February 2008 Archives

Howard Jones Field has many uses. Some not discussed. For example, one night this week it hosted a soccer game even though the doors were locked. Fence hopping required!
Tomorrow, the field gets two more uses: It will serve as the warm-up area for the track meet at Cromwell Field. And it will then be the site of a rugby game. No fence-hopping required.

I've now heard a second of those 10 commitments contacted UCLA this week, and that's not including the much-discussed Randall Carroll. Stay tuned.

I heard the Pac-10 actually spoke to the Alamo Bowl a few years ago but when Builders Square was a sponsor, it requested a Big Ten opponent because of its Midwest locations. The game is currently sponsored by Valero Energy Corp., which has refiniries in Wilmington and Benicia. So there's a California tie in. But don't hold your breath.

Be sure to check out the link to the right with the rankings of USC's announcers and feature on genuine nice guy Rory Markas.

The Pac-10 trades out the Fort Worth Bowl this year for its second San Diego Bowl, the Poinsettia Bowl!

Here's a forum question about how Caesar flies.

Pete Carroll interviewed Peter Quaweay, most recently an assistant coach at Rhode Island, for the secondary coach position.

Here's one that I've actually looked into regarding Reggie Bush.

As one of the BCS bigwigs, I asked Tom Hansen whether the BCS could strip USC of its national titles if the NCAA sanctions the university because of the Reggie Bush investigation.
``That's been discussed without any resolution, so that's questionable,'' he said. ``The BCS does not have any enforcement arm to it.''

The word is that Virginia Commonwealth coach Anthony Grant is the frontrunner for the LSU basketball job. That should give a little bit of relief to some around USC.

Or maybe I just want to knock out one early before the rush. Here's one on the wide receivers.

I'd classify Cathedral wide receiver Randall Carroll as a ``squishy'' commitment at best, considering his high interest in UCLA. But I wanted a contrarian view, so I called a Cathedral source with USC ties.
``He's just going through the motions, he'll go to USC,'' the source said.

Time for questions . . . again.

As we first mentioned last week, Pete Carroll met with German soccer legend Jurgen Klinsmann on Monday.
``We had a great meeting,'' Carroll said.
Klinsmann, who lives in Orange County, will become the coach at the prolific German team, Bayern Munich, next year.

Kris Richard was on campus again as Pete Carroll continues to interview for the graduate-assistant position.

The attorney for Lloyd Lake said he is waiting for Reggie Bush to provide documents proving he paid for that much-discussed Chevy Impala and a $3,000 per month condo on Wilshire Blvd. The attorney, Brian Watkins, said Bush cannot provide documents because Lake paid for the car and condo.

UC Irvine defeated USC 7-3 on Wednesday night. Irvine's new coach is former USC player and coach Mike Gillespie, who was fired in 2006. Oh, Irvine is 4-0 so far.

LSU athletic director Skip Bertman told the Baton Rouge Advocate he would enlist Nike employee Martin Newton to assist with the Tigers' basketball coaching search.
``Martin Newton from Nike is also very helpful,” Bertman told the Advocate. ``We’re a Nike school. Martin knows basketball very well. He said he would help any Nike school. We’re assuming we’ll get some help from Martin.”
Hmmm. Do you think Newton would call a coach from another Nike school?

Tim Floyd on the possibility of O.J. Mayo, Davon Jefferson and Taj Gibson going pro after the season.
``I just hope our players are locked into what the task at hand is right now,'' Floyd said.

Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen said most football conferences are also concerned a four-team playoff would quickly grow larger.
``Any playoff is sports has grown exponentially and rapidly and we are opening a wedge to a full-blown playoff and we oppose that.''

Neither USC coach Tim Floyd nor guard Daniel Hackett attended practice this afternoon because of flu-like symptoms. They both are making the trip to Arizona, however, and a decision on Hackett's availability will be made tomorrow.

Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen said today that the Big Ten and Pac-10 are not the only conferences questioning the idea of a ``plus-one playoff'' for the BCS title. He added that if a four-team playoff were instituted this year, USC and Georgia would be omitted.
``We believe there are lot of problems with a plus-one that are glossed over,'' Hansen said. ``A four-team, two-game playoff this year would not include USC and Georgia.''

No TKO in this forum. Hail Caesar!

Here's former USC quarterback Sean Salisbury's statement after getting released by ESPN.
"I have created a brand and it’s time to expand into other opportunities in TV, radio, Internet, publishing, movies and public speaking, among others."
How come he didn't mention Nutrisystem?

It's 5-4 for answers on the Lederman card. But I answered my own question once, so maybe it's 4-4. I included a litle tidbit I just heard today about the Pac-10 in the second answer.

Here's an answer for myself.

Stanford started spring practice yesterday but does not finish until April 12.

More, more, more.

USC linebacker Kaluka Maiava will miss spring practice because of wrist surgery (link to the right). Another concern is offensive guard Zach Heberer, who has some back issues that are being monitored. His status for spring could be in doubt.

USC coach Tim Floyd watching Dominguez forward Jordan Hamilton against Santa Margarita on Tuesday night.

USC coach Pete Carroll on the NCAA rule that would prohibit head coaches from going on the road and recruiting in May.
``I might have to demote myself,'' he joked.
Didn't he try it already against Stanford?

Harold Lederman scores it 3-3 by rounds so far.

So far, no TKO in this heavyweight battle.

Here we go with another round of this battle.

Here's the fourth round of answers.

Here's the next round of answers, brought to you by Dasani water, available for only $3.50 at the Galen Center.

More answers.

It's Answer Tuesday! Brought to you by CaesarTV, which is currently in negotiations to replace the Versus Network on DirecTV.

Mountain West Sports Network, The Mtn. , says that DirecTV will launch The Mtn. nationally no later than Sept. 1.

Here's a question about basketball scholarships and limits.

Former USC kicker David Davis is now the kicker for the Los Angeles Avengers.

Now no one needs to ask me about this in any of the Open Forums.

The commitment of Matt Barkley is a big reason USC did not sign a quarterback in the just-completed recruiting class. And it's the reason USC is about the only school in the country who has not offered this guy.

The USC-Stanford game will start at 11 a.m. and be on Channel 2.

Not that I ever believe any football roster's height and weight measurements, but USC and the NFL combine seem to disagree on the height of some Trojans.

Fred Davis 6-4 (USC) 6-2 1/2 (NFL)
Chauncey Washington 6-1 (USC) 5-11 (NFL)
John David Booty 6-3 (USC) 6-2 (NFL)
Keith Rivers 6-3 (USC) 6-1 3/4 (NFL)
Lawrence Jackson 6-5 (USC) 6-4 (NFL)

Will USC be playing in one of these games in 2009?

Jan. 1: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, ABC
Jan. 1: Orange Bowl - Miami, Fla., Fox
Jan. 2: Sugar Bowl - New Orleans, Fox
Jan. 5: Fiesta Bowl - Glendale, Ariz., Fox
Jan. 8: BCS National Championship Game - Miami, Fox

I wondered how USC forward Davon Jefferson scored 25 points the first time against UCLA and only four the second time. Was it simply a case of having an off-night the second time around?
So I asked a Pac-10 coach who watched films of both games.
``The first time they layed off him and double-teamed Taj Gibson,'' the coach said. ``The second time they got right up on him and didn't drop off and he didn't like it.''

USC goes to Arizona this week before closing out Pac-10 play at home against Cal and Stanford.
``We like the fact we are finishing at home but not who we're finishing with,'' USC coach Tim Floyd said.

Wake up, eat, answer questions, go to bed. Wake up, eat, answer questions, go to bed.

St. Mary's coach Randy Bennett is the frontrunner for the Oregon State basketball job.

USC coach Tim Floyd on the Trojans' NCAA Tournament prospects.
``They say 10-8 (in the Pac-10) would put you in but stranger things have happened. A lot of people feel like 8-10 will get you in.''
USC is 17-9, 8-6.

Keary Colbert, Steve Sarkisian, Nick Holt at the Galen Center.

I told Tim Floyd tonight I knew it would be an easy game for the Trojans when he never removed his coat. I think it was off about 10 seconds into the UCLA game.

OK, we gave a little too much credit to Fox or Prime Ticket, etc., when Dave Miller reappeared as an analyst on the post-game show tonight. Silly of us to credit Fox for something.

We hear Patrick Hall of St. Bonaventure, who committed to USC as a tailback, turned down a chance to go to UCLA's Junior Day. We'll check later for confirmation.

A handful of high school juniors are expected to visit UCLA today, including wide receiver Randall Carroll, who is committed to USC.

The questions (and answers) never stop in Caesarland.

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/10661481

USC basketball recruit Demar DeRozan was one of 21 high school seniors selected for the Jordan Brand Classic, which takes place at Madison Square Garden on April 19.

Another round of answers, brought to you by The Inner Game of Tennis, which gave me the mental edge to answer some of these questions.

Some good questions in this segment.

Round 3 of the Roman Meal Open Forum.

Brought to you by CaesarTV.

Here we go with the day's first batch of fresh answers.

O.J. Mayo on his long 3-pointer with 2:05 left.
``At the end of practices we play a lot of horse and we hit that shot a lot in horse games and it was an opportunity for me to knock it down for the team.''

USC coach Tim Floyd on leaving O.J. Mayo in with three fouls in the first half.
With our lack of depth, we've got to take risks. We played O.J. a lot with three fouls. He's determined and very bright. He understood his foul trouble."

Will USC coach Tim Floyd play more than six players tonight?

Watch for USC to wear its fifth uniforms of the season tonight against Oregon, as the Trojans break out the new white ones we first mentioned last night.

We hear former USC coach John Robinson considered helping out in some capacity at East Los Angeles College, where ex-Trojans fullback Lynn Cain is the new coach, but right now nothing's decided.

Former USC defensive lineman Chris Barrett is trying out to be a boxer on the TV show, ``The Contender.''

CBS might televise the March 8 game against Stanford. If it does, tipoff would be 11 a.m.

Look for former USC player Chris Penrose to debut tonight as the analyst on the Prime Ticket post-game show, replacing Dave Miller. All we can say is, ``very interesting.''
Here's a previous post that might interest those of you who are unfamiliar to this topic.
http://www.insidesocal.com/usc/archives/2008/01/a-follow-up.html#more

Well, it's time for even more questions. One per person, please.

USC is 4-1 in its yellow jerseys and 5-3 in its white uniforms. So tomorrow night's game is a no-brainer right, with a must-win situation against Oregon? Maybe, but there's a twist. USC also has a version of its new black uniforms, only in white.
So if the Trojans wear those, would they get a blank slate?

Former USC cornerback Kris Richard wants to get into coaching and while he is a candidate for the graduate-assistant position, is also checking to see if other schools have openings.

A crusty alumnus called today to complain that O.J. Mayo needs to keep his mouthpiece inside his mouth during a game. Now we know why USC lost!

I was asked in the Weekend Forum about any memories of Kenechi Udeze. In my experience, Udeze was one of the easiest players to cover at USC. He was soft-spoken and thoughtful and always considered a team player. Everyone knows Udeze went through a dramatic weight loss at USC but a more significant transformation occurred off the field, when he became a mature, young man who kept his thoughtfulness during his four years.
He also did not go through a long drawn out process when he decided to turn pro. He announced right after the Rose Bowl and that was it. Udeze also took the high road once he made the decision, ignoring ludricrous comments within the program where he would get drafted. Overall, he was a pleasure to cover.

One player mentioned in basketball is forward Jordan Hamilton of Dominguez High School. But it remains to be seen if he will meet NCAA clearinghouse requirements and prep school is a possibility.

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper said nose tackle Sedrick Ellis grades out as one of the top six players.
“If (John) Beck’s not the guy, (Miami) has to take Matt Ryan, but there are guys with equally as good a grade. Glenn Dorsey, (Darren) McFadden, Chris Long, Sedrick Ellis, Jake Long all have grades right in there with Matt Ryan. There are six guys that are a cut above the rest and those are the six.”

Here's the last of the answers, whew! You're welcome!

Here's our story on Vidal Hazelton's stomach surgery. http://www.dailynews.com/usc/ci_8309336

Former USC cornerback Chris Cash is also in the mix for the secondary job although although Justin Wyatt is the frontrunner.

German soccer legend Jürgen Klinsmann is scheduled to visit Pete Carroll next week to brainstorm over coaching methods. Klinsmann was the German national team coach at the 2006 World Cup and this summer will take over at the German uber-club Bayern Munich.

Here's a question comparing O.J. Mayo and Harold Miner.

Former USC cornerback Justin Wyatt interviewed for the vacant graduate-assistant position. We earlier mentioned how Wyatt's personality makes him ideal for the job but we hear he still has reservations.

It's Answer Tuesday!

Brought to you by the Roman Meal Memorial Coliseum.

More answers.

I needed an extra day before answering questions to recover from that thrilling 102-point effort at Galen Center on Sunday night.

The USC bookstore offers a display near its entrance selling copies of, ``"The Inner Game of Tennis" by W. Timothy Gallwey. The book was originally printed in 1974 so why is it being hawked so aggressively?
Because Pete Carroll just wrote the foreword for a current printing, where he talks about the 2005 Orange Bowl game against Oklahoma and the importance of the mental edge in such a huge game.
So where was that ``inner game'' mental edge in the 2006 Rose Bowl against Texas?

That Vidal Hazelton's cousin, Tristan, is enrolled at El Camino College and will play fullback next season. He played high-school football in Georgia.

The Pac-10 team offers one team in top 10 for RPI (UCLA, No. 7). But there are 2 teams from the ACC, Big 12, and Big East in the Top 10. http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_Men.html
Meanwhile, the Versus Conference just slipped below the ACC in these RPI rankings. http://rpiratings.com/mensrpi.html

How was it that in Sections 204 and 205 there were a few rows with mostly empty seats during the USC-UCLA game?

With a 15-9 record, USC really is not in a different position than anticipated from Day 1 by Coach Tim Floyd. With a young team (class wise, not age wise), he expected struggles in the Pac-10. But the real problem here would be the expectations game and if the Trojans fail to make the NCAA Tournament in the O.J. Mayo era, that would be a problem.
USC still is positioned to make the NCAA Tournament, but Billy Packer's quote continues to resonate, so we'll run it again.
``This may make all the recruiting experts angry but Mayo is a good player, he is not a great player . . . he could be a good player. He is not a great player.''

Former Marshall head coach Bob Pruett has taken over as Virginia's defensive coordinator.

Last week the NCAA Football Rules Committee worked to penalize horse-collar tackles, already an offense in the NFL.
But there were some less-publicized rule changes proposed: One made chop-block enforcements less complicated and ignores incidental face-mask contact violations (eliminating the five-yard penalty).
The group also proposed starting the game clock on a signal from the referee rather than on a ball snap after an out-of- bounds play - except in the final two minutes of each half.
These proposals now go to the NCAA membership for comment and must be reviewed and approved by an oversight panel before they can go into effect in 2008.

Maybe this is why Caesar declines attempts to wear an alternate uniform. It's not that the black uniforms were an awful idea, although the shorts were atrocious.
But when you parade them before everyone against your crosstown rival, you might make sure the team plays with intensity. Otherwise, it's about as memorable as Notre Dame breaking out green jerseys in a blowout loss to USC.

Pete Carroll, Willie McGinest, Matt Leinart, Ryan Kalil, Kevin Ellison, Cary Harris, Kevin Thomas, Jim Harrick, Mike Dunleavy were among those at the USC-UCLA game.

I get that O.J. Mayo had a strained groin and that turnovers and missed shots are part of the game. But the countless times he was outhustled going back down the court or failed to box out were inexcusable.
Especially when playing your crosstown rival in the biggest game of the season.

After USC announced actor Will Ferrell would attend the game, he was a no-show (what did he know that we didn't?). But at least Ferrell's movie studio got the dance force to shill his new movie, an unexpected lowlight Sunday night.

USC hosts UCLA tonight at the Galen Center, of course. And there was no discussion this week about allowing UCLA's band or cheerleaders into the arena for the game.
UCLA prevented USC from bringing its band or song girls to the first encounter at Pauley Pavilion.

Time for the stragglers to get their chance to contribute.

This one revolves around Shane Horton.

USC unveils black uniforms tomorrow against UCLA. Let's hope they aren't as bad as the Iowa sweatsuits Nike supplied all USC athletes with this year. At least tomorrow's uniforms will have cardinal in them.

Guard O.J. Mayo, who has been bothered by a strained groin, practiced today.

USC guard Daniel Hackett at last night's St. John Bosco-La Mirada playoff game.

This segment includes questions on C.J. Gable, Allen Bradford, USC basketball players going pro, Chilo Rachal and the USC swimming team. OK, I made the last part up.

The answers just keep flowing.

Will Ferrell is expected to attend Sunday's USC-UCLA game. At least he can't be kicked off the sideline at the Galen Center like he was at the Rose Bowl.

USC wants fans to wear black to Sunday's game against UCLA. Not cardinal. Not gold. Black.
Hmmm. There must be a reason. Oh wait. Nike is providing a black NIKEiD T-shirt for the first 1,000 students.
There's the reason: Nike!

Here's a question regarding a recruit.

Even more answers!

Here's USC's official schedule:

Aug. 30 at Virginia
Sept. 13 Ohio State
Sept. 25 at Oregon State
Oct. 4 Oregon
Oct. 11 Arizona State
Oct. 18 at Washington State
Oct. 25 at Arizona
Nov. 1 Washington
Nov. 8 California
Nov. 15 at Stanford
Nov. 29 Notre Dame
Dec. 6 at UCLA

More answers.

We hear the group behind that proposed stadium project in Long Beach is still interested in USC as a tenant because it believes the university still might opt out of its new lease with the Coliseum in two years.

Here's the opening round of answers.

With UCLA hiring a secondary coach, it means former USC assistant Demetrice Martin will stay at UTEP, which is probably a good thing for the Trojans. Martin was well-liked by USC players and would be a tough recruiter to go against in Southern California.
USC probably got lucky he is staying in El Paso.

With guard Daniel Hackett expected to miss the rest of the season, we hear the stress fracture in his back existed before the season and was something he would try to play with this year. Perhaps the partially torn oblique muscle he suffered a couple weeks ago aggravated the situation.

With the Coliseum searching for naming rights, let's remember we suggested last September that it strike a deal to become the ZeroPetOdor stadium, a product which promises to remove all urine odors.

U.S. Capital offered a rendering for the Coliseum in which a renovated stadium would be a triple-decked horseshoe, but the exterior of the two additional decks would resemble the Roman Colosseum.
Sounds like someone picked up on the Caesar moniker.

Of course there had to drama at the USC-Coliseum press conference. A private-equity firm showed up unannounced and said it wanted to invest $800 million into the Coliseum, but did not want USC to retain the right to quash any deal that might be struck with the NFL. The commission was not pleased.
Where were these guys before?

``It’s great they got an agreement that will last the length of my contract.''
-- USC coach Pete Carroll on the new lease with the Coliseum, which could be 47 years in length.

Somehow there's always a USC-related connection on TMZ.com.
http://www.tmz.com/2008/02/13/fox-sportscaster-tased-after-o-c-dui-arrest
My question: Josh Booty works for Fox?

Former USC players Steve Smith and Manuel Wright made $78,000 when the Giants beat the Patriots as the winners' Super Bowl bonus.

With Justin Wyatt no longer a viable option, Kris Richard remains a strong candidate to become the secondary coach.

We were being charitable yesterday when we neglected to mention USC's loss to Mercer.

Did anyone hear ESPN analyst Sean Salisbury say that college football recruits should stay away from Arkansas and its untrustworthy new coach, Bobby Petrino?
Was the former USC quarterback trying to influence Joe Adams, who at the time was committed to USC but seriously considering his eventual choice, Arkansas.
At least this talking point did not come from Caesar, who told me Petrino made a good decision.

We hear Birmingham defensive end Malik Jackson's been accepted by the university, which means the remaining issue now is whether he can achieve the necessary test score to meet NCAA requirements.

Former USC cornerback Justin Wyatt was a candidate to become the graduate-assistant secondary coach. It makes sense because Wyatt was extremely popular with his teammates and would make an excellent coach.
However, he was not interested.

Defending the homecourt is hardly a rule being followed in the Pac-10 this season, where home teams are an unimpressive 28-26 this season.

When the band is going to be at a Coliseum press conference, it's safe to say a deal was reached.

An insider at a Pac-10 school sent in the following response to demonstrate the Pac-10 is not as strong as some anaylsts believe it is.

Here's some more answers, brought to you by CaesarTV, which welcomes Roman Meal bread aboard as a co-sponsor.

Compton linebacker Chris Metcalf, who is 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, is projected as a safety at USC. However, he might play linebacker depending on if he grows in the 18 months.

Here's some answers to our questions.

Here's some serious news regarding former USC defensive lineman Kenechi Udeze.
http://kstp.com/article/stories/S343762.shtml?cat=

Here's the USC update on Daniel Hackett.
``USC sophomore guard Daniel Hackett saw Dr. Robert G. Watkins tonight (Feb. 11) at the Marina Spine Center in Marina del Rey, Calif. and it was determined that he has a stress fracture in his lower back. The injury will not require surgery and Hackett will begin a core strengthening rehabilitation program on Tuesday, Feb. 12. There is no timetable for his return. Once the spasms are relieved, it will be possible to evaluate his core strength level and determine a timetable. Hackett needs to reach a core strength level of four before he can return.''

The USC guard is seeing a doctor tonight about his back. Like we said earlier, he told people at USC today he would miss the rest of the season.

We have not heard confirmation for USC yet but guard Daniel Hackett is telling people he will miss the rest of the season with a back injury. He suffered a similar injury in high school and was out for several months.

Two conservative lawmakers want the state to sell its portion of the Coliseum (the land beneath the actual structure) to reduce the state's debt. Uh huh.
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/702490.html

Since last summer, I've had many conversations with USC coach Tim Floyd about how much better the Pac-10 would be this season, and since the season started, TV analysts like Jay Bilas say it's the best conference in the nation.
That said, which teams are noticeably better than last season, besides Arizona State, Stanford and perhaps Washington State, which already has five losses in the Pac-10.
USC is worse, UCLA seems to be more vulnerable, Cal should be better than it is and Arizona is worse.
What do you think?

Here's some familar names that signed with schools last Wednesday, including Arizona State signing Jack Elway, the son of Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway.

Here's a few quick answers, brought to you by CaesarTV, which promises to have more than 200 viewers per day.

Here's another question regarding John David Booty and the Stanford game.

Willie Wood is an NFL Hall of Famer who won five NFL titles in his career with the Green Bay Packers, but it's almost astounding how few people remember he was the first African-American quarterback at USC. Then again, it's understandable since USC hardly even mentions him anywhere.
I did some research on Wood, who led USC to an 8-2 record in 1959. I could mention his 48 interceptions in the NFL, etc., but then I discovered he's currently living in an assisted-care facility following knee-replacement surgery on both knees and a hip replacement operation. He also suffers from the beginnings of dementia that causes him to have short-term memory loss.
An organization started by former NFL great Jerry Kramer is trying to help Wood and other former players, who receive no benefits from the NFL.
Click the link before for information: http://www.gridirongreats.org/WillieWood.html

Former All-American wide receiver Mike Williams playing basketball at USC.

There's a side issue that makes Compton linebacker Chris Metcalf's commitment interesting. Last year, USC made little headway after a late start in the recruitment of Compton defensive lineman Datone Jones. There was also some ties between UCLA and Compton staff. Jones committed to UCLA a day after visiting USC last March.
So Metcalf's commitment at least shows USC is competitive again recruiting Compton players.

Rivals.com reports that linebacker Chris Metcalf of Compton High School committed to USC. He attended last weekend's Junior Day at USC and was enthusiastic about the Trojans during his visit. He is the ninth commitment for 2009.

