USC was impressive off the bat by outscoring Washington State 20-0 in the 1st quarter. However, against a team they were suppose to beat by 45 points, they only outscored WSU 7-6 the rest of the game. Put that all together, and for a second consecutive week, USC did not look like a championship caliber team. Haunted by turnovers, penalties, and a clear drop in offensive play calling, the Trojans had trouble sustaining drives majority of the game outside of the first quarter.

That concludes this week's game recap. There is not much else to say about that.

What does deserve some acknowledgement is what Pete Carroll has done for USC. The fact that over the past few years he has lost so many players to the NFL and still manage to be in the conversation for a National Championship. I have not seen any other program that has been capable of replacing so many players and so many coordinators without seeing a drastic drop in performance.

Many coaches' pitch to their recruits is that they will have significant play time off the bat. Is that really a good sales pitch or does it just reflect society's need for instant gratification. These young athletes aspire to be NFL stars and make the life changing million dollar contracts. They should be insulted when they are pitched a pro bono collegiate stardom because they are being sold short of their dream. Pete's pitch I'm sure involves preparation to someday be in the NFL. It's not about starting as a freshman, it's about starting a future career and fulfilling a dream. USC gets knocked for their stars "busting" in the NFL. ie: Matt Leinart.

There are thousands of QBs in high school and only a handful make it to college. From there only a handful make it to the NFL. In the end only 32 Quarterbacks win a starting gig in the league. So is it so bad for Matt to be sitting behind a future Hall of Famer in Kurt Warner? Sooner's former QB and Heisman winner, Jason White didn't even get drafted. Where is Florida's National Champion QB in Chris Leak? Buckeye QB Troy Smith never earned his spot from rookie Joe Flaco. Matt Cassel has signed bigger contracts than them for just holding a clip board in college.

Pete Carroll's players haven't been that impressive the last two games. USC has fallen short of National Titles the past few years, but Pete Carroll and his players have not fallen short of their promises and goals. Pete pitches them NFL careers his players have gotten them. That isn't just impressive. It's amazing. Read the full story

The power went out in the middle of the night. My alarm clock is blinking 3:05am but it's really 7:30am. I'm an hour drive from work that starts at 8 am sharp, and I'm a slow dresser. I rush and get to the office only to realize I left my laptop at home. I managed fine by quickly remaking my PowerPoint presentation at the office. I already knew what to put on my slides, but will just have to live without the fancy transitions and pictures I made the night before. I didn't lose my job, my manager still thinks I'm one of the best, but now when I walk by my co-workers new office after he got promoted I wonder what could have been.

USC has had some huge disappointments the past few seasons that has cost them a shot at the National Championship. What those losses all had in common is that they were an absolute shocker. When Vegas is surprised, you know it was completely unexpected. Today's loss against Washington is just as disappointing, but you can almost see it coming. USC had all the makings of a bad day.

It started when Steve Sarkisian and Nick Holt left town with USC's offensive and defensive playbooks along with the knowledge of all of Pete Carroll's style and game time tendencies. Matt Barkley, the freshman phenom, injures his shoulder the week before. Safety, Taylor Mays, hurts his knee and sits out as well. It definitely looked like it can be ugly. Trojan fans all know it, but just didn't want to admit it. I didn't want to give in to that notion as well.

A team who could not win a game last year may have just ended Pete Carroll's hopes of a National Championship with this win. It definitely had the makings of a bad game, a bad day, and what looks to be a bad year.

Game notes:

Aaron Corp is the first QB in the Pete Carroll era to lose a game in his first start.

Joe Mcknight is now averaging 1 fumble per game this season.

Mitch Mustain was seen warming up in the second half, but Pete as always didn't give up on his QB. Read the full story

The biggest rookie quarterback mistake made in the game was not by Matt Barkley, but by true sophomore Terrelle Pryor. With the game on the line after USC just rumbled their way for a 3 point lead with just a minute left, Terrelle Pryor was not able to handle the pressure and was called for grounding. The loss of down and yards just made it difficult for the Buckeye offense to get close enough for a field goal to at least tie the game and send it to overtime.

