In the meantime, here's a refresher course on the most high profile, longest-running college football scandal of the decade:

• The Charges: Documents and numerous sources have connected Bush to more than $300,000 in improper benefits from competing camps attempting to woo one of the nation's biggest stars as a client during his sophomore and junior seasons in 2004-05. Between marketing pro Mike Ornstein (an ex-con for whom Bush interned in 2005) and fledgling partners Michael Michaels and Lloyd Lake (another ex-con), Bush was reportedly funneled airfare, limo rides, clothes, expensive hotel stays, $13,000 to buy a Chevrolet Impala and weekly payments of at least $1,500. There was also the infamous 3,000-square-foot home in Spring Valley, Calif., purchased by Michaels, where Bush's mother and stepfather allegedly lived for a year, amounting to about $54,000 in free rent they promised to repay when Bush turned pro.

Michaels and Lake raised reporters' eyebrows after Bush chose Ornstein as his agent in 2006, evicting Bush's parents from the home and preparing multimillion-dollar lawsuits against Bush for fraud. Michaels eventually settled out of court for $300,000; Lake's case against Bush is still creeping forward through a thicket of appeals and depositions reportedly halted by gun-wielding goons.

The most stinging charge the NCAA can levy against USC itself is "lack of institutional control," which became a very real possibility when investigators reportedly combined the Bush probe with their investigation into former Trojan hoops star O.J. Mayo, whose already-notorious handler was caught so red-handed in alleged cash exchanges with ex-coach Tim Floyd that the school went ahead and preemptively flogged itself with a self-imposed postseason ban in exchange for (they hope) leniency from Big Brother. Combined with the program's unusual openness to celebrities and outsiders of all stripes under Pete Carroll, the longstanding innuendo about its generally cozy relationship with agent-type life forms, the fishy rent arrangement between Bush teammates Matt Leinart and Dwayne Jarrett and its own investigation into a suspicious SUV driven by outgoing tailback Joe McKnight (who forebodingly arrived at SC labeled as "the next Reggie Bush"), it's not hard to come to the conclusion that the athletic department is (or was) something of an open market.

• The Defense: The hitch in the "prosecution," from the NCAA's perspective, has always been less about proving Bush was on the take -- almost no one at this point would even attempt to make that argument with a straight face -- than making the crucial leap from innuendo to proof against the university itself. Both Carroll, as he was leaving the school to take over the head coaching job at Seattle, and new coach Lane Kiffin (Bush's offensive coordinator in 2005) have recently pleaded ignorance; Kiffin, attempting to quell the doubts of top recruit Seantrel Henderson earlier this month, reportedly told Henderson's family the program should be fine "because there was no knowledge of anything going on by the staff." New Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott, who can presumably cite the results of the conference's internal investigation in his sleep, said earlier this week he doesn't expect serious sanctions.

If the NCAA is able to tie the Bush and McKnight cases to the more brazen Mayo hijinks under a single, "lack of control" umbrella, it may not have to charge USC with anything except negligence -- i.e. not knowing that ex-cons are buttering up star players is as bad as ignoring or facilitating it -- to justify a heavy-handed response. If not, the burden is much tougher; as NCAA Executive Director David Price reminded Don Yeager for Yeager's book on the scandal, Tarnished Heisman, the NCAA wasn't able to go after Michigan when it learned former Heisman winner Charles Woodson had accepted money from an agent while playing for the Wolverines because it couldn't prove anything against the program: "We had no information that there was any institutional knowledge; therefore, we did not take any action against the institution or even bring charges."

On that front, the most damning claim against USC is Lake's allegation in Yeager's book that he was in the room with Bush's stepfather as he discussed the sketchy housing arrangement with Carroll over the phone. Other evidence is similarly vague and circumstantial, such as various rumors that coaches and administrators (including Carroll and athletic director Mike Garrett, another former Heisman winner) were tipped off about Bush's arrangements, were well-acquainted with the sleazier elements on the fringes of the program and were often in position to notice Bush and his family spending well above their means. Running backs coach Todd McNair (twice convicted himself on suspicion of breeding dogs for fighting during his NFL career) has been accused of socializing with sketchy characters who wanted access to players and with Bush during at least one of his high-priced hotel stays.

Even if you could prove that kind of chatter, it doesn't amount to much in the way of a smoking gun. So far, there is no firm evidence in any published reports to date that anyone at USC had direct knowledge of improper benefits to any football player, which probably means the NCAA doesn't have it, either.

• The Fallout: Long-held visions of white-gloved men marching out of Heritage Hall with Bush's 2005 Heisman Trophy and/or the 2004 BCS championship trophy are misplaced, not least because the NCAA has no control over either. BCS power brokers or the Downtown Athletic Club of New York may confer later to dole out their own brand of justice, but the worst the NCAA will do in the way of that kind of symbolism is "vacate" wins from the wildly successful 2004-05 seasons -- a popular punishment lately, employed against Oklahoma, Florida State and Alabama in the last four years, but a relatively empty one when it comes to deterrence. If this case is about anything from the NCAA's point of view, it' has to be preventing a dozen more like from breaking out across the country.

As pointed out earlier this week, and the L.A. Times chronicled on Wednesday, significant sanctions -- postseason bans, television bans, aggressive scholarship reductions -- are almost unheard of against Division I-A football programs, Florida States and Central Floridas alike, over the last decade. After 20 years of consistent, meaningful probation against powerhouse programs (outstanding teams from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Miami, Texas A&M and Washington were all held out of bowl games in the eighties and nineties, to name only a few, and SMU's program was famously disbanded for two years at the height of its success), the heavy hand disappeared almost entirely under late president Myles Brand, who came into office in 2002 with two major teams (Alabama and California) serving bowl bans and oversaw the administration of exactly zero over the next seven years. If the Infractions Committee finds USC guilty of any serious infraction, it could easily look to make an example of the Trojans to rebuff that increasingly soft image. There's no evidence it's prepared to do that.

If they get off scott-free, or with just a token slap on the wrist, well, I'll be getting a lot of infuriated comments about the miscarriage of justice, and the NCAA's credibility as a consistent, potent enforcer of its own regulations -- rightly or wrongly -- will be at an all-time low. That's not a comment on anyone's innocence or guilt; behind closed doors, the actual facts may not warrant a significant punishment. But when a case is allowed to sprawl and flourish for this long as the exemplar of open, arrogant defiance in the eyes of fans and media, anything less than a sledgehammer is inevitably going to be greeted like the O.J. verdict. Even if it wins in front of the NCAA, I don't think there's any way SC can come on top of the PR battle.

"Speaking for the people I served on the committee with, we wouldn't go through the time, effort and sacrifice we go through with this procedure and do it for number of years if there was one sliver of a different set of standards for one institution versus another," Yeager said. "The whole process would fall apart. That's completely out of there. That doesn't happen.

"There are institutions that do a better job with their cases. But if there was any hint of (bias), people would close their books, walk out and never come back."

Cynics will make of that what they will, but the record over the last 10 years backs up Yeager's insistence on consistency: Since 2000, the NCAA has treated practically everyone with a light touch, regardless of size or influence. The last teams to face a television and postseason ban in football -- a staple of major sanctions throughout the '80s and '90s -- were Alabama (a repeat offender) and California in 2003. Over the last five years, the Association's once formidable wrath has amounted to scholarship losses so minor they can often be applied retroactively to less-than-full recruiting classes, or "vacated" wins, a purely symbolic slap on the wrist. (And in Oklahoma's case, one that was later revoked; Alabama is hoping for a similar reversal in its textbook fraud verdict.) Central Florida and Texas Tech -- hardly powerhouses even within their own states -- were treated with kid gloves when the NCAA announced probation ("i.e. don't screw up again") against both schools for various recruiting sins earlier this month. The next program that's significantly affected on the field or in the coffers will be the first in a very long time.

Even if the copious media reports into the Bush case are only half true, the allegations USC will be defending itself against this weekend are more serious than the charges in any other recent case, not least because they cross multiple sports and potentially implicate the entire athletic department -- one of the reasons SC preemptively flogged itself with a self-imposed postseason ban in basketball in response to the pay-for-play allegations against former hoops star O.J. Mayo and since-fired coach Tim Floyd. But if the Trojans get off light -- or even scott-free, as unlikely as that seems following a four-year investigation -- it seems far less likely to be because of any kind of "bias" or profit motive than just another case of general toothlessness.

———————————————————————————————————

Not every recruiting class contains a future Heisman winner.  Here are the last 10 Heisman winners and the classes that produced them:

Chris Weinke (1990*/1997)

Erich Crouch (1997)

Carson Palmer (1998)

Jason White (1999)

Matt Leinart (2001)

Reggie Bush (2003)

Troy Smith (2002)

Tim Tebow (2006)

Sam Bradford (2006)

Mark Ingram (2008)

* — Weinke originally signed with Florida State in 1990 but he embarked on a pro baseball career before returning to the Seminoles in 1997.

Recent classes missing out on Heismans: 2000, 2004, 2005, 2007 (so far).

With signing day in the books, here are the players from the class of 2010 (in no particular order) who I think have the best chance of competing for future Heismans:

Michael Dyer, RB, Auburn–Dyer is a slippery, low-to-the-ground runner who should immediately thrive in Gus Malzahn’s offense.  I predict he will hit the 1,000-yard mark as a freshman (assuming health and qualification) and go on to a stellar career on the Plains.

Lache Seastrunk, RB, Oregon–I thought it was funny that reaction in the recruiting world to Seastrunk going to Oregon was rather muted.  Said one coach to me “He’s going to Oregon–there must be something wrong with him.”  Well, this is a guy who everyone wanted just a few months ago and now all of a sudden schools are poo-pooing him.  I don’t buy it.  This is one amazingly fast back who is perfect for the Chip Kelly scheme.  He should be an instant star.

Mack Brown, RB, Florida–There haven’t been many ultra-productive running backs coming out of Urban Meyer’s offenses of late, but Brown could be the exception.  He’s a nifty north-south runner who should thrive in the wide-open space of Meyer’s attack.

D.J. Morgan, RB, USC–Morgan could possibly redshirt his first season at USC due to an injury suffered his senior season.  But once he gets healthy, he’ll be one of the more exciting players in the country.  A legitimate track star (world junior champ in the high hurdles), he has the speed and moves to take it the distance on every play.

Cameron Newton, QB, Auburn–I was a big fan of Newton’s game when he went to Florida and I’m still high on him as he heads to Auburn.  If he wins the starting job, he’ll throw for a lot of yards and touchdowns for the Tigers and could end up being one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC.

Devin Gardner, QB, Michigan–If Rich Rodriguez is to resurrect Michigan, he may need Gardner to come through sooner rather than later.  Reminiscent of Vince Young and Terrelle Pryor physically and should be a great fit for the Wolverine offense.  If he develops, watch out.

Andrew Hendrix, QB, Notre Dame–Hendrix is an underrated talent, with a very good arm and excellent athleticism.  He could very well be the future for Notre Dame once Dane Crist’s eligibility expires.  He looks like a typical Brian Kelly quarterback to me and that means he’ll be putting up big numbers one day.

Blake Bell, QB, Oklahoma–Bell is a raw talent with a lot of upside.  It looks like he is tailor-made for the Oklahoma offense. Can really move his feet despite his 6-6 height.  Keep an eye on him.

There’s my top Heisman guys from the class of 2010.  It’s not an especially deep class as far as this list goes and it could well be that no Heisman winners emerge from this group.  However, I think these guys I’ve listed have the best chance.

Mark Sanchez: Holy smokes, Thomas. We’re in the AFC Title Game! I can’t believe it! Last year, I was just some goofball at USC. This year, I’m taking the field with Peyton Manning for the right to go to the Super Bowl! That’s amazing.

Thomas Jones: Yup.

Sanchez: Oh, man. Peyton Manning. He’s the best in the business.

Jones: Yup.

Sanchez: Not gonna be easy to beat him.

Jones: Nope.

Sanchez: You think Coach Ryan has something big up his sleeve for this one?

Jones: Ain’t you seen Coach? He’s something big up all his sleeves.

Sanchez: Oh man, here he comes.

(door flies open)

Ryan: HOW THE FUCK YOU DOIN’, BOYS?

Sanchez: Good, coach.

Ryan: Oh! Oh! Oh, do I feel good, men! I woke up this morning. I took a MASSIVE shit. Then I showered, shaved, trimmed by balls, and had the best fucking breakfast I’ve had since yesterday! Mrs. Coach Ryan took me to Good Enough To Eat! And we had eggs sunny side up, eggs over easy, eggs over hard, eggs over mayo, eggs Benedict, eggs Florentine, a Western omelet, a Denver omelet, a meat lover’s omelet, sausage links, sausage patties, sausage trapezoids, bacon, scrapple, pancakes, banana pancakes, silver dollar pancakes, Swedish pancakes, apple pancakes, cream cheese stuffed pancakes, biscuits and gravy, biscuits and ham, biscuits and suet, biscuits and strawberry butter, waffles, French toast, French toast sticks, pancake sticks, waffle sticks, danishes, donuts, bagels, bialies, coffee cake, croissants, cinnamon buns, sticky buns, hot cross buns, and a light fruit salad. And for dessert: MY WIFE’S JUICY SNATCH! Oh man, what a great meal! Can’t wait to have it again tomorrow! What did you have for breakfast, Matador? WAYVOSE RANCHAIROS?!

Sanchez: I had cereal, sir.

Ryan: Did you put sausage in it? A RYAN ALWAYS SAUSAGES HIS FROSTED FLAKES!

Sanchez: No, sir.

Ryan: Well, you’re missing out, Matador! Why you eat so light? Is it to impress the ladies? Oh, I bet the gals out there just fall all over themselves to get at your BURREETO DOS MAHNOSE!

Sanchez: Well, I…

Ryan: Oh! Oh! Ol’ Matador here is feeding the ladies some of his CARNAY AHSAHDO! THAT’S GREAT HUSTLE!

(slaps Sanchez on the ass, hard)

Sanchez: Ouch!

Ryan: Now, first order of business: Nicknames! Matador, you knew nickname is El Conquistador! BECAUSE YOU CONQUERED THOSE FEATHERWEIGHT CHARGER ASSHOLES!

Sanchez: Thank you, sir.

Ryan: Jonesy, your new nickname is Tom. And Greene! WHERE THE FUCK IS MY MAN GREENE?!

Shonn Greene: Here, sir.

Ryan: You new nickname is HULKY! EVERYONE SEE HULKY HERE BUST THROUGH THE FUCKING LINE ON THAT 4TH AND 1?!

Everyone: YES!

Ryan: That was A GREAT FUCKING PLAY, HULKY! GREAT FUCKING HUSTLE!

(slaps Greene on the ass, hard)

Greene: Ouch!

Ryan: And did you all see our man Revis make that juggling pick? Revis, I bet those weren’t the only balls juggled that day! AM I RIGHT? OH HELL YES I AM! CAN I GET A BALLS?

Everyone: BALLS!

Ryan: Now, men. MEN. This is it. This is what we talked about all season long. You put in the effort, and now, here you are. There are four teams left standing: The three top seeds, AND THE FUCKING NEW YORK JETS.

Everyone: YEAHHHHHHHHHH!

Ryan: You aren’t wanted here, men. Make no mistake about that. The league would rather see those glory boys Manning and Favre go at it in the Super Bowl. But you aren’t gonna let that happen, are you?

Everyone: NO!

Ryan: Nobody wants you. Everyone thinks you don’t belong here. They say you got lucky. They say you got handed a playoff spot by the same team you’re playing on Sunday. Hell, our own stadium is named after a fucking Manning’s team. You are the fucking outcasts. The dregs of society. And let me tell you something, men. I WOULDN’T HAVE IT ANY OTHER GODDAMN WAY.

Everyone: YEAHHHHHHHHHH!

Ryan: I’m gonna tell you a story. When my momma was 15 years old, my Daddy got her pregnant. She was just a girl, still in school. Had no idea what to do. She spent nights in her bed, tossing and turning, agonizing over what to do about this child she didn’t want. Now, I wouldn’t have blamed her if she had just said SCREW IT and gone and done what had to be done, if you catch my drift. Those are the choices we make in this life. They can’t be undone. All you can do I hope you did the right thing. But my momma, this poor 15-year-old girl from Oklahoma, decided to have the baby. They took her to the hospital a few months later. And for 36 hours, she writhed in agony as she tried to give birth to her baby. She lost a gallon of blood that night. Her blood pressure plunged down to barely anything. Doctors said she might not make it. But she pushed, and she pushed, and she never gave up. Because she knew. She knew that, by God, she may not have made the right decision, but she wasn’t gonna quit. RYANS DON’T FUCKING QUIT. And so she kept pushing, kept ATTACKING. And soon after, she gave birth to a 40 lb. baby boy. She gave birth to a FUCKING WINNER. And that little 40 lb. baby, that child that, should the coin have flipped the other way, never would have existed… that boy that was an outcast at school… that boy none of the girls wanted to kiss… that boy who always felt like he had to prove something to his Daddy… that boy who was turned away again and again from a head coaching job… that little boy is now one fucking game away from the GODDAMN SUPER BOWL. AND YOU BET SURE AS FUCK THAT I AIN’T DONE PUSHING! ARE YOU?!!!!

Everyone: NO!

Ryan: Now, those Colts there might have some advantages over you. They got the home crowd. They got the glitzy QB. They got the fancy wideouts and their fancy rush ends. But they ain’t seen the things you and I have seen. They haven’t been through the fucking FLAMES AND TWISTED SHRAPNEL like you and I have. They aren’t ready for us. They aren’t ready for fucking WAR. They have no idea just what kind of fucking maniacs they are up against. ARE YOU ALL A BUNCH OF FUCKING MANIACS?!!!

Everyone: YES!

Ryan: ARE YOU FUCKING READY TO KILLLLLLLLLL?!!!!!! ARE YOU READY FOR WAR?!!!!

Everyone: Then tonight, on the eve of battle, WE FEAST! Bring out the training table, men!

Sanchez: Holy shit.

Ryan: In ancient times, the Roman army would gather to feast before they went and kicked the shit out of everything in their path. And tonight, YOU men will do the same. HAVE AT IT! We have steak, chicken, roast beef, pork, ham, lamb, turkey, duck, venison, shark, whale, swordfish, lobster, shrimp, bison, lion, bear, bacon, sausage, bacon sausage, burgers, dogs, chili, wings, beef stew, lamb stew, beef and lamb stew, veal brains, veal liver, veal heart, veal piccatta, pork butt, tenderloin, tacos, taquitos, and more! AND NO BULLSHIT NONMEAT FOODS!

Sanchez: Oh man…

Ryan: And the coup de graw… BRING OUT THE COLT!

Sanchez: Is that a real Colt?

Ryan: Straight from my Daddy’s stable. She’s a good girl. But now, it’s time for her to make the ultimate team sacrifice!

(gets out cleaver, chops horse’s head off)

Sanchez: HOLY CRAP!

Ryan: Any of you men know how to debone a colt?

Sanchez: No.

Ryan: Watch and learn! I can do it in seven seconds!

(bones Colt, hands Sanchez chunk of raw Colt meat)

Ryan: Now eat it.

Sanchez: But I never…

Ryan: EAT IT! DEVOUR IT! CHEW ITS BONES AND BECOME ITS MASTER, CONQUISTADOR!

Sanchez: Oh, okay…

(eats horse)

Ryan: He ate it! He ate it! Ol’ Conquistador just had himself some neighgiri sushi! IS HE READY FOR WAR?!

Everyone: YES!

Ryan: ARE YOU READY FOR FUCKING WAR?!

Everyone: YES!

Ryan: NOT YET, YOU AREN’T! BRING OUT THE PUSSY!

Sanchez: Whoa.

Ryan: They didn’t just eat before war. THEY FUCKED LIKE WARRIORS! NOW GO! GO! GET THAT WARPUSSY!

(everyone goes off to have sex, comes back)

Ryan: NOW FUCKING BRING IT IN!

(everyone brings it in)

Ryan: All of you have fresh Colt blood dripping from your mouth. And you all reek of warpussy. I like it. Don’t wash it off. Save it. Leave it there. Take the field on Sunday with the taste of the opponent’s blood fresh in your mouth, and the stench of conquered woman on you. Let those Indianapolis pussies know you will fucking MURDER them as we did poor Daisy today. Let them know you will stop at nothing until you have torn them limb from fucking limb, and left nothing but blood and bones in your wake. It’s not enough to want to beat those fuckers. YOU HAVE TO WANT TO FUCKING EAT THEM. CONSUME THEM ENTIRELY. WIPE THEM OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH. All that will be left of them will be what’s in YOUR SHIT. Do you understand that?

Everyone: YES!

Ryan: IS IT TIME TO FEAST?!!!!!!

Everyone: YES!

Ryan: We’re gonna fucking WIN! And then we’re go to Medieval Times! FUCKING KILL ON THREE! ONE TWO THREE…

Everyone: KILL!

Ryan: Oof, that was good. Now it’s time for lunch! Blood sausage, HOLD THE SAUSAGE!

Sanchez: I need a breath mint.

Browse more photos »

As we move forward I will probably do more in looking back on Pete Carroll's tenure at USC, but for now I just have some general thoughts as it all sinks in...

So, we turn the page on the Pete Carroll era at USC...

If you didn't see the presser you can watch it again here.

There will be many who write and dissect PC's tenure at Heritage Hall. Some will be positive, some will be negative. I just hope many will be fair. No coach does everything right and all the good ones have their share of controversy and when they are in charge at a nationally prominent program every little issue is magnified into a national conspiracy by those who would wish said program ill will.

Pete Carroll changed the atmosphere around the program. He embraced its traditions and made a few of his own along the way. His easy going style made it easy to get comfortable with the program again. He changed the culture as he embraced the fans and opened up practices.

He made it fun to enjoy USC football again!

I am not going to try and write a historical piece on Pete Carroll. Others are already doing that so I will leave it to the professionals.

For a change Dennis Dodd actually writes something decent...

Pete injected a personality we thought he never had into a rudderless program. Who knew that an out-of-work average former NFL coach from the University of Pacific had these kind of chops?

From the get go, he was recruiting. Not just players either. In 2005, Pat Ruel was happy with his NFL job with the New York Giants. Carroll convinced the veteran offensive line coach to come out and talk about a job. It took one lunch with Carroll in Manhattan Beach on a cloudless sunny day with the waves crashing in the background for Ruel to change jobs.

Carroll's coaching tree continues to grow. Steve Sarkisian is at Washington and has already been mentioned as a possible replacement. Kiffin took some of Carroll's exuberance with him to Tennessee. Carroll allowed them to run USC's offense while still in their early 30's. Both run their practices the same as Pete did at USC.

Players loved him. Recruits flocked to him. In one three-year period, 40 true freshmen saw the field for the Trojans. The downside was that a lot of those players developed quickly and went to the NFL after three years. The upside was that the cycle started all over again. Carroll sold that possibility to the next round of recruits.

Pete embraced the history, tradition, the hype, the hangers on. Even the media.

Open locker rooms, open practices, Win Forever. Game day at the Coliseum, sellouts, Tommy Trojan, the Song Girls. I walked off the field with Matt Leinart a night after he beat Notre Dame at home. The look in his eyes told me the kid knew his whole life was about to change.

Matt, you had no idea.

God, you not only wanted to cover it, you wanted to be part of it.

Everyone wanted to be a part of it!

SC wasn't this much fun since McKay left.

And just like that it is over...

It went by pretty fast!

I refuse to think and say "what if" as many have and will do about a number of moves that Pete Carroll made (or didn't make).

In for a dime in for a dollar...

You take the good with the bad...

I really couldn't be happier for Pete Carroll as he makes the move to Seattle.

SC has a bit of a rough road ahead but SC will be fine.

We will have to take our licks in the coming months but as we have seen with other programs who have had issues with the NCAA it isn't the end of the world. Oklahoma and Alabama come to mind. Whatever the punishment is will be real, it will kind of be like getting the flu, we'll feel crummy and slog through it but sooner or later it will pass. With the right staff and with the right attitude anything is possible.

Everything happens for a reason.

I refuse to be down or melancholy. It couldn't last forever, nor should it have.

I do not know what the future holds but I am confident that those pulling the strings will make the right moves to continue to keep this program nationally prominent.

It won't be easy as we are about to go through change. A new coach and staff mean new rules and a different way of doing things. That will good and bad. The expectations will be high but we need to be supportive and understand that it just won't continue like the way it was before.

There will be fits and starts. There will be stumbling blocks along the way but I have no doubt that SC will still be in the national discussion from a football perspective and not from a punishment perspective.

USC is bigger than just one coach no matter what he accomplished at during his time at USC.

So its a new beginning with a lot of unanswered questions...

And I am excited to see what the future holds!

FIGHT ON!

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.

• Weis Watch. Another sign of Charlie Weis' impending demise: Notre Dame has blocked the university plane from appearing on flightaware.com (see for yourself), a proactive effort at cutting off the breathless surfers intent on tracking its path to Cincinnati or Gainesville or Vatican City or wherever ND's next coach is waiting. That comes on the heels of the athletic director assuring reporters that Weis' huge buyout won't affect whether he stays or goes and the two most notable Irish-centric newspapers both calling for his head almost simultaneously, completing the Holy Trinity of "You're Fired." [South Bend Tribune]

• Oh, to be a Knoxville lawyer. News leaked Tuesday that Tennessee freshman defensive back Nyshier Oliver was cited for shoplifting for allegedly walking out of a Dillard's with a $110 polo shirt just hours before the Vols' win over Memphis on Nov. 7, a relatively piddling misdemeanor that would usually pass without much notice if not for a) Last week's blockbuster armed robbery arrest involving three other UT freshmen, raising the legal antennae around Knoxville, and b) Coach Lane Kiffin's repeated statements just hours before the armed robbery news broke that his team had been entirely arrest-free over his 11-month tenure -- despite being fully aware of Oliver's shoplifting charge.

Kiffin may skate by charges that he blatantly lied on a technicality -- Oliver was cited, not arrested; his arrest warrant was issued Tuesday, and he won't be booked until Nov. 23 -- but he's certainly lost the "clean program" pitch for the next year or two. [Knoxville News-Sentinel]

• The good Cap'n a Cardinal? Hornswaggle! Weirdest coaching rumor so far in the early rounds of silly season: Mike Leach to Louisville? The Louisville Courier-Journal cites a radio interview with ex-Georgia and Marshall coach Jim Donnan, who thinks Cap'n Leach would be interested and would be "a good fit" if/when UL dumps current coach Steve Kragthorpe. That's better sourcing than CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd offers in his Leach-Louisville speculation, which seems based entirely on the pirate coach's no-buyout contract in Lubbock and the Louisville opening existing ... you know, probably, at some point in the near future. It's too strange to make up, frankly, although Leach has never lamented any extra attention. [Louisville Courier-Journal]

• Z-Rob still shaking out the cobwebs. It can't say for sure, but the Tulsa World believes that backup quarterback Alex Cate has been taking most of the snaps in Oklahoma State's preparation for Colorado Thursday night, though starter Zac Robinson is still expected to suit up and possibly be available for senior night in Stillwater despite being knocked silly by Texas Tech's Jamar Wall last Saturday. Think of it as an investment, Cowboy fans: It may be Robinson's last home game, but his presence is not mandatory for beating the sad-sack Buffaloes, and it can never hurt to get the quarterback of the future some live reps. [Tulsa World]

• No one snubs Urban's cubs. Urban Meyer will be "upset" if the Tebow Child isn't invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony for the third consecutive season: "Absolutely, yeah I’ll be upset. ... He's the quarterback of the No. 1 team in college football. I think the Heisman goes to the best player, and it’d be hard to argue that he’s not." Actually, it's fairly easy to argue: Florida is relying far more on its dominant defense to make up for a good-not-great offense averaging 50 fewer yards and 16 fewer points in SEC games than it did in 2008, and Tebow is well behind Ryan Mallett as the league's best statistical passer. But don't let semantics get in the way: Tebow will be in New York, because his exclusion from the proceedings will only hasten the horrors of the tribulation. The Downtown Athletic Club makes its decisions based on the relatively peaceful continuity of human civilization, not stats. [Palm Beach Post]

Quickly ... James Vandenberg is one poised quarterback. ... The victim in an alleged assault case against Auburn's Eric Smith is suing Smith and two unnamed Tiger players. ... Washington State linebacker Jason Stripling was arrested for assault and obstructing a public servant, both misdemeanors. ... Old hat Jerry Glanville resigns at Portland State. ... And yes, that is a 13-year-old middle-schooler being touted as "probably the most celebrated high school recruit in history" before enrolling in high school.

The Trojans will need to play well in all phases to successfully defend the Coliseum turf against 3 tough opponents (Stanford and Arizona are ranked and in the Rose Bowl race and you have the crosstown rivalry with UCLA). If they are able to win the final three, another trip to Pasadena is still very much alive. If they struggle, a match-up with Oklahoma in the Sun Bowl is easily be in the cards.

The Pac-10 is extremely strong this year and any 1 of 5 teams would represent the conference very well against a top 15 team on a neutral field. This type of quality is why a team with two losses in conference could play in the Rose Bowl.

Notes and Analysis for the Water Cooler and IM Chats:

Barkley in a slump: Matt Barkley was 7-22 for 122 yards against Arizona State. If you take away the short pass to Damian Williams that was turned into a 75 yard touchdown, Barkley was 6-21 for 37 yards. In the second half against Oregon, he was 5-16 for 49 yards. Did Raider quarterback Jamarcus Russell take over for the Trojans?
Hopefully the offensive coaches are doing some self scouting to help Barkley make adjustments to his tendencies. Opposing defensive coaches have enough film on Barkley to truly dissect his game and it is showing. Arizona State has a great defense but his throwing numbers were awful considering Cal QB Kevin Riley threw for 351 yards the week before.

*More Barkley, offensive line, Williams injury after the jump