An on-campus pep rally is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Galen Center. Admission is free.
Spirit packs will be sold at the rally for $20. They include a t-shirt designed by a USC student (click here to see a photo), a USC towel, and temporary tattoos. Proceeds benefit Student Activities. The packs are normally sold on weekdays at Topping Student Center, but NOT on game-day. You can also order by calling 213-740-5693.
The TrojanBookstore will host an art exhibit from 5 P.M. to 9 P.M. with alumni Dave Hobrecht, who will be premiering a new line of original USC artwork and limited edition prints. RSVP by emailng rsvp@uscbookstore.com.
Friday
Women's volleyball is having alumni night at the Galen Center when they take on UCLA at 7 P.M. Former players are flying in from all over the world -- literally.
Women's soccer will host Arizona at 3:00pm.
The Trojan Diving Invitational will take place in McDonald's Swim Stadium on Friday and Saturday.
Saturday
The football game kicks off 5 p.m. The ticket office was sold out as of Tuesday, except for a few solo seats (no pairs). The school's official resale partner is StubHub.
USC is 55-24-4 in homecoming games and has won the last five.
Trojan great Richard Wood will be honored at halftime for being voted into the national College Football Hall of Fame.
Campus will be packed all day long. "Frat Row" will be in McCarthy Quad again, so expect it to be a total zoo. Click here for a map of all official on-campus booths.
This weekend's homecoming opponent (Oregon State) will be clad in orange and black, but last week's loss gets our Halloween theme ...
USC Obituaries
CBS's Dennis Dodd penned, "In lieu of flowers, loved ones suggest you send Holiday Bowl ticket orders."
The Sporting News' Matt Hayes pronounced, "I come not to praise Oregon ... but to bury the Trojans." Sorry, Matt. You're not the first one to say that this season.
Some Farkers think USC is headed for the depths of ... scratch that, it froze over when they lost to Stanford.
Ouija Board Bowl Projections
There's a surprising amount of BCS optimism out there for Trojan fans:
WeAreSC's Jeremy Hogue sees a way for USC to make a BCS Bowl.
If you miss Coach O, read this semi-intelligible, R-rated parody of "A Day in the Life."
There were a lot of Trojans involved when former coaches Chow and Lane Kiffin faced off this weekend in the NFL. Chow's Tennessee Titans won on the shoulders of LenDale White's career game. Mike Williams of Kiffin's Oakland Raiders dropped the final pass of the game. Later, Williams was cut by Kiffin.
Other Sightings
The wildest action in Autzen on Saturday may have been in the press box.
The Ducks' sound bites are sounding a lot like the Trojans' used to. From the second paragraph of an AP recap: "Rose Bowl, national championship. You can't look ahead though ... we gotta take it game by game, which is what we've been doing. We got ASU this week. Our goal is always to win the Pac-10, and we're on the road for that."
Even the Old Gray Lady had a writer covering U.S.C. and Oregon.
Jerseys representing the retired numbers of Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart were finally hung in Heritage Hall on Tuesday, the same day Bush was sued in a scandal that threatens to strip him of his Heisman (the reason his number was retired in the first place).
BCS media guides were handed out at Pete Carroll's regular press conference this week, a few days after USC was practically eliminated from the BCS bowls.
Popular college football blog Everyday Should Be Saturday is running a weekly column titled Pete Carroll's Enchanted Gridiron Grotto, even though life in Troy is anything but Enchanted.
Three different sports are on a philanthropic roll this month ...
Women's soccer is making efforts to provided clean drinking water and save lives in Africa. Spearheaded by recent transfer Amy Massey, the program will collect water bottles and donate the proceeds from recycling to Water Wells for Africa. Bins are at all soccer home games and in the lobby of Heritage Hall. If you can support the effort in other ways (ex: large donations of recyclables), e-mail Massey at aemassey@usc.edu.
Women's volleyball is having a canned-food drive to support victims of the Southern California wildfires. This Friday when USC hosts UCLA at the Galen Center, each person who donates at least one can of food will receive $3 off of general admission. It should be a good crowd, as this is the first time USC has hosted the Bruins in the new facility, combined with homecoming weekend and Alumni Night.
Last Sunday, the men's basketball team held Dribble For The Cure. The event, involving basketball-related games and activities, awarded prizes to participants who raised the most money for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.
[UPDATE: THE CARDINAL AND GOLD SERIES HAS BEEN MOVED UP. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO.]
They say baseball season is like a marathon, but maybe it's more like an ultra-marathon. The MLB World Series just ended and USC is already ramping up its pre-preseason events ...
The Cardinal and Gold Series, an intrasquad scrimmage comprising two games,takes place this week at Dedeaux Field. Opening pitch is Thursday, Nov. 1 at 3 p.m., followed by a second game on Friday, Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. Both are free and open to the public ... The series mark the end of fall practice. The team will regroup February and start the season later that month. A full schedule is available here.
Head Coach Chad Kreuter will speak at Mercedes-Benz of Laguna Niguel on Thursday, Nov. 1, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The first 200 baseball fans who RSVP get free admission, food, drinks and maybe even a couple of rounds of golf. Kreuter will discuss the 2008 season and the Trojan Baseball Classic Golf Tournament -- then he'll raffle away a couple of free entries. RSVP by 8 p.m. on Oct. 30 (that's today) to (213) 740-2733.
The Sonora Cafe Hot Stove League is a speaker series that provides fans an intimate encounter with key figures in baseball history. Pete Rose will be at the first one on Nov. 5. At $500, it's not cheap, but seating is limited to 55 guests and the package includes three events. Proceeds will be put toward new facilities being built for the school's baseball team. More information is available on USC's website.
USC's next recruiting class will be announced on Nov. 14.
It was a rough weekend in Troy, with a few bright spots sprinkled in ...
Women's Volleyball - The Women of Troy provided some of the best results for USC this weekend, taking down #9 Cal and #3 Stanford. USC surprised the Cardinal with a come-from-behind victory at the Galen Center ... Asia Kaczor was named the national player of the week, with a combined 52 kills and 30 digs against the NorCal schools. It's the first time a Trojan has earned the honor since November 2003, and 5th time in the program's history ... USC is riding a 20-match winning streak at home, and are undefeated in the Galen Center since dropping the first match played in the facility against Stanford ... Friday is alumni night, with about 25 former players scheduled to attend (including Leslie Nelson, flying all the way from Paris).
Men's Water Polo - UCLA's Chay Lapin would fail an underwater fire-prevention class. The Bruins' goalie was on fire in the pool on Sunday, stopping 15 shots (including two penalties) to break the Trojans' 13-game winning streak. The 9-5 loss is USC's worst since falling to Stanford by the same score in 1997 ... There was something very idyllic about the game: palm trees, a pool, temps in the mid-80s, and a packed house working on their collective tan. Very SoCal.
Women's Soccer - USC lost, 2-0, on Friday to UCLA. Amy Rodriguez showed some of her international-level skills by trying to sell the ref on a penalty kick. After a hard tackle she remained face-down in the box for several seconds and tossed her arms in the air. She got the whistle, but the kick was placed just outside the 18. It was a good metaphor for the Trojans -- so close, yet so far. USC played tough, but UCLA put away two far-post goals in the second half. You can read more notes on the game in this post.
Women's Cross Country - The Women of Troy finished 8th in the Pac-10 championships -- a marked improvement from last year (10th) but still falling short of expectations for the promising young squad. Despite this weekend's result, USC will be sending six runners to NCAA regionals ... Sarah Cocco was the top finisher for USC and second among freshmen in the Pac-10.
Women's Swimming and Diving - In a meet where each team was restricted to 8 participants, USC came in fourth at the SMU Swimming and Diving Classic. Rebecca Soni was named Swimmer of the Meet, winning three individual events and one relay ... Both the men and women have the Trojan Invitational this weekend.
Women's Rowing - USC owned the water at the Head of the American Regatta in Sacramento, featuring mostly West Coast competition (including Cal and Stanford). The Trojans won every event, including 10 of the top 11 in pairs (Cal had a team in 8th).
Football Watch Lists - Several players were named to semifinalist lists for postseason honors ... Sedrick Ellis and Keith Rivers are among 17 players up for the Lott Trophy, awarded to the defensive player with the biggest impact on his team both on and off the field ... Rivers is also one of 10 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's premier linebacker ... Sam Baker is one of just four offensive players among the 12 Rotary Lombardi Award semifinalists, given to the top lineman in the nation.
After this weekend, the Trojans are wishing some of these guys were still on campus ...
LenDale White (RB - Tennessee) set a career high with 133 yards on the ground and added an eight yard reception to power the Titans over Oakland 13-9.
Reggie Bush (RB - New Orleans) may not have impressive rushing totals considering he's the Saint's feature back, but he's still a good fantasy pick. Stats from Sunday's 31-10 drubbing of San Francisco: 10 rushes, 64 yards, long of 20; 7 catches, 49 yards, long of 25.
Matt Cassell (QB - New England) rarely sees much action backing up Tom Brady, but the Patriots are so good (think USC a few years ago) that he was given a chance to make some plays. He connected on 21- and 7-yard passes and ran 15 yards for a touchdown. The Pats decimated Washington 52-7.
Carson Palmer (QB - Cincinnati) cracked a passer rating of 100
for the first time since week 2, but the Bengals dropped against rival
Pittsburgh 24-13. Palmer was 23-of-31 for 205 yards and a touchdown.
Keary Colbert (WR - Carolina) had 4 grabs for 35 yards but the Panthers fell to Indianapolis 31-7.
Justin Fargas (RB - Oakland) was the second leading rusher in the game to LenDale White, with 61 yards on 12 carries. He added three catches for 36 yards.
Sammy Knight (S - Jacksonville) made an interception and six tackles in a 24-23 win over Tampa Bay.
Willie McGinest (LB - Cleveland) made three tackles and also participated in three interceptions (though didn't make them himself).
Billy Miller (TE - New Orleans) had grabs of 5 and 12 yards to help the Saints beat the 49ers.
Troy Polamalu (S - Pittsburgh) made six tackles and participated in an interception against former teammate Palmer.
Mike Patterson (DT - Philadelphia) made four tackles in a win over Minnesota.
Junior Seau (LB - New England) made four tackles in the victory over Washington.
Kenechi Udeze (DE - Minnesota) made one sack and two tackles in a 23-16 victory over Philadelphia. Mike Williams (WR - Oakland) had two grabs for 20 yards while falling to Tennessee.
Against Oregon, Mark Sanchez looked like a quarterback starting just the third game of his career. He was.
