USC quarterback Jesse Scroggins said it will be a few more weeks before he is even allowed to throw a football. Scroggins said he could play now if he were at any other position but the strain passing puts on his surgically repaired thumb means he could be out another month.
He said he would not consider another position because he will always be a quarterback.

We hear Seattle, Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Las Vegas and Los Angeles are under consideration as sites for the Pac-12 basketball tournament in 2012. Sacramento? That doesn’t sound like Larry Scott. He probably wants the thing in New York.

Here’s the lean and mean Petros Papadakis before he suffered a traumatic hamstring injury trying to do a drill after today’s football practice.

A revealing quote today from Lane Kiffin regarding Matt Barkley’s comments about Vontaze Burfict.
“The thing you have to remember is with Matt, Matt can’t lie,” Kiffin said.
Kiffin is right about Barkley. Which makes Kiffin look worse for saying the wrong play got sent in at the end of the Syracuse game while Barkley said the pass was the correct call. Busted!

It was supposed to be a harmless post-practice TV shoot today at Howard Jones Field. Petros Papadakis showed up in shorts and helmet and was going to run some drills with assistant coach Kennedy Pola. But Papadakis blew his hamstring on the second play and sought treatment in Heritage Hall.

Lane Kiffin said it is too soon for Rhett Ellison to start at tight end but he will see acrion at the position against Arizona.

Lane Kiffin said one of the good things about redshirting wide receiver George Farmer is that the freshman played tailback and quarterback. He noted Farmer adds speed to the backfield.
Who would guess when Farmer signed as the nation’s top recruit at wide receiver he might eventually play tailback while Marquis Lee became a starter. Farmer’s speed should prevent him from becoming the next Whitney Lewis.

Lots of injuriy news today. Marquis Simmons requires neck surgery and will be out several months. Christian Thomas is also out for the season with a hip injury. More pressing, Amir Carlisle did not practice and does not look like he will play this week. Lamar Dawson is also still out.
Walk-on Cody Gifford, the son of Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford, is out for the season with an ankle injury.

USC ranks 92nd nationally in tackles for loss with only 4.75 per game. That means the Tampa 2 defense is not among the more aggressive defenses through four games. Ironically, among those tied with the Trojans is Arizona.

It might be hard for Lane Kiffin to hire a full-blown offensive coordinator that calls the plays. So I have a humble suggestion.
He can hire Mark Ratner (above) from the movie, “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” Ratner held the title, “assistant to the assistant manager of the movie theater.”
As “assistant to the assistant coach of the offense,” Ratner can easily be blamed for bad plays or attempts to run up the score. And he might be able to suggest a pass on third-and-long.