The only stat that matters in the game is the final score of 18 - 15 with USC pulling off an amazing come from behind win. The rest of the stats are not worth talking about because they were absolutely ugly. Barkley completed less than half his passes, threw an interception he has become known for in practice, and only averaged 6.3 yards per throw. Joe Mcknight who was ineffective throughout the game didn't post any significant numbers until it mattered most.

Going by the numbers there were no stars in this game. But going by what matters most, winning, Matt Barkley and Joe Mcknight are truly stars and definitely shined tonight.

Game Notes:

CJ Gable only saw action in special teams. He has always been known as the best blocking back and could have prevented what almost became a costly sack on Barkley as Joe Mcknight was ineffective in pass blocking.

Stafon Johnson showed he's a true sport. He came in and scored when needed, but spent most of the game on the sidelines.

Matt Barkley appeared to have injured his throwing arm and noted after the game that he felt pain but kept going. Corp was given a chance to throw the ball after the injury but only on the sidelines. Read the full story

I figured we can try something new this year. USC has an abundance of All-American caliber tailbacks ligning up in it's backfield again this season. All can probably be the main back in most programs in the nation. We all know Joe Mcknight is Pete's favorite, but who is the best?

Week 1.

1. Stafon Johnson - Only carried the ball 6 times for 27 yards, but when the team needed to punch it in for a touchdown he was and always will be the best and most reliable option. If given the carries he got last year, I'm sure we would've seen the strenght and finess he showed last year in breaking out for long runs.

2. Marc Tyler - Gave us a Reggie Bush like run which is amazing for a big man. He'll be unable for the Buckeye game, but hopefully we'll see more from him this season. He is strong and fast.

3. Joe Mcknight - Impressive runs showing his quickness while also showing what he can do when he ligns up as a receiever. With his 14 carries, he had a better chance of getting in the flow of the game than any other backs. His lingering fumbling problems however keeps him from being ranked the best back of the week. Lucky for him, he didn't get the CJ Gable treatment after a fumble.

4. Allen Bradford - Man this guy is strong. I doubt he'll ever be the featured back, but he sure makes the most of his opportunities. I already like him more than I ever liked Chauncey Washington.

5. C.J. Gable - If given the chance this guy can put up big numbers. He had seven carries averaging 5.3 per. That's very impressive. Many teams would be happy to have a C.J. Gable around. Read the full story

ESPN Photo


If former USC Quarterback Mark Sanchez is wondering how much different his role would be if he was playing for the Trojans instead of the New York Jets, Matt Barkley will quickly tell him, "not a whole lot different." Matt Barkley, like Sanchez, has a strong offensive line to protect him and a solid running game. The freshman phenom didn't have to be spectacular, although he was - he just had to manage the game, and that he did. Barkley was a success in his first outing as the Trojan starting Quarterback completing 15 of 19 passes for 233 yards and 1 touchdown leading the team to a 56-3 route of San Jose State.

Despite the slow start and conservative play calling, Pete Carroll stuck to his game plan of runs and play action that eventually wore out the Spartan defense and opened up the game for the young Barkley. After a scoreless 1st quarter the Trojans rumbled for long runs on the ground, and the fans got a chance to see Barkley's strong and accurate arm as he completed long passes to Damian Willams, Anthony McCoy, and David Ausberry.

The Trojans used eight different backs (including 2 fullbacks) to rush for 351 yards and 6 touchdowns. Three seperate backs, Mcknight, Tyler, and Bradford, each had a run longer than 40 yards including a spectacular Reggie Bush like scramble by Marc Tyler.

On the defensive end, the Trojans recorded so many tackles behind the line of scrimmage that despite of Patrick Perry's 48 rushing yards, the final stat board shows just 9 yards for the Spartans total rushing offense. It's hard to believe that the Trojans are only returning 2 starters on defense. A highly touted linebacker coming out of high school, Chris Galippo, finally had a chance to show what the hype was all about. He was all over the place making plays tackling the running backs, and rushing the QB.

Game Notes:

Joe Mcknight while looking bigger and stronger, still has the same fumbling issue, but unlike CJ Gable it didn't cause him any playing time.

Marc Tyler made the most of his opportunities with his 63 yard run on 3rd and long.

Corp showed poise completing all 4 of his passes including a touchdown on 4th down. However, he clearly isn't 100% from his leg injury. Read the full story

Well Aaron Corp definitely got bitten, but it wasn't Matt's bark that rattled the red-shirt sophomore - it was Pete Carroll's vicious bite.

Pete Carroll said Corp will have a chance to keep his starting job after he came down with the leg injury. Carroll said he'll throw Corp back in the mix with the first group and give him a chance to hang on to the starting position he earned during spring camp. So less than two weeks later, Corp comes back, only sees snaps with the 2nd team, and two days later finds out the job is officially Matt Barkley's. Was this a surprise? No.

During Corp's absence, the spirit of competition, and every spot being available to whoever plays the best didn't exist. At least not for the quarterback position. Mustain was placed on the back burner, and Pete Carroll gave Barkley every first team snaps. Pete's reason was that Corp and Barkley seperated themselves far enough during the spring that Mustain was out of consideration. Hmm.

During the Spring and Fall camps, just about every sentence that contained the word 'interception' also had Matt Barkley's name attached to it. Aaron Corp played it cool only throwing one interception in spring football that was caused by a tip at the line of scrimmage. What happened to Pete not being able to stand turnovers and preaching the importance of protecting the ball. Should we be surprised that he picked Barkley and his interceptions over Corp's ability to manage the offense and protect the ball? No.

Don't forget the fact that Joe Mcknight continues to get a large share of carries even though he is prone and well known for fumbling the ball. So while CJ Gable gets benched immediately for a fumble, Joe Mcknight continues to get more than his share of playtime despite his constant miscues. So what's the deal Pete?

Why does Pete Carroll seem to keep a blind eye to these turnovers? Why do players like Joe Mcknight and Matt Barkley get excused for turnovers that Pete preaches against? Why the special treatment?

I guess special treatment is given to those with special talent or should we say potential? Joe Mcknight came in with the hype of being the next Reggie Bush. Pete Carroll has given him every chance since his freshman year to let that potential come in to fruition. While he has shown flashes, he clearly hasn't lived up to it. He has fumbled and danced around the backfield for loss of yards. Clearly, those flashes were good enough to blind Carroll from the negative runs and fumbles.

Now the same flash and excitement is prevented Carroll from seeing Barkley's interceptions. While Matt Barkley definitely has the potential to be great, and has the physical tools to do well, he simply isn't ready to lead the offense. Even the vets like Taylor Mays has voiced this saying that while Barkley has shown leadership and an unshakable confidence, it still takes a couple years to learn the intricacies of the offense.

Pete says he feels the need to protect Corp like a father would. Would a father bench his own son and prevent him from starring in a program like USC's? Why not give Corp the time you had said you would to show the injury has healed and he is the same guy taht earned the starting spot before.

USC just had a scrimmage where Corp completed 5 of 7 passes for 89 yards and also rushed for 10 yards on his first running attempt. (Barkley threw his usual interception.) Pete Carroll had cited Corp's lack of mobility being a factor in his decision. So when asked after the scrimmage if Corp's display of mobility would change his mind on who's starting, Pete just said, "No. No. No."

Did Corp ever really have a chance to start? He was named the started after spring, but with Pete saying there's still going to be a competition once fall comes. He didn't give Sanchez, Leinart, or Booty that type of fine print. What happened to giving a quarterback a chance to lead during the summer and the confidence to come in to the spring? Did Pete Carroll view Corp's injury as a misfortune or a great opportunity and excuse to start the freshman?

Pete Carroll says he is happy to to be at USC but still continues to let the rumors of him leaving for the NFL linger during the summer without doing anything till the very end to diffuse the speculation. Is this a case of someone enjoying the attention? Is this bold move to start Barkley coming from the same need of attention? Like him saying, "It's all me. It doesn't matter who I start, we will win because of me."

Pete Carroll is a great personality and a great coach. He is not perfect. The decision to start Matt Barkley will probably look like a stroke of genius in the end. While he has thrown many interceptions this past spring and fall, I don't see him throwing the same amount as the season progresses. He is an amazing talent, and Pete Carroll will recieve praise for recognizing it.

The decision to start the freshman over Aaron Corp reminds me of a past trip. We were out of money and couldn't afford the $12 fare to get home. Desperate we asked 2 strangers for help. They both lived nearby and were willing to go to their house and pick up their money. One told us he had exactly $12 to give us. The other told us he should have $10 to $20 he can give. We politely said thanks to the guy who could have potentially given us $20 and took the sure thing and got the $12 from the other guy.

With USC's stable of running backs and what's looking to be another solid defense, there is no need for a super star Quarterback. You just need a guy to get you to your destination, a National Championship. Aaron Corp has showed he has the ability to manage the offense, and protect the ball. Matt Barkley has shown he has the potential to do the same and more. Corp is the $12 that will get USC there, but Pete went with the other guy. So it looks like USC will either get to where they want or will fall short that they may not even qualify for the BCS ride. Read the full story

Hey Joe where you goin'? Really. Where are you going?

Joe McKnight was known as the steal of the year for Pete Carroll after luring him in to come to USC. He was already dubbed as the next Reggie Bush before he finished packing his bags to go to California. His speed, vision, and versatility gave all the fans and scouts all they needed to crown him as the next Reggie who will dazzle the field with quick cuts on his way to the end zone. Hello ESPN, we're going to make the highlight reels once again.

Well two seasons later, he has only made one memorable highlight after a long gain against Illinois in the Rose Bowl. For the most part, he has been more like the other top recruit of his class Jimmy Clausen, as he lays on the ground for a loss of yards. Other times, we usually see him searching for the ball after a run as he has shown he is fumble prone.

In all honesty, when I think at all the Joe McKnight plays the most memorable one comes from the game against the Oregon Ducks. USC forced a turnover early in the game and had a chance to set the tone. It was 4th and inches and instead of seeing Stafon Johnson muscle the ball between the tackles, we saw Joe McKnight dancing left and right before being tackled for a loss.

Is Joe a bust? For being such a highly touted recruit, I would say that he has been a bust. Stafon Johnson and CJ Gable has produced a lot more than Joe without being regarded as high at the running back position. I thought Broderick Green's best performance when he finally got a shot, was overall a better performance than most of Joe McKnight's efforts.

I can't really put the blame on him. The coaches have tried to use him like they used Reggie. They envisioned him to make plays like Reggie. They've sold him on the idea of being the next Reggie. I'm sure Joe himself has pictured himself as the next Reggie. With messages like "pay day" written on his eye black, Joe has probably already envisioned his life in the NFL. But wait a minute Joe. You're still at USC, and you have yet to perform in a way that would make you a valuable stock in the NFL.

Luckily for Joe, Pete Carroll has not yet given up on his dream of having the second coming of Reggie Bush in his squad. Joe to his credit has shown little bits of flashes of greatness here and there. He has been given favorable treatment compared to CJ Gable after his fumbles.

This coming season is definitely going to be the year that Joe McKnight will have to live up to the hype. He was bothered by injury during Spring Camp and have given the likes of Curtis Mcneal and Marc Tyler the chance to steal the spotlight. With another rookie Quarterback taking over, USC needs to dominate the running game again even more than last year. I'm sure as the season begins Joe McKnight will be given a chance to shine. But if he shows us the same o'l Joe we have seen the past two years, the answer to

"Hey Joeeeeee.. where you goin'???"