If you forgot to ask a question in the Open Forum, here's your chance.

Here's a little rundown on USC's recruiting class:

Gem of the class: Blake Ayles.
Future star: Tyron Smith.
Most buzz: Brice Butler.
Jury is out: Daniel Campbell, Brian Baucham, Uona Kavienga.
Position change? Armond Armstead.
Mr. Consistency: Wes Horton, Drew McAllister.
Mr. Intrigue: Nick Perry.

Here's USC coach Tim Floyd on today's loss to Washington State.
On preparing for the game:
"We need more than one day to prepare for them, I know that."
On the technical fouls...
"Technicals are a part of the game and our goal in the second half was to try to get to the line and we did not accomplish that."

It's free, it's coming. It's free. It's Blowhard free. CaesarTV!

Tim Floyd's buddy, former LSU coach John Brady, is on his way to Malibu to interview for the Pepperdine job.

Here's the third installment of our seemingly never-ending series.

Here's another batch of answers.

Here's some answers brought to you by CaesarTV, a new channel I will start this fall with Caesar, free of charge. We already have a line of togas with the SC interlock logo ready for purchase.

One of USC's commits from the Class of 2009, previously unmentioned in this space, contacted a Pac-10 school this week to express interest.

Tim Floyd is close friends with former LSU coach John Brady. But another member of the Floyd inner circle could be on the move. We hear UC Riverside coach Jim Wooldridge (formerly at Kansas State) might get hired at Pepperdine.

A reader says Pete Carroll gave an interesting answer that contradicts previous comments on the Stanford game. Let's explore.

There had been discussions to move USC's season-opener with Virginia from August 30 to Labor Day (Sept. 1) but the schools and TV networks could not work out a deal. So it's still scheduled for August 30.

New USC defensive lineman Armond Armstead said UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel made a late run at him before signing date.

A couple weeks ago, Tim Floyd said again that USC would be his last job because of speculation he would be offered the LSU job. He will have to say it again today after the Tigers fired John Brady.

Recruiting rankings can be subjective, but here's one way to evaluate. Who else recruited each player? Nick Perry chose USC over Michigan. T.J. Bryant chose USC over Florida State, Florida, Miami, Alabama and LSU. Brice Butler chose USC over Georgia. Blake Ayles could have gone to Ohio State.
Now it cuts both ways. Malik Jackson was headed to Fresno State and Brian Baucham was on his way to Washington State. But that's the point when looking at the class overall.

Offensive tackle Martin Coleman said he lost 15 pounds and currently weighs 310 with a goal of being 300 for spring practice. Coleman weighed 332 pounds last summer, so that's a 22-pound loss so far. Right?
But on January 30, 2007, we wrote that Coleman weighed 312 pounds. So he's really lost two pounds in the past 12 months.

Cornerback T.J. Bryant apparently was not worried like Joe Adams about playing time.
``All the coaches come in and tell you you have a chance to compete,'' Bryant said. ``But at USC, every year, game in and game out, you see freshmen on the field.''

We hear cornerback-wide receiver Joe Adams told friends he did not sign with USC because he wanted to start as a freshman and did not think he could do it with the Trojans. Adams signed with Arkansas.

Florida coach Urban Meyer admitted even he was concerned about the Gators' recruiting ranking at one point.
``We closed really well. Not that I'm into rankings but every time I visited a site like Rivals.com and see where we were ranked I was concerned myself.
``We were not ranked very high and then seven recruits later and you are. I think at one point we were No. 1. I saw that some teams are signing like 35 players and we have 22. I am not concerned about rankings, but a part of me likes to check.''

Caesar went on the Petros-Money show today and was asked about NFL teams courting him.
`Honestly, it's an OK thing. It's a nice little feeling that the guys are interested in you. It's a nice thing that they're interested.
``This is going on Year Eight and I love being at USC . . . I'm not going anywhere. How close have I come? Not very. Really have never come very close to any opportunities at all that have been out there. Nothing's been able to turn me away from the Trojans.''
So how come it took nine hours to talk to the Redskins?

Pete Carroll said he's concerned about a rule proposal that would prevent head coaches from going on the road in May to recruit.
``I'm going to be beside myself in the month of May (if it passes),'' Carroll said. ``I'm a road warrior.''

We've been talking about this since last March but it came up again yesterday. Pete Carroll prided himself on following the ``Florida State’’ model of recruiting the past few years, which meant holding your scholarships as long as possible and taking commitments in January.
But colleges are offering so early now that USC lost out on some recruits it waited on in this class. So Carroll changed his mind and already has eight commitments for the Class of 2009.
``We’ve had to adapt,’’ Carroll said. ``I wish we could wait until their senior year on players but we can’t.''

Time for questions though I can't imagine anyone has something to ask now that we're finished with Signing Day.

USC toyed with the idea of calling a high-profile recruit Tuesday night that it was not recruiting just to see if he might have an 11th-hour change of heart before deciding against it. It also would have given a scare to a couple other schools.

