TEAM BLUR
Note: Some players have the same jersey number, but won't be on the field at the same time.
No. Player Pos. Ht., Wt. School (State) College
1 Chris Dunkley WR 5-11, 170 Pahokee (Fla.) Undecided
1 Joshua Shaw CB 6-2, 181 Palmdale (Calif.) Florida
2 William Gholston DE 6-7, 250 Southeastern (Mich.) Michigan State
3 Kadron Boone WR 6-1, 197 Trinity Catholic (Fla.) Texas Tech
3 Lamarcus Joyner CB 5-8, 165 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) Undecided
4 Dietrich Riley S 6-1, 196 St. Francis (Calif.) Undecided
5 Michael Dyer RB 5-9, 200 Little Rock Christian (Ark.) Auburn
5 Cody Riggs CB 5-8, 154 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) Undecided
6 Jordon James RB 5-10, 188 Corona (Calif.) UCLA
7 Christian Jones OLB 6-4, 215 Lake Howell (Fla.) Undecided
7 Antonio Goodwin WR 6-1, 170 Booker T. Washington (Ga.) Auburn
9 Tai-ler Jones WR 6-0, 182 Gainesville (Ga.) Notre Dame
9 Alec Ogletree S 6-3, 214 Newnan (Ga.) Georgia
10 Demarco Cobbs WR 6-1, 200 Tulsa Central (Okla.) Texas
11 Shaun Lewis OLB 6-0, 197 Hightower (Texas) Oklahoma St.
11 Chase Rettig QB 6-3, 201 San Clemente (Calif.) Boston Coll.
12 Brandon Coleman WR 6-6, 200 Bishop McNamara (Md.) Undecided
14 Blake Bell QB 6-5, 212 Bishop Carroll (Kan.) Oklahoma
15 Jesse Scroggins QB 6-2, 189 Lakewood (Calif.) USC
17 Nick Dew S 6-2, 190 First Colonial (Va.) Virginia Tech
21 Ryan Ayers CB 5-10, 175 South Paulding (Ga.) Georgia Tech
21 Da'Rick Rogers WR 6-2, 205 Calhoun (Ga.) Georgia
22 Kip Smith K 6-0, 200 Legacy (Colo.) UCLA
43 Jackson Richards DE 6-4, 235 Carroll (Texas) Texas Tech
44 Konrad Zagzebski ILB 6-3, 220 D.C. Everest (Wis.) Wisconsin
48 Jeff Luc ILB 6-1, 241 Treasure Coast (Fla.) Undecided
51 Michael Taylor OLB 6-0, 193 Westlake (Ga.) Tennessee
52 Shane McDermott C 6-3, 265 Palm Beach (Fla.) Miami
55 Corey Lemonier DE 6-4, 221 Hialeah (Fla.) Undecided
56 James Kittredge DT 6-4, 250 Don Bosco (N.J.) Vanderbilt
56 Kolton Houston OG 6-5, 265 Buford (Ga.) Georgia
64 James Stone OG 6-5, 297 Maplewood (Tenn.) Undecided
68 James Hurst OT 6-5, 285 Plainfield (Ind.) North Carolina
70 Ja'Wuan James OT 6-6, 305 North Gwinnett (Ga.) Tennessee
71 Brent Benedict OT 6-5, 280 Bolles (Fla.) Georgia
72 Cam Feldt OT 6-5, 290 Pilot Point (Texas) Arkansas
73 Michael Thornton DT 6-1, 273 Stephenson (Ga.) Undecided
75 Chaz Green OT 6-5, 286 Tampa Catholic (Fla.) Undecided
76 Torrian Wilson OG 6-4, 300 Miami Northwestern (Fla.) Stanford
77 Louis Nix III DT 6-3, 318 Raines (Fla.) Notre Dame
80 Xavier Grimble TE 6-5, 241 Bishop Gorman (Nev.) USC
81 Dakota Mosley TE 6-4, 250 Little Rock Christian (Ark.) Auburn
88 Blake Barker TE 6-6, 238 B.B. & Nichols (Mass.) Harvard
90 George Uko DT 6-4, 299 Don Antonio Lugo (Calif.) Undecided
91 Bronson Kaufusi DE 6-8, 240 Timpview (Utah) BYU
93 Corey Miller DE 6-4, 231 James Byrnes (S.C.) Tennessee
95 Todd Chandler DT 6-1, 283 Miami Northwestern (Fla.) Miami

TEAM NITRO
Note: Some players have the same jersey number, but won't be on the field at the same time.
No. Player Pos. Ht., Wt. School (State) College
1 Aaron Benson OLB 6-2, 205 Cedar Hill (Texas) Texas
1 Justin Hunter WR 6-4, 172 Ocean Lakes (Va.) LSU
2 DeMarcus Milliner CB 6-0, 185 Stanhope Elmore (Ala.) Alabama
2 Mike Davis WR 6-0, 176 Skyline (Texas) LSU
4 Toney Hurd Jr. CB 5-9, 179 Thurgood Marshall (Texas) Notre Dame
4 Darius White WR 6-3, 195 Dunbar Senior (Texas) Undecided
5 Jonathan Dowling S 6-3, 180 Southeast (Fla.) Florida
5 Nick Montana QB 6-2, 177 Oaks Christian (Calif.) Washington
7 Demar Dorsey S 6-1, 180 Boyd Anderson (Fla.) Florida
7 Devin Gardner QB 6-4, 198 Inkster (Mich.) Michigan
8 Adrian White CB 5-11, 175 DeSoto (Texas) Texas
10 John Fulton CB 6-1, 180 Manning (S.C.) Undecided
10 James Louis WR 5-11, 180 Atlantic Community (Fla.) Ohio State
11 Solomon Patton WR 5-10, 175 Murphy (Ala.) Florida
14 Phillip Sims QB 6-1, 218 Oscar Frommel Smith (Va.) Alabama
15 LaDarius Owens DE 6-2, 225 Jess Lanier (Ala.) Auburn
15 Corey Brown WR 6-0, 171 Cardinal O'Hara (Pa.) Ohio State
18 Cody Parkey K 6-0, 190 Jupiter Community (Fla.) Auburn
19 Corey Nelson OLB 6-1, 195 Skyline (Texas) Texas A&M
23 Luke Muncie S 6-2, 200 Klein Oak (Texas) LSU
32 Jordan Hicks OLB 6-2, 210 Lakota West (Ohio) Undecided
32 Storm Johnson RB 5-11, 210 Loganville (Ga.) Miami
33 Leon Orr DT 6-5, 315 Gulf (Fla.) Florida
33 Mack Brown RB 5-11, 185 Martin Luther King (Ga.) Florida
35 Alfy Hill DE 6-4, 240 West Brunswick (N.C.) Alabama
40 Dakota Royer DE 6-3, 220 Manheim Central (Pa.) Penn State
41 V.J. Fehoko ILB 5-11, 210 Farrington (Hawaii) Undecided
41 Travis Dickson TE 6-3, 230 Ocean Springs (Miss.) LSU
45 Taylor Bible DT 6-3, 280 John H. Guyer (Texas) Texas
47 Dominique Easley DE 6-3, 260 Curtis (N.Y.) Penn State
50 Jake Holland ILB 6-1, 220 Pelham (Ala.) Auburn
54 Miles Dieffenbach C 6-5, 277 Fox Chapel (Pa.) Penn State
55 A.J. Cann OG 6-3, 260 Bamberg-Ehrhardt (S.C.) South Carolina
72 Luke Joeckel OT 6-6, 280 Arlington (Texas) Texas A&M
75 Evan Hailes DT 6-1, 315 Oscar Frommel Smith (Va.) Penn State
75 Evan Washington OT 6-6, 286 DeSoto (Texas) LSU
76 Eric Mack OG 6-4, 318 Calhoun County (S.C.) South Carolina
77 Ian Silberman OT 6-5, 256 Fleming Island (Fla.) Florida
79 Chad Lindsay OG 6-3, 307 The Woodlands (Texas) Alabama
82 Brian Vogler TE 6-6, 245 Brookstone (Ga.) Alabama
83 Adrian Hubbard DE 6-7, 227 Norcross (Ga.) Undecided
85 Ashton Dorsey DT 6-2, 275 John Tyler (Texas) Texas

• Sixth-year senior defensive back Josh Pinkard, then a freshman, saw action in the 2005 Orange Bowl, recording two tackles and a fumble recovery in USC's 55-19 title-clinching victory over Oklahoma.
• Sixth-year senior offensive lineman Jeff Byers appeared as a backup freshman center in the 2005 Orange Bowl as the Trojans stormed to the BCS championship.
• Senior kicker Jordan Congdon played in bowls during both his freshman and sophomore seasons at Nebraska. In the 2005 Alamo Bowl, Congdon hit three extra points and a field goal and in the Cotton Bowl following the 2006 season, he connected on two extra points. Congdon transferred to USC in 2007.
• Junior quarterback Mitch Mustain came off the bench in the 2007 Capital One Bowl as a freshman QB at Arkansas, completing 5-of-10 passes for 41 yards. Mustain transferred to USC in summer 2007.

• The hot post-game talk has been about Jeremy Bates/Pete Carroll's decision to drop a bomb on the Bruins after Slick Rick called a useless time-out late in the game.  All I gotta say is, if you take a jab, especially when it's in a RIVALRY game on the opponent's HOME turf, you better expect to get mollywhopped in return. Can't believe I'm quoting Bill Plaschke, but he puts it best:

The conclusion here was that Neuheisel's pettiness in the face of Carroll's professionalism was wrong.

In the end, while his players deserved better, Neuheisel got exactly what he deserved.

I'm laughing at these people getting all butt-hurt over the play ending in a TD.  I'm guessing a 15-yard throw would have been more classy?  At the end of the day, there is no excuse for letting a hobbled Damian Williams straight moss your secondary on a basic post-route.

• Moving onto recruiting, the big news from the game was Tony Jefferson sporting SC gear and jawing at UCLA players during the pseudo-brawl.  No surprise that Tony decided to decommit today.  He provided some interesting quotes with the news:

"The UCLA players really disrespected me before the game," Jefferson said. "When they saw me, they were all cussing at me, telling me to never come around Westwood again and things like that. These were guys that I had hung out with before and it was a lot of the team. I guess I kind of see it since I was committed there and was wearing USC gear before their big game but I still didn't appreciate it."

So now it's down to USC and Oklahoma.  Following up from my official visit breakdown on Friday, it's pretty clear now that if SC makes a strong push, Tony will be a Trojan.

• No other big recruiting news from the game.  There have been rumors circling around ND that they'll steal Kyle Prater away, but it all seems like a bunch of junk at this point.  I believe Kyle will stay committed.  I just can't see him flipping his commitment, especially as a Spring enrollee, with all the uncertainty at ND.

• The latest bowl projections have us going to the Holiday Bowl to play against Nebraska with a win next week.  Decent match-up.  If Zac Lee's knee injury ends up being more serious, then it will be pretty lackluster.

• For the 5000th time, ALLEN BRADFORD NEEDS MORE CARRIES!!!

• Outside of SC, the SEC has some stud freshman running backs.  Trent Richardson from Bama beast on Friday with Mark Ingram looking out of it all game.  Georgia's Washaun Ealey is no slouch either; kid has nice vision.  When it comes to frosh RBs though, all conversations end with Dion Lewis of Pitt.

• From the list of players SC truly missed out on, anyone catch Chad Jones murdering Joe Adams (former commit) of Arkansas on Saturday?  Can you imagine if SC got Chad Jones and Patrick Peterson?  A Chad Jones/Taylor Mays and Patrick Peterson/Shareece Wright combo would have been murderers row.

• My favorite Nike Pro Combat jersey goes to Florida State for the garnet jersey/pants combo with black helmets.

Let's finish the regular season on a high note.

Tennessee's Lane Kiffin acknowledged that he decided against running another play before his team set up for a field goal that would have beaten Alabama because he was fearful officials would have found another way to penalize his team.

Tennessee was one of the nation's least-penalized teams entering Saturday's game, but was flagged eight times for 68 yards. Alabama, which had been flagged 10 times for 113 yards the previous Saturday against South Carolina, was penalized only once for 10 yards.

"You run another play and you throw an interception or they throw another flag on us — I wasn't going to let the refs lose the game for us there and some magical flag appear," Kiffin said.

Instead, Kiffin sent in Daniel Lincoln to attempt a 44-yard field goal on the final play. It was blocked by Terrence Cody.

The beefy Alabama noseguard then took off his helmet and ran up the field to celebrate while the ball was still in play. Check the video.

"If a play's still going, you can't take your helmet off," Kiffin said. "A guy throws his helmet as the ball's still live. He throws his helmet and then two of their guys go and recover the ball. It's a 15-yard penalty, and you kick again."