The biggest crowd in Autzen history, 59,277 strong, seemed to shake him -- especially early on. It was clear that 80,000 in South Bend had not fully prepared him, despite his claims to the contrary.
Two interceptions and the first loss of his career are not stats he's proud to come home with.
Despite the downside, Sanchez was fun to watch. He scrambled. He made a shovel pass. He led a high-flying late touchdown drive, and almost did it twice. He was the anti-Booty.
And what about John David Booty? When polled this week, 54% of you said he should have started the game against Oregon. Pete Carroll disagreed, citing concerns with Booty's broken finger and resulting lack of touch on the ball.
This week, it seems likely that even more of you will want Booty back. It also seems likely that Carroll will agree this time.
Controversy is here for the foreseeable future. If Booty returns to the helm, people won't be satisfied unless he shows the same spirit and leadership that Sanchez has provided for the past three weeks. Booty is a good quarterback, but he's not a chameleon. He can't change his personality.
If Sanchez remains USC's signal caller, Booty will be breathing down his neck on every play. With each false step, the former Heisman candidate will be a more attractive choice to come in off the bench. Even if Sanchez performs well, there will be questions over how a senior team captain can lose his starting job due to an injury.
The Pacific-10 Conference has agreements with six bowl partners. The lineup is led by the Rose Bowl, which is the destination for the Pac-10 champion, unless said champion is ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the final Bowl Championship Series rankings. If that were the case, the Pac-10 champion would play in the BCS National Championship Game, which this year will be played in New Orleans following the Allstate Sugar Bowl. In addition to the Rose Bowl, Pac-10 bowl partners include the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, Brut Sun Bowl, Emerald Bowl, Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl and Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. Pac-10 bowl assignments are determined by the final conference standings. If there is a tie for the Pac-10 championship, the head-to-head winner among the tied teams shall be awarded the conference’s top bowl position. In the event of a tie for any position in the standings other than the championship, the affected bowl may choose its participant from among the tied teams. Following is a summary of the Pac-10 bowl arrangements for the 2007-08 season:
Bowl Game (Site); Pac-10 Team; Opponent; Date; TV
Rose Bowl presented by Citi (Pasadena); Pac-10 #1; Big Ten; Jan. 1; ABC
Pacific Life Holiday Bowl (San Diego); Pac-10 #2; Big 12; Dec. 27; ESPN
Brut Sun Bowl (El Paso); Pac-10 #3 Big 12/BE/ND Dec. 31 CBS
Emerald Bowl (San Francisco); Pac-10 #4 or 5; ACC; Dec. 28; ESPN
Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl (Las Vegas); Pac-10 #4 or 5; Mountain West; Dec. 22; ESPN
Oregon was clearly the better team on Saturday and showed why they're a legitimate contender for the national title. Looking back on the key themes entering the game ...
Unstoppable force or immovable object? The immovable object (when it counted) was Oregon's defense. They had three clutch turnovers. As for the anticipated matchup of Oregon O and USC D, the Trojans held the dynamic Ducks to 212 yards less than their average production. While they did allow a rare 100-yard rusher, Stewart's 103 were well below his average. Also impressive was that USC only allowed 115 yards in the second half. So why did they give up 24 points? Once again, turnovers hurt the Trojans and gave Oregon great field position.
Is Mark Sanchez the real deal? Yes. And no. We'll have another post on this coming right up.
Will the offensive line jell? They didn't seem to: Rachal and Radovich had two major penalties ... The coaches apparently didn't have enough faith to run it up the middle on 4th and 1 early on, sending McKnight on a futile end-run instead ... USC only gained 101 yards on the ground ... Sanchez was sacked just once, but only because he escaped and scrambled several times ... Sam Baker went out again with an injury.
Washington, Johnson, or McKnight? In the tailback rotation, Johnson only had three touches (likely because of his lingering foot injury). Washington was dependable, but the coaches didn't go to him on the aforementioned 4th down. McKnight showed flashes of his Reggie Bush-esque assets, especially on a long touchdown that was called back by Radovich's penalty. He also showed Bush-esque liabilities when he lost ground on 4th down. He should have had more touches, but not that one.
Where's the Cush? Brian Cushing came back from injury and made eight tackles, but five of his teammates reached double-digits in that category. These guys had a long day at the office.
Can the wide receivers hang on? The receiving corps made some tough catches and showed improvement.
I expected these questions to sum up the outcome -- whatever it would be -- but concerns from earlier in the season have reared their ugly head. USC continued to hurt itself with penalties (80 yards) and turnovers (3), suffered a key injury (Sam Baker), and struggled with punts (a 36.4-yard average when kicking and no returns when receiving).
It might be good news that USC heads into next week's homecoming game against Oregon State (looking for revenge from last year, no less) ... but Stanford was supposed to be easy, too.
