Oregon has waited for this day for years. USC has made it Groundhog Day for years.
The only thing more popular than organic coffee this week in Eugene, Ore. is the No. 10 Ducks, who try to end the Trojans' death grip on the Pac-10. Oregon thinks it can take out USC at a Halloween night-fueled Autzen Stadium. It's been since 2001 that the Trojans have looked up at anyone in the Pac-10.
Teams have had their shots. Oregon got after a young Mark Sanchez, subbing for John David Booty, in 2007. The Ducks won 24-17 but couldn't seal the Pac-10 deal. Oregon State beat USC last season and had the Rose Bowl within its grasp before being crushed by Oregon. Washington State (2002), Cal (2006) and Arizona State (2007) have shared the title with USC since 2001 but no one has been able to overtake the Trojans. Oregon (4-0) could virtually eliminate USC (3-1) from the conference race with a win.
That's why Saturday could signal a need for an ink eraser. USC has been written in at No. 1 in the Pac-10 for most of this decade. But the Trojans haven't won in the state of Oregon since 2005. They have showed their vulnerability with their annual loss to an unranked team (Washington) last month. The defense was surprisingly weak in allowing 36 points to Oregon State.
USC, though, usually wins these types of games. For the latest reason why, check out Allen Bradford. Two years ago, the redshirt junior was part of one of the most impressive depth charts in history. The USC media guide listed 10 tailbacks, at least nine of them were Parade All-Americans.
Pete Carroll said back then the situation would work its way out. It has but, wow. Bradford is the last man standing in a tailback battle that has crossed the country, stalled in the trainer's room and romped into the end zone. That's where Bradford ended up twice last week against Oregon State. His career-high 147 yards came on 15 carries, more than the San Bernadino, Calif. native had in any single game the past two seasons.
Here's what happened to the clogged depth chart of '07 over the last three seasons that allowed Bradford to get on the field, and for USC to have a chance on Saturday:
Hershel Dennis: Started in 2003 but missed two seasons due to injuries. He left USC in 2007 with 1,057 career rushing yards.
C.J. Gable: A current redshirt junior who has run for 45 yards this season. Gable ran for 617 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
Broderick Green: Was granted immediate eligibility this season at Arkansas after transferring to be near his ailing grandmother. After a redshirt year in 2007, Green rushed for 168 yards for USC in 2008.
Marc Tyler: Redshirt sophomore is out for the season with a toe injury. Son of former UCLA and NFL running back Wendell Tyler.
Stafon Johnson: The senior is out for the season after his throat was crushed during a recent weightlifting session. Doctors said he was lucky to live through the episode. Johnson recently appeared at a press conference and has been seen at games supporting his teammates.
Desmond Reed: His six-year career ended after the 2008 Rose Bowl with 363 career yards and two rushing touchdowns. Perhaps most noted for tearing up his knee returning a kick in high grass in 2005 at Notre Dame.
Joe McKnight: Former No. 1 national high school recruit out of New Orleans. Though the junior has been hampered by injuries throughout his career, McKnight is currently sharing time with Bradford.
Emmanuel Moody: Transferred to Florida after the 2006 season. As a part-time back, Moody has carried only 32 times for the Gators this season, averaging 8.4 yards. Ran for 417 yards on the 2008 national championship team.
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Tony Barnhart
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Chauncey Washington: Ran for 1,713 career yards. Selected in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft by Jacksonville.
If nothing else, Bradford has been determined. Two-thousand eight looked like his breakout year but a hip injury sidelined him for the season after two games. In four years on the field, Bradford has had all of 93 carries.
How does Carroll get them all when they have to know the depth chart is so clogged it needs Drano?
"Everybody wants to play when they get here," Carroll said. "What we try to be very clear about is giving guys opportunity to compete. The worst thing you can face as a coach is you don't give a guy a chance and you give him a gripe."
Oregon coach Chip Kelly knows USC's depth. And what do they say is the best piece of luggage to take on the road? A powerful running game.
"With their stable of running backs, they've got thunder and lightning, hurricane, typhoon, you name any storm, they got it," Kelly said.
Five on the clock
The Goon Squad: This is not a label that came from Texas sports information department. The Longhorns' defense came up with the nickname for itself last week following the 41-7 smothering of Missouri.
Texas' defense is good -- No. 2 nationally, No. 1 in yards per play (only 3.58). The goon connotation is bad, especially in a week when Larry Johnson is Twittering and bashing.
Let's settle on Texas D being nasty and the SID boys being nervous. You won't see any goon references in the copious notes they produce each week. Then again, it is Halloween.
"It means we're just a bunch of blue-collar guys who don't care about anything else but playing football," tackle Lamarr Houston said.
The Closers: That would be the Cowboys' nickname if they could close. Since 2004, Oklahoma State has led Texas by 28 ('04), 16 ('05) and 21 ('07) and lost all three.
"We've been beating the hell out of UT, then it comes to the fourth quarter and something happens and they end up winning the game," receiver Hubert Anyiam told reporters.
This game has the feel of last season's Oklahoma contest. The Cowboys, 9-2 at the time, were all revved up then allowed 61 on its own field. This time Dez Bryant is gone and tailback Kendall Hunter is banged up. Texas isn't going to score nine touchdowns, but -- alliteration alert -- the Goons are going to gouge Gundy's group.
Florida's offense in the Cocktail Party: The Gators (read: Tebow) absolutely cannot throw downfield. Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy are gone, Timmy T is frustrated and that's not going to change any time soon. Florida might win the SEC and the national championship but it's going to have to fight and scratch for every point. Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps are situational, change-of-pace backs. Neither can be counted on to carry the ball 20 times a game. That has happened exactly zero times combined in their careers. This is a defensive team that has to rely on its special teams and on field position for its offense. Deal with it.
Georgia's soul in the Cocktail Party: Are they Dawgs or dogs? With coaching issues swirling, you would think that Georgia's players could put aside the drama for a week and sell out emotionally for the Gators. Another 49-10 job could set in a motion a lot of changes in Athens. The List isn't saying Georgia is going to win but is there a way to establish an over-under on the Dawgs' effort?
Self-service in South Carolina: Lane Kiffin had it wrong: We all pump our own gas. The Gamecocks, though, aren't letting go of the Tennessee coach's alleged comment in the offseason regarding recruit Alshon Jeffery. Told he'd "wind up pumping gas" if he committed to South Carolina, Jeffrey did just that. Uh, going to South Carolina not pumping gas.
"I didn't find no humor in that at all," Carolina receiver Moe Brown told reporters. "Actually, I took it personally."
That's bad news for the Vols as they face the streaking Gamecocks, who are 6-2 for only the second time since 2001.
"I'm a South Carolina native as well as a student. ...," Brown added. "I'm a 3.2 [GPA] finance and marketing major. I feel like I'm very intelligent and the last thing I'm going to be doing is pumping gas after I get through with the university here."
Can't spell blowout without UT?
Scouting the Nation
As you are: Alabama is off. Florida and Texas have formidable tests away from home. The truth remains, though, that for Armageddon to occur, we need two of the top three to lose down the stretch. By Armageddon we mean the entry of Iowa, Cincinnati, TCU or Boise State into the national championship race. They're all nice stories but they aren't a factor until two of the big boys lose.
No Rotund Women: There's a T-shirt that puts it more succinctly but that's not why we're here. Mike Leach is attempting to deflect attention away from his slumping team by going politically incorrect.
We were reminded this week by The Pirate that Texas Tech's "fat little girlfriends" are the reason the Red Raiders were distracted in an embarrassing loss to Texas A&M. Hard to blame all those players for Tech being 5-3 eight games into the season for the seventh time in Leach's 10 seasons. The only constant is the coach.
Kansas tries to make it 5-4 for the underachieving little Raiders.
Spur Dog vs. Monte: It's a play-calling summit when South Carolina's Spurrier meets Tennessee's Monte Kiffin in a battle of two of the game's best-ever play callers. Tennessee's defense has gone 133 minutes and eight quarters without allowing an offensive touchdown while South Carolina hasn't rushed for more than 128 yards in an SEC game this season.
Navy-Temple: Might be the best game below the BCS line this week. Both teams are on five-game winning streaks. Temple is the only undefeated MAC East team in conference play. Navy, 6-2, has to win seven to go bowling because it plays 13 this year. The last time Temple won six in a row was 1973.
Favoring LeFevour: Where has Tim Tebow gone? He has inhabited the body of Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour, who has thrown for 16 touchdowns and rushed for nine more. If the Chips can win at Boston College, they should enter the polls and have a chance to finish 11-1.
Fifty years ago: On Oct. 31, 1959, LSU's Billy Cannon returned a punt 89 yards to beat Ole Miss 7-3. The play is largely regarded as one of the seminal points in SEC history as Cannon won the Heisman in 1959. Ole Miss didn't lose again for more than two years.
Rock on, Billy.
