August 2011 Archives

After Charles Robinson of Yahoo broke the story about the allegations at Miami, he was criticized by columnist Jason Whitlock of Fox Sports.
Robinson called Whitlock a ``coward'' today in an interview with radio station KCSP in Kansas City. Robinson also wrote about Reggie Bush for Yahoo.
``On the heels of the USC case, (Whitlock) once used the phrase `NCAA slave catchers' to refer to the work that myself and another reporter had done,'' Robinson said.

Lane Kiffin says USC would be 11-2 last season if it played two-minute defense. But Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson thinks his team squandered some close games too, including against USC.
``Why did we lose them?'' Erickson said. ``Obviously the kicking game cost us a couple. Particularly the P.A.T. situation against Wisconsin and then against USC with the guy returning it all the way.''

USC holds its ``Fall Sports Rally'' tomorrow night at the Galen Center. But the women's volleyball and soccer teams will not be in attendance because they have road trips this weekend.

Every talking head from ESPN was required to pick conference champions and only Ed Cunningham selected USC to have the best record in the Pac-12. The Trojans are obviously ineligible but he picked USC to have the best record. Here's the full list:

The offensive line and defensive line dominate this segment.

Lane Kiffin said 30 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions is a ``realistic'' goal for Matt Barkley this season. Left guard Abe Markowitz's foot remains in a boot and he did not practice but Kiffin did not rule him out of the game. USC has not said what is wrong with the foot but sources said doctors are worried the foot shows the same characteristics of the foot he broke last season.
Tailback Javorious Allen was finally cleared academically and will join the team tomorrow, Kiffin said. No word yet on Armond Armstead. Tailback Dillon Baxter did not get as many reps as Curtis McNeal and D.J. Morgan but Kiffin said he will still play all the tailbacks.

USC hired Rick Carr for a newly created position, director of athletic program security. Carr will be in charge of security for all 21 teams, including travel and games. He will also assist with any off-campus issues that arise and work with the compliance office. Carr, a former police detective, is best known for accompanying Lane Kiffin at football games.

Lane Kiffin said he met with USC president Max Nikias last week when Nikias put out a statement saying he would not seek further redress from the NCAA. But Kiffin said he did not offer an opinion on the matter.
``My opinion is whatever (Nikias) said,'' Kiffin said.

I've mentioned before the college football tradition of always saying the new strength coach is better than the previous one. Well, here's an excerpt from the Florida Sun-Sentinel: ``USC transfer tight end Blake Ayles said Sunday that Miami's conditioning program this offseason was tougher than that of his three seasons with the Trojans.''
It goes on at every college. Including USC.

In case you missed it, here's my appearance with Petros and Money today.

In this segment, questions on the tailback rotation and how Ted Tollner got hired.

I will be appearing on the Petros and Money Show (570-AM) around 3:30 today.

Lane Kiffin said the players have not decided yet what color socks they will wear for road games. Since the team voted for black socks at home games, it would not be surprising if they switched for road games too.

Although Jeremy Galten would start at left guard if USC played a game today, USC will not rule Abe Markowitz out despite the fact he wore a boot on his foot and did not practice. One reason is that Markowitz is also the backup center, so he would have to play on one foot if Khaled Holmes got hurt.
So is Lane Kiffin most concerned about the left guard spot?
``Both guard positions, really,'' Kiffin said.

One of Lane Kiffin's themes today was that he thought the defense would be good last season and he was ``shocked'' by the Hawaii game. Kiffin said until USC ``proves'' it is better, it is tough to say for certain the Trojans will be better.
Kiffin said he could use tailback-by-committee but it ``is not ideal.'' Tailback Curtis McMeal said he volunteered to play on every special team so he could get on the field more. He also could start at tailback especially with his pass protection skills.
Linebacker Chris Galippo looks like he will start as his shoulder improves. Lamar Dawson will also play. Tailback Amir Carlisle left practice but the injury is not expected to be serious.

USC quarterback Matt Barkley says he feels good physically going into this week's season opener while this week's heat isn't expected to compare to another season opener at the Coliseum.

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel spoke about whether his book and its focus on integrity conflicted with his actions at Ohio State in an interview with WKNR 850 in Cleveland.
``I think anyone that writes a book doesn't do it with the preface that they are perfect. If that were the case and only perfect people could write books then there wouldn't be any books.
``There are always critics and always people that support you. You know in your own life that what's important are the people that care about you and are meaningful to you and there's always going to people that think in a different way.''

New Minnesota coach Jerry Kill likes to run the ball. His old team, Northern Illinois, ran for 154 yards per game last season but passed for only 132. In 2009, Northern Illinois passed for only 87 yards and ran for 127 per game.
That should help USC although linebacker Chris Galippo said he expects some spread-option plays. And I always remember what an NFL coach told me after watching USC games on film last season: Does the defense account for the quarterback in the spread offense?''

USC track and field and the Trojan Coaches Club hold their annual golf tournament on Friday, Sept. 16 at Industry Hills Golf Course. Information: Sandy Mejia (661) 718-2094 or sandymejia@aol.com.

From this point on, we will refer to last week's statement by USC president Max Nikias as the ``no mas'' statement.

In this segment, more discontent with Paul Dee.

Time for more questions with the Minnesota game approaching. One per person please.

The price of the cheapest ticket for a USC football game has risen 33 percent since 2008 according to a survey of Pac-12 schools by the Oregonian.

USC coach Lane Kiffin made the Hot Seat list for the venerable publication, the Gold Sheet.
Money quote: ``Although Kiffin fared well in recent recruiting, a subpar Trojan performance in 2011, considered very possible by regional sources, could get the ball rolling quickly against Kiffin, whom many are convinced is not the proper fit to lead the Trojans through their turbulent probationary period.''

Lane Kiffin told the Trojans in a team meeting he would use more players this season and the move is fine with the players.

Here is USC's official depth chart. Warning, there are a lot of ``or'' at the close battles so that Lane Kiffin did not have to make any early decisions.

Lane Kiffin tied for first with Arizona's Mike Stoops for the Pac-12's best-dressed coach as voted by coaches in an ESPN survey. You didn't think the award was for best coach did you?
``The rest of us coaches believe his wife does a nice job picking out the duds for him to wear,'' Stanford coach David Shaw said.

Lane Kiffin said Sunday he would not rule out playing defensive tackle Armond Armstead from playing even if he barely practiced next week while awating for official clearance.

Looks like John Martinez is going to start at right guard, according to Lane Kiffin.
``John's doing well,'' Kiffin said.
Aundrey Walker is also working at right guard but the position looks much clearer than left guard, where three different players (Marcus Martin, Martin Coleman, Jeremy Galten) worked with the first-team offense the past three practices.

Lane Kiffin told the team this morning he would play more players this year than last year. A main reason is Kiffin believed the team wore down at the end of games. The Trojans a ran a long, difficult practice in the heat at Howard Jones Field. Offensive guard Aundrey Walker left with heat dehydration.
Matt Barkley, Rhett Ellison, Christian Tupou and T.J. McDonald were elected team captains. JC transfer Jeremy Galten worked at left guard with the first-team offense.
``Nobody will take it,'' Kiffin said. ``We keep trying to give it away.''
Chris Galippo was inserted into 9-on-7 drills and tipped a screen to demonstrate his sprained shoulder feels better. He expects to be ready for the Minnesota game.

Now we know why Pete Carroll went to the NFL. He doesn't have to ask Broncos coach John Fox ``what's your deal?'' after a game. Until he plays the 49ers that is.

Here are my five burning questions regarding USC this season, schedule analysis and two-deep.

Here's who I think USC would start if the Trojans played Minnesota today.

Time to get into those forum questions.

USC expects defensive tackle Armond Armstead to be medically cleared next week and available for the Minnesota game.

