Believe what you want, but Mitch Mustain is going to start tomorrow.
Lane Kiffin can say its a game time decision, which is simple gamesmanship, or hedge his bets in the press but if Barkley isn't practicing he isn't playing...it is simple as that.
No game, no record and no amount of pride is worth risking further injury to NEXT years starting QB. Especially if you have a more than capable fifth-year senior who has some starting experience.
Mustain took 90 percent of the snaps with the first-team offense on Tuesday and Wednesday, with walk-on John Manoogian getting the others. Tuesday, Barkley stood on the sideline in a gray hoodie, his hands grasping crutch handles, his left ankle in a walking boot. By Wednesday, the boot was off, but his left ankle was still heavily taped.
Yeap, no question he is starting...
At this point Barkley has progressed as far as he was going to this season. There is no post-season for the team so now it is just about getting better, working out the kinks and finishing the season by beating our two rivals.
Don't get me wrong I want 'SC to win and I think they will but all the energy being wasted on whether or not Barkley starts is pointless...he is done for the season. I am just more interested in rallying behind Mustain than worrying about what won't happen.
Mustain has been great in his time USC. I can't remember Mustain ever complaining about the situation he faced. And when faced with the opportunity to transfer after the NCAA handed down their ruling Mustain held tight knowing his opportunity to start was slim. That says a lot about him.
He has handled it all extremely well...
"You always look forward to it actually happening however slim it may be," he said. "If this is it, then I'll be ready to go for it.
"It's what I've been playing for, what I've been practicing for, what I stuck around this year for."
[...]
"I don't care if it's a minute before, the year before or whatever," he said. "Whatever changes, however many times it changes before, I'll be ready."
This is Mustain's swan song so I hope he makes the best of it. I hope he shows us all what we wanted to see from him. He may not have been given the fairest chance to compete for the job under the previous staff but all that doesn't matter now...this is his time.
I have every confidence that he will do well...