• Vegas still favors Trojans to win BCS, while Bruins are hard to peg. [LA Times]
• In addition to their "Face of the Program" series, ESPN also has a "Face of the Decade." USC was honored for the 2000s, though based on the way the other decades were done I'm surprised  Pete Carroll wasn't chosen. At the same time, it seems as if they wanted to name Matt Leinart. [ESPN]
• Here's a tribute video in honor of Pete Carroll's volunteer work. [Summa Children's Foundation]
• Another Trojan/coach, Jack Del Rio, is up to some serious do-gooding for the kids. [Times-Union]

Hoops

• More of Brian Scalabrine fooling around with the press corps. [TrojanWire]
• Evan Smith is USC's first commit from the class of 2009. [WeAreSC]

Elsewhere

• Did somebody say Song Girls? [Prep Ticket]
• Questions are cropping up about OJ's car. No, not that one. The other one. [Gutty Little Bruins]
• What were they thinking? NBC extended its contract with the Fighting Irish. [Notre Dame]
• According to a court of law, Duke sucks. [Da Wiz]

This photo of Vince Young shirtless, allegedly in a bar in Texas, and the subsequent series (which originated here) will probably not have the impact of the Matt Leinart photos that surfaced earlier this summer - which was incredibly overblown in the first place - but should they? An athlete drinking at a bar in the offseason is certainly not news. A franchise QB chugging patron at a bar, shirtless, surrounded by dudes? We’ll still say no, but it is nice to see how athletes unwind when they’re not breaking down the cover-2. [UPDATE: According to a tipster, several tipsters, Michael Huff of the Raiders is to Young’s left.]

Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart answered a series of football-related questions before the focus shifted to those party photos that made their way online and led coach Ken Whisenhunt to express disappointment.

"Obviously, you learn life lessons in things," Leinart said. "My mindset has been on football, clearly, going into this minicamp or going into this summer. When you play football, you are a name out there or a person in the spotlight; it is tough, you have a target on your chest. But you learn a lesson and you move on."

I then asked Leinart if he had a new appreciation for the power of the internet. Leinart broke into a smile and said, "The internet is a bad thing."

On a more serious note, Leinart said he learned a lesson about showing more discretion in his personal life.

"Yeah, it's hard to trust anybody, especially when you are in a position like I am, a position like all these guys are in when you are a professional athlete," Leinart said. "You learn that, but your circle kind of gets closer, tighter around you, and that is not necessarily a bad thing."

Quarterback Matt Leinart and receiver Anquan Boldin drew the biggest media crowds following the Cardinals' one-hour practice in shorts at team headquarters in Tempe today. Leinart plans to tighten his circle of friends after embarrassing photos of him surfaced online recently. Boldin, meanwhile, put to rest any talk that he was demanding a trade. I'll have much more on these situations, but wanted to post something quickly in the meantime. 

We actually were planning on getting a custom plate for our rig this year, and sadly it looks like our first choice was intercepted.

Now in all seriousness, who, besides Matt Leinart, would get that plate? Well, there’s only one person we can think of. (more…)

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What has Matt Leinart been doing in the off-season? Practicing. Preparing to win the Arizona starting QB job back. And corrupting minors... As reported on TheDirty.com, Matt Leinart was captured having a jacuzzi-side romp with some ASU sun-devils. But who could blame him? They weren't voted the #1 hottest student body for nothing.

Images from TheDirty.com

Of USC's most notable alumni, there's no one quite like Will. With Will Ferrell's new basketball movie Semi-Pro on the way, Sports Illustrated's Arash Markazi sat down to interview him about the new flick, USC, basketball and more... Here's an excerpt from the interview, when Pete Carroll dressed Ferrell up in Trojan uniform a couple years back, and introduced him to the team as a new walk on tight end.

So, they drove me out in the golf cart and they were practicing for the Rose Bowl against Michigan for the national championship and I could see the guys looking and thinking, "Who is this guy?" Then I stepped out and took off my helmet and they all start laughing. We then ran a play. We ran a go-pattern, yeah, I know the terms, it was just down the sideline and [Matt] Leinart threw the ball, but he kind of underthrew me so I had to sort of lay back. It was silent for a second and then when I made the catch and I got a weird, pathetic cheer. Caroll was just laughing and he said, "I was afraid [Darnell Bing] was going to lay you out."

Check out the interview in its entirety at SI.com.

Autographed photographs of Matt Leinart and Colt Brennan hang on the wall in Bruce Rollinson’s office at Mater Dei High School. In their inscriptions, Leinart and Brennan thank Rollinson for his guidance during their high school careers. They are among nine quarterbacks he has coached who went on to play in college during his 19 seasons as the coach at Mater Dei. Yet of all the quarterbacks to play at the Catholic school, the best could be the 17-year-old junior Matt Barkley. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Barkley is rated as one of the top recruits for the class of 2009… continue

From Rivals.com:

Barkley is already considered one of the greatest quarterbacks at a high school that has produced two quarterbacks who won the Heisman Trophy (John Huarte in 1961 and Leinart in 2004). But to those who know him best, it's neither stats nor awards that make Barkley the best player in the class of 2009. It's much more.

"He's got the God-given arm strength, his vision is impeccable and he has great instincts for the position," said Rollinson of his star quarterback. "But it's his passion for the game and his work ethic that separates him. He studies so much film he even spent time with us learning the pass protection schemes so he'd know where pressure was coming from on each play. It's the little things like that."

Barkley is accumulating honors at a fast clip. In addition to the Rivals.com award, he was the first junior to win the Gatorade Player of the Year award for football.

"I just love football," Barkley said. "I always wanted to be a quarterback because I like the feeling of control I get with it. I like to know where the ball is going all the time, that's why I don't like defense at all. Defense is for a different kind of personality than mine. I like the mental aspect of quarterback too, and love watching film and being in the weight room. I like everything about it."

Definitely worth reading it all. 

No matter what happens in two weeks, the Trojan Family will add some Super Bowl rings to the collection. Here's how USC alums fared in this weekend's NFL conference championships:

Steve Smith (WR - New York Giants) made two caches, of 14 and 11 yards, in a 23-20 OT victory in Green Bay.

Junior Seau (LB - New England) had six tackles and made the Pat's only sack in a 21-12 win over San Diego.

Matt Cassell (QB - New England) didn't take a snap against New York, but will back-up Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. He may become the first person to ever win a college national championship ring with an undefeated season AND a Super Bowl ring with an undefeated season (we haven't double-checked the undefeated Dolphin's roster, though). He already holds the rare distinction of backing up two Heisman Trophy winners (Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart) and an NFL MVP (Tom Brady).

Norv Turner (Coach - San Diego) heads home after the Bolts ended a second straight season with a loss to the Patriots. Turner, in his first year in San Diego, oversaw an impressive turnaround that took the Chargers from 1-3 to 11-5. Including the post-season, they rode an 8-game winning streak into New England. To see how Turner's popularity changed throughout the season, click here.

Reserves Oscar Lua (LB - New England) and Manuel Wright (DT - New York) will probably enjoy a view of the Super Bowl from the sidelines.

If you’re keeping score at home, Hollywood Leinart’s resume, real and perceived: Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Shannen Doherty, Alyssa Milano and Brynn Cameron. Cavallari would probably be his best score, since she lacks in the deranged department, and is actually hot. This puts him firmly in Romo/Brady land, except, you know, he needs to a) stay healthy and b) win a few more games.

Scene and Heard (Review-Journal)
First Friday of 2008 (Vegas Eye)