Washington coach Steve Sarkisian closed today's practice in Seattle. Lane Kiffin is closing tomorrow's practice. And here I've always accused Kiffin of copying Oregon.

With tomorrow's practice closed to family members, I think it is worth noting that Lane Kiffin is probably the most inaccessible USC coach to the general public since . . .
I might have said Paul Hackett but Hackett did not require a security escort to run off the field after practice and avoid any public interaction. Other than the required coaches tour and two Sport Chalet appearances, it's pretty tough for the average fan to penetrate the Kiffin bubble.
I am not trying to put this anyway near the ultimate barometer of winning or losing for a coach. But interest in USC football is where it is in large part because Pete Carroll embraced the public and energized Southern California through his personality.
Even if practices were closed because of NCAA sanctions, Carroll would find time for the public. If you have short memories, John Robinson got himself another year as head coach in 1997 because he enjoyed strong support among the boosters, alumni and fans.
That is something Kiffin should keep in mind in the current cloistered environment he exists.

Martin Coleman returned to the starting lineup at left guard on Friday, a position manned by Marcus Martin the previous two days.
``Somebody's got to do it,'' Lane Kiffin said.

Lane Kiffin on escaping sanctions from the NCAA.
``I was very concerned,'' he said. ``I was really relieved for our program and for Tennessee. This was hanging over our head kind of. People used it against us in recruiting. It was a great relief.
``There were hundreds of articles written about that, which was all speculation and not facts. I'm excited for here and I'm excited for there that they can move on and there were no repercussions.''

In this segment, a question about USC's tradition.

Time to answer some questions.

Here's an update on freshman offensive guard Cyrus Hobbi, who is now playing center.

USC athletic director Pat Haden was asked in an appearance on 710-AM if athletic directors should be in charge of NCAA committees.
``I'm not sure I have a great answer for that,'' Haden said. ``First of all, there must be a lot more transparency I think. These decisions must be made much more quickly.
``I think there could be guidelines, sentencing guidelines, if you will. There's a variety of models, I think, you could toy with and play with to make it better and fairer and more transparent so we all know what's going on.''

USC athletic director Pat Haden said in a 710-AM interview that universities need to do a better job educating their presidents to fix the NCAA.
``Really, the universities have to take a little control. At the end of the day, it's the university presidents who really make the decisions in the NCAA. My own personal observation is we, athletic directors, me included, don't do a good enough job of educating our presidents . . . so they don't have the right information in front of them to have their votes make sense.''

How much courage would it take for Lane Kiffin to start true freshmen Marcus Martin and Aundrey Walker at guard in the season opener? Should probation be a factor because Kiffin could play younger players with an eye toward next year?

The fact fans and alumni are upset about Max Nikias' decision to accept the NCAA penalties is not surprising. But the public announcement was revealing because it demonstrated how upset the public was over Paul Dee's involvement as chairman of the committee on infractions and showed again on how much Nikias is a sports fan. Can you imagine Steve Sample emailing everyone about it? He would have preferred to see everything go away.
The only regret is that Pete Carroll isn't still around because he would have a lot more to say than Lane Kiffin.

Here's a chart that shows the foreign countries USC athletes won medals for at the Olympic Games. Australia, behind swimmer Murray Rose, is first with 13 medals.

Lane Kiffin again referred to defensive lineman Christian Tupou as Christian ``Tatupu'' after today's practice (watch here). Kiffin might care what color socks players like but he doesn't care if he says their names properly.

Offensive guard Marcus Martin said he and Oregon tailback De'Anthony Thomas are not talking trash to each other during training camp. They both graduated from Crenshaw High in Los Angeles.
``We talk about how to get better,'' Martin said. ``We're not competitive because we're friends.''

With the guard situation up in the air, Marcus Martin again worked with the first team. Abe Markowitz (foot) returned today but was limited. Lane Kiffin said he did not know when he would choose starting guards but said he would like to know early next week if possible. Martin said he's lost 18 pounds since training camp started and weighs 330 pounds.

Some USC players have been pulled from practice and then return as their eligibility status changes. Defensive tackle Antwaun Woods was pulled twice from practices but is officially cleared. Defensive end Greg Townsend was removed from practice this week and is currently ineligible. Tailback Javorious Allen is still not at the university as his status remains murky.

At most schools yesterday would be a pretty dramatic day. At USC it was called Wednesday at Heritage Hall. The school president announced he won't seek to overturn NCAA sanctions. The football coach escaped NCAA sanctions. The athletic director supported the football coach.
The suspended starting tailback returned to football practice. And the highly touted freshman wide receiver played scout-team quarterback. Other than that, nothing happened.

USC president Max Nikias said he will not seek a review of the NCAA penalties or sue the NCAA.
``I have determined that the university's mission is best served by moving forward at this time, without pursuing further redress," Nikias said. ``This decision followed an extensive review of all of our options and after consultation with many sources. We ask that the Trojan Family offer its utmost support to the student-athletes and coaches of the Trojan football team, confident that USC's commitment to the highest level of excellence in academics and athletics will not waver in the coming years.''

Who could predict before training camp that George Farmer would be the scout-team quarterback during preparations for the Minnesota game?

Here's USC statements on the NCAA's decision regarding Tennessee. Money quote from Lane Kiffin: ``I'm pleased that the NCAA based its decision on the facts and not on perception.''

The NCAA committee on infractions (we all know them well now, don't we) released its report and, as expected, did not sanction Lane Kiffin for what it deemed secondary violations at Tennessee.
But it did slap Kiffin a little bit on the report: ``(We are) troubled by the number and nature of the secondary infractions by the football coaching staff during its one-year tenure at the institution.
``Some of the violations received nationwide publicity and brought the football program into public controversy. This is not a record of which to be proud. Nevertheless, because the violations individually were secondary and most were isolated, the committee, in the end, determined not to make a finding of a major violation.''

Highly regarded wide receiver George Farmer spoke about his disappointing training camp today.
``I didn't play up to par and have to work on thing,'' he said. ``(There were) a lot of dropped passes and wrong errors in formations. It's a big adjustment and faster pace.''

With no fanfare, Marc Tyler returned to practice today. Here's Lane Kiffin on Tyler: ``It's the next step in coming back. Something we had in place and he worked with the scout team. It's still up to Marc. Nothing's changed with his status.''
Kiffin said Tyler would practice every day with the Trojans.

Chris Galippo was not allowed contact to rest his sore shoulder and his status remains uncertain for the Minnesota game. Abe Markowitz underwent x-rays on his foot. It is not the same foot that sidelined him last season. Charles Burks underwent knee surgery and will miss the season. Robert Woods wore a yellow jersey (no contact) because of a sore elbow.

All of a sudden freshman offensive lineman Marcus Martin worked with the first team offense at guard when Abe Markowitz left with a foot injury. Martin Coleman flipped to tackle because Jeremy Galten was out but it looks like the coaches want to see what Martin can.
``It's all up in the air,'' line coach James Cregg said about who will start at guard.

Cody Kessler was the No. 2 quarterback in practice today and Lane Kiffin said he decided Kessler would be the backup but said the competition at quarterback would be ``wide open'' if Matt Barkley goes pro.
``This is not a big competition that Cody won,'' Kiffin said.

Here's a look at the AP's Top 25 teams with each member of the Hornung Award watch list that goes to the nation's most versatile player. USC wide receiver Robert Woods is a candidate to win the award.

Lane Kiffin is probably pretty happy right now that he apparently escaped NCAA sanctions. But in an interview with XX Sports Radio in San Diego, Kiffin bemoaned the focus on the negative in college football, such as Ohio State and Auburn.
``The thing to me that's discouraging, and it's just how it works, is the fact that so much attention is paid to the negative things going on. There's so many stories around the country like the Matt Barkleys of the world. . . . There's so many stories like that, but it's just how it works that the few negative stories get so much attention. It's unfortunate.''

