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

—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

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

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Straight Bet $25 to win $22.73
Alabama (-6) over Ole Miss

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Texas (-32.5) over Colorado

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Michigan (+8) over Iowa

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LSU (+9) over Florida

Three Team Parlay $25 to win $150
Texas (-32.5) over Colorado
Michigan (+8) over Iowa
LSU (+9) over Florida

Gameday heads all think the Alabama-Mississippi game will be really close. It's enough to scare us out of putting this early game in the parlay.

Colorado sucks. Toledo hung 54 on them this year.

We avoided the Wolverine trap that everyone fell into last week picking them over Michigan State. This week we think Michigan keeps it close enough against an undefeated Iowa team that hasn't played anyone (unless you count Penn State).

LSU plus 9 points. This is Florida's toughest and only opponent they play all season. They probably pull out a gutty win in corndog country.

Tim Brown's thoughts on the possibility of Tebow not playing in BetUS's BetFlix after the jump.

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Penn State (-7) over Illinois

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Alabama (-17) over Kentucky

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Miami (+7) over Oklahoma

Illinois lost to Ohio State 30-0. And over 80% of people on Covers.com are taking Penn State. Florida drubbed Kentucky at Kentucky 41-7. Why should Alabama at Kentucky be any different? Miami is bad ass. Just go their website. Does that look and sound like a team that is going to lose to sissy ass Oklahoma sans Sam Bradford at Land Shark Stadium by more than a touchdown?

Staying away from USC because this Cal grad (Dr. Bob) is jinxing us (after the jump) and we think Barkley pulls out another barnburner that is closer than the spread.

2. USC

3. Alabama

4. Texas

5. Penn State

6. Brigham Young

7. California

8. Ole Miss

9. LSU

10. Boise State

On the Cusp:  Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Oregon State, Houston, Miami

1. Colt McCoy, Texas–McCoy threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns against Wyoming and added an interception, plus 44 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.  On the year, he is 51 of 76 (67 percent) for 654 yards, 5 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, with 41 rushing yards and 1 rushing touchdown.  He won’t face legitimate competition until mid-October and so his position on top of this list is unlikely to budge until then.  For now, he remains the player most likely to win the Heisman.

2. Tim Tebow, Florida–He had a Tebow-esque game against Troy, throwing for 237 yards on 15 of 24 passing, with 4 touchdown passes and no interceptions.  He also ran for 71 yards and a score.  On the year, he is 25 of 39 (64 percent) for 425 yards, 5 touchdowns and no interceptions, to go with 72 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground.  He’ll get a chance to show off this weekend against Tennessee in a game no one would care about if it weren’t for Lane Kiffin’s big mouth.  As with McCoy, his real tests come starting in October and so his position here is unlikely to change until then. 

3. Jahvid Best, Cal–Best ran for 144 yards on 17 carries against Eastern Washington.  He had a touchdown rushing and a touchdown receiving.  On the year, he has 281 yards on 27 carries (10.4 average), 3 rushing touchdowns and 4 catches for 42 yards and 1 receiving score.  While McCoy and Tebow won’t be focused upon until mid-October, Best has a chance to stick out a bit in the next three weeks, as he has games at Minnesota, at Oregon and then the big one versus USC.  If he turns up the production a bit in these next three games, he’ll be in pretty good shape, especially if Cal remains undefeated.

4. Daryll Clark, Penn State–Had another nice game this past week, throwing for 240 yards and 3 touchdowns (with one pick) on 20 of 31 passing against Syracuse.  For the season, he is 49 of 71 for 593 yards with 6 passing touchdowns and 2 interceptions.  His schedule isn’t especially conducive to a Heisman run, but if he keeps playing well and Penn State remains undefeated, he’ll be a viable option if any of the others in front of him screw up.

5. Max Hall, BYU–Hall went 24 of 32 for 309 yards, with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception against Tulane.  On the year, he is 50 of 70 for 638 yards, with 4 touchdowns and 3 picks.  Hall gets Florida State this week and it’s a shame for him that the Seminoles looked so bad against Jackson State, as he won’t get as much credit if the Cougars win this one.  If BYU gets through the season undefeated and Hall’s numbers look good, he’ll have a shot at the Heisman if the others ahead of him falter.

6. Joe McKnight, USC–McKnight didn’t do well enough against Ohio State to catapult himself into the upper echelon of Heisman contenders, but he did do enough to stick around for a possible late-season run.  He rushed for 60 yards on 16 carries and caught 2 passes for 45 yards, but many of those yards were clutch in the final minutes of USC’s dramatic win, so he did well when everyone was watching.  On the year, he has 205 rushing yards on 30 carries (6.8 ypc), and 3 catches for 66 yards.  He needs to get to 1,500 yards on the season to make a legitimate case for the Heisman.

7. Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State–Bryant played well in OSU’s lost to Houston, catching 5 passes for 75 yards and returning a punt 82 yards for a touchdown.  Unfortunately, he couldn’t make the plays needed to save the Cowboys and so he takes a hit in the Heisman race.  However, this is where being a receiver in the race is beneficial, as he won’t take as much blame for the loss as he would if he were a quarterback.  On the year, he has 8 catches for 162 yards and 2 touchdowns and has 3 punt returns for 111 yards and 1 score.  If he can be the catalyst for a Cowboy run at the Big 12 title, he will start to jump back up in this race.

8. Jevan Snead, Ole Miss–Bye.  Snead is barely hanging on this list.  I doubt whether he will put up the numbers he needs to compete with the other quarterbacks, but as long as Ole Miss is undefeated and he performs well, we’ll keep him here.

Dropped Out:  Jimmy Clausen, Terrelle Pryor–Both these guys can still have great seasons and even get some Heisman votes, but anything they do will mostly serve to set them up for a run at the 2010 Heisman. 

If the Vote Were Held Today

1. Colt McCoy

2. Tim Tebow

3. Jahvid Best

4. Max Hall

5. Dez Bryant

6. Joe McKnight

7. Case Keenum

8. Eric Berry

9. Tate Forcier

10. Jimmy Clausen

We're placing more bets.

In the finest digs Columbus has to offer (a Hyatt) watching Gameday. There's a sign that says, "FROM CALI? GO BACK!" Oh don't worry, we will, but not before taking care of business. More and more we hear that USC will abso-LUTELY cover this spread.

Straight Bet $100 to win $90.90
USC (-7.5) over Ohio State

Straight Bet $50 to win $40.45
Tennessee (-11) over UCLA

With the exception of USC, the Pac-10 is horrible when travelling to hostile road environments -- Cal got destroyed at Tennessee, Oregon State crushed at Penn State, etc -- hoping for more of the same for Rick Doucheweasel and the baby boys in blue.

(Read full post)

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

Our inaugural edition of T-Wire's BetUS PICKS! Should have placed our bets last night since the lines have moved, but we are sticking to our guns, so, vamos a ver.

Three Team Parlay $50 to win $300
Ohio State (-22.5) over Navy
Penn State (-28) over Akron
Alabama (-7) over VA Tech

Straight Bet $50 to win $45.45
USC (-33) over San Jose State

Those Big 10 teams always seem to crush on the Little Sisters of Mary in the opening weeks. They call Alabama the Crimson Tide, call us Deacon Blues; we're just trying to get some money back from the $95 tickets we paid to see Steely Dan play at Universal City Walk.

Everyone is telling us not to bet USC, which is why we're doing it. F-it, we hate underdogs. Hey Barkley, hey McKnight, make us look good alright!

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

Actual statistical and analytical thoughts on the USC game after the jump.

About the poll
The HeismanPundit.com Heisman Poll is made up of 13 Heisman voters from across the country. They vote for five players each week. Tabulations are made on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis, with five points awarded for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote and so on.  Last year’s Heismanpundit poll was the most accurate in the country, picking five of the top six finishers in the Heisman vote.

Members of the panel include: Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, Teddy Greenstein and Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune, Olin Buchanan and Tom Dienhart of Rivals.com, Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman, Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com, J.B. Morris of ESPN the Magazine, Austin Murphy, B.J. Schecter and Stewart Mandel of Sports Illustrated, plus Dick Weiss of the New York Daily News.

Chris Huston, owner of Heismanpundit.com, coordinates and also votes in the weekly poll. 

HP’s Thoughts
That Colt McCoy is neck-and-neck with a pop culture phenomenon like Tim Tebow is a testament to the respect the Texas quarterback has built up with Heisman voters.  A second Heisman is no gimme for the Florida quarterback and, as good as last season’s trophy quest was, this one could be a classic.  If any of the top quarterbacks falter, keep an eye on Jahvid Best out West.
 
From a Voter
“Tim Tebow was remarkable in the second half of last season, and that will continue. He’s already proven his ability and as a former Heisman recipient and the quarterback of the nation’s top-ranked team he has to be given all consideration.  Colt McCoy looks like Tebow’s chief rival. He might have won last year if not for a dropped interception against Texas Tech.  Don’t count out California’s Jahvid Best, who’d be an obvious early pick in just about any other year.” — Olin Buchanon, Rivals.com

Heisman Game of the Week
No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 20 Brigham Young.  The reigning Heisman winner begins the defense of his crown at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.  Sam Bradford will have a bunch of new linemen protecting him and some new receivers catching his passes.  One wonders if he will pick up where he left off last year or if the Cougars can get him out of his comfort zone.  BYU quarterback Max Hall has a chance to burst onto the Heisman scene, just like Ty Detmer did in a win against top-ranked Miami almost 19 years ago to the day.

Player to Watch
Jahvid Best, California.  Where did all the great running backs go?  The Age of the Spread has made the quarterback position preeminent in the Heisman race, with Reggie Bush the only ball carrier to break through in this decade.  If any back can dazzle the voters and shift attention away from the top quarterbacks, it might be the speedy Best (10.31 100m).  First he’ll have to get by the Maryland defense on Saturday.

This Week in Heisman History
Doug Flutie began his road to the 1984 Heisman as he went 19 of 34 for 254 yards and accounted for three touchdowns to lead Boston College to a 38-31 win over Alabama.  Flutie brought the Eagles back from a 31-14 deficit despite playing the last 20 minutes with an injured left shoulder.

• Day of the darkhorse. The cover curse lived large last year, when three of the five teams featured on the front of Sports Illustrated's regional previews -- Missouri, Ohio State and Georgia -- fell far, far short of national expectations, and a fourth, Southern Cal, was snubbed again by the voters after its fourth loss as a double-digit favorite in three years. Ever the egalitarian doom-bringer, SI turned its attention this year to the underdogs: Of the regional cover boys, Oregon, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss and Penn State, none is really considered a legit national championship contender of the variety that usually graces the "[Insert team] is No. 1" headline; in this case, none is even projected as No. 1 in its own conference. But given the buzz and potential of those four schools, they are four of the most interesting teams of the season, if nothing else -- and as 2008 proved yet again, those "[Insert team] is No. 1" covers haven't always gone so well, anyway. Right, Keyshawn?

Curse aside, congratulations to Oklahoma State for gracing the cover for the first time in school history, for anything. (Even Barry Sanders didn't make it.) Just, uh, don't let it go to your heads, huh?

• For the affluent sadist ... Speaking of buzz, I don't know how much there is surrounding USC's trip to Notre Dame on Oct. 14 after last year's embarrassing 38-3 blowout in the Coliseum, the Trojans' seventh straight win in the series. The average score of those games: USC 41, Notre Dame 14. Clearly this remains a really sizzling ticket.

No, seriously, it does: According to Forbes, USC at Notre Dame is the most expensive game of the upcoming season, with tickets topping out at $3,500. In fact, SC games account for three of the most expensive tickets in Forbes' top 10, with the Trojans' dates with UCLA ($1,650) and Ohio State ($1,500) also fetching top dollar; only Georgia fans, who'll have to shell out in the neighborhood of $2,000 per home game thanks to staggering donation requirements, will be paying more. By those standards, the actual game of the year nationally, Oklahoma vs. Texas ($1,389) is a steal.

• Bummer, man. Well, no need to hurry back ... The initial verdict on Aaron Corp's "injury" during USC's Monday practice was nothing: He missed all of three plays before returning to the lineup. Turns out, though, it was something: Corp woke up in pain and didn't practice Tuesday, instead "wearing a slight grimace on his face" as backup/freshman phenom Matt Barkley tried to make the most of his COMPETITION TUESDAY with the first team.

Ultimately, this is probably going to look a lot like Mark Sanchez's preseason knee injury last year, which kept Sanchez out of practice for a few days but was quickly forgotten and cost him zero snaps during the season -- Corps is scheduled to undergo an MRI today, even though the X-rays Tuesday reportedly said he didn't suffer any ligament damage. But Corp doesn't seem to have the unassailable grip on the job Sanchez did (Pete Carroll himself brought up the name Wally Pipp and begged out of speculation about the future of the job), and every rep he misses is a chance for Barkley to even an already-narrow gap between him and significant playing time.

• Buckle up for Brantley Ball. Aaaaand speaking of significant playing time, it sounds like Florida has committed to spreading it around, even at quarterback:

GAINESVILLE - Expect to see John Brantley quarterback the Florida Gators in the first halves of games for once -- and not just against cupcakes or in mop-up time.
[...[
"He's starting to earn that right," said Meyer at UF Media Day. "Unless he screws up and starts to hit reverse on that practice field, then we'll back off. "
[...]
"But Johnny, we have to get him ready to go. He's starting to really impress me. ... He's becoming John Brantley, the future star quarterback of the University of Florida. ... It's fun to watch."

Just another step toward eliminating the total Tebow-ness of the offense, of course, but a farsighted one to make Brantley more of a known quantity before the offense is his show in 2010. Unlike Tebow's largely random appearances behind Chris Leak in 2006, Brantley will probably be on a regular rotation, say, the third series of the first half (and a substantial portion of most fourth quarters, in all likelihood).

Quickly ... Much more news on the Florida front after UF Media Day: Athletic director Jeremy Foley has "not seen much negativity at all" about Urban Meyer's big raise. Apparently Foley hasn't been reading the papers in South Carolina. ... Brandon Spikes remains a terrifying human being in basically all respects. ... And Gator quarkback Jeff Demps thinks about a 1,000-yard season, hones his clichés. ... Oklahoma is so short at center for the moment that the Sooners are letting tight end Brody Eldridge handle some snaps, just in case. ... He won't be there long, but Rutgers' All-Big East tackle, Anthony Davis, A href="http://blogs.mycentraljersey.com/rutgers/2009/08/11/day-1-camp-notes/">practiced with the second team offense after showing up to camp a little overweight. ... North Carolina signee Donte Moss, an elite, five-star prospect at defensive end, will face "internal discipline" after a misdemeanor arrest for assault stemming from a dorm room fight with a teammate last month. ... Notre Dame receiver Duval Kamara will be sidelined by knee surgery for the next two weeks of practice. ... Ticket sales are up at Pittsburgh, not so much for the Labor Day showdown between Florida State and Miami. ... Texas' own players couldn't even name the Longhorns' leading tackler last year. ... Alabama moved into its new practice digs Tuesday. ... Meanwhile, ex-Bama linebacker linebacker Ezekial Knight, shuffled from the crowded Tide roster last year due to a heart condition, is attempting to resurrect his career at Stillman College. ... I'll go ahead and give this a solid "no." ... Surprise: Lawrence Phillips is found guilty again. ...

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.

Pac-10 Media Day is this Thursday. Coach Carroll and Taylor Mays (seen above destroying a Penn State WR) will be representing USC. You can watch the entire press conference live and for free by clicking here.

Below is a complete schedule for the press conference along with which players will be representing other Pac-10 schools.

9:30 a.m. • Introduction
9:35 a.m. • Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott
9:45 a.m. • Paul Wulff/C Kenny Alfred - Washington State
10:00 a.m. • Steve Sarkisian/OLB Donald Butler - Washington
10:15 a.m. • Rick Neuheisel/MLB Reggie Carter - UCLA
10:30 a.m. • Jim Harbaugh/RB Toby Gerhart - Stanford
10:45 a.m. • Dennis Erickson/OLB Mike Nixon - Arizona State
11:00 a.m. • Break
11:10 a.m. • Mike Stoops/FS Cam Nelson - Arizona
11:25 a.m. • Jeff Tedford/TB Jahvid Best - California
11:40 a.m. • Mike Riley/OLB Keaton Kristick - Oregon State
11:55 a.m. • Chip Kelly/CB Walter Thurmond III - Oregon
12:10 p.m. • Pete Carroll/FS Taylor Mays - USC
12:25 p.m. • Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott

Pac-10 Football Media Day Announced; Fans Can Take Part [Pac-10.org]
Pac-10 Media Day Live Online [cbssports.com]