TrojanWire - Cal

Carroll honored with prestigious award

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:09:15 -0800

All-time greats John Wooden, Wayne Gretzky, Cal Ripken Jr., Arnold Palmer, Hank Aaron and Jerry West have won the Roy Firestone Award.

Now you can add Pete Carroll to the esteemed list.

During a star-studded gala at the Galen Center on Wednesday night, Carroll was honored by the Westcoast Sports Associates with the Firestone Award, recognizing his inspirational and effective work in the inner-city through A Better LA. Carroll was the 14th recipient of the prestigious honor, following a line of sports legends who have made monumental impacts in both the community and their respective athletic arenas.

But Carroll was lauded during the two-hour ceremony like he had topped them all.

"No one has ever earned this award more than you, Pete," Firestone, the event's host, said while presenting the award to Carroll.

Coach Carroll is interviewed by Roy Firestone during the Westcoast Sports Associates Firestone Award gala at the Galen Center on Wednesday night. Carroll is the 14th recipient of the prestigious award.

The Struggles of Matt Barkley

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:07:04 -0800

More photos » by Matt Sayles - AP

Browse more photos »

It is safe to say that the recent play of Matt Barkley has been some cause for concern for many of us.

We all marveled at his poise on the road against tOSU, Cal and ND. The tOSU and ND games were not the prettiest but the end result was achieved. We expected a certain amount of freshman mistakes. We knew there would be some periods of stagnation while Barkley continued to get comfortable to the college game. There is no question that he has grown but there are also some signs that he has not progressed in a few areas like he probably should have to this point in his first season.

The most disconcerting are some of the throws into coverage that have resulted in INT's or just missed INT's. Barkey had a bit of reputation in high school as an INT machine. We are seeing why over the past few games. I had less of an issue with the INT against ND, that was a timing issue that resulted in a tipped ball. But since then there has been more of that sort of throw as the season has moved on...not less.

Barkley is making a few more mistakes out there than some of us thought he would...

USC quarterback Matt Barkley lost a fumble and had three passes intercepted Saturday in Stanford's 55-21 victory over the Trojans.

Barkley came into the game having completed 12 of 38 passes for 161 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in the previous six quarters.

The freshman was 21 for 31 for 196 yards and a touchdown against Stanford, but the Cardinal turned every turnover into a touchdown.

"I don't feel really flustered," Barkley said. "It's just we've had some bad breaks and I think maybe tried to do too much at times."

There is no question that Barkley is forcing things or not going through all of his check downs. That is not really surprising for a freshman especially with an O line that has not given him the best protection the past few weeks but none the less it is cause for some concern among the fan base and Pete Carroll addressed it earlier this week...

Coach Pete Carroll said Sunday that he had no thoughts of replacing the freshman after a four-turnover performance in the Trojans' 55-21 loss to Stanford.

Despite Barkley's struggles in much of the last three games, Carroll said he and his staff have a "clear thought" that the 19-year-old gives the Trojans the best chance to win.

"We see the potential, the playmaking, the mentality and all the stuff we're looking for," Carroll said.

Some will say that Barkley has regressed others will say he hasn't progressed...same difference to me. I expect some amount of plateauing but I think there should be a little more positive progress. But not so much that Barkley should lose his starting job.The coaching staff has hitched their wagon up to Matt Barkley. It his clear that he is the future..so much so that there has been little discussion of either Mitch Mustain or Aaron Corp. Those two seem like distant memories.

On the flip side I think the bar has been set incredibly high for Barkley. I also think that the coaching staff has tried to portray a picture that Matt Barkley has either done no wrong or can do no wrong. Pete Carroll gives that impression to me in yesterdays interview on PMS. I think not holding Matt accountable for some of his mistakes is a problem. The fan base knows better than that. We are not that blind. I would expect the coaches to do a fair amount of deflecting to keep the heat off of Barkley but there has to be some intellectual honesty as well. This stubborn side of Pete Carroll is what makes him great but it could be a stumbling block as well.

There is no question that the pass protection has not been up to par when compared to all the hype of this stud O line. I don't expect them protect Barkley on every play but it does appear that the O line has not been as good as was earlier in the season. I realize that O'Dowd has been out for a stretch but if we are going to rely on the play of just one player of that unit then I think the problems are bigger than we imagined. Even when Stanford stacked the box the offense was running the ball fairly effectively against Stanford so why go away from it? When Barkley threw that Pick-six you could just see the team deflate...

A lot of this on Barkley. He has to start making better decisions. Some of it is not on him...like Blake Ayles dropping easy catches that could prolong drives but there have been some plays that were clearly all on Barkley.

But there are some things he can improve...

