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)

Shit, it's so bad Plaschke almost wrote a couple of paragraphs with more than two sentences yesterday. That's baaaaaaaaaaaad.

So. As we've been hashing over the offensive lacunae of this season, there's been some speculation that part of the problem is the "Running Back by Committee" approach to life. I decided to put together the stats for 2001 - 2009 (to date), to see if they told us anything. The graph is after the jump...

(click to see this in a larger size)

What I took away from this was the following:

1. It's almost pointless to draw conclusions because 2004 and more so 2005 are such outlier seasons
2. Having more than two featured backs isn't an issue if you're breaking in new backs
3. The real issue season-to-season is continuity - generally when you see a back run for another season, with the exception of LenDale White taking one for Reggie Bush's Heisman chances, he increases his yardage
4. However, the last several seasons don't show a lot of continuity except for Joe McKnight
5. The last couple of years do show an emphasis on two or three backs, but not consistently the same ones were producing from year to year
6. Consequently, year to year the lack of continuity is not working for the team for overall production number, whereas the distributions don't bear out a view at the season-level of personnel rotation making that big a difference beyond prior years
7. While that doesn't mean that running back by committee is actually working in-game, that's a different kettle of fish to prepare and represent.

Thoughts and reactions?

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)

Reggie Bush’s girlfriend, Kim Kardashian, dressed up as Jasmine from Aladdin for Halloween. TrojanWire approves.

(Photo via kimkardashian.com)

More photos after the jump...

Here's some stats from the Morning Buzz:
USC's takeaways decreased the past four seasons. The Trojans averaged 38 per year in Carroll's first five seasons. But in the next three seasons (2006-08), USC averaged only 26.
USC's offense scored 30 or more points in 27 of 32 Pac-10 games between 2002-05 but did it only 11 of 31 times from 2006-09.

How bout some USC Alumni NFL highlights…. Carson Palmer had a big day on Sunday going 20 of 24 for 233 with 5 TD passes. Other former Trojans featured in the highlights are Clay Matthews, Troy Polamalu, Reggie Bush, Fred Davis, Steve Smith, Terrell Thomas, Justin Fargas and Mark Sanchez.

The NFL 2010 Pro Bowl ballots are now available online. Click here to vote for any of your favorite Trojans.

2010 Pro Bowl Ballot [NFL.com]

Here is a fantastic feature from the LA Times on Damian Williams punt returning abilities. Williams has already returned two punts for touchdowns this year, a 66-yarder at CAL and the game changing 63-yard return last week vs. Oregon State that Coach Carroll called, “the play of the year.” The last player to return two punts for TDs for USC was Reggie Bush in 2004. Williams also leads the Trojans in receptions with 34 and has three touchdown catches. Here is a tease from the piece:

Damian Williams does it while walking to and from classes at USC. He does it when navigating a crowded off-campus sidewalk. As pedestrians approach from the opposite direction, Williams fakes. He cuts. He finds a seam, slips through and continues on his way. Williams is practicing punt returns "It used to be a game," he said. "Now it's a habit." So is the fourth-year junior's propensity for making big plays....

To read the full article click here.

Damian Williams' jukes put USC's opponents out of joint [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...

•People Magazine is reporting that Reggie Bush and Kim Kardashian are getting back together. Sources say Bush took a look at Lamar Odom, and realized he could do a lot worse.

•Despite our collective desire to will some playoff races into existence, the actual results are not cooperating. The Braves finally lost, and the Tigers salvaged a doubleheader split. That means your entertainment options this week are preseason NHL, the WNBA Finals, and killing yourself.

•Felix Jones will miss at least next week's game with a sprained knee ligament, which should mean the Cowboys will have to throw a lot more. That sound you just heard was Champ Bailey getting hard.

•With the local papers not even bothering to send writers on every road trip, the Los Angeles Kings sign away the Daily News beat writer to cover the team for their official web site. This is just how China covers its hockey teams. I think.

•Rams LB David Vobora will be suspended after testing positive for PEDs. And will you hear about it anywhere else? No. That's because the truth is no one cares about steroids in sports except for crusty old baseball writers and the French when an American is winning their race.

•A Brooklyn kennel is offering a season pass for football fans who want to drop their dogs off on Sundays to watch the games. Well, most games. When the Raiders are playing, they give you the option of watching a dog take a shit for three hours in lieu of watching JaMarcus Russell.

•Chad Pennington in January: "That's kind of the secret to being a comeback player — you have a good year, you get the award, then you get hurt... and then come back the following year and get the award again."

Don't go into hibernation just yet; there are positives to be taken away from this game shown in the highlights.

Joe McKnight rushed for 100 yards on 11 carries, upping his current season total rush yards to 305. Could he be the first Trojan since Reggie Bush to rush for over 1000 yards in a season?

The offense struggled with the passing game, but there were some great runs by Stanley Havili, Stafon Johnson, and Allen Bradford.

USC's young defense did a great job containing Jake Locker and holding the Huskies to 16 points. If only the offense would have scored another touchdown or two. Sophomore Jurrell Casey and redshirt freshman Nick Perry set up camp in the Huskies' backfield.

1- McKnight shines when it counts: Though Matt Barkley is getting most of the praise for USC's final improbable game winning drive, Joe McKnight accounted for about 2/3 of SC's yardage on the drive and ran with a purpose we haven't consistently seen from him. He doesn't have the explosiveness of Reggie Bush but he does have the moves and showed Trojan fans that he can put the team on his back and get them down the field when it counts. Without McKnight on the final drive SC is probably 1-1.

McKnight Part II: Though McKnight was the major player on the final drive, he needs to improve his pass blocking to help the offense get going. He has a hard time picking up the blitz and one time a Defensive End just flat out ran around him causing a sack. Last year, SC was fairly predictable when McKnight was in the game and he has to be multi-dimensional for SC to get away from showing its cards offensively.

Thoughts on Barkley, the Defense and Special Teams 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.

*Freshman QB Matt Barkley has had a tough week following his 5-18 scrimmage performance in which Coach Carroll threw him into the fire against a heavy rush and disguised coverage's. The hope was that Barkley would bounce back fairly quickly from the performance but even Coach Carroll admits the expectations for Matt from everybody, coaches included, might have been too high.

The spotlight shined very bright on Matt since Corp went down and he has received nearly every first team snap to get him ready. In the process, they may have overloaded him. However, all this work will pay off in a big way for him in the future. He may have struggled but he never quit and has handled himself "beautifully" as Coach Carroll would say. Barkley will continue to get opportunities and may see significant time in the San Jose State game in a "platoon" situation. He has so much talent and moxie that they want to get him on the field sooner rather than later.

Also, the coaches have not ruled out the thought of a "platoon" system this year while they bring along Barkley. Carroll says he is opened to it but I don't think it fits his coaching style. We'll see... it worked with Chris Leak and Tim Tebow at Florida.

In the meantime, if Corp heals properly from his injury, in the near term, Corp gives the program the best chance to win.

Running Back situation after the jump...

No more jukes for Reggie Bush. The New Orleans Saints running back and former USC Heisman Trophy winner is looking to change his running style this year. He wants to hit the hole harder instead of dancing away from defenders. I am all for hitting the hole hard. This is what Bush told the Times-Picayune:

“The first step to recognizing when you have a bad habit is just admitting it to yourself. It's like an alcoholic when they go into an (Alcoholics Anonymous) meeting or something. That's the first step, just recognizing it and getting better from there. I'm really just working on being explosive and, yes, hitting the holes. I think over these last two years I haven't done that."

To real the full article at NOLA.com, click here.

New Orleans Saints tailback Reggie Bush admits juking wasn't working [NOLA.com]