Will Loss to Oregon Ruin Clay Helton's Shot at USC Head Coaching Job?

Southern California has the most attractive job currently open in the Football Bowl Subdivision ranks, a distinction that could be hard to top even if another 15 jobs open this offseason. The Trojans have facilities. They have money. A great recruiting base and amazing tradition. It’s the total package.

So does interim head coach Clay Helton have a chance at the full-time head coaching job, even after Saturday’s 48-28 loss at Oregon? Absolutely. There’s something to be said for stability, and Helton has provided that in a huge way following Steve Sarkisian’s firing for alcohol-related issues.

Helton’s steady hand, and everything that remains on the table for the Trojans, gives him a legit shot at the big chair full time, even though athletic director Pat Haden could attract a much bigger name. The consistency he has brought to an unstable situation speaks volumes, and it’s reflected in Southern California’s recent success.

When Sarkisian was fired in early October, the Trojans were 2-3, including an ugly 17-12 home loss to a young Washington team. Helton lost his first game as interim coach, a hard-fought 41-31 defeat at now-No. 4 Notre Dame, but the Trojans won their next four games, beating then-No. 3 Utah, Cal, Arizona and Colorado, the last three coming by eight points or less. 

This week, Mark Whicker of the Los Angeles Daily News argued that the Trojans already had their head coach. 

Saturday, the Trojans showed some serious fight. Oregon broke away from a 14-14 second-quarter tie with 24 consecutive points, taking a 38-14 lead. On the road, down three scores? This would be the point where some teams would pack it in for the day, but that wasn’t the case with Helton’s group.

The Trojans scored a pair of touchdowns and went into the fourth quarter down 38-28 with the ball. Cody Kessler’s lost fumble turned into an Oregon touchdown, and the Ducks never looked back. But the effort was unquestionably there, and that’s well worth noting.

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Despite the defeat, Southern California still has a chance to win the Pac-12 South and the Pac-12 title. UCLA’s 17-9 upset at Utah created a three-way tie atop the South with one week remaining, with all three teams at 5-3 in league play. However, UCLA and USC both own wins over the Utes, making their rivalry meeting next week a de facto division title game.

A win would give the Trojans a trip to the Pac-12 title game, most likely against Stanford, which defeated them 41-31 on Sept. 19. A win there and a victory in a New Year’s Six bowl game would give USC a 10-4 record with a league title, which would be an exceptional accomplishment given the shambles that Sarkisian left behind last month.

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Interim coaches earning full-time roles are rare but not unheard of. Dabo Swinney turned his opportunity at Clemson into a full-time gig and has led the Tigers to an 11-0 record and the nation’s No.1 ranking. And just last week, Minnesota promoted Tracy Claeys into the big seat after Jerry Kill retired for health-related reasons.

Helton also has the support of his players, who have embraced his hiring on Twitter, using the #Helton2016 hashtag. More importantly, he has the support of Trojan insiders, as this tweet from Scott Wolf of the Los Angeles Daily News shows.

If Helton can keep winning, his familiarity with the program and the stability he can provide should give him a legit chance at the full-time position, regardless of which big names would jump at the chance to move to Troy.