The biggest one is turnovers, which were as significant a problem as run defense in last week’s 55-21 loss to Stanford. Barkley lost a fumble and threw an interception on the Trojans’ first two possessions, leading to a 14-0 deficit. Barkley threw three interceptions in all, giving him seven in the past four games.

“We’ve just got to take what they give us,” Bates said Wednesday. “We can’t try to win the (game) on one play, we can’t try to make a play when it’s not there. We’ve got to throw it away. We’ve got to take care of the football and live to see the next down. We can’t make plays that aren’t there, and that’s the biggest issue we’ve got going right now.”

That assessment is about the closest any USC coach has come to criticizing Barkley in public. Bates and Pete Carroll generally have tried to protect the Mater Dei High product whenever he and/or the offense have struggled.

I don't think Barkley needs to tuck it away or throw it away every time he feels some pressure but I wouldn't chuck it and duck either.

I understand that some progress eventually stalls but the trick is getting it back on track. I know Barkley can do it, he just has to dig down deep.

What to watch in the Pac-10

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:06:32 -0800

With four teams still legitimately contending for the Pac-10 title, there are plenty of reasons to watch.

1. Will Foles bounce back after struggling at Cal? Arizona sophomore quarterback Nick Foles wasn't terrible at California last week, but he wasn't as good as he has been -- read: really good -- running the Wildcats offense since he took over the starting job, and his surprising decision to try to throw the ball a second time after a deflection was sort of, well, not smart. He admitted that the loss and his performance -- and that odd play -- stuck with him for a bit. So how does he respond against a fast, aggressive Oregon defense? Does he bounce back or does he again struggle?

2. Toby Gerhart vs. the Cal run defense. Since giving up over 400 yards rushing against Oregon and USC, Cal's run defense has been stout, holding both Oregon State and Arizona -- good rushing teams -- under 100 yards. But Stanford's rushing attack is a whole different challenge. There's no finesse. It's just a physical offensive line, a physical fullback and a physical Gerhart, who's trying to earn himself an invitation to the Heisman Trophy ceremony. If the Bears can't at least slow Gerhart, it could be a long afternoon.

3. Will Samson topple the pillars of UCLA bowl hopes? UCLA needs one more win to become bowl eligible, and a home game vs. Arizona State seems a better chance to pick up that win than a visit to an angry USC team coming off a bye week. The Sun Devils' quarterback situation is unclear, but it appears sophomore Samson Szakacsy is likely to make his first career start. The Sun Devils need to win their final two games to become bowl eligible. Will Szakacsy's mobility -- he will be as fast as anyone on the field -- add a wrinkle for a struggling ASU offense?

4. Does Washington State have any chance? The obvious conclusion is Washington State has no chance against Oregon State. The Cougars are bad and they are beaten up. But everyone knows that monumental upsets happen every year in college football. If the Beavers think they can just yawn their way through Pullman, they might get taught a lesson about playing one game at a time and taking every opponent seriously.

5. Will the Wildcats defense approximate the first half or the second half of 2008 vs. the Ducks? Oregon scored 45 points in the first half of last year's game with Arizona. And the Ducks scored only 10 points in the second half as the Wildcats came roaring back. The word in Tucson was the Wildcats came out unfocused and didn't do their assignments in the first half, but that changed for the better in the second half. The Arizona defense probably won't start slowly playing at home. Or will it?

6. Kevin Riley's big chance: The Cal quarterback has been mostly solid this year but he still doesn't have that breakthrough moment. The junior could create a lot of momentum for the Bears if he turned in a sharp afternoon in the Big Game against a hot Stanford squad. A win would bolster the Bears' bowl positioning and probably would get them back into the national rankings. It also would bode well for 2010.

7. UCLA's O-line vs. Arizona State's D-line: UCLA's offensive line, a huge question entering the season, has played well of late. But Washington and Washington State can make an O-line look good. Arizona State's D-line is as good as any in the Pac-10. The Sun Devils rank 21st in the nation against the run. The Bruins will seek balance and try not to put the entire weight of the offense on quarterback Kevin Prince. The Sun Devils will want to achieve the opposite.

8. Big numbers for Rodgers and Canfield: Assuming that Oregon State is going to pound Washington State early and often, a big question will be how long Beavers coach Mike Riley plays quarterback Sean Canfield and running back Jacquizz Rodgers. Both are candidates for All-Pac-10 honors and maybe more. The Cougars defense will offer a good chance to pad some stats. Not Riley's style exactly, but those postseason honors are valuable to programs.

The HP Heisman Watch

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:11:17 -0800

Here is the list of players who (right now) have the best chance of actually winning the Heisman:

1. Mark Ingram, Alabama–Ingram had another good game, rushing for 149 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries against Mississippi State. He’ll pad his stats some more against Chattanooga next Saturday, then will have a chance to clinch the Heisman against Auburn and Florida. On the year, he has 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns, with another 25 catches for 225 yards and three scores. He is on pace to have 1,686 yards and 13 touchdowns by the time the Heisman vote is due. If he keeps doing what he has been doing and then closes out strong in a win over Florida, I like his chances of winning the Heisman. However, the surges by running backs Toby Gerhart and C.J. Spiller could dilute some of his strength across the various voting regions. Ingram’s old advantage of being the only legitimate running back in a race filled with quarterbacks might be turned on its head as he could end up being one of three running back candidates versus just one quarterback (McCoy). This is one reason why I give him only a slight edge over McCoy right now.

2. Colt McCoy, Texas–McCoy is playing well of late and is coming off a 181-yard, two-TD performance in a rout of Baylor. On the year, he has 2,628 passing yards, with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions, while completing 72 percent of his passes. He is on pace to have 3,416 passing yards, 25 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions by the time the Heisman vote is due. Is this enough to overcome Ingram’s late surge? The imminent collapse of Case Keenum’s candidacy should move some voters his way and many will be impressed by his career achievements, including the most wins ever by a quarterback. McCoy is in a fairly good position: If Alabama beats Florida, it eliminates the last quarterback with a shot at garnering significant support (Tebow) and makes McCoy the most viable option at that position. If Florida beats Alabama, though, it could increase Tebow’s support at Ingram’s expense while making it likely that neither can beat out McCoy. Of course, McCoy has to finish strong and get Texas to the BCS title game to make all this work.

3. Toby Gerhart, Stanford–I wrote earlier last week about the player with the best chance of mounting a late-season run at the Heisman. It was a wild scenario dependent on Gerhart having a big game against USC. Well, he rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns against the Trojans, giving him 1,395 yards and 19 touchdowns on the season. He’s on pace to have 1,674 yards and 23 touchdowns by the time the Heisman vote is due (in 12 games, versus 13 for Ingram and McCoy). Gerhart is still a longshot, but he does have a shot. Of course, Stanford needs to win out, which would mean respectable wins over Cal and Notre Dame to give the Cardinal a 9-3 record. He would need for Ingram to wilt down the stretch, yet for Alabama to beat Florida, thus eliminating both Ingram and Tebow. Meanwhile, McCoy would have to underwhelm the rest of the way, while Gerhart closes with big games against the Bears and the Irish. Can it happen? Sure. Will it? There’s the rub. Stanford needs to start making its case on his behalf, anyway.

4. Tim Tebow, Florida–Tebow had 199 yards and one touchdown passing, along with 26 yards and a touchdown rushing against South Carolina. On the year, he has 1,730 passing yards, 12 TD passes and four interceptions, along with 604 rushing yards and 10 scores. He is on pace to have 2,249 passing yards, 16 touchdown passes, five interceptions, 785 rushing yards and 13 scores by the time the Heisman vote is due. I think Tebow’s Heisman hopes are dwindling fast and his only hope is to put up crazy numbers from this point on. Of course, the Gators need to win out, but he also needs for Ingram, McCoy and Gerhart to tank. I think that is unlikely to happen, but you never know.

If the vote were held today

1. Mark Ingram

2. Colt McCoy

3. Tim Tebow

4. Toby Gerhart

5. Case Keenum

6. C.J. Spiller

7. Kellen Moore

8. Ndamukong Suh

9. Jimmy Clausen

10. Jordan Shipley

What to watch in the Pac-10

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:06:11 -0800

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

To paraphrase a great philosopher and renaissance man, Ric Flair, "This ain't no garden party, brother, this is the Pac-10, where only the strongest survive. Wooooooo!"

Folks, the screws are tightening.

1. Does USC's Pac-10 run end Saturday? It's fairly simple. If Stanford wins at USC, it's likely one of the great runs in the history of college football -- the Trojans' seven years atop the Pac-10 -- will come to an end. If the Trojans win, however, they head into a bye week when they can get healthy and rested and then fix their eyeballs on a conference race that remains within reach. Quick trivia question: How many Top-25 teams other than USC have played six of their last eight games on the road?

2. Will California be flat or inspired by Jahvid Best's absence? Arizona has a lot to play for at Cal. The Bears? Hard to say. It will be interesting to see which team shows up. The Bears have looked good at times this year. And very bad. Best, who suffered a concussion last weekend against Oregon State, was once a leading Heisman Trophy candidate. Now his season is likely over. Cal, which has clearly underperformed this fall, might come out yawning, a team just playing out the string. Or it might come out more focused than ever after learning how one unlucky moment could take the game away for good.

3. How will true ASU freshman QB Brock Osweiler respond to Autzen Stadium? Alright kid, go get 'em! What? Go get 'em! What? Osweiler will make his first career start in one of the nation's loudest and toughest venues against an extremely fast defense that was humbled last weekend at Stanford and will be plenty motivated for redemption. Osweiler, by the way, won't have Toby Gerhart or the Cardinal's smart, physical offensive line to help either. Good luck, though. What? The Pac-10 blog said good luck! What?

4. Sean Canfield vs. the Washington secondary: Canfield has been playing as well as any quarterback in the conference of late -- and that's saying something because a lot of quarterbacks are playing well. The Huskies' secondary has struggled throughout the season. It ranks ninth in the conference and 110th in the nation in pass efficiency defense. The idea of Canfield and his quick release dumping the ball to either of the Rodgers brothers in space has to keep Huskies defensive coordinator Nick Holt up at night. His secondary just doesn't have the speed to match up.

5. Might Pullman put a chill in UCLA? Good news for UCLA: It doesn't appear the Bruins will encounter a real mid-November day in Pullman. Reports say it may snow on Friday but it will be partly cloudy and pleasant -- mid-30s -- on Saturday. If the Cougars are to pull the upset, they need all the help they can get, and snow and cold might be a boon against the visitors from sunny southern California. Of course, the weather is often unpredictable. Maybe that snow will start Friday and keep coming?

6. Luck & Gerhart challenge the USC D: After piling up 505 yards against an Oregon defense that mostly shut down USC, Stanford will face those Trojans with a physical, balanced offense that can attack a defense by land (Gerhart) or by air (Andrew Luck). Whether the blame falls on youth or injuries, USC's defense has not been itself since the fourth quarter of the Notre Dame game on Oct. 17. Considering Stanford has scored 84 points the past two games against two of the nation's better defenses, this could be a humbling afternoon for the Trojans. Or it could be a turning point.

7. Will Nick Foles pick apart the Cal secondary? Before the season, Arizona had questions at quarterback, and California, with four starters returning, had one of the best secondaries in the nation. Now, the Wildcats have Foles, a sophomore who is completing 71.4 percent of his passes, and the Bears rank 93rd in the nation in pass efficiency defense. Go figure. Foles' quick release -- the Wildcats have surrendered only four sacks all season -- and accuracy will stress the Bears.

8. Jake Locker is due a big performance: Locker has been spectacular for Washington at times this year. Not so great at others. He's banged up. And his team has lost five of six. But there are reasons Pac-10 coaches fear Locker and the NFL covets him -- he's a great talent with superior playmaking ability. Washington can't win if he doesn't play well. It sometimes can't even if he does. But if he puts together a special game, the Huskies could pull the upset.

9. Oregon's O vs. Arizona State's D: The Sun Devils are suddenly hurting in the secondary, but they have been consistently tough on defense all season, particularly against the run where they rank sixth in the nation (87.4 yards per game). Oregon, of course, is one of the nation's best running teams (233.56 yards per game). It will be interesting to see who blinks in this strength-on-strength battle, or if the Ducks just try to attack through the air, sensing that's where Arizona State will be most vulnerable.

10. Will Matt Barkley's slide end vs. Stanford's defense? A few weeks ago, Barkley was running the USC offense with aplomb and was the toast of college football. But his last six quarters -- the second half at Oregon plus the visit to Arizona State -- haven't been sharp. It doesn't help that his two favorite targets, tight end Anthony McCoy and receiver Damian Williams, may not be available Saturday. But he's coming home, which should help, and it's hard to believe that he won't be eager to prove that his recent slump was just a momentary blip on his path toward becoming a superstar quarterback.

Wild Scenario #1

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:05:37 -0800

Here’s a ‘what if’ scenario that could turn the Heisman race on its head:

What if Toby Gerhart rushes for 200 yards and scores three or four touchdowns in a Stanford win over USC this Saturday?

It would be the third 200-yard effort of the season for Gerhart and his second-straight 200-yard game against a top 10 foe. It’d give him upwards of 1,420 rushing yards and 19 or 20 touchdowns with two games remaining before Heisman votes are due. His two remaining matchups would be against Cal and Notre Dame, both games of respectable national interest where he could potentially run wild. And once his statistical prowess was established, his status as an atypical-for-this-era back from an academic powerhouse would be appealing to many Heisman voters.

This all wouldn’t make Gerhart a lock to win, but he’d at least be a major factor in the race. It’s the only possible (and plausible) scenario I can think of that could catapult a player other than Ingram, McCoy and Tebow into Heisman contention at this point in the season.

