December 2010 Archives

Oregon tailback LaMichael James said he is returning to school next season and will not enter the NFL draft.

At the end of last night's Washington-USC basketball game, the Huskies fans chanted, ``just like football.''
I find this chant slightly moronic no matter which school uses it, but the idea Washington was even able to chant it further illustrates what a joke that loss in football really was at the Coliseum.

USC got off to an emotional start in Pac-10 play with an OT loss to Washington.

The Seattle Seahawks are 26th in this week's ESPN power rankings.

``We wasted an incredible performance by Nikola Vucevic. We had our chances. When you play top-caliber teams, you can't win if you don't do the little things down the stretch. I can't fault our guys. We just didn't play particularly well.''
-- USC coach Kevin O'Neill after the Trojans' 73-67 loss in overtime to Washington on Wednesday night

The Trojans led 19-10 but shot only 33 percent in the half and made just 1 of 10 shots from 3-point range.

This might be the first game in the history of the Galen Center where USC is getting jeered every time it has the ball.

There are a large number of Washington fans inside the Galen Center tonight cheering for the Huskies. Must be those fans who are going to the Holiday Bowl. Too bad it rained today. At least they feel at home.

Is the NCAA becoming more concerned over public opinion and speedy in its decisions since the USC case? And will any of that aid USC in its chances with the appeal?

The NCAA released a statement today that it does not play favorites with schools, mentioning the recent Auburn and Ohio State decisions.

Here's my look at the USC basketball team as it opens Pac-10 play tonight against Washington.
``We want to compete for the league title,'' USC coach Kevin O'Neill said.

Six of USC's top eight players scored at least 15 points in a game and the other two scored at least 12.

USC opens the Pac-10 basketball season tomorrow night at the Galen Center against Washington. What's the over/under? Not on the total points scored, but how many concession stands will be open?
Last week it seemed about two were open for the Lehigh game.

Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh is still expected to take the Michigan job after the season but is Pete Carroll working behind the scenes to make sure the 49ers do not hire Harbaugh? Remember, Carroll tried to to get the Chicago Bears to hire Jeff Tedford and Syracuse to hire Chip Kelley when he was an Oregon assistant.
It was all part of a plan to keep the Pac-10 as easy as possible. That said, he can't want Harbaugh anywhere near the NFC West.

And wouldn't you know it, this segment features a question on Jeremy Bates.

Readers get the chance to write their own caption for this picture of Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll talking to his offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates. For good measure, that's former USC strength coach Chris Carlisle in the background.
For the record, ``Dude, where's my offense?,'' is not a permissable entry.

In this segment, a question about whether USC should sign more recruits than it has scholarships.

The answerest continues this morning. Questions can be posted in yesterday's Open Forum.

A question in this segment on the rankings of USC's commitments.

In this segment, a question about the Seattle Seahawks' simple offense.

I announce my choices to start at linebacker and offer some insight into Mike Garrett's thought process on a coaching hire in this segment.

In this segment, readers ask about Pete Carroll's future after the Seahawks. Hey, six wins can produce that type of talk.

Recruiting dominates this segment.

We will finish up the previous forum today. So let's get a start on the next one with one question per person please.

The Wall Street Journal determined USC is America's No. 1 team when it comes to being a Bowl TV ratings draw.

More answers from the vaunted forum.

Here is this week's ballot for the Associated Press Top 25 basketball poll featuring no Pac-10 teams.

In nine years at USC, Pete Carroll lost two games by 15-or-more points. Nine of Seattle's losses have come by at least 15 points this season.

Alabama coach Nick Saban addressed the arrest of one-time USC recruit Aaron Douglas, who was charged with DUI.

The number of first downs for the Caesarhawks. Not to mention 174 yards in total offense.

But Seattle can still make the playoffs by beating the Rams at home next weekend. Only Caesar could be so lucky.

Back to those interesting reader questions, including a coaching question in this segment.

Former USC assistant Gib Arnold, now at Hawaii, gets to play Mississippi State without suspended players Renardo Sidney and Elgin Bailey and defeats the Bulldogs, 68-57.

Who needs Twitter? In 1951, USC fans simply went and met coach Jess Hill (center) and the Trojans at the airport after big victories.

ESPN analyst Mark May discusses the Ohio State suspensions for next season, but not the Sugar Bowl, and argues the NCAA lets the Big Ten and Pac-10 off the hook.
``That's the way the NCAA is, they will take certain conferences, particularly the Big Ten, their sacred cows, and the Pac-10, and they won't punish them like they punish other conferences, particularly the SEC.''

A Tennessee body shop worker claims a Toyota dealer fired and defamed him because he had evidence that the dealer committed insurance fraud, ``for the benefit of then University of Tennessee head football coach Lane Kiffin.''

In our Christmas traditon, here is my all-time favorite USC picture.
Hollywood screen legend Greta Garbo was sent to USC in 1926 to pose for some publicity photos with the track team. Garbo initially refused until MGM deducted $25 from her salary, which convinced her to head to campus and don a USC track singlet.

With Christmas upon us, it is a good time to remember one of our favorite photos, a wonderful color picture of USC tailback Jon Arnett during a 1955 game against Washington.

The Pac-10 is not the only place where bowl-ticket apathy exists, Nebraska fans are so bored with the Holiday Bowl, only 7,500 tickets have been sold and the school is offering two free basketball tickets to anyone who buys tickets.

Stanford's sold about 9,000 tickets for the Orange Bowl, which is a little more than half its allotment for the Orange Bowl.

Former USC commit Renardo Sidney got into a fight with his Mississippi State teammate Elgin Bailey on Thursday night at a tournament in Hawaii.

No letdown for USC's basketball team as it blows out Lehigh and readies for the start of Pac-10 play.

The Trojans (8-5) win easily in the final game before the start of Pacific-10 Conference play.
``Coming off a six-day road trip, I thought we'd be a little slow out of the gate, but we did a good job,'' USC coach Kevin O'Neill said. ``I thought we were a little tired but we actually played good basketball.''

There were some unhappy fans at the USC basketball game tonight against Lehigh. About half the concession were never opened and those that were open ran low on hot dogs, pizza and popcorn.
``Then they wonder why people don't come to games,'' a fan told me.
USC is faring far better on the court, leading Lehigh 69-43 with 6:24 left.

An answer regarding leadership highlights this segment.

After 12 games, here's one observation on this year: USC does not miss forward Leonard Washington, who transferred to Wyoming. Team chemistry is very good and forwards Alex Stepheson and Nikola Vucevic are flourishing. So Kevin O'Neill's decision to kick Washington off the team did not backfire.

How many bowl games will the Pac-10 win? I'm going to say one.

Finally some sunshine!

USC coach Kevin O'Neill (right) expects a letdown when the Trojans play Lehigh tonight after their upset of No. 19-ranked Tennessee on Tuesday.

Another answer for a soggy Wednesday.

Junior-college linebacker Dallas Kelley, who will enroll in January, selected USC over New Mexico State.

An high-ranking NFL assistant watched film of the Seattle Seahawks this week.
``They are a joke,'' he said to me.

That was not a misprint earlier when we mentioned the Brennan Carroll item.

ESPN reports that the University of Miami hired Brennan Carroll as its tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator.

We hear that Rick Neuheisel is trying to raise the money to pay off former USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow.

Here are the BCS bowl records of all conferences since 2006:

USC returns to Los Angeles today following Tuesday night's victory over Tennessee. With a 7-5 record that should improve to 8-5 after playing Lehigh, are the Trojans in good shape to make the NCAA Tournament with a strong Pac-10 record? USC's record might not be as important as its placement. The Pac-10 might only send two teams to the NCAA Tournament again, so the Trojans might need to look at that as much as their own record.

"It was great to get the win no matter who it was. There are great fans here, and they really support their team. And we won in a tough environment, which says a lot about our team."
-- USC coach Kevin O'Neill after the Trojans upset Tennessee 65-64.

Here's hoping USC basketball does not wear its black uniforms today against Tennessee.

USC was awarded a $100,000 grant from the NFL to study heart-rate behavior of NFL players and USC athletes. Announcement after the jump:

We hear USC might add another JC signing this week although it could be delayed by the Christmas holiday until next week.

It's raining (still!), so might as well dig back into the Open Forum.

The Pac-10 or the Big 12?

Former USC defensive coordinator Nick Holt is the seventh-highest paid assistant coach in the country ($650,000) according to USA Today.
But the story does not include USC defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, who makes more than $1 million.

Is USC's basketball game tomorrow night already a must-win for the 6-5 Trojans? If USC loses and then beats Lehigh on Thursday to go 7-6 in its nonconference schedule, the Trojans could go 12-6 in the Pac-10 and still be only 19-12.
But victories over top-25 teams Texas and Tennessee would go a long way at the end of the year if the NCAA Tournament is any kind of possibility. Especially when you throw in a narrow loss to No. 3 Kansas.

The Seattle Seahawks are ranked 29th out of 31 NFL teams in the Sagarin ratings. It is not a problem because Seattle's division includes St. Louis (27th), San Francisco (28th) and Arizona (31st).

Here's another bowl question from bodog.com: Who will win more bowl games? The Pac-10 or the Big Ten?

Pro Football Weekly named its All-American team today. Here are the selections.

The NCAA sanctions are back on the readers' minds. Not whether the Caesarhawks make the playoffs?

Time for more questions. One per person please.

Here is this week's ballot for the Associated Press poll, including USC's next opponent and a Pac-10 team.

The Seattle Caesarhawks committed 10 penalties on Sunday while their opponent, the Atlanta Falcons, committed only four. Will Caesar use his USC excuse that the referees called more penalties against Seattle because they felt they were the better team and subconsciously helped the Falcons.

For a couple weeks, I've been unimpressed by media mentions of Washington's ``turnaround,'' the past two seasons, going from no wins in 2008 to six victories in 2010. Maybe that brings cheers in Seattle, but what's so special about it?
Miami of Ohio coach Mike Haywood inherited a team that went 1-11 in 2009 and went 9-4 this year. That's an eight-win increase in one season! Haywood got hired at Pitt.
Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen went 2-10 in 2009 to 8-4 in 2010. That's a six-victory increase in one year. Not two years like Washington. And Friedgen just got fired!

There are many questions for USC entering next season and recruiting will answer a lot of them or provide even more questions, but here is one unrelated to those concerns.
Will tight end Blake Ayles finally emerge as a contributor as a senior or is he destined to have four disappointing seasons? Rhett Ellison returns as the starting tight end while Xavier Grimble and Randal Telfer are eligible after redshirting in 2010.
So there is going to be competition. This year seemed tailor-made for Ayles, but he said he suffered various injuries that kept him sidelined and despite being more athletic than his counterparts, spent another season failing to live up to his potential.
If he actually performed, it would be like USC signing a new player following three invisible seasons.

Former USC defensive line coach Jethro Franklin was hired at Miami, where he followed new coach Al Golden from Temple.

It just might be offensive lineman Kevin Graf. His prospects for starting just increased with Aaron Douglas going to Alabama. In the past year, Graf's seen Seantrel Henderson get out of his letter of intent, Tyron Smith go pro and Douglas go somewhere else.
Looks like Graf will get a shot to start unless some blue-chip prospect signs and is ready to go immediately.

USC guard Jio Fontan on how he and Kansas guard Josh Selby played their first games of the season today.
``He won out there," Fontan said. ``It's as simple as that. No matter how many points he had or how many I had. He hit a big 3. Josh Selby played really well today. I just hope we can walk away and understand that we're right up there with those guys.''

``USC is my family. You don't leave your family.''
-- USC defensive tackle Hebron Fangupo in November when asked if he might transfer. USC announced Friday he transferred to BYU.

A day after Cal coach Jeff Tedford fired his wide receivers coach, Kevin Daft, UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel fired defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough and wide receivers coach Reggie Moore.

The Trojans overcame a 14-point second-half deficit and led by 2 late but Josh Selby hit a 3-pointer and Jio Fontan stepped out of bounds with six seconds left. Maurice Jones came close on a halfcourt shot at the buzzer. Donte Smith scored 20 points for the Trojans.

Christian Westerman, a top offensive line recruit who committed to Texas, is wavering now that the Longhorns offensive line coach Mac McWhorter retired and is expected to visit USC.
That is significant because USC did not land former Tennessee offensive tackle Aaron Douglas, who is going to Alabama. Douglas told USC in the fall he would play for the Trojans. But that will not happen now.

USC plays No. 3 Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse tomorrow morning and Coach Kevin O'Neill's last experience there was not memorable for him.
``Three years ago, I took a group in Arizona there and lost in overtime,'' O'Neill said. ``I don't like to talk about officiating but there were a couple questionable calls when the game got to overtime.

In this segment, a question about walk-on Tony Burnett (34).

A timely question in this segment about the backup QB situation.

In this segment, a question about Serra recruit Marqise Lee.

USC is still evaluating 7-8 junior college transfers as candidates to bring in before the spring semester starts next month.

USC guard Jio Fontan plays his first game for the Trojans against No. 3-ranked Kansas on Saturday.
``We might be 9-1 if we had him from the start,'' USC coach Kevin O'Neill said.

