Hancock gets more eligibility - OC Register
USC fullback Brandon Hancock received a sixth year of eligibility this week from the NCAA, the school confirmed, enabling him to resume his career after sitting out the recently completed season.

Hancock tore knee ligaments in training camp last summer, ending his senior season before it began. He underwent medical tests this week, including an MRI, to determine whether he was physically able to play a sixth year.

He told a crowd at a USC-sponsored event Tuesday night that the paperwork was finalized by the NCAA, but he will have additional tests to "see what kind of possible long-term effects there would be...

Also, Hancock granted sixth year of eligibility; may return - Daily Trojan

Coming soon: A cartoon Carson - Cincy Enquirer
Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer will make his acting debut on the animated series "The Replacements," Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. on Disney Channel.

Palmer guest stars as himself...

..."I thoroughly enjoyed working with Disney ... It was a great experience and I was proud to play a part in teaching children the importance of sharing. I am very thankful that Disney afforded me this great opportunity..." Palmer said in a statement.

Also, Palmer on arrests: 'It has to stop' - Cincy Enquirer

USC football coach Pete Carroll Sticking around - Desert Sun
..."There's a whole different atmosphere in college that I like," Carroll said. "There's a tolerance for younger kids that's healthy. The NFL's standard expectations are so difficult to deal with, and the media conflict - it takes away from the fun."

Rumors swirled earlier this month about the possibility of Carroll resigning from USC to coach the Miami Dolphins, whose owner Wayne Huizenga flew to Costa Rica to speak to the vacationing Carroll about their vacancy. Though impressed with the sales pitch, Carroll said he never seriously considered the possibility of coaching the Dolphins...

Sarkisian will make offense run - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
...with the keys to the USC offense completely in his hands, from play-calling to game-planning, Sarkisian didn't hesitate to say what he was thinking.

"Without doubt we need to find a consistent way to run the football," USC's assistant head coach said...

..."And we need to find a way in the passing game to throw the ball deep down the field the way we did the second half of the season at times," Sarkisian said. "We have to build on (John David Booty's) confidence...

...What is a winning formula for USC, Sarkisian said, is getting back to the two-back attack...

Whose stock is up? - Mobile Register
Mike Mayock, the NFL Network's draft expert, believes Southern Cal center Ryan Kalil may be the player creating the most momentum for himself during Senior Bowl week as the April NFL draft approaches.

"Ryan Kalil was a guy I knew was a good football player," Mayock said after Wednesday's South team workout at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. "I had him a late first-round, early second-round center, which is an anomaly.

"I think he's been the best offensive lineman down here as far as technique. He's throwing a shutout right now. I really like the way Ryan Kalil moves, so I think he's making himself some money. He could be a first-round center."...

Trojans' offense has one leader - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
...For the past two years, assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach Sarkisian and offensive coordinator Kiffin divided up responsibilities. Kiffin did the play-calling in the booth and Sarkisian had veto power on the sidelines, while both worked to prepare the weekly game plan. Those duties now fall completely to Sarkisian...

...It's expected that, much the way former USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow was the highest-paid assistant in college football with a reported $750,000 salary, Sarkisian's paycheck will reflect the new responsibilities after he backed out of consideration for the Raiders' job Friday...

Also, Sarkisian will be the glue that keeps the offense together - Daily Trojan
Carroll moves to fill the void - LA Times

In Kiffin, Raiders Are Putting Young Face in Tough Job - NY Times
At 3 months old, Pressley Kiffin already looks to be in the market for silver makeup, metal spikes and a Darth Vader mask.

Her father, Lane Kiffin, visited the Oakland Raiders’ ticket office yesterday to buy seats for next season. Considering that Kiffin is the Raiders’ new head coach, he probably could have arranged for a luxury box.

But because Kiffin was getting tickets for his family, he wanted something more appropriate, in a section where his wife and two daughters could really feel comfortable.

“In the Black Hole,” he said.

With that, Kiffin might have alarmed anyone at Child Protective Services, but he endeared himself to Raiders fans everywhere...

Also, Vow to restore the Raiders - Oakland Tribune
[Poole] Caution, Raider Nation, Kiffin's bravado rings false - Oakland Tribune
[Spander] Lion in winter gives reins to a young lion - Oakland Tribune
[Inman] In Kiffin, Davis sees chip off his old block - Contra Costa Times
[Ratto] No way possible to ignore the past - SF Chron
Raiders turn to fast Lane - SF Chron
REACTION: Oakland players welcome the change - SF Chron
[Killion] Killion: Davis refuses to see the depth of problems - SJ Merc
Can this baby just win? - Sacramento Bee
Kiffin sticks to script - Stockton Record
Many Trojans Fans Won't Miss Kiffin - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
[Dilbeck] There's a silver (and black) lining with Kiffin's departure - LA Daily News
[Spiegel] Al Davis is embarrassment-proof - Sporting News

Early rise not a surprise for Hill - Fresno Bee
Fresno State coach Pat Hill said he isn't surprised Lane Kiffin, the new coach of the Oakland Raiders, became the NFL's youngest current coach.

The way Hill sees it, the 31-year-old has been on the coaching fast track since Kiffin gave up his final two years of eligibility at Fresno State to serve as a student assistant.

"He's always had a great football mind," Hill said. "He understands the game really well. I think he's very qualified to be an NFL head coach.

"NFL people always are looking for bright, young offensive minds...Lane Kiffin fits the description. And I think that's great."...

Also, Kiffin had a zeal for coaching at an early age - Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Dungy Proteges Proliferate - Lakeland Ledger
Raiders Look Past Age To Hire Kiffin - Tampa Tribune
CSU pipeline to success - Denver Post

Cole Cameron Leinart in Public - AP

Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter and Southern California's red shirt junior basketball player Brynn Cameron sits with her son Cole Cameron Leinart during a basketball game between USC and Arizona State on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2007, in Tempe, Ariz.

(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

[Kawakami] Well, he's better than nothing - SJ Merc
Very exciting news out of Raiders headquarters Monday night: Yes, there actually is somebody who wants to coach the team!

After an exhaustive search of various 30-something coaches...the Raiders finally picked Lane Kiffin.

Surprisingly, and to the franchise's great relief, Kiffin did not shove the offer back in Al's face. He took it. Sucker!

Who's Kiffin, and why is he the heir to the throne of Shell, Turner and Callahan? Wonderful questions, and I'm not entirely sure even Al has an answer.

Oh, wait I've got it: Kiffin's better than nothing...

Also, [Waldner] Wacky Davis living in the past - Daily Breeze
Kiffin is leaving USC for Raiders - LA Daily News
KIFFIN DEFECTS TO RAIDERS - Daily Trojan
Raiders hire Kiffin - LA Times
Davis brings Kid Kiffin to a fixer-upper - Contra Costa Times
Raiders finally end search - Contra Costa Times
[Gilmore] Welcome to the quicksand, Lane - Contra Costa Times
Raiders hire USC's Kiffin - SF Chron
[Knapp] Hey, Al: It's your hire, so let the guy coach - SF Chron
Raiders take Kiffin as coach - Minneapolis Star-Tribune
[Silver] Raiders hire Kiffin - CNNSI
[Banks] Fountain of youth - CNNSI
Kiffin Named Head Coach - Official Raiders Website

Carroll works room as two Trojans win Morris Trophies - Seattle P-I
USC football coach Pete Carroll knows how to work a room, even when that room is deep within Husky Nation.

With former Huskies greats such as Marques Tuiasosopo, Rick Redman and Chuck Nelson in attendance, Carroll spoke to a crowd of about 150 at the Washington Athletic Club on Thursday as the Morris Trophies were awarded to two of his Trojans.

Center Ryan Khalil and nose tackle Sedrick Ellis won the awards, granted annually for the past 27 years to the Pac-10's best offensive and defensive linemen.

Defensive linemen vote for the best offensive lineman and vice versa...

Also, Ellis and Kalil Named 27th Morris Trophy Winners - Official Pac-10 Website

[Waldner] Carroll's Miami odyssey just part of coaches' crazy world - Daily Breeze
...at USC they do love and support him without conditions.

But he's a coach. So he has to wonder. How long will it last?...

...History tells us USC athletic director Mike Garrett does not have a lot of patience with coaches who are not living up to his expectations. How high they rank on the respect meter does not matter. His firing of Chris Gobrecht in women's basketball and Jim Milinder in women's soccer are two such examples, as was his easing Mike Gillespie out as baseball coach.

