USC Trojans News

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

Attention folks in the Providence area: Don't be frightened later this afternoon if Bobby Bowden starts popping up and passing out candy to the area children. Yeah, he's supposed to be busy in Tallahassee trying to supervise his Florida State Seminoles against N.C. State. But the guy's been coaching since the Taft Administration, right? So maybe he can pull off two places at once. "You really think I look like him?" Grams B asked Thursday afternoon. Well, maybe it's the other way around.... Between his folksy personality and jowly looks, Bowden always seemed like the guy who could be bringing a pitcher of lemonade to the table. With sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat, Grams is a ringer. She hopes, however, that her Saturday luck continues to be better than Bowden's. Here are this week's selections, all straight up. No. 1 Florida vs. Georgia at Jacksonville, 3:30 p.m., CBS The skinny: Grams never liked neutral site games; kitchens and home cooking always trumped restaurants. But Tim Tebow loves playing in his backyard, and unless the Jags draft him, it might be his last game there for a while. Grams B: Florida, 33-10 Dave: Florida, 34-17 No. 12 Penn State at Northwestern, 4:30 p.m., ESPN The skinny: Why not JoePa as a costume? "I'm not that old," Grams said. "It's tougher for me to look like that." Painting herself purple, which figures to be popular at Ryan Field today, didn't score points with her, either. Grams B: Penn State, 37-21 Dave: Northwestern, 24-21 No. 21 South Carolina at Tennessee, 7:45 p.m., ESPN The skinny: The SEC used to be about great players and better football. Now, it's defined by field goals and whining about the officiating. "I don't like it when they complain about the refs," Grams said. So shut up, guys, and figure out this red zone stuff. Grams B: South Carolina, 24-17 Dave: Tennessee, 16-10 No. 3 Texas at No. 13 Oklahoma State, 8 p.m., ABC/ESPN2 The skinny: Time for the Cowboys to bust some ghosts. UT has won 11 straight in the series, including a fourth-quarter rally from 35-14 down two years ago in Stillwater. "It sounds like Oklahoma (State) can't beat those guys," Grams said. Related Links Key conference could get wrapped up Hayes' Week 9 story lines Hayes' Week 9 picks Sporting News expert picks Spotlight game: Texas vs. Oklahoma St. Spotlight game: USC vs. Oregon Grams B: Texas, 44-21 Dave: Texas, 30-20 No. 4 USC at No. 10 Oregon, 8 p.m., ABC/ESPN2 The skinny: Every Ducks game ends up a color war—how about tie-dye tonight against the Trojans? Seriously, it's crazy that with all the debate around the unbeatens, the day's biggest game (this one) features two one-loss teams. Grams B: Oregon, 38-24 Dave: USC, 28-23 Last week Grams B: 3-2 Dave: 3-2 Season Grams B: 26-14 Dave: 19-21 Dave Curtis is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at dcurtis@sportingnews.com.more>>

It's fitting that college football and Halloween intersect Saturday. After all, what provides more tricks than the BCS? As the day wears on, though, some of the nation's top programs could find themselves with sweet treats. Here's a look at what to watch between apple bobs: No. 1 Florida vs. Georgia, 3:30 p.m., CBS If Georgia manages to pull the upset of No. 1 Florida, it will be thanks to its defense. What it means: Florida clinches the SEC East with a victory in Jacksonville, Fla., and a... South Carolina loss at Tennessee. Halloween theme: Pranks. Two years ago, every Bulldog stormed the field to celebrate an early TD. Last year, Florida coach Urban Meyer called late timeouts to rub in a 49-10 win. How Georgia wins: The Dawgs regrouped during a bye week, and they boast the talent to keep the Gators' offense in a statistical slump. "That's as good as defensive personnel as there is in college football," Meyer said of Georgia on a teleconference. No. 3 Texas at No 13 Oklahoma State, 8 p.m., ABC/ESPN2 What it means: The winner takes sole possession first place in the Big 12 South; Texas should roll to the conference title game if it survives Stillwater. Halloween theme: Eeriness. A year ago this weekend, the undefeated Longhorns lost at upstart Texas Tech on a last-second touchdown. "Everything is similar," Texas coach Mack Brown said on a teleconference. "It's a very good team. … It's a game they've been looking forward to all year." How Oklahoma State wins: Even with star WR Dez Bryant suspended, Cowboys QB Zac Robinson and his strong offensive line can hang with Texas' top-ranked scoring offense. No. 4 USC at No. 10 Oregon, 8 p.m., ABC/ESPN2 Related Links Hayes' Week 9 story lines Hayes' Week 9 picks Picks: Dave Curtis vs. Grams Sporting News expert picks Spotlight game: Texas vs. Oklahoma St. Spotlight game: USC vs. Oregon What it means: The winner emerges as the Pac-10 favorite and the one-loss team best positioned to reach the BCS national championship game. Halloween theme: Haunted houses. Autzen Stadium hosts one of the nation's rowdiest crowds, and the Ducks beat the Trojans 24-17 there in 2007. How Oregon wins: QB Jeremiah Masoli. If his performance matches the Cal game (21 of 25, three TDs), Ducks win. If he puts up another Utah stinker (4-for-16, 1 INT), USC rolls. 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. Conf. rankings No. 1 Pac-10 No. 2 SEC No. 3 ACC No. 4 Big East No. 5 Big Ten No. 6 Big 12 Nos. 7-11 1. Pac-10 1. USC 2. Oregon 3.... Arizona 4. Stanford 5. California 6. Oregon State 7. Arizona State 8. Washington 9. UCLA 10. Washington State Rising USC: QB Matt Barkley gets more comfortable and confident with each game, and the offense now is doing what everyone thought it would: carrying the defense. Falling Arizona State: Sun Devils are limited offensively, and struggle to string together consecutive successful plays. Now, the problem: The heavy lifting of the schedule looms. Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News. E-mail him at mhayes@sportingnews.com.more>>

Somewhere in the hallowed halls of Congress they're waiting for this. They want it—they need it: If Oregon beats USC this weekend, the Ducks, in all likelihood, will jump Boise State in the BCS poll. The same Boise State team that held Oregon without a first down into the third quarter of an ugly loss. It's just the juice the folks in Washington are looking for to ramp up the rhetoric against college football's postseason. As if Boise State's fall from No.4 to No.7 in this week's BCS poll—after... a 54-9 victory at Hawaii—isn't enough. "If we play that way on defense," says Boise State coach Chris Petersen, "We will be hard to stop." On the field, maybe. Off the field, that impressive victory over Oregon in the season opener looks smaller with each passing week. Don't panic Pete Carroll's USC Trojans still have time to make a move in the BCS standings. No. 5 USC. With a win over No. 10 Oregon, don't be surprised if the Trojans jump No.4 Iowa. The points difference is minimal (.8249 to .7944), and a win over Oregon will significantly impact USC's computer ranking (currently No.9). No. 6 TCU. The computer polls love the Mountain West (see: Utah, 2008); the Frogs simply have to keep winning to improve in the human polls. It's early, and it's hypothetical: the way the frontrunners are playing, TCU could find a way into the top two spots by November. Start to panic No. 8 Cincinnati. For now, anyway. The game with Syracuse this week will drop computer numbers that are pulling up overall ranking. Future games against BCS top 25 West Virginia (No. 21) and Pitt (No. 15) will help in November. The Big 12. An underwhelming, bizarre season could get much worse this weekend in Stillwater. If Texas does what many think it will—win easily over Oklahoma State—the Big 12's hopes for a second BCS bowl take a serious hit. OSU would have to win out (and win at Oklahoma) to give the league a second 10-win team. Underrated No. 9 LSU. Tigers only loss is to No.1 Florida, but it may not matter. If LSU wins out—with victories over Alabama, Ole Miss and No.1 Florida in the SEC Championship game—the Tigers likely will jump all one-loss teams and any non-BCS unbeaten. Overrated Related Links Hayes: Cincinnati is in the BSC argument What We Learned: Texas-Oklahoma State will be showdown Play of the day The Hangover Cure: Week 8 The SEC. That's right, the SEC. Florida and Alabama have looked mighty average (see: beatable) the last two weeks, and neither offense is difficult to figure out. More than a few traps still out there for the Gators and Tide before a potential unbeaten matchup in the SEC Championship Game. Iowa. The Hawkeyes have been resilient, and at times, impressive. But this is not the fourth-best team in the nation. Iowa likely will have problems holding off surging one-loss teams.more>>

Jeff D'Alessio, Sporting News More polls: AP | SN | Coaches They're No. 1 in the Big Ten, off to their best start ever and owners of the second-longest winning streak in Division I-A, behind only Florida. So why do no Legends Poll voters have Iowa's 8-0 Hawkeyes in their top five? Why don't any of the 17 coaching icons consider Kirk Ferentz's history-making team a threat to play for the national championship? "There's not much overall... speed or athleticism there," said former Texas A&M coach R.C. Slocum, who had Iowa No. 9 on his ballot Sunday. "They remind me of Ohio State from 2002—they're winning ugly," said ex-Ohio State coach John Cooper, who put the Hawkeyes eighth. The Hawkeyes made the biggest jump in this week's Legends top 10—from No. 9 to 7 after their latest great escape, at Michigan State. After a one-week stint at No. 2, Florida reclaimed the No. 1 spot from Alabama, which fell to No. 3 after edging Tennessee, 12-10. Texas is No. 2, USC No. 4, LSU No. 5. Here's what else was on the Legends' minds heading into the final Saturday of October: — Texas' case for No. 1. Come Sunday, don't be surprised if the Legends Poll has a third different No. 1 in three weeks. The Longhorns received more first-place votes (seven) than the Gators (six) or Crimson Tide (four). They trail Florida by just four points. Texas' toughest remaining regular-season test comes Saturday—at Oklahoma State, the only other Big 12 team unbeaten in conference play. Slocum, Cooper, Pat Dye and LaVell Edwards all like the Longhorns. "I just think they have a better defense," Edwards said. — Florida vs. Alabama. Who's No. 1 in the SEC? Depends which Legend you ask. Cooper: "Alabama—until (Saturday). Tennessee should have won. The Alabama quarterback was awful. They're too one dimensional. I'd put Florida a little bit ahead of them." Dye: "Neither one has been impressive offensively recently. I like Alabama a little bit better. They have a little stronger defense, although not as fast as Florida's defense." Dye wouldn't rule out a Georgia upset of the Gators on Saturday in Jacksonville—especially if gimpy UF linebacker Brandon Spikes can't play. Both Cooper and Slocum think a Nov. 7 LSU win over Alabama is more likely. — The best non-BCS team. That distinction belongs to TCU, which climbed one spot to No. 6 after a 38-7 road rout of BYU. Boise State, also 7-0, fell four spots to No. 9 despite throttling Hawaii, 54-9. "TCU made a statement," Slocum said. "Beating BYU on the road makes them a legitimate top 10 team." For much more from the Legends, including complete ballots from all 17 coaches, log on to www.legendschannel.com. School Points Record 1. Florida (6) 411 7-0 2. Texas (7) 407 7-0 3. Alabama (4) 406 8-0 4. USC 372 6-1 5. LSU 339 6-1 6. TCU 329 7-0 7. Iowa 311 8-0 8. Cincinnati 309 7-0 9. Boise State 297 7-0 10. Oregon 268 6-1 11. Penn State 261 7-1 12. Georgia Tech 243 7-1 13. Oklahoma State 222 6-1 14. Ohio State 187 6-2 15. Virginia Tech 180 5-2 16. West Virginia 154 6-1 17. Houston 139 6-1 18. Miami 125 5-2 19. Pitt 124 7-1 20. Utah 107 6-1 21. South Carolina 81 6-2 22. Oklahoma 65 4-3 23. Mississippi 46 5-2 24. Arizona 44 5-2 25. Clemson 25 4-3 Also receiving votes: BYU 20, Kansas 20, Wisconsin 11, Notre Dame 10, Michigan State 5, Oregon State 3, Stanford 2, Cal 1, Navy 1. Dropped out: BYU, Kansas, South Florida, Texas Tech.more>>

