Saturday, August 11, 2007

White works to earn trust - Nashville Tennessean
LenDale White proved he could run the football at Southern Cal, and last season as an NFL rookie he showed glimpses of that ability.

Everything else he's done — or hasn't done — since the Titans drafted him ...is probably what he's known for most, however.

In training camp last year he spit on a teammate and was suspended for the preseason opener...

...coaches and teammates said White seems to be doing his best to earn their trust...
Booty, Turner work on rapport - OC Register
USC coaches didn't ask Patrick Turner and John David Booty to be roommates because they both appreciate good old-fashioned Southern cooking.

Turner is from Tennessee; Booty from Louisiana. "Fried chicken and gumbo," Turner said.

The coaches are trying to develop a rapport between Booty and Turner...

...Booty said he and Turner have been friends for a couple of years, but that rooming together has helped their communication in camp...

Also, Day 1 of full pads at USC practice - Inland Emprire Press-Enterprise
USC tackle Brown close to starting - LA Daily News

Friday, August 10, 2007

Linebacker Galippo is big early hit - LA Times
USC practices today for the first time in full pads, which probably comes as a relief to running backs and receivers who have been smashed by freshman linebacker Chris Galippo without the benefit of full armor.

The 6 feet 2 , 235-pound Galippo made his imposing presence felt during the first four days of training camp with several memorable hits.

Junior middle linebacker Rey Maualuga said the former Anaheim Servite High star is far more advanced than he was when he arrived at USC in 2005.

"He knows where to go and what to do," Maualuga said....

...Still, veterans Keith Rivers, Brian Cushing and Maualuga are tutoring Galippo and fellow freshman linebacker Malcolm Smith...

Also, Strength, depth in linebackers - OC Register
[Schlabach] Seven college football secrets for 2007 - ESPN
...2. The biggest addition to USC's offense will be Stanley Havili
The Trojans added highly regarded freshman Joe McKnight to an incredibly deep crop of running backs -- which includes 10 scholarship players, most of whom were high school All-Americans.

But Stanley Havili, a hard-nosed redshirt freshman who missed most of last season with a broken leg, might make the biggest impact this season. Havili is a bruising blocker who runs the ball well and has above-average hands for a fullback. He'll become one of quarterback John David Booty's favorite targets as the Trojans try to replace receivers Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith...
Strength, depth in linebackers - OC Register
...Ken Norton Jr. was setting up a drill Thursday afternoon when he decided to give his players a mental image.

"Imagine a train wreck or the biggest collision you can think of," Norton yelled.

A lot of Pac-10 running backs could get to know what an off-track locomotive feels like when they play USC this year. Not only are the Trojans talented at linebacker, they're deep.

Behind starters Keith Rivers, Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing are game-tested players such as Thomas Williams and Kaluka Maiava. Freshman Chris Galippo already has been knocking people around on the practice field...
Ex-NFL player Banta does special job at UTC - Chattanooga Times - Free Press
Missing a man to block on the corner of the field-goal team, Bradford Banta grabbed tight end Chris Harr, positioned the freshman's feet and told him whom to block.

After the kick sailed through the uprights in practice Tuesday morning, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga assistant coach readjusted Harr's stance and gave a few quick instructions before the next snap.

"I gave him a thumbnail sketch of what to do -- punch two and hit one," Banta said. "You correct on the run. That's what a lot of coaching is."

Banta spent 11 years in the NFL, mostly on special-teams units and as a reserve tight end. He knows how to play.

Now he's learning to coach...
Alexander steps in - Wisconsin State Journal
University of Wisconsin [OC] Paul Chryst was in denial at first.

He didn't want to contemplate a season without wide receivers coach Henry Mason, who was hospitalized in late June...

..."Even thinking about someone else, you feel a little guilty,"...

...he had only one possible replacement in mind: DelVaughn Alexander.

It wasn't just that Alexander knew the Badgers' offense, which is really Mike Riley's offense, inside and out. Alexander played in the offense as a backup receiver, behind Keyshawn Johnson and Johnnie Morton, at Southern California...
Smith grabs attention - NY Daily News
Shortly after the Giants drafted Steve Smith in the second round in April, he got a call from Sinorice Moss, whom the Giants took in the second round the year before. The conversation quickly turned to the future - their future as the dynamic receiving duo for the Giants...

...Moss immediately embraced their selection of Smith.

"Watching him in college, I was like 'Wow, that's a good wide receiver,'" Moss said. "So when we drafted him, I was happy. I gave him a call and told him 'Welcome to the team.'"

"I was pretty surprised," said Smith, the 5-11, 195-pound, USC product. "He welcomed me to the team, told me he was happy that they picked me and that he was excited to meet me. I'm just glad he called me."...
Backup Cassel hoping to send out right signals - Boston Globe
...Tonight the spotlight will be on Matt Cassel, who figures to see extensive playing time when the Patriots open up the exhibition season...Cassel will not only be playing to solidify his No. 2 job in New England, but auditioning for a leading role down the line...

...The 6-foot-4-inch, 230-pound Cassel has been an understudy emeritus since leaving Chatsworth (Calif.) High, backing up Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at Southern Cal and now two-time Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady.

In college, Cassel threw a total of 33 passes. In two seasons with the Patriots, the 25-year-old has completed 18 of 32 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns in eight games. He threw just eight passes last season, completing five. That's a good drive for Brady...
2007 CFN All-Redshirt Freshman Team - College Football News
...For a variety of reasons, these idle warriors were redshirted in 2006...

...RB Stanley Havili, USC – Yeah, yeah, Havili is a fullback, but he’s not your typical one-dimensional plower...At 220 pounds, Havili is a LenDale White-type runner with unexpected quickness, toughness in short yardage, and soft hands in the passing game...

...WR David Ausberry, USC – While Ausberry is not slated to start ahead of junior Patrick Turner in 2007, he did make a strong case for playing time this spring...
Sarkisian runs the show for a day - LA Times
Steve Sarkisian could have been more than just a stand-in...

...Al Davis wooed Sarkisian to become coach of the NFL team last January, but USC's assistant head coach pulled his name from consideration and remained...

...On Thursday, with Pete Carroll absent most of the day...Sarkisian was in charge. He ran staff and team meetings and oversaw...most of the afternoon practice.

"It's like you're growing up and your dad gives you the keys to a Rolls-Royce," said Sarkisian, 33. "You get to go for a little joy ride around the block."...
[Hill] So many questions; the answers await - FoxSports
...Can USC coach Pete Carroll reach Game 1 without the transfer of at least two stud tailbacks?

He probably can, but only because Carroll has an uncanny ability to stockpile talent and convince the talent that ample opportunity exists for each Trojan to contribute mightily before playing in the NFL.

For example, despite signing four standout running backs in 2006 (five, if we include fullback Stanley Havili), three such high school hotshots — including national player of the year Joe McKnight — decided to become Trojans in 2007.

Please note that USC may be even more loaded at linebacker and defensive back...
SU and USC Agree to Football Series in 2011 and 2012 - WSYR-TV
WSYR has confirmed with the USC Sports Information Department that Syracuse University and the University of Southern California have verbally agreed to a home and home football series for the 2011 and 2012 season. USC told WSYR that not all the details have been finalized.

As per the agreement, SU would travel to Los Angeles in 2011 and USC would come to Syracuse in 2012.

Syracuse Athletic Director Daryl Gross has ties to USC. Gross was the senior associate athletic director at Southern Cal prior to coming to SU.

USC boasts one of college football's most storied traditions. The Trojans boast 11 national championships...

Also, Orange Football to Face Southern California - Official Syracuse Website
Former Notre Dame High player Stanton could be added to Trojans - LA Daily News
There is a possibility USC could add another player to its roster next week.

Mike Stanton, a standout football and baseball player at Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks, must decide by Wednesday if he will sign with Florida Marlins, who selected him in the second round of the baseball amateur draft.

If he does not sign with the Marlins, Stanton will attend USC on financial aid, which means he could play football and baseball under NCAA rules.

Although baseball is his primary sport, the football staff would like to convince him to play both sports this year and recruited him as a wide receiver-outside linebacker last season...
Pinkard a happy camper this year - VC Star
Two-a-days are never going to be a football player's favorite time of year.

But as USC works its way through the first week of training camp, Josh Pinkard has a newfound appreciation for the long, hot days of late summer.

Major injuries have a way of providing that sort of perspective...

..."When you can't get out there and play, you would give anything to get back out there all the time," Pinkard said. "So now when I'm out here, and I get tired or feel like I would want to leave, I just think back to the times (I was hurt)...
USC football players serious about academics - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
...for the top-ranked USC football team...there's a large veteran corps of upperclassmen who turned their backs on the NFL...

...All-American candidates Sam Baker, Lawrence Jackson and Terrell Thomas have already graduated but are taking full academic loads...

...Baker, an almost certain top NFL pick, is doing a research project looking at the effects of money on people, as he prepares for what he hopes is a 10-year NFL career before becoming a high school football coach. Thomas is looking at real estate development.

Heisman Trophy candidate John David Booty, All-American nose tackle Sedrick Ellis, linebacker Keith Rivers, tight end Fred Davis and offensive tackle Drew Radovich have their paths clearly mapped out to graduation this year...

Thursday, August 09, 2007

BC, USC strike deal - Boston Herald
Boston College has signed a two-season series to play football against powerhouse Southern California, the current No. 1 team in the country, Eagles athletic director Gene DeFilippo said this morning.

BC will face USC and coach Pete Carroll in 2013 and 2014, with the first game scheduled for Los Angeles and the second one here at the Heights. “I feel really good about it,” said DeFilippo. “Those are the teams you really want to play. We’ve got Notre Dame in ’07, ’08, ’09 and ’10, and then we’re going to get someone for ’11 and ’12. Then we’ve got USC in ’13 and ’14.”

DeFilippo was hoping to schedule USC for 2011 and 2012 but the Trojans were already booked. DeFilippo said BC will fill the hole on the schedule with a school from a major conference...

Also, Eagles sign up for Trojan War - Boston herald
DeFilippo solidifies USC series - Boston Globe
2007 CFN Preview - Unit Rankings ... Defense - College Football News
1. USC
The Trojan offense is good. The Trojan defense is scary good.
Backed by a Who’s Who of future first-day NFL Draft choices, USC is ready to unleash the nastiest and stingiest unit of the Pete Carroll era. Led by Sedrick Ellis at the nose, Keith Rivers at middle linebacker, and Terrell Thomas at cornerback, the Trojans boast seven players capable of making a run at All-America honors...this is as close to a flawless unit that there is in the country. From front to back, they’re aggressive, experienced and fast...scoring meaningful points on them in the first three quarters is going to be a year-long nightmare...

Also, 2007 CFN Preseason Rankings - College Football News
2007 CFN Preview - Unit Rankings ... Offense - College Football News
Trojans freshman defensive end Griffen gets a rude welcome - LA Daily News
Whether it was all the hype or something he said, USC freshman defensive end Everson Griffen is a target at practice this week.

Several Trojans offensive linemen are doing their best to humble Griffen, who was described by USC coach Pete Carroll as "the most unique prospect." also saying, "I've never seen a guy that impressive for that spot."...

...offensive tackle Butch Lewis flattened Griffen twice Tuesday in a less-than-cordial welcome.

"He's a good player. I'm just trying to get him introduced to being a Trojan," Lewis said. "It happened to all of us in that situation."

Griffen did a better job holding his own Wednesday...

Also, Carroll to pay his respects to Walsh - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
It's a lesson as tempers flare at practice - LA Times
Like each of the 10 tailbacks vying for playing time in USC's overcrowded backfield, Stafon Johnson longs for spotlight opportunities.

The sophomore got two for different reasons Wednesday during a spirited and aggressive workout...

Johnson, the former Dorsey High star, took a handoff and ran over cornerback Vincent Joseph, drawing cheers from teammates and observers along the sideline. However, as the play continued, safety Will Harris wrapped up Johnson and added a few choice words as well, inciting Johnson to throw the ball at the defender.

Coach Pete Carroll immediately got into the running back's face, then halted practice for an expletive-laced speech to the team about avoiding unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties...
With Havili healthy, fullback in good hands - OC Register
It wasn't that USC was so besieged with injuries last year, but that so many of them came at one vulnerable position.

The first three fullbacks went down because of season-ending injuries in the first three weeks...

...Some tacklers reached the USC backfield untouched, and the passing game was more vanilla than in years past.

Now, Stanley Havili's left leg is fully healed and he has the luxury of entering his freshman season with some college game experience under his belt. Because he was injured so early last year, Havili was able to redshirt in 2006.

The Trojans are hoping he can help jazz up an offense ...

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Big hurdles await Lua in Pats' camp - Brockton Enterprise
...Patriots rookie inside linebacker Oscar Lua has found the beef.

“There's a lot more beef in the middle right now,” the seventh-round draft pick answered when asked the biggest adjustment he's had to make in his transition to pro football. “In college, some of the linemen were smaller...