That's the word from the Knoxville News-Sentinel, which said the NCAA found only secondary violations committed by the program during Kiffin's reign.

It looks like former Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl will find out his fate Wednesday according to ESPN.com. And that, in turn, means Lane Kiffin should also know if he will be punished by the NCAA for his Tennessee stint.

This story will make Lane Kiffin jealous on the growing trend of multiple uniforms being worn in college football.
But the story makes a wrong assumption: ``Schools like Auburn, Alabama, Penn State and Southern Cal aren't likely to change their look. They cling to words like tradition and history as core brand attributes and the uniforms are uniquely part of that.''
They didn't realize how close USC came to wearing an alternate uniform this season.

Freshman wide receiver Marqise Lee was allowed to speak to the media on the same day he was awarded No. 9.
``I'm surprised a little bit (on how well I've done),'' Lee said. ``I think it's for two reasons: The attitude and the pressure we get from the coaches makes you want to work hard.''
Lee said he never expected to receive No. 9.
``In order to get what you want, you have to work for it,'' Lee said.

Tight end Junior Pomee broke his foot and underwent surgery. He will miss the season. Lane Kiffin said wide receiver Markeith Ambles left school and will transfer. He was ruled academically ineligible two weeks ago.

With the news that former USC president John Hubbard died on Sunday, he might be remembered as the biggest sports fan to lead the university and is most identifiable with the John McKay era.
My favorite story about Hubbard involved a USC-Hawaii game in 1978. Hubbard was so unhappy with the controversial officiating and received a penalty on the sidelines from the game officials.

Shortly after Pat Haden became USC's athletic director, he did not rule out the idea of the Trojans one day competing as an independent a la Notre Dame.
But a year later, as the Pac-12 prepares to start its own TV network and schools will be paid about $21 million per year, Haden said USC will not leave the conference or ever become an independent school.
``We're tied to the Pac-12 (contractually) for 10-12 years,'' Haden said. ``What (commissioner) Larry Scott has done is pretty incredible. I think I am very happy to be a member of the conference.''
Haden said it would not be feasible to leave because of other sports besides football must be in a conference to thrive.

Here is what USC athletic director Pat Haden said today regarding former Miami athletic director Paul Dee (and committee on infractions chairman) and the allegations at Miami.
``Listen, we're evaluating the situation, and we're certainly not sitting on our hands,'' he said.

With today the first day of classes it is probably worth pointing out that Pete Carroll dropped Markeith Ambles as a recruit two years ago before he committed to Tennessee and then followed Lane Kiffin to USC.

There are already odds on Miami's NCAA problems courtesy of Bodog.com. Here are two questions:

Will the Miami Hurricanes receive the "Death Penalty"?

Yes -130
No Even

How many years of postseason ban will the Miami Hurricanes receive?

Over/Under 3

Back to the answers.

Here's my wrap-up on Sunday's scrimmage in case you were not invited.

Time to tackle some questions.

The Pac-12 announced the hiring of Gary Stevenson as the head of Pac-12 Enterprises, which means he is in charge of the new TV network.
Full release after the jump:

This is the new picture on the wall in the hallway outside USC's locker room at the Coliseum. Who decided to use a picture from 1992 when Larry Smith changed the USC helmet for one season before he was fired?

As USC starts preparation for the Minnesota game this week, the offensive guard spots remain open. John Martinez and Abe Markowitz started Sunday's scrimmage but Aundrey Walker and Martin Coleman also played,
``Who started today is who we would start if we had a game,'' Lane Kiffin said.
Matt Barkley was not sacked by the second-team defense Sunday. But the running game was barely noticeable against the reserves.
Wide receiver Robert Woods knows best. While asked questions about himself, Barkley and Marqise Lee, Woods offered the best answer.
``We're only as good as our line,'' he said.

Today's scrimmage was apparently ``open but not promoted,'' which explained a crowd of about 3,000. I think this was a shoddy decision because it basically disregarded the average, hard-working fan who could have watched USC if he or she knew about it.
Apparently, if you were a donor, booster-group member, season-ticket holder or student you were informed about the scrimmage. In other words, if you give USC money, you got to go (remember students fork over up to $50,000 a year).
The USC compliance office even issued a defensive statement: ``We outlined and discussed our monitoring and security procedures with the NCAA's Committee on Infractions; and, the Committee decided that the practice scrimmage, combined with our Game Day control measures, were consistent with the spirit and intent of Penalty C-20.''

But did the ``Committee'' decide only a select group could attend? No, that was a USC decision. I'm sure even the committee doesn't segregate fans.
A lot of loyal USC fans are out there who can't afford season tickets during a recession but would love to come to a scrimmage if it were open to the public. And if this was their one chance, it's a shame no one told them.
UPDATED: Plenty of season-ticket holders said they were not invited. So we will say ``some'' season-ticket holders were invited.

Curtis McNeal started again but Lane Kiffin lamented that McNeal got ``banged up'' and needed to come out for the second straight scrimmage. More curious is that D.J. Morgan was not supposed to play and then became the No. 2 tailback while Kiffin said Dillon Baxter was No. 3. That meant Amir Carlisle was No. 4. And don't forget the suspended Marc Tyler. The only clear thing is that the position is unsettled.

Here's what the new video board at the Coliseum looks like today with a little less than two weeks to be ready for the season opener.

Here are the official scrimmage stats from today's game at the Coliseum.

This is a big day for the offense and maybe not surprising because Lane Kiffin had the frist team go against the second team. Matt Barkley was sharp and immediately was revitalized by the return of Robert Woods.

Defensive end Devon Kennard's been a clear star of training camp as USC plays its third scrimmage today.

Heritage Hall was decorated this weekend with banners celebrating USC Olympians. There is a small exhibit in the lobby too.

The Minnesota game is two weeks from today so there has been virtually no talk in camp about it. But I'm pointing it out because even though Minnesota is better coached than a year ago, this is a marvelous opportunity to play some people in a game USC should be able to handle.
So why not start Marqise Lee or Lamar Dawson or Aundrey Walker if someone is injured or no one else emerges? It is not really that big a risk. It actually makes sense in terms of getting some players experience for the bigger games, like the following week against Utah.

Lane Kiffin on USC being ranked 25th in the AP poll.
``I didn't even know that, because as you know that's not something I concern myself with. We don't even know who our left and right guard are going to be, so the last thing we are worried about is where we are going to be in the poll 14 weeks from now.''
It is pretty obvious freshman Aundrey Walker will be the right guard so maybe he does care a little bit more about the poll than that.

Speaking of Georgia, how is it that doctors at USC and Georgia differed on the neck injury of linebacker Jarvis Jones. His injury was deemed too dangerous to continue playing at USC but he had three sacks in a scrimmage this month for the Bulldogs.

Here's a look at Nike's Pro Combat Uniforms made for Georgia to wear against Boise State. Lane Kiffin must be jealous.

Here is the complete AP Top 25 poll highlighted by USC's inclusion at No. 25.

Freshman guard Alexis Moore scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half in his first game replacing injured guard Jio Fontan. Moore also had four assists and one turnover in the Trojans' 76-64 victory over Tijuca. USC finished its Brazilian tour with a 2-2 record.
Dewayne Dedmon led USC with 19 points while Maurice Jones also scored 16.

Junior left tackle Matt Kalil is rated a top 10 draft pick in most mock drafts. Kalil said the mock drafts but tried to downplay them.
``It's cool but I don't focus on that,'' Kalil said. ``I didn't know what to expect when those came out. It doesn't affect way I play.''

I asked Lane Kiffin if he considered giving wide receiver Marqise Lee the vaunted No. 1 jersey. ``No, I think he wanted 9,'' Kiffin responded.
Translation: Kiffin really had George Farmer in mind for what he considers a special number.

With around 80 players on scholarship and more than 105 players in the program, Lane Kiffin can't say NCAA sanctions are hurting him this year . . . other than not being able to go to a bowl game.

A reader adds this to the USC-Miami connection regarding NCAA sanctions.
``At about the same time the NCAA sanctions were about to come down against USC, USC was in line to get the top offensive line prospects in the country, Seantrel Henderson. The sanctions came down and guess where that prospect went - Miami.
``There is more than just a slight possibility that Dee knew or had information that if the sanctions were harsh enough against USC that Seantrel Henderson would go to Miami.''

We hear former USC linebacker Brian Cushing is engaged to former USC women's soccer player Megan Ohai. Congratulations to both.

Will Marqise Lee be wearing No. 1 by the start of the season? On performance, it is a reasonable question. But is the fact Lee is not the most well-known recruit working against him?

Here is my top 25 ballot for the Associated Press preseason poll, which comes out this weekend.

OK, it's time to talk about training camp in this episode of USC Report with my co-host, Krystal Bee of Power 106.

``I couldn't feel worse for any player I've coached in my career. Jio is the heart and soul of our team and had become a high-level player. His loss is a huge blow to our team. Our best thoughts go out to Jio and his family during his recovery.''
-- USC coach Kevin O'Neill on guard Jio Fontan tearing knee ligaments and missing the upcoming season.

Wide receiver Robert Woods did a little bit today and said his sprained ankle is close to 100 percent but does not know when he will return or if he will play in Sunday's scrimmage.
``It's hard to say, I just want to be ready for the first game,'' Woods said. ``Coming into camp I felt good but I woke up one night and it felt bad. It's depressing (missing practice).''
Lane Kiffin wants Woods back, obviously, and worries about how long it will take to regain his form.
``He needs to be back out here to get the timing down and get himself ready,'' Kiffin said.

In 1964 USC football players reported to camp on August 30th. This year they reported August 3rd.

Left tackle Matt Kalil said he is confident USC's offensive line will not be a weaken once the season starts.
``I definitely think we're not a weakness,'' he said. ``Once we get the two guard spots solidified, it won't be a weakness.''

No. 1) It seemed a little odd yesterday that Lane Kiffin almost begrudingly said Brandon Carswell would start if no one else emerged. Not exactly an endorsement for the hard worker. Why not get your two best players on the field and just flip Robert Woods over to the X position since Marqise Lee only knows the Z? Kiffin only tossed that out there when I asked if Lee could start at the X?
No. 2) Didn't everyone expect to be talking a lot more about George Farmer at this point?

Do Miami's problems come as a sigh of relief for Ohio State because the NCAA might go easier on the Buckeyes in order to save its heavy fire for the Hurricanes?

I mentioned to Pat Haden that when I was a guest on the Petros and Money Show, I gave him a C+ for his first year as athletic director.
``That's high for you,'' Haden said.
Pat knows.

USC's secondary is starting to take shape with the emergence of freshman Anthony Brown at nickel back.

Here's my column on the double standards of former Miami athletic director Paul Dee.

Tailback D.J. Morgan will be out for a week after fluid accumulated in his knee. It is the same that was surgically repaired his senior year at Taft High School in Woodland Hills.
``I was cutting and felt something in my knee,'' Morgan said. ``I just tweaked it a little bit.''
Morgan gained 44 yards in eight carries in Sunday's scrimmage before he suffered the injury.

Lane Kiffin said Marqise Lee was the ``star of the practice by far.'' Earlier today, Kiffin said USC needed someone to play the X receiver position and if they could not find someone, Brandon Carswell would start opposite Robert Woods.
If Lee continues to develop, it might mean Woods flips to the X and Lee plays the Z. That way Lee doesn't have to learn a new position.
Offensive tackle Matt Kalil (knee) said he will return tomorrow. Kiffin said walk-on guard Nathan Guertler has passed several scholarship players on the depth chart. Matt Barkley had one of his better practices.

Lots of activity on campus today. It's move-in day for students and the football team is having a physical practice tonight at Howard Jones Field after a lighter workout this morning. I will post a practice report tonight.

Here's an idea to christen that new video board being constructed at the Coliseum. Paul Dee, the chairman of the NCAA's committee on infractions and former Miami athletic director, can come to the Minnesota game and deliver his excuses for judging USC and not knowing what went on at his school.
As he speaks, the video board can spell out h-y-p-o-c-r-i-t-e.

Here's another Pat Haden item as he recently encountered a sticky situation on the golf course.

I finally got a chance to speak to athletic director Pat Haden about the Trojans' decision to wear black socks this season.
Haden said one factor in the decision was USC's probation.
``The kids don't get to go to a bowl game,'' he said. ``So we decided, let them wear black socks.''

USC guard Jio Fontan left Brazil so he could get an MRI on his injured knee in Los Angeles. There are fears the injury could be serious.

Yesterday I mentioned how No. 35 used to be an important number for USC linebackers and how No. 1 is inexplicably considered significant for a wide receiver simply because Lane Kiffin coached Mike Williams.
The safety position's also become victim to revisionist history. No. 42, worn by Ronnie Lott, used to be awarded to a promising safety. But since Kiffin arrived, No. 43 will now be the most prestigious number. Why? Because Troy Polamalu wore it and he played while Kiffin was an assistant coach.
USC tradition starts around 2001 in the Kiffin era.

USC quarterback Matt Barkley is ranked fifth, wide receiver Robert Woods 12th and offensive tackle Matt Kalil 12th in Athlon's ranking of top 40 Pac-12 players.

USC A.D. Pat Haden said the Pac-12 athletic directors met last week and never discussed the idea of an expanded Pac-16.
``It wasn't any part of our conversation,'' Haden said.

USC athletic director Pat Haden said the Trojans will host a midweek game at the Coliseum in either 2012 or 2013 as part of the Pac-12's new TV contract.

The topic of the day was dropped passes. Matt Barkley made sure to get on wide receiver Kyle Prater and tight end Randall Telfer after drops and Lane Kiffin said there was ``a very large amount, especially with Matt.''
Barkley said he was not frustrated but was motivating the receiving corps. The fact Robert Woods is still out with a sprained ankle would frustrate anyone. Barkley did say he did ``trust'' freshman wide receiver Marqise Lee, who continues to draw comparisons to Woods.
Wide receiver Markeith Ambles is officially ineligible, Kiffin said. A decision on whether Ambles stays will be made between Ambles and Kiffin. That means one factor could be how much USC needs that scholarship. Defensive tackle Armond Armstead remains limited to individual drills.
Tight end Junior Pomee joined the team but cannot practice in pads for a few days per NCAA rules. Tailback D.J. Morgan underwent an MRI on his knee but the results were negative. He did not practice.

And here's the Yahoo story on Miami that probably makes Paul Dee squirm a bit.

It sure sounds like former Miami athletic director Paul Dee is guilty of the lack oversight he roundly criticized USC for last summer when he led the NCAA's committee on infractions. Judge for yourself in this Palm Beach Post article where he admits he knew of the booster accused of giving gifts to players.

I mentioned on twitter yesterday that the No. 35 used to go to a special linebacker but is currently worn by two punters. Someone should remind Lane Kiffin of that tradition.
But who wore No. 35? Among the better known are All-American Scott Ross (1990), all-conference linebacker Riki (Gray) Ellison (10 years in NFL 1983-92) and linebacker Jeff Kopp (five years in NFL (1995-99).

A rival Pac-12 coach told me this summer that Lane Kiffin would award freshman wide receiver George Farmer the No. 1 before the start of the season. The number doesn't really have much meaning except to Kiffin because Mike Williams wore it and he was Williams' position coach.
So now it's supposed to go to a star receiver, sort of like No. 55 at linebacker. But after 10 days, freshman Marqise Lee is probably the most impressive new receiver. So there is probably a good chance No. 1 will remain vacant.

Time for more training camp questions. One per person please.

Freshman Max Wittek's enjoyed his best week of practices as the battle for No. 2 quarterback heats up in training camp.

A mixed bag for USC baseball last night as seniors-to-be Ricky Oropesa and pitcher Austin Wood signed pro contracts. The Trojans also lost first-round pick Travis Harrison, who received $1.05 millon and shortstop Christian Lopes, who got $800,000.
But USC coach Frank Cruz kept star pitcher Andrew Triggs along with recruits Stephen Tarpley, Ryan Garvey and Wyatt Strahan.

The Trojans lost to Sao Jose dos Campos, 87-81, tonight despite Jio Fontan's 28 points and Maurice Jones' 20.
``We didn't do our job in the first half,'' USC coach Kevin O'Neill said. ``Jio (Fontan) and Mo (Jones) both played great today. Everybody played well in the second half and I'm proud of their effort. This was a really good team we played today.''
USC held out freshmen Alexis Moore and Byron Wesley along with junior Greg Allen until their summer school grades are posted tomorrow.
This raises a good question. Just how much is USC getting out of this tour if its freshmen and JC transfer missed two of the five scheduled games?
Sophomore Dewayne Dedmon had six points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots while redshirt junior James Blasczyk had seven points and four rebounds.

Lane Kiffin's penchant for referring to defensive lineman Christian Tupou as Christian Tatupu reminds us of a couple other famous gaffes. There was the national championship celebration when Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks introduced football coach Pete ``Carrot.''
And then there was the press conference when athletic director Mike McGee introduced his new basketball coach, ``Jim Raveling . . . George Raveling.''
You can hear that classic moment here by scrolling down to the Raveling entry.

I've finished up the questions in one day. How did that happen?

In this segment, a question about scholarships.

Quarterback questions dominate this segment.

Did you know AEG plans to host the Pac-12 championship annually once it builds Farmers Field in downtown Los Angeles? That might be news to the esteemed Larry Scott.
And it shows AEG will claim many things to get its stadium.
But I do like the downtown stadium for one thing: It can host that midweek PaEc-12 game that Scott wants USC to play.

Utah announced this morning that four offensive linemen are hurt under the headline ``O-Line Woes.'' Perhaps when the Utes play USC on Sept. 10 they can compare notes with Lane Kiffin over who has the bigger woes.

In this segment, questions about the quarterback rotation in scrimmages and a forgotten wide receiver.

Here is a picture of the steel frame of the new video board at the Coliseum. The actual video screen's arrived like pieces of a puzzle and must be put together. It is supposed to be completed before USC's home-opener against Minnesota.

Lane Kiffin on freshman wide receiver Marqise Lee, who was a star in today's scrimmage.
``Marqise was probably the headline (at wide receiver),'' Kiffin said. ``He played extremely well. He really showed up today and did some good things.''
Luckily USC's coaching staff unearthed Lee and the Trojans found the unheralded prospect, as Kiffin explained earlier in the week.

In the first game of their Brazilian tour, USC defeated Pindamonhangaba, 60-51.
``We didn't play particularly well, but I thought we played well defensively," USC coach Kevin O'Neill said. ``We played hard, but we have a lot of things to work on.''
Dewayne Dedmon, impressive in practice, scored only four points and was in foul trouble most of the game. Jio Fontan led USC with 29 points. Forward Aaron Fuller, the Iowa transfer, had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Garrett Jackson had eight points and 11 rebounds.
Three new players (freshmen Alexis Moore and Byron Wesley and junior-college transfer Greg Allen) did not play because they are waiting for summer school grades.

``It's kind of hard when no one is here (in the Coliseum) and it's hot.''

A better performance today from Matt Barkley, who completed his first five passes and also had a few drops. Of course, defensive end Devon Kennard also dropped one of his passes. The bottom line, in my view, is that I can't say it looks much different than a year ago. Cody Kessler and Max Wittek were also solid though each threw an interception.
Dillon Baxter looked like he should be the starting tailback. If he does not, it will be because the coaches want Curtis McNeal's pass protection skills or Lane Kiffin wants to keep Baxter hungry.
Freshman wide receiver Marqise Lee was impressive. He worked with the first unit while the more-touted George Farmer did not. Lane Kiffin ripped the play of the offensive guards and said right tackle Kevin Graf was shaky. But everyone knew the line would be the weak spot going into the season.
The first-team defense continued to look energetic. Charles Burks made the switch to defensive end look good with three sacks. Kiffin said Kyle Negrete is ahead of freshman Kris Albarado in the punting competition. Andre Heidari (barely) made a 46-yard field goal.

Here are the stats from today's Coliseum scrimmage:

Lane Kiffin wants Matt Barkley to increase his completion percentage, which was 50 percent at the first scrimmage, and is below Cody Kessler and Max Wittek during training camp.

Which USC player made the following comment after practice today?
``I really just want to make good decisions (at the Coliseum scrimmage). If I have to audible, I can't be stubborn and will just (pass) to the running backs.''

A.) Matt Barkley B.) Cody Kessler C.) Max Wittek
Answer after the jump

Lane Kiffin was asked the most important thing he is looking for from the safety spot not occupied by T.J. McDonald? ``Tackling,'' he said.
At least he didn't say, ``Christian Tatupu'' today.

Cornerback Nickell Robey intercepted Matt Barkley and returned it for touchdown during today's practice . . . Freshman fullback Charles Burks switched to defensive end . . . With Demetrius Wright out, Jawanza Starling appears to be the leader at safety opposite T.J. McDonald . . . Fullback Rhett Ellison needed to get stiches for his thumb . . . Wide receiver Robert Woods did not practice with a sprained ankle . . . Lane Kiffin said he needs to see all the tailbacks during the scrimmage tomorrow.

Lane Kiffin did not allow wide receiver Markeith Ambles to attend practice today because he said he is ``kind of feeling'' Ambles will not be eligible based on preliminary reports of his summer grades. Official grades have not been posted for Ambles yet.
But it's a bad sign if Kiffin is already pulling the plug early. Ambles was allowed to attend Friday's practice but not allowed to speak to the media.

USC wide receiver Kyle Prater is trying to make an impression in training camp after finally being healthy.

Lane Kiffin said he favored the idea of an NFL team moving to Los Angeles.
``Maybe the Raiders will come,'' he joked.
Kiffin was fired by the Raiders in 2008 and filed a grievance that he was fired without cause. Kiffin lost the grievance last year. Asked if he would coach the Raiders again, Kiffin said, ``this is my dream job.''

Lane Kiffin did not want to discuss Jesse Scroggins' hand injury today. And Scroggins tried to defer to Kiffin. But Scroggins underwent surgery to repair a ligament in his thumb.
``I know they put something back together,'' Scroggins said.
Generally, surgery takes 6-8 weeks to recover. Scroggins thumb was in a splint but he will get a cast next week.

Lane Kiffin said tonight that Curtis McNeal is a little ahead of the other tailbacks mainly because of his pass protection skills. Kiffin said he would ideally play two tailbacks and either split carries 75-25 or 50-50 depending on how hot the starter was during a game.

Lane Kiffin continually refers to defensive end Christian Tupou as Christian Tatupu.

Former USC safety Josh Pinkard started at nickelback for the Seahawks, a role he sometimes played for the Trojans.

Here's how the line could look if a game were tomorrow:

RT: Kevin Graf
RG: Aundrey Walker
C: Khaled Holmes
LG: Martin Coleman
LT: Matt Kalil

In this segment, will USC break the over of 7.5 wins set by oddsmakers?

Is there any team that isn't being mentioned for joining the SEC?

Like players who experience fatigue after a week of training camp, USC coach Lane Kiffin appears to have hit the wall.
Consider a couple things that happened Thursday: First, there were these strange comments regarding wide receiver Marqise Lee.
``I think that's the classic story that if our staff wasn't covering the ground . . . (I'm) glad that our evaluation process kept digging, we couldn't find him.''
Kept digging? Lee was ranked by Rivals.com as the 87th-best player in the nation in June, 2010. How hard was it to find a player listed among the top 100 in the country? Even Brennan Carroll could do that. Perhaps the intrepid staff found him while attending those Serra games to see Robert Woods and George Farmer.
A recruiting analyst said Thursday that USC didn't even contact Lee from March-June of last year. So maybe Kiffin meant they forgot Lee was there. But no one else did. He was ranked the 36th-best player in the nation by Rivals by signing date. And chose USC over Oregon and Miami.
But that was only part of the story. Markeith Ambles practiced one day after Kiffin said he would not allow Ambles back until he was declared eligible.
``We want to make sure he's eligible before we bring him out here,'' Kiffin said.
Twenty four hours later, Kiffin trotted Ambles out to practice even though his grades were not posted. And then denied he had a change of heart. Paging Pete Carroll, please.

Troubled wide receiver Markeith Ambles returned to practice today even though Lane Kiffin said he would not let him back until he was eligible. No word yet on whether Ambles is eligible but he did get some work today at defensive back.

Jessie Scroggins underwent thumb surgery Thursday morning and is out indefinitely. A cynic might argue it does not affect the backup battle after Cody Kessler's strong performance Monday night in the scrimmage.
But Lane Kiffin said he is not sure who the backup quarterback will be. During yesterday's practice, Kessler was 11 for 13 while Max Wittek was 8 for 9 with a drop. Wittek will probably get a fairer shot at the next scrimmage with only three quarterbacks instead of four. If Scroggins needed to repair the ligament he would be out 6-8 weeks.

Petros Papadakis said he is going to attack the ``message board geeks'' at the end of the hour on his radio show who think they are lawyers when it comes to attacking the NCAA.

Did you buy any of the $300 million USC offered in century bonds this week?

Is this Oklahoma football practice? No, just USC in its new practice uniforms.

Interesting question in this segment about USC's willingness to rock the boat these days.

The NCAA is proposing raising the four-year rolling averages of the Academic Progress Rate score for football programs to be eligible for a bowl game. A school would need an APR score of 930 or above. USC's current four-year average APR score is 952.

Lane Kiffin's mentioned that sometimes Matt Barkley might tire of running basic plays in training camp which might lead to taking chances that lead to interceptions. But last night you could make the case Kiffin got bored when he drew up a play on the fly for Barkley and Robert Woods.
Woods ran a deep route and was open but the pass was incomplete because he wasn't sure which side the ball was supposed to land. So maybe some of Barkley's interceptions could be credited to Kiffin.

Even wide receiver Robert Woods sometimes needs a push from USC coach Lane Kiffin during training camp.

USC received some good news on the injury front Wednesday when middle linebacker Chris Galippo's MRI results came back negative after he landed hard on his right shoulder. His should has a ``big bruise'' according to Galippo and he will probably be out a few days.
Offensive lineman Giovanni Di Poalo will undergo shoulder surgery and miss the season.
Lane Kiffin said tailback Curtis McNeal will be eligible for the season after passing his summer class. No word on wide receiver Markeith Ambles.
Wednesday night's practice was lively especially during a goal-line drill. Matt Barkley said he and some players hit the wall a couple days ago but regained their energy today. Barkley threw one interception when Nick Perry picked off a screen pass. Aundrey Walker looks destined to start at right guard but he missed tonight's practice with a sore hip.

Tailback Curtis McNeal's practiced in training camp while attending summer school and needing to gain his eligibility. Wide receiver Markeith Ambles is not even being allowed to practice now that summer school is over. Over to you, Lane!

In this segment, it's schedule and quarterback questions.

Who would you rank No. 1? Do you think USC deserves to be ranked?

In this segment, I'd recommend the last answer for a little insight into an incident that happened after Pete Carroll resigned.

Chris Galippo will undergo an MRI on his right shoulder. Jessie Scroggins is going to see a hand specialist about his sprained right thumb. Meanwhile, the enigmatic Markeith Ambles will not practice until he is declared eligible following summer school.

From Caesar's twitter:
PeteCarroll: #SEAtweetplaycall = one follower will call our 1st offensive play
in our game vs SD on thursday. send in your suggestion!

Maybe Jeremy Bates should tweet his first play to Caesar.

USC tailback D.J. Morgan didn't realize he gained 160 yards in the Coliseum scrimmage but he wasn't suprised by his performance either.

It was a lively practice for the day after a 122-play scrimmage with freshman offensive guard Aundrey Walker drawing interest with athletic ability and speed for someone who weighs 364 pounds.
Although freshman Lamar Dawson is playing with the second string, Lane Kiffin said it is too soon to say if Dawson would step in at middle linebacker if Chris Galippo got hurt. Kiffin again praised Amir Carlisle for not looking like a freshman in the scrimmage.
Jessie Scroggins could be out awhile with a sprained ligament in his thumb but is officially day-to-day.
Asked about Matt Barkley, Kiffin said he played ``just OK. There were some plays he could have done better with his decision making.''

Did USC's coaching staff make the Yahoo/Rivals.com list of top 10 coaching staffs in America? The top 10 is after the jump.

Finished off last week's forum.

More questions . . . and answers!

The Coliseum still had two huge steel posts atop the closed end of the stadium awaiting the arrival of the new video board. It is supposed to be in place by the Minnesota game.

In this segment, a question on whether USC ``cheated'' or ``broke the rules'' with the Reggie Bush case.

Who offered some surprsing performances last night? Dion Bailey obviously with two interceptions. Dillon Baxter returned to form and looked more disciplined. D.J. Morgan and Amir Carlisle were good against mostly reserves. Brice Butler emerged from last spring's doghouse nicely. Aundrey Walker looked solid for a first scrimmage. Cody Kessler might have won the backup job if he plays anything like last night in the remaining scrimmages. Marqise Lee showed his athleticism on a touchdown catch he leaped high to grab.
And now a word about wide receiver Kyle Prater. Although Lane Kiffin criticized him, Prater made quite a few catches. The trouble last night was he never got much yardage after the catches. Also, Jessie Scroggins struggled. Anthony Brown dropped two easy interceptions.
But even with all the new faces, the one thing that stuck out was the first-team offense. The passing game simply needs to be more consistent this season.

USC quarterback Matt Barkley on last night's scrimmage: ``Consistency wise, we're not where we need to be. I thought when I did play, we drove well but didn't take advantage on third down or the red zone.''

Lane Kiffin called Cody Kessler a ``gamer,'' which made sense to anyone allowed to attend practices. Kessler looked much better tonight than he did in practices.
Why? ``The practices and stuff, you kind of get to learn,'' Kessler said. ``In the game, you know what to do. You don't try to think too much.''

Here's a look at USC's new white pants with red stripes. Matt Barkley referred to them as ``scrimmage pants.''
``They remind me of my high school jerseys,'' Barkley said.

Lane Kiffin praised the play of safety Jawanza Starling tonight. That is significant because Starling ended last season in the doghouse but could be starting again. He made five tackles and if USC's two-minute defense is going to improve it needs players like Starling.

Before going into the stats, a cautionary note. Most of the first-team defense took the second half off, which allowed for some inflated stats. Matt Barkley only played the first half or he would have enjoyed bigger numbers against the reserves.
When the starters played on both sides of the ball, the defense was the winner.

It is not surprising for the defense to perform better in an opning scrimmage. They have less to learn at the start of training camp. What was less expected (maybe) was Matt Barkley's accuracy issues. It looked like a game last season. On one series he underthrew Kyle Prater and overthrew Rhett Ellison.
Freshman Cody Kessler looked much smoother tonight than in practices. The defensive front 7 was impressive as Devon Kennard and Wes Horton sacked Barkley in the same series.

