Can Steve Sarkisian Avoid Lane Kiffin Curse, Turn Recruiting Wins into Titles?

Alabama technically finished signing day with the No. 1 recruiting class, according to 247Sports, but it was USC that won the day. 

The Trojans already had a top-five class to begin with but closed as well as anyone on Wednesday. Among the big names to sign with USC were 5-star cornerback Iman Marshall, 5-star defensive tackle Rasheem Green and 4-star linebacker John Houston. 

Whether the Trojans finished No. 1 or No. 2, it matters little. USC just stockpiled major talent, especially on defense, where losses from last year's team are heaviest. Head coach Steve Sarkisian has recruiting chops, that's for sure. Since arriving at USC in December of 2013, he's landed two top-10 classes. 

But Sarkisian's predecessor, Lane Kiffin, was also an ace recruiter. And he lasted three years and some change. 

What Kiffin could never do with the Trojans was consistently manage a game as a head coach. In three-plus seasons at USC, Kiffin compiled a 28-15 record. That's decent on paper but not what USC was looking for. 

Year	Recruiting Class Rank	Record
2010	No. 3	8-5
2011	No. 13	10-2
2012	No. 9	7-6
2013	No. 12	3-2*

(*Kiffin was fired after a 62-41 loss to Arizona State.)

Similarly, Sarkisian flexed his recruiting muscles when he was the head coach at Washington. From 2010-13, the Huskies finished with a top-25 class every single year, according to 247Sports' rankings. The problem, however, was that Washington never won more than eight games in a season under Sarkisian. 

Granted, Sarkisian inherited a terrible program at Washington, which went winless in 2008 and won 12 games in the previous five seasons before his arrival. Plus, the Huskies played in the more top-heavy Pac-12 North. 

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

All the same, Sarkisian has to show that he's different from Kiffin, who landed a lot of big-time recruits but lost even bigger games. 

2014, Sarkisian's first year, didn't help that cause. The Trojans went 9-4—one win better than Kiffin's first season—and lost in just about every imaginable fashion. USC went 3-3 in games decided by a touchdown or less, were blown out by crosstown rival UCLA and twice gave up fourth-quarter leads in the final seconds of a game. 

Finishing is the theme for Sarkisian's team in 2015 and beyond. That will be what defines his tenure at USC.

So much of the Trojans' situation has been made about reduced scholarship numbers in the post-Reggie Bush sanctions from the NCAA. According to Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times, USC opened the 2014 season with 67 scholarship players (Division I allows 85-man scholarship rosters). That number should rise for the 2015 season, per Bryan Fisher of NFL.com: 

Now that USC is close to full strength, will Sarkisian be able to turn the corner? According to Klein, reduced scholarship numbers haven't been as big of a deal as you'd think: 

"

The Trojans have used an average of 51 players each game — three fewer than their opponents. The most was 61 in the opener against Fresno State, the fewest 45 against Stanford. An average of about 43 recruited scholarship players have played each game.

In 2009, the last season before she NCAA imposed sanctions, USC used an average of about 56 players each game, about 49 of them recruited scholarship players. The Trojans finished 9-4 in Pete Carroll's final season as coach.

"

The numbers are fairly similar, but is the difference enough to impact the game? Perhaps in some respects. USC was painfully thin at cornerback last year. But when depth is described as a concern, it's typically most visible in practice.  

By Sarkisian's own admission, he has to do a better job in close- and late-game management. He's never used scholarship numbers as an excuse. 

"In my heart of hearts, I think we should be a one-loss football team right now," Sarkisian told Klein in November 2014. "We didn't finish a couple games. If we do, we're 8-1."

Roster depth isn't as big of an issue as it's made out to be. Talent certainly isn't the issue for USC. The reality is Kiffin wasn't the coach to pick up where Pete Carroll left off, and the jury is still out over whether Sarkisian is that guy. 

Sarkisian doesn't have to break the narrative that scholarship numbers are holding USC back. He has to break the narrative that his in-game decisions are. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand.