The fact Reggie Bush’s claimed he was being extorted does pose a certain risk for the tailback. If Bush was not completely honest with the FBI, it would be a crime. Among recent figures who faced criminal charges in similar circumstances were Martha Stewart and Scooter Libby.

There’s a lot of focus on the Reggie Bush investigation right now. But what does it mean? The existence of tapes does not necessarily hurt USC because the university could challenge the veracity of them if the NCAA used it to punish the football program. Not to mention that taping conversations like that is illegal.
Even if the tapes are correct, without USC’s knowledge or complicity, it would be hard to hold the university liable. That doesn’t mean USC is off the hook regarding the chance of getting stripped of a national championship, but we’re referring more to probation for the program.

Also up near the top was Oregon State coach Mike Riley.

If you heard me at the Long Beach Trojan Club last night, you already know I said that Jeff Fisher of the Tennessee Titans and Jack Del Rio of the Jacksonville Jaguars (both former USC players) were high atop a list of potential replacements if Pete Carroll accepted a job with the Miami Dolphins.
Getting either coach out of their NFL contracts might be a problem but a year from now, they might not even be coaching their current teams.

My favorite USC linebacker, Matt Grootegoed, is set to play for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League next season.

There’s been several questions about who will become USC’s recruiting coordinator? There’s a quick two-word answer to this question: Who cares?
Recruiting coordinators fill an administrative role. Players don’t come to USC because of a recruiting coordinator. Did Reggie Bush or Matt Leinart ever mention the recruiting coordinators as the key to their decisions?
Players come because USC is winning and Pete Carroll is the coach. Last time I checked, that was still the case.

Raiders coach Lane Kiffin’s opening statement: “I’ll bring an explosive, powerful offense to this franchise. . . .They will play happy and they will play hard.”

Sounds like new Raiders coach Lane Kiffin’s first hire from USC will probably be video assistant Yogi Roth.

Former Nebraska kicker Jordan Congdon met with USC coach Pete Carroll on Monday with the intention of walking on to the team next season and possibly earning a scholarship.
“He’s deciding about transferring and giving us strong consideration, Carroll said. “Hes trying to get into school as a walk-on.’

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Arkansas quarterback Mitch Mustain did not contact USC or send a release form to the Trojans when it was thought he would transfer to another school. Mustain re-enrolled at Arkansas last week.