Kalil, Lotulelei win Morris Trophy - ESPN
USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil and Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei have been named winners of the 32nd annual Morris Trophy.

Utah, Whittingham have new deal in works - Salt Lake Tribune
Even as Utah coach Kyle Whittingham continues to be mentioned in the coaching rumor mill as a possible candidate for openings at Arizona State and Penn State, the Utah Utes are preparing to make him a slightly richer man...

Te'o says he'll return for senior year - Southbend Tribune
Linebacker Manti Te'o announced Sunday night that he will return to Notre Dame for his senior year.

Pete Carroll couldn't think outside the box to recruit Tim Tebow - LA Times
Pete Carroll, then USC's coach, felt good about his chances of landing Tim Tebow after the quarterback visited in 2004. But that changed when Carroll visited Tebow's home . . . because of the mailbox...

Oregon State DC Mark Banker to Hawaii? - Football Rumor Mill
Oregon State DC Mark Banker is reportedly a candidate for Hawaii job
http://t.co/SmaaPvg1

Kyle Whittingham to Penn State? - Football Rumor Mill
Utah HC Kyle Whittingham reportedly contacted by Penn State

Barkley Tally - LA Daily News
Matt Barkley finished with 153 points and 11 first-place votes as he came in sixth place in the Heisman Trophy balloting.

Lane_Kiffin: Congrats to Coach Mora and welcome to LA - Twitter

Mike Bellotti’s $500K pension - Football Rumor Mill
Mike Bellotti’s $500K pension sweetened by Nike, ticket sales, Oregon Sports Network

Utah’s Whittingham a potential fit for Arizona State - Football Rumor Milll
Utah’s Whittingham a potential fit for Arizona State

Bruins hire Jim Mora - OC Register
UCLA has hired former Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks head coach Jim Mora as the Bruins’ next head football coach. Mora, 50, and UCLA agreed to terms Friday night and the current NFL Network analyst will be formally introduced as Rick Neuheisel’s replacement as early as Saturday...

Ex-Duck Cliff Harris apologizes to Oregon fans via Facebook - The Oregonian
The one-time star says there's more to the story of his dismissal, but doesn't go into any detail.

Season recap: USC - ESPN
USC TROJANS - Record: 10-2, 7-2 Pac-12
USC returned to the nation's elite in year two under coach Lane Kiffin, and it's a pity that the Trojans can't represent the Pac-12 in the bowl season due to dubious NCAA sanctions because few teams played better at season's end. Things didn't start off with a bang. A 3-0 start wasn't impressive against weak competition, and then the Trojans were sloppy in a loss at Arizona State. There was little hint that this was a top-10 team with a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback...

Coaching Searches Continue at U.C.L.A. and Arizona State - NY Times
June Jones and Arizona State did not make a deal; the U.C.L.A. Bruins are also still looking.

Charlie Weis is the Next Coach at Kansas - Pre Snap Read.
Charlie Weis will be the next head coach at Kansas. I know you’ve heard this already, but give it another moment to sink: Kansas, looking to replace Turner Gill, hired Charlie Weis. Formerly of the N.F.L, formerly of Notre Dame, then of Florida. Weis, who went to back-to-back B.C.S. bowls with the Irish and then went 16-21 over three seasons with his own players and his offensive system fully in place. A coach whose schematic advantage was seemingly rivaled by his own arrogance. Weis, whose offense with the Gators finished the regular season ranked 102nd in the nation. This was surprising. Weis left Gainesville with class, first interviewing with Kansas without informing his boss, Will Muschamp, and then taking the job as Muschamp was on his way to a press conference for the Gator Bowl. Muschamp and Florida can take some solace in the fact that Weis’s replacement can only be an improvement...

Baylor coach Art Briles - Football Rumor Mill
Baylor coach Art Briles is getting hot at UCLA.

Arizona State - Football Rumor Mill
Arizona State search appears to be nearing train-wreck status….

Beating Victim Identified LeGarrette Blount As "The Leader" In Attack - Deadspin
What's known is this: On Sept. 11, just after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers opened the season with a loss at home to the Detroit Lions, a 34-year-old man named Gary Holmer was severely beaten by two men after a minor car accident in which his vehicle knocked the mirror off another vehicle outside an apartment complex not far from Raymond James Stadium. Bucs running back LeGarrette Blount was there...

Why Matt Barkley Should Stay and Why We’ll Cheer If He Doesn’t - Lost Angeles
...I’m not begging you to stay. Truthfully, I’ve seen Palmer leave and Leinart arrive. I’ve seen USC replace too many great players in these ten or so years to feel the need to beg anyone to do anything, certainly not a guy who injected life back into the team and assured we’ll continue to prosper when that possibility was called into question. I’m just saying we’ve ridden the wave this far. You will be favored to win everything. You will get to face an SEC team. You will have a chance to literally prove that sanctions meant nothing. You can rewrite the history books where people try to explain what the NCAA’s harshest penalties in decades even accomplished...

Arizona loses two QBs - ESPN
Quarterback is suddenly a need position for Arizona in recruiting. The Wildcats announced Monday the transfer of two quarterbacks, freshman Daxx Garman and junior Tom Savage, who just a year ago transferred from Rutgers...

ASU football needs to think big - Arizona Republic [Cooper]
With the hottest name (Kevin Sumlin) apparently no longer an option, ASU should look for the biggest name. Think: Mike Bellotti...

Oregon Ducks' Cliff Harris blows his last chance - The Oregonian [Canzano]
It's a sad ending in Eugene for a player who held so much promise despite his troubled past.

UCLA considers Jim Mora Jr. - Football Rumor Mill
UCLA considers Jim Mora Jr. as options dwindle

Al Golden Rebuffs Interest from UCLA - Football Rumor Mill
Al Golden Rebuffs Interest from UCLA, Stays Put in Coral Gables.

Houston coach Kevin Sumlin is still in play - Football Rumor Mill
Houston coach Kevin Sumlin is still in play at Arizona State and at UNC

Scott: Bowl-eligible USC is good for business - OC Register
Think Larry Scott is eager to get USC back in the postseason mix next year? Before Friday’s Pac-12 Championship Game at Oregon, Scott revealed that USC was involved in two of ESPN/ABC’s top six highest-rated games this season (vs. Stanford, at Oregon). Scott also said it was “disappointing” that the Trojans were not allowed to participate. “It’s not something we control,” Scott said. “Obviously, we and USC are abiding by other decisions by the NCAA.”...

What's up with ASU, UCLA searches? - ESPN
...At UCLA, ESPN LA's Peter Yoon reported that interim head coach Mike Johnson would like to be considered for the job. Here's his update on other candidates:
UCLA has been turned down by Boise State coach Chris Petersen, according to a source with knowledge of the discussions, and eliminated Houston coach Kevin Sumlin as a candidate after meeting with him on Saturday, according to a source.

Luck wins Unitas Award - ESPN
Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck has been named the recipient of the 2011 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which is presented to the top quarterback in the nation that best exemplifies outstanding character, citizenship, scholastic achievement, leadership qualities, and athletic accomplishments...

SMU coach June Jones seems to be losing steam at ASU - Football Rumor Mill
SMU coach June Jones seems to be losing steam at Arizona State

Arizona State “pausing” on June Jones - Football Rumor Mill
Arizona State “pausing” on June Jones

P.S.R. 1-120: Week 15 Re-Ranking - Pre Snap Read
...5. U.S.C. (10-2, 7-2)
All that’s left: Matt Barkley to U.S.C. or the N.F.L.?...

USC wins 4th national title in a row - OC Register
The USC men’s water polo team became the first to win four consecutive national championships by defeating UCLA, 7-4, on Sunday in Berkeley. Top-seeded USC won its fifth title in seven seasons and its 116th overall team national championship. Senior goalie Joel Dennerley made 15 saves and landed NCAA Tournament MVP honors. Fellow senior Peter Kurzeka and sophomore Nikola Vavic joined Dennerley as first-team all-tournament selections. USC coach Jovan Vavic won his 10th national championship — seven with the Trojans men’s team, three with the women’s team...

