—USC coach Pete Carroll–an avowed disciple of pro-style offenses and defenses–got a healthy dose of college-style medicine against Oregon.  Is it just me, or is Carroll turning into the next Mack Brown/Lloyd Carr/Phil Fulmer?  Meaning, like the programs headed by the aforementioned coaches, USC is laden with talent, but lacking urgency, creativity or dynamism which, of course, eventually leads to head-scratching losses.  There’s only one way to go from here and that’s down, unless Carroll makes some wholesale changes.  But that’s unlikely to happen, since to do so would discredit the philosophy he’s been preaching this whole time. 

—Tony Pike is supposedly close to returning for Cincinnati.  But my question is:  Should Cincy put him back as the starter?  After all, his replacement, Zach Collaros is 2-0 in Pike’s absence and has completed 74.6 percent of his passes and has nine touchdowns with just one interception.  Just sayin’.

—After watching Iowa’s ridiculous comeback against Indiana, I must conclude that the Hawkeyes are the worst 9-0 team I’ve ever seen.  I’m sure Iowa fans don’t mind.

—Is this eye gouging thing really such a big deal?  I’m not defending it and I support some kind of suspension, but isn’t that stuff–and other dirty play–pretty standard for the bottom of a football pile?  Didn’t Brandon Spikes just happen to get caught on camera?

—Mark Richt says he might finally replace senior Joe Cox at quarterback.  I think it’s two losses too late.  The Bulldogs don’t have any major postseason plans, so it’s time to get ready for next year.   With this in mind, they should’ve been giving Logan Gray his shot a couple weeks ago.

—Don’t look now, but Duke is 5-3 and on the verge of a bowl berth, its first since 1994.  But can the Blue Devils find one more win out of the remaining schedule?  UNC, Georgia Tech, Miami and Wake Forest stand in the way.  Still, big props to David Cutcliffe for the job he has done.

—I can’t remember the last time two brothers were as productive as James and Jacquizz Rodgers for Oregon State.  Together, the two average 348 all-purpose yards per game and have scored 21 touchdowns. 

—Quarterback under the radar:  NC State’s Russell Wilson, who is third nationally with 21 touchdown passes.   Quarterback who wishes he were more under the radar:  Jevan Snead, who is tied for the national lead with 13 interceptions.

—As good as Boise State is, I think TCU is the non-AQ team with the best case for a title game berth if it wins out. 

—Updated BCS Picks:

BCS Title Game: Alabama vs. Texas

Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Boise State

Rose Bowl: Iowa vs. Oregon

Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech vs. Cincinnati

Fiesta Bowl: Penn State vs. TCU

A look at how prognosticators from around the country view this week's games.

Tim Sullivan, New York Post: Texas keeps plodding along. Oklahoma is 0-2 in its only true tests. Yes, Sam Bradford is back, but that's not enough for the Sooners. Take the Longhorns and give the points in the Red River Rivalry.

Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News: Idaho can become bowl eligible with a victory against Hawaii. Don't worry about the points because the Vandals are going to cover with ease. In the Pacific 10, watch out for those Washington Huskies at Arizona State.

Mike Hlas, Cedar Rapids Gazette: Hlastradamus loves friendly Pete Carroll more than surly Charlie Weis, but business is business. Take Notre Dame and the points against USC.

Double D, Boston Herald: The conservative playcalling of Jim Tressel is to blame for Terrelle Pryor falling way short of expectations. Nonethless, Ohio State is overdue for an offensive explosion. Take the Buckeyes and lay the points at Purdue.

John Werner, Waco Tribune-Herald: Baylor's offense is still trying to find itself without Robert Griffin. Playing Iowa State should help. The Bears win, 27-24.

Chuck Carlton, Dallas Morning News: Texas Tech quarterback Steven Sheffield is mobile, just maybe not enough to avoid Ndamukong Suh. Nebraska wins, 41-36.

Phil Steele: The top 25 forecast calls for Virginia Tech to defeat Georgia Tech, 34-27. In Madison, look for Wisconsin to edge Iowa, 24-23.

College Injury Report: A look at who is hurt and who is healthy.

Get the latest college numbers from Doc's Sports. Also check Doc's for the latest NFL numbers.

For complete TV listings, check Matt Sarzyniak's Sports.

Visit the Wiz's Resources page for all your reference needs.

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.

A look at something a bit different in the midst of all the preseason and training camp hoopla from Football

Regardless of how anyone feels about Tim Floyd, his 4 year tenure at USC was one of the most sucessful in the history of SC hoops. The three conecutive NCAA tournament sppearances had never been accomplished, and Floyd achieved three 20 win seasons in a row at a school where basketball is a distant second to football. In addition, the talent level of the program may have been at an all time high as evidenced by 5 first round draft picks over the past three years and that no other school in the nation had players taken in the top 16 picks for three consecutive years. And way back before the Trojan's improbable run to a Pac 10 tournament championship the likely 2009-2010 starting lineup, a group that definitely had final four potential, looked to feature five players all poised to go in the NBA Draft (Derozan, Gibson, and Sidney as 1st rounders with Hackett and Lewis as 2nd rounders).

So looking at things from the other side of a summer filled with scandal, early entrants, coaching changes, and an imploded recruiting class it is easy to feel more than a little bit discouraged. But I'm here to say chin up Trojan nation, things are not nearly as dire as they may seem. WIth some returning talent, a favorable OOC schedule, and a down year for the conference mean that these Trojans have a chance to surprise.

The Key Players

Donte Smith: This season's likely starting PG saw only limited minutes in a somewhat dissapointing first season where he shot 12/50 from beyond the arc and had only 22 assists against 29 turnovers. The lone bright spot in the season for SMith came during the blowout loss to ucla where he showed off strong handles and good speed in getting past Darren Collison, although he still failed to finish once he got to the hoop. Personally I think Donte is a much better player than what we have seen so far, and if what Chris Penrose has said about his play during practice is true then all that's missing is the mental component. Also, according to Scott Wolf Smith has trimmed 17 lbs over this summer.

Dwight Lewis: The lone returning regular starter and team scoring leader from last year, Dwight Lewis is probably the most important player for this year's team and must play like a star for the Trojans to be successful this upcoming season. Lewis has definitely shown he can score in bunches (see 7 games with 20 or more points), but at the same time he has been amazingly inconsistent (scored a total of six points against Oregon State across both games, 4 points on 10 shot attempts against North Dakota State). Regardless, as the De Facto leader of the team I'm expecting a much more confident Dwight and don't be surprised if the mercurial swingman averages over 20 points to go with 4 rebounds and 3 assists per game.

Marcus Johnson: This video really says about everything you need to kow about Marcus Johnson's game. Basically you have a super athletic player who is going to make his (figurative) money on the fast break and on slashing to the hoop. Johnson lacks polish though, and if he could add a more consistent jump shot to his game then he would be a much bigger threat and would better fill the shoes of DeMar DeRozan. Frankly. I'm just happy to have him back after the threat of an early departure, and his combination of size and athleticism along with his strong defensive presence will make him a regular in the starting lineup.

Leonard Washington: Of all the players currently on the Trojan Roster Leonard Washington is easily my favorite. Seriously, what's not to like about an undersized PF with a mean streak who rebounds way above his height thanks to his strength and basically imposes his will on his opponents in the paint. I really think that Washington is headed for a big year and he is like a poor man's DeJuan Blair in my mind. What may surprise many is that Leonard has the highest Offensive rating of all returning players, and there is no doubt in my mind that he will be a force if he adhered to any kind of conditioning program over the summer. Plus don't let his stocky build fool you, he's got some decent hops. Also, we might see a few more 3s from LW this time around after finishing the season 4 for 8 from behind the arc.

Alex Stepheson: Since Alex Stepheson was not granted a waiver to play after transferring to USC prior to last season, there's nothing to go on as far as Trojan playing time goes but there is a lot of promise from his short career at UNC. During hi Sophomore season with the Tar Heels, Stepheson averaged 4.2 PPG and 4.5 RPG in only 14.5 minutes per game of play and finished third on the team with 33 blocks for the season. Although Stepheson will likely not be a huge offensive force, likely only averaging around 10 points per game, he will definitely earn his keep as a rebounder and shot blocker. And at 6'9"/235 lbs with a reputation for defense he is more than ready to fill the role of stopper left by Pac 10 Defensive player of the year Taj Gibson.

