No. 4 USC Trojans - Athlon Sports
...For all of the overabundance of high school phenoms flocking to USC during the Pete Carroll era, the most important player on the 2008 roster might be a transfer from Arkansas. Damian Williams, a five-game starter for the Razorbacks as a true freshman in ’06, could stir up a wide receiver corps that underperformed spectacularly last fall...

...This is the year Ohio State has been targeting for a national title, and the Trojans will host the Buckeyes in Game 2. In the even-year rotation, USC will host Notre Dame and travel across town to UCLA in the final two games.

The new standard: USC is riding a six-year streak of 11-win seasons and has played in six consecutive BCS bowls — both NCAA records.

The Man: Carroll is the nation’s winningest active coach at 84.4 percent...

USC's Pete Carroll trapped by new recruiting rules - LA Times
..."I feel like that kid in 'Disturbia,' " Carroll said last week.

Kale Brecht, the fictional 17-year-old played by actor Shia LaBeouf...wore a court-ordered ankle bracelet that forbade him from traveling outside a 100-foot perimeter of his home.

Carroll can relate...And he is not the only road-hungry football coach shackled by the NCAA.

The so-called "Saban Rule" was reportedly adopted this year after Alabama's Nick Saban, another relentless recruiter, was accused of violating NCAA regulations that prohibit in-person contact with high school players during the spring evaluation period. The legislation, sponsored by the [SEC], sidelines all head coaches from April 15 to the end of May...