Answer Tuesday (Football Forum, Part 3)

Q: USC has been missing out on some big time players from California over the years like Clausen,Warren, Crist, Shaquelle Evans, Cierre Woods, DeSean Jackson, Rahim Moore, Price, and Darrell Scott. Why has USC recruiting missed out on some stars that are in their area?

A: Because some players are smart enough to go somewhere else and get playing time. Would Rahim Moore be playing right now at USC? Would DeSean Jackson as much playing time at USC as Cal? Would Jimmy Clausen be starting at USC right now? When you have as much depth as USC, a fair number of recruits will always go somewhere else for playing time.

Q: You say there is no quarterback controversy with either coaches Carroll and Sarkisian, but what else do you expect them to publicly say? Do you really think they will ever publicly state they made a mistake in choosing Sanchez? Of course not. So they will say everything is fine, even though Sarkisian has publicly said Sanchez does a lot of things he is not supposed to do and shown poor judgment. Carroll has said they no longer want Sanchez to throw the ball and want to emphasize a running game instead. So is it not naive to state there is no quarterback controversy when Sanchez has clearly not been a good quarterback but the coaches cannot publicly say anything other than positive statements to the media? Even when Booty threw four interceptions due to a broken finger on his throwing hand, Carroll still defended him to the media. With all this as context, do you really believe what the coaches say and if they really trust Sanchez considering how they no longer want him to throw? It appears to me the trust in Sanchez is no longer there.

A: If everything you say is true than why hasn't USC made a QB change? It's been my experience that Pete Carroll and Steve Sarkisian are always reluctant to make a quarterback switch. There's only been one time where Carroll seriously considered it, in 2001 before the Arizona game, and even then he opted to keep Carson Palmer in the lineup. Whether or not you agree, Carroll and Sarkisian back Sanchez. I'm aware that coaches say one thing and think another when it comes to players, but they do not believe there is a quarterback controversy. If they did, you'd see another quarterback getting a chance.

Q: What was the highlight for you personally at the USC Song Girl reunion?

A: Probably seeing Tricia Pillsbury and Wanda Wen for the first time in 20 years. I didn't know if any song girls from that era would attend homecoming and was very pleasantly surprised to see them in their uniforms. It helped overcome the fact USC played Washington that day.