Since my battery fizzled, these thoughts are more on the game as a whole than the 4th quarter (as scribbled on the back of a cocktail menu):
Well, at least USC's women's volleyball knocked off highly favored Stanford tonight in a comeback. ... There's absolutely zero question. Dynasty over. The Trojans were all but technically eliminated from continuing their reign today, as the BCS bowls slipped out of reach. On the upside, USC is bowl eligible. It's such a natural state of affairs that nobody really noticed last week when USC clinched a birth (the focus, instead, was on Notre Dame being eliminated). ... In retrospect, the face-mask holding penalty that negated Joe McKnight's touchdown run was one of the biggest turning points of the game. USC was about to deflate the crowd and gain some major mojo. ... Misdirection was a major theme for the Ducks on both sides of the ball. USC players, TV cameras and bar patrons all followed the wrong Oregon players at different times throughout the game. It was most noticeable when the Ducks were on offense, but Matthew Harper's win-clinching interception was created when he lined up on the opposite side of the field of the player he was covering, then came across to surprise an unsuspecting Mark Sanchez. ... Leaving in Sanchez was the right call (even if John David Booty was healthy enough to come in), but the QB controversy will linger, probably well into next season. Booty may leave, but Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain will become eligible. More on that shortly. ... The 9-0 is clearly the center of Trojan country, with a crowd that bleeds cardinal and gold. Even compared with traditional alumni hangouts like Sharkeez, you won't find anywhere with more people rocking USC gear. Actually, one of the girls from this photo was wearing blue in the bar -- and she didn't even lose a bet like Brady Quinn. Go figure. Overall, the place was packed with student and alumni from 21 to 51+. I know many of you are still skeptical, but it's become a nice sports bar. I made a believer out of my roommate today. ... Within minutes of the last interception, the place was almost empty. Had the result been different ...
The bar is filling up (compare above to pregame). ...
Penalties are becoming a big factor in this game (USC isn't doing well on that end, as usual). ... Turnovers could also be key down the stretch, but at least USC was saved by the replay booth (actually, they had the call upheld). USC was driving for the end zone and had a potential fumble that was ruled an incomplete pass. Seconds later, Patrick Turner actually held onto a ball -- in the end zone. ...
This game is a classic battle. If you're reading while the game is live, turn on your TV! ...
Yup, turnovers matter. USC just gave it up in their own red zone and Stewart took it in for a score. ...
After a few beers, the 9-0 crowd is trying to put it in perspective: [paraphrasing] "Oregon is a really hard place to play. And we've had a lot of injuries this season." ...
Shovel pass from Sanchez to Turner? This kid is fun to watch.
...
USC is driving and the crowd is getting up. My battery level, however, is getting low. I could be out of commission for a bit ...
This game is living up to its billing in terms of excitement. Oregon's misdirection has them on top, but USC is responding with smash-mouth defense. ...
9-0 pizza is also living up to its billing. If you want something unique, try feta, sausage, spinach and roasted garlic. ...
USC opened the first quarter with a fumble recovery. It was a repeat performance to start the second quarter. ...
Just spotted an Oregon fan in a lucha libre mask. I'd love to see him wrestle some of the Mark Sanchez fan base. Sanchez, by the way, has shown excellent mobility. On a broken pass play, he ran for five yards. Earlier, he had two incompletions that Booty never would have been able to attempt. ...
The girl sitting next to me right now is the polar opposite of the girl studying at the bar. This one drunk-dialed her parents at 10:45 this morning. Ahhhh, college.
It took five seconds for the crowd to erupt. A quick turnover durning the opening kickoff put USC on the 20 and put 9-0 goers on the edge of their seats. ...
It's not the 9-0 you remember, but it is college ... students could be seen studying at the bar (above) between plays. Who needs highlights when you've got a highlighter? ...
Things calmed down. The crowd wasn't very inspired by the three-and-out play of USC. Mark Sanchez needs to adjust to the noise and calm down. ...
And now USC is down 7-0. ...
A holding call just wiped out a wild Joe McKnight touchdown. The kid does look a little like Reggie. ...
If you ever wondered what it's liked in the press box, imagine a library perched precariously over a football field.
The reason I bring it up is that you've got everything you could want when you're watching from home (or your local watering hole, if you're dorky enough to bring along a laptop). You probably have it better than the press box. Sure, they get free hot dogs ... but they also get to deal with 100 other people slowing down the Wi-Fi connection. Your TV is probably bigger than the press box monitors, and your access to game trackers on ESPN and CSTV is the exact same thing the media is using.
College football is fun no matter where you are, but I'm definitely appreciating high-def screens and a kitchen. As Joe Pesci might say, "I've got everything!"
Actually, it's almost noon -- but it's hard for people on a college campus to wake up on Saturdays for an away game (especially when you're a three-point 'dog).
In case you're wondering, Trojan country doesn't seem to follow the same odds as Vegas. USC seems to be an 18+ point favorite around here (our waitress pegged the final score at 35-16). If you want to win some cash, this is the place to be.
This is a good opportunity to catch up on the other USC football team. The Women of Troy hopped a bus over to Westwood last night to take on the nation's consensus #1 soccer squad. Neither team had lost in their last 10 games, and USC had recently surged to #2 in one of the major polls.
USC held the momentum early, but couldn't produce anything on the scoreboard. It looked like this rivalry could be headed for a fourth straight overtime result after a scoreless first half. Instead, UCLA found the net shortly after the restart, and buried a second far-post shot in the 65th minute. It was the first time the Trojans had allowed more than one goal in regulation this season.
USC made a couple more runs at the Bruins' defense, but UCLA's keeper, Valarie Henderson, handled all five legit shots during the game for a 2-0 shutout. At least around USC this morning, people seem blissfully unaware of the result.
