Open forum answers, take 1

Q: Was this the first year you had seen the scout team offense get its way so often against the first defense? Do you think Mitch Mustain had anything to do with that? Could it have been a simply stronger scout team overall than usual? Could the first team defense simply have been weaker than previous years?
A: It's not unusual for a scout-team offense to best the defense sometimes and when Justin Fargas redshirted, he was referred to by Pete Carroll as the best player on the field during practices. Also, there have been scrimmages when the third-team offense put points on the board with Mike McDonald at quarterback. Also, because Mitch Mustain was the scout-team quarterback, the media focused more on any accomplishments to highlight his impact.

Q: How is OJ Mayo specifically treated differently by the coaching staff both on and off the court?
A: I think from the beginning of his recruitment, Mayo was regarded as a special recruit who could transform the program. So how does that translate to your question? Well, he said he was consulted during his senior year about what recruits he wanted to play with at USC. That's not something every recruit gets asked. He also arrived with a bigger entourage than the average recruit. So he probably did get special treatment in that regard. The flip side is the coaches expected him to be a model spokesperson and also a leader on the team. Tim Floyd's praised his leadership since the summer along with his performance in the classroom. So in that respect, maybe he's earned more latitude.

Q: Should college football enact an early signing period?
A: Even though recruits seem to commit earlier and earlier these days, I'm leaning against an early signing period. Football is less exact than basketball when it comes to evaluations and I think it helps everyone to wait until February. I tend to think in football, it's more likely a recruit might change his mind from say August to February. Many times, a player develops during his senior year and improves his stock with colleges. It also helps colleges, who might discover a player is less than advertised during his senior year. Besides, why have someone around, like a Joe Adams, if he really felt like staying closer to home. Better to know now than have him arrive in August and gets homesick.

Q: What are your thoughts on Romeo Miller? From what people say he isn't really worth a scholarship and comes with a good deal of baggage.
A: All I can say is no other school I know of offered him a scholarship. Maybe USC knows something no other school does. Or maybe it wanted to guarantee that Demar DeRozan would sign with USC. Miller can certainly afford to pay his way as a walk-on. The great thing about sports is you either perform or you don't. So he can silence the skeptics next season by making a contribution.

Q: I read that Matt Barkley is a devout Christian, which is admirable. Have you had experience with other athletes, similarly strong in their faith, and does this play well with teammates?
A: There are always athletes who are religious on the team. Troy Polamalu is one example. Generally speaking, there's been a lot of tolerance within the team toward athletes with strong convictions. It's not really different than in your own life. People are either drawn to those who are deeply religious or are not and there's a broad range of views within the team.