Trojans climb to No. 5 in AP poll - OC Register
USC didn’t play this weekend, but the Trojans still made a move. USC climbed from ninth to fifth in the Associated Press Top 25. USC leapfrogged Virginia Tech (a big loser in the ACC title game), Oregon (a decent-sized winner in the Pac-12 title game), Arkansas (idle) and Boise State (which had been tied with USC for ninth but apparently left voters unimpressed after a 45-0 victory over New Mexico)...

Crist To Transfer - LA Daily News
Notre Dame quarterback Dayne Crist is going to transfer and will be eligible immediately if he attends a graduate program his undergrad school did not. If Matt Barkley were to turn pro, would USC be an option? Crist is from Southern California, after all.

USC v. UCLA - LA Daily News
Is Miami coach Al Golden a candidate? Does UCLA want Brennan Carroll as a recruiting coordinator?

Fresno State fires Pat Hill - Football Rumor Mill

As reported here earlier, Fresno State fires Pat Hill.

Kevin Sumlin off UCLA’s list - Football Rumor Mill
Kevin Sumlin off UCLA’s list

Stanford headed to Fiesta Bowl - ESPN
As expected, the Stanford Cardinal were tapped as an at-large selection for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. They'll face Oklahoma State on Jan. 2 in Glendale, Ariz. Stanford held on to its No. 4 spot in the BCS standings, behind LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma State, guaranteeing them a spot in a BCS bowl game. At first glance, this game appears to be a shootout in the making featuring two of the nation's top quarterbacks in Stanford's Andrew Luck and Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden.

Rumors circulating that Fresno State... - Football Rumor Mill
Rumors circulating that Fresno State likely to fire coach Pat Hill.

Leach, Rodriguez and, maybe, Jones in the Pac-12? What does it mean for Oregon? - The Oregonian
...things are shifting dramatically before our eyes. Washington State has brought Mike Leach and his Air Raid offense to Pullman. Arizona has imported Rich Rodriguez, who runs a spread-option offense that is strikingly similar to what Oregon does. SMU coach June Jones, the former Grant High and Portland State star, reportedly is talking to both Arizona State and UCLA. Under Jones, the old Mouse Davis run-and-shoot has evolved into an offense that recently took Hawaii to the Sugar Bowl...

Three coaches with Rich Rodriguez... - Football Rumor Mill
Three coaches with Rich Rodriguez ties leave Pitt, expected to join Arizona

Lane_Kiffin: Congrats to Chip Kelly and the Oregon team on winning the Pac 12 Championship.

Reports: ASU football meets with SMU's June Jones - The Arizona Republic
Haller: According to reports, ASU officials met Saturday with Southern Methodist coach June Jones.

Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads could be a player at Arizona St. - Football Rumor Mill
Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads could be a player at Arizona St.

TWENTY-TWO NEW JOBS FOR RICK NEUHEISEL - EDSBS
...Neuheisel will need a new job and need one quickly, and in this economy that won't be easy. Fortunately, we have suggestions.
1. Local Los Angeles Cable Access Show Host. Like this guy, but with hair...
...4. Really Inaccurate Running Coach. "Eat whatever you want, and I mean whatever: old magazines, batteries, dead mice, whatever."
5. Barker Beauty
6. Modern Warfare 3 Game Curator and Original Four Loko Procurer for Team John Mayer
7. Internet Explorer Street Team Evangelist...
...10. Star of UPN series "My One Dad." About a guy who raises an imaginary daughter in a desert scrapyard while tripping balls on cough syrup
11. Swaziland's First Astronaut. And its last.
12. Roadie for a fictional band in a movie starring Mark Wahlberg. He will have no idea it's not an actual musical act.
13. New Boss on The Office, Season 38
14. Cran-Grape Mixologist
15. Ye Olde Renaissance Faire CPR Instructor
16. Rival Gigolo of Thomas Jane in "Hung" who's really bad at his job.
17. Recruiting Coordinator, Sportsbybrooks.com...
...19. World's Nicest DHS Screener. A full cavity search, sir? I promise, it won't so much as tickle, buddy...
...22. USC campus loop bus driver.

3 Offseason Directives: No. 1 -- Stick with offense - CBS Sportsline
The offense was much different at the end of the season than it was at the start, thanks to the development of an extraordinary WR corps. Coach Lane Kiffin needs to stay the course and not revert to the pro-style scheme that bogged down his offense in the first half of the season...

3 Offseason Directives: No. 2 -- Recruit the beef - CBS Sportsline
The OL will have significant turnover in the next couple seasons. Bringing in at least five OL in this recruiting class will set USC well for the next three seasons of limited scholarships due to probation...

3 Offseason Directives: No. 3 -- Find depth at DT - CBS Sportsline
The loss of DTs Christian Tupou and DaJohn Harris will create a depth problem for the interior of the DL in 2012. George Uko and J.R. Tavai are next in line to start, but the coaching staff will need to find recruits who can provide depth behind them...

Scott On USC - LA Daily News
...``Of course people will be disappointed that the team that finishes first in its division can't participate, but that's the nature of it. It will still be a great showcase. We're expecting a full house, electric atmosphere. There's an awful lot on the line. UCLA has the potential to pull off one of the greatest upsets in Conference history.''...

Sanctions or not, USC should be in Pac-12 title game - Stanford Daily [Beyda]
I love hating USC as much as the next guy, but this is just getting ridiculous.
Until now, I’ve never had a real problem with the sanctions enforced against the Trojans...Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time. Don’t be surprised when innocent people get caught in the crossfire long afterwards...But all of a sudden, it feels like NCAA is making a mockery of college football fans...

The contrarian view of soon-to-be ex-UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel - The Oregonian
Actions speak louder than words, and Neuheisel demonstrates he is first-class human being.

Deadspin's College Football Top 25 Or So - Deadspin
...4. USC (10-2) Last week: 5
The outlaw Trojans ended their season in a blaze of glory, humiliating UCLA, 50-0. Because USC was a very bad program and allowed professional-caliber football play to be materially rewarded, it is not allowed to play in the Pac-12 championship game, let alone in one of the academically and ethically rarefied bowl games. So the official leader of the South Division is ... UCLA. Congratulations, Bruins! Good luck against Oregon.

USC quarterback Matt Barkley threw for 423 yards and six touchdowns against UCLA. He finishes the year with 3,528 yards, 39 touchdowns, and only seven interceptions. The Trojans had the 15th-best passing offense in the country, by yardage, and only the 56th-best rushing game.

Stanford's Andrew Luck, the presumed Heisman favorite, has 3,170 yards, 35 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. The Cardinal had the 26th-best passing offense in the country and the 22nd-best rushing offense...

This Is Strange: Happy Birthday, Britney - Pre Snap Read
A lot of strange things have happened since August...

Happy 30th Birthday Britney! @britneyspearsFri Dec 02 19:07:18 via webLane Kiffin
Lane_Kiffin

That’s Lane Kiffin, the newly-minted king of U.S.C., sending out 30th birthday wishes to Britney Spears — yeah, she’s 30. Feel old. Yesterday, after it surfaced that he had sent Urban Meyer a note of congratulations on being hired at Ohio State, Kiffin told The Sporting News’ Steve Greenberg that he was “growing up....

Arrogant Game Recap: UCLA Bruins - Lost Angeles
With the amount of caviar and vintage champagne I partake of in any given weekend, I found it hard to determine the proper way to celebrate the victory over UCLA on Saturday night.  I mean, after the Oregon win, I opened something special, brought it to an Oregon fan’s place and proceeded to pour it in their toilet then flush.  That was representative of their “national title” hopes.  So if pouring a bottle of fine bubbly from the early 90s down a toilet was the Oregon celebration, what on earth could I do after we beat UCLA 50-0?  I mean, how do you go big enough to encapsulate the public execution that went down at the Coliseum?...

