Open Forum, Part I

Mitch Mustain can travel to a bowl game on his own but is not allowed to go with the team. However, if USC plays in the Rose Bowl, he will obviously be on the sideline.

Stafon Johnson said he is fine despite his foot being stepped on repeated times this season Keith Rivers appeared less than 100 percent Thursday but is expected to play.

Linebacker Arthur Brown, linebacker Marcus Robinson and cornerback Patrick Johnson are visiting this weekend. Johnson is probably most likely to commit at this point. One typical part of the visit is going across the street to the Coliseum and seeing the recruit's name up on the video board. I wonder if the Rose Bowl will provide the same courtesy next season?

If I was Caesar, I would fine a way to work Allen Bradford into the rotation next year. However, I would have probably done it this year too. I'm hopeful Bradford will play next year, but no promises.

The coaches do not appear as comfortable with David Ausberry as Patrick Turner and Vidal Hazelton. For my money, Ausberry seems to have less drops than any of the receivers this season and made some nice clutch catches. But I always hear the usual excuses about knowing plays properly, etc., regarding playing time.

I think USC's actions regarding the Coliseum were not a complete ploy but an expression of frustration. The timing was awful, but USC says the media got wind of it and it was forced to announce something. I don't hear any fans who want to move to the Rose Bowl. And if USC leaves for a year, what option does it face when it needs to return to the Coliseum? And how much money does USC lose on campus (parking, bookstore, etc.) by moving to the Rose Bowl?

This whole thing was intended to scare the politicians (it worked) and fans (it worked) into getting worried.

USC wants control of the Coliseum, that is the issue. As one USC employee said this week, ``it's always about making a dollar here.'' And the Coliseum doesn't want to turn over control to a team that uses it six times a year. I expect a compromise but it's best not to trust the comments you hear on either side too much.

I don't hear anything at the moment about assistant coaches leaving. Steve Sarkisian would like a head-coaching job but nothing suits him right now.

I don't think much of Norm Chow to UCLA rumors. His age is a handicap and UCLA probably wants a head coach. Steve Mariucci, Bob Houck and DeWayne Walker are more likely candidates.

Notre Dame is an animal unto itself when it comes to the BCS and always seems to get more than other teams. By being an independent, it does not share its revenue with anyone else and they do receive $1.3 million every year from the BCS. The trade off is that it agreed to a lower payout when it does play in the BCS bowl games.