Five Reasons For Silas Redd to Leave Penn State in Favor of USC
Penn State running back Silas Redd is an important player for the Nittany Lions, as he rushed for over 1,200 yards a year ago in the Big Ten, and is without question the best player Bill O’Brien inherits in Happy Valley. However, that could change today, as the junior back is set to announce his decision on whether or not he will travel across the country to finish out his college career at USC and play immediately, due to alleviated NCAA rules from sanctions levied on Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky cover-up.
Let’s break it down and look at the top five reasons why Redd should head to Los Angeles and join the USC Trojans.
5. Lane Kiffin is an innovative offensive mind.
Say what you want, but Lane Kiffin is an offensive specialist. Sure, he’s not Gus Malzahn or Rich Rodriguez, but his experience in calling plays for Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart, in addition to Matt Barkley and Robert Woods, give him a dynamic that puts his players in the best place to succeed. While his play calling has been called into question in the past due to predictability, he’s a guy who isn’t afraid of trying new gimmicks and tricks on offense, and with Silas Redd in the fold, you have to imagine that would continue.
The Trojans bring in Nelson Agholor this fall, and play makers like Robert Woods and Marqise Lee will allow Kiffin to really open up the playbook with two 1,000 yard backs, in Curtis McNeal and Silas Redd.
4. Less pressure to play a more specialized role.
If Redd stays at Penn State, he’ll be what fans are calling, ‘a legend’. He’ll be called selfless and will forever book his spot in the hearts of the Nittany Lion faithful. But, let’s get real. At Penn State, Redd is the entire offense, which will put much pressure on him as a third-year player.
He’ll not only be the starting running back, but he’ll be forced to carry the load and get 25 to 30 carries a game, whereas at USC, in a two-back backfield with Curtis McNeal, he’ll probably get about 15 carries and won’t be seen as a ‘savior’.
3. More room to run, without eight men in the box.
Because of the lack of playmakers around Redd at Penn State, defenses in the Big Ten are able to creep up their defenders and stack eight in the box to stop the run. While Bill O’Brien will bring a more explosive, pro-style offense to Happy Valley, the Lions still will only feature Redd as a dynamic player should he stay, re-creating the eight man fronts from 2011.
At USC, Kiffin loves to bunch trips to the weak side, flank Robert Woods wide and use his big tight ends as receivers from time to time. With two of the top three or four receivers in the country, the Trojans keep defenses honest and force them to cover the whole field, thus creating lanes for the backs to run, as seen in the second half of the season last year, when Woods and Marqise Lee created open space for Curtis McNeal.
2. Lack of running back depth at USC.
Quite simply, the Trojans need Silas Redd. He’s the one player that can put the Trojans over the top as a title contender, and that’s strictly because of his ability to play the one position that is the most in need for the Trojans: running back. With just three scholarship players on the roster, USC needs another back and Kiffin’s ability to sell Redd on scarcity and need is a huge ploy to grab the back.
Despite the looming need to share carries at USC will McNeal, if Redd chooses the Trojans, he’s still going to be a big cog in the attack on offense, and will alleviate pressure on the rest of the play makers.
1. Chance of winning a national championship.
As unfair as it is for Penn State’s current players, the truth is that they won’t be able to play a bowl game with the team. If Silas Redd opts to join USC however, he not only can play in a bowl game immediately in 2012, he can participate on a team that is likely the preseason No. 1 team in the nation, giving him the strongest possible chance of playing for a national championship.
Despite the complexity of deciding whether or not to come across the country to go to USC, for Redd, it really comes to do this: the chance at winning a national championship vs. the honor of being lauded for loyalty. Both are have their own merits, and we’ll have to wait and see what he decides, when he chooses tonight.