This weeks highlights of former Trojans in the NFL features Reggie Bush, Kaluka Maiava, Frostee Rucker, Troy Polamalu and Clay Matthews.

(Video by Eric Espinoza / USC video operations department)

Before we get into some of the issues that are plaguing the Trojans, USC fans must tip their cap to Jim Harbaugh and the Stanford program. Harbaugh inherited a program that was 1-11 in 2006 and in his third year he has Stanford in a position to possibly go to the Rose Bowl. In the last two weeks, Stanford scored 106 points in victories over Top 10 teams and physically beat up the opponent. Harbaugh did exactly what Pete Carroll did when he came to USC. He loaded his staff up with experienced and hungry coaches and has given his players every opportunity to excel.

After seven years of “always competing” and finishing stronger than anybody, the Trojan program is in peril. USC only has 3 losses and you don’t want to overreact but the way the Trojans have lost and the fact the Trojans could easily have 5 or 6 losses at this point is very concerning with the amount of talent they have.

The issues can be addressed and the ship can be turned in the right direction but if you truly want to Win Forever you have to continually evolve, innovate and not let ego get in the way.

Discussion points for the water cooler and IM chats:

1- No Hunger- With seven consecutive AP top 4 finishes and ending the season with a bowl win 6 of those 7 years, the Trojan program and its fans seem to be living on its accomplishments of the past. The program seems to have forgotten how bitter losing can taste and do not play with the attitude “WE MUST WIN THIS GAME”.

An example of that was clear when after suffering one of the worst losses in USC history, some players were seen after the game smiling, laughing and carrying on like it was no big deal. Like some of the "new” LA fans that have joined the bandwagon the past 5 years, I wonder if some of the supposed “5” star recruits just wanted to be along for the ride and not put the necessary work in to become a high caliber player. When you’re the top dog with everyone gunning for you, especially with a young team, you have to outwork everyone else.

(lack of depth/experience, coaching attrition, Pete's focus after the jump)

Athletic director Gene Bleymaier announced Wednesday that his department is forming Boise State Broncos, Inc., a program that will allow fans to buy shares of athletic department stock.

A total of 200,000 shares will be available at a cost of $100 per share. The $20 million raised will be used to renovate facilities.

In return, shareholders will receive a stock certificate, voting privileges and will be invited to the annual shareholder meeting. It's all legal because the organization will be a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) corporation. Shareholders will not receive dividends and the stock does not appreciate.

The program is modeled after one used in 1997 by the Green Bay Packers, the NFL's only publicly owned team. The Packers raised nearly $24 million by selling more than 105,000 new shares in the team.

"This program worked tremendously for the Green Bay Packers, and we think it can work for us." Bleymaier said.

Here are some week 9 highlights of former Trojans now playing in the NFL. This week features
David Buehler, Dwayne Jarrett, Reggie Bush, Terrell Thomas, Steve Smith, Kevin Ellison, Keith Rivers, Rey Maualuga (Cinco Ocho), Carson Palmer, Troy Polamalu and Brian Cushing.

Fight On!

(Video created by Eric Espinoza and the USC video operations department)

This is nothing new, but we came across these renderings on architectural firm RTKL's site.

RTKL made its name in sports by helping HOK Sport (now Populous) fit Camden Yards into inner-city Baltimore in the early 1990s, but since 1999 they've been cooking up the master plans behind LA LIVE, which reaches its completion in early 2010 with the opening of a 54-story building that houses a JW Marriott Hotel, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel, The Ritz-Carlton Residences and a 14-screen Regal Cinemas.

Back to the LA Coliseum... besides the NFL logos we can't help but see how this would be a drastic improvement to our Trojan sanctuary.

First there is respect for the original structure. The oversize jumbotrons plopped atop the Peristyle have been removed and replaced with jumbotrons exhibiting a more modern screen. The Miller Lite game clock removed to bare the Olympic rings. AT&T, Muscle Milk, and other garbage banners hanging from the colonnade are non-existent.

The roof canopy can provide shade to those in the bleeders and channel the awesomeness that is the noise of 93,607 down onto the field. Works for those fuckers up in Oregon.

The luxury boxes, eh... it's not really college football. But Ohio State's Horseshoe is a magnificent stadium. And it has suites and does a great job of balancing the modern with the classical, specifically the outer facade with the modern interior. Additionally, luxury boxes could open the way to bring booze back to the Coliseum. There's already booze at events that rent out the space below the Peristyle and just like the Founders Room at Galen Center, money would buy access to influence. And everyone lucky enough to know someone could go there at halftime and get back under the influence.

One more image of the improved Coliseum after the jump.

We all saw how great he played against Penn State in the Rose Bowl and he is now showing us that he is a legitimate contender for the Mackey Award and the he could be a great pick-up in the NFL. He is one of the better blocking TE's in the game and his performance on Saturday simply increased his exposure to those who don't folloow USC on a regular basis.

From the LA Times

McCoy looked like the best tight end in college football against the Fighting Irish, catching five passes for 153 yards and setting up two touchdowns and a field goal in the Trojans' 34-27 win at Notre Dame.

After waiting two seasons behind Mackey Award winner Fred Davis, the 6-foot-5, 250-pound McCoy has developed into an upper-round NFL prospect in his second season as a starter.

"He's got the whole package," USC Coach Pete Carroll said. "Few guys are that flashy and effective as receivers that can also block.

"He's going to be a tremendous prospect at the next level."

McCoy enters Saturday's game against Oregon State averaging a team-best 25 yards a reception. He has caught 14 passes, second on the team to wideout Damian Williams, and overcome a few early drops to become a short, mid-range and deep threat.

"He can stretch the field," freshman quarterback Matt Barkley said. "It's been such an advantage to have that. . . . The way he can run vertically and just have a knack for catching the ball and finding that open window is huge."

I still laugh at the scene of McCoy dragging those ND defenders downfield before thy brought him down short of the goal line. That was a sight! McCoy was honored for his performance against ND by being named the Mackey Award player of the week.

He will continue to play an important role as SC goes down the stretch.

- - -

We are about to enter the second half of the season and now the fun begins. SC has the meat of the schedule in front of them. After this weekends game against Oregon St. SC goes on the road against the Duck's in Eugene then on to Tempe to face ASU. It has been an interesting ride so far, SC has not left us bored that is for sure with huge road wins against Ohio St. and Notre Dame. Yes there was the slip up against the Huskies but with what we have seen from them I think it was clear that the loss of Barkley and Mays along with Sarkisian and Holt knowing the strengths and weaknesses of this team backward and forward combined for a perfect storm  for the upset...Hats off to them for the win but lets not get carried away.

The mid-season reviews and award lists are out and SC has some good representation...

Lets start with Ted Miller's Second-half outlook of USC...

Will Washington prove to be the only bump in the road for USC? And if USC rolls to an 11-1 record, will it play its way into the national title game? Or will we see the Trojans matched up again (sigh) with a Big Ten team in the Rose Bowl? It might be more fun if the Trojans lost to Oregon on Oct. 31 and then won out and earned an at-large invitation to another BCS bowl game. It seems like a massive long shot, given the selection procedure, but just picture USC vs. Florida/Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. Yummy!

I am not even worrying about the post season, there is way too much football left to play and a couple of tough games still on the schedule...not just Oregon.

If anything the Notre Dame game showed me that we still have some work to do on finishing. The defense took their foot off the gas and let ND back in it, the dumb penalties sooner or later will come back to haunt us and cost us a game and for as great as Matt Barkley played he still is susceptible to making rookie mistakes.

SC needs to tighten a few things up...

Decreasing dumb penalties,3rd down conversions, the running game and the red zone offense still need to improve.

Michael Lev of the OCR has a quick take...

MIDSEASON MVP

MLB Chris Galippo

Taking over at the heart of an almost all-new front seven, the redshirt sophomore from Servite High has become an instant leader and among the top playmakers for the ninth-ranked defense in the nation. Galippo leads USC in tackles (41), is tied for first in pass breakups (four) and also has five tackles for loss, an interception and a forced fumble.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER

RB Allen Bradford

Even though he didn't play much last season because of injuries, Bradford has made the most tangible gains. The redshirt junior entered this season with 123 career rushing yards and a 2.9-yard average. In six games, he has 228 yards and a 6.3-yard average. Also considered: RB Joe McKnight, TE Anthony McCoy, OT Tyron Smith, DT Jurrell Casey, DE Nick Perry and LB Michael Morgan.

Any one of those players listed above could be seen as most improved. Especially Nick Perry. You have to love what PC is doing with him...he is an absolute beast and he will only get better.

- - -

Here are a few links to some mid-season awards.

Phil Steele's 2009 Mid Season All-Pac-10 team

SN's midseason All-Americans: Offense

SN's midseason All-Americans: Defense

- - -

Here is an interesting take on the BCS from the WSJ...

Quantitatively and qualitatively, USC looks like the top option should any member of the Alabama-Florida-Texas triumverate falter. The Trojans top Boise, Cincinnati and Iowa in total defense. Of that group, they trail only the Bearcats in total offense. With the nation's ninth-rated defense by yards, the Trojans appeared to have one weakness heading into the season: quarterback play. But Matt Barkley continues to disprove that notion, along with the now-foolish idea that Aaron Corp should've started over him to begin the season. Mr. Barkley threw for 380 yards in the victory over Notre Dame.

If Mr. Barkley hadn't missed the Washington game, the Trojans might already occupy one of the top two spots. But with the way Florida and Texas are playing, who knows – maybe they will again.

It is going to get interesting as we go down the stretch.

- - -

Here is Pete Carroll on PMS

All Pac-10 has their USC/OSU preview up.

Ted Miller has a little more in his "What to watch for in the Pac-10"

As expected, Mark Tyler is done for the season, with Stanley Havili expected to be a game time decision because of his shoulder injury.

Here is a good read by the Trojan Empire on the BCS

The Los Angeles times wrote a nice feature on USC tight end Anthony McCoy. Last Saturday vs. Notre Dame, McCoy set a school record for most yards receiving by a tight end. He caught five passes for 153 yards. Many now consider McCoy the best tight end in the country. Here is a portion of the LA Times piece:

After waiting two seasons behind Mackey Award winner Fred Davis, the 6-foot-5, 250-pound McCoy has developed into an upper-round NFL prospect in his second season as a starter. "He's got the whole package," USC Coach Pete Carroll said. "Few guys are that flashy and effective as receivers that can also block. He's going to be a tremendous prospect at the next level."

To read the full article click here.

USC tight end McCoy is proving he is the real deal [LAT]

Moment of truth for Weis, Clausen - Wetzel

Notre Dame's aim: Win USC game to regain name - Dodd

Notre Dame and QB Jimmy Clausen must rise to occasion against sixth-ranked USC- Weiss

As you can see everyone in the press is tired of ND getting smacked around year in and year out...They want to see a competitive game.

As noted in our post below this could be the make or break game for Weis. Win and the pressure could be off. Lose and who knows...Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick says a loss to USC doesn't mean the sky is falling. He might want to talk to the boosters and fans who pump a lot of money into ND's kitty.

Heck, even the LA press thinks the USC-Notre Dame rivalry should be back to old form. I don't know about that, old form wold be the teams trading victories that are close games. We haven't seen that in a few years now.

Now finally, after seven years of lopsided USC drubbings, Saturday's game between the two teams in South Bend has a chance to be good. Meaningful. And, um, competitive.

How can you tell?

The team's 4-1 records and national rankings are a good start. But there's more to it. A tension, a testiness. Competitive juices flowing that only really get moving when there's a real competition on the field.

Last year at the Coliseum, the teams fought on the field before the game.

Afterward, defensive tackle Fili Moala said, "They thought they were hyped and they weren't as hyped as us.

"It started in the tunnel. They started talking and we were talking. We bit before they did and their bite wasn't hard."

Shelburne is reaching here with the whole tone of her piece. Yeah ND is 4-1...those wins came against teams with losing records and Notre Dame's one win was against a Michigan team that is 4-2. UM has their issues as well but they are still 4-2.

The fact remains that Clausen will face the toughest defense he will see this season. USC hopes to shut down Clausen like they have in the past. That means containing WR Golden Tate and TE Kyle Rudolf. That also means that USC has to get pressure on Clausen and the ND refuses to get ‘Manhandled' no more...We'll see.

Maybe they will maybe they won't but they will be in for the fight of their lives...

Regardless, Pete Carroll continues to keep focused on the task at hand...

"You have to have a really over-arching plan," Carroll said. "You need to have a plan to handle the challenge of the transition. You can't deviate from that plan.

"You have to approach the job with a vision so that you're not going to a mystery place. You have to know where you're going, accept the challenges and take it all in stride."

The Trojans do better than just take things in stride. They take things on a dead run.

They replace a Heisman Trophy winner (quarterback Carson Palmer, 2002) with a Heisman Trophy winner (Matt Leinart, 2004), and then the next year had a third Heisman Trophy winner (Reggie Bush) at running back.

With Carroll in charge, the Trojans have had 53 NFL draft picks, 14 in the first round. In that same period, Notre Dame has had 35 players selected, and two — center Jeff Faine and quarterback Brady Quinn — in the first round.

During Holtz's 11-year regime, the Irish had 75 players chosen in the NFL draft, 12 in the first round. Receiver/kick returner Tim Brown was the only Heisman winner.

Carroll said a diligence to the execution of the grand plan keeps the program on track.

Another part of that Plan is reloading the talent pool. Much has been made of Pete Carroll not being able to get back to MNC game with all the talent he has amassed. But look at ND Weis continues to draw big time recruits but he does verry little with them...I will address this more in another post.

It all comes down to the quarterbacks. Jimmy Clausen is finally living up to expectations (hype?) and even though he is just a true freshman Barkley acts like an old rookie.

Nobody on the Southern Cal campus takes Barkley for granted.

He's led the Trojans to four victories. Their only loss, to Washington, came with Barkley sidelined with a shoulder injury.

He got that injury in the win at Ohio State. Though struggling with a bone bruise, Barkley completed three passes for 35 yards on a 14-play, 86-yard drive that ended with a game-winning TD run by Johnson and a conversion pass to Joe McKnight that made the final difference, 18-15.

That performance in a high-profile game served notice that this is no ordinary freshman at the controls.

"He really has something you're looking for," USC coach Pete Carroll said of Barkley. "The stuff that has really jumped out lately is that he anticipates so well, in throwing the football. He waits until guys get open. He understands the principles of guys getting open in the zone and man (defensive schemes). He throws the ball early.

"That's a tremendous asset, being able to get the ball to guys. It's an instinct he has."

"The one thing (Barkley) does very well is he knows who his playmakers are and he gets the ball in their hands," Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said. "That is a good tact for a young quarterback to understand."

ESPN's Tood McSHay breaks down the QB's

CJ Gable injured his knee in practice yesterday but he will be available for the ND game.

ESPN debates USC vs. Notre Dame From ted Millers Blog...

It is an interesting question that many have asked, particularly the Notre Dame faithful who have nothing they can look back on fondly from the Pete Carroll period of this rivalry... actually, if someone got hit on the head while rushing the field before the officials put enough seconds on the clock for the Bush push, and didn't see the end of the game, they'd have something positive to remember.

But back to the question at hand: Can Weis beat USC? The short answer is of course yes... if USC could finally beat Lou Holtz after their 13 game run without a loss against SC in the 80s and 90s, then Notre Dame as coached by Charlie Weis certainly can end the Irish drought. But it seems like it's more important this year. Is it that people see an opportunity with USC doing, if not rebuilding, some serious remodeling?

It's too short-sighted to think that this is just about USC: this seems like a make-or-break year for Weis. Many ND fans were clamoring for his head after last season until he beat Hawaii in the Hawai'i bowl game last season. That saved his hide, but now that he has apparently got out of his rut, the fans want to see further results...

Weis has brought a lot of this on himself.

As everyone knows, Weis came to South Bend with a lot of swagger. His overexposed quote to the team that his coaching style and experience would provide Notre Dame a "decided schematic advantage" over their opponents because of his involvement in the NFL winning three Super Bowls. Weis has leveraged that in bringing in some highly respected recruits during his tenure, but when results haven't followed, the rub has been can he coach them up?

