Iowa lost to Northwestern today. Many of their fans were upset I ranked them only 10th in my top 25 poll. But now they are just about where they belong.

It's very warm in Tempe today so it's a good thing the start time is 6 p.m. (local time). Freshman defensive end Devon Kennard, who is from Phoenix, is currently in the lobbying relaxing with family and friends.

USC will win today's game if . . .

USC coach Pete Carroll puts his 27-0 record in November on the line as the Trojans attempt to regroup from last week's debacle in Oregon.

Friday night answers!

November 5, 1960 -- No. 1 Iowa lost to No. 3 Minnesota, 27-10, in Minneapolis. The Gophers forced three turnovers which resulted in two touchdowns. The 17-point loss remains one of the largest margins of defeat by a number one team in NCAA history.

Arizona State is averaging just 45,724 fans per home game this season.

Stat of the day: Arizona State has six players from Centennial High in Corona.

Back to the original forum questions.

Still finishing off the original forum.

It's the last road game of the year. Time to pick the correct score. If anyone guesses correctly, the ever-popular Rose Bowl DVD is the prize (valid email required).

Freshman Devon Kennard could make his first start in his return to Arizona while Pete Carroll supports Frankie Telfort's efforts to resume his career.

Straight from the SEC office:

University of Florida head football coach Urban Meyer has been fined $30,000 by the Southeastern Conference for his public comments concerning officiating, Commissioner Mike Slive announced Friday.
The fine is the first since the conference's Athletic Directors, with the full support of the league's Presidents and Chancellors, voted to have all violations of SEC Bylaw 10.5.4 enforced by suspensions and fines.
``Coach Meyer has violated the Southeastern Conference Code of Ethics,'' Slive said. ``SEC Bylaw 10.5.4 clearly states that the coaches, players and support personnel shall refrain from public criticism of officials. The league's Athletics Directors and Presidents and Chancellors have made it clear that negative public comments on officiating are not acceptable.''

Meyer's comment after the jump.

USC tries to figure out its next move following that blowout loss to Oregon.

About 100 people turned out tonight near the Galen Center to hear Pete Carroll, Kevin O'Neill and Michael Cooper speak and christen the opening of a mew shuttle between L.A. Live and USC.

Malcolm Smith and Anthony McCoy are out. Everson Griffen, Armond Armstead, Nick Perry, Damian Williams and whoever else I forgot will play. Brandon Carswell missed practice with a sprained toe but said he would play.

Back to an answer.

USC's 6-2 record is exactly the same as in 2007, including an Oct. 27 loss at Oregon two years ago.

The Brut Sun Bowl officially announced today it has extended its partnership with the Pac-10 Conference through 2013 and aligned with the Atlantic Coast Conference from 2010-2013.

Offensive lineman Jeff Byers is a finalist for the Wuerffel Trophy, which is ``presented annually to the Football Bowl Subdivision player that best combines exemplary community service, with academic and athletic achievement.''

Arizona State is 4-4 but that includes a 24-17 victory over Washington.
That was an amazing game because Washington defensive coordinator Nick Holt ran a Cover 3 defense in the final seconds when 99 percent of the defensive coordinators in the country would run a Cover 4.
And that meant the Sun Devils had a wide receiver completely uncovered as they scored on a long TD at the end of the game.

It's going to be another full answer session day!

We will have an Oregon cheerleader update in the next few days. Never fear, we did speak to Amanda Pflugrad.

We now resume our normal forum answers from the pre-emergency days.

Now the WAC has suspended a replay offiicial.

Frankie Telfort still hopes he can play football for USC.

Offensive playcaller Jeremy Bates on what went wrong with the offense in the second half against Oregon.
``They made us one-dimensional. They rushed three (players) and dropped eight. We got aggressive too early. We were just trying to make a big play. They had the crowd. The momentum.''

It looks like Anthony McCoy will be unable to play this week. He did not practice. Linebacker Jarvis Jones is also out.
Damian Williams returned to practice. Joe McKnight returned to practice along with Allen Bradford. Linebacker Malcolm Smith did some non-contact work but is probably a week away. Everson Griffen remains questioanable.

Oklahoma State and Oregon hosted record home crowds for their games against Texas and USC. Oklahoma State could be the only team to face the Longhorns and the Trojans if they end up playing in the Holiday Bowl.

Sunday's BCS pairings will be announced between 1-1:40 p.m. (PST).

Finally wrapping things up.

USC ranks No. 14 in average attendance in the country (83,086) and is No. 52 in attendance vs. capacity, behind Central Florida and Navy. Oregon ranks No. 2 in the country and Arizona State No. 100 (last in the Pac-10)

I like these emergency answer sessions. We might do one every week.

Don't tell this ACC publicist that Matt Barkley is an O'Brien Award semifinalist after this twitter post on Florida State QB Christian Ponder.
``CP7 has 2,453 yards passing; 13 TDs; only 3 ints. doesn't that warrant consideration for O'Brien Award?''

Questions here about USC's bowl prospects.

USC is currently 94th in third-down conversion percentage (34.74).

We're still in emergency answer mode today.

USC's special teams deserve scrutiny too, Matt Barkley says the loss, ``kills him,'' and former commit Vontaze Burfict is making an impact at ASU.

Malcolm Smith said tonight that X-rays in Oregon which showed a cracked bone in his shoulder were incorrect and he just has a sprain. Smith said he is probably out this week but should be back next week.

Here's the full injury report:

Doctors ruled linebacker Malcolm Smith (shoulder) out for the game.

I'm sure you've seen the Tim Floyd video today. My question is can't he go gamble at a higher-class casino with the money he made at USC?

Cornerback Shareece Wright played tailback with the scout team today, his first action at the spot since high school. Wright, who is currently ineligible, said he always wanted to try offense and Pete Carroll suggested the move.
He will be able to play in USC's bowl game and still plans to return next season.

In this segment, a valuable question about something besides the offense and the defense.

Here's Pete Carroll's press conference quotes.

It's a week like no other with Caesar explaining what the heck happened last weekend. Someone who went to Monday Morning Quarterback said he had the boosters eating out of his hand.

We're still trying to polish off the emergency answer mode questions.

Today's forum answers are brought to you by Win Forever (not available in Oregon).

In full answer mode.

Post-practice updates are filed on twitter.com/InsideUSC.

The emergency answer forum is back in session.

A USC supporter who went on the team plane to Oregon asked me this morning an interesting question. At the current moment, what does USC do well?
I'll let you answer that in the comments section.

Pacific-10 Conference football officials working the five conference college football games on Nov. 7 will be wearing blue forearm sleeve covers on one arm as part of a prostate cancer awareness campaign in partnership with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Pete Carroll blames himself for the Oregon loss.

USC's faced two tailbacks from Texas (Jacquizz Rodgers, LaMichael James) the past two weeks, who gained a combined 296 yards in those games.
And they did not recruit either one of them.
Not especially surprising because neither fits the cookie-cutter mold for a tailback at USC.

Back to the emergency forum session.

Here's my appearance on the Petros-Money Show for the few who missed it. The interview starts at the 24-minute mark.

Pete Carroll continued to rave about the Pacific-10 Conference on Monday, which is understandable when you just lost by 27 points.
``The conference is as good as I've seen it,'' he said. ``The offensive line play is really good. The quarterbacks are excellent. Everyone has good running backs and wide receivers.
``The conference is better than I thought it would be. The key is the emergence of the quarterbacks. We're up against it every week.''
The question might be whether USC is better at those positions than a year ago?

Chris Galippo (neck) and Jarvis Jones (neck) said they will play this week. Armond Armstead said he will find out tomorrow from doctors if he can play with a broken wrist.

The Stanford game on Nov. 14 will kick off at 12:30 p.m.

Here's the nation's leaders for touchdown passes by freshman quarterbacks.

Name, School TD

Landry Jones, Oklahoma 17
Dave Shinskie, Boston College 11
Spencer Keith, Kent State 11
B.J. Daniels, South Florida 10
Kyle Parker, Clemson 10
Matt Barkley, USC 9
Tate Forcier, Michigan 9

More post-game questions. And answers.

Former USC tailback Broderick Green gained 134 yards in nine carries in Arkansas' victory over Eastern Michigan. Green also had a 99-yard touchdown run. He has scored a team-high six touchdowns this season.
Think USC could use him this season?

``I haven't been a head coach that long. This is my biggest win this week.''
-- Oregon first-year coach Chip Kelly

Get your questions off your chest in the Weekend Forum.

No, we did not forget that grades were due today.

The emergency post-Oregon answer session continues.

We're going to answer post-Oregon questions today. We'll finish last week's forum afterward.

At least two college coaches mentioned to me that one problem for USC is the defensive alignment, which often has safety Taylor Mays line up 18 yards off the line of scrimmage. That provides little help for middle linebacker Chris Galippo on running plays when dealing with an explosive tailback.
And it becomes an even bigger issue when the defensive ends move up field in an undisciplined manner.

The venerable Sports Arena turns 50.

I'll be on the Petros and Money Show today around 3:30 p.m. on 570-AM.

USC coach Pete Carroll said he was ``sick'' watching the films of the Oregon game.

Pete Carroll on how to improve USC's problem with missed tackles.
``It's a matter of getting it done,'' he said. ``When you're late and reaching, it adds to missed tackles. We missed three alone on the opening kickoff.''

Linebackers Chris Galippo and Jarvis Jones will undergo MRI's tomorrow on their sprained necks. Pete Carroll said he would not be surprised if they play.
Armond Armstead has some cracks in his wrist and it will need to be determined if he can play with a cast on it.

Linebacker Malcolm Smith has a ``significant shoulder issue,' with a ``crack . . . in his shoulder'' according to Pete Carroll and will be sidelined indefinitely. He will undergo tests Monday.

That is who the Trojans play in the first round of Sports Illustrated's playoff bracket.

USC dropped to 12th in the BCS standings.

It is easy to blame the defense for last night's debacle with Oregon gaining more than 600 yards in offense. But let's not forget the offense scored three points in the second half and really did nothing dynamic to help change the course of the game. They were also 4 for 14 on third-down conversions without any help from the defense.

Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli was named the Walter Camp national offensive player of the week.

Those 47 points last night were the most points ever scored by an Oregon team against USC, breaking the record of 34 set in the first Trojans-Ducks game back in 1915, a Monday afternoon game played in Los Angeles (previously postponed because of rain), played in front of just 2,300.

I ran into former USC basketball player Keith Wilkinson at the game. He played in the Ukraine and is about to leave for Germany to play this season.

Here's the New York Post's great columnist Phil Mushnick on Mark McGwire being named the St. Louis Cardinal's hitting coach:
``If you can get past the muscle drugs issue, Mark McGwire is an excellent choice to be the Cardinals' batting coach. Having struck out 100 or more times in 10 seasons, who better to instruct how to avoid hitting into double plays? Beyond that, had McGwire not stonewalled Congress -- had he answered the questions and answered honestly -- he might be ineligible for any MLB gig.''

I have not yet finished last week's forum but these are special circumstances considering last night's debacle. One question per person please.

Last night's game was an eerie reminder of the late 1990's. Being unable to stop an opponent. A look of confusion on the sideline. An offense that needs everything to be just right in order to keep the team in the game. No real gamebreakers.
This confluence of factors really was not something long-time fans saw for about 10 years.

Here's my ballot for the Associated Press poll.

Pete Carroll finally did something worse than Paul Hackett.

Linebacker Malcolm Smith sprained the AC joint in his shoulder. Linebackers Chris Galippo and Jarvis Jones jammed their necks. The severity was not known but Galippo was being fitted with a neck brace after the game.

OK, so Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli rushed for 164 yards while tailback LaMichael James rushed for 183. But it's not the first time Pete Carroll allowed two players to gain 100 or more yards.
Kansas State did it in Carroll's first season, 2001, as Josh Scobey rushed for 165 yards while Ell Roberson (another mobile QB) rushed for 119.
The time before that was in 1993, when Penn State's Mike Archie rushed for 107 yards while Ki-Jana Carter rushed for 104.

``I can't remember a game where a team pushed us around the field like that.''
-- USC safety Josh Pinkard

For those new to the blog, USC football is broken into two periods.
2002-2005: Domination was born with national title appearances a common occurrence.
2006-09: No national titles. No title-game appearances. No experienced offensive coordinators.

Oregon fans mobbed the field after the game but many of them also wanted to take a picture with USC tailback Joe McKnight, who quietly stood on the field and surveyed the wreckage.
McKnight, to his credit, politely obliged some of the requests as he headed to the locker room.

This was the worst loss in the Pete Carroll era. USC's worst previous loss was by 11 points (26-15 to Notre Dame in 2001).
``I could never imagine this in my career at USC,'' safety Will Harris said.

Oregon's 391 yards rushing was the most since USC surrendered 486 in the 1977 Bluebonnet Bowl to Texas A&M. And USC won that game 47-28.
For the record, Oregon's 613 yards in offense just missed the all-time opponent record of 623 set by Notre Dame in 1946.

Good night now.

The defensive disaster continues.

LaMichael James shreds the defense again on two straight runs to score. I'm trying to remember when USC's defense looked this inept in all phases.

Jordan Congdon's 39-yard FG narrows the gap. Now it's the defense's turn to respond.

Looks like few solutions were found on the opening drive as Morgan Flint's 35-yard FG gives the Ducks a 10-point lead.

The defense is a shambles. Pete Carroll better come up with second-half adjustments.

USC's defense is officially lost as Jeremiah Masoli runs rampant on several plays and then throws a 13-yard TD to Jamere Holland (yes, that Jamere Holland).

The Trojans march right back and score with Damian Williams' 16-yard reception the big play. Williams then catches a 6-yard TD.

USC's defense is still in a funk as it could not tackle tailback LaMichael James, who had a 33 yard run and an 11 yard run. Andre Crenshaw scores on a 1-yard run with 8:39 left in the second quarter.

That fumble leads to a TD as Matt Barkley throws a 20-yard pass to Damian Williams and a 3-yard TD pass to Ronald Johnson to tie the game.

That sore topic this week becomes relevant early as Malcolm Smith strips the ball from Jeff Maehl and Will Harris recoveres. USC forced its 18th fumble and recovered its seventh.

Does USC miss Anthony McCoy? Blake Ayles dropped a pass over the middle on third-and-13 from the Trojans' 25.

The Ducks go no-huddle and QB Jeremiah Masoli makes some clutch passes and runs as they go 3 for 3 on third-down conversions. Masoli scores on a 3-yard run.

Thanks to that kickoff return, the Ducks tie the game on Morgan Flint's 32-yard FG.

USC's kickoff team is struggling again, allowing a 77-yard return on the Ducks' first possession.

USC moved impressively downfield and then the playcalling got conservative at the 10-yard line with a run up the middle and screen to Damian Williams netting 0 yards. Jordan Congdon kicked a 27-yard FG.