If you want to know how NCAA sanctions affect USC, the Trojans received a commiment from Chaffey College linebacker Dallas Kelley of Norco. He is 6-feet, 225 pounds and was getting recruited by MAC schools.
But with nine scholarships, USC wants bodies for the midyear because they won't count against the 15 currently allowed by the NCAA. And remember Lane Kiffin's quote the day after the UCLA game.
``I don't even know how we'd line up at linebacker if we had a game tomorrow after losing the two seniors (Malcolm Smith, Michael Morgan),'' Kiffin said.

In this segment, a question about two different opinions regarding a local football program.

We mentioned yesterday the buzz that USC and 2012 recruit Jordan Payton of Oaks Christian appear to be parting ways. Now we hear Washington is emerging as a likely destination.

No sooner do we mention Marqise Lee and Oregon coach Chip Kelly visited the highly recruited Serra star today at his high school.

USC seems to have a pipeline to Serra High School right now with Robert Woods and recent commit George Farmer. We hear this week the Trojans are making their strongest push yet for Marqise Lee, the safety-wide receiver who could play football and basketball.

``I could see that coming.''
-- A USC coach on the Seattle Seahawks' 6-7 record

A question in this segment about the SEC.

That mid-year signing announcement did not include linebacker Thomas Tutogi of Southwestern Junior College in Chula Vista. Tutogi signed with Washington yesterday, which puts even more pressure on the Trojans to come up with some linebackers for next season.

Here's USC's announcement on six players who will enroll in January, led by quarterbacks Max Wittek and Cody Kessler. USC can still sign at least three more players.

Remember the Baby Quarterback? He completed 108 of 194 passes this season (56 percent) for 1,355 yards (169.4 ypg) with nine touchdowns and five interceptions.

An array of topics dominate this segment of the forum, which is brought to you by Roman Meal bread, the forgotten sponsor of the blog. Roman Meal is back after a sabbatical to celebrate the 6-7 Caesarhawks run to the playoffs the final three weeks of the season. Hail Caesar!

A Norm Chow question surfaces in the forum.

Here is the Sporting News' All-American and Freshman All-American teams.

Questions about the offensive line and a key recruit highlight this segment.

We hear USC is backing off in its recruitment of Oaks Christian wide receiver Jordan Payton, a 2012 recruit who committed in March.

USC is considering about 25 players, including a dozen JC transfers, to fill the nine or 10 scholarships available in January that will not count against the 15 allowed in February.

I'd say Christian Tupou and JC transfer Aaron Douglas are the likely replacements for Jurrell Casey and Tyron Smith next season.

The departure of defensive tackle Jurrell Casey and offensive Tyron Smith to the NFL is not surprising. But Smith barely played his freshman year and barely practiced this season because of a sprained ankle. So he basically played on the two worst USC teams in the past nine years. And that's it. Off to the NFL.
Casey, on the other hand, was a major contributor from the outset and really had nothing left to prove. From a team standpoint, he got to play a key role in the Rose Bowl-winning team two years ago that went 12-1.

Remember to follow us on twitter.com/InsideUSC.

More answers to more questions.

Here is the uniform Nike unveiled for Oregon's appearance in the BCS title game, complete with day-glo socks.

Wide receiver Robert Woods made the Freshman All-American team for Rivals.com.

The National Football Post ranks the Pac-10's top eligible draft prospects and lists Jordan Cameron as the top tight end.

I didn't notice this earlier, probably because USC sent out the list of football banquet award winners later than ever Sunday night (9 p.m.), but Lane Kiffin eliminated the Notre Dame player of the game award.
No doubt Kiffin did it because USC lost the game. And it follows a recent tradition from his mentor, Pete Carroll, who eliminated the player of the game award in 2006 for the UCLA game.
Still, why punish the players? Linebacker Malcolm Smith had 12 tackles in the game and walk-on safety Tony Burnett made 10 tackles in an unexpected role after T.J. McDonald got hurt.
Kiffin did not earn any awards for that game but that doesn't mean a longstanding football program tradition should be erased.

The USC football banquet used to be at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Now it's at the Galen Center.

Miami hires Temple coach Al Golden, who is probably happy now that UCLA did not want him.

Time for more questions. One per person please.

Two more intriguing questions in this segment.

In this segment, a reader questions why I say Pete Carroll dropped the ball in recruiting the past few years.

Offensive lineman David Garness of City College of San Francisco committed to USC and is expected to enroll in January. He is not as highly rated as normally expected for a USC recruit but USC's got to sign as many linemen as possible, especially if they can qualify in January.

Dave Doeren, who was a graduate assistant at USC in 1998, was named head coach at Northern Illinois.

Here is this week's ballot for the Associated Press basketball poll.

The Seattle Caesarhawks trailed by double digits at halftime in the past four games. Pete Carroll lost only three games by double digits in nine years at USC.

Here are the award winners for tonight's USC football banquet. Defensive tackle Jurrell Casey was the team's MVP.

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper does not include any USC players among his top 25 mock draft. Stanford QB Andrew Luck is No. 1.

49ers 40, Caesarhawks 21. That still works out $1 million per victory. But don't think he isn't laughing at the thought if he were at USC, he would be dealing with probation and less talent than in his glory days.

We hear Michigan is waiting until after the Orange Bowl to hire Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh. Lane Kiffin will celebrate Jan. 4.

Guard Donte Smith's 22 points were a career high and so were his five 3-pointers today. His previous best was 14 points against Nebraska last year.

``Today I was just playing basketball. I bring energy to the team. We needed that energy. We were only up by three points (35-32 in the second half).''
-- USC guard Donte Smith, who scored 22 points

``If they're wearing short pants, they can beat you. You can't play the name on the chest. You play what's inside it. It was a huge win for us, especially after the Rider game. ''
-- USC coach Kevin O'Neill

The Trojans win as Donte Smith scores 22 points.

Donte Smith's hit 4 straight 3-pointers to give the Trojans a comfortable lead with 5 minutes left.

Here is the Football Writers Association of America's All-American team:

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton will win the Heisman Trophy in a landslide with 84 percent of the total points possible, the fourth-or-fifth winner of all time, according to StiffArmTrophy.com. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck will finish second, Oregon tailback LaMichael James third and Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore fourth.

While I was away on Friday, Serra of Gardena High School wide receiver George Farmer committed to USC. Farmer is considered the top receiver in the country by some services.
Several of you asked me about silent commits and I always listed Farmer about the two silent commits I was aware of. He could be starting next season opposite his high school teammate, Robert Woods.

A long, long question gets answered.

Anyone who brings a new or used blanket to the game vs. Northern Arizona on Saturday receives two complimentary tickets to the game to benefit homeless shelters throughout the Los Angeles area.
Blankets should be brought to the USC box office at the Galen Center.
After the game, USCplayers will sign autographs for fans on the practice courts adjacent to the arena.

A quarterback question and a recruiting question in this segment.

The answers continue.

USC defensive tackle Jurrell Casey and safety Tim McDonald are the first-team selections on Scout.com's All-Pac-10 team.

Here is the Walter Camp All-American team:

A question here about the stabbing at the Rose Bowl last weekend.

What did offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson gain by going to Miami? He lost his coach but gets to spend almost a week in El Paso for the Sun Bowl. Was that really worth not attending USC?

Recruiting questions abound.

A reader sent in this picture of Oregon coach Chip Kelly and Seattle coach Pete Carroll at a recent Seahawks practice and wanted to know if they talked about Jeremy Bates' poor playcalling.
I suspect Carroll told Kelly how glad he was to no longer have to play Oregon now that Kelly is the coach.
Remember, Carroll tried to get Kelly hired at Syracuse a few years ago because he wanted him out of the conference.

Time to finally answer some questions.

Only Howard Jones in 1925 and John Robinson in 1976 (who won 11 games) won more games in their Trojan coaching debut than Lane Kiffin. Will Kiffin also win national titles like they did?

StiffArmTrophy.com projects Auburn QB Cam Newton will receive 86 percent of the votes, the third-most lopsided result in history.

USC linebacker Malcolm Smith on whether beating UCLA made up for the loss to Notre Dame.
``You can never really erase the sting of a loss like that in your last season but for the program it does,'' Smith said.

I will be on the Petros and Money show around 3:30 p.m. on 570-AM to discuss the USC football season.

In a stat I kept Lane Kiffin abreast of all season, UCLA's pass offense finished ranked 116th in the nation while USC's pass defense finished 109th.

USC's 2010 schedule is the nation's seventh most difficult in the current Sagarin rankings.

Here is the final grades on USC's overall season.

USC allowed just 18 sacks in 13 games in 2010.
USC had 9 touchdowns in 2010 of at least 50 yards (and 12 of 40-plus yards).
USC outscored its opponents in each of the first 3 quarters of 2010, but was outscored 118-72 in the fourth quarter.
USC has scored at least 20 points in 109 of its past 120 contests.
The most recent season before 2010 that USC allowed 500-plus yards of total offense in 3 games was in 1970 (also 3 times).
Of the 55 opponent scoring drives against USC in 2010, 24 were at least 70 yards (with 11 at least 80 yards).

We hear defensive back Darius Turner of East Los Angeles College could be one of the junior-college players USC takes as it tries to beef up weak spots on the roster.

Safety Chris Conte of California was a first-team selection on the All-Pac-10 team. Why is this relevant?
Because four years ago, I told Pete Carroll that Conte seemed to be an impressive athlete and he looked lnterested. But Carroll wasn't interested. So Conte went to Cal.
He certainly would have been needed this season.

Here is the full All-Pac-10 team. How surprised would Pete Carroll be if you told him a year ago Andrew Luck and Darron Thomas would be the quarterbacks.

USC cannot go to a bowl game but here's the list of gifts each bowl gives, including the $100 Levi's certificate given by the Kraft Hunger Bowl, which USC played in last year.

If Lane Kiffin wants to win 10 games next season, he must make the Coliseum a fortress again. USC barely beat Virginia, lost to Washington and lost to Notre Dame in games where it displayed low energy. Somehow, the Trojans played worse at home than on the road this season.

Matt Barkley, Rhett Ellison, Chris Galippo, Stanley Havili, Khaled Holmes, Ronald Johnson, Kris O'Dowd, Nickell Robey and Robert Woods were honorable mention all-conference selections. Those players were selected by USC coach Lane Kiffin.

Offensive tackle Tyron Smith, defensive tackle Jurrell Casey and kick returner Robert Wood were first-team Pacific-10 Conference selections. Safety T.J. McDonald and punt returner Ronald Johnson were second-team picks.

USC wide receiver Robert Woods is the Pac-10's offensive freshman of the year.

How easy would it have been for USC to win 10 games this season?
The Trojans lost to Washington, Oregon State and Notre Dame. Those teams were a combined 20-20.

Some video emerged over the weekend from the brawl that marred the tailgating scene at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

The BCS announced this afternoon that it corrected the mistake we mentioned earlier today discovered by Jerry Palm. What other mistakes were made when the computer formulas are not always transparent?
Here's the revised standings, which flipped LSU and Boise State, along with a sternly worded statement from executive director Bill Hancock.

A Pac-10 coach who watched the USC-UCLA game on TV said today, ``that was the worst USC-UCLA game I've seen in a long time.''

What were the main problems this season?
Talent, obviously, is what always makes or breaks a team. And this year even talented players like Devon Kennard were forced to play out of position to help the team.
Beyond that, playcalling (offensive and defensive) was questionable at times.
But the real reason for that 8-5 record is the inability to have a team ready to play. This was where things noticeably faltered. When USC should have performed at its highest level in home games against Virginia and Washington, it was flat. When you play your archrival (Notre Dame) at the Coliseum, you should not be lethargic.
Like I've said since January, the test of Lane Kiffin's mettle was going to be how he got USC ready to play, especially during adversity. Pete Carroll did a great job in this dept. But this year, USC followed an embarassing loss to Oregon State with a sleepwalk against Notre Dame.
When the Trojans appeared to peak with a nice road win at Arizona, they swooned in Corvallis. This is the coach's job. He could not even get consistent performances at the Coliseum this season.
And it is where improvement must be made next season to avoid another disappointing record.

Time for those post-UCLA questions. And yes, I still intend to answer the previous Open Forum this week.

Computer guru Jerry Palm discovers that the final BCS rankings incorrectly placed LSU ahead of Boise State.

The coaches' poll is only transparent once a year at the end of the regular season. It is always worth taking a look at. For example, Nebraska coach Bo Pelini ranks his team eighth, which eight spots higher than the Cornhuskers' actual ranking.
In some strategic voting, Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh voted the Cardinal third and Wisconsin eighth, just to make sure his team got that top-four automatic BCS bid over the Badgers.

Here are the grades for the USC-UCLA game.

Here is my ballot for the Associated Press basketball poll:

``We should have come in here 6-2 but we blew a couple leads against Nebraska and Bradley. We responded well to a couple losses on the road. We found out what's important to us and that's playing great defense.''

The Trojans defeated the 19th-ranked Longhorns 73-56 at the Galen Center tonight.
``It's a huge victory,'' USC forward Alex Stepheson said. ``Coming off two road losses. A win like this couldn't be any bigger.''

USC fullback Stanley Havili caught more passes (116) than any fullback in school history and finished his career ranked 16th on USC's career pass-catching list.

The USC men's water polo team defeated Cal, 12-10, in overtime today in Berkeley to win its third straight NCAA championship.

USC's football team will have a team dinner at the house of USC president Max Nikias tonight. Several assistant coaches will miss the dinner because they left this morning to recruit.

``It was an up-and-down season for him, kind of like our team.''

Lane Kiffin said USC's defense allowed a touchdown on the final possession in 11 of the Trojans' 13 games this season.

Offensive tackle Tyron Smith said he is 50-50 on whether he will return for his senior season. But he also said he is leaning toward returning. Smith said he would make a decision next week.

USC athletic director Pat Haden pledged his support to Lane Kiffin after the game last night.
``This is not a one-year stint,'' Haden said. ``He's going to be here a long time.''

Give the Rose Bowl (and UCLA) credit for one thing: The attendance figure (71,105) was accurate, unlike those make-believe figures released at Coliseum games.

I asked Lane Kiffin a simple question after the game: Did he regret not playing Allen Bradford much the previous three games after his 212 yards rushing and 47 yards receiving against UCLA?
``I don't know if regret is the right word . . . a lot of it had to do with what was going on upfront,'' Kiffin said.

Here is this week's ballot for the Associated Press poll.

``I've got to look hard at how we are going to turn the corner. But some of the things that plague us continue to plague us. Those are hard decisions and that's hard analysis, but it's absolutely mandatory that I do it.''

Allen Bradford spoke to the team Friday night with a message to the younger players.
``He talked to the guys about seizing opportunities and don't two-to-three years to grow up,'' USC coach Lane Kiffin said.
Said Bradford: ``It came from the heart.''

USC QB Matt Barkley said his ankle was not a factor tonight, including his interceptions. But Lane Kiffin said he could not call plays outside the pocket because of the injury.
``When I was in the heat of things, I was 100 percent,'' Barkley said. ``On the sideline, it was hurting.''
Barkley said UCLA made several attempts to hit his ankle.
``You could tell they were trying to get it,'' he said.

``I'm very happy for our fans. This has been a long season and offseason. To finish off this way is very big. It helps winning. It's still a disappointment looking at the games we should have won and handed them away.''

``I felt great. I just knew I had to finish my career on a high note. The last three games I carried the ball three times. I didn't get any carries in my last game at the Coliseum but I didn't complain.''

What would USC's record be tonight if Lane Kiffin actually played Allen Bradford in the previous three games?

By no means a classic, but that will not bother Lane Kiffin.

Lane Kiffin in good shape to earn his first rivalry victory and keep Rick Neuheisel from any monopoly is over comments this offseason.

It's halftime at the Rose Bowl. USC might be ahead 17-7 if not for that ill-advised fake FG.

USC looked ready to take a 10-7 lead but misfired badly on a fake FG.

It's the end of the first quarter. Monte Kiffin better figure out how to stop the run or USC's defense will have a long night.

Here's the details on two people being stabbed around 4:30 this afternoon in the Rose Bowl parking lot.

Chris Fowler: "Any shred of positive for this season for USC?"
Kirk Herbstreit: "Nah. they really need to reevaluate in the offseason."

From Pete Carroll's twitter: Good luck to the trojans tonight... Own the rose bowl!!

Coach Lane Kiffin wants to avoid being the most disliked USC figurehead since Paul Hackett. Quarterback Matt Barkley is able to play the entire game and his ankle is 75 percent recovered. The tailbacks rush for more than 150 yards. Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin is not as flummoxed by the Revolver offense as the spread option. Lane Kiffin wants to keep UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel from more outlandish offseason predictions

Here's the forecast for tonight's crosstown rivalry as KCAL-TV weathercaster Evelyn Taft roots for her Trojans: 55 degrees with a 20 percent of rain tonight.

De'Anthony Thomas of Crenshaw gained 117 yards in eight carries and caught four passes for 75 yards. Linebacker Tre Madden of Mission Viejo intercepted a pass and scored a touchdown in a victory over Mater Dei while Max Wittek threw two touchdown passes to Victor Blackwell in the same game.

The student-agent who never actually represented anyone is decertified by the NFLPA.

Fresno State, Lane Kiffin's alma mater, went for 2 points tonight with an eight-point lead and failed to make it, giving Illinois a chance to tie the game with one possession. Illinois eventually scored but failed on its 2-point play in the fourth quarter.
UPDATED: Fresno State held on for a 25-23 victory. At least Pat Hill went 8-4. Better than 7-5.