Attendance was listed at an impressive 3,345 (many times what USC gets at home games), but I'm skeptical that many stuck around for the women's game. The Bruins had a double-header, with the men's match delaying the start of the women's. You may remember the UCLA men suffered such a giant upset in last year's NCAA title game that students at UCSB stole their own goal and threw it off a cliff onto the beach.
There's a lot going on in the Land o' Troy this week, so I won't be making the trip to Oregon. In between USC-UCLA women's soccer and USC-UCLA men's water polo, this seems like a good chance to try some more of the live-blogging we've been talking about (in the dark, cigar-smoke-filled room where all the bloggers and power-brokers hang out).
No point in doing this from my couch or from just any bar.
Tomorrow you can find me at the 9-0. Yes, the 901 Club. The 'hole. That place.
And I'll be posting every quarter with pictures and reactions from USC's just-off-campus bar -- the only spot in L.A. that might be rowdy enough to simulate a mini-Autzen. (OK, maybe not.)
Everybody is welcome to join. I'm talking to you, the Greek still hungover from last night's philanthropy/exchange/invite. I'm talking to you, the yuppie, loft-dwelling alumni. I'm talking to you, the ironic, South-Florida-T-shirt-wearing Silverlake hipster.
Time to frame the discussion. Here's what Pete Carroll had to say about playing the Ducks (above), and here are the questions I'll be asking during the game ...
Unstoppable force or immovable object? The best offense in the Pac-10 is about to take on the best defense in the Pac-10. This is why everybody is tuning in. Both sides seem relatively healthy, so there will be no excuses. They say that offense wins games and defense wins championships. Both will be on the line.
Is Mark Sanchez the real deal? After Notre Dame, USC's green quarterback sounded sure that he can handle the crowd in Autzen. News flash: 80,000 depressed Irish aren't anything compared with 50,000 jacked-up Ducks. He may have been brash, but if he can live up to his rapidly growing hype, he'll be the BMOC (please, no Big Mexican On Campus jokes). If he can't, there's some kid named Booty anxious to step in.
Will the offensive line jell? When O'Dowd and Rachal went down on the same play against Washington, you could see things fall apart. With six players returning to the unit for this game, they'll be a lot healthier -- but can they work together when the crowd drowns out their ability to communicate?
Washington, Johnson, or McKnight? These three won the battle of attrition to make up USC's tailback rotation, so now it's a matter of which will step up. Maybe the more accurate question is how long until Johnson and McKnight eclipse Washington?
Where's the Cush? Rose Bowl MVP Brian Cushing got back in the swing of things last week after missing half the season with ankle problems. Now that he's healthy and raring to go, look for him to be an impact player against a team averaging 550 yards per game.
Can the wide receivers hang on? We know Vidal Hazelton is an escape artist. We know Patrick Turner is tall. But can these guys catch the ball when it counts and the pressure is on? Can anybody beside Fred Davis just hold onto the dang ball?
After limping into their first game of 2007 without four starters and still winning by four touchdowns, the Trojans lost three first-place votes in the AP poll.
An abysmal run against Washington, Stanford, and Arizona quickly brought the juggernaut back to Earth. USC didn't even crack the top 25 in some computer standings.
So the Trojans responded, with their backup quarterback, by going into Notre Dame Stadium and torching the Irish for the biggest USC victory in the history of the venerable series.
The coaches poll responded in their own way -- by leap-frogging Arizona State, which didn't even play that week, ahead of the Trojans.
The only consistent thing about USC this year has been their slide. A lot of people around the country may be enjoying this, but maybe, just maybe, USC fans can enjoy it, too.
A couple of days ahead of the USC-Oregon matchup, the Trojans are a three-point underdog. It's not a position they're accustomed to. The last time USC wasn't favored against a conference opponent was six years ago. Things were different back then. USC was still a year away from being a Cinderella, much less a Godzilla, of college football.
Let's rewind. Nov. 11, 2001 was one heck of a football game.
There's a certain USC quarterback from Orange County with a million-dollar smile, floppy locks and charm oozing out of his ears -- but his name isn't Matt Leinart. Nope, Mark Sanchez is the new poster boy. A lot of attention is on his heritage. I remember over a year ago, when somebody posted on a message board and asked if Sanchez could be the first Mexican American starting quarterback at USC. The author of the message was attacked for being insensitive, and the general consensus was, "Aren't we past that sort of thing?" Based on recent media attention, apparently not ...
Scott Schmidt (Boi from Troy) came up with the headline everybody wishes they thought of first: Mark Sanchez's Mexican Grill.
Sanchez seems to be taking it all in stride, and even made a joke about the marching band playing "Lean Like a Cholo." Elbows up -- but tuck that ball.
Eccentrics of the Week
USC is 7th in the Harris Poll, 8th in the USA Today Poll, and ranked 22nd by the computers to come out to 12th in the BCS. The AP poll has the Trojans 9th. Some of the dissenting opinions:
Jeff Sagarin (a component of the BCS computer rankings) has USC 29th.
Of the 65 AP voters, USC topped out in 5th place on eight ballots. With so many bunched at the top, I'll just list their geographies: Idaho, Georgia, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The eighth was Chris Fowler (ESPN is national, unless you want to call it Connecticut). The Idaho voter (Mark Prater) was the only one to have USC at #5 last week.