Sporting News' Derek Samson analyzes what Friday's buzz means to college football. A different Pitt Dave Wannstedt's previous Pitt teams routinely crumbled once the rest of the college football world began taking notice of them. A 6-1 start in 2006 was followed by five straight losses to close the season. Last season, the Panthers opened in the Top 25, only to lose their opener to Bowling Green. They reentered the polls at midseason and quickly exited after getting crushed by Rutgers. Pitt... (6-1) entered the polls this week at No. 20, and it faces South Florida on Saturday. Time for a letdown? Don't bank on it. This Pitt team appears to be different. Running backs coach David Walker—who tutors the NCAA's third-leading rusher, freshman Dion Lewis—said nothing has changed about Pitt's mindset or preparation heading into games. It's what happens once the game begins that's different. "We haven't beaten ourselves, which is probably the biggest thing," Walker told Sporting News on Friday. "More college football games are lost than they are won. We aren't losing games. We're protecting the football. We're protecting the quarterback. We're not having stupid penalties. That's where our success lies. Sure we have some playmakers. But the main thing is we're not losing games. We haven't blown coverages—things like that. We stress both sides of the ball, those are the things that lose games." Still kickin'? Let's not rule out Florida State coach Bobby Bowden retrieving this season from the sewer just yet. Thursday night's win over North Carolina improves the Seminoles to 3-4—still an embarrassing mark by their standards. But Bowden, who has 32 straight winning seasons, previously turned around years headed toward the tank. Bowden opened his FSU career with a 2-6 mark in 1976 and won the final three games to give a dismal program hope for the future. And for good reason—that was his last losing season. In 1983, FSU opened 2-3 and finished 8-4. Three years later, it stood 1-2-1 before winning six of the last eight. In 1989, the Seminoles lost their first two games—and won the final 10. With an easy closing stretch (outside the season finale at Florida), Bowden could turn disaster into eight wins, if the 'Noles win a bowl game. Remember me? USC gets a chance to prove it can indeed locate Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers on the field. The 5-7 Rodgers ran all over then-No. 1 USC a year ago, rushing for 186 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-21 upset. The Trojans claimed they had trouble finding the diminutive Rodgers. Rodgers went on to earn Sporting News' Freshman of the Year honors and rolled his success into this season. USC wants to end Rodgers' unbelievable streak of 454 touches in two seasons without a fumble. Gotta find him first, guys. Derek Samson is a senior editor for Sporting News. Email him at dsamson@sportingnews.com.more>>

Sporting News staff reports Arizona QB Nick Foles, nose tackle Jurrell Casey of USC and punter Bryan Anger of California have been named Pac-10 players of the week. Foles completed 40 of 51 passes (.784) for a career-high 415 yards and three touchdowns of 43, 11 and 1 yard, with no interceptions in the win over Stanford. The 40 completions are the second-highest single-game total in Arizona history. Casey played a leading role in USC's... 34-27 win at No. 25-ranked Notre Dame with a game-high 10 tackles, including one tackle for loss, and forced a fumble. Anger averaged 50.0 yards on seven punts, with four of the seven punts traveling 50-plus yards, with a long boot of 72 yards.  more>>

Each week, Sporting News' Matt Hayes ranks the Division I-A conferences—and the teams within each league. 2. Pac-10 1. USC 2. Oregon 3. Arizona 4. Oregon State 5. California 6. Stanford 7. Arizona State 8. Washington 9. UCLA 10. Washington State Rising Arizona: Wildcats have become the epitome of the Pac-10 (outside USC) reputation: last team with the ball wins. Why knock it? They're in the BCS rankings for first time under coach Mike Stoops. Falling UCLA: First it was... struggles on offense, then a stout defense caved last weekend vs. Cal. Lack of consistency has pushed UCLA back to the lower half of the league.more>>