This has to leave other USC coaches with a lack of trust and perhaps a touch of paranoia...

[Ratto] As usual with Davis, we'll know when we know - SF Chron
...Sarkisian is so much the conventional wisdom now that his fellow USC offensive assistant, Lane Kiffin, was in Oakland on Thursday to talk a little business with His Al-hood. Kiffin calls the plays for Pete Carroll at USC, but Sarkisian is Carroll's assistant head coach and a former Raiders assistant, so the logic du jour is that Sarkisian has or is about to have the job and Kiffin will be his offensive go-to guy, either as coordinator or with some other title.

Except that this isn't the way it's playing out, either. Yes, Kiffin spoke with the Raiders. Yes, Sarkisian has interviewed twice and is on the record saying that he would love the job. And yes, the interest from the Raiders is mutual.

But it isn't exclusive. At least not yet...

Also, Another USC coach visits Davis - SF Chron
Al's sights on Sarkisian? - Oakland Tribune
Raiders, Sarkisian chat again - Oakland Tribune
Sarkisian could be headed to the Raiders - LA Times
Raiders closing in? - SJ Merc

Art Buchwald, 81, Columnist and Humorist Who Delighted in the Absurd - NY Times
Art Buchwald, who satirized the follies of the rich, the famous and the powerful for half a century as the most widely read newspaper humorist of his time, died Wednesday night in Washington. He was 81...

...Mr. Buchwald’s syndicated column was a staple for a generation or more of newspaper readers, not least the politicians and government grandees he lampooned so regularly. His life was a rich tale of gumption, heartbreak and humor, with chapters in Paris, Washington and points around the globe.

But perhaps no year of his life was as remarkable as the last. It became something of an extended curtain call. Last February doctors told him he had only a few weeks to live. “I decided to move into a hospice and go quietly into the night,” he wrote three months later. “For reasons that even the doctors can’t explain, my kidneys kept working.”...

Also, Video Obituary - NY Times
[Henican] Art Buchwald left all of us laughing - NY Newsday
Buchwald v. Breslin: The Telegrams - NY Sun
The Vineyard weeps: Buchwald, beloved islander, dies at 81 - Boston Herald
Art Buchwald ends final chapter - Cape Cod Times
A question for Alfie as humorist's sun sets - Cape Cod Times
A Modern Mark Twain - Hartford Courant
Art Buchwald - Washington Post
[Cohen] The Living Legacy of Art Buchwald - Washington Post
Buchwald hit mark with smarts, humor - Fredericksburg Freelance-Star
Pulitzer columnist laughed at life, death - Baltimore Sun
Humor was just Buchwald's introduction - Daily Trojan
Art of the Column - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
Buchwald was legend - Contra Costa Times
To Buchwald, D.C. was funny - Portland Oregonian
Art Buchwald - The [London] Times
Satirist Art Buchwald dies at 81 after 'lap of honour' - The Independent
Art Buchwald, R.I.P. - International Herald-Tribune
Art Buchwald: His life and legacy - International Herald-Tribune
Dave Barry: I'll Miss Art Buchwald's Calls and Friendship - Editor & Publisher
Remembering Art Buchwald - Time Magazine

Two Backs, One Ball, No Problem for Saints - NY Times
...Payton was busy studying the 2005 U.S.C. Trojans, who managed to split one football among Bush, tailback LenDale White and quarterback Matt Leinart. At the end of the season, the players were all still friends, and they all became high draft picks...

...N.F.L. coaches do not generally copy college teams, but the 2005 Trojans were no ordinary college team...

Also, Backs share best of times - Denver Post

[Hansen] In City of Angels, USC's Floyd working miracles - Arizona Daily Star
...On Floyd's first day as USC's basketball coach, he said he was going to build a program based on Lute Olson's model at Arizona.

"I am going to use Arizona as the measuring stick," Floyd said on that April 2005 day. "I think you look at what's going on right now, and the team to beat is Arizona. In my opinion, that is the team that everyone should be concerned with...

..."They have been doing a lot of their work here in Southern California. It makes a lot of sense for a young man who is thinking about the next four years of his life" to go to Arizona.

"We are now going to sell that young man on a relationship with the Trojan family."...