Kiffin knew what was coming next.

"I'm sure we'll get one of those letters that mean nothing, that [Arkansas coach] Bobby [Petrino] got last week, but Florida and Alabama live on,'' Kiffin said.

Kiffin's letter arrived Monday. Mississippi State's Dan Mullen was also reprimanded.

If Kiffin is reprimanded one more time this year, he will be suspended by the SEC. Fortunately, he has assistant Ed Orgeron to carry on the fight.

Orgeron, the Mississippi coach from 2005-07, let the officials have it Monday night during an appearance before the Knoxville Quarterback Club.

"Seems like some people get the calls and some people don't," Orgeron said. "I've been in this league and I've been a part of that. Whether that's true or not, you can never prove that.

"I do know this: there were some very questionable calls in that game that could have went either way and they went Alabama's side. There were very questionable calls throughout the season and it seems they go for the better team. Whether that's true or not, we can never prove that but that's what it seems like."

Watch the last 1:02 of the Tennessee-Alabama game below. CBS analyst Gary Danielson remarks that Cody could have been penalized. "I don't want to get into these conspiracies anymore," Danielson said. "I'll let somebody else handle that."

We just did.

This is the best Notre Dame team USC has played since the Trojans barely escaped South Bend in 2005 with a win. Quite a few experts are picking a Notre Dame victory due to the Irish being led by Heisman Trophy candidate Jimmy Clausen, the Trojans playing back-to-back road games (please note the bye in between) and this being a landmark game for the Irish program.

The experts who are predicting a Notre Dame upset must also think the Trojans are going to revert back to penalty and turnover laden football. If the Trojans keep penalties down and win the turnover battle, they will win the game. Unless the Trojans get up big early, I expect it to be a tight battle that will come down to some classic 4th quarter drives.

1-- Play Disciplined Football: #1 priority every week! Limit turnovers and penalties.

2-- Contain ND's running game: Though Jimmy Clausen has thrown 12 TD's only 2 Int's and leads the nation in passing efficiency, he will only have success against the best secondary in the country if the Trojans give up over 120 yards on the ground. If the Trojans put Clausen in obvious pass situations, he will make mistakes. The throws he has gotten away with against much lesser defenses will not happen against the Trojans.

3-- Don't Let the Golden One get loose in the Red Zone: Wide Receiver Golden Tate is having a phenomenal year. He is a big and athletic and Clausen loves to throw him fade routes and he is great at catching high passes. The Trojans need to make sure he is well covered in the red zone and force other ND players to make plays when it counts.

4-- Stay aggressive and balanced offensively: QB Matt Barkley is playing with a swagger after the Cal game and the Trojans need to take advantage of that. Barkley seems to have his hands around most of the playbook and with Ronald Johnson back, the Trojans need to stretch the field early. Even if some of the deeper throws are incomplete, it will soften the ND defense up and the Trojan running game should be able to have a great day. The Trojans should be able to run for over 200 yards.

5-- Avoid the 2nd and 3rd quarter lull: The Trojans cannot suffer some of the 2nd and 3rd quarter lulls they have had this season. The best case scenario for the Trojans is to get up early on the Irish and not let them back in the game for a 4th quarter run. The Trojans are best to avoid the 4th quarter magic that Clausen has been mastering this season.

More notes after the jump...

Between Texas-Oklahoma, USC-Notre Dame and Florida-Arkansas, the action will include TWO current Heisman winners, THREE major candidates for the 2009 Heisman, an undetermined number of future Heisman challengers (among the various underclassmen on the rosters), and FIVE traditional Heisman powers with a combined 24 bronze statues to their credit (nearly 1/3 of all the winners).

I’m a West Coast guy, so after a hearty breakfast, I’ll get the Sooners and Longhorns at 9 a.m.  I’m keeping a close eye on this one, because if Colt McCoy plays lights out, he could take control of the race. 

What does he need to do for that to happen? 

My gut tells me that to have his Heisman moment, he will need to be his usual accurate self (that means completing over 66 percent of his passes) while throwing for minimum 280 yards, with at least 3 touchdown strikes (or a combined 3 TDs running and passing) and no more than one interception.  Some tough scrambles to convert some third downs would help, too.   

I think if he sort of muddles along, playing unimpressively in a Texas victory, he won’t be completely out of the running, but he will have missed an opportunity to jump past Tim Tebow into the lead.  He would have to make up a lot of ground against less-prestigious competition the rest of the way.   Not an easy task.

If the Sooners win despite his playing well, McCoy’s candidacy will be on life support, entirely dependent on the misfortunes of others.  And if his poor play costs his team the victory, his Heisman hopes will fade.

What about Jimmy Clausen? 

His task on Saturday is tough.  While Oklahoma and Texas are pretty evenly matched in the talent department, that is not the case with the Irish and the Trojans.   Charlie Weiss is recruiting some studs to South Bend, but there is still a significant gap between the two programs, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Clausen must go up against an extremely athletic USC defense that leads the nation in sacks and is second in tackles for loss .  And he won’t have his best wide receiver (Michael Floyd) to go up against one of the best (and most physical) secondaries in college football. 

In other words, if he can pull off this win over the Trojans, it will be quite the accomplishment.  A Heisman-worthy accomplishment, to be exact.

Stranger things have happened, but I can’t foresee a scenario in which Notre Dame wins and Clausen does not play a great game.  So, it’s simple.  If the Irish win, Clausen becomes the leading Heisman candidate–regardless of what happens with McCoy earlier in the day. 

If the Irish lose–regardless of how he plays–his Heisman quest will quietly peter out.  The remaining schedule just won’t give him enough credibility to overcome the doubts that will linger on about his team.  Even if the Irish win out, they might be considered the worst 10-2 team in recent memory.  Is it possible that every other candidate slips up later in the schedule and Clausen somehow stays in contention with his stellar play?  I suppose it’s possible, but highly unlikely.  

Meanwhile, Tim Tebow must pick up the pace with his production.  He’s got a shot to do that against a suspect Arkansas defense that is nonetheless coming off a better-than-expected performance against Auburn.   He won’t be in the spotlight this week–Saturday belongs to McCoy and Clausen–but winning the Heisman requires that you quietly take care of business while voter eyes are mostly elsewhere. 

I think throwing for a season-high in yards (237 is his current high) and touchdown passes (4) would be a good way to stay within striking distance in the Heisman race, even if one of the other candidates makes a major move.   People need to look at his stat line after the game and say “Oh, Tebow is back!”

And, of course, he has to stay healthy and keep his Gators undefeated.  I think he’ll have no problem doing that.

By this time next week, I think the Heisman race will make a lot more sense.

On Wednesday, Boise State is at Tulsa. This could be one of the last major challenges for the Broncos, who are trying to go undefeated and earn a berth in a Bowl Championship Series game. Boise State is favored by 8.

Cincinnati and South Florida square off Thursday in the biggest game of the season thus far in the Big East. The Bulls are favored by 1.5 points.

On Friday, there's another Big East game between Pittsburgh and Rutgers. The visiting Panthers open as 3-point favorites.

Saturday's games of note: Texas (-1.5) vs. Oklahoma in Dallas; Iowa (-2) at Wisconsin; South Carolina at Alabama (-17); USC (-8) at Notre Dame; Texas Tech at Nebraska (-6); Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech (pick); Stanford at Arizona (-4); and Arkansas at Florida (-22).

For the latest numbers, visit Doc's Sports.

"We definitely are working very hard to get him better, for him and for the rest of his fans," said Dr. Gudata Hinika, trauma director at California Hospital Medical Center. "So we expect him to be on the football field at some time."

The question is whether that's at USC or in the NFL -- university compliance officials said Johnson could successfully apply for a medical hardship that would grant him a fifth year with the Trojans in 2010, but an NFL scout told the L.A. Times the league has enough film and would only need to get a clean bill on Johnson's recovery. Observers around the program think he's a goner if he recuperates in time to go through pre-draft workouts.

• What's in the pot, Terp fans? Mmmm, head coach. The slow, almost imperceptible simmer under Ralph Friedgen's seat at Maryland the last two years is in full blaze after a 1-3 start that includes a futile blowout at California, a near-miss in overtime over I-AA James Madison, a second consecutive loss to Middle Tennessee State, a turnover-filled debacle at home against equally reeling Rutgers, and now an open inquiry into Friedgen's contract situation by the Washington Post:

But what is Maryland -- and more specifically [athletic director Debbie] Yow -- to do? Friedgen is owed about $4.5 million for the two remaining years on his contract. Regardless of how this season unfolds, buying Friedgen out of his remaining two years is considered unlikely, particularly given economic conditions.

When asked Tuesday if Friedgen would return as coach next season, Yow said: "I will evaluate the status of the program after we play the entire season, not now, with eight games remaining. My focus is on supporting the team and our coaching staff. That focus will continue [until] season's end."

"... at which point we break out the guillotine." Actually, Maryland is an unusual "hot seat" situation because of the clear succession plan from Friedgen to offensive coordinator James Franklin, who could move up somewhat seamlessly with a passing of the torch in place of a messy denouement. But never underestimate Friedgen's ability to pull his feet from the fire: The vultures were out last September, too, and the Terps recovered to win eight and were a touchdown against Boston College away from the championship game in the wide-open ACC. Who else you got in the Atlantic Division?

• Oklahoma! Where the coach plays coy with quarterback plans. Sam Bradford "looked good" again in his second day back at Oklahoma practice Tuesday, according to coach Bob Stoops, who still wouldn't give any indication about the Sooners' plans at quarterback Saturday night at Miami. Bradford has reportedly been splitting first-team snaps with Landry Jones, and Stoops indicated it might come down to a game-time decision against the 'Canes.

Stoops also tentatively suggested during his Tuesday press conference that the obscure NCAA rule keeping OU linebacker Mike Balogun off the field for his senior season "needs to be revisited," but played politician on the question ("It's your question, you're bringing it up, not me, and since you brought it up ...") rather than open up on a bogus clause with barrels blazing.

• The Pinstripe Bowl? Per a press release keep an eye out today for a "MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT" about the rumored bowl game at Yankee Stadium, reportedly featuring teams from the Big East and Big 12. The as-yet-untitled game (at last check, they were going with "Yankee Bowl") is gunning for 40,000 visitors beginning in 2010; a press conference with NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg and various Yankee bigwigs is scheduled for later this morning.

Quickly ... Oregon cornerback Walter Thurmond, a four-year starter, is out for the season with ACL, MCL and PCL tears in his right knee, ending his college career. ... Two Texas players, receiver Brandon Collins and safety Christian Scott, are academically ineligible for the rest of the season, but will continue in practice and should be back next year. ... Iowa State defensive end Rashawn Parker, a starter, is out for the season with an ACL tear. ... Iowa's All-Big Ten tackle, Bryan Bulaga, will be back on the line Saturday against Arkansas State after missing three games with a thyroid condition. ... With other high-profile quarterbacks going down all around him, Colt McCoy ain't afraid of no injuries. ... New Mexico's HR department is taking a closer look at Mike Locksley's pugilistic encounter with an assistant coach. ... Division II is moving away from Division I and toward Division III by cutting season lengths and practice times in a number of sports, including football. ... A business is Kansas was ordered to pay more than $600,000 in attorneys' fees and court costs for selling bootleg Jayhawk gear. ... The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal's story on Texas Tech's suspension of lineman/captain Brandon Carter drew 10 times the usual page views and comments. ... Video of the "hit" that got Ohio State safety Kurt Coleman suspended for next week's game with Indiana is up. ... And Joe Paterno is not interested in your local angles, Illinois reporters.

Though the Cougars are coming off an exciting come from behind overtime win against SMU, they are limping into the Coliseum and will have a tough time putting up much of a fight against the Trojans.

The main goals for the Trojans are to work on eliminating crucial mental mistakes that plagued the team in Seattle (penalties and turnovers) and making progress in the passing game.

Six things to look for in the Coliseum on Saturday:

1-Dominant defensive performance: The Cougars started the season with the dubious distinction of having the least amount of talent in the Pac-10 and just three games into the season they are already down 4 starters on the offensive side of the ball. They have lost two starting offensive lineman, the #1 Wide Receiver left the team to focus on track and the starting Running Back injured his knee against SMU and is out for the year.

USC’s Defensive Line will absolutely dominate the line of scrimmage allowing them to pressure the QB while being able to drop the Linebackers into coverage. The Trojans should also be able to man-up the Wide Receivers in tight coverage allowing the Linebackers and Safeties to make plays on the ball. The Trojans should come up with at least 2 to 3 turnovers.

-What to look for offensively after the jump!

T-Wire's BetUS PICKS is back!

