He's sitting out games, having already missing USC's opener.

He's waiting to find out if he can play in the Trojans' second home game tonight.

And he's wishing he can board a red-eye flight that will take the team to Puerto Rico for a weekend tournament.

Stepheson is an impressive forward who transferred to USC after two seasons at North Carolina. Most players have to sit out one year, but the NCAA grants exceptions under certain circumstances. Stepheson applied for a transfer waiver, reportedly after an illness in the family caused him to come home to the LA area. But with the season already underway, he still doesn't know if he'll be eligible to play.

The Stepheson ripple runs deep. Coach Tim Floyd never divulges his starting lineup, but you can interpret his assessment of Stepheson yourself. "We feel like he's a guy that can have an impact, not only on our team but in the league."

Basketball analysts agree. ESPN's Andy Katz thinks his addition would make USC a Pac-10 title favorite, alongside UCLA and Arizona State.

In the meantime, the Trojans are spending valuable practice time on schemes that they might not be able to run.

"We're trying to prepare with both scenarios in mind," said Floyd. "We've done a lot of work with him as a part of the group that would be out there, and a lot of work without him in that group.... We really had to think in terms of two offensive systems, which has been somewhat of a distraction. If he wasn't as talented as he is, it wouldn't be worth doing. But he is, and we're trying to prepare ourselves the best we can in the event that we get good news."

It also wouldn't be worth doing if Stepheson's case were a long-shot. Based on NCAA precedent, there's reason for the Trojans to be optimistic. And that can make the waiting game frustrating.

Last year, the NCAA granted 55 transfer waivers and denied 34. Tyler Smith, who transferred from Iowa to Tennessee just before his father passed away from cancer, was one of six approved in men's basketball, out of 10 requests. This season, the NCAA had nine requests in men's basketball by the start of November -- approving four and denying one. That leaves four in progress, including Stepheson.

According to college sport's governing body, one of the common reasons they grant a transfer waiver is documented illness to a member of student-athlete’s family "that results in the need for the student-athlete to transfer." No need to overanalyze that. In tough times, his family needs him. He needs them. And as a lifelong athlete, he still needs basketball. Teammates are usually like a second family, and Stepheson has joined a team that certainly knows how to deal with life's hardest knocks. Two years ago, they lost point guard Ryan Francis in a tragic shooting. He would have been a senior this season.

The NCAA obviously can't issue a free pass to anybody who wants to jump ship and skip the normally required redshirt year. A few months ago, they denied the waiver of Colin Peek, an Alabama football transfer who left Georgia Tech because their new coach doesn't typically use his position (tight end). The NCAA won't comment on specific cases, but a representative said that type of reasoning falls outside the scope of a transfer waiver. There were reports that Peek would seek a "hardship" waiver (typically granted by conferences, not the NCAA, for severe injury or illness), but ultimately he found himself on this season's Tide scout team.

Though some might sympathize with Peek, who couldn't sympathize with Stepheson? His situation is serious enough that he missed missed playing time last season at UNC in order to travel home, including the Tar Heels' conference opener against 19th-ranked Clemson. Then he ditched the No. 1 team in America -- where he might have been a starter for part of the year. All-world Tyler Hansbrough is hurt, and guess who was a top candidate to fill in -- or at least get more playing time? Katz added that one thing is clear: "The Tar Heels definitely could have used Alex Stepheson back."

Even though he could be having an influence on Tobacco Road, it's difficult to imagine that UNC would oppose the transfer waiver; the school  reportedly wouldn't appeal if it goes through. But the school is  caught up in the protracted NCAA process. The Tar Heels were sent paperwork on the case last week, and have up to 10 days to respond.

North Carolina declined to publicly comment on the matter until the NCAA announces its decision, but an initial feel-good press release about the transfer quoted Coach Roy Williams as saying, "Being closer to home he will be able to provide the necessary support and help his family needs at this time. He is a wonderful kid."

Anybody with Internet access (including the NCAA) could have known this was coming three months ago, but sources indicate the full waiver request was filed with them only in October. The Stepheson family was asked to provide additional documentation just two weeks ago, and North Carolina still may not have finished all of its paperwork.

"I think they've been pretty responsive on the NCAA end," said Floyd. "I think it takes time to present your case."

Whether it's something on its end or not, the NCAA's wheels-of-justice have a reputation for turning very slowly. There are plenty of examples with USC alone, including two ongoing investigations about extra benefits allegedly received by Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo.

In 2004, the NCAA waited just two days before USC's football team kicked off its season to announce that wide receiver Mike Williams was ineligible after losing a reinstatement appeal. The organization claimed that it "responded within 24 hours of receiving the final information," though the situation had been under public scrutiny for several months and all parties appeared cooperative.

At least Williams found out before his team boarded the plane. It's looking less and less likely that the NCAA will be able to do the same for Stepheson.

-- Adam Rose
Photo by Bob Donnan/US Presswire

For further reading:

• Check out this roundtable discussion about waivers on Rivals.com.
• ESPN's Andy Katz goes into detail about Stepheson's family, basketball strengths and what he would mean to the Trojans.

A few hours ago I posted about the possible scenarios that would take USC to the BCS National Championship game and calculated that the Trojans could only make it in 0.24% of the possible outcomes. The scenarios were correct. The math? Not so much. Turns out that in a land of hypotheticals and coin flips, USC has better than a 50% shot.

Several of you smelled something fishy. Fortunately, a USC graduate student named Anthony Christodoulou cleared the air. When in doubt, email an engineer!

"There are really only 8 games of any importance that are out of SC's control, not 11," explained Anthony. Why? "The Big 12 championship is one game, not three (it doesn't matter who plays in it) and you said yourself that Alabama/Auburn doesn't matter. That means you have 2^8 = 256 possible outcomes."

That's a big step down from the 2,048 I suggested. I also neglected the fact that slipping ahead of either the SEC or Big 12 champ would render the scenarios in the other conference irrelevant, since USC would already be in the title game.

He broke it down in several tables (they don't fit here, but email me if you want them) and explained what the odds really look like from a mathematical perspective, assuming USC leaps any two-loss team:

"131 outcomes of 256 games actually result in a USC appearance the championship ... In other words, if all of these teams were evenly matched, USC would be most likely in. Nobody thinks Baylor, Texas A&M, The Citadel, Missouri, or FSU are nearly evenly matched with their opponents, of course, so if you give each of those 5 teams a 25% chance to win (Mizzou probably has more, but the rest of the teams probably have less), and estimate that the other 3 games are evenly matched, the probability drops to about 28%."

All this depends on USC running the table against arch rivals Notre Dame and UCLA, and Anthony pointed out that 25% might be generous odds for some of the underdogs. Before you rush off to Vegas, remember that 64 of the 131 scenarios depend on Florida losing to The Citadel (a Division 2 school with a 4-7 record) for the first time in history and 30 depend on Baylor beating Texas Tech (which last happened in 1995).

One more caveat: five of the outcomes that place USC in the title game depend on the Trojans winning a popularity contest in the BCS end-of-days scenario. That's where voters would have to chose between an 11-1 USC team, an 11-2 Big 12 champion Mizzou, and a pair of 11-1 Big 12 teams that were shut out of the conference championship game. As explained in this post, USC isn't getting enough style points for that.

The final 32 scenarios depend on Florida State upsetting Florida, then a two-loss Florida upsetting Alabama. Even that could lead to some voter turmoil.

Thanks again to Anthony, who gets the final word: "Fight on Florida, fight on Mizzou!"

-- Adam Rose

Following up on this weekend's commentary about USC's (non-existent) hopes of playing for the BCS Championship game, I hacked into the BCS computers and calculated all the possible outcomes.

Assuming the Trojans run the table, they have less than a one-quarter-of-one-percent-chance of making the BCS Championship Game. And that's before weighing in obvious things that Vegas would consider. If you think Texas Tech will beat Baylor (hint: it will), the hope gets much slimmer. But, hey, maybe the Citadel can beat Florida. In 2080.

The BCS rankings came out yesterday and they're identical to last week, at least at the top:

1. Alabama (11-0)
2. Texas Tech (10-0)
3. Texas (10-1)
4. Florida (9-1)
5. Oklahoma (9-1)
6. USC (9-1)

What boxes out the Trojans is that the five teams ahead of them all play in the same two leagues and have a conference championship game. Even though they might beat up on each other in the home stretch, at least two should to wind up with a "prettier" finish than USC. If I've done my math right (you're welcome to check), there are 11 games or potential games that are out of USC's control resulting in 2,048 scenarios. Of those, a whopping six could get USC into the BCS title game, with the Trojans jumping a mountain of two-loss teams. Again, this assumes Trojan victories over Notre Dame and UCLA.

If you hit any of these parlays in Vegas, drinks are on you. For the rest of your life.

SCENARIO 1: SEC swamps itself, a.k.a. USC's best hope

• Florida loses to the Citadel and/or Florida State.
• Florida beats Alabama.
• Note: Even if Alabama loses to Auburn, it will be a one-loss SEC Champ if it beats Florida -- so it would probably go ahead of USC on "style points."
• FINAL RECORDS: SEC champ Florida (10-3 or 11-2), Alabama (12-1 or 11-2 depending on Auburn game).

SCENARIO 2: Big chaos in the Big 12, Spread Option 1

• Texas loses to Texas A&M.
• Texas Tech beats Oklahoma.
• Texas Tech loses to Baylor.
• Texas Tech loses to Missouri in the conference championship.
• FINAL RECORDS: Big-12 champ Mizzou (11-2 or 10-3 depending on Kansas game), Texas (10-2), Texas Tech (11-2), Oklahoma (10-2 or 9-3 depending on Oklahoma State game).

SCENARIO 3: Big chaos in the Big 12, Spread Option 2

• Texas loses to Texas A&M.
• Oklahoma beats Texas Tech.
• Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State.
• Texas Tech loses to Baylor.
• Oklahoma loses to Missouri in the conference championship.
• FINAL RECORDS: Big-12 champ Mizzou (11-2 or 10-3 depending on Kansas game), Texas (10-2), Oklahoma (10-2), Texas Tech (10-2).

SCENARIO 4: Big chaos in the Big 12, Spread Option 3

• Texas beats Texas A&M
• Oklahoma beats Texas Tech
• Oklahoma loses to Oklahoma State
• Texas Tech loses to Baylor
• Texas loses to Missouri in the conference championship
• FINAL RECORDS: Big-12 champ Mizzou (11-2 or 10-3 depending on Kansas game), Texas (11-2), Texas Tech (10-2), Oklahoma (10-2).

SCENARIO 5: Ultimate chaos in the Big 12 and world at large

• Texas loses to Texas A&M.
• Oklahoma beats Texas Tech.
• Oklahoma loses to Oklahoma State.
• Texas Tech loses to Baylor.
• Conference championship is between Mizzou and another 2-loss team, leaving the winner totally irrelevant. 
• FINAL RECORDS: It doesn't really matter. The world would be over, anyway. Dogs and cats, living together ... it would just be frightening.

Gasp. I need oxygen like LenDale White after a 10-yard pickup.

All five of these scenarios are unlikely, but there's another one that stands a reasonable chance. It could break the BCS machine for good. All true Americans, including Barack Obama, are rooting for this to happen:

• Oklahoma beats Texas Tech.
• Texas Tech beats Baylor.
• Oklahoma beats Oklahoma State.
• Texas beats Texas A&M.
• Mizzou beats the Big 12 South rep, which would be Texas, Texas Tech or Oklahoma, depending on who has the highest BCS ranking.
• FINAL RECORDS: Big 12 champ Mizzou is 11-2 or 10-3 depending on the Kansas game. One of the three other teams is 11-2. Two of the other teams are 11-1.

Then what? You can't pick a two-loss champ (Mizzou) over a one-loss champ (USC), right? But how do you ignore two one-loss teams that were left out of their conference championship but finished with a better record than the two teams that played in it? They would have the same record as the Trojans (assuming those Notre Dame and UCLA victories) and would have played stiffer competition.

Maybe if this happens, somebody will get physical with the BCS organizers.

-- Adam Rose

POSTSCRIPT (because I don't know how to make a sidebar)

I wasn't kidding -- if you want to check my math on the number of scenarios, I counted 11 games (including potential matchups) with two possible outcomes each. Raise 2 to the 11th power on your trusty scientific calculator (we all carry those around, right?) and you get 2,048. Here are the games:

Oklahoma-Texas Tech
Oklahoma-Oklahoma State
Texas Tech-Baylor
Texas-Texas A&M
Mizzou-Texas or Mizzou-Texas Tech or Mizzou-Oklahoma
Florida-Alabama
Alabama-Auburn
Florida-Citadel
Florida-Florida State

If you're a math wiz, let me know if I over-weighted the three Big 12 championship game possibilities or Florida's remaining regular season games.

(LenDale, back in happier times behind Reggie & Matt’s shadow)

And KLAA-AM’s “Sports Lodge” did just that. Roger Lodge & Dave Smith had ‘SC alum & Tennessee Titans RB LenDale White on their radio show Thursday morning, chatting about the crosstown collegiate rivalry.

To get things rolling, LenDale was told that UCLA alum & Jacksonville Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew had said that he would “not allow” his kids to attend the school known in some Westwood circles as the University of $poiled Children.

So in the honor of fair play, White was given the same scenario: What if his kids wanted to go play in Pasadena for Rick Neuheisel & Co.? (Audio link after the jump)

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Revelations from the past weekend's action:

USC's offensive inconsistency is consistent: For the second time in three weeks, USC scored just 17 points in a victory. In the 17-3 win over Cal, unlike the 17-10 win over Arizona, the Trojans moved the ball fairly consistently. They just couldn't make plays once they got inside Cal territory, which happened nine times. It wasn't turnovers; the Trojans had just one. Cal's defense, just like Arizona's, deserves some credit, but 17 points was well below the 21 the Bears have been giving up this season. Afterwards, coach Pete Carroll said the game plan was conservative because of how many takeaways the Cal defense has forced this year, and he praised quarterback Mark Sanchez. Sure, a win is a win, but it's clear that the Trojans offense is the character actor while the defense is laden with leading men.

California's quarterback situation is no less murky today: Coach Jeff Tedford started Nate Longshore but benched him at halftime for Kevin Riley. Then he stuck with Riley while he played much worse than Longshore had. Longshore completed 11 of 15 for 79 yards with no interceptions in the first half, though a pair of apparent picks were killed by penalties. He was sacked once. Riley, who was sacked three time despite his superior mobility, completed 4 of 16 passes for 59 yards with an interception. His only impressive play, a 31-yard completion, was mostly about a circus catch by Verran Tucker. Nine games into the season and heading into a critical matchup with Oregon State, the answer to who should be the starting quarterback isn't clear. Here's a guess that, fully recovered from his concussion, Riley still will get the call at Oregon State on Saturday.

It's time to put Oregon's quarterback debate to bed; Jeremiah Masoli is the man: Masoli didn't post huge numbers in the comeback win over Stanford, and the sophomore is still developing as a passer. And a pair of fumbles won't charm fans or coaches. But his clutch play suggests he's got the mental side whipped, which might be the most important quality a quarterback can possess. He only completed 11 of 21 passes for 144 yards, but he led the Ducks 74 yards in 11 plays for the winning touchdown, completing 3 of 6 passes for 39 yards and running for 30 more, including a 25-yard scramble on third-and-8 to the Stanford 8-yard line. It appears that this question already has been answered in coach Mike Bellotti's mind -- Justin Roper didn't play in the 35-28 win.

Oregon State appears ready to face the meat of its schedule with the Rose Bowl on the line: The Beavers have won four in a row since a 2-3 start. The four wins have come vs. teams with a combined 7-30 record. The three teams that remain between them and the Rose Bowl all have winning records and are a combined 19-9. Yet the Beavers' second-half surge against UCLA -- they outscored the Bruins 31-3 after the break -- suggests this team is (again) peaking late in the season. What's more, while other teams are still struggling at quarterback, Sean Canfield's performance shows Oregon State has two quarterbacks it can win with. Stepping in for starter Lyle Moevao, Canfield completed 16 of 22 passes for 222 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Of course, Canfield got a lot of help from the Rodgers brothers: freshman Jacquizz (31 carries for 144 yards) and sophomore James (6 receptions, 115 yards).

The state of Washington still has a small spark of fight left: In their showdowns with the state of Arizona, Washington and Washington State both turned in semi-respectable performances and perhaps -- for the moment -- dispelled feelings that both teams had quit on their respective miserable seasons. Washington was actually leading 19-16 in the third quarter over Arizona State before Rudy Carpenter rallied the Sun Devils for a 39-19 win, the Huskies school-record 11th defeat in a row. Meanwhile, Washington State scored a season-high 28 points -- against FBS competition -- and didn't surrender more than 60 points for a fifth time this season in a 59-28 loss to Arizona. Sure, the Wildcats had 531 total yards, including 317 on the ground, against the woeful Cougars defense, but it's something, right?

Went 3-1 last week as the mix-and-match California offensive line proved me wrong. Will it again this week? Season record stands at 44-12.

USC 35, California 13: USC needs to make a statement to enliven its fading BCS title game chances. Cal is looking to hurdle its biggest obstacle toward the program's first Rose Bowl since 1959. But will the Bears be able to score enough on the road against the nation's best defense, particularly with a banged up offensive line and questions (again) at quarterback -- will it be Nate Longshore (likely) or Kevin Riley (who's trying to come back from a concussion)?

Oregon State 24, UCLA 17: Oregon State coach Mike Riley has never beaten UCLA, but his Beavers should be highly motivated: They're four wins away from the Rose Bowl. Both teams have issues. It appears that the Beavers will go with backup quarterback Sean Canfield because starter Lyle Moevao is still nursing a shoulder injury. The Bruins, meanwhile, suspended three players, including two from their thin offensive line, for team rules violations. Mistakes might decide this one: Canfield and UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft both have a tendency to be careless with the football.

Oregon 41, Stanford 30: Neither team can pass or defend the pass, so is this one going to feature 80 runs? Hard to believe a former NFL quarterback, Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh, and one of the nation's most respected offensive minds, Oregon coach Mike Bellotti, would settle for that. Both teams are sticking with their quarterbacks, though both might use more than one -- and Oregon's Jeremiah Masoli is nursing a foot/ankle injury. The Ducks should be on upset alert. Stanford is desperately searching for a sixth win and bowl eligibility, while Oregon might come out a little flat after the disappointing result last weekend at Cal.

Arizona 48, Washington State 10: The only question: Is there any mixture of an overconfident Arizona team, a suddenly inspired Washington State squad and a surprise appearance by Lady Luck in Pullman that could distill an upset from dirt and air of the Palouse? The most reasonable answer: No.

Arizona State 44, Washington 13: It's been a frustrating year for Arizona State, but it's hard to imagine any Sun Devil is more frustrated than quarterback Rudy Carpenter. He began the year as the consensus pick as the Pac-10s best quarterback and a potential All-American, but injuries and inconsistency have riddled him and the offense as a whole. He has limped along as an afterthought while the Sun Devils dropped six games in a row. But, oh, how he must be salivating over the Huskies, who own the worst pass defense in the nation and are completely incapable of sacking a quarterback. Feed Rudy. Feed.

Photo Credit: LAist

Ten things to consider, underline or anticipate heading into the weekend.

1. Can anybody win on the road (USC, Oregon, UCLA)? The best road win in conference play thus far is Arizona's 31-10 victory at UCLA. Otherwise bupkis (wins at Washington and Washington State don't count this season because everyone wins there). Even the Trojans aren't immune. Last time USC played a quality conference foe on the road it got Oregon Stated. To win the conference -- or to earn a good bowl berth -- a team needs to figure out how to win on the road.

2. Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen should feel at home against Washington's pass defense: Washington ranks last -- 119th -- in the nation in pass efficiency defense. It's yielded 18 TD passes and grabbed only two interceptions. Opponents are completing passes at nearly a 73 percent clip. Enter Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen, who's shown dramatic improvement this year. He's tossed 14 TD passes and has thrown for 730 yards over his last two games. Odds are he's headed for another 300-yard-plus day through the air.

3. Another Mighty Mouse wants a piece of the USC defense: Arizona true freshman running back Keola Antolin burst onto the scene last week against California, rushing for 149 yards and three touchdowns. His stature -- 5-foot-7, 180 pounds -- notably approximated Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers, who gashed USC for 186 yards rushing. The Trojans defense has given up 316 yards rushing in its other five games total. Maybe small running backs are an Achilles' heel for the Trojans D?

4. Who's California's quarterback this week? Kevin Riley won the Bears starting quarterback job in a tight race in the preseason and went 3-1, but lost the job the past two games to Nate Longshore, the starter the previous two seasons. Longshore went 1-1. Coach Jeff Tedford said the competition is open and the starter Saturday against UCLA will be the guy who performs best with the game plan during practices. The more mobile, less mistake-prone Riley is decidedly the fan favorite. If Longshore takes the field, count on more than a few hoots from the crowd, which blames him for Cal's inconsistency. That has to register in Tedford's mind.

5. And what about Oregon's quarterback situation? The Ducks quarterback quandary is less controversial but just as vague this week as Oregon heads to Arizona State. Coach Mike Bellotti said that either Justin Roper, who began the season as the starter before injuring his knee, or Jeremiah Masoli, a first-year junior college transfer who's filled in, could start. And both could play. Roper is the more refined passer, and the Ducks passing game has been lacking. But Masoli's running skills are superior.

6. Will the return of Keegan Herring help the Arizona State running game?: The Sun Devils lack of any semblance of a running game -- they rank 117th in the nation with 83.7 yards per game -- has crippled the offense. Herring, the Pac-10's active career rushing leader, has struggled all season with a hamstring injury. He's played in only three games, turning in his best work when he went for 59 yards on 12 carries against Stanford before aggravating the hamstring. If he's back to his old quick, slashing self, he should give the ground attack a lift against the Ducks.

7. Get rid of the ball, Rudy!: While a run threat would help protect Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter and his bum ankle more than anything, it's unlikely it will perk up enough to carry the offense. And when Rudy throws, the Ducks will come after him hard. In last year's game, Oregon sacked Carpenter nine times. This year, the Ducks lead the Pac-10 with 3.57 sacks per game. The Sun Devils' game plan, with an extra week to refine it, likely will feature quick throws and a moving pocket. Anything to protect Carpenter, who can help himself by not holding onto the ball so long, looking for the big play downfield.

8. Will UCLA get Crafty on the road? UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft has led the Bruins to a pair of dramatic fourth-quarter comebacks, and both came after he played poorly in the first half. So he's shown he can bounce back during crunch time. But both performances came at home. Will a slow start at California create too wide a gap for Craft to bring the Bruins back? Can Craft put a complete game together? UCLA hasn't won in Berkeley since 1998. The Bruins also are riding a five-game road losing streak and have lost 12 of 15 on the road. It would be as thrilling for Bruins fans to see that run reversed as to see late-game heroics.

9. Speaking of bouncing back in crunch time, Cal: If California loses at home to a UCLA team the Bears should beat, then it will be impossible not to wonder if the program is headed for a repeat of last season's second-half collapse (though obviously the Bears never climbed to No. 2 in the polls this season). Forget the quarterback controversy: Cal needs to show resiliency. Its defense needs to recover its mojo after flopping in the second half against Arizona. The running game needs to give whoever plays quarterback a lift. And whoever plays quarterback needs to avoid making momentum-quashing mistakes.

10. USC needs another dominant performance: This likely will be a weekly "what to watch." If the Trojans are going to re-emerge in the national title hunt, they need to make statements every week because, at present, the remaining schedule doesn't including any ranked teams. Arizona is a solid foe and its stadium is going to be packed and frenzied. If USC stomps that enthusiasm and wins going away, a lot of Big 12 and SEC fans are going to start getting nervous because nobody wants a part of the Trojans in a championship game.

"To go to a great school like UCLA to get that degree where kids at other schools might become ... and this is no knock...you go to UCLA, you're guaranteed a job at NASA pretty much. That's what happens. You go to UCLA, you might become the next president. It's up there like that. Another great thing about UCLA, they don't lower their standards for their athletes. It was always the same as the regular students. I assume at USC they do other things like pay 'em. But they hold them up to the same standards and when you get like that it does scare some kids away."

No knock on astronauts or engineers at NASA, but at least USC students/athletes have a better understanding of money (and how to create it). Where the "genius" that graduates from UCLA and is "guaranteed" a job at NASA, or becomes the next president, will never have to be accountable for their value.

And for anyone that still thinks Maurice Jones-Drew is or will be a better NFL player than Reggie Bush, you're a (put on the blinders or stop reading kids) fucking moron. Just watch Drew Brees' deep pass completions plummet as safeties no longer have to be concerned about #25.

Maurice Jones-Drew does some USC hating [USA Today]

Pollspeak.com is an informative Web site. You can find out which voters love your team or hate your team. And you can see which voters have the most, er, unique ballots, and which conform to the consensus opinion.

USC is presently ranked sixth in the latest AP poll.

According to pollspeak, Kevin Pearson -- UCLA beat writer for the Riverside Press-Enterprise -- ranks the Trojans No. 3, the highest of any pollster.

The lowest?

Three writers rank USC 12th.

All three are from Texas: Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman, Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle and Jimmy Burch of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

It's worth noting that the AP poll is no longer part of the BCS standings, so these votes will have no bearing on the Trojans chances to play for the national title. 

Ryan Davidson has stats you would never expect in USC's locker room.

Two series of radiation treatments for 12 weeks.

Two experimental treatments for 24 weeks.

Four tumors removed in the past nine years.

And he's only 15 years old.

But two numbers define Ryan much better -- $30,000 in three years. That's how much he's raised to help others in his situation.

After finding out his cancer returned for a fourth time this summer, he told his dad, "We've got to raise the most money ever. I don't want any other kid to go through what I've been through." Ryan plans on padding his stats with another fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, dubbing his efforts "Team Trojan."

His story -- and his positive attitude -- have become legendary in USC football circles. As a hardcore Trojan fan living in Wisconsin, it seems unlikely that he might have developed close bonds with the team. But thanks to the generous efforts of USC alum Jim Phillips, Ryan has made annual trips to see USC play in the Coliseum and has grown close with several of the players. LenDale White promised to score a touchdown for Ryan against UCLA in 2005. He scored two. Matt Leinart still keeps in touch and has flown Ryan out to NFL games. Today, guys like Rey Maualuga and Jeff Byers see him in a crowd and shout out his name. Pete Carroll calls him their good luck charm.

This weekend at the USC-Arizona State game, Maualuga promised Ryan he would level one of his famous bone-crunching tackles against a Sun Devil. Afterward, he started to apologize for not hitting anybody hard enough. Then Ryan pointed out that Maualuga knocked quarterback Rudy Carpenter out of the game.

Ryan's upbeat personality has become an inspiration to this generation of Trojans and they've welcomed him into their huddles and locker rooms. He was an honorary team captain this week and was awarded the game ball after a 28-0 victory. When he's with the team, he takes on a characteristic of many players: nothing from the outside world matters, especially not those stats. Ryan's just thrilled to be there.

The feeling is mutual.

-- Adam Rose

NOTE: You can keep up with Ryan on his website.

Compared to other regional universities like UCI ($12.1 million) or Cal State Fullerton ($9.2 million) or UCLA ($0.0 million because they were unable to report due to "computer problems") it is quite the sum. But this probably does not even crack the top 10 (Ohio State regularly pulls in over $100 million).

Of $76.4 million, $28.6 million is attributed to USC football, but there is $39 million of unallocated revenue that comes from general donations to the athletic department. Judging by the amount of revenue directly attributable to USC football, let's assume USC football is responsible for 77% of those general donations, bringing USC football revenue more in the neighborhood of $58.5 million.

Pete Carroll is paid $4.1 million (roughly 7% of our total revenue estimate). Pretty solvent, especially compared to the Title IX disaster that is USC Women's Soccer. No offense to Amy Rodriguez, but they spent $1.2 million on $26,604 (46.8 times their revenue).

Football is big breadwinner for USC athletics [All Things Trojan]
USC generates $76.4 million in revenue [OC Register]

Filed under: USC, Washington State, Pac 10, General CFB Insanity

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