USC-Oregon: Gary Klein gives a preview of the critical Pac-12 game [Video]

Times reporter Gary Klein talks to Cinesport's Noah Coslov about the USC-Oregon game on Saturday.

The No. 18-ranked Trojans will have their hands full on defense trying to stop the high-octane offense of the No. 4 Ducks, who average 46.7 points and 498.3 yards of offense. Running back LaMichael James leads the nation with 150 yards rushing a game.

Among the points of interest that Klein and Coslov cover:

--USC must avoid mistakes and control the ball.

--The Trojans, who have faced top-notch running backs and quarterbacks this season, will have to account for all of the Ducks' weapons on each play to try to slow down their pace.

--USC must be able to make big plays to keep drives moving.

Which is easier said than done, since only Louisiana State in the season opener has been able outplay Oregon.

--Dan Loumena

Chris Dufresne on Penn State, BCS scenarios and more [Video]

Penn State got back to football on Saturday, but the cloud of the Jerry Sandusky scandal still looms large. The Times' Chris Dufresne tells CineSport's Noah Coslov that even though the Nittany Lions are bowl-eligible, we may not see them playing beyond the regular season.

Dufresne also discusses BCS championship scenarios, which may be a lot simpler than it appeared a couple weeks ago. As he wrote on Monday:

Louisiana State and Oklahoma State are, indisputably, the two top teams and headed for a quarrel-free collision in the BCS title game.

LSU and Oklahoma State are the only remaining undefeated schools from the six major conferences.

The Tigers and Cowboys were a rock-solid 1-2 in Sunday's release of the weekly BCS standings.

LSU needs only to beat Mississippi on the road and Arkansas at home and then win the Southeastern Conference title game to play for its third BCS title since 2002. The Tigers won the two previous title games played in New Orleans (2003 and 2007).

Oklahoma State needs a win at Iowa State this week and then to beat Oklahoma in Stillwater on Dec. 3.

Dufresne also discusses Andrew Luck's Heisman Trophy prospects after Stanford's loss to Oregon on Saturday.

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UCLA football: Chris Foster on Bruins' postseason hopes [Video]

Times reporter Chris Foster, who covers the UCLA football team, spoke with Cinesport's Josh Thomson about the big loss in Salt Lake City on Saturday, when it appeared the Bruins' Pacific 12 Conference South Division title hopes disappeared in a 31-6 defeat to Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

But when Washington State knocked off Arizona State, 37-27, it kept alive UCLA's hopes of playing in the conference title game.

Here's how Foster summarized it in his follow-up article:

Arizona State was in control of the division, but lost consecutive games, one against UCLA, giving the Bruins the tiebreaker if the two teams finish tied.

“I don’t know if it’s surviving, but all we have to do is survive the next two weeks,” linebacker Patrick Larimore said.

That was a decent parting gift from a painful visit to Salt Lake City. But in a division where no one goes home a loser, UCLA is right where it needs to be, provided the Bruins are done rolling over and playing dead.

“I think there is parity in this league,” Coach Rick Neuheisel said. “SC is a talented team, but there were two teams that went out and ran away from everyone else.”

Of course, if UCLA is to represent the South Division in the Pac-12 title game, it will have USC to thank in large part, mainly for being on probation and ineligible for postseason play.

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Bruins' spirits lifted after lopsided loss to the Utes

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UCLA takes another step back in football

--Dan Loumena

Gary Klein discusses USC football [Video]

Times' columnist Gary Klein discusses USC football with CineSport's Brian Clark, looking back on Saturday's 40-17 victory over Washington and ahead to next week's showdown with Oregon.

The Trojans played their most impressive defensive game of the season against the Huskies, Klein says, which is a good thing considering the team that awaits them.

As Klein wrote for Sunday's Times:

The Trojans, who improved to 8-2 overall and 5-2 in the Pac-12 Conference, head to Autzen Stadium next week to play sixth-ranked Oregon, a 53-30 winner over third-ranked Stanford on Saturday.

"It gives us a big boost," junior defensive end Nick Perry said of the Trojans' performance. "We're going to be ready to go."

That might not be enough against the Ducks.

The last time the Trojans traveled to Eugene, they were all but massacred on Halloween Night in 2009, 47-20.

USC players are confident it will be different this time, mainly because the defense appears to be much improved.

The Trojans recorded a season-high seven sacks against Washington. They also got a game-turning play from Kyle Negrete on a fake punt and a kickoff return for a touchdown by Marqise Lee.

That helped complement an offensive performance that included Curtis McNeal's career-best 148 rushing yards, but only one touchdown pass by Matt Barkley and two receptions by Robert Woods.

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USC's Marqise Lee continues to contribute in a big way

Bill Plaschke: Punter Kyle Negrete offers inspiration for free

Chris Dufresne discusses LSU-Alabama, Stanford and more [Video]

 

Times' columnist Chris Dufresne looks back on Saturday's so-called Game of the Century between LSU and Alabama, which he says for the most part did not live up to the pre-game hype.

As he said in Sunday's column:

Neither bruising team Saturday could even bruise the end zone. There might as well have been a sign posted on the goal line: Keep Off The Grass.

The game had plenty of passion and drama, but it was more a throwback to "Leatherheads" than a modern-day keeper.

After losing the game, 9-6 in overtime, Alabama slipped just one spot in the BCS standings to No. 3, a ranking which Dufresne calls both fair and unfair. While the Crimson Tide did miss four field goals and lose a big game at home, it also lost that game in overtime to the top-ranked team in the country.

He also previews this week's big college matchup between Pac-12 rivals No. 4 Stanford and No. 7 Oregon, and talks about the Cardinal's chances of making it to the BCS championship game.

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Gary Klein discusses Matt Barkley's and USC's big night [video]

If USC was feeling any letdown after its heart-wrenching loss to Stanford, the Trojans came to the right place to rejuvenate.

Nothing like some clean mountain air, a struggling opponent and a national television audience watching in 3-D to help erase the emotional hangover.

No one felt more refreshed than quarterback Matt Barkley.

The junior passed for a school-record six touchdowns as the No. 21 Trojans cruised to a 42-17 victory Friday night before 50,083 at Folsom Field.

On a night when Trojans Coach Lane Kiffin went all in with his youth movement, Barkley surpassed Rodney Peete, Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Mark Sanchez by passing for more than five touchdowns.

"To finally get six is a pretty cool feeling, knowing you're up there with some of the greatest quarterbacks in college football history," Barkley said. "I don't think I'm close to what those guys have done in their careers.

"It's just more motivation for me to do better."

RELATED:

Bill Plaschke: It's feeling like the start of Matt Barkley's farewell

Freshman make an impact in USC's win over Colorado

Photos: USC vs. Colorado

--Gary Klein

Chris Dufresne previews Alabama-LSU showdown and more [Video]

   

In Friday's video mailbag, Chris Dufresne is surprised to learn that an Alabama fan actually agrees with his column from Thursday, in which he wrote:

Alabama will get its chance to beat LSU on Saturday, and LSU will get its chance to beat Alabama. Neither team should get a second chance.

The loser of Saturday's game, in the rematch scenario, would not have even won its division of the SEC. And although there is no BCS rule against a non-champion earning a title berth, there was outrage when Nebraska got to the 2001 title game without winning the Big 12 North and calls for inquiry in 2003 when Oklahoma ended up No. 1 in the BCS standings despite being shellacked by Kansas State in the Big 12 title game.

In a flawed, beauty pageant sport with no playoff, there is no room for second chances.

In a video interview with CineSport's Tara Petrolino, Dufresne goes on to reiterate his stance that a rematch may be desirable under certain circumstances, such as a classic showdown between the two SEC rivals on Saturday and losses by teams such as Oklahoma State, Stanford and Boise State.

Dufresne also discusses the chances of Stanford going to the BCS title game and the passion of college football fans.

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Stanford band does a number on the ordinary

College football on TV: What to watch on Saturday

Chris Dufresne: The biggest NCAA football game since ... [Video]

The Times' Chris Dufresne discusses the significance of Alabama vs. LSU and how Stanford's triple-overtime win over USC will affect Andrew Luck's Heisman Trophy hopes.

USC football: Gary Klein on USC's triple-overtime loss to Stanford

Times football reporter Gary Klein discusses USC's 56-48 loss to Stanford with Cinesport's Brian Clark.

Chris Dufresne recaps a wild weekend of college football [Video]

The Times' Chris Dufresne talks about a Hail Mary in East Lansing, a bad loss for Oklahoma and USC's trip to South Bend.

Gary Klein on USC victory over Notre Dame [video]

Times college football reporter Gary Klein and Cinesport's Brian Clark discuss how USC played its best game of the season on Saturday in South Bend, Ind.