will be the sidelines... Read the full story

DJ Shoemate has big shoes to fill at fullback. He'll be shadowing a well established player at that position in Stanley Havili who Mark Schlaback of ESPN once named as one of the seven college football secrets back in 2007. How did a highly touted wide receiver literally end up in this (fullback) position? Well the answer to that question is also what will make him a big impact player in the future - sacrifice

DJ Shoemate arrived on campus as the 8th ranked wide receiver in his class according to Scout.com where he is described as an explosive play maker with great hands. Eager to play and to contribute to the team, Shoemate did what most players have been reluctant to do - switch positions. This is a huge sacrifice particularly for a player as heralded as Shoemate. His positive attitude and willingness to learn and adapt to his new role has showed. He clearly has given the coaches his full effort.

Pete Carroll acknowledged DJ Shoemate's progress at the Spring Football Media Luncheon. "The number of things that we can do with him because of his receiver background showed up." Pete added that Shoemate is "probably the most improved player on the team and really developed a role for himself. He can carry the ball, runs it well, and has solved the mysteries of the offense and the schemes."

The most improved player on the team Pete? I agree.

Going back to the word SACRIFICE - the reason Shoemate is now a fullback and what will make him an impact player. Here is a player willing to give up his 5 star status at a position he excelled at because that is not where he was needed. In our personal and professional lives we are always grateful for the people who are willing to do the little things to make our lives and our organizations the best possible. DJ Shoemate is that remarkable young man that saw an opportunity to help his team become the best possible, and selflessly gave his all. Sacrifices always gets repaid and this upcoming season Shoemate will get his big payoff.

DJ Shoemate will bring a little something back that we haven't seen in awhile. DJ Shoemate along with his blocking ability will provide the Trojans a receiving threat from the backfield - something teams had difficulty dealing with during the Bush Era. His speed, catching ability, and amazing field vision should definitely lead to first downs, touchdowns, and occasionally a spot on ESPN's highlight reels. DJ Shoemate is definitely a shoe-in to be the next great impact player in the cardinal and gold. Read the full story

Here is a link for JetsTV where you can watch Rex Ryan's full press conference and some clips of the practice.

Rex Ryan calls mark a "natural leader." Mark Sanchez has showed New York his high energy, enthusiasm, and love for the game by getting the rookies together to prepare for this morning's practice.

“Well, I guess there was some guy that we had on offense who got the entire offense together and installed the day’s offense. I guess you can figure out who that was,” a happy Ryan added.

So far it's all high fives and praises for the former USC Quarterback. Read the full story

The Lions grabbed the 1st quarterback from the draft, but the Jets four picks later picked up the #1 quarterback from the same draft. Matthew Stafford will sign the larger contract this time around, but I have a strong feeling that when everything is all said and done, Mark Sanchez will sign more big contracts in the future.

Stafford will just be a footnote to this draft compared to Sanchez. Even Sportscenter opened up their show this evening saying "we all knew Stafford was going #1 but how early did Sanchez get picked up" The commentators as they have the past few weeks want to talk about Sanchez. The airwaves will continue to be filled with Sanchez chatter because everyone except the Lions clearly see that there is something special about the kid.

Yes, Stafford has a very strong arm, but that's not enough to be successful in the league. Tom Brady and Joe Montana didn't have the strongest of arms, but they achieved great success. Those quarterbacks have other intangibles like leadership, ability to read the defenses, and charisma - the same qualities that Mark Sanchez has along with his maturity.

I truly hope that Stafford has a great career. He seems to be a great kid with a lot of talent and good work ethic. I just have a feeling that Sanchez when it's all said and done will have more success. Read the full story

Many have asked about our take on the draft and the USC players that will soon be NFL millionaires.

Here is a quick run down.

Sanchez - You can't turn on ESPN without hearing about Mark Sanchez. Many feel he is a better pick than Stafford and will have more success. It's amazing to me how they keep talking about him having the "IT" factor but still see the Lions picking Stafford first. I guess this just shows how bad of an organization the Lions is. Everyone sees the it factor in Sanchez. Every team have been seriously considering altering their draft board to get a hold of Sanchez. The Lions however have been completely oblivious to Sanchez-mania.

The Linebackers - Maualuga made so much noise during the course of the season with his heart pounding hits, but we have not heard from him at all. The talk has been on Cushing and the emergence of Clay Matthews. I'm sure they will all be first round picks, and I'm excited to see where they land. In order of success in the NFL I say Cush, Rey/Matthews

Complete site upgrade coming soon with a breakdown on USC Spring football and Aaron Corp's emergence as the starting quarterback. Enjoy the draft! Read the full story

Link from NFL.com/nflnetwork Read the full story

I'm listening to a great interview on the Mason and Ireland Show. Yes, it sounds like there's a lot of political crap that's stalling the arrival of an NFL team to the city of Los Angeles. I still remember the year the Raiders and the Rams packed their bags and left. I remember the outrage. It just didn't make any sense. It's like sitting at a 5 star restaurant and all the sudden the waiters and the cooks walk out. Bad comparison, but I'm sure the feeling is the same. Us fans are left there looking at each other in amazement saying "what the heck just happened?" I makes no sense. It's not right. Until it happened, it just didn't seem possible.

Surprisingly a whole decade has passed and it still comes up occasionaly. How is it possible that LA still doesn't have an NFL team. My question is, does this question come up often enough? Considering the popularity of the sport and the league, I really don't think the question is posed enough times. Honestly, I think Pete Carroll and the USC Trojan Football Team is the reason why. The Trojans have just about satisfied LA's football craving.

Lets pretend the Raiders were still here in Los Angeles. The Raiders have won 24 games since 2002 while the Trojans have only lost 9 during the same time period. Raiders draft a lottery pick a year, while the Trojans produce a number of lottery picks a year. Al Davis destroys the Raiders forever, while Pete Carroll and the Trojans "win forever." Now which team would LA fans rally behind more?

Remember the Leinart and Bush days when there was talk of how the Trojans can beat some NFL teams with all the NFL caliber players on their squad. How embarassing would it be for the NFL and the team if the Trojans were filling up more seats, selling more merchandise and get more air time on the radio waves and Sportscenter. The Matt Leinarts and the Mark Sanchez of USC would get more publicity and celebrity status than Jamarcus Russell. Can you imagine commentators and fans saying, "If only they had a Joe Mcknight in the Raider backfield."

If you think about it, LA already gets more NFL talk than other NFL cities today. Of course they are talking about USC players like Maualuga, Sanchez, Cush, and Mathews making the leap to the NFL, but it's still NFL talk. It's still more hype and coverage that teams like the Chargers are getting this offseason.

So does LA still need an NFL team? Yes.
Do we want one? Sure.

But they better put a good organization together and fast because it would be a sad day when the USC Football team is compared to LA NFL team on a weekly basis. Even more sad if the general consensus is that the Trojan team can beat the "enter NFL team name here" Read the full story

Listen here Read the full story

In the past two seasons, have you heard anyone ask for "the next Leinart?" Please tell me if you have, because I know I haven't. Matt Leinart stepped in for Carson Palmer, and finished of one of the best college careers a football player can have. After he left, we were left with the same uncertainty after Palmer's departure, but John David Booty and Mark Sanchez followed and did very well.

We haven't asked for the next Mike Williams or the next Steve Smith. Dwayne Jarrett and Damien Williams did their job that we haven't had to ask that. The next Lofa Tatupu? Well Rey Maualuga silenced the chant long before it can even get started.

USC has shown over the years that it can quickly reload and place superior talent in every position. So why do we continue to hear the chant asking for the next Reggie? All the Reggie Bush highlights on ESPN has helped Pete and staff recruit the top running back talents in the country. They recruited so many top RBs that the program earned the name Tailback U and have scared so many RB recruits the past couple years.
Here are the rankings from 2006 and 2007.


Scout.com (ranking) out of HS.

2006

Stafon Johnson (2)
Emmanuel Moody (11)
CJ Gable (ranked as 5 star Safety)

2007

Joe Mcknight (1)
Marc Tyler (2)
Broderick Green (12)


Broderick Green who I have mentioned to be the biggest loss for USC in transfers is now with Arkansas. Emmanuel Moody has found a different bench to warm up and Chauncey Washington is now working his way in the depth charts in the NFL. The once crowded tailback unit is quickly thinning out without a star emerging among the group. What's the problem? One would figure with all these top talents, USC would have a star that would be on SportsCenter Top 10 every weekend like Reggie. Were the recruits overrated coming out of high school? Are they just under performing? Is it the absence of Norm Chow? Is it Pete's fault?

Scouting reports aren't perfect and some kids just don't have the focus and discipline to perform at a high level in college as they did in high school against weaker competition. With all the top recruits we've had even if the scouting reports were wrong on one, they can't be wrong on all. Yes it is a case of under performing but there's a deeper reason as to why. I wouldn't put it on the absence of Norm Chow because Sark did a great job even though he made USC's offense a little more predictable and overly conservative. So does the blame fall on our beloved Pete Carroll? A little. Well maybe by a lot.

His insistence on running by committee has limited the backs from getting in rhythm. Lendale White and Reggie Bush were so effective because of the amount of carries they had in the game. At least one of them was always on the field. In 2005 Reggie and Lendale both averaged just over 15 carries per game and put up unbelievable numbers on the ground.

In 2008 Joe Mcknight carried the ball less than 10 times a game. Stafon had just over 11 carries per game while CJ Gable had less than 9 carries per game. Is there a big difference between 10 carries and 15 carries as far as getting in rhythm? I think so. In this case, there is a huge difference because the carries are spread out so much with all the backs involved in the game. One of these backs can get the ball in the 1st quarter and not see the field again until the 2nd quarter.

Of course can you really blame Pete? He has a troop of All American backs with All American egos that needs to be addressed and pleased. Clearly many have left with frustration and that was bound to happen. You just can't please everyone. Pete has to play everyone so he can at least please some.

So even though USC has reloaded with so much great talent to replace Reggie, I just don't see anyone excelling and having the same stardom as Reggie Bush. Call it the Reggie effect. Reggie Bush struck gold at USC so many followed. Reggie left with his riches, and all the followers who arrive to replace him have to share the remaining gold and glory. None of them will leave as rich as Reggie, because they have to share.

The show will go on and hopefully our star potential backs will develop and someone will come out of the pack as the leader and star they are all capable of becoming. If not, we'll just continue to look for "The Next Reggie" Read the full story

CBS Sports has Taylor Mays as the #1 prospect in the 2010 NFL Draft. Doesn't surprise us at all. Taylor Mays is a beast. Read more here Read the full story

Well we're now on twitter. Still trying to get a use twitter. It will be a place of quick thought, in game reaction, and all the miscellaneous things we can't think of just yet. www.twitter.com/uscfootblog

Follow us or we'll..... well nothing but you'll be off our list of cool people. Read the full story

Yes this entry is about former USC Quarterback Mark Sanchez. No, it has nothing to do with the 7 Eleven drink except for the illustration above. :) When I first heard of the rumor of the Chiefs trading for Matt Cassel from the Patriots I honestly didn't think much of it. The Pats later franchised tagged the former USC QB and that was the end of that for this season as far as I was concerned. Back to following the combines and the NFL Draft talk I went. Would Stafford go #1? Would Sanchez then go #3 to the Chiefs??? Well that's been the talk all summer.

So when the trade became official and the news broke, three things happened

1. Chiefs fans said, "yay"
2. Cassel on chance of starting said, "sweet"
3. Sanchez who left college early took a BIG nervous GULP and said "uh oh"

Mark Sanchez had a shaky 2nd day of throwing at the combines and unless he lights things up on his pro day, he likely won't be packing his bags to go to Detroit. So where does that leave him? Would the Chiefs draft a QB w/ the 3rd overall pick and write a big check for another QB when they just let go of draft picks in exchange for a highly paid QB? So if not Kansas City where would Mark go?

Some experts say the 10th pick for San Fransisco would likely be a place for a QB, but would they really roll the dice again on a highly paid QB after what has happened with Alex Smith? Sanchez today isn't as highly regarded as Smith was when he came out of college. It looks like there is a strong chance that leaving college early is going to cost Mark a lot of money after all. Would he be the draft's next Brady Quinn? Is this a good thing in the long run? Is he going to fall back to a team and land in a good situation? That's what we thought Leinart was falling in to but from what I remember the Coke commercial got more play time than Leinart did in this past Super Bowl.

Well regardless of what happens, I'm sure Mark Sanchez will keep his high spirits, work hard, and take advantage of the opportunity when it comes. Good luck and fight on!!! Read the full story

First off, thanks James for the recent comment. It made me think of spam musubi. Has anyone here ever had one before? It's simply plain slice of spam with a little bit of rice wrapped in seaweed and wam-bam you got spam musubi.

Now the question in my mind is... Is Manti Te'o the equivalent of spam musubi?




I had spam musubi from the lovely island of Hawaii. They serve it in many different flavors in a wide variety of ways. It's really quite a treat eating it with the locals on the island. Now, brought here to the mainland by places like L&L BBQ and you get a much plainer version. Maybe it's plain because there's no need to fancy it up for us burger and fry eating folks, or maybe it's plain because we have so many other things here to choose from that spam musubi is just a weird slice of meat from a can wrapped by a man in a small restaurant in Japan. (remember the peaches song? anyway...)

Most people here on the main land don't even know what spam musubi is. While I think they are great, most people here probably don't see anything special about it. Now this leads me to Manti Te'o. Great on the little island, but how will his talents translate here on the main land where he will have more competition. I mean at my local gym, I have made some Lebron James type of plays against the old folks, but if I bring my game to Rucker Park I'll be a Kwame Brown sitting on the bench.

So is Manti Te'o as good as advertised or did he just look great because he was playing weak competition. Honestly, I don't know. Most of these star recruits played with a lot of weak competition. They played with kids that just wanted to do an extra curricular activity after school. The point is, they were good enough to stand out. Manti Te'o stood out. Now will he be plain spam musubi here on the main land? Well if he's the food and the coach is the cook, I'm sure Pete Carroll can make a better spam masubi that Weiss who would probably just eat it. Read the full story

Pete did a great job and put together a good looking class. Sadly, it could've been so much better. Landing Manti Te'o would have made good become great. It's like getting 5 out of the 6 numbers on the lottery. We still get a big payout, but getting just one more number would've really made us feel like we hit a huge jackpot.

It's really quite a surprise to many that Te'o chose Notre Dame over USC. I would've been less surprised if he picked UCLA because of the Norm Chow connection and being close to Hawaii. Notre Dame??? Coached by Weiss? The school that takes highly touted and talented high school kids that don't develop in to NFL players. For these high school football stars, isn't the NFL the primary goal?

Usually when a high profile player passes up USC it's because of fear of competition. They're afraid they wont get enough playing time. In some cases it's because they're afraid they'll have a hard time with school. Some don't want to be too far from home. So again.. Why Notre Dame?

USC needs linebackers. Manti Te'o would have played for sure during his freshman year. So it's not playing time. I would academics is equally challenging if not more challenging at Notre Dame. So it can't be that. USC is much closer to home while Notre Dame is thousands of miles away.

It just really makes no sense to me. USC just had three of its linebackers impress NFL teams during the Senior Bowl. Pete prepares his players for the NFL - from 5 star prospects to walk ons. Just for that fact I was sure Manti was coming, but I guess everyone sees things their own way. Everyone has their own preference. Manti Te'o picking the Irish over the Trojans may not make any sense to us, but I guess it makes enough sense to him.

So I saw a Toyota Echo on the freeway today. In my mind, it's the ugliest car I've ever seen on the road. Well the person driving it thought it was nice, and Manti Te'o thinks Notre Dame is nice. Go figure Read the full story