Marcus Simmons: The team's other Marcus was somewhat of a late season revelation. I mean, everyone knew he was a good defender, but nobody (and I mean absolutely nobody) expected the defensive clinic he put on during the Pac 10 tournament. Darren Collison and Jerome Randle were both among the top 100 players in the nation in offensive efficiency, but Simmons basically put the screws to both and more or less shut them down when he was on the court. What was most surprising was the incredible quickness he showed off in staying in front of the diminuitive speedsters. Although I don't think he will start there is no doubt about it, Simmons will play a key role this season in coming off the bench to shut down the other team's best players.

Nikola Vucevic: So how many people have gotten a chance to follow some of Kid Euro's overseas exploits this summer? For those not in the know, Vucevic played in the Europe U20 league for Montenegro and was one of the best players period. He finished league play averaging 15.5 PPG on 51.5% shooting to go with 10.8 RPG and was number one in multiple statistical categories including defensive rebounds (8.1 per game), blocked shots (1.9 per game), and double-doubles (6). Nikola is ready for a break out season after seeing limited time last year and the tandem of Washington-Stepheson-Vucevic may very well give SC the best front court in the Pac 10. 

Other Notables: Mike Gerrity (can he perform at a high level as either backup or starting PG once he is eligible?), Kasey Cunningham (can he make it to conference play without a season ending injury for the first time in three years?)

The Schedule

First, the bad news. USC plays Texas on the road and Tennessee at home. Both programs are likely top 12 teams and both return (or welcome) a number of talented players. Texas has to deal with the loss of star SG AJ Abrams and key reserve Connor Atchley, but they return a talented core of Damion James and Dexter Pittman to go with super talented recruits Avery Bradley and Jordan Hamilton. Tennessee meanwhile returns every player, including veteran players Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism, from a good team that definitely underachieved in 08-09. Outside of those two teams though, every other game is winnable as Nebraska is thoroughly mediocre and although Georgia Tech has talent they must deal with the loss of two of their best players and their general dysfunctional nature.

Outside of those four, USC does not play another high major opponent and they have seven home games leading up to the Diamond Head tournament which has a weak field (the only other Marquee teams are a rebuilding UNLV and a rebuilding St. Mary's). All in all, its not inconceivable that Trojans enter conference play at 8-4 or better and a win against Texas or Tenn would really be icing on the cake.

The Conference

Take a look at this quick rundown of every team (other than USC) that lost starters from last season:

Arizona: Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger. Arizona State: James Harden, Jeff Pendergraph. Oregon State:Ricky Claitt. Stanford: Mitch Johnson, Anthony Goods, Lawrence Hill. UCLA: Darren Collison, Josh Shipp, Jrue Holiday, Alfred Aboya. Washington: John Brockman, Justin Dentmon. Washington State: Taylor Rochestie, Aron Baynes, Caleb Forrest.

Of those teams, all of them lost their two best players (save for Oregon State and possibly Arizona depending on your opinion of Nic Wise). Moreover, the only team that returns all of their starters are the woeful Oregon Ducks. And as far as recruiting goes there are only two five star recruits coming in across the entire conference (Tyler Honeycutt and Abdul Gaddy) and the Pac 10 only has two teams in the top 20 in the national recruiting rankings. That's not to say that no other recruits will have an impact (see Klay Thompson and Isaiah Thomas from last year), but its definitely a down year as far as experience and talent goes for the conference which leaves a lot of uncertainty and the possibility for USC to once again finish near the top of the conference.

The Lowdown

So check it out, I may be somewhat of stay on the sunny side kind of guy, but at the same time I'm a definitely realist and the remains of the basketball program post Tim Floyd are actually pretty good considering the smoking crater left by the events of the last 3-4 months. USC still has a lot of potential, and whether this team finishes with a great record or not I can guarantee that there are going to be some very exciting games and some great basketball at the Galen Center this year. Outside of California there is no single team that looks unbeatable by the lineup outlined above, and if things come together (especially at the PG position) then this could very well be a special season. So when USC football is busy dominating and preparing for another trip up the road to Pasadena, don't forget about the prohibitive underdogs playing hoops down at the GC this year.