USC’s Kiffin now a vet after Pac-12 South purge - OC Register
It seems like Lane Kiffin is just getting started at USC. But, amazingly, he’s now the second-longest-tenured coach in the Pac-12 South. With half of the division’s coaches being fired, Kiffin trails only Utah’s Kyle Whittingham in terms of time on the job. Here’s a look at how long each coach has been in charge in the Pac-12:

SOUTH DIVISION

• Arizona: Rich Rodriguez, 1st year 2012
• Arizona State: New coach TBD
• Colorado: Jon Embree, 1 year
• UCLA: New coach TBD
• USC: Lane Kiffin, 2 years
• Utah: Kyle Whittingham, 7 years

NORTH DIVISION

• Cal: Jeff Tedford, 10 years
• Oregon: Chip Kelly, 3 years
• Oregon State: Mike Riley, 9 years
• Stanford: David Shaw, 1 year
• Washington: Steve Sarkisian, 3 years
• Washington State: Rick Leach, 1st year 2012

USC football: Scholarship count - OC Register
As of this writing, USC has 67 scholarship players on its roster heading into the offseason. Here’s the breakdown by class:

• Seniors + redshirt seniors = 18
• Juniors + redshirt juniors = 12
• Sophomores + redshirt sophomores = 21
• Redshirt freshmen = 16

Given that USC is capped at 75 scholarship players starting next season, you’re probably wondering how Lane Kiffin is going to sign 15 recruits come February, plus five or so midyear enrollees...

Inside the Mind of Mike Leach - NY Times
“...Third-down conversion rates tie in with first downs and number of plays. Those plays extend drives. While those statistics are important indicators, a coach has to be able to interpret the results.

“Here’s the catch. While those statistics are important to us, every single one of them might be meaningless depending on the type of game we happen to be playing. If you’re in a game where you can score on three-play drives all the time, those statistics don’t really mean very much. As a coach, you have to be flexible about how you interpret them.

“Statistics and analytics have their place in sports. They help to organize data and crystallize tendencies. However, statistics also have their limitations. Football is made up of numerous variables. People who try to define the game through one or two variables underestimate the game’s complexity...

UCLA Reaches New Low - Lost Angeles
Really, UCLA? If you turn down your television, your console, your iPod and you turn off your AC, you can hear something peculiar in the distance.  It’s a tearing sound.  It’s a ripping sound.  It’s UCLA loyalists shredding their powder blue fan gear. Actually, they aren’t doing this, but they should be.  UCLA is going for a new low.  Not a new low for them.  Not a new low for Pac 12 football.  A new low for football in general...

NFL draft: Matt Barkley’s stock is rising - OC Register
USC quarterback Matt Barkley‘s strong finish has vaulted him into ESPN.com draft expert Todd McShay‘s top five. Barkley had been No. 6 last week. One only can wonder what his official NFL draft evaluation will say. Barkley also has climbed from No. 10 to No. 7 on Mel Kiper‘s Big Board...

Quote Of The Night - LA Daily News
"We didn't have time to wallow in self pity. We didn't have time to go through the carnage that was that evening." -- UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel on coming off USC game and playing Oregon on Friday.

ShelleyESPN: Barkley has a tough decision to make - ESPN
ShelleyESPN: Barkley has a tough decision to make - Los Angeles Usc Blog - ESPN Los Angeles

Mike Leach Helps Keep Pullman Weird - Pre-Snap Read
Pullman’s not Los Angeles. But you knew that. Pullman isn’t Seattle, which you also knew. Pullman is different: it’s more accepting of, let’s say, quirky personalities. Not crazy, mind you; when it comes to crazy, Pullman is as unforgiving as any place in America. But Pullman is a place where a coach can let his hair down, such as Mike Price did for a generation. It’s quirk-friendly, in short. When coaching the Cougars, you can be yourself. You can be wacky. You can call out your players’ girlfriends...

Failure to control Burfict cost Erickson his job - Arizona Republic
Former Arizona State great Danny White praised recently fired coach Dennis Erickson for upgrading the program's talent, but wondered if enough emphasis was placed on intangibles like discipline and mental toughness.

Dept. Of Irony - LA Daily News
One of USC's leaders this season was tight end/fullback Rhett Ellison, a first team special teams selection on the all-Pac-12 team. So it was even more ironic that during his senior year in high school, then-assistant coach Lane Kiffin recommended removing his scholarship offer.

Rich Rodriguez Took The Arizona Job Without Ever Visiting The School - Deadspin
On KTAR radio in Phoenix this morning (via Sports Radio Interviews), RichRod said he signed his contract without seeing the campus, or the barren wastelands that surround Tucson. Or, presumably, the roster.

Diddy's Son Commits To UCLA The Day After Its Coach Gets Canned - DeadSpin
Justin Combs, son of the artist formerly known as a lot of different names and now known as Diddy, announced today that he will play football at UCLA next year.

3 Top Returnees in 2012: No. 1 -- WR Woods - CBS Sportsline
WR Robert Woods caught more passes in a single season (111) than any receiver in Pac-12 history in 2011, and he was only a sophomore. The Biletnikoff finalist will headline what should be 2012's top WR corps.

3 Top Returnees in 2012: No. 2 -- WR Lee - CBS Sportsline
Some believe that true freshman WR Marqise Lee was even better than teammate Robert Woods by the end of the 2011 season. The Pac-12 co-Freshman of the Year caught 73 passes for 1,143 yards and 11 TDs. Even more will be expected of him in 2012, when he and Woods will be Biletnikoff Award favorites.

3 Top Returnees in 2012: No. 3 -- CB Robey - CBS Sportsline
Only one CB in the conference made the first-team all-Pac-12 squad in 2011 and that was Nickell Robey . The sophomore was all over the field for the Trojans, collecting 63 tackles, 2 interceptions, 9 pass breakups and 2 sacks. He'll be a Thorpe Award candidate in 2012.

Pac-12 rains on its own title game - The Oregonian [Canzano]
...Still, it will be Paul Olden, voice of the New York Yankees, on the microphone for Friday's game. The conference is going to let Essig "complement" Olden, which is only to say I'm thinking they'll let him do his "it never rains" bit and then, hand him a hotdog and a drink. This must be immediately rectified...

New Pac-12 coaches are in the money - ESPN
The economy is still in the dumps in a lot of places, but not if you want to become a Pac-12 head coach. For those keeping score at home, here's where the conference coaching salaries stand now, with Arizona State and UCLA still looking for new coaches.

Chip Kelly, Oregon, $2,800,000
Jeff Tedford, California, $2,300,000
Steve Sarkisian, Washington, $2,250,000
Mike Leach, Washington State, $2,250,000
Rich Rodriguez, Arizona, $1,910,000
Kyle Whittingham, Utah, $1,700,000
Mike Riley, Oregon State, $1,313,471
Jon Embree, Colorado, $725,000

3 Players to Watch in 2012: No. 1 -- QB Kessler - CBS Sportsline
Redshirt freshman Cody Kessler appears to have the best shot at winning the starting QB job if Matt Barkley heads to the NFL. He was praised by coaches during the fall for his accuracy and command of the offense. If he can be consistent and limit mistakes, USC will be a national title contender.

3 Players to Watch in 2012: No. 2 -- LB Dawson - CBS Sportsline
True freshman Lamar Dawson took over at MLB for senior Chris Galippo toward the end of 2011 and, by the looks of it, he's ready to blossom. The 6-2, 235-pounder had 25 tackles, 2 TFLs and 1 sack while starting three games

3 Players to Watch in 2012: No. 3 -- OT Graf - CBS Sportsline
RT Kevin Graf is the prime candidate to replace All-American LT Matt Kalil, who is likely headed to the NFL as a top 10 pick in next spring's draft. Even if he stays at RT, Graf will be considered one of the better OL in the Pac-12 in 2012.

Neuheisel: UCLA is 'not going to contain Oregon for 60 minutes' - The Oregonian
Slowing down the Ducks is nearly impossible according to UCLA's coach, but responding to them is key

Seven USC players are selected to the Pac-12 first team - LA Times
They include receiver Robert Woods. Quarterback Matt Barkley is a second-team selection. Receiver Marqise Lee and linebacker Dion Bailey are the offensive and defensive freshmen of the year...

Paul Wulff lobbies on his behalf - Football Rumor Mill
http://t.co/H6sbhcLz

Barkley won’t get emotional during possible finale - OC Register
Regardless of whether Saturday’s game against UCLA is Matt Barkley’s last in a USC uniform, don’t expect the junior quarterback to get sentimental about it.

“I usually take emotion out of the game,” Barkley said Tuesday. “When I look back, that’s when the emotions will probably kick in, if I do decide to leave.”...

UCLA vs. USC: The top 10 recruits at stake - OC Register
The USC-UCLA game is the biggest day of football in Los Angeles. That goes for recruiting as well. For the Trojans, Saturday is their final game to make an impression on high school prospects. For UCLA, it's their most important one.

Both teams enter this weekend with a lot of uncertainty looming. UCLA's signing class might look dramatically different than how it's shaping up if Rick Neuheisel is fired. Lane Kiffin's job is secure, but he's working with limited scholarships as USC has been capped at 75 — 15 per signing class — for the next three seasons...

HPD investigates allegations of point shaving by UH football - Honolulu Star-Advertiser
..."UH has alerted the NCAA about the anonymous letter and its contents and, in discussions with them, has been informed it is 'doing exactly what you need to be doing' in this situation," Greenwood said...

Andrew Luck or Matt Barkley? Heisman debate is heating up - LA Times
Stanford's Andrew Luck is the apparent front-runner, but Oregon coach says USC's Matt Barkley was the best against the Ducks...

Bowl Practices Not Significant? - LA Daily News
Lane Kiffin said today that USC's bowl ban actually helped recruiting last year because it gave the coaching staff more time to recruit. He also said he didn't think the 15 bowl practices mattered much. "I think it's overrated," Kiffin said.

Barkley On UCLA - LA Daily News
"We're not trying to upset their season, we're trying to make the most of our season." -- USC quarterback Matt Barkley

Football School Again - LA Daily News
Robert Woods said when he and tight end Randall Telfer went to class Monday, students burst into applause. ``I thought it was funny,'' Woods said.

Good news, bad news on injury front - OC Register
Quick hitters from USC’s Tuesday-morning practice:
** Several players who were hurt during the Oregon game were able to practice on at least a limited basis. They included linebackers Dion Bailey and Lamar Dawson, fullbacks Rhett Ellison and Ross Cumming, and defensive tackle Christian Tupou...
** ...Kiffin wore a bright-red Mater Dei High sweatshirt during practice. “I wore a Serra sweatshirt on ESPN, and then I wore it in our team meeting room,” Kiffin said. “Then (Matt) Barkley, Khaled (Holmes), Robbie Boyer, Kennedy Polamalu and (offensive assistant) Lenny Vandermade didn’t like it very much, so I had to wear this today.”

Fun with Oregon Hate Mail - Lost Angeles
I clearly offended Oregon and in arrogant fashion, I am going to post and respond to some of the better comments I got just for your pleasure.  After all, this is the last time I have to think about the Ducks for a while, unless I eat pate or fois gras at Thanksgiving (considering it if there’s a good beer to pair it with, maybe something from Portland)...

NCAA nears revamp of sports agent oversight - Football Rumor Mill
NCAA nears revamp of sports agent oversight; eyes national registration
http://t.co/C3bmeet0

A Discipline Problem - The Wall Street Journal
...Joe Paterno clashed repeatedly with the university's former chief disciplinarian over how harshly to punish players who got into trouble...shedding new light on the school's effort to balance its reputation as a magnet for scholar-athletes with the demands of running a nationally dominant football program...

...Mr. Paterno believed that the school's code of conduct should not apply to any incidents that take place off campus—that those should be handled by police—and they shouldn't be allowed to affect anyone's status as a student.

"Coach Paterno would rather we NOT inform the public when a football player is found responsible for committing a serious violation of the law and/or our student code," she wrote, "despite any moral or legal obligation to do so."...

Can Kiffin coach? Maybe the answer is yes - ESPN
...The 38-35 win at Oregon on Saturday hinted that, yes, he can. That he might be growing into the job. That he's matured as a leader and motivator. At 9-2 and ranked 10th in the AP Poll as well as the ESPN.com Power Rankings, he's a win over rival UCLA away from what would unquestionably be considered a successful season: a "true" South Division championship, 10 wins, a top-10 ranking, a win over top-five team (Oregon) and wins over rivals Notre Dame and UCLA...

Dennis Erickson's ASU football program is healthy - Football Rumor Mill
http://t.co/ym5JIAqM

Is the clock ticking on Arizona State’s Erickson? - Football Rumor Mill
http://t.co/qCvA7KVU

USC football: Letdown for UCLA? No way - OC Register
USC coach Lane Kiffin and his players insist they’ll have no trouble recharging their batteries for UCLA despite coming off the program’s biggest victory of the past two seasons...

...Despite Kiffin’s confidence, he’ll be waging a battle all week long against human nature. No matter what he says about last week’s upset at Oregon being just “the next game on the schedule,” it felt a lot bigger than that...

Top beneficiary of Oregon Public Employees Retirement System: Mike Bellotti - The Oregonian
The top beneficiary of Oregon's state pension system is former University of Oregon football coach Mike Bellotti, who retired last year to go to work as an ESPN commentator and now collects a state pension of nearly a half million dollars a year, according to data released to The Oregonian Monday by the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System...

P.S.R. 1-120: Week 13 Re-Ranking - Pre-Snap Read [NY Times]
...5. Stanford (10-1, 8-1)
A Rose Bowl trip is a fine consolation for the Cardinal.
6. U.S.C. (9-2, 6-2)
Seems as if the Trojans could beat anyone right now...

When UCLA, USC meet in football, defense (against pranks) is key - LA Times
While city rivals' teams prepare to do battle on Saturday, students guard against potential attacks on campus during the week, with particular attention paid to Tommy Trojan and Bruin Bear statues...

Robert Woods remains on pace to set USC, Pac-12 receiving records - LA Times
Sophomore has 99 receptions, three short of the school and conference mark set by Keyshawn Johnson in 1995.

Kiffin Quote Of The Day - LA Daily News
``Kinda crazy, after watching the tape, we didn't play all that well.'' -- USC coach Lane Kiffin

Neuheisel draws Barkley and Luck comparison - CBS Sportsline
Coach Rick Neuheisel believes the QB that UCLA will face Saturday, USC's Matt Barkley , is on the same level as fellow Heisman Trophy candidate, Stanford's Andrew Luck. "They're very, very comparable, the only thing Andrew has over Matt is he's a little bit more mobile," Neuheisel said. "(Barkley) is almost more dangerous.''

Arizona hires former Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez - Football Rumor Mill

The final 151 seconds - ESPN
...USC didn't give up any gigantic plays to the Ducks, so they were forced to try to grind it out. Kelly ran 15 plays on the final drive -- more than the Ducks had run on any other series in all of Saturday's game.

They weren't well-equipped to succeed in that situation, and they clearly didn't expect to be kicking the field goal. But USC expected them to.

"We have confidence in our special teams and our field-goal block team," safety Jawanza Starling said. "If the game's on the line, we're gonna make a play."...