We would have scratched last week, but in the words of Bobby Bowden, Gah dammit, we just couldn't lay off and lost $50 on Florida State.

Here are our picks after 5 minutes of thought before we head to the airport for Columbus.

Three Team Parlay $25 to win $150
Notre Dame (-4) over Michigan
USC (-7.5) over Ohio State
Nebraska (-22) over Arkansas St

If you care to join us, or show how much better you are at this than us, sign up with BetUS... they've got our game.

1. Barkley on a big stage: USC's freshman quarterback passed his first test against San Jose State, but things will be much tougher for Matt Barkley at Ohio State. It's hard to imagine he won't struggle, but if he shines and leads the Trojans into the national title chase, buckle up for the hype that will commence.
2. Prince of Rocky Top: Speaking of young quarterbacks, UCLA's redshirt freshman Kevin Prince is not as young as Barkley but his supporting casts is much younger, and Neyland Stadium at Tennessee is just as tough as the Horseshoe, even if the Volunteers are a step or two behind the Buckeyes. How will Prince and the Bruins O-line perform on the road, where UCLA traditionally struggles?
3. Take three on young QBs: Not to establish a theme or anything, but redshirt freshman Andrew Luck leads Stanford across the country for an early PDT kickoff at Wake Forest with a chance for the Cardinal to announce to the college football world that they are again a contender not to be trifled with.
4. Ducks Blounted: Oregon needs to beat Purdue to salvage its season. That sounds extreme, but the Ducks are back at home and they are a vastly superior team. If they don't prevail, it won't be because the better team won. It will be because the Ducks suffered a Boise State hangover that could well last the entire season. If Oregon wins, they likely will be able to look at the schedule ahead and know they have a lot to play for. Shoot, a victory over Utah on Sept. 19 should get them back into the top-25.
5. Secondary test for Beavers: The first order of business is can Oregon State's rebuilt secondary thwart a strong UNLV receiving corps -- Ryan Wolfe and Phillip Payne are a Pac-10-worthy combination. The second is can the Beavers win an early-season nonconference game on the road? Their recent track record -- LSU, Boise State, Louisville, Cincinnati, Penn State, Utah -- isn't good. If Oregon State does prevail, it will be 2-0 and a long way toward not repeating a 2-3 start for the fourth consecutive year.
6. Huskies winning streak: It might not last long -- USC comes to town on Sept. 19 -- but Washington should be on a one-game winning streak by Saturday afternoon with Idaho coming to town. That winning streak, obviously, will end a 15-game losing streak. It will be interesting to see if the Huskies pounce with a relentless hunger to win or if they are flat after the emotional effort vs. LSU.
7. Cougars offense steps up: Hawaii needed a fourth-quarter comeback to beat Central-Arkansas, an FCS program. The Warriors only have two starters back on defense. They are projected to finish in the bottom half of the WAC. This is a prime time for the Cougars to get a win. It would be a particularly good time for the offense, which showed some life against Stanford, to put up some numbers -- and points, which might mean either Kevin Lopina or Marshall Lobbestael would establish himself as the starter.
8. Best 200 before the half?: Cal didn't need Jahvid Best in the second half of its blowout win over Maryland. But if his Heisman Trophy candidacy is going to pick up steam, he might want to post some fancy numbers against FCS team Eastern Washington. Or maybe coach Jeff Tedford wants to rest him before the Bears head to Minnesota.
9. Passing Wildcats: Arizona is going to beat Northern Arizona, but the Wildcats night won't be a success unless they walk into the post-game locker room feeling good about their quarterback situation before heading to Iowa. That means a quality, confidence-building outing for Matt Scott and some good reps for backup Nick Foles.
10. Nonconference tests: When the smoke clears Saturday, how will the Pac-10 stand up to against a tough nonconference schedule? There are six games here that are "losable." If USC goes down, the conference won't have much say in the national championship race, unless Cal surges. If UCLA gets whipped at Tennessee, the SEC folks will howl with delight. If Stanford goes down at Wake Forest, it will be played as "the Pac-10 lacks depth." If Oregon loses to Purdue, the Chip Kelly doubters will be out in force. If the Huskies lose to Idaho, all the goodwill from the LSU game will go splat. If Oregon Sate loses at UNLV, the Mountain West will start crowing again. If the Cougars lose to Hawaii, the specter of a winless season will appear. There's lots at stake this weekend.