USC broke out its white pants with cardinal stripes for tonight's Coliseum scrimmage. The pants are game quality and were never intended for use in a game, of course.

Here's my appearance on Petros and Money where we discussed Matt Barkley, Lane Kiffin, Amir Carlisle and of course, black socks.

The other I night I asked Lane Kiffin why he wants to be like Oregon? Morning practices, alternate uniforms, non-white socks. I reminded him that in his stint under Pete Carroll, coaches from across the country visited USC practices to emulate the Trojans.
Maybe I should ask him what he thinks of Purdue? They recently unveiled all their uniform combinations.

In this segment, a question on whether USC should just use younger players and forget about this season because of probation.

I'm sure there are a lot of training camp questions, so I will open a new forum as I finish up the previous one. One question per person please.

I will be a guest on the Petros and Money show (570-AM) around 3:30 p.m. Can't wait.

If I were a junior (or a sophomore) who does not play much this season, I would be a little nervous about keeping my scholarship in 2012. Why? The 75-scholarship limit. Let's say for now USC's got 79 players on scholarship and there are 12 seniors. And then four juniors turn pro.
That would leave 63 players on scholarship. USC's going to sign 15 players in February plus, let's say, another 4-5 in the midyear. How would they bring in 20 new players with only 12 available spots?
By not renewing eight scholarships of returning players. That might be made easier by not renewing a couple walk-ons but it still looks like some other players would be told to leave. The numbers are fluid because Lane Kiffin will decide how many players to bring in but it looks like someone loses a scholarship at the end of the day.

Freshman tailback Amir Carlisle is not ready to start according to running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu.

Freshman defensive end DeVante Wilson, who attended summer school, will not enroll in the fall, presumably because he will undergo knee surgery and be out for the season. Wilson will more likely enroll in January as a grey shirt. If he did not, then the chances of enrolling decrease because he would count against the 15-scholarship limit if he waited until next August.

Exposition Blvd. is not under construction for the first time in about three years and maybe the third time in the past 15 years. So how long before the city or USC decide to tear it up again?

Perhaps because of last year's 8-5 record, everyone at this training camp is looking for things to point to as examples of improvement. It's the most hopeful camp I've experienced in awhile because there is such a strong desire to regain the standard of the past.
In previous camps, there was just a confidence that success would come and little reason to talk about it. Now there is an optimism based on proving last season was a fluke. It will be interesting to see how this translates to on-the-field performance this season.

The offense had only one interception Sunday and performed better. Among new players, George Farmer and Amir Carlisle stood out (surprise, surprise). Even with interceptions the secondary looked solid. The backup quarterbacks continued to look raw so Matt Barkley needs to stay healthy this season for USC.

USC will scrimmage tomorrow night at the Coliseum and Lane Kiffin said it would be treated like a real game with live tackling the entire time. That is an upgrade from a year ago when tackling was curtailed because of depth woes. But with nearly 80 scholarship players that is not a problem anymore.

Lane Kiffin said USC has 79 players on scholarship. But he did not specify if that included Devante Wilson, Javorious Allen or Junior Pomee. That's important because USC will have only 75 scholarships next season. And that number is going to be extremely tight for recruiting.

This might be a good day to make Lane Kiffin say again that USC will not change its uniforms . . . unlike its socks.

In this segment, a question about Lane Kiffin's leadership.

USC linebacker Chris Galippo said the defense made a vow last night to be aggressive at today's practice.
``At dinner, we sat down and said we've got to get after it,'' Galippo said. ``I hope the offense has a chip on their shoulder (tomorrow) and comes after us.''

A pretty short list so far: DT J.R. Tavai (hamstring), OG Giovanni Di Poalo (shoulder), CB Torin Harris (possible concussion) and DT Christian Tupou (sore knee) are the only players ailing at the moment.

Not a great day for the offense. Matt Barkley threw three interceptions and every QB except Cody Kessler threw at least one.
``He's still got to make good decisions,'' USC coach Lane Kiffin said of Barkley.
Tailback Amir Carlisle looked good again and sustained getting hit a few times in the first day of shoulder pads. He's been the most impressive skill player through three days.
``I hope the offense has a chip on their shoulder and comes right at us tomorrow,'' linebacker Chris Galippo said.
Kiffin praised defensive tackle George Uko and said he played as well as any interior linemen. Christian Tupou's also played well and said his knee flared up a little bit today, which is expected after knee surgery.
Nickell Robey and Shane Horton made nice plays on interceptions.
Kiffin said Max Wittek and Kessler have closed the gap on Jessie Scroggins at backup quarterback but he did not name a No. 2 yet.

Expect to see USC kicker Andre Heidari and punter Kris Albarado wear the same number this season even though they currently are listed as Nos. 48 and 35, respectively. Last year kicker Joe Houston and punter Jake Harfman did the same thing. It's a pet project for special teams coach John Baxter because it frees up numbers for other players to wear on special teams.

Remember back in May when USC athletic director Pat Haden brushed aside the idea the Trojans would wear black socks in regular-season games. Here's what he said at the time:
``People are passionate about it and I'm pretty traditional.
``I see no reason why we wouldn't (wear white socks). We'll talk about it at some point.
I understand the tradition of USC football as well as most.''
Haden said he did not notice the socks at the spring game.
``Ultimately, we're a tradition-bound institution,'' Haden said. ``The black socks this spring game was something to try and we gave it a try.''

It looks like senior tailback Marc Tyler could return to practice right before school starts Aug. 22.

Lane Kiffin praised wide receiver Brice Butler tonight for being more physical and aggressive. Butler said he would transfer and did not attend spring practice. Kiffin refused to call Butler during the spring and Butler said neither one was a ``call first'' kind of guy.
So what changed?
``It was more like a middle-man thing,'' Butler said. ``We set it up and started talking and I'm glad it happened.''

Who does Amir Carlisle look like in the first two days of practice? Dillon Baxter in the spring of 2010.

Lane Kiffin said tonight USC will wear black socks at home games for the first time in school history. Kiffin let the players decide and said road games would be determined so black is likely.
Kiffin said players wore black in the past so it was not a big deal. But that was individual players who wore the socks against team rules.
And when the Trojans go to full pads in practice, expect to see white pants with red stripes for the first time. We heard in the spring those pants were considered for a game before Kiffin was forced to say he would not change the uniform.

Could freshman Amir Carlisle already be vital to the tailback mix with Marc Tyler out? He's off to a flying start that surprised even the coaching staff Thursday. Tyler's status is up in the air and Curtis McNeal must pass his summer classes.
So Carlisle's going to be very important, at least through camp.
What made Carlisle impressive is that he not only looked great in the walkthrough, he followed it up in practice too. Freshmen tend to become overloaded during camp and have a good practice and an inconstent one.

Boise State coach Chris Petersen talked to the Petros and Money Show about how the Mountain West Conference will not allow his team to wear blue uniforms on their blue turf.
``Fortunately for us, Nike has been so awesome to us and they've created a bunch of different uniforms,'' Petersen said. ``And so we have different color combinations and we'll probably work them all.''
USC does not have blue turf but Nike keeps submitting different uniforms for the Trojans too. No distractions, Kiffin!

Could freshman guard Cyrus Hobbi walk into a better situation to compete for a starting job? USC started JC transfer Jeremy Galten and John Martinez in Thursday night's practice and Lane Kiffin said guard is the most uncertain position on the team entering training camp.

A former member of the athletic dept. emailed me a few more ideas of what Lane Kiffin might want ``No Distractions'' from: the NCAA, classes, exams, clubs, TMZ.com, boosters, fake video shoots between players and administrators . . .

A couple weeks ago, I asked the readers to write, ``Why I love USC,'' or ``why you don't like USC'' or your favorite USC game memory, also in 25 words or less.
The winner received a pair of high-fidelity hearing protection ear plugs from Ear Peace, which are supposed to improve listening for stadium sports events.
Winning entry after the jump.

USC opened camp with an evening practice. Today's practice is moved up to 5:15 p.m. In the bottom of this photo is part of the phrase ``No distractions'' that was added to the field. Seems like Kiffinspeak. What's a distraction? A bowl game? Fans allowed at practice? Afternoon practices in the regular season?

Keep an eye on the right tackle spot. Kevin Graf is healthy and opened camp as the starter. But this is also where freshman Aundrey Walker opens camp. So it should be an old-fashioned battle for the starting spot, not like the guard spots, where USC is just scrambling to find someone adequate to play.

USC quarterback Matt Barkley said he was happy with his first practice performance. So maybe it should just be accepted he will throw interceptions in most practices. Lane Kiffin said Barkley was probably excited and then Kffin took some responsibility for the interceptions with his play calling. This is a familiar pattern. But the bottom line is that interceptions in practice are something unlikely to change by a quarterback's third year.
But can they be reduced for actual games? That is the question.

Lane Kiffin on tailback Dillon Baxter tonight: ``Dillon definitely looked bigger, stronger and faster than he was.''

My usual experience is that readers care most about new players, so tailback Amir Carlisle and wide receiver George Farmer were probaby two freshmen who stood out the most Thursday. No surprise with Farmer.
``He was everything he was supposed to be,'' USC coach Lane Kiffin said.
Maybe no surprise with Carlisle, either, considering his impressive academic record.
Among returning players, safety Drew McAllister. who battled injuries for two years, intercepted a pass. Matt Barkley threw his usual two interceptions though one pass was tipped.
The news tonight was that Armond Armstead does not have a heart condition and is doing light conditioning until a couple more tests are completed. And incoming freshman tailback Javorious Allen is supposed to join the team this weekend after finishing a summer class in Tallahassee.

Calif. governor Jerry Brown signed a bill earlier this week that ``protects student athletes and requires the courts to suspend or revoke the business privileges of an athlete agent convicted of violating the Miller-Ayala Athlete Agents Act,'' according to state senator Kevin de Leon, who sponsored the measure.
USC supported the bill.
``USC is pleased with the signing of Senator De León's SB 238 into law," said David M. Roberts, USC vice president of compliance. ``We participated in the public hearings on the legislation and advocated for stronger penalties for violations of California's current agent-related Miller Ayala Act involving student-athletes.
``The suspension/revocation of privileges and the disgorgement of consideration penalty provisions should provide additional teeth to the current law and help ensure compliance with the Act by sports agents in California.''

Do you think Pete Carroll is the last guy in the NFL who would trade for Taylor Mays? Or would he consider it if he can get a good deal from his old nemesis, Jim Harbaugh?

Back to those questions on the first day of training camp!

The 49ers sent every NFL team an email trying to trade former USC safety Taylor Mays, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Did Jim Harbaugh make his decision off a couple days of practice or watching the 2009 USC-Stanford game?

In this segment, who has a better career? Dillon Baxter or D.J. Morgan?

Not too soon to take a look at Jerry Kill, the new coach at Minnesota, USC's first opponent.

In this segment, a question about freshman linebacker Lamar Dawson.

Camp starts today so time to tackle some questions.

With USC ineligible, Arizona State was the top Pac-12 South Division finisher in the poll and the Sun Devils didn't make it, finishing 26th. Utah was 28th.

USC coach Lane Kiffin starts his quest to improve on last year's 8-5 record tonight and believes a few changes can make a significant difference this season.

USC starts practice tomorrow at 7 p.m. The main reason practice is so late is that summer classes end on different days at USC. Some classes ended Monday while others go through the end of the week.

Here is the NCAA record book (page 31) revised to show USC is now 5-0 in BCS bowl games after a vacated loss to Texas. Note the NCAA doesn't even place USC atop the standings with the best overall BCS bowl record.

Yes, it is time for football. Though this logo is for the USC women's soccer team.

Eagles defensive tackle Mike Patterson suffered a seizure this morning and is staying overnight at a hospital. He is in stable condition.

In case you missed it, USC announced its Hall of Fame class earlier today. The thing to remember is selling tickets to the ceremony is always a concern, so the headliners will be Keyshawn Johnson and Randy Johnson to get fans to the Galen Center.

One-time USC signee Seantrel Henderson could miss the 2011 season at Miami after he undergoes back surgery next week.

When USC players switch to early morning practices this fall, it won't be the only change to their schedules. Position and team meetings, which used to be in the early afternoon, will now be around 5 p.m. That's a pretty long day for players who might get up at 5 a.m. or 5:30 to get taped or treated before practices.

USC athletic director Pat Haden's been on the job for a year and says ``you never really relax'' in his position.

Since some of you listen to Colin Cowherd, here's a look at some arithmetic problems with his NFL predictions.

USC's top freshman in basketball practices so far is forward Byron Wesley. The top players overall are Dewayne Dedmon, Maurice Jones, Jio Fontain, Aaron Fuller and Wesley.

Yesterday's verbal commitment from defensive end Pio Vatuvei looks like one of Lane Kiffin's overachiever picks. Vatuvei was offered schools like Fresno State, Washington State, Oregon State and Washington along with Arizona, Cal and Colorado.
But Kiffin's wanted to take players that will overcome any supposed athletic deficiencies by working harder than everyone else. Even in the 15-scholarship era, he appears to be looking for some of those prospects.

That's where this preview ranks the Trojans, saying 11-1 is a dream season and 4-8 the nightmare scenario.

Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan will present a check today for $50,000 to USC athletic director Pat Haden and associate athletic director J.K. McKay to support youth mentoring programs through the Catholic Big Brothers-Big Sisters program.
No coincidence Riordan is making the donation. He and Haden were partners in a venture capital firm before Haden became athletic director. This will also offset Riordan's decision last week to stop giving customers free coffee at The Original Pantry for the first time in the restaurant's 87-year history.

Former USC quarterback Pat O'Hara was fired as coach of the Arena Football League's Orlando Predators despite leading the team to the playoffs each of his two seasons in charge.

USC sprinter Bryshon Nellum is going to spend the fall rehabilitating after undergoing surgery this summer to remove a pellet from his left leg that remained from the October, 2008 shooting.

Pio Vatuvei, a defensive end from Patterson, Calif., committed to USC today. He also had offers from Arizona, Colorado and Washington among others.

Jaydon Mickens is not really committed to USC and vice versa anymore though some services list him as committed to the Trojans. He told ESPN that Washington (namely its former USC coaches) are recruiting him hardest.
``I talk with (cornerbacks coach) Demetrice Martin and Coach Sark all the time, and they really want me bad. They're aggressive recruiters and I like them a lot there. I'm going to take my visits and I'll visit UW for sure.''

Did USC lose to Texas in the Rose Bowl if it vacated the game in NCAA record books? That's one of the dilemmas from the NCAA's decision to vacate games.

Lane Kiffin said it was his decision to move Devon Kennard to middle linebacker last season. Kiffin did not say it was a mistake. We'll see if he admits that at a future date.
But the hope here is that senior Chris Galippo gets a chance to actually be the middle linebacker this season. It was clear by the Kennard move the coaches did not believe in Galippo last season and now incoming freshman Lamar Dawson will arrive wearing No. 55 and getting every chance to play.
So let's see if Galippo, who should be a captain this season, is given the chance to be a starter.

USC's incoming freshmen Javorius Allen,Tre Madden, Junior Pomee and defensive end Greg Townsend took summer high school classes in order to meet NCAA Clearinghouse requirements. That means it will probably take longer for them to be certified and could push the deadline of mid-August, when they will be forced to sit out practices until cleared.

Time for those training camp-week questions. One per person please.