1. Florida (53)
2. Texas (4)
3. Oklahoma (1)
4. USC (1)
5. Alabama
6. Ohio State
7. Virginia Tech
8. Penn State
9. LSU
10. Mississippi

Follow the jump for the rest of the list.

Go here to see the top quarterbacks for 2009

1. Jahvid Best, Cal–The most exciting back in the country.  Gained 1,580 yards, scored 15 TDs, averaged 8 yards per carry…and was dinged up for much of the year.  If he stays healthy, he may surpass 2,000 and have a shot at the Heisman.

2. LeGarrette Blount, Oregon–Big, bruising back with surprising athleticism.  Gained 1,002 yards, scored 17 TDs and averaged 7.3 yards per carry last year while splitting time with Jeremiah Johnson.  Now that Johnson is gone, look for Blount to have a monster season.

3. Noel Devine, West Virginia–Lightning-quick waterbug who should come into his own as a junior.  Had 1,289 yards as a sophomore and should top that easily as he’ll become the main cog in the WVU offense.

4. Evan Royster, Penn State–Had an excellent sophomore campaign with 1,236 yards and 12 TDs while averaging 6.5 yards per carry.  Strong, shifty and consistent runner who follows his blocks well.

5. Michael Smith, Arkansas–The SEC’s best back, he’ll be even more effective in year two under Bobby Petrino.  A talented smurf who gained over 1,000 yards despite injuries in 2008. 

6.  Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State–Was on his way to maybe 1,600 yards as a frosh, but only had 4 carries in his last three games due to injury and finished with1,253.  A low-to-the-ground runner with great instincts and eyes in the back of his head. 

7. Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State–Nifty darter whose only drawback is his lack of true downtown speed.  A relentless back who gets better as the game goes on.  Rushed for 1,555 yards as a sophomore.

8. Chris Brown, Oklahoma–A touchdown machine, he had 1,220 yards and 20 scores last year while sharing carries with DeMarco Murray.  I expect he’ll get more carries this year as the fragile Murray will need to be managed a bit.

9. Stafon Johnson, USC–If he had the backfield to himself, he’d be a Heisman candidate, but USC’s most consistent runner must share carries with a bevy of other talented backs.  Excellent goal-line instincts. 

10. Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech–Upright power back with good straight-line speed for his size.  Thrives in Paul Johnson’s scheme. 

Honorable Mention: 

C.J. Spiller, Clemson–Ultra-fast back (10.22 100m) who will get a chance to prove he can carry the full-time load now that James Davis is gone.

Toby Gerhart, Stanford–A bruising Nagurski-like bruiser who symbolizes Stanford’s new, blue-collar persona under Jim Harbaugh.

Armando Allen, Notre Dame–One of the better all-purpose backs in college football, he had 50 catches to go with 585 rushing yards and was also effective on kickoffs.

MiQuale Lewis, Ball State–Diminutive runner who rushed for 1,736 yards and scored 22 TDs.  As underrated as they come.

Joe McKnight, USC–If he ever gets his act together, McKnight could be one of the best backs in the country.  He can do it all.

New Breakout Stars on the Scene

Rodney Stewart, Colorado–It was Stewart, not the highly-touted Darrell Scott, who showed the most potential as a freshman for the Buffs last year.  I think he’ll turn into one of the most productive runners in the Big 12 this season. 

John Clay, Wisconsin–The next in a long line of star Badger backs.  Should lead the Big Ten in rushing.

Caleb King, Georgia–I’ve always liked King’s physical ability and if he puts the mental side of his game together, he could be a star.

Jermaine Thomas, Florida State–Was very good for a true frosh.  Could be scary good as a sophomore.

Mark Ingram, Alabama–With Coffee gone, he’ll have a chance to be the Tide’s workhorse (assuming he holds off a challenge from incoming frosh Trent Richardson).

…Caleb King turning into a big star.  Could be better than Knowshon.

…the look on Lane Kiffin’s face after the Florida game.  Whatever happens.

…Auburn’s new offense under Gus Malzahn.  Can he change the culture?

…the weekly Gator track meets with Demps, Rainey, et al.  Gainesville is the new Speed City.

…Jahvid Best’s next long run/work of art.

…LeGarrette Blount having the backfield all to himself.

…the new class of athlete taking the field at UCLA (i.e.–guys USC wanted)

…Aaron Corp piling up the rushing yards.

…seeing if Jacquizz Rodgers can do it all again with a target on his back.

…the continued improvement of Juice Williams.  Seems like he’s been around forever.

…Terrelle Pryor doing his best Vince Young impression.  He’s already better at the same stage.

…Year 2 of the Rich Rod Era at Michigan.  Rich Rod didn’t suddenly forget how to coach.

…watching the new speedsters at South Florida.  Attack of the smurfs.

…Noel Devine producing video game-like runs (speaking of smurfs…).

…The Robert Griffin Show.  Fastest QB ever.

…The Return of Bill Snyder.  And why not?

…watching Gerald McCoy dominate games.  Future No. 1 pick.

…the crafty brilliance of Zac Robinson.  He’s a man.

… Sergio Kindle in full bloom.   

…watching Georgia Tech’s offense run through defenses.  Again.

…seeing if the U. can finally get back on track. 

…C. J. Spiller back deep for the kick.

…a strong senior year from Dan LeFevour.

…more BCS controversey.  And complaining about it in September.

…another great Heisman race.

…the start of the season in 90-something days!

Sunday, Oct. 25: Cardinal and Gold game (exhibition)
Saturday, Nov. 7: TBA (exhibition)
Tuesday, Nov. 17: vs. UC Riverside
Saturday, Nov. 21: vs. Loyola Marymount
Friday, Nov. 27: vs. Coppin State
Sunday, Nov. 29: vs. Nebraska
Thursday, Dec. 3: at Texas
Saturday, Dec. 5: at Georgia Tech
Tuesday, Dec. 8: vs. Sacramento State
Friday, Dec. 11: vs. Idaho State
Saturday, Dec. 19: vs. Tennessee
Tue.-Fri., Dec. 22-25: Diamond Head Classic at Honolulu
Thursday, Dec. 31: vs. Arizona State
Saturday, Jan. 2: vs. Arizona
Thursday, Jan. 7: at Cal
Saturday, Jan. 9: at Stanford
Saturday, Jan. 16: at UCLA
Thursday, Jan. 21: vs. Washington State
Saturday, Jan. 23: vs. Washington
Thursday, Jan. 28: at Oregon State
Saturday, Jan. 30: at Oregon
Thursday, Feb. 4: vs. Stanford
Saturday, Feb. 6: vs. Cal
Saturday, Feb. 13: vs. UCLA
Thursday, Feb. 18: at Washington
Saturday, Feb. 20: at Washington State
Thursday, Feb. 25: vs. Oregon
Saturday, Feb. 27: vs. Oregon State
Thursday, March 4: at Arizona
Saturday, March 6: at Arizona State
Wed.-Sat., March 10-13: Pac-10 Tournament at Staples Center

Athletic departments are having to deal with budget issues as well, but according to a study earlier this year by Bloomberg, athletic directors appear to be prospering even in challenging times.

There are now 10 athletic directors who are paid more than $500,000 a year. Florida's Jeremy Foley leads the pack with a salary of nearly $1 million. Kansas' Lew Perkins pulls down $900,000 and Wisconsin's Barry Alvarez is paid $750,000.

Brett McMurphy of the Tampa Tribune compared the salaries to athletic department budgets. Perkins was the highest-paid athletic director in the Bowl Championship Series based on the percentage of his salary compared with the school's athletic department budget, which is $57.8 million.

Next was South Florida's Doug Woolard, right, who has an annual salary of $421,950 in a department with a budget of $34.7 million, second-lowest among Big East schools. Foley has the third-highest percentage, followed by Illinois' Ron Guenther and Georgia Tech's Dan Radakovich.

Bloomberg notes that most athletic directors enjoy other perks, such as country club memberships, cars and spousal travel to athletic events.

One surprising find was the salary of Nebraska's Tom Osborne. The former Cornhusker coach makes $261,000, which is third-lowest among athletic directors at BCS schools. Only the salaries of Mississippi State's Greg Byrne ($175,000) and West Virginia's Ed Pastilong ($240,750) were lower.

Outgoing Oregon athletic director Pat Kilkenny donates all but
$25,884 of his salary back to the school, according to Bloomberg.

A look at the average athletic director salaries by conference.

Of the “pre-preseason” top 25s that have been issued in the past couple months, there seems to be a consensus that the Florida Gators, who lose Percy Harvin going into '09 but retain nearly everyone else of note, will once again be the team to beat; Texas and Oklahoma are also expected to return as powerhouses. Below that, though, the selections range from the brave to the downright silly. Among the most inexplicable:

•Tony Barnhart (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) was the first out of the gate, throwing up a top 25 literally the same night as the BCS National Championship Game, and it shows. Barnhart has Alabama in the top five despite the fact that they lose their starting QB (and were less than a week removed from getting punked by Utah), Oklahoma State at #7, Florida State at #12, and Vanderbilt at #25. I realize you're an SEC guy, but jeez, Tony. He also provided an object lesson in the dangers of sticking your neck out too early by putting Pittsburgh at #10 based on “running back LeSean McCoy and seven starters on defense coming back”; McCoy declared for the NFL draft less than a week later.

•Dennis Dodd (CBS Sports) shared Barnhart's optimism for Alabama (#4) and pumped Kansas at #14, saying “any team with quarterback Todd Reesing is capable of anything.” Anything except for winning the Big 12 North, evidently.

•Matt Hayes (The Sporting News) will see your Notre Dame optimism and raise you: He's got the Irish at #11 based on “the confidence QB Jimmy Clausen gained from his play at Hawaii.” Yes, there's nothing like beating up on the nation's 88th-ranked pass-efficiency defense in a bowl game to mold a player into a leader. Hayes also has Ole Miss at #5 and Auburn at #24, which would make him one of exactly four people in the country who think Auburn will be better with Gene Chizik than they were with Tommy Tuberville (and the other three are Gene Chizik, Jay Jacobs, and Jay Gogue).

•Stewart Mandel (SI.com), like Hayes, has Ole Miss at #5, and like Barnhart he gets burned by early personnel assumptions gone wrong: He puts Oklahoma State at #6, explaining that “nearly every key player is back” on the Cowboy offense, but three of OSU's top four receivers left the program for one reason or another within a month of Mandel posting his list. He's also got Florida State at #18.

•Jon Wilner (San Jose Mercury News) says he updated his list on January 21, which makes one wonder what his original rankings looked like. He's got Florida State at #7 and Oklahoma State at #6, saying he actually dropped the Cowboys because he's “now counting [the Oklahoma game] as a loss for OSU.” The Sooners, last seen piling 61 points on the Cowboys, are grateful for your generosity, sir. Wilner also thinks Pitt and West Virginia will be better without LeSean McCoy and Pat White, respectively — he's got both in his top 25 despite the fact that neither team cracked the final coaches' poll of 2008.

•College Football News is buying into the ACC big-time in '09: They've got North Carolina at #9, Georgia Tech at #11, and Clemson at #15. And based on their color-coding system, CFN thinks Miami “should be worse” than they were last year, yet they've still got the Hurricanes, 7-6 and unranked at the end of 2008, at #19 on their list. Strangely, the one ACC team to get downgraded relative to last season is the defending conference champions — Virginia Tech winds up just one slot ahead of the 'Canes.

•Mark Schlabach (ESPN.com) has also revised an earlier list, but he's still got Alabama at #4 despite openly conceding what huge losses John Parker Wilson and Andre Smith will be; he's also got Notre Dame at #22.

- - -
Doug Gillet is the proprietor of Hey Jenny Slater and a regular contributor to Dr. Saturday.

1. Alabama (12-0) .9713 1 1 2815 .9965 1 1521 .9974 3 92 .920
2. Oklahoma (11-1) .9351 3 4 2569 .9094 2 1397 .9161 1 98 .980
3. Texas (11-1) .9223 2 3 2575 .9115 3 1396 .9154 2 94 .940
4. Florida (11-1) .8851 4 2 2619 .9271 4 1385 .9082 6 82 .820
5. USC (10-1) .8076 5 5 2378 .8418 5 1298 .8511 8 73 .730
6. Utah (12-0) .7844 6 7 2111 .7473 7 1153 .7561 5 85 .850
7. Texas Tech (11-1) .7805 7 8 2090 .7398 8 1116 .7318 4 87 .870
8. Penn State (11-1) .7373 8 6 2177 .7706 6 1176 .7711 9 67 .670
9. Boise State (12-0) .7034 9 9 1937 .6857 9 1044 .6846 7 74 .740
10. Ohio State (10-2) .6340 10 10 1856 .6570 10 999 .6551 11 59 .590
11. Texas Christian (10-2) .5633 14 12 1502 .5317 11 836 .5482 10 61 .610
12. Ball State (12-0) .5306 15 11 1526 .5402 13 765 .5016 12 55 .550
13. Cincinnati (10-2) .4831 16 13 1425 .5044 12 770 .5049 15 44 .440
14. Oklahoma State (9-3) .4276 12 14 1217 .4308 15 613 .4020 T-13 45 .450
15. Georgia Tech (9-3) .4046 22 16 1065 .3770 16 590 .3869 T-13 45 .450
16. Georgia (9-3) .3311 11 20 833 .2949 19 440 .2885 16 41 .410
17. Boston College (9-3) .3202 21 19 834 .2952 20 435 .2852 17 38 .380
18. Brigham Young (10-2) .3142 18 17 990 .3504 18 461 .3023 18 29 .290
19. Oregon (9-3) .3041 23 15 1076 .3809 14 658 .4315 23 10 .100
20. Missouri (9-3) .2818 13 18 896 .3172 17 470 .3082 20 22 .220
21. Michigan State (9-3) .2550 19 21 688 .2435 21 414 .2715 19 25 .250
22. Northwestern (9-3) .1216 24 22 414 .1465 22 333 .2184 NR 0 .000
23. Pittsburgh (8-3) .1012 25 23 346 .1225 23 154 .1010 T-24 8 .080
24. Florida State (8-4) .0768 20 29 30 .0106 29 15 .0098 21 21 .210
25. Virginia Tech (8-4) .0573 NR 27 71 .0251 26 41 .0269 22 12 .120

He's sitting out games, having already missing USC's opener.

He's waiting to find out if he can play in the Trojans' second home game tonight.

And he's wishing he can board a red-eye flight that will take the team to Puerto Rico for a weekend tournament.

Stepheson is an impressive forward who transferred to USC after two seasons at North Carolina. Most players have to sit out one year, but the NCAA grants exceptions under certain circumstances. Stepheson applied for a transfer waiver, reportedly after an illness in the family caused him to come home to the LA area. But with the season already underway, he still doesn't know if he'll be eligible to play.

The Stepheson ripple runs deep. Coach Tim Floyd never divulges his starting lineup, but you can interpret his assessment of Stepheson yourself. "We feel like he's a guy that can have an impact, not only on our team but in the league."

Basketball analysts agree. ESPN's Andy Katz thinks his addition would make USC a Pac-10 title favorite, alongside UCLA and Arizona State.

In the meantime, the Trojans are spending valuable practice time on schemes that they might not be able to run.

"We're trying to prepare with both scenarios in mind," said Floyd. "We've done a lot of work with him as a part of the group that would be out there, and a lot of work without him in that group.... We really had to think in terms of two offensive systems, which has been somewhat of a distraction. If he wasn't as talented as he is, it wouldn't be worth doing. But he is, and we're trying to prepare ourselves the best we can in the event that we get good news."

It also wouldn't be worth doing if Stepheson's case were a long-shot. Based on NCAA precedent, there's reason for the Trojans to be optimistic. And that can make the waiting game frustrating.

Last year, the NCAA granted 55 transfer waivers and denied 34. Tyler Smith, who transferred from Iowa to Tennessee just before his father passed away from cancer, was one of six approved in men's basketball, out of 10 requests. This season, the NCAA had nine requests in men's basketball by the start of November -- approving four and denying one. That leaves four in progress, including Stepheson.

According to college sport's governing body, one of the common reasons they grant a transfer waiver is documented illness to a member of student-athlete’s family "that results in the need for the student-athlete to transfer." No need to overanalyze that. In tough times, his family needs him. He needs them. And as a lifelong athlete, he still needs basketball. Teammates are usually like a second family, and Stepheson has joined a team that certainly knows how to deal with life's hardest knocks. Two years ago, they lost point guard Ryan Francis in a tragic shooting. He would have been a senior this season.

