Alex Grinch is once again squarely in the crosshairs.

USC held on Saturday for a 48-41 win over Colorado on the road, but with a little more than two minutes remaining in the third quarter, USC held a 48-21 lead. Colorado outscored USC 14-0 in the fourth quarter, and got a five-play, 75-yard scoring drive in at the end of the third quarter in just 71 seconds.

A week after CU had 199 yards of total offense in a 42-6 loss to Oregon, the Buffs went off for 246 yards in just the first half against USC. In the second half, Colorado had 318 yards at 7.2 a play.

Big plays were an issue. Colorado had eight explosive pass plays and six explosive run plays. (The Buffs entered the game with a combined 13 explosive runs in their first four games.)

Tackling was an issue.

Finishing was an issue.

Is it fair to give USC some grace? Colorado’s offense looked electric through the first three weeks of the season. Shedeur Sanders — who finished with 371 yards and four touchdowns on 30-for-45 passing — has looked like one of the top quarterbacks in the country.

USC head coach Lincoln Riley faced pressure to part ways with Grinch — his coordinator at Oklahoma — after last season ended with two straight losses and three 40-point games in the final four, but Riley backed Grinch and promised improvement.

A lot of the issues that plagued USC last year appeared again. That was the issue with a number of fans and media members after the game, who took aim at Grinch. Here’s some of the reaction: