TrojanWire - Oregon State

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.

Gerhart, Rodgers are player of the year finalists

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:50:18 -0800

Two Pac-10 players are on the Walter Camp Player of the Year "Players to Watch" list: Stanford running back Toby Gerhart and Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers.

A list of five finalists will be announced Dec. 2. The 2009 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, who is voted on by the Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be presented live on Dec. 10 during the 6 p.m. (EST) edition of "SportsCenter."

Here's the list with notes.

Toby Gerhart, Senior, RB, Stanford -- 1,395 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns

Mardy Gilyard, Senior, WR, Cincinnati -- Averaging over 180 all-purpose yardage a game

Jerry Hughes, Senior, DL, TCU -- 13 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks

Mark Ingram, Soph., RB, Alabama -- 1,297 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns

Case Keenum, Junior, QB, Houston -- Leads nation with 4,194 passing yards and 31 touchdowns

Dion Lewis, Freshman, RB, Pittsburgh -- 1,291 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns

Rolando McClain, Junior, LB, Alabama -- 77 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3 sacks and 2 interceptions

Colt McCoy, Senior, QB, Texas -- Completing 72.3% of passes for 2,792 yards and 19 touchdowns

Kellen Moore, Soph., QB, Boise State -- Leads nation with 172.49 passing efficiency

Jacquizz Rodgers, Soph., RB, Oregon State -- 1,545 rushing & receiving yards and 18 touchdowns

Jordan Shipley, Senior WR, Texas -- 81 receptions for 1,096 yards and 8 touchdowns

C.J. Spiller, Senior, WR/KR, Clemson -- Averaging 195.2 all-purpose yards a game

Ndamukong Suh, Senior, DT, Nebraska -- 14 QB hurries, 11 tackles for loss, 8 pass breakups and 5 sacks

Golden Tate, Junior, WR, Notre Dame -- 1,174 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns

Tim Tebow, Senior, QB, Florida -- Has passed for 10 touchdowns and rushed for 12 more

USC football: How low can the Trojans go?

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:04:20 -0800

USC fell from No. 11 to No. 22 in The Associated Press Top 25. The Trojans hadn’t been lower than 13th since October 2002. USC is 18th in the BCS standings, one spot behind Stanford and one ahead of Oregon State — not that that matters anymore. This week’s award for the ranking that makes the least [...]

Who's going to win? Week 11 Pac-10 picks

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:13:48 -0800

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Went 4-1 last week -- if I could only pick Oregon games! -- and the season record stands at 43-15. And, as a few of you have generously noted, I'm on a bit of a run here -- 16-2 to be exact.

A couple of these games, however, gave me pause.

Stanford 33, USC 30: The Trojans have won 47 of 48 at home in the Coliseum, but the home loss that preceded that run and the defeat that interrupted its perfection both came vs. Stanford. That's just a quirky detail, though. What matters most is Stanford is hot, USC is not. And the Trojans are banged up. After seven years, there will be a new Pac-10 champion. Unless I'm wrong here. Which, you know, is possible.

Arizona 35, California 24: Bears will show some fight but, Arizona is rested and has been consistent on both sides of the ball throughout the season.

Oregon 40, Arizona State 17: The Sun Devils have issues on both sides of the ball -- a true freshman quarterback, a secondary thin on personnel -- and Oregon figures to be plenty motivated to right itself after the tough loss at Stanford. The Ducks defense, in particular, should be eager to bounce back.

Oregon State 41, Washington 24: The Beavers are surging, the Huskies are sagging. Sean Canfield and the Rodgers brothers should be in for a big day against the Washington defense.

UCLA 27, Washington State 14: It probably won't be pretty, but the Bruins will even their record at 5-5 and will set themselves up to become bowl eligible if they can beat either Arizona State at home or USC on the road over the final two games.

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.

This ‘n That

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:23:07 -0800

Random thoughts from the past weekend…

—USC coach Pete Carroll–an avowed disciple of pro-style offenses and defenses–got a healthy dose of college-style medicine against Oregon. Is it just me, or is Carroll turning into the next Mack Brown/Lloyd Carr/Phil Fulmer? Meaning, like the programs headed by the aforementioned coaches, USC is laden with talent, but lacking urgency, creativity or dynamism which, of course, eventually leads to head-scratching losses. There’s only one way to go from here and that’s down, unless Carroll makes some wholesale changes. But that’s unlikely to happen, since to do so would discredit the philosophy he’s been preaching this whole time.

—Tony Pike is supposedly close to returning for Cincinnati. But my question is: Should Cincy put him back as the starter? After all, his replacement, Zach Collaros is 2-0 in Pike’s absence and has completed 74.6 percent of his passes and has nine touchdowns with just one interception. Just sayin’.

—After watching Iowa’s ridiculous comeback against Indiana, I must conclude that the Hawkeyes are the worst 9-0 team I’ve ever seen. I’m sure Iowa fans don’t mind.

—Is this eye gouging thing really such a big deal? I’m not defending it and I support some kind of suspension, but isn’t that stuff–and other dirty play–pretty standard for the bottom of a football pile? Didn’t Brandon Spikes just happen to get caught on camera?

—Mark Richt says he might finally replace senior Joe Cox at quarterback. I think it’s two losses too late. The Bulldogs don’t have any major postseason plans, so it’s time to get ready for next year. With this in mind, they should’ve been giving Logan Gray his shot a couple weeks ago.

—Don’t look now, but Duke is 5-3 and on the verge of a bowl berth, its first since 1994. But can the Blue Devils find one more win out of the remaining schedule? UNC, Georgia Tech, Miami and Wake Forest stand in the way. Still, big props to David Cutcliffe for the job he has done.

—I can’t remember the last time two brothers were as productive as James and Jacquizz Rodgers for Oregon State. Together, the two average 348 all-purpose yards per game and have scored 21 touchdowns.

—Quarterback under the radar: NC State’s Russell Wilson, who is third nationally with 21 touchdown passes. Quarterback who wishes he were more under the radar: Jevan Snead, who is tied for the national lead with 13 interceptions.

—As good as Boise State is, I think TCU is the non-AQ team with the best case for a title game berth if it wins out.

—Updated BCS Picks:

BCS Title Game: Alabama vs. Texas

Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Boise State

Rose Bowl: Iowa vs. Oregon

Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Cincinnati

Fiesta Bowl: Penn State vs. TCU

Pac-10 power rankings: Week 10

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:57:11 -0800

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

No changes this week, which may be a first this season.

1. Oregon: The Ducks left no doubt against USC. None. Zero. Now, can they maintain the focus that got them here -- the Pac-10 title within sight -- or will they start to do most-muscular poses in their bathroom mirror? Because if they start to get impressed with themselves, a physical Stanford squad will give them a whipping Saturday.

2. USC: Hello, police? Yes, this is the Pac-10 blog. Yeah, thanks. Every day! Cool. No, I'm not the greatest. Not always. No, Washington beating Oregon was not a great pick. Look, I'm calling to report a missing team. Yeah, the Trojans. I know! I knowwww! Well, if you see them, please get them tell them to call the Pac-10 blog. We're worried about them. There's a rumor they'll be in Tempe on Saturday, but we're not sure who will show up.

3. Arizona: Every team has at least two conference defeats. Except Oregon, which has none. And Arizona, which has one. That means that if the Wildcats can hold serve, they could steal the crown from the Ducks on Nov. 21 in Tucson. Of course, they'd also need to get a win in the season-finale at USC.

4. Oregon State: The Beavers held on against UCLA. Now, can they win at California? If so, they likely return to the national rankings and put themselves in good position for a nice bowl game.

5. California: The Bears have returned to the national rankings, but they won't officially move past their dreadful efforts vs. Oregon and USC until they beat top-half-of-the-Pac-10 teams. See above.

6. Stanford: The Cardinal sat at home this past weekend and watched their next two opponents play: Oregon and USC. Know this: Coach Jim Harbaugh and his players aren't afraid. They don't see an unstoppable offense coming to town this weekend. They see an opportunity.

7. Arizona State: The Sun Devils are fighting and clawing, but their bowl chances are dwindling. Of course, if they keep fighting and clawing, they might catch a flat USC team off its guard and reverse the trajectory of their season.

8. Washington: The Huskies are coming off a bye weekend knowing they have to win three of their final four games to become bowl eligible. While technically a visit to UCLA is not a must-win, know that it is. As it is for UCLA. In other words, one of these two teams will walk away with hope. The other, probably not.

9. UCLA: Losing five games in a row is a horrible way to start conference play. Fact is, though, the Bruins lost to five teams that are better than them. That's debatable about the next three foes, starting with the Huskies. If the Bruins hold together and win this weekend, their bowl hopes suddenly become better than decent.

10. Washington State: Notre Dame flicked the Cougars aside in San Antonio. And it only gets worse. Now the Cougs head to Tucson to play a rested and likely healthier Arizona squad that figures to be hungry. The challenge for coach Paul Wulff is to keep his team focused on getting better when it doesn't look like it can do much to improve the positive side of the win-loss ledger.

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.

Thunder and Lighting: Part Deux

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:37:04 -0800

(Photo by Icon Sports Media)

Here's a piece from ESPN’s Ted Miller on Allen Bradford's breakout game vs. on Oregon State. Bradford rushed for 147 yards on 15 carries (both career highs) and scored two touchdowns. Miller compares Joe McKnight and Bradford to LenDale and Reggie, Thunder and Lighting 2.0. Bradford doesn't agree though:

"Me and Joe will never be Reggie and LenDale," Bradford said. "All we can be is Joe and Allen, so that's what we're going to be."

Someone that does agree with Miller is Oregon coach Chip Kelly:

"With their stable of running backs, they've got thunder and lightning and hurricane, typhoon -- you name any storm, they've got it," Kelly said.

The USC ground game has unlimited potential. Can Joe and Allen be Thunder and Lighting 2.0? With the O-Line looking better and better each week, anything is possible. It would definitely be a treat to see Joe and Allen do their best Reggie and LenDale impersonation and go off on Halloween.

To read Ted Miller’s full article click here.

USC RB Bradford ready to thunder his arrival [espn]

The HeismanPundit.com Heisman Poll, 10/27

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:02:28 -0800

HeismanPundit.com Heisman Poll, 10/27
Total Points with first place votes in parantheses

1. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama–56 (9)

2. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame–26 (1)

3. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas–25

4. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida–23 (1)

5. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska–15 (1)

6. Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame–10 (1)

Case Keenum, QB, Houston–10

8. Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Oregon State–8

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State–8

10. Eric Berry, DB, Tennessee–4

Others receiving votes: Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia–3; C.J Spiller, RB, Clemson–2; Ryan Williams, RB, Va. Tech–2; Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma State–1; Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh–1; Matt Barkley, QB, USC–1

About the Poll

The HeismanPundit.com Heisman Poll is made up of 13 Heisman voters from across the country. They vote for five players each week. Tabulations are made on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis, with five points awarded for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote and so on. Last year’s final Heismanpundit poll was the most accurate in the country, picking five of the top six finishers in the Heisman vote, including the winner.

Members of the panel include: Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, Teddy Greenstein and Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune, Olin Buchanan and Tom Dienhart of Rivals.com, Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman, Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com, J.B. Morris of ESPN the Magazine, Austin Murphy, B.J. Schecter and Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated, plus Dick Weiss of the New York Daily News.

Chris Huston of HeismanPundit.com coordinates and also votes in the poll.

HP’s Thoughts

Mark Ingram has taken a commanding lead in the race and he should stay there for at least another week as Alabama uses a bye in preparation for LSU on Nov. 7. It appears Tim Tebow’s quest for a second Heisman is in major jeopardy unless he can turn things around soon. In the meantime, Colt McCoy and Jimmy Clausen have gained ground and one of them should emerge as the quarterback alternative to Ingram. October has been a rough month for most of the Heisman field and, as a result, it looks like this race could go down to the wire.

Heisman Game of the Week

No. 3 Texas at No. 13 Oklahoma State–Preseason favorite McCoy had a strong outing against Missouri last week and might be back on track after a rather erratic first half of the season. The Cowboys are the last ranked team on the Texas schedule, so it’s vital that McCoy play well–Heisman voters will be watching. It’s also a golden opportunity for McCoy to whittle away at Ingram’s lead while ‘Bama is on that bye week.

Player to Watch

Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska–It’s been 18 seasons since a defensive tackle finished among the top five in the Heisman vote. That player was Steve Emtman of Washington. Suh has a chance to join him in that elite group if he keeps playing like he has been. Suh is amazingly active for an interior player, leading the Cornhuskers (or tying for the lead) in 10 defensive categories, including tackles (44), tackles for loss (10), sacks (4), pass breakups (7), interceptions (1) and blocked field goals (2).

This Week in Heisman History

Unbeaten Ole Miss held a 3-0 lead over unbeaten LSU five minutes into the fourth quarter on Halloween night, 1959. A Jake Gibbs punt was fielded at the LSU 11-yard line by Tiger halfback Billy Cannon, who proceeded to wiggle his way through numerous tacklers en route to a miraculous 89-yard return for a touchdown. The score turned out to be the difference in LSU’s classic 7-3 victory and it clinched Cannon’s eventual Heisman triumph.

USC Cheap Shot

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:00:23 -0800

USC's Taylor Mays rips the helmet off Oregon State receiver James Rodgers in the fourth quarter of Saturday's game at the L.A. Coliseum.

"I didn't mean to rip the dude's helmet off," Mays said.

A Pacific 10 Conference official has been suspended for not calling a facemask penalty on Mays. The league did not identify the official.

Practice Insider: Injured Trojans plan on playing

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:59:00 -0800

After the Trojans survived a scare at home to Oregon State, it seemed possible that USC could face its next test, one of its biggest, without a trio of offensive weapons. Joe McKnight and Anthony McCoy both got banged up in the win over the Beavers, and Stanley Havili watched the game from the sidelines. With a huge game at No.10 Oregon Saturday night, the No. 5 Trojans got some encouraging news on Monday

The Skinny: 5 things to take away from the Oregon State game

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:04:25 -0800

Observations from the Coliseum and a few injury updates:

Mike Riley is a great coach: Riley proved once again that he is one of the most underrated coaches in the country. Why Tennessee (Riley has southern roots) or programs that have the infrastructure to be consistent top 15 teams have not intensely pursued him blows my mind. Riley and the OSU coaching staff had the Trojans number for the second year in a row on Saturday and he made one of the best defenses in the country look very pedestrian. Oregon State never quit and was one possession away from possibly winning the game.

The Rogers brothers aren’t too bad either. . .307 total yards and 2 touchdowns against the best defense in the Pac-10…

USC game MVP’s= Alan Bradford and Jeremy Bates: Is Lendale White back playing for the Trojans? Alan Bradford sure brought back memories of the former great Trojan tailback. The Trojans are starting to develop a mini Thunder-Lightning package which is going to really help keep opponents guessing. Bradford’s bruising style of running is complemented by deceptive top end speed that allows him to break off big runs like the 46 yard touchdown run in the second half. When Bradford is running hard it gives the Trojans offense a power mentality that fires everyone up and is the perfect compliment to a finesse style of offense.

Jeremy Bates called another fantastic game. With the exception of calling a long pass play in the 4th quarter up 13 points which was intercepted, Bates mixed up his play calling brilliantly and took advantage of a porous Oregon State pass defense. Bates continued to utilize the Tight Ends while allowing the running game to get into a rhythm.

(More on Bates and other observations after the jump)

HIGHLIGHTS: Oregon State 2009

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:42:38 -0800

Matt Barkley completed 15 of 25 passes for 202 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. In light of the interceptions, he has improved tremendously since the home opener against San Jose State. And it sure is nice having Ronald Johnson back on the field, too!

Allen Bradford rushed for a career high 147 yards and 2 touchdowns. Sharing number 21 and being a solid, bruising back, he looked liked LenDale White. Joe McKnight rushed for 65 yards on 11 carries and left the game near the end of the 1st half due to a hand injury; it is unknown what his status for next week is at the moment. With McKnight's speed and explosiveness combined with Bradford's bull-like qualities as a running back, will this tandem be Thunder and Lighting version 2.0?

Here are some of the defense "highlights" against the Beavers. USC struggled defensively against Oregon State last year, so it should have been no surprise this year considering they returned a veteran quarterback in Sean Canfield and the notorious Jacquizz Rodgers, along with brother James. Enjoy the few clips of the defense stopping the Beavers' offense. If any other team expects to beat Oregon State, it must be done with a good offense. No matter how good a defense is, it is hard to prepare for the Beaver offense.