Here's an encore performance of USC Report where correspondent Kari Van Horn and myself preview the UCLA game and analyze Lane Kiffin's performance.

One of your last opportunities to debate the big game. Go for it.

The game is not a sellout and I've already mentioned at least one player's got a checked-out attitude. That said, and given Shareece Wright's comment below, does anyone feel goosebumps yet about tomorrow's game?

USC senior cornerback Shareece Wright is not taking his final game lightly.
``It definitely matters,'' Wright said. ``The house is split in half and it's the last food left in the house. You can't lose to Notre Dame and UCLA in the same season. It means more than anything to beat those guys.''

Is USC's 7-5 record the equivalent of going 4-7 at UCLA? Or, is it even worse?

It's time to pick the score of the USC-UCLA game. The Gold Sheet likes UCLA, 24-22. If anyone picks the right score, they win a copy of the 2010 USC football media guide (valid email required).

You cannot underestimate what is on the line for Lane Kiffin in his first crosstown rivalry as USC coach.

One of the comments Lane Kiffin made regarding the USC-UCLA game was, ``records don't matter.''
Unfortunately for the fans, this year, he's right. Records do not matter.

USC coach Lane Kiffin said he just became aware of A.D. Pat Haden's comments last weekend that he would be around for a long time as the Trojans' coach.
``I guess I'm safe for 48 more hours,'' Kiffin joked.

Quarterback Matt Barkley took part of the more practice Thursday than any time this week and split snaps with Mitch Mustain. Lane Kiffin said again he thought Barkley would start against UCLA.

I almost forgot to create a thread for the crosstown rivalry. Here's my contribution: Which coach did a worse job this season?

Continuing our theme of the day that it might matter more who is coaching against USC next season because of the state of the Trojans' program, here are some odds on where Jim Harbaugh will be next year from bodog.com.

Coach at Stanford 1/1

Coach at Michigan 3/1

Coach at Penn State 5/1

Coach in the NFL 3/2

It is always too simple to use one example as an illustration of an entire football team but on Wednesday night, one USC player seemed less-than-concerned about facing UCLA.
``I just want the season to be over,'' he said.

Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain interviewed for the Colorado job. That's important because USC travels to Boulder next season and needs to hope the Buffaloes don't hire a good coach.

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton continues to lead a poll of 63 actual Heisman Trophy voters by StiffArmTrophy.com. Full results after the jump.

USC's managers defeated UCLA, 3-1, on Wednesday night in Westwood.

OK, it's time to discuss the UCLA game, Matt Barkley's ankle, grade Lane Kiffin and a surprise topic at the end in this episode with correspondent Kari Van Horn.

Lane Kiffin was asked if he was aware of the NCAA's decision to restore Auburn quarterback Cam Newton's eligibility Wednesday.
``I didn't even see anything. We've scored two touchdowns in two weeks, so I'm not really worried about other people's issues,'' Kiffin said.

It looks like Matt Barkley is slowly inching toward being available for the UCLA game. Barkley's bothered by a bone bruise in his Achilles more than the sprained ankle but said he made good progress today.
That said, he did not sound like he could play if there were a game tomorrow.
But Lane Kiffin expects Barkley to be available. Barkley said he can throw 100 percent and run forward fine. Only lateral movement could be a problem.

If USC defeats UCLA on Saturday, it will simply hold serve and beat an underwhelming opponent. But if it loses? I can only imagine right now what the ramifications might be, at least from a fan perspective. It's a daunting challenge ahead for Lane Kiffin, who is in a no-win position.

Here is the empty trophy case in Heritage Hall where the Shillelagh resided until this week. The wooden club is the symbol of the USC-Notre Dame rivalry and ended its eight-year stay in Los Angeles.

One disgruntled alumnus told me today, USC was not really affected by NCAA sanctions this season (other than a few reserves transferring and losing Seantrel Henderson) compared to what is coming the next three years, so probation should not be an excuse for going 7-5.

Should USC's 7-5 record be even more inexcusable when four opponents (UCLA, Cal, Arizona State, Washington State) are currently in the top 10 on coacheshotseat.com while a fifth (Minnesota) already got fired?

``Every NFL scout who has come through (USC) has said his marks are off the charts.''
That's USC coach Lane Kiffin said. But he is talking about Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. That's the kind of comment Pete Carroll would only reserve for Matt Barkley last season.

The NCAA put out a statement this morning addressing Auburn quarterback Cam Newton's eligibility. I'm including it because it's rare to see the NCAA speak through a press release so quickly. Remember it took years to get a comment out of them regarding USC.