Scout.com changed its rankings from last night and now ranks USC ninth and UCLA 10th. The Trojans compiled 3,812 points vs. the Bruins' 3,811. Maybe Brian Baucham helped give USC that all-important point to claim victory.
This should be a final ranking for USC because Scout lists Ohio State and Michigan above the Trojans and both schools will get a boost if they get quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

Although he is listed as an athlete by recruiting services, Patrick Hall of St. Bonaventure is going to play tailback at USC.
Someone I respect claimed he might be better than Darrell Scott, who just signed with Colorado. It's quite a statement, if it is true.

When you consider how important linemen are for a program, it's hard to argue with USC's decision to take 10 in its recruiting class. Last year was a good example how valuable linemen are when the Trojans lost so many offensive linemen to injuries, including two on one play.
The mistake some people are making is to think it's an either/or proposition between linemen and skill players, etc. If Will Hill (Florida), Darrell Scott (Colorado), Patrick Johnson (LSU), Arthur Brown (Miami), Joe Adams (Arkansas) or Chris Polk (Washington) wanted to come to USC, there would be a scholarship.
On its own merit, this is an excellent class that at the same time lost out on some marquee recruits who would have made it a consensus top three class.

Pete Carroll acknowledged Wednesday's some parents of recruits asked him about his interviews with the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins the past month.
``I didn’t hear it a lot but a couple times from parents who were out of state,’’ Carroll said. ``The parents here are used to that banter. I don’t think it factored into the decisions of anyone.’’

USC's success signing cornerback T.J. Bryant gives Pete Carroll his first victory at Lincoln High School in Tallahassee, Fla. Why is that an accomplishment?
Because Carroll had his heart broken a few years ago, when cornerback Antonio Cromartie (now with the San Diego Chargers), safety Pat Watkins and quarterback Gavin Dickey all flirted with the idea of coming to USC several years ago.
Dickey and Watkins actually committed but then changed their minds. Cromartie and Watkins went to Florida State while Dickey went to Florida.

Here's Caesar's recruiting quotes.

He's not exactly a hidden gem, but Pete Carroll said he thinks defensive lineman Nick Perry was not rated high enough by recruiting services because he did not get a lot of attention at King High School in Detroit. Now he is ranked the 56th-best player in the country by Rivals, but Carroll said he should be higher.

He will not show up on any signing lists, but tight end Jordan Cameron of Newbury Park High School and Moorpark College will also be part of the recruiting class and enroll in the fall.

Linebacker Uona Kavienga will announce around 6 p.m. that he is coming to USC.

Jerrell Harris to Alabama. Uona Kavienga is supposed to send his letter to USC this afternoon. No promises.

Still waiting to hear from Jerrell Harris and Uona Kavienga.

Cornerback T.J. Bryant's signing brought in one of those silent commitments USC got weeks ago. Perhaps this will offset losing Joe Adams to Arkansas.

Here's the link for the signing list.
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_8181773

USC believes it will sign Leuzinger linebacker Uona Kavienga, however he has not yet sent in a letter of intent.

As morning approaches back East, it's generally unknown right now where Nick Perry, Jerrell Harris or T.J. Bryant will sign letters of intent today.

We've now heard from multiple sources that Cathedral wide receiver Randall Carroll is considered a shaky commitment. We alluded to this Tuesday. Frankly, any one who commits to a school during his junior year should be given a different designation because it's so early.

Wherever cornerback T.J. Bryant ends up, he will at least sign a letter of intent Wednesday. So that means we will not have a lingering drama . . . We hope.

Something to keep in mind regarding the commitment of Cathedral junior wide receiver Randall Carroll. He and Dorsey tailback Jonathan Franklin are cousins. Franklin is expected to sign with UCLA tomorrow. So that should make the next year interesting.

Florida is preparing for massive interest in its recruiting campaign tomorrow with this statement:
``The general public may obtain the updated list of Florida signees to a National Letter of Intent after 11 a.m. by calling 1-800-344-2867 (toll-free) in the state of Florida or (352) 375-4683 outside the state.''
Fans can also view the Gators' class online at www.GatorZone.com.

Will wide receiver commit Brice Butler address one of USC's shortcomings next season?
``Brice Butler has great hands. He can help that problem with USC’s receivers,'' recruiting analyst Allen Wallace said.

The answers never seem to end around here.

Who cares about signing date, here's a list of some of the juniors who were invited to USC on Saturday.
Jemari Roberts, WR, Long Beach Wilson; Cliff Harris, CB, Fresno Edison cornerback; T.J. McDonald Fresno Edison safety; Marquis Simmons, LB, Dominguez; Morrell Presley, TE, Carson; Chris Metcalf, LB, Compton; Patrick Hall, Ath, St. Bonaventure; Randall Carroll, WR, Cathedral; Devin Kennard, DL, Phoenix; Shaquelle Evans, WR, Inglewood; Devon Flournoy, WR, Birmingham; Kevin Graf, OT, Agoura and Matt Barkley, QB, Mater Dei.

Outside linebacker Chris Metcalf of Compton was among the small group of juniors invited to USC on Saturday.

Although USC recruiting class is currently only 17 players, the Trojans' recruits score an average of 3.88 stars on Rivals.com, which trails only Notre Dame’s average score of 3.95.

We already mentioned SuperPrep will rank USC between eighth-12th. Here's where it ranked USC since Pete Carroll got hired.
Year Ranking
2001 19
2002 7
2003 1
2004 1
2005 3
2006 1
2007 2

Argentina's national soccer team practiced at USC this afternoon in preparation for Wednesday night's game at the Coliseum against Guatemala.

Here's yet another batch of answers.

Last March, I got to tell Pete Carroll at the championship game of the Pac-10 Tournament, ``while you're sitting here watching a basketball game, UCLA got eight commitments.'' Well, this past Saturday, as UCLA unveiled its power trio of Rick Neuheisel, Norm Chow and DeWayne Walker, USC got commitments from Devon Flourney of Birmingham and Patrick Hall of St. Bonaventure.

Here's a few more answers, man.

Here's some answers to the second Weekend Forum.

We confirmed Caesar informed USC before he interviewed with the Falcons and the Redskins last month. He did not inform USC last year when he met with the Dolphins. This also confirms that he ``interviewed'' with those teams, not that we didn't know that already.

Here's a question about a dilemma for USC and other schools.

A friend asked tonight if Pete Carroll was back coaching the Patriots when New England went for it on fourth-and-13 at the New York Giants 31-yard line?
One difference: Carroll would never walk off the field with one second left like Bill Belichick. OK, so maybe the Trojans stormed off without congratulating Stanford . . . but Carroll never would wear the red short-sleeved sweatshirt Belichick pulled out for the biggest game of the year.

With signing date Wednesday, Allen Wallace of Superprep said he expects to rank USC somewhere between eighth-12th in the recruiting rankings.

With the Super Bowl today, here's a 1995 profile from SuperPrep magazine on New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

Tom Brady. Junipero Serra San Mateo. 6-4, 215. 4.95. The 5-5 Padres were average but Brady stuck out. He completed 143-260 passes for 2,830 yards and 22 touchdowns. Scans the field well and doesn't telegraph passes. Not much of a scrambler but can heave the ball 70 yards. Visited Cal in December. UCLA, Jan. 13. Hold close edge over Michigan. USC already picked its quarterbacks. Illinois didn't feel right. He dropped both from contention.

Here's a question from the Weekend Forum regarding the always popular Mitch Mustain-Mark Sanchez quarterback competition.

USC's junior day apparently paid off as wide receiver Devon Flournoy of Birmingham High School and athlete Patrick Hall of St. Bonaventure committed to the Trojans.

One player who didn't make it to junior day was linebacker Vontaze Burfict of Centennial High in Corona. Burfict attended his winter formal. He's rated the 19th-best player in the nation for 2009 by Rivals.com.

Defensive end Devon Kennard of Phoenix, Ariz., flew to Los Angeles today to attend the junior gathering at USC. He's ranked the ninth-best player in the country for the Class of 2009.

Among the juniors who were at USC on Saturday were quarterback Matt Barkley, tight end Morrell Presley and offensive lineman Kevin Graf, who all already committed to the Trojans.

Signing date is Wednesday but USC got an early start on 2009 today with high school juniors visiting the campus. This is way earlier than usual. Call it a response to last spring when UCLA got an early jump on recruiting by offering juniors before USC felt it properly evaluated a lot of players.

Time for any stragglers to get their questions in this weekend.

USC assistant Sam Anno is a candidate to be an assistant coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

USC guard Daniel Hackett's injury is not nearly as serious as originally thought. USC described it as a ``deep pelvis contusion'' while Floyd said it was a hip flexor. He is unsure if he can play against Arizona State.
``I feel better walking today, I'm able to move a little bit better,'' Hackett said. ``We did a lot of treatment today. I'm working with the doctors and the team trainer and they're going to decide when they get me on the court."

Here's the fourth installment of our compelling series.

Here's the third installment, brought to you by the New England Patriots, who might win their fourth Super Bowl in the post-Caesar era. Long live Octavius!

Here's the second part of our series.

Here's an initial offering of answers.

Guard O.J. Mayo on Daniel Hackett's possibly broken rib or chipped bone in his hip.
``You really can't make up for Daniel," Mayo said. "One, his experience and two, his poise. Three, just having another player we don't mind having the ball down the stretch. He's a heady player and we'd miss him but sometimes that will happen.
"We don't want to blame this loss on injury here injury there. We definitely had an opportunity to win the ballgame."

Here's a question from the Weekend Forum I decided to break out because I think it probably interests a lot of readers.