The Skinny: At Least This Year, The Trojans Are Running With The Pac

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:14:12 -0800

For the first time since the middle of the 2002 season, the separation (at least this year) between USC and the Pac-10 is not evident. The Trojans 14-9 victory over Arizona Sate was a clear indication that USC looks like any other solid Pac-10 team and they are fortunate to finish with 3 straight home games.

The Trojans will need to play well in all phases to successfully defend the Coliseum turf against 3 tough opponents (Stanford and Arizona are ranked and in the Rose Bowl race and you have the crosstown rivalry with UCLA). If they are able to win the final three, another trip to Pasadena is still very much alive. If they struggle, a match-up with Oklahoma in the Sun Bowl is easily be in the cards.

The Pac-10 is extremely strong this year and any 1 of 5 teams would represent the conference very well against a top 15 team on a neutral field. This type of quality is why a team with two losses in conference could play in the Rose Bowl.

Notes and Analysis for the Water Cooler and IM Chats:

Barkley in a slump: Matt Barkley was 7-22 for 122 yards against Arizona State. If you take away the short pass to Damian Williams that was turned into a 75 yard touchdown, Barkley was 6-21 for 37 yards. In the second half against Oregon, he was 5-16 for 49 yards. Did Raider quarterback Jamarcus Russell take over for the Trojans?
Hopefully the offensive coaches are doing some self scouting to help Barkley make adjustments to his tendencies. Opposing defensive coaches have enough film on Barkley to truly dissect his game and it is showing. Arizona State has a great defense but his throwing numbers were awful considering Cal QB Kevin Riley threw for 351 yards the week before.

*More Barkley, offensive line, Williams injury after the jump

11-7-09: Washington St, Oregon St, USC

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:19:34 -0800

Hanging with a bunch of Cal grads at a bachelor party this weekend. Go Beavers. Sign up with BetUS... they've got our game.

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Washington St (+33) over Arizona

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Oregon St (+7) over Cal

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USC (-11.5) over Arizona St

Three-team Parlay $50 to win $300
Washington St (+33) over Arizona
Oregon St (+7) over Cal
USC (-11.5) over Arizona St

The Skinny: We Will Learn A lot About The Trojans Psyche In Tempe

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:08:33 -0800

The Trojan football program is venturing down a road it has avoided for a very long time. Since 2002, USC has always followed up a loss with a string of victories to continue the Trojans unmatched success for the past seven years. However, USC has not suffered a loss of this magnitude in the Pete Carroll era. The 47-20 loss to Oregon was the first time the mighty Trojans got severely outplayed and out-coached in all phases of the game.

In the past, one could review the game and say the Trojans were just unlucky or if they played with a little more discipline they would have won. Not this time. If anything, the amount of injuries the Trojans suffered on the defensive side of the ball is a clear indication of how manhandled they were by the Oregon offense.

Saturday's game against Arizona State will provide great insight into the psyche of both the coaching staff and the players. Was the Oregon game just a set of unfortunate circumstances they can easily put behind them and continue Pete Carroll's perfect November record and put themselves in contention for a BCS bowl game? Will the Trojans fight though injury issues like they have in years past and put together a great performance or will the shaken confidence of a defense that has given up over 1500 yards of offense in 3 games lead to a debacle in Tempe?

Arizona State is not going to make it easy on the Trojans. They are led by the best defense in the Pac-10 and are fighting for Head Coach Dennis Erickson's job. This is also the second of back-to-back road games for the Trojans which are always tough.

However, this is a game the Trojans should win and be able to gain some confidence and swagger back on the defensive side of the ball. ASU has one of the worst offenses in the Pac-10 and doesn't possess a game-breaker close to the ability of Jacquizz Rogers, James Rogers or LaMichael James.

Keys to the game...

1-Trojans need to pass to set up the run: Cal Quarterback Kevin Riley threw for 351 yards last week in a narrow 23-21 victory over ASU. ASU does a great job of applying pressure and making it difficult to run with one of the best run defense's in the country. The Trojans should come out throwing the ball to send an early message to ASU's secondary which is susceptible to mid-range throws.

Once ASU's defense is worried about the pass, the Trojans should have success running the ball with McKnight and especially Bradford provided his knee is okay. Bradford fits the mold of Stanford tailback Toby Gerhart who ran for 125 yards against ASU.

More keys after the jump plus an injury update...

The Skinny: Scary Movie Part IV: Where The Rubber Meets The Road

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:17:56 -0800

The Trojans have survived tough road environments this year at Ohio State, Cal and Notre Dame. However, the biggest test of the year will be Saturday night at the toughest place to play in the Pac-10, Auzten Stadium, where the Trojans will battle the 10th ranked Oregon Ducks.