Stewart Mandel (SI.com) again has USC the lowest among AP voters at #16. Closely behind (ahead?) were Scott Wolf (Los Angeles Daily News) and Austin Ward (Casper Star-Tribune), who both had the Trojans at #14.
Other Notes
There are at least four teams in the Pac-10 that are greater than LSU.
Something Charlie Weis and Pete Carroll have in common? An appreciation of Bruce Springsteen.
USCTrojans.com and USCRipsIt.com were leading the school's online PR charge for athletics, but now the rest of the school is partnering with YouTube.
Putting Out An APB For ...
I know, I know. I'm stealing a category from the Forde Yard Dash. But it's for a good reason.
Has anybody seen the video of the original Trojan-Irish game played in 1926 at the Coliseum? Dan Weber of the Riverside Press-Enterprise mentioned that he saw a link on one of the Irish message boards last week, but neither of us could find it this week. Apparently both teams are wearing dark jerseys, so it's hard to make out in black-and-white, but it still must be a great watch. (If SMQB can find this 1906 clip, 1926 should be easy.)
Dan also shed some light on this photo, but more information is welcome.
Photo from last year's USC-ND game. Maybe they should quit while they're ahead. Or at least not dead. Cue Digger.
This is a bit late because I lost some time to traveling this weekend, but at least now you know that ...
Reggie Bush (RB - New Orleans) followed up his biggest statistical game of the year with his guttiest. While he only picked up 54 yards on 17 carries and 19 yards on five catches, he was clutch in the 22-16 victory over Atlanta. He pounded his way for the game-winning score, defying the notion that he can't run downhill. To celebrate, he threw the ball into the second deck. Then, on a two-point conversion, he beat everybody to the outside and dove into the end zone.
LenDale White (RB - Tennessee) rumbled for 104 yards on 27 carries, one of which was for a score. Tennessee took down Houston without the services of an injured Vince Young, thanks to a record eight field goals from kicker Rob Bironas.
Carson Palmer (QB - Cincinnati) was far from perfect, but helped the Bengals snap a four-game skid by beating the Jets, 38-31. Palmer was 14-for-21 for 226 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Troy Polamalu (S - Pittsburgh) returned from injury and had seven tackles in a Steeler loss to Denver.
Junior Seau (LB - New England) had his interception streak snapped, but made six tackles and had a sack in a victory over Miami.
Kenechi Udeze (DE - Minnesota) made two tackles, had a sack, and forced a fumble in a loss to Dallas.
Matt Cassel (QB - New England) was 0-for-2 with a pick in mop-up duty for Tom Brady in the win over Miami.
Justin Fargas (RB - Oakland) had a 1-yard rush and three catches for 19 yards in a loss to Kansas City.
Lofa Tatupu (LB - Seattle) increased his season tackle total to 50 with four in a win over St. Louis.
Sammy Knight (S - Jacksonville) made six tackles in a loss to Indianapolis.
Billy Miller (TE - New Orleans) made a seven-yard reception, his third catch of the season, in a victory over Atlanta.
Mike Patterson (DT - Philadelphia) had four tackles in a loss to Chicago.
Also played: Shaun Cody (DT - Detroit), LaJuan Ramsey (DT - Philadelphia), Mike Williams (WR - Oakland).
USC's ice hockey team will head up Figueroa on Thursday night to take on archrival UCLA at Staples Center
The game is part of a special college promotion, at which students showing a valid ID can get into the Kings-Stars game for as little as $10, and steep discounts are available for better seats. The pro game will immediately be followed by the USC-UCLA showdown. The doubleheader starts at 7:30 p.m.
Ice hockey at USC is organized under rec sports. The Trojans have been the Pac-8 champion in seven of the last 10 years, though they are 0-2 in league play this year.
For more information on the promotion, click here.
Women's Soccer - Amy Rodriguez is tougher than you. After cracking her head into another player in a 3-0 win over Cal last week, a doctor stapled an inch-long gash back together so she could continue playing. Not stitched. Stapled. Two days later, she scored a header in the final minutes to tie top-ranked Stanford, 1-1, in Palo Alto ... The Trojans' big weekend earned them a #2 ranking in Soccer Buzz, and #5 in Soccer Times and Soccer America (which didn't even have USC ranked to start the season) ... Lauren Brown was named to the SoccerBuzz
Elite Team of the Week ... The Women of Troy invade Westwood on Friday to take on UCLA. The crosstown showdown could be one of the best games of the year. The Bruins are now ranked #1 in all four major polls, and the last three games betweens these teams went into overtime.
Women's Volleyball - USC earned a split on the road last week, beating Washington State, 3-1, but getting swept by Washington. At 17-3 (6-3 in conference), the Trojans are two games behind the Huskies and Stanford in the Pac-10. They fell from 4th to 6th in the national rankings (Washington was 5th) ... There are nine games left in the Pac-10 season. The next three will be at home.
Men's Water Polo - USC continued to roll, though allowed more scoring than usual. Last week they took down UC Santa Barbara by a score of 14-10, the first time the Trojans have allowed double digits since Oct. 7, 2006. The Trojans also continued to spread their own scoring around, with 10 different players hitting the back of the net ... The top-ranked and undefeated Trojans jump in the pool with UCLA on Sunday. USC has a four-game winning streak against their crosstown rival, each by a single goal.
Men's Golf - USC placed third in a field of 18 at the Isleworth-UCF Collegiate Invitational in Florida, which wrapped on Tuesday. Sophomore Jamie Lovemark was second overall.
