USC's last major scrimmage before the season, also the only one this year in the Coliseum, is in the books. Here were my five biggest takeaways.

It’s time to pick a starting quarterback. USC doesn’t have to formally announce anything to the media/public. But when it resumes practice Monday the staff should assign all the first-team reps to whomever it plans to start on Aug. 31 (*cough JT Daniels cough*). No need to pare down this competition to two guys and ride it out for even another week. Just give Daniels the work. Not so much because his performance Saturday was that convincing -- granted, he was the best of an uneven bunch -- but because he and the rest of the first-team offense need the shared reps. It was concerning to see a non-existent run game coupled with a passing game that was more good than great while working against a vulnerable secondary. The latter, as you know, is the bread and butter of this offense (and maybe the team’s saving grace).

Clay Helton praised the QBs on the whole for not forcing throws and getting the ball out quick, and that was absolutely true on both accounts. But there were a few too many passes either underthrown, to the wrong spot or simply dropped. In other words, timing and chemistry is still lacking a bit. That’s expected when you’re rotating so many QBs and receivers. But less than two weeks out before the season, it’s probably past the time to have your core predominantly practicing together to perfect the playbook, no matter how simple it might be. Daniels had a rather down week before the scrimmage, leading an operation that doesn’t looking clean despite the fact that none of the players involved are new. Moreover, the sophomore still appears to really struggle when under pressure. That’s old hat for young quarterbacks. And yet it’s just more reason to give him more snaps. Of course, this point is null and void if Graham Harrell really doesn’t know if he wants to start Daniels. I just doubt that’s the case.