...this much has become clear: Lua is eager to sink his teeth into and make an impression on the Patriots' defense...

...To this point, Lua appears to be making the most of his opportunity at the Patriots' Gillette Stadium training camp, exhibiting savvy and instincts that go well beyond the 128 career tackles he made as a collegian...

Also, Lua just a young pup - Attleboro Sun-Chronicle
Trojans report: Notes, quotes - CBS Sportsline
KEY EARLY-SEASON GAME: at Nebraska, Sept. 15 -- The Cornhuskers want desperately to be nationally relevant again, and this is the chance for Big Red to do it. The Trojans handled Nebraska 28-10 at the L.A. Coliseum early last season, so there will be a bit of a revenge factor in play, too...

...THE TROJANS WILL SUCCEED IF
The defense becomes the kind of shut-down unit the 2004 team had when it won the national championship. Ten starters return, and new starter Brian Cushing is an athletic upgrade from Dallas Sartz...

...THE TROJANS WILL FAIL IF
They don't figure out their crowded running back situation and a "big" receiver doesn't emerge...It seems likely that both issues on offense will be resolved satisfactorily given the talent on hand...

Also, Trojans report: Inside slant - CBS Sportsline
Trojans report: Strategy and personnel - CBS Sportsline
Freshman McKnight dazzles at USC camp - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
Second day, same as the first. Just more of freshman Joe McKnight for the Trojans to incorporate -- and appreciate.

"We're watching him absorb a lot of things," Coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday, ticking them off one by one: running back, wide receiver and a receiver in motion.

"We haven't found anything he can't do," Carroll said of the 6-foot, 180-pound top recruit...

...Carroll amended that. McKnight "hasn't blocked yet."...
Turner takes leadership role with receivers - LA Times
USC receiver Patrick Turner aggressively stations himself at the front of the line for every drill, symbolizing his new status for the Trojans...

...with former USC and NFL receiver Curtis Conway keenly eyeing them from the sideline, Trojans receivers took another small step...

..."It's cool to have a guy like Curtis Conway come back," said Turner..."He'll tell us some tips."

Turner and sophomore Vidal Hazelton began training camp as starters...

Also, USC LB Maualuga hoping for more big hits - LA Daily News
Pac-10 preview: USC - Arizona Republic

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

[Forde] Quarterbacks enter 2007 with much to prove - ESPN
...1. John David Booty, USC
The question:
Palmer, Leinart … Booty?
The first two guys have their names on the Heisman and their places in USC history secure. Palmer led the Pete Carroll renaissance and became the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. Leinart turned the renaissance into a dynasty and became a first-round pick. Can Booty -- who is so Shreveport to the other two guys' Cali cool -- be a suitable heir? Can he win hardware in December and in January? Does the dynasty continue or crumble on his watch?...
2007 CFN All-Americans & Top Players - LBs - College Football News
...Rey Maualuga, Jr. USC
Maualuga's a 6-3, 250-pound freight train that intimidates with his intensity and bone-jarring hits. Entering his second season as the starter, he plays with reckless abandon and has impeccable instincts for the position. Few college defenders provide the pop he does...

...Keith Rivers, Sr. USC
Rivers is arguably the country’s top NFL outside linebacker prospect. He's a 6-3, 230-pounder who pursues well in all directions, including on blitzes, and is a standout in pass defense. Last year’s team leader in tackles with 85 would have been a high draft choice in 2008 had he foregone his final year of eligibility...

Also, 2007 CFN All-Americans & Top Players - Safety - College Football News
2007 CFN All-Americans & Top Players - DTs - College Football News
The players speak - CNNSI
We asked one starter from each of the 119 Division I-A teams the following questions about college football and the upcoming season...

...1. Who is your preseason favorite to win the national championship?

USC: 48.7%...


...Quotable: A Pac-10 player on why USC will win the national championship: "Every year they're stacked, and with everyone they have coming in, they're going to be stacked for the next five years."...

...3. Which coach besides your own would you most like to play for?

Pete Carroll, USC: 28.6%...


Also, [Mandel] Straight from the source - CNNSI
[Waldner] Sarkisian chose family over ego - Daily Breeze
...Ask Steve Sarkisian.

Ask him about how very close he came to becoming coach of the Oakland Raiders...

...Sarkisian understands where Thomas Jefferson was coming from when he wrote those spine-tingling words, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

His decision was about happiness. It was about now. It was about his life and the life of his family now. It was about being a young man who does not have a runaway ego.