The Trojans will have to survive a real house of hunts with a raucous Halloween night crowd, rain and wind in the 1st half and an Oregon team that is operating at the top of its game.

The fourth ranked Trojans have not left the state of Oregon with a victory since 2005 and will have to play together and disciplined in all phases of the game to for them to leave with a victory.

5 things to keep track of plus the obvious:

1- USC’s Defensive Line vs. Oregon’s Offensive Line: Oregon’s offensive line is fairly inexperienced and has yet to play a top tier defensive line. The Trojans must get penetration early and break-up Oregon’s offensive rhythm. The key to stopping any spread attack is linebackers being able to stay home and cause havoc on the short passing game and mis-directional running plays.

The emergence of the spread offense has led defensive coaches to really focus on it in the offseason and will see if that hard work pays off on Saturday.

2- Force Oregon into obvious passing situations: The Oregon offense is very potent when they are running the ball 2/3 of the time and not forced into throwing situations longer than 10 yards. Oregon only averages 157 yards passing a game. The hurry up aspect of Oregon’s offense is based on a solid running game where they like to hand it off or throw a pass behind the line of scrimmage 85% of the time.

Oregon prefers to throw the ball less than 20 times and Masoli is a weak mid to deep thrower under pressure. Evidence of that was clear in USC’s 44-10 victory over Oregon in the Coliseum last year.

Oregon tailback LaMichael James might be the second best back in the conference behind Oregon State’s Jacquizz Rogers. He is a great cut-back runner and has the ability to make a big gain at the blink of an eye. Containing James will be the key to forcing Oregon into 3rd and long situations.

(More of what to look for after the jump)

What to watch in the Pac-10

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:08:23 -0800

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

The big one is in Eugene but every game matters. Three teams are chilling at home.

1. Matt Barkley thinks Autzen Stadium is going to be a barrel of monkeys: Matt Barkley told the LA Times that he's looks forward to playing in Autzen Stadium -- "the energy is going to be awesome and it's going to be a cool atmosphere, especially on Halloween night," he said. Hmm. You know, maybe all this talk about how intimidating and loud Autzen Stadium is a bollocks. This whole, really cool "blackout" thing is just a rumor, after all. Hey, wear yellow! That will be scary. Oregon fans aren't really loud. They're very nice, actually. Cuddly even.

2. Were Arizona State's defensive numbers a mirage? Last weekend, Stanford piled up 473 yards -- 237 yards rushing -- against the Sun Devils, who entered the game ranked seventh in the nation in total defense (248 yards per game) and second vs. the run (58 yards per game). It's fair to ask if the Sun Devils' previously impressive defensive numbers were a function of the middling-to-poor offenses they faced during the early going. They can answer that question by shutting down -- or at least slowing down -- California and running back Jahvid Best.

3. Oregon State can't afford a "USC hangover:" The Beavers have a right to be disappointed with their close-but-no-cigar effort at USC last weekend. But if they spend too much time wondering what might have been, the Bruins might steal one in Reser Stadium. UCLA has enough athletes that, despite a 0-4 Pac-10 mark, it remains dangerous.

4. Washington State may shock the world: It's entirely possible that Notre Dame is going to run over the Cougars like a Mack truck rumbling through a garden party. And yet upsets -- even big ones -- happen all the time in college football. All it's going to take for the Cougars is a combination of their best effort and a team, such as the Fighting Irish, taking a victory for granted. At some point this season, that could happen, and it might as well be against a Notre Dame crew that has endured a series of emotional games and may be due for a letdown.

5. Who wins the trenches in Autzen? In terms of pure talent, Oregon doesn't match up on either line vs. USC. The Trojans' offensive line is athletic and experienced. It should be able to handle the Ducks' speedy D-front. The Trojans' defensive line isn't experienced, but neither is the Ducks' O-line. And the Trojans' front seven, despite its youth, has been dominant against the run and has been able to pressure opposing quarterbacks with just four pass-rushers. The Ducks have surrendered only 11 sacks this year. USC leads the nation with 29 sacks. This is one area where USC has a decided advantage. Or appears to.

6. Riley must be sharp in Tempe: Arizona State is going to gang up against Cal's run game, and the Sun Devils have enough talent and speed to make things hard on Best and the Bears' offensive line. That means, however, that there are going to be opportunities in the passing game. Can Cal QB Kevin Riley take advantage? He's been hot and cold much of the season. This would be a good time for some consistent execution. Of course, ASU ranks third in the nation with 13 interceptions.

7. Bruins try a two-quarterback system: It seems there's a split between UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel and his offensive coordinator, Norm Chow. Chow doesn't like to play two quarterbacks and he thinks Kevin Prince is the man. Neuheisel doesn't necessarily have a problem with Prince but the Bruins' offense is struggling and he wants to get a look at Richard Brehaut. So both will play at Oregon State. Who plays better? Or do both play badly? And what does it mean for the future? And are Neuheisel and Chow at loggerheads? We shall see.

8. Jeremiah Masoli must attack the USC secondary: No one has consistently run well against USC. The Trojans, however, have of late been fairly vulnerable against the pass. That may be due to playing against a couple of good quarterbacks in Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen and Oregon State's Sean Canfield. Or maybe there are some things that a balanced offense can take advantage of. Ducks QB Jeremiah Masoli isn't chopped liver, and he's thrown well over his past three starts (he missed the UCLA game with a sprained knee). He will need to make plays downfield in order to keep the Trojans defense honest.

10-24-09: Miami, Stanford, and USC

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:11:27 -0800

Straight Bet $25 to win $22.73
Miami (-5) over Clemson

Straight Bet $25 to win $150
Stanford (-7.5) over Arizona St

Straight Bet $25 to win $22.73
USC (-20.5) over Oregon St

Three Team Parlay $25 to win $150
Miami (-5) over Clemson
Stanford (-7.5) over Arizona St
USC (-20.5) over Oregon St

Dr. Bob thinks USC should put up 40 points and is a good bet ATS. Analysis after the jump.

The Skinny: Avoiding the Beaver Trap

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:53:41 -0800

After coming off an emotional win over Notre Dame and staring at a potential top 10 match-up against Oregon next week, the Trojans ability to focus on the task at hand will be severely tested in this quintessential trap game. On Saturday night at the Coliseum, The Trojans face a well-coached Oregon State team that is 4-2 including a close loss to now #5 Cincinnati.

Despite being heavily favored the Trojans are facing the best skill position players they have seen all year and will have to play a disciplined game to get the victory.

5 Keys to avoiding the Beaver Trap :

1- Avoid 15 yard penalties and turnovers: The #1 key every week. If the Trojans avoided the big 15 yard penalties against the Irish (especially Griffen’s penalty in the 3rd quarter) and didn’t throw an interception in the 4th quarter, the score would have been more like 34-10 instead of 34-27

2- Stay at home on defense and force Oregon State into obvious pass situations: Last year All Pac-10 Running Back Jacquizz Rogers burst onto the scene against the Trojans. His cut-back style and low center of gravity (he’s only 5’7) was a nightmare for a Trojan defense that consistently overpursued him. He ended up rushing for 187 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Rogers is a very patient running back that uses his lack of height as an advantage when waiting for holes to develop. Linebackers and Defensive Lineman can lose track of him when he is behind the line of scrimmage.

The Trojan linebackers and Secondary need to communicate and make sure they stay in the proper gaps to contain Jacquizz and his brother James who is a Wide Receiver. The Roger’s brother’s account for 60% of Oregon State’s offense and stopping them and OSU’s run offense will require a total team effort.

If the Trojans are able to force Oregon State into obvious pass situations, they can take advantage of a young offensive line that has already given up 19 sacks this year. The OSU quarterback has a tendency to force throws when he is under pressure and that should create turnover opportunities.

(3 more keys to victory after the jump)

What to watch in the Pac-10

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:53:17 -0800

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

A full slate of games -- nobody's sitting home this weekend eating Doritos.

1. It's going to be nasty fun in Husky Stadium: Oregon has beaten Washington five consecutive times. And by at least 20 points each time. What was once the most bitter rivalry in the Pac-10 has become a mismatch, which has been galling for the Huskies because, historically, they've dominated the Ducks and still lead the series 58-38-5. Yet this one figures to be more competitive than any of the recent games. Washington has rejuvenated itself under Steve Sarkisian, and that rejuvenation has include renewed energy in Husky Stadium. It should be pretty intense. Just like the old days.

2. Jacquizz Rodgers won't back down: The conventional wisdom is that USC is looking for a little revenge after Oregon State shocked the Trojans 27-21 last year in Corvallis. And the best way to get that revenge is to shut down Rodgers, who sliced and diced them for 186 yards. Folks on the Trojans' side whisper that they didn't know much about the diminutive then-true freshman in 2008. Now they do. And they will put a hurting on Rodgers. Not so fast on that, though. Rodgers has surged of late, and he's an ultra-competitive sort who will be eager accept the Trojans' challenge. Don't be surprised if Rodgers makes some plays against the rugged Trojans run defense.

3. UCLA's secondary will challenge Arizona QB Nick Foles: UCLA's secondary is much better than Stanford's secondary, so Arizona quarterback Nick Foles doesn't figure to find things as easy in the passing game against the Bruins as he did when he piled up 415 yards and three TDs vs. the Cardinal. While UCLA's run defense has sprung a leak -- or two -- of late, the pass defense ranks second in the conference, giving up just 169 yards per game. It's grabbed nine interceptions while surrendering just six TD passes.

4. Vontaze Burfict vs. Toby Gerhart: Burfict is Arizona State's hard-hitting true freshman linebacker. Gerhart is Stanford's 235-pound battering ram of a running back. Burfict looks as good as any young linebacker in the country, but he hasn't faced a back like Gerhart -- probably in his life. These two figure to have plenty of impressive collisions Saturday. So, who wins most of them?

5. Washington State should be motivated by 66-3: On Sept. 6 of last year, everyone found out how deeply down Washington State was when California delivered a stunning 66-3 beatdown in Martin Stadium. It was a humiliating home loss, the second game of the Paul Wulff era. The Cougars haven't suffered a whipping like that this year (though Oregon came close). They probably won't win at Cal on Saturday, but the Cougs should fight hard to earn the Bears' respect. They didn't get it last year.

6. Will Masoli or Locker rule the day? First things first: Will Jeremiah Masoli be 100 percent? The Oregon quarterback appears on track to start, but how much of a running threat he is depends on how close his knee injury is to fully healed. Before Masoli got hurt against Washington State, he was playing with the same dual-threat sharpness he showed late last season. Washington's Jake Locker, meanwhile, is only the most highly touted quarterback in the conference. At their best, both are spectacular playmakers. It will be interesting to see who makes more plays.

7. Does Barkley just keep getting better? USC's Matt Barkley seems to improve every week, and the true freshman already is a pretty good quarterback. While Oregon State's defense has improved of late, it still ranks ninth in the conference against the pass (275 yards per game). The Beavers have given up the most TD passes (11) in the conference and grabbed the fewest interceptions (3, curiously tied with USC). The Beavers are stronger against the run, so it makes sense that Barkley might put the ball into the air. Does he turn in another stellar performance, or does he finally reveal some freshman fallibility?

8. Stanford's defense needs to step up: Stanford's defense has given up 81 points and 1,016 yards in the past two games, which, not surprisingly, were both losses. However, Arizona State doesn't have the offensive weapons that Oregon State and Arizona do, and quarterback Danny Sullivan has struggled much of the season. The Cardinal probably won't be able to pile up points in bunches against the Sun Devils' stout defense, but they shouldn't have to if they muzzle ASU's struggling offense.

9. The Bruins are desperate: Arizona coach Mike Stoops described UCLA as "desperate," and it's true. The Bruins are riding a three-game losing streak, and it's hard to find the three wins necessary for bowl eligibility on the remaining schedule. That desperation should translate into an inspired effort at Arizona. The offense seems to be improving after a solid performance against California. Now, if the defense reverts to the way it played during the first three games, the Bruins should give the Wildcats all they can handle.

10. Jahvid Best should run wild: Washington State ranks last in the Pac-10 in run defense. It's surrendered 17 rushing touchdowns, seven more than any other Pac-10 team. This should be a great opportunity for Best, Cal's spectacular runner, to regain his mojo. While Best had a 93-yard TD run against UCLA, he's still been mostly muted of late -- he's dropped to third in the conference in rushing (102.7 yards per game) and might no longer be a sure-thing for first-team All-Pac-10. He rushed for 200 yards last year at Washington State, including an 86-yard TD. So it might be time for another spectacular game.

Pac-10 lunch links: Plenty of intrigue with OSU at USC

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:58:57 -0800

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open.

Nick Foles and the Arizona passing game are flowing because young receivers are stepping up.
Arizona State quarterback Danny Sullivan deserves your respect. Freshman LB Vontaze Burfict is a bad man, only he's perfectly capable of proving that before the whistle is blown.
California has some good and bad news at cornerback. By the way, why did Cal have only 10 men on the field for consecutive plays against UCLA?
With Jeremiah Masoli's knee improving, it appears Oregon's visit to Washington will be about a pair of good quarterbacks. The Ducks' image has upgraded because they are more grounded.
Plenty of subplots with Oregon State's visit to USC.
Stanford needs to shore up its defense or its bowl hopes will dim.
What's up with cornerback Aaron Hester at UCLA?
Tight end Anthony McCoy is becoming a weapon for USC. An injury update.
This Washington receiver has rebounded nicely, which should not be a surprise because basketball is his first love.
For once, Washington State's injury news is more good than bad.
Updated bowl projections for the Pac-10.