Women's Swimming and Diving - Football wasn't the only sport with a good weekend in South Bend. The #13 Women of Troy sunk #17 Notre Dame in the water. They were led by Golden Goggle nominee Rebecca Soni, who won three races and broke two pool records.
Men's Swimming and Diving - The 15th ranked men's team got in the pool for the first time this year and had no problem dispatching #22 Notre Dame. Vanni Mangoni won three events and the Trojans had multiple 1-2-3 finishes.
Women's Cross Country - Senior captain Laura Meyers was the fastest woman at the Titan Invitational in Fullerton, leading USC to a second place finish overall. It was the fourth consecutive first place by a Trojan ... Several of USC's top runners sat out in preparation for the Pac-10 Championships being held this weekend at Oregon State.
Women's Tennis - In a successful ITA West Regionals, USC's Amanda Fink and Gabriela Niculescu took home the doubles title, qualifying them for the national indoor championships in November. Fink also made the semifinals in individual play.
Men's Tennis - Call it a double-double. The men also took the ITA West Regional doubles title this weekend with the tandem of Robert Farah and Kae Van't Hof.
Baseball - This season's schedule is out. Two of the games are against Irvine. The Anteaters are coached by former Trojan skipper Mike Gillespie, who also happens to be the father-in-law of current USC coach Chad Kreuter. That's almost as awkward as the whole Brady Quinn's sister thing.
Athletes engaged in limited drills due to air quality, as an eerie light was filtered by the haze.
The Southland is burning, and wispy fingers of smoke are choking USC's campus. Even though there are no wildfires threatening the school, there are blazes to the west in Malibu, south in Orange and San Diego counties, and east in San Bernadino County.
Pete Carroll tried to keep the mood light when asked about the impact of the conditions on practice.
"The coaches were asking about wearing the SARS masks, but I don't know if that's going to help us."
Besides bad air quality, athletes training at USC today are contending with blistering temperatures. It's a week from November but the mercury is well into the 90s.
The important news is that there have been no reports of fires impacting the families of current USC athletes, though several alumni have been evacuated. Baseball pitching coach Tom House, who lives in the San Diego area, had his commute snarled by the evacuations. It took him an hour and a half to drive just 11 miles.
Coach Tom Walsh, who oversees distance running, checks with the South Coast Air Quality Management District when conditions get bad. He said the smoke has impacted both his teams. On Monday, track took the day off and cross country drove out to Manhattan Beach for some fresh air. Tuesday, both squads had a scaled-down workout and went into the weight room early. The rest of the week will be the same, and outside work will be limited.
It could always be worse. Walsh recalled fires a few years ago when "we weren't allowed to train for two or three days because there was actually ash coming down."
The women's soccer team opted to head indoors today instead of practicing on the field.
The most poignant coverage of these fires comes to us from CBS 8's Larry Himmel. He reported on his home of 25 years burning to the ground, and still had the presence of mind to say "it's not all about me" before sharing some hopeful words for his neighbors.
[UPDATE: Football practice was generally unaffected, though it was hot and smoky.]
Earlier today, a commenter took a shot at Mark Sanchez and his Mexican flag mouthpiece. I responded and said she may want to Ask A Mexican. Not sure if she would, I did.
Gustavo is a funny guy. He's very considerate. And he's controversial.
He also sent me this link to one of his columns about Mexican identity, which may be of interest to people who are hot and bothered on all the USC Internet message boards.
Of course, the biggest irony to me is that Sanchez just led the Trojans to a victory over the Irish. You don't hear anybody complaining about that, but imagine what would be said if they were the University of Southern California Mexicans.
After a commanding performance in the 2007 Rose Bowl, John David Booty was the preseason Heisman candidate. Not a candidate, the candidate. In some circles, he had almost been anointed before the season started. The two-time Trojan team captain was clearly BMOC (Big Man On Campus).
Some meager performances, a broken finger, a disastrous upset, and two consecutive wins by plucky fill-in Mark Sanchez have changed things.
Watch the video to see what Pete Carroll had to say about his two signal callers immediately after the Notre Dame game, then vote on which one you want to see start at quarterback next week in Oregon. And feel free to debate the pros and cons in our comments section.
The faces of Irish fans everywhere just turned a shade of green akin to their team's throwback jerseys.
The Notre Dame Fighting Floundering Irish were punked on their home turf Saturday night in a loss unrivaled in the nation's greatest intersectional rivalry. With a 38-0 shutout, USC also assured the Golden Domers that they would suffer just their 13th losing season since the team was formed in 1887. Their abysmal 1-7 record has only been matched once in the program's glamorous history.
USC's six consecutive victories against Notre Dame is matched only by Michigan and Michigan State (both streaks have since ended).
The Irish donned their "lucky" jerseys (and tube socks) in honor of a 1977 championship team, but since that time they are a mere 2-5 when starting games in green -- and 1-5 since 1995.
So much for the luck of the Irish.
The last time USC played in South Bend, the green jerseys were a not-so-well kept secret that culminated in a crushing loss to the Trojans. That game went down as one of the greatest in the history of the sport, with Matt Leinart's now-famous 4th-and-9 audible and the infamous "Bush Push."
For an Irish perspective, you can read the official pregame press release about green jerseys after the jump.