Also, TROJAN HOUSE - Arizona Daily Star
New arena part of Trojan success - Daily Wildcat

Raiders may be on fast track - Contra Costa Times
Southern Cal assistant coach/quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian returned Wednesday for a second interview for the Raiders coaching vacancy, a person familiar with the search process confirmed.

There are strong indications that Sarkisian won't be leaving town without an offer to be the Raiders' next coach.

Sarkisian, 32, met with Raiders managing general partner Al Davis and other team officials throughout the day Wednesday and into the night. The parties are scheduled to pick up today where they left off Wednesday night, with the potential of the interview lasting until Friday some time...

Also, Raiders, Sarkisian chat again - Oakland Tribune
Is USC's Sarkisian the Raiders' man - SF Chron
Raiders interview USC aide again - Sac Bee

[Mandel] Early look at '07 - CNNSI
...1. USC Trojans (11-2 in 2006)

Who's back: QB John David Booty, T Sam Baker, DE Lawrence Jackson, LBs Keith Rivers and Brian Cushing.

Who's not: WRs Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith, C Ryan Kalil.

Skinny: All but one starter return from an already dominant defense, and Booty will have a new set of stud receivers, Patrick Turner and Vidal Hazelton, at his disposal.

...22. California Golden Bears...

...24. UC, Los Angeles Bruins...

Also, [Dodd] Preseason Top 25 - CBS Sportsline

[Waldner] Sarkisian could be Davis' next coaching find - Daily Breeze
...enter Raiders owner Al Davis, he who treads where others dare not go.

Clearly, Davis was listening when Carroll was singing praise of Sarkisian.

Davis is the NFL's all-time go-it-my-own-way owner. Experience? In a head coach? No problem. Davis, 79, the extremely rare owner who was a coach himself, will supply the experience.

So it was that Sarkisian became a genuine candidate to become a head coach. In the NFL, of all places.

Underline genuine...

Also, [Kawakami] Playing a guessing game with Al Davis - SJ Merc

Wedding ring-and maybe Bowl ring in Cassel’s future - Boston Herald
It’s shaping up to be a rather busy February for No. 2 QB/QT Matt Cassel. In addition to backing up Tom Brady [stats] at Super Bowl XLI (it’s destiny . . . .) Matt will tie the knot with his longtime galpal Lauren Killian in La-La.

Sorry ladies . . . .

Anyway, word from our pigskin snitches is that Stephen Gostkowski’s ever-reliable holder and his fiancee will do the “I Dos” after the football season is over.

Cassel and Lauren have been dating since college...

...File Under: Trojan Love...

Cubs notes - MLB.com
...Jacque Jones will miss the Cubs Convention this weekend because he is being honored by San Diego High School during their "Athletes of the Century" banquet on Friday.

Jones, 31, played baseball, basketball and football at the school. He graduated in 1993, and then attended the University of Southern California.

The Cubs outfielder has had a busy offseason, beginning with a trip to Japan as part of the MLB tour. He also took part in January in the two-day Players Trust Golf Tournament, held at Torrey Pines in San Diego. The Players Trust is a charitable foundation, and the first in professional sports to be established and administered by the players themselves...

[Dienhart] Assistant coaches who are on the fast track - Sporting News
...Here's a look at assistant college coaches who I think will be head coaches sooner rather than later...

...Lane Kiffin, USC co-offensive coordinator. He came close to landing the Minnesota job. The wunderkind already ranks as one of the nation's top recruiters...

...Steve Sarkisian, USC co-offensive coordinator. The former BYU quarterback is a young buck who has been given a lot of responsibility by Pete Carroll...

[Walters] Counting down to 2007 - MSNBC
...Top 10 [2007] Games...

...1. USC (11-2) at Nebraska (9-5), Sept. 15

Carroll's Conundrum: The Trojans return ten starters on defense, and that's before Pete figures out how to get super stud freshmen Chris Galippo (LB) and Everson Griffin (DE) into the rotation. Nice problem to have. The Maze Unsheathers will likely toss Pac-10 party boy transplant Sam Keller behind center. It's like "Tommy Lee Goes To College" without the horticulture tutoring sessions. In 2005, while the QB at Arizona State, Keller led the Sun Devils to a 21-3 halftime lead versus the Trojans before imploding in the second half...

Muñoz sets conduct standard for former NFL players - Hamilton [Ohio] Journal-News
We already knew Anthony Muñoz, the football player.

Muñoz, the No. 1 draft pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1980, played 13 seasons in the NFL, was named to 11 consecutive Pro Bowls, played in two Super Bowls and five seasons after retiring, he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He is the greatest Bengal, without question.

On Friday night, before a standing-room-only crowd of more than 400 at SouthBrook Christian Church in Centerville, Muñoz switched from player to preacher. From football to faith.

And he's equally as effective off the field...

Robo-builder threatens the brickie - The [London] Times
...Engineers are racing to unveil the world’s first robot capable of building a house at the touch of a button...

...robots will not only cut costs and avoid human delays but liberate the normal family homes from the conventional designs of pitched roofs, right-angled walls and rectangular windows.

“The architectural options will explode,” predicted Dr Behrokh Khoshnevis at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, who will soon unleash his $1.5m (£940,000) robot. “We will be able to build curves and domes as easily as straight walls...

San Pedro says goodbye to Danelo - LA Times
...Streets throughout part of the city were blocked off to handle traffic and a crowd of about 2,000 mourners that spilled out of Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church today to remember USC's 21-year-old kicker who died last week.

"Mario was [San] Pedro and I think everybody recognizes that," USC Coach Pete Carroll said after the Mass, which lasted about two hours. "We're so saddened by this but also we celebrate today a wonderful kid's life and all the special spirit that he brought to all of us."...

Also, Thousands mourn USC kicker - OC Register

2007 CBS SportsLine.com's All-Bowl Team - CBS Sportsline
...let's remember some of the best individual performances of the bowl season...

...WR: Dwayne Jarrett, USC: The Wolverines defense was supposed to be one of the best in the nation, but Jarrett made the secondary look foolish. He finished with 11 receptions for 205 yards and two touchdowns in the victory over Michigan...

...LB: Brian Cushing, USC: The sophomore pressured Michigan's Chad Henne all day, recording seven tackles, four for loss, and three sacks on his way to defensive MVP honors in the Rose Bowl...

Also, The 100 Stars of the Bowl Season - College Football News

Playmakers will decide coach's fate - Florida Times-Union
Jack Del Rio keeps tapping into coaches with experience in the video-game league (Pacific-10) for his offensive coordinator. That might partially explain why dismissed Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter was a surprise hire over...Kennedy Pola.

It's only a guess as to whether Koetter...will be an upgrade over predecessors Carl Smith and Bill Musgrave, but this is a hellacious gamble on both sides.

With his job on the line next season, Del Rio entrusted a critical position to someone with no NFL experience, unprecedented among coordinators in franchise history. Koetter had a chance to take the same post at the University of Miami, yet he chose the Jaguars, where the temperature on Del Rio's seat is much hotter...

Reggie says he's ready - Lafayette Daily Advertiser
New Orleans running back Reggie Bush is no stranger when it comes to playing in prime time.

The time on the big stage started for the rookie runnig back during his college career at USC.

As a result of that big game experience, it should come as no surprise Bush isn't nervous going into arguably the biggest game in team history when the Saints play host to the Philadelphia Eagles...

..."This game is going to be just like playing for the national championship," Bush said...

Also, 25 THINGS TO PONDER - Philly Daily News
Eagles' DTs hope to Bushwhack former USC teammate - Philly Daily News
Dat's out of the bag - LA Times
[Smith] A formula for success for Bush - FoxSports

Tatupu earning respect from teammates, opponents alike - Seattle Times
...Tatupu is the guy no one could get enough of last season, and the one you probably haven't heard enough about this year. He is a middle linebacker, a position oh-so famous in Chicago with a lineage that includes Butkus and Singletary and Urlacher. In Seattle, Tatupu has ably filled a vacuum at a position that had changed once a year in Mike Holmgren's first six years as coach.

Expectations have overshadowed Tatupu's season, which has been nothing short of solid and edging toward spectacular the past three games. He had more tackles this season than as a rookie...

USC's leading tackler stays in school for 'amazing opportunity' - LA Times
USC linebacker Keith Rivers said Thursday that he would return to USC for his final season of eligibility.

A two-year starter who led the Trojans with 85 tackles this season, Rivers said he received a round-two projection from the NFL.

"I just kind of felt like with a lot of growth I could potentially be a top-10, top-15 pick instead of late first or early second," Rivers said...

...Rivers is one of 10 defensive starters who are due to return in 2007...

..."The biggest thing is what I want to do with the group of guys we have coming back," Rivers said...

Also, Rivers opts to return for his senior season - OC Register

[Hartman] Carroll plugs USC assistant for Gophers job - Minneapolis Star-Tribune
USC's Pete Carroll, who has built one of the great records in college football, was on the phone Thursday praising offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin's contributions to the success of the Trojans and recommending the 31-year-old son of Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin for the Gophers football coaching job.

"He's a gifted coach [who] has been here from the very outset of putting this program together," said Carroll, the former Vikings defensive backs coach...

...Lane Kiffin, who attended Bloomington Jefferson when his dad was an assistant coach with the Vikings, is one of several candidates who is expected to be interviewed in Dallas today for the Gophers job.

"Lane has been integrally involved in everything that we've done...

[Krikorian] Sly Carroll wise to keep lofty L.A. status - Long Beach Press-Telegram
Oh, Pete Carroll, you sly fox.

The guy took a page out of super agent Scott Boras' negotiating handbook the past week and probably squeezed another million or two out of USC for himself.

Actually, I don't have the faintest idea how much Carroll inflated his salary by...

...you can be sure he'll be earning a lot more money next season coaching the Trojans than he did the past one...

He took the money and ran — to Tampa - LA Times
You aren't just USC's football coach, you're a crossover star who gets the red-carpet treatment all over Los Angeles. You've coached multiple Heisman Trophy winners and have filled Heritage Hall with national championship trophies.

But an NFL team from Florida beckons, and you're attracted to the challenge and money associated with coaching at the next level.

What are you going to do, John McKay?

The answer: Leave USC — and wind up regretting it for the rest of your life...

U-M, Ohio St. and ND were all frauds - Oakland [Mich.] Press
They are the Holy Trinity of college football. Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame. The Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost.

We pray at their collective altar all those Saturdays in the fall.

And isn't that what college football is in the Midwest? A religion?...

...Southern Cal has shattered the myth of the Holy Trinity. Since 1970, USC is 10-2 against Michigan and Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Notre Dame has lost five straight times to USC. Four of those loses were by four touchdowns or more...

Lane Kiffin has support for U job - St Paul Pioneer-Press
Lane Kiffin was known as former Vikings assistant Monte Kiffin's son and remembered for being a great athlete while growing up in Bloomington and playing football at Jefferson High School.

Now at 31, Kiffin has a coaching résumé worthy of consideration for the head football coaching job at the University of Minnesota...

...Jefferson coach Jon Leverenz, who was Kiffin's assistant football coach in high school, said Kiffin was a student of the game as a two-time starting quarterback for Jefferson in 1993 and 1994...

Also, So, who's in play for Gophers coaching job? - Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Sarkisian waiting on Raiders - LA Times
Steve Sarkisian, USC's assistant head coach, continued to play the waiting game Wednesday.

Sarkisian interviewed to become coach of the Oakland Raiders on Monday.

"I'm just waiting to hear from them to see if they want to have further talks," said Sarkisian, who was the Raiders' quarterbacks coach in 2004. "I know they had other interviews to do, so you have to let the process take its course."...

Also, New coach will need more than X's and O's - Oakland Tribune
Fassel to interview with Raiders today - SF Chron
[Fox] Coaching Carousel could be felt in Utah! - KUTV-TV

[Painter] USC coach finally spells it out - without saying it - LA Daily News
Pete Carroll is staying at USC.

In other words, he's not leaving.

He won't become the next coach of the Miami Dolphins.

He is S-T-A-Y-I-N-G.

It's the kind of stay that might end only in retirement.

Stop waiting for Carroll to say "I'm staying at USC." He's not going to use those exact words. He's not going to shout it off the rooftop of Heritage Hall.

"Stay" is the S-word in Carroll's dictionary...

Jarrett bids sad farewell to USC - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
As he said goodbye Wednesday, Dwayne Jarrett made it clear through his sobs and tears just how hard it was for him to leave USC...

..."I thank everybody, I love everybody," Jarrett said, accompanied by his mother...and the uncle who taught him how to catch a football...

...Asked how tough the decision was, Jarrett struggled to answer.

"The most difficult part is my teammates," he said...

...he thanked family, friends, all his offensive coaches by name and his tutor, Mimi Butler, who was there to send him off.

For the highlight of his career, Jarrett went back to where he'd left off.

"Just being with my teammates," he said.

And then the tears began to flow...

Also, Jarrett is moving on, but Carroll is not going anywhere - Daily Breeze
Tearful Jarrett says he will leave early - Daily Trojan
Stop and go route - LA Daily News
NFL challenge next for Jarrett - LA Times
Jarrett will make leap to the NFL - OC Register
USC's Jarrett taking next step - New Brunswick Home News-Tribune

Bruce Matthews a finalist for Pro Hall of Fame - Houston Chronicle
When former Oilers/Titans offensive lineman Bruce Matthews found out Wednesday that he was a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2007, he was almost speechless.

“To have my name mentioned with so many great players that I’ve admired for so long is almost overwhelming,” Matthews said...

...Matthews, who grew up in a football family in the Los Angeles area and played at USC, was the Oilers’ first-round pick in 1983. He played 19 seasons...and was voted to 14 consecutive Pro Bowls, tying him with former Rams defensive tackle Merlin Olsen for the most in history.

Matthews could be the last member of the Oilers and the first member of the Titans inducted into the Hall of Fame...

Mario Danelo Funeral To Be Held In San Pedro On Friday - KNBC-TV
The entire USC football team is expected at place kicker Mario Danelo's funeral on Friday.

It remains unclear exactly what happened, but the 21-year-old was found dead Saturday at the foot of an oceanfront cliff about a mile from his family home in San Pedro.

His funeral is set for 10:30 a.m. Friday at Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church at 870 Eighth St. in San Pedro...

Also, [Smith] Trojans mourn Danelo's passing - OC Register
Semester meeting somber - LA Daily News
[Modesti] Tragedy lessens the games - LA Daily News
Cliffs are alluring and deadly - LA Times

[Barnhart] Projecting next season’s Top 25 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution
...here’s an early look at our projected Top 25 for '07:

1. Southern Cal....All-everything receiver Dwayne Jarrett will likely leave early for the NFL, but the Trojans have a ton of other talent back. So loaded is Southern Cal that John David Booty...will have to stave off Mark Sanchez just to keep his starting quarterback job. All but one starter returns on defense.

2. West Virginia...3. Oklahoma...4. Ohio State...5. Florida...6. LSU...7. Texas...8. Michigan....9. Arkansas...10. Virginia Tech...21. Notre Dame...30. UCLA, 31. Arizona State...34. Cal...40. Oregon State...

Also, [Mayo] Trojans have the horses for next season - Grans Rapids Press
[Moredich] Odds are, USC will win it all next season - Tucson Citizen
[Allen] BCS title game bound for 2007 - Corpus Christi Caller-Times
Turning to 2007, Southern Cal should start season at No. 1 - USA Today
Outlooks for the final Top 25 - USA Today
[Schlbach] Booty could return Trojans to No. 1 ranking - ESPN
[Mandel] An early look ahead - CNNSI

[Schad] Southern Cal receiver Jarrett will reportedly enter draft - ESPN
Southern California wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett has selected an agent and will announce that he is entering the NFL draft at a 2 p.m. news conference at the school's Heritage Hall on Wednesday, two sources close to the situation said Tuesday night.

The junior, a two-time All-American, had 70 catches for 1,015 yards and led the Trojans with 12 touchdowns this season.

The 6-foot-5, 210 pound receiver with a track record of acrobatic catches, is considered a first-round prospect...

Also, Jarrett is expected to turn pro - LA Times

USC aide upbeat following meeting - Contra Costa Times
Former Oakland Raiders quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian interviewed for the coaching vacancy Monday, he confirmed in a phone call Monday night. He is the first candidate known to have received an in-person interview since Art Shell got fired Thursday.

Sarkisian, 32, spent most of the day at Raiders headquarters in Alameda in a face-to-face interview with managing general partner Al Davis. He left without a job offer but filled with hope.

"It went extremely well," Sarkisian said...

Also, Former assistant back for interview - Contra Costa Times
[Dickey] Young coaches too smart for Raiders - SF Examiner
Raiders interview USC assistant - Sac Bee
Killion: Davis can't go back to same tired history - SJ Merc
Sarkisian, Kiffin drawing interest from other teams - LA Times

Chow hopes to overcome odds - Nashville Tennessean
Norm Chow has heard all the reasons why he shouldn't be hired as a head coach. The two big ones: He's 60, and he's never been a head coach in college football or the NFL.

So does that bother the Titans offensive coordinator, who on Monday interviewed with the Arizona Cardinals for their head coaching vacancy?

"No, because I haven't been a head coach, and I'm aged,'' Chow said with a chuckle during a press conference in Tempe, Ariz. "But I know who I am.

"That question has been brought up about not being a head coach and frankly the opportunities have just not been there where we've had a chance. … This opportunity presents itself to be a head coach and it is an exciting one. It is something that I would really look forward to."...

Also, Agent: Leinart can't tout Chow too much - Nashville Tennessean
Chow wants shot at top job - Nashville City Paper
Leinart pitches in as Cards interview Chow - East Valley Tribune
Chow is intriguing candidate - Arizona Republic

Bucs' bad defensive season claims its second assistant - St. Petersburg Times
...Defensive line coach Jethro Franklin, whose unit's production dropped sharply in 2006, said he was informed by general manager Bruce Allen that he will not be retained for 2007. Defensive backs coach Greg Burns was dismissed Monday and replaced by former Tampa assistant Raheem Morris.

Franklin joined the Bucs last year after serving in the same capacity at Southern Cal, signing a two-year contract...

Jackson bound for Atlanta - Cincy Enquirer
The Bengals are looking for a new wide receivers coach, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh is concerned.

The team's No. 2 receiver confirmed Monday that three-year Bengals receivers coach Hue Jackson is headed to Atlanta to become Falcons offensive coordinator under Bobby Petrino.

Jackson told Houshmandzadeh about the job during phone conversations Friday and Saturday...

Carroll glimpses NFL paradise - Inland Empire Press-Enterprise
Pete Carroll admitted he was wrong.

In his six years at USC, Carroll had said he'd become absolutely certain no NFL team could offer him the control he has as coach of the Trojans. That, he said, is why he never sat down with anyone to talk about going back to the NFL -- until Sunday.

That's when Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga convinced Carroll to give him a chance. He'd jet in to Carroll's get-away-from-it-all vacation spot in the north of Costa Rica and make his pitch.

Huizenga made the perfect pitch, describing a job "where the head coach has the entire say; a one-voice program," Carroll called it. "I don't think there are any others like that."...

Also, [Walder] Don't bet on Carroll departing for NFL - Daily Breeze
Fin for Carroll? - LA Daily News
[Dilbeck] Fans, it's nervous time at 'SC - LA Daily News
Carroll says he's staying at USC - LA Times
Pete Carroll: Intrigued enough? - OC Register

America Ferrera Makes 'Ugly' Beautiful - ABC News
America Ferrera has made it cool to be "ugly."

The Golden Globe-nominated actress has won fans and accolades for her role in the hit ABC show "Ugly Betty." She recently told ABC News' Robin Roberts that she couldn't be happier about her Golden Globe nomination for best actress and for best show...

...While Ferrera's wrapped up in the excitement of the show, she still wants to complete her college education. She's a few classes away from getting a degree from the University of Southern California.

"My mom reminded me just the other day [that] I still owe her my diploma," she said. "I have a semester left."...

Top 20 Wired Colleges - PC Magazine
...#8 University of Southern California...

...Teaching always trumps technology. At least that's one mantra at the University of Southern California (USC), a trendsetting private university in Los Angeles that gets as much cred for its bone-crunching Trojan football team as it does for its sun-drenched campus...

With one of the world's fastest supercomputers on site (students can schedule research time and use access ports from anywhere on campus), USC would seem to deserve credit if only for raw processing power. The campus has 652 wireless access points, and 280 classrooms are outfitted with multiple webcams and microphones. The Blackboard course management system allows professors to post lecture materials and review notes online, and every student gets 200MB of online storage...