If Sarkisian had been working in Buffalo, not USC, would he have taken the Raiders' offer?

"I would have taken the job,"
he said...
Raiders' Williams hopes weight ... er ... wait is over - Contra Costa Times
...few envisioned such a bumpy ride for a player who totaled 176 receptions for 2,569 yards...in his two seasons at USC.

His troubles began when he hired an agent and declared himself eligible for the 2004 draft...

..."That is a value, obviously," Kiffin said, "his size and being able to keep people away from him. That goes back to when he's right, he's a dangerous red-zone player. ... There are good ways to use him down there. But he's got to get better."

Signs of Williams' progress showed during a recent practice when he beat standout cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha on two plays that he turned into touchdowns. He has made a habit of catching everything thrown his way...
USC gets first chance to impress - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
... How about at the half-dozen seniors who came back with a shot at All-America honors but who seemed to be saying through spokesman, and nose tackle, Sedrick Ellis, that they'd never "felt this kind of enthusiasm"?

"I think that is the seniors,"...John David Booty said, "I know that's how I felt tonight. To make this our team and show it."...

...Freshmen Joe McKnight and Ron Johnson...got their numbers called often Monday.

So did sophomore tailback Allen Bradford, on a pair of nifty touchdown runs and then an earth-shaking stiff-arm on freshman defensive end Everson Griffen...

Also, Trojans' Mustain struggles in debut - LA Daily News
Trio of tailbacks is off to a running start - LA Times
Returnees a boost - OC Register
[Feldman] All eyes on McKnight as Trojans open practice - ESPN
...The biggest buzz around the program on Day 1 focused on the Trojans' tailback situation, where the team has 10 scholarship players vying for playing time. The guy everyone was most excited about was Joe McKnight, the shifty Louisiana back who many have touted as the next Reggie Bush.

Privately, the USC coaches have been giddy about what they've heard from some of the upperclassmen regarding McKnight's performance in summer workout...

...On Monday, McKnight didn't disappoint as he made several eye-popping runs, juked defenders and blew past guys who thought they had angles on him. A few times he did get popped by defenders and ended up having to pick himself off the grass, but mostly he left defenders grabbing for air...

Monday, August 06, 2007

He's looking out for No. 1 - Rocky Mountain News
There was the weight issue and the hamstring injury, then plummeting all the way to No. 45 in the 2006 draft, the Tennessee Titans grabbing him in the second round.

Then came an incident at practice in which he allegedly spit on a teammate during a skirmish, a move that left him suspended for the first preseason game and apologizing afterward.

While White vows to "show the world" this year how good he can be, there's no question the pressure is on as he enters Year 2...

...That leaves White, despite his accolades at USC, in the middle of another skirmish, to settle who will carry the load for the Titans.

How much faith did the Titans have that White could do that?..
Leinart focused on becoming A-list QB - East Valley Tribune
It’s easy to forget that Matt Leinart is a football player. What with his cameo in an upcoming Adam Sandler movie, his Hollywood friends and the dispute with his son’s mother...

...Leinart has become a modern-day version of Joe Namath, sans the panty hose commercial.

“I hate that guy. He’s so stuck up,” Cardinals guard Deuce Lutui said.

For a second, you wonder if jealously is going to come between Leinart and his offensive line. Then Lutui starts to laugh...

Also, Offensive line earns early kudos - East Valley Tribune
Cassel won’t pass on chance - Boston Herald
To Matt Cassel, training camp is no prelude and preseason games are no warm-up act.

This is the time for a backup quarterback to prove himself. Once the season starts, his practice reps will take a serious hit and his game snaps - barring a blowout or an injury - will become nonexistent.

So while some players work to survive this time of year, Cassel has to thrive, especially on days like yesterday, when starter Tom Brady was given a day to rest his arm and his backup was given all the first-team reps.

“It’s an opportunity for me to go out and showcase to the coaches that I’ve learned...
What does it take to win a Heisman? - Northwest Arkansas Times
...“The SID’s role is vastly overrated, ” said USC SID Tim Tessalone, who’s orchestrated the winning campaigns of Carson Palmer (’ 02 ), Matt Leinart (04 ) and Reggie Bush (05 ). “ Players perform and win the Heisman. We can only enhance that a little bit. Ultimately, it’s not us, it’s them.”...

...Prior to Carson Palmer winning the Heisman in 2002, USC had vigorously promoted its candidates during the preseason. A robust campaign preceded Charles White and Marcus Allen winning the Heisman in 1979 and 1981.

While they were highly touted during the run up to the season, Palmer wasn’t esteemed enough to merit a spot on the Trojan’s media guide. Safety Troy Polamalu graced the cover of the 2002 edition after Palmer had thrown more interceptions than touchdowns to go along with a 16-16 record during his first three years at USC...
2007 CFN Preseason Rankings - College Football News
...This is the best defense Pete Carroll has had at USC. The second-team linebacking unit would start at about 100 other places, while the starters from one to 11 are, at the very least, All-Pac 10 caliber. There are at least seven defenders worthy of All-America consideration, and enough talented depth to quickly step in if and when one of the future millionaires gets hurt. Offensively, John David Booty is now a crusty veteran after having been in the program, seemingly, since the John McKay days. The skill players might not be known names quite yet outside of recruiting circles, but if you're not a five-star running back or receiver prospect, you needn't apply for a spot on the two deep depth chart, and three deep in some cases. It's not a stretch by any means to consider this team the most talented, at least in terms of high school prospects, in the history of college football. At this point, around the country, other teams are comparing their star players by saying they likely could've played at USC...

Also, 2007 CFN All-Americans & Top Players - QBs - College Football News
2007 CFN All-Americans & Top Players - OTs - College Football News
[Maisel] Savory Southern fare highlights 2007 season cookbook - ESPN
...The reach of the South extends all the way to No. 1. Take a look at the team that is a consensus pick to win the national championship. The quarterback is from Shreveport. The best wide receiver is from Nashville. The top recruit is from New Orleans.

So what's the campus doing in Los Angeles? Hey, it is the University of Southern California.

USC lost two Pacific-10 Conference games a year ago, the first time that had happened in five seasons, and university officials withstood the urge to form blue-ribbon panels to unearth the cause of such a disaster...

...USC's losses at Oregon State and at UCLA last year should have given pause to those who question the Pac-10's football prowess...
[McGuire] Too good to be No. 2? - Albany Times-Union
In yet another rookie-on-rookie training camp battle last week, wide receiver Steve Smith made a sharp cut on corner Aaron Ross, quickly established inside position and began to pull away.

The pass went to the other side of the field.

On this play, Steve Smith was the other guy. Again.

Since earning playing time as a freshman at USC, Smith has always been the other guy, the complementary player -- the No. 2, just like the jersey number he wore for the Trojans...

...Smith was a second-round pick. C'mon: Steve Smith isn't even the best receiver in the NFL named Steve Smith...

Also, Steve Smith making big play at New York Giants training camp - AP via USA Today
Trojans enter camp as nation's No. 1 again - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
Here they go again. Wire to wire, anyone?

The USC Trojans managed to pull it off in 2004, ranking No. 1 from the start of practice to the end of the season. Then they missed by 19 seconds the next season when they tried to repeat, as Vince Young and Texas snatched the crown at the very end.

Now for the third time in four seasons, the Trojans get a chance to run the table as the nation's top-ranked team. But a lot can happen from the start of practice Monday to the BCS championship game Jan. 7 in New Orleans.

And much will take place on the road, with five of USC's six toughest games away from the Coliseum...

Also, USC freshmen to get a chance early - LA Daily News
Booty could engineer a happy 'dome-coming - LA Times
The search for answers begins - LA Times
USC: Just the right fit - OC Register
No sneaking up on anyone this year: Trojans No. 1 - Decatur Herald & Review
Booty carrying on USC's quarterback tradition - USA Today
[Boclair] Numbers don't tell story of Matthews - Murfreesboro Daily News-Journal
There was no real way to compare Bruce Matthews' career to that of any other offensive lineman in the league. After all, they don't keep track of how many times a guy correctly picked up a blitz or blocked multiple players on a single play or got lower than the opposing defensive lineman on a short-yardage or goal line play.

Yet, in the case of Matthews, one of six players enshrined (the first who played as a Tennessee Titan) Saturday, it was obvious that his career was beyond compare. And he actually has the numbers to prove it.

He played under six different head coaches and blocked for 27 different running backs...He started at least a season's worth of games at every position: 99 games at left guard, 87 at center, 67 at right guard, 22 at right tackle and 17 at left tackle...

Also, INSIDE THE SPEECH: Matthews - Canton Repository
Class worked just as hard in practice - Canton Repository
Matthews credits family, others for his success - Canton Repository
This night was just right - Canton Repository