Weis' best season was his first season where he took USC down to the wire before losing 34-31 with Ty Willingham's players. Despite sometimes heroic efforts, Brady Quinn and other strong Willingham recruits were left with some bad memories - although a lot of USC fans were left with a lingering respect for Quinn almost literally carrying the rest of the team in his last game despite getting crushed.

Weis just couldn't seem to get the results he originally promised with his players. Whether it as deliberate or just the perfect storm of suck, Weis has had a watered-down schedule the past couple of years in order to get "easy" wins. That didn't always quite work out as planned.

This season, Notre Dame has had some nail biters that have resulted in wins - 11 seconds from being undefeated, or a few plays from being 1-4, depending on how you look at it - and the fan base has a buzz, and Weis is now touting that even his players this year think they can beat USC this season.

That is telling...I would think that for a storied rivalry like USC - Notre Dame that the players would always think they could beat USC. This is the greatest and most historic inter-sectional rivalry in all of college football and this is the season that they think they can win? Assuming that this isn't a lowered expectations issue, or a positive thinking exercise, what makes this the year?

Because USC has a true-freshman QB at the helm? Because Jimmy Clausen looks a hundred times better than he did last year? Because ND is winning games that it should?

Well, on the one hand, it is possible: after all this is a rivalry game.

Notre Dame's wins this season have come against some sub-par talent. Yes, ND fans have already tried to point out that SC hasn't played lights out in with their schedule, but for a true-freshman to go on the road to Columbus at the Horseshoe and come out with the win, no matter how ugly some people though it was is impressive. And there have been some signs of improvement with the tactics used at Cal.

So the question remains is this Charlie Weis' year?

USC is the best defense that Notre Dame will see so far this season. Jimmy Clausen is going to see some pressure and so we will see just how well he handles it, and how well the hot Notre Dame WRs do against the SC secondary. After all, Cal WRs were getting open, but Riley wasn't getting passes anywhere near them. 

Matt Barkley, on the other hand, will see a good but not great Notre Dame defense. Barkley needs to be mindful of the ND secondary as they are the strongest unit on the defense. This is probably not the week to attempt a passing-led offense.

To me, this could be Weis' Waterloo. On the plus side, he's got a team that's coming together and the linebacking Prussian pros aren't around to prevent a first down before the end of the third quarter. If he wins he saves his job. If Notre Dame loses, you have to wonder if Weis is as good as gone at the end of the season. The Notre Dame fanbase doesn't seem like they would tolerate another loss to USC, not with all the talent that Weis has recruited and with all the bluster and swagger he brought with him when he arrived.

I think he is going to have a tough time pulling it off... it's going to fun to watch!

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.

The Trojans’ very recent past was a bye week that gave the coaches a glimpse at the future.

Freshman safeties T.J. McDonald (right) and Jawanza Starling received a ton of invaluable reps, and it isn’t difficult to envision the pair starting side by side sometime soon.

The thing defensive coordinator and secondary coach Rocky Seto likes best about them? They’re quick studies.

“They learn their lessons,” Seto said late last week.

“They may be out of position (on one play), and then they get it, which is neat. They’ve taken, I don’t know, 70 reps the last couple days. Think about those 70 lessons.”

The coaching staff obviously was impressed from the start with McDonald, who became the second-string strong safety despite missing a large chunk of training camp because of a sprained ankle.

“Some guys come in a little more prepared than others,” said Seto, who compared McDonald to recent Trojan Kevin Ellison. It’s no coincidence that both come from football families, T.J. having played for father Tim McDonald, a former USC All-American and NFL All-Pro.

More from the USC blog:

• USC football: A most productive weekend
• USC football: The value and versatility of Garrett Green
• USC football: 5 games that mean something to the Trojans
• USC football: The latest on Stafon Johnson’s recovery
• USC football: Carroll hits recruiting trail feeling good
• USC football: Is Mustain No. 2 on the depth chart?
• USC football: Rick Neuheisel burns on Trojans
• USC football: Everson Griffen isn’t satisfied
• USC football: ‘Marvelous’ test results for Stafon Johnson
• USC football: Armond Armstead ahead of schedule

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