USC Trojans News

Sporting News college football writer Matt Hayes prepares you for the weekend in college football. 1. The Game Remember way back, when there was this nice, buttoned-down gentleman with the sparkling NCAA lower division record walking onto the basketball court at Ohio State to address rabid fans. It took all of one sentence for Jim Tressel to ease the pain of The Game in the minds of the Ohio State faithful. "I can assure you," Tressel said that day in 2001, "that you will be proud of your young... people in the classroom, in the community, and most especially, in 310 days in Ann Arbor, Michigan." Fast forward to 2008, when Rich Rodriguez was hired at Michigan, and his initial response to The Game was—and I'm paraphrasing—like all games, it's one you want to win. Now, leading up to what Ohio State fans like to call "2,1xx (fill in the last two digits, people) days since Michigan beat Ohio State," Rodriguez was again asked about his perceived attitude toward The Game. He said he understands the significance of the rivalry, and that his perceived attitude by others toward The Game will, "pass in time, I'm sure. I'm just hoping that we can play a good game." If that doesn't want to make you run through a brick wall, what will? Make fun of Tressel and Ohio State all you want for their lack of big wins in big games the last three years. But he was hired to beat Michigan and win the Big Ten—and anything after that is gravy. In his nine seasons in Columbus, Tressel's teams have won or shared six Big Ten championships (five in a row) and are 7-1 vs. Michigan. Think Michigan, in the middle of one of the worst two-year stretches in school history, would embrace, I don't know, a Motor City Bowl bid right now? Bobby Bowden once said that his tombstone would read, "He played Miami." On Tressel's tombstone, it'll simply say, "He owned Michigan." And that won't "pass in time." That's etched in stone. 2. The Game, part II So I flip on the television the other day as background noise while doing a jigsaw puzzle with my daughter, and I hear a bobblehead on ESPN talking to an "ESPN reporter" buried in Palo Alto investigating "the fallout of Stanford running up the score on USC." I almost puked. It's bad enough that we have to—and I can't believe I'm writing this—feel sorry—for USC and its hiccup of a season. It's worse when the network that televises more college football than any other panders to the Trojans like they're an innocent altar boy in a land of heathens. Just to recap, everyone: • Aug. 30, 2008: Leading 45-7, USC throws a touchdown pass on Virginia with 2:33 to play. • Sept. 13, 2008: Leading 28-3, USC throws a touchdown pass on Ohio State with 1:33 to play. • Oct. 4, 2008: Leading 37-10, USC throws a touchdown pass on Oregon with 1:50 to play. • Oct. 18, 2008: Leading 62-0, USC scores a rushing touchdown against Washington State with 2:16 to play. • Sept. 5, 2009: Leading 49-3, USC throws a touchdown pass on San Jose State with 4:13 to play. We can go back over the rest of the decade if you'd like, but it's fairly clear who has been running up the score on whom. So my question to Pete Carroll now is, "What's your deal, man?" Oh yeah, Stanford vs. Cal, The Game. Classic letdown game: Stanford won't have a chance to run it up. Maybe ESPN can investigate that, too. 3. The state of the Big 12 You're going to read this, and you're not going to believe it. But trust me, it's true. I looked it up: If Kansas State beats Nebraska, it wins the Big 12 North and is one game away—Big 12 championship game vs. Texas—from playing in the Fiesta Bowl. But if Kansas State loses to Nebraska, it's not bowl-eligible—its six wins will include two against Division I-AA opponents, and only one counts toward bowl-eligibility—and will stay home for the holidays. That scent you get isn't the sweet smell of opportunity. It's the stench of what has devolved into a horrific season in the Big 12. There's Texas, and then … who? The reality is, Nebraska should be 9-1 going into the K-State game. The Huskers blew a lead at Virginia Tech and lost 16-15 in the last seconds. Then they committed eight turnovers in a 9-7 loss to Iowa State. But after Texas and Nebraska—and you just know league bigwigs are desperate for a Huskers win Saturday—there's a whole lot of Independence Bowl. It's enough to make one of the game's best coaches (Bob Stoops) think about that plateau his program has hit, and move on to the best job in college sports. Hey, I can make up a rumor as good as the next guy. 4. The show beyond the show It has been 36 years since we've come this far in the season with six unbeaten teams remaining. And it seems twice as long since Boise State's thumping of Oregon to begin this season. Has any team fallen out of the collective consciousness harder and faster than Boise State? The Broncos travel to Utah State on Friday night in yet another opportunity to hang 50-plus points, and it just doesn't matter. So while everyone takes potshots at Boise State for their spot in the WAC—quick aside: the Mountain West Conference could already have had Boise State, but has turned away overtures—we're all missing Kellen Moore's spectacular season. The Broncos' sophomore quarterback has the nation's No. 1 pass-efficiency rating, and he is primed to set the NCAA single-season record for touchdown-to-interception ratio. Moore has 32 touchdowns and only three interceptions. The NCAA record is 10.3 (41 touchdowns, four interceptions) by Omar Jacobs of Bowling Green in 2004. Moore currently is at 10.6, and he has games remaining against Utah State, Nevada, New Mexico State and the bowl game. His numbers project to 42 touchdowns and four interceptions, which would put him one touchdown ahead of Jacobs. In this season of no one wanting the Heisman Trophy, why hasn't Moore received more juice? 5. The bottom of the barrel Rice found a way out of the depths of ugly last week, leaving New Mexico, Eastern Michigan and Western Kentucky as the nation's only winless teams. Two of the three winless teams (New Mexico, EMU) have first-year coaches; the other already has fired its coach. To make matters worse: the last weeks of the season won't change a thing. • New Mexico Feeling positive: Embattled Lobos coach Mike Locksley has sought guidance from the man among men, Tony Dungy. Even Dungy can't stop this train-wreck of a season/coaching hire. Embracing reality: Lobos play host Saturday to Colorado State, the only team in the Mountain West Conference that can remotely feel its pain (seven straight losses; giving up at least 31 points in six of the losses). Win there, or the last stop between victory and a winless season is at TCU. • Eastern Michigan Feeling positive: No matter what happens, EMU has a respected, revered man (Ron English) as its head coach. We don't need to get into who doesn't, if you know what I mean. Embracing reality: Of EMU's last two opponents, Toledo has tanked since the first month of the season, and Akron has won twice this fall. The problem: both games are on the road. • Western Kentucky Feeling positive: WKU played its best game of the season last week in a 21-18 loss to Louisiana-Monroe. Embracing reality: WKU's remaining opponents, FAU and Arkansas State, are two of the Sun Belt's most talented teams, even though they haven't played that way this fall. Why not sneak up on one of the two when there's nothing left to play for? Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News. E-mail him at mhayes@sportingnews.com.more>>

Jeremiah Masoli has thrown for 1,581 yards and run for 558 more this season. After watching his team get walloped for the second time in three weeks, USC coach Pete Carroll confessed the obvious: The gap between his Trojans and the rest of the Pac-10 had shrunk to almost nothing. Now the best of the league's nine dwarves will duel in the desert to determine who'll gain the inside track for a Rose Bowl berth. This week's main event, No. 11 Oregon's visit to Arizona, will establish who replaces... USC in control of the conference. The changing-of-the-guard out west might be temporary, but it ranks among the nation's top story lines this season. Within the league, though, the surprise isn't as strong. "It's all in college football," Arizona coach Mike Stoops said on a teleconference this week. "I don't think there's a big discrepancy among the top 20, 30, 40 teams. There's some significance in some teams, but you look. Everyone has some flaws." The Pac-10's portion of the parity will produce a new BCS bowl participant in January. And Oregon looks like the strongest candidate to play in Pasadena. The Ducks are the lone team with one conference loss and will claim the Pac-10 title outright by winning at Arizona, then taking down Oregon State at home on Dec. 3. Arizona, though, would take control of the league with a victory. Head-to-head victories over Stanford, Oregon State and Oregon would give the Wildcats a shot to go to the Rose Bowl if they win out. Arizona finishes with road games against Arizona State and USC. Since the start of league play, no Pac-10 team has looked as impressive as Oregon. Except for a meltdown at Stanford, the Ducks have dominated, scoring more points and allowing fewer than any Pac-10 team. Arizona, meanwhile, has a back-loaded schedule, making the Wildcats the team with the most to prove. How well they prove their worth will be tied to whether quarterback Nick Foles can continue his incredible season. A transfer from Michigan State, he lost the starting job to veteran Matt Scott. That experiment lasted three games: Stoops gave Foles the job in late September, and he has completed 70 percent of his throws for 13 touchdowns against six interceptions. "I've gotten pretty comfortable," Foles said recently. "But the guys around me have played great." Across the field, Ducks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli might be the league's top playmaker. Stoops this week called Masoli the prototypical quarterback for the Ducks' offense, which four times this season has rung up more than 500 yards of total offense. In training camp last year, Masoli was fifth on the Ducks' depth chart and destined for a redshirt year. But his skills and coach Chip Kelly's scheme seemed such a sure match that the junior QB earned some preseason Heisman Trophy buzz this year. He'll fall well short of that talk, but he has managed the offense well enough to push Oregon toward its first Rose Bowl since 1995. "Early this season, he tried to shoulder a lot of the load himself," Kelly said of Masoli during a teleconference. "Now he realizes we have some weapons around him." That help has become more evident during the second half of the season, especially during the primetime rout of the Trojans. Ducks tailback LaMichael James is averaging 6.98 yards per carry. Oregon lacks a superstar receiver, but Ed Dickson and Jeff Maehl have emerged as reliable targets. A big day from them—and Masoli—would put the Ducks on the brink of a conference title—and in position to replace USC atop the Pac-10. Dave Curtis is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at dcurtis@sportingnews.com.more>>

Holiday and Sun Bowl selectors are salivating over the prospect of USC winding up in their games. Cincinnati appears on the verge of a perfect season ... or landing in the Meineke Car Care Bowl? And Notre Dame, whose tradition and following still make it attractive, is fighting to make the Gator Bowl. "It's important from our perspective for Notre Dame to excel in its last two games," Gator Bowl president Rick Catlett told Sporting News on Monday. As the bowl schedule starts to shake out, a... bunch of intriguing placements and match-ups are emerging. This week's top five, based on SN's bowl projections: 1. Outback: Penn State vs. Tennessee The skinny: Two great defenses stocked with future pros and top coordinators in Tennessee's Monte Kiffin and Penn State's Tom Bradley. But Joe Paterno vs. Lane Kiffin might break the ratings meter. College football's bookends—the nation's oldest coach vs. the nation's youngest—would highlight the postseason. 2. Meineke: Cincinnati vs. Florida State The skinny: An 11-1 Cincinnati squad could fall to Charlotte with a loss at Pitt and the Gator choosing Notre Dame. "There are going to be a lot of really good options out there for us," Meineke game executive director Will Webb said. The coaching duel is the hook here —up-and-coming Brian Kelly against beleaguered grandpa Bobby Bowden. 3. Orange: Clemson vs. Boise State The skinny:Offense, anybody? Kellen Moore and the Boise State juggernaut will go score-for-score with speedy C.J. Spiller and the Tigers. Clemson would fight to avoid losing to both TCU and the Broncos in a four-month stretch. Related Links Hayes projects the BCS games Curtis: Projecting every bowl matchup 4. Holiday: USC vs. Oklahoma State The skinny: The Trojans have a great defensive coach with an underperforming unit. The Cowboys have a great offensive coach with an injury-plagued unit. A little redemption here for two teams that started the season thinking BCS. 5. Liberty: Houston vs. Arkansas The skinny: This one features Houston's Case Keenum, one of the nation's top college quarterbacks, against the Hogs' Ryan Mallett, possibly the country's top pro quarterback prospect. Dave Curtis is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at dcurtis@sportingnews.com.more>>

Each week, Sporting News' Matt Hayes ranks the Division I-A conferences—and the teams within each league. 2. PAC-10 1. Stanford 2. Oregon 3. Oregon State 4. Arizona 5. USC 6. California 7. UCLA 8. Arizona State 9. Washington 10. Washington State Rising Stanford: It's only a matter of time before coach Jim Harbaugh leaves for the NFL. But until then, Stanford is recruiting well and becoming an East Coast, bulldozing team shaking up the Pac-10. Falling USC: Seriously, what did... everyone expect? A brand new defense and a freshman quarterback. All four of QB Matt Barkley's turnovers last weekend led to Stanford touchdowns. Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News. E-mail him at mhayes@sportingnews.com.more>>

College football, like much of the 2009 season, held to form Saturday. No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Texas and No. 3 Alabama kept the national title chase a three-team derby with typical wins.   No. 4 TCU looked like a sure BCS bowl team by waxing No. 16 Utah 55-28.   "If the nation didn't think that this was enough style points, then I don't know what is," coach Gary Patterson told reporters. "We're just going to go about our business."   But outside TCU's statement win, the biggest developments of... Saturday's college football games included the handful of storied programs that continued their shocking slides:   Notre Dame What happened: Anemic offense for three quarters put the Irish in an 18-point fourth-quarter hole at Pittsburgh. The No. 8 Panthers held on, 27-22, and eliminated ND from reaching a BCS bowl. What's next? Find somebody with Brian Kelly's cell phone number. Even with a rally late, this ND squad flustered even the most ardent Irish fan. Charlie Weis best start winning ... if he gets to keep coaching.   Southern Cal What happened: Stanford hung 55 points on the Trojans, one-upping the 47 Oregon scored two weeks ago in Eugene. "To be a senior and leave a legacy like this," Trojans safety Taylor Mays told reporters in Los Angeles, "it's sickening."  What's next? Put out the APB for Southern Cal's defensive prowess and swagger? Actually, a deep breath will do the trick. USC didn't start a single senior in its front seven; let's trust Pete Carroll to have that group better in 2010.   Michigan What happened: Wisconsin rolled up 469 yards and 45 points in handing Michigan its sixth straight loss against Division I-A competition. "We were really reaching defensively to find an answer to try to stop them," UM Coach Rich Rodriguez told reporters in Madison, Wis. What's next? A fourth Wolverines defensive coordinator in four seasons. Greg Robinson's defense has allowed 26 or more points in all seven Big Ten games and has Michigan on the brink of missing a bowl for the second consecutive year.     This story appears in Nov. 15's edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today.   Dave Curtis is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at dcurtis@sportingnews.com. more>>

Sporting News' Dave Curtis analyzes what Friday's buzz means to college football. No buyer's remorse Most Sundays, Doug Marrone finds himself absorbed with trying to make Syracuse a football success again. But when he does emerge from his office (which he says doesn't feature Internet access), he admits to seeking out updates on his former employer. "I'd be lying if I told you the video people don't have time to give me updates as the day goes on," Marrone said on a teleconference. "If I go to... get a cup of coffee, I may say, 'How are the Saints doing?'" Marrone bailed on New Orleans, where he served as offensive coordinator, in December to take over his alma mater's program. His Orange enter today's game at Louisville 3-6; "his" Saints enter Sunday's game at St. Louis 8-0, with some experts thinking they could sweep through the regular season. Marrone's old offense (to be fair, head coach Sean Payton calls the plays) is on pace to score better than 600 points this season and could go down as one of the most prolific in NFL history. Several of Marrone's friends have asked if he rues the move back to college; his wife even broached the subject last weekend. "I'm so thrilled for them and happy for their success," he said he told her. "But you know what? If I was at the Saints right now, I would wish that I was here." SC struggling Washington held USC to 13 points in September. Oregon held it to 20 points in October. Arizona State kept it to 14 points last weekend. The un-Trojan-like numbers have now permeated the whole football season, and show things aren't as they should be in Los Angeles. Even with a true freshman, Matt Barkley, set to start at quarterback, coach Pete Carroll's team looked to boast its usual set of star skill players and maybe the nation's top offensive line. So why the problems? "We've had a lot of dumb penalties," offensive lineman Jeff Byers said this week. "We've gotten in a lot of third-and-long situations. And a lot of the big plays we've had have gotten nullified. We need to clean that up." The good news for USC—Stanford comes to town today. The Cardinal can score, but they rank 89th in the country in pass efficiency defense and 60th against the run. Stanford might prove the perfect elixir to the Trojans' issues. SEC slugfest Tonight's Alabama-Mississippi State game provides a showdown for two of the nation's best between-the-tackles tailbacks. The Tide's Mark Ingram is homecoming-king popular, with a Heisman Trophy campaign and a surefire NFL career down the road. But MSU's Anthony Dixon has shined even in coach Dan Mullen's spread offense and he might share some of that future pro success. Bama's sophomore has 175 carries this season and an average of 127.6 yards per game (sixth in the nation). Dixon has 182 carries and a 125.1-yard average, good for eighth. "They're both very physical runners with size and power," Mullen said. "A back like Ingram's got tremendous vision, tremendous feet. Anthony is very similar." Dave Curtis is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at dcurtis@sportingnews.com.more>>

Sporting News' Matt Hayes analyzes what Tuesday's buzz means to college football. Dabo's cash grab  A big payday awaits Dabo Swinney if he leads Clemson to the top of the ACC. OK, now we know why Dabo Swinney is one excited coach these days. His hot team is on the verge of playing in its first ACC championship game.  And then there's this: If the Tigers win the ACC, his salary jumps from $800,000 a year to $2 million a year. The Post and Courier of Charleston, S.C., reported the specifics of... Swinney's performance-laden contract: • If Clemson wins the Atlantic Division—something the Tigers never did under former coach Tommy Bowden—Swinney's guaranteed compensation increases from $800,000 to the median of all ACC coaches. That number is $1.7 million. • If the Tigers win the ACC, his salary increases to the average of the top seven coaches in the ACC—or $2 million. Swinney currently is the ACC's lowest-paid coach, and if the Tigers win the ACC, he will join Bobby Bowden ($2.5 million), Paul Johnson ($2.3 million), Frank Beamer ($2.1 million) and Butch Davis ($2 million) in the $2 million-a-year club. This, of course, is assuming Clemson continues to buck a recent history of underachieving. If so, the administration's hire of a relative unknown assistant coach—who had never been a coordinator—looks brilliant. Numbers never lie Brian Kelly has made his decision, and that means Zach Collaros will start at quarterback for No. 5 Cincinnati on Friday night against West Virginia. The big question: What happens if Collaros—who has played flawlessly replacing injured starter Tony Pike—continues his high level of play against the Mountaineers? Kelly says Pike (forearm injury) is his starting quarterback when he's healthy, and that the Bearcats are preparing for Pike to start the Nov. 27 game against Illinois. But Cincinnati has scored 116 points in Collaros' three starts, and his quarterback rating is more than 50 points higher than Pike (210.2-to-155.1). In the three starts, Collaros has thrown for 1,028 yards with eight touchdowns, no interceptions and 149 yards rushing and two touchdowns. He has completed 80 percent of his passes, and his quarterback rating is 41 points higher than the nation's leader (Kellen Moore, Boise State, 169.35). Pike was rising up NFL draft boards, and before the injury was considered a potential first round pick. Now he may not be the best quarterback on his own team. Home is where the wins are All together now, let's read the signs: Southern Cal plays host to Stanford this weekend, the same Stanford team that toyed with Oregon last weekend. The same Oregon team that two weeks ago gave the Trojans their worse beating in coach Pete Carroll's nine seasons at Troy. Now we hear that Damian Williams, USC's No. 1 receiver and its only consistent dynamic threat on offense, is doubtful with a high ankle sprain. Williams has been a big reason for freshman quarterback Matt Barkley's success this fall, and the offense will be more predictable—and easier to defend—without Williams. In other words, all signs point to Stanford taking another big step in coach Jim Harbaugh's reclamation project. Don't believe it. The Pac-10 has been a home-win league this fall. Here are some more signs: Related Links News: Collaros gets nod for Cincinnati ACC Conference Call: Clemson rolling Hot Seat: Can Tigers avoid their annual swoon? Pac-10 Conference Call: Stanford new No. 1 Washington over USC in Seattle. Washington over Arizona in Seattle. Oregon over USC in Eugene. Stanford over Oregon in Palo Alto. Arizona over Stanford in Tucson. Oregon State over Stanford in Corvallis. There have been a couple of road wins of significance—USC over Cal, Arizona over Oregon State—but this league, for the most part, is home team wins. Don't expect anything different this weekend in Los Angeles. This story appears in Nov. 11's edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today for free.more>>

Each week, Sporting News' Matt Hayes ranks the Division I-A conferences—and the teams within each league. Conf. rankings No. 1 SEC No. 2 Pac-10 No. 3 ACC No. 4 Big 12 No. 5 Big Ten No. 6 Big East Nos. 7-11 2. Pac-10 1. Stanford 2. Oregon 3.... USC 4. Arizona 5. Oregon State 6. California 7. Arizona State 8. UCLA 9. Washington 10. Washington State Rising Stanford: Because Pac-10 teams like to use "body of work" as a poll argument, we will, too. Who's playing better than Stanford right now? For the time being, anyway. Falling Washington: Without a freak interception return for a touchdown against Arizona—yet another blown replay call this season—the Huskies would be riding a six-game losing streak since upsetting USC. Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News. E-mail him at mhayes@sportingnews.com.more>>

Each week, Sporting News' Matt Hayes ranks the Division I-A conferences and the teams within each league. Conf. rankings No. 1 SEC No. 2 Pac-10 No. 3 Big Ten No. 4 ACC No. 5 Big 12 No. 6 Big East Nos. 7-11 2. Pac-10 1. Oregon 2. USC 3. Arizona... 4. Oregon State 5. Stanford 6. California 7. Arizona State 8. Washington 9. UCLA 10. Washington State Rising Oregon: Ducks have outscored their last five Pac-10 opponents 208-58 and are primed for first Rose Bowl in 15 years. Falling USC: All that talk about USC's dominating defense has come to this: In the last three games, the Trojans have given up 110 points and 1,462 yards. Yikes. Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News. E-mail him at mhayes@sportingnews.com.more>>

LaMichael James wings his way to to 184 yards rushing. EUGENE, Ore. -- The sign, in black ink on yellow cardboard, bobbed in Autzen Stadium's Section 41 as the Oregon band belted out another refrain of "Thriller." Its message, for sure, doesn't reflect the reality of college football on this particular date: Oct. 31, 2009.   But by the end of Oregon 47, Southern Cal 20 on Saturday night, it wasn't far from the truth.   "Welcome to the Fall of Troy" the sign read, and it's mistake was in the... details. The stunning beatdown Ducks fans witnessed didn't so much prove that the wounded Trojans are destined for the Holiday Bowl, and then a string of 5-7 records. It proved that Oregon ranks as the nation's new hot program. And soon, it might rank among the nation's elite.   "The polls are still probably going to be Florida and Alabama," Ducks safety T. J. Ward said. "We feel like we're right there with anybody."   In the here and now, the rout puts Oregon on track for an outright Pac-10 championship and establishes it as the one-loss team best set to sneak into the BCS national championship game. In other words, Ducks fans, a postseason in Pasadena looks mighty likely.   Oregon's victory is its most uplifting in ages. But the night, and really this whole weekend, stands out as a celebration of where Oregon football is. Its offense, which rang up 391 rushing yards and 613 overall on the Trojans, is the nation's best north of Austin, Texas. Its stadium, complete with students clad in special black "Fright Night" T-shirts, features half the capacity of some of its big-conference peers but brings as much volume as any venue.   And don't forget the charismatic coach. With the sun still in the sky Saturday morning, Kelly donned the Oregon mascot's duck head and rolled through ESPN's live pregame show.   "I had trouble seeing," Kelly said later. "And it smelled."   As the sun set Saturday night, his top pupils — quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and running back LaMichael James — were whipping a Pete Carroll-coached defense like it's never been whipped before.   Forty-seven points? Most allowed by Southern Cal under Carroll. The 27-point margin? Most lopsided loss in Carroll's nine years. The rushing yards? Best performance against the Trojans since Texas A&M in the 1977 Bluebonnet Bowl.   "It was a real mess for us," Carroll said. "Oregon did everything they wanted to do."   Related Links Hayes: National title picture gains definition Curtis: Who need LaGarrette Blount anyway? Recap: Oregon 47, Southern Cal 20 Hayes: Florida foes, fear the wrath of Tim Recap: Gators 41, Georgia 17 Recap: Texas 41, Oklahoma State 14 Samson: Top players, Heisman Watch Samson: Week 9's top teams, Poll Vault SN's full college football scoreboard As Carroll reflects, he'll realize he might be saying that more in coming years. Kelly said that just five of the Ducks' top 44 players are seniors. They always have recruited well coast-to-coast, and this sort of energy and result will only bolster those efforts.   Even if the sign forecasting Southern Cal's demise is wrong, and the Trojans continue on as a top 10-worthy program each year, they finally could have company within their own conference. And they'll have competition for the title of "Coolest football program in the West."   Saturday, the coaches and players said all the right things about focusing on Stanford next week, taking the necessary steps toward a conference title. Always, though, there's the thought of lapping Southern Cal and becoming the Pac-10 Conference benchmark.   "We're going to try to push them," Kelly said of his own players, "and take them to places they've never been before."   This story appears in Nov. 1's edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today for free.   Dave Curtis is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at dcurtis@sportingnews.com.more>>

LaGarrette Blount is an awesome talent, but Oregon is flying without him. EUGENE, Ore. – No rush, LeGarrette Blount. Bully for you if Oregon and the Pac-10 choose to reboot your college football career this week. But there's no need to go into overdrive on coming back. It turns out the Ducks don't need Blount, this year's expected team cornerstone, to win a championship. LeGarrette is a luxury at this point, at UO showed with gusto Saturday night before a raucous (and record) crowd at Autzen... Stadium. Oregon 47, USC 20 rocked college football this Halloween night. Coach Chip Kelly's Ducks began the evening being known for Blount's punch of a Boise State player back around Labor Day. They ended it as the one-loss team best positioned to sneak into the BCS national championship game, and maybe the new kings of the Pac-10. The defeat was the most lopsided the Trojans have suffered since Pete Carroll took over as coach, and it's just their second double-digit loss in Carroll's nine seasons. The 47 points are the most USC has allowed in a game during that stretch. A changing of the guard in the conference? Maybe, but table that until December. There are more pressing concerns now. For starters, from where did these Ducks come? Has any team improved more from opening night? Fifty-eight days ago, Boise State bullied Oregon all over the blue turf in Idaho, keeping it without a first down for 2 1/2 quarters. Against USC, Kelly's Ducks showcased the best offense north of Austin, Texas. Redshirt freshman back LaMichael James, Blount's backup heading into the season, barreled through a USC defense for 178 yards and a score through three quarters. Oregon finished that period with 313 rushing yards, an average of nine per carry on the night and better than four times the Trojan defense's average coming into play. Related Links Hayes: National title picture gains definition Curtis: Oregon is Pac-10's new stud duck Recap: Oregon 47, Southern Cal 20 Hayes: Florida foes, fear the wrath of Tim Recap: Gators 41, Georgia 17 Recap: Texas 41, Oklahoma State 14 Samson: Top players, Heisman Watch Samson: Week 9's top teams, Poll Vault SN's full college football scoreboard But quarterback Jeremiah Masoli reigned as the star. He represented the key to the game all week – would his performance resemble his afternoon against Cal (21-of-25 passing, three touchdowns) or his day against Utah (4-of-16 passing, 47 yards rushing)? By the end Saturday he had posted the game of his life, with better than 200 yards passing and 100 on the ground. The visions of him dashing alone in the open field, the ball like a baton in a sprinter's hand, will haunt USC well past Halloween. The James-Masoli tandem (we're working on one of those catchy nicknames) has carried the Ducks to the precipice of a Pac-10 title. Road trips to Arizona and Stanford, plus a rivalry game versus Oregon State, loom. Blount's return, which will be discussed here Sunday in meetings between Oregon administrators and Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott, at one time figured to help determine whether the Ducks could keep winning. Not so much anymore. Take it easy, LeGarrette. Oregon keeps rolling without you. This story appears in Nov. 1's edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today for free. Dave Curtis is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at dcurtis@sportingnews.com.more>>

Place: Eugene, Ore. Time: 8p.m. ET TV: ABC/ESPN2 Line: USC by 3 Three reasons USC will win