Speaking of Notre Dame traditions, the trophy for this rivalry game is a shillelagh adorned with team logos to represent each victory. The original shillelagh was retired prior to the 1990 game. Tonight, the Trojans not only kept their prize for a sixth consecutive year, but claimed the series lead (9-8-1) since the introduction of the new trophy, which was handcrafted in County Leitrum, Ireland.
Here are a couple images from tonight's thrashing of Notre Dame. The biggest USC victory in the series' history ended 38-0 and left big smiles on the faces of Trojan faithful.
We'll have more in video form tomorrow morning ...
For the past 47 years, Sargent Tim McCarthy has been the traffic safety message announcer at all Notre Dame home games. Retired from the Indiana State Police, he continues to entertain the crowds every week with a pun or sharp observation about dangerous activities such as drunk driving.
His pronouncement at this week's USC game ...
"Alcohol might make you feel accelerated, but you may not be able to pronounce it."
The Spirit of Troy was the centerpiece of a large pep rally this Friday at Chicago's Navy Pier. If you couldn't make the trip, this is what you missed. There are also a few photos after the jump.
After banking hard to both sides, my Southwest flight pulled up and the captain announced that he would have to try landing again because "they sent us in at the wrong angle."
That was Wednesday night coming into Midway. On Thursday night, the Trojans' own charter flight had an even more harrowing experience.
It hasn't been a good week for travel.
Hours before USC's freaky flight, I took the South Shore Line from Chicago to South Bend. Actually, I took it to Gary, Indiana, where we waited for a couple of hours due to a problem on the rails ahead of us. Eventually, we pressed on to Michigan City to board a bus. The train stop was named, appropriately, (Pete) Carroll Ave -- and the sign was an off-shade of cardinal.
We passed several cornfields on our detour, but T.J. Simers was nowhere to be found.
We also passed through the rural Indiana town where the Trojans' team hotel is located. USC may be staying there, but it was clearly Irish country. The most visible sign in town was at a Subway (which was probably the finest dining establishment for miles) and said, "Go Notre Dame!"
Somebody warned me the South Shore Line was "ghetto," but other than the delays it wasn't that bad. It will probably be ghetto fabulous when the USC pre-party pulls out at 8 a.m. on Saturday. A Notre Dame student and Irish Eyes staffer told me that drinking is allowed on board.
A train system employee said they were prepared for a large crowd, with two early trains consisting of six and eight cars. My midweek train only had two.
I was first introduced to the concept of "giddy" in the third Indiana Jones movie, when a beautiful blond described Sean Connery's character as "giddy as a schoolgirl."
Today, I don't know many phrases less macho than "giddy."
But I don't know what can be more macho than Indiana Jones, Sean Connery and college football.
So when you visit the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, go ahead, be giddy.
I was.
The Hall of Fame rolls out the red carpet every time a team visits Notre Dame. This weekend you can't miss the Trojan regalia that adorns the entrance. The building is a shrine to the rich history of the sport, and well worth the trip -- especially during USC's biennial pilgrimage.
Located a short cab ride from Notre Dame or the South Bend airport, it's open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday (be forewarned, it gets busier on Friday than game day).
For a full list of hours and other important information, click here or go to their main website.
More photos and a list of USC's inductees after the jump.
A small group of reporters stood in the hallway by Notre Dame's indoor practice facility a few moments ago, waiting for their limited chance to film and observe the Golden Domers. Unlike USC, whose practices are open to the media, Notre Dame restricts access to the first few minutes while the team warms up.
Just as the doors swung open, a familiar refrain began to bellow -- and it wasn't the Notre Dame Victory March. Instead, Tribute to Troy and Fight On boomed on a continuous loop through the facility's PA, getting the Irish used to the sound of the invading Trojans. So used to it, in fact, they mockingly booed when the CD stopped short.
Coach Charlie Weis patrolled the warm-ups with a calm swagger, spinning his whistle around and chit-chatting with players and NFL scouts. He joked about the music, saying they could expect some East Coast tunes in the future. A source familiar with the program said Weis is a big fan of Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen.
I'm blogging from a train in Gary, Indiana. The South Shore Line (from Chicago to South Bend) has "indefinite delays" due to a problem on the tracks. Perfect time to catch up on the best (and worst) in this week's punditry, reporting and YouTube videos.
UPDATE: They've scratched the train and are bringing in buses. But at least they're giving me a free ticket for a future ride because of the hour+ delay.
Not all Peters think alike. Fox Sport's Peter Schrager tapped the Trojans as his biggest disappointment of the season. At least they're #1 at something.
Apparently Joe McKnight's efforts were nominated for the Pontiac Game-Changing Performance, but I'm having trouble finding the exact link (lousy Internet connection out here).
One blogger went on a blistering USC-bashing rant, but his most interesting observation was almost an afterthought. Check out the state-by-state map for ESPN's survey on "Which conference had the best Saturday?" (This poll is old, but still interesting -- see more updates in the comments below.)
Let's Go Polling
USC is out of the AP top 10 for the first time in 62 weeks. While they sit at #13, not everybody sees it that way. Our AP Eccentrics of the Week are ...
If you want to scope out another college football blog under the Tribune Company umbrella, check out Brian Hamilton's Around the Bend from the Chicago Tribune. Brian's been hanging out at USC this week, so we're curious to see what he thinks of the land of Troy.
