some point change might be for the better.
01:12 And you can't be afraid of that.
01:14 I would say this is a positive and I and I try to stay positive online
01:19 or have a silver lining is USC still has a lot of things
01:23 in front of them in the Pac-12 conference.
01:25 You know, playoff spot is probably not going to happen,
01:27 but a chance to win a Pac-12 championship or get there can happen.
01:31 The schedule is brutal.
01:33 And again, if we don't change some of the stuff we're doing
01:36 as a football team, then, you know, we're going to lose more games.
01:40 So that can come in a lot of forms.
01:43 And I hope I'm sure they got to hold themselves accountable.
01:46 And they got a big one this weekend.
01:48 You know, it's going to be tough.
01:49 Yeah, you mentioned the schedule being brutal.
01:51 They play Washington this weekend and then Oregon and UCLA.
01:54 Realistically, like how many more games do you think they can win?
01:57 Because those are all really good teams.
01:59 Right. I mean, I think realistically they can win all of them.
02:02 I mean, I think I think they have enough talent and they have Caleb Williams
02:05 and they're dangerous enough to win all of those games.
02:09 Now, are they? I don't know.
02:11 I think they I think the one this weekend is interesting with Washington,
02:14 who's actually struggled as of late.
02:16 I think that's a game where USC can actually win that game
02:19 and they can pull off that upset.
02:21 Going to Oregon is going to be a really, really difficult task.
02:26 And I think Oregon is one of the top two or three teams in the country.
02:29 I think that's kind of what this season is going out.
02:32 And the schedule is brutal. It's tough.
02:34 But they certainly have the ability to win all of these games.
02:38 People are talking about Michael Penix Jr.
02:40 as being a Heisman front runner, Bo Nix.
02:42 There's so many good quarterbacks in the Pac-12 conference right now.
02:45 Who's at the top of your list there?
02:47 That's a good question.
02:48 I mean, this this conference is so deep at that position.
02:51 And, you know, DJ, you at Oregon State has been playing really, really good.
02:55 Cam Ward, Washington State's kind of cooled off,
02:57 but Cam Ward is a really talented player.
02:59 Look, I still think I think Caleb Williams is as good as they come.
03:04 I think he's had maybe some struggles as compared to what we just expect
03:08 from him every week, which is probably unfair.
03:11 But I'll tell you what, I think Bo Nix is someone that
03:15 is as good as anybody in the country for what he's been able to do.
03:20 He started his career at Auburn and, you know, maybe up and down.
03:24 And then he's found a home in Eugene, you know, in two years.
03:27 And he has 68 total touchdowns, eight interceptions.
03:30 Their team is primed to make a run here for a potentially national championship.
03:35 He can run. He's accurate.
03:37 He's elevating himself into that first round draft status,
03:41 which I don't know if people probably thought that coming into the season,
03:44 but he certainly is playing himself into.
03:47 He just he's been special this year.
03:49 And I don't think he's getting enough credit.
03:51 I want to ask you about Colorado and Coach Prine.
03:54 You guys have also obviously been to Boulder this year for big new kickoff.
03:58 And Deion Sanders, he's always in the headlines.
04:01 He kind of came under fire this week after they lost to UCLA,
04:03 saying that he basically needs a new offensive line.
04:06 I think their offensive line has allowed like 31 sacks,
04:09 which is I think the fourth most in college football right now.
04:11 What did you make of his comments?
04:13 Well, look, I think if there's one thing that we all and I know
04:17 I know Deion pretty well,
04:20 just over the years being around him, he he is very unique
04:24 and he's different and he doesn't care
04:27 what anyone says, what anyone does.
04:30 He's going to run things the way he knows how.
04:32 He's an incredible motivator.
04:34 He's inspirational.
04:37 He's he's a heck of a coach.
04:39 He's all of those things.
04:41 So when he says something like that, he's being who he is.
04:45 And I think it's the same thing he said the very first day he took the job
04:49 when he said, I'm bringing I'm bringing in Louis.
04:51 So if you guys don't want to be here, get out.
04:53 I'm not, you know, like he is very straightforward,
04:56 but they have major issues up front.
05:00 And by the way, his son is the quarterback and his son is taking an absolute
05:04 beating every single week.
05:06 He's got a plan.
05:07 I think he's been fantastic for them this year.
05:10 He's put him on the map.
05:10 He's made him relevant.
05:12 They're they're a good football team.
05:14 You know, they kind of lost their luster a little bit.
05:16 But what he's been able to do in a quick turnaround has been remarkable.
05:19 Do you think he can turn Colorado into a team
05:22 that's competing for championships one day?
05:24 I do. I do.
05:25 I think when you look at the the nature and the landscape of college football,
05:30 NIL recruiting transfer portal, like he he owns that stuff.
05:37 What kind of you know, what kid doesn't want to come play for Coach
05:41 Prime and what kid doesn't want to be,
05:44 you know, involved, like have all of these people watch them
05:48 and be the center of attention?
05:50 It's not for everybody.
05:51 Turn this program around from one win last year, completely irrelevant.
05:55 Even if they finish the season with four wins, you look at what he's done.
05:58 He's put him on the map.
06:00 He has the attention of the recruits.
06:02 And there's one coach in America that can go in every single household
06:07 in the country and and convince someone to come to Colorado.
06:11 I mean, it's Coach Prime.
06:12 Like Coach Prime is just so unique in in how he is as a as a coach,
06:17 as a man, that the inspiration, the motivation, all those things.
06:20 So I'm a believer.
06:22 I've seen it firsthand this year.
06:24 It takes time, but I certainly think if he stays there long enough,
06:28 he can make that he can make that into a national powerhouse.