The NCAA obviously can't issue a free pass to anybody who wants to jump ship and skip the normally required redshirt year. A few months ago, they denied the waiver of Colin Peek, an Alabama football transfer who left Georgia Tech because their new coach doesn't typically use his position (tight end). The NCAA won't comment on specific cases, but a representative said that type of reasoning falls outside the scope of a transfer waiver. There were reports that Peek would seek a "hardship" waiver (typically granted by conferences, not the NCAA, for severe injury or illness), but ultimately he found himself on this season's Tide scout team.

Though some might sympathize with Peek, who couldn't sympathize with Stepheson? His situation is serious enough that he missed missed playing time last season at UNC in order to travel home, including the Tar Heels' conference opener against 19th-ranked Clemson. Then he ditched the No. 1 team in America -- where he might have been a starter for part of the year. All-world Tyler Hansbrough is hurt, and guess who was a top candidate to fill in -- or at least get more playing time? Katz added that one thing is clear: "The Tar Heels definitely could have used Alex Stepheson back."

Even though he could be having an influence on Tobacco Road, it's difficult to imagine that UNC would oppose the transfer waiver; the school  reportedly wouldn't appeal if it goes through. But the school is  caught up in the protracted NCAA process. The Tar Heels were sent paperwork on the case last week, and have up to 10 days to respond.

North Carolina declined to publicly comment on the matter until the NCAA announces its decision, but an initial feel-good press release about the transfer quoted Coach Roy Williams as saying, "Being closer to home he will be able to provide the necessary support and help his family needs at this time. He is a wonderful kid."

Anybody with Internet access (including the NCAA) could have known this was coming three months ago, but sources indicate the full waiver request was filed with them only in October. The Stepheson family was asked to provide additional documentation just two weeks ago, and North Carolina still may not have finished all of its paperwork.

"I think they've been pretty responsive on the NCAA end," said Floyd. "I think it takes time to present your case."

Whether it's something on its end or not, the NCAA's wheels-of-justice have a reputation for turning very slowly. There are plenty of examples with USC alone, including two ongoing investigations about extra benefits allegedly received by Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo.

In 2004, the NCAA waited just two days before USC's football team kicked off its season to announce that wide receiver Mike Williams was ineligible after losing a reinstatement appeal. The organization claimed that it "responded within 24 hours of receiving the final information," though the situation had been under public scrutiny for several months and all parties appeared cooperative.

At least Williams found out before his team boarded the plane. It's looking less and less likely that the NCAA will be able to do the same for Stepheson.

-- Adam Rose
Photo by Bob Donnan/US Presswire

For further reading:

• Check out this roundtable discussion about waivers on Rivals.com.
• ESPN's Andy Katz goes into detail about Stepheson's family, basketball strengths and what he would mean to the Trojans.

You hear it a lot.  Way too much, in fact.

Now, here’s the thing.  The SEC is currently the top conference.  It was amazingly good last year and will be amazingly good this year.

But it is not set in stone that the SEC is the default top conference every year, or at least it shouldn’t be.  Yet, that seems to be the prevailing opinion among the college football media, year-in, year-out.

To refute this notion, I present to you… the data provided by the indispensable CollegeFootballDataWarehouse.

The CFBDW has a ranking of teams and conferences based on (1) Winning Percentage Points (2) Schedule Points (3) National Championship Points and (4) Big 4 Bowl Points.

For the period 2000-2007, the BCS conferences are ranked as follows (total points is the first bit of data, followed left to right by the previously mentioned totals):

As you can see, the SEC is on top in this decade (941 total points), but it’s not a slam dunk.  And, the real reason for the top ranking is due to the SEC having 12 teams to accumulate its points vs. 10 teams for the Pac-10.  The Pac-10 (923 points) gets to No. 2 largely on the strength of its schedule, while the SEC is dragged down somewhat by playing the fourth-toughest schedule among the six major conferences.  Averaging the total points per team per conference, the Pac-10 averages 92.3 and the SEC averages 78.4.

If you look at the top 25 programs for 2000-2007, another interesting piece of data is revealed: