Given everything the USC Football program is going through at the moment, should Pat Haden make the College Football Playoff less of a priority?
Last season we were all introduced to something that people were looking forward to for years, a playoff system in college football. Along with this, we were introduced to a group of experienced folks known as the College Football Playoff Committee. This panel of 13 is tasked with watching the top teams in college football play out their seasons, and at the end of the year, they determine the four teams that will vie for the ultimate prize in the game — the National Championship.
USC Athletic Director Pat Haden is one of the members of this committee. As of Sunday, though, he should not be anymore, because he has bigger things to worry about.
On Sunday we were all hit with the news that USC head coach Steve Sarkisian would be taking an indefinite leave of absence from the program. After a barrage of reports began to hit the internet, Haden announced to the media what was going on.
What Haden should have also said in that brief statement was that he himself would be taking a leave — from the College Football Playoff Committee.
Right now, especially with the events of Sunday unfolding the way they did, all of Haden’s attention needs to be focused on his own program in Los Angeles, not what’s going on around the rest of the country. Quite frankly, there is no way that he can properly gauge what’s going on in both places at one time. Given the Sarkisian situation, it’s now been made abundantly clear –as if it wasn’t before– that the University of Southern California needs his undivided attention going forward.
For all intents and purposes, Haden maybe should have done this long before Sunday. Since he has taken over the helm leading the athletic department back in 2010, things have not gone swimmingly for the proud Trojans program.
His own head has been called for more than once in the past, which maybe should have been a clear indication that everything he has in him in regards to his job should be given to USC, not in any way to another outlet such as the College Football Playoff.
Sunday’s events now should serve as the biggest indicator that Haden needs to stop peering into other peoples’ houses to determine whether or not they’re sexy enough to be put on the biggest stage come New Year’s Eve, rather he needs to get his own house cleaning in order — beginning now.
Or, should we maybe start looking a a bigger picture in the sense that Haden should step down from USC altogether?