My Oh., my

By Cory McCartney, SI.com

Is this the type of uninspiring play we have to look forward to if Chris "Beanie" Wells can't go vs. USC next Saturday? Ohio State's offense looked anemic, its defense vapid -- and it all came against a MAC team that was a 33-point underdog.

In the end, the Buckeyes' talent and depth won out as they survived Ohio with a 26-14 victory, but Saturday's performance was alarming with that much-anticipated showdown with the top-ranked Trojans looming. Ohio State has a history of taking MAC teams lightly (beating Marshall 24-21 in 2004, Bowling Green 24-17 in '03 and Akron 28-14 in '01), but in those other slim wins, OSU had never been ranked third in the nation, had never struggled so much on both sides of the ball and never had so much riding on the next week's game.

Ohio State trailed the Bobcats for most of the game until early in the fourth quarter with the offense unable to establish a running game without its Heisman contender. The absence of Beanie seemed to take a toll on the unit as a whole. Todd Boeckman passed for 111 yards and no touchdowns and he bumbled a snap into the Buckeyes end zone that gave Ohio a 14-6 lead in the third quarter.

The Buckeyes finally restored order in the fourth quarter with a rushing touchdown from Brandon Saine and a punt return touchdown by Ray Small, which gave Ohio State the final 12-point advantage. But three quarters of struggles vs. a MAC team doesn't bode well for a team with aspirations of winning a national title.

It did come as a surprise that Jim Tressel didn't utilize freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who supplied some punch in the opening win over Youngstown State. But Tressel's not one to step away from the conservative route, and that meant riding his fifth-year senior at QB and hoping his offense simply woke up. Pryor appeared in one series in the first quarter and didn't see the field again until Ohio State was up by 12.

While the offense was bound to lose some of its firepower without Beanie, the defense seemed to just get caught taking a bunch of guys who weren't recruited by the state's mother school too lightly.

The nation's top-ranked D from a year ago had trouble bottling up Ohio's spread and its dual-threat quarterback Boo Jackson. The spread has been Ohio State's Achilles' heel of late -- most famously against Florida in the national championship two seasons ago -- and it's made their pass rush almost non-existent (they had just two sacks today).

Ohio State's defense eventually came through, thanks to some Bobcats miscues. Jackson had a pass intercepted by James Laurinaitis in the middle of the fourth and the Ohio quarterback just couldn't hook up with his receivers in the clutch.

It's still a win and it still sets up the Game of the Year (for now) in L.A., but this performance wasn't the statement the Buckeyes were looking to make. Last we saw of the Trojans, they were lambasting a Virginia team that won nine games in 2007. Today's performance by the Buckeyes is a definite cause for concern. If the OSU team that put up just 287 total yards of offense against Ohio is the team that shows up in the Coliseum, things will get far uglier than they did against the Bobcats.

USC QB Sanchez finds it's hard to pass opening stats

By Scott Wolf

Could it all be downhill from here for USC quarterback Mark Sanchez?

Perhaps not, but Trojans coach Pete Carroll said the junior might not surpass his performance against Virginia.

"I don't know how much better he will play statistically than the first game," Carroll said. "He completed 70 percent of his passes."

Sanchez completed 26 of 35passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns with one interception.

He couldn't even duplicate that effort against the USC scout team Friday morning, when he threw two interceptions.

"One was a bad decision and the other was a great play on the tipped ball (by nose tackle Jurrell Casey)," Sanchez said. "I was not nearly as sharp as I normally am. Today was not my best day. I'll take responsibility."

The first team barely defeated the scout team 10-7. Several starters rested, including linebackers Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing along with safeties Taylor Mays and Kevin Ellison.

On the plus side, Sanchez threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Patrick Turner near the conclusion of the workout.

"That's an incredible post- corner route where he hit Patrick Turner," Carroll said.

Carroll also praised Casey, a freshman from Long Beach Poly.

"He was the MVP today. He started out fast in camp and then got worn down and didn't do much," Carroll said. "But he lost 10 pounds and we're going to play him."

Sanchez said he would go home to Mission Viejo this weekend with DVDs of Ohio State games.

"We don't need the rest but we'll take it," Sanchez said.

Sanchez will practice more times before the Ohio State game than the season-opener against Virginia, because he was injured and returned about a week before the game. On the road

Carroll planned to attend three high school games Friday, starting with the LosAngeles Jordan-Locke game.

Assistant coach Todd McNair flew to Tulsa, Okla., to watch tailback David Oku, rated as the No. 1 all-purpose back in the country by Rivals.com. Offensive line coach Pat Ruel flew to Arizona, where highly regarded defensive end Devon Kennard lists USC as one of his favorites. Assistant coach Dave Watson attended several games in the Inland Empire. Weekend warning

Carroll gave his usual speech to the Trojans about avoiding trouble with the weekend off.

"This is a long break here," he said. "We have to do it well. We made a big deal about these days and using them. We lose control of the guys for a couple days."

Some players, like fullback Stanley Havili, are going home.

"I need to get away," said Havili, who is from Utah.

The script in Ohio features a Vested interest

By David Wharton
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The old football coach flashes a look of incredulity, wincing, like you just don't understood.

So you try again: Is the USC game really that important to Ohio State fans?

"What are you talking about?" Earle Bruce says. "We know what this game means."

The former Buckeyes coach still lives in Columbus and hears the buzz around town, the talk that started months ago. The early schedule -- Youngstown State last week and Ohio today -- seems incidental.

"It's almost like, let's get through these first two weeks and get to Week 3," said Matt McCoy, sports director at local radio station WTVN. "That game's been circled for a long time."

No. 1 versus No. 3. Pac-10 versus Big Ten.

By numbers alone, next Saturday's USC-Ohio State matchup at the Coliseum looks like the game of the season, but numbers explain only part of the hype. You have to understand what football means to fans in this city by the Olentangy River.

"I mean, it's everything," said Buckeyes kicker Ryan Pretorius, a transplanted South African who has come to know the ways of the scarlet and gray. "It's a part of their life. Come Saturday, it's what everyone in Ohio does."

Add to this fervor a hunger for redemption.

The Buckeyes faithful have heard rumblings from around the college football world. Their team doesn't play a tough enough nonconference schedule. The Big Ten isn't what it used to be.

They know what outsiders think of Ohio State's two consecutive trips to the national championship game and two blowout losses to Southeastern Conference opponents.

"Everyone's talking about how we can't win," says Matt Lucas, who owns a fan shop a few blocks from Ohio Stadium. "How we can't beat the good teams."

USC offers a chance to prove the naysayers wrong.

Earlier this summer, none other than Carson Palmer -- the former Trojan and current Cincinnati Bengals quarterback -- stoked the fires with blunt comments on a Los Angeles radio show.

"I cannot stand the Buckeyes and having to live in Ohio and hear those people talk about their team, it drives me absolutely nuts," he told KLAC, adding: "I just can't wait for this game to get here so they can come out to the Coliseum and experience L.A. and get an old-fashioned, Pac-10 butt-whupping."

Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel stood up for Palmer, saying he clearly loves his alma mater, but the good people of Columbus were not so forgiving. As radio director McCoy explained: "He took it to another level."

The thing is, Palmer made a good point. This isn't just a game, it's a clash of cultures. Football cultures.

It's Will Ferrell and Snoop Dogg hanging around the Trojans while the Buckeyes get an occasional visit from the country band Rascal Flatts.

It's Pete Carroll tossing footballs around Howard Jones Field versus Tressel in his proper spectacles and sweater vest. (Local stores sell merchandise bearing the logo "Fear the Vest.")

It's USC inviting the whole world to practice while the Buckeyes train in secret, sending a select few players outside to speak with reporters afterward.

"I don't know if I'd like the media all around," Ohio State tight end Rory Nicol said. "The more people who come in from the outside, the more chance you have of being influenced."

Reporters and cameramen swarmed the Buckeyes' modern football complex this week, looking for any information that might leak out regarding tailback Chris Wells and his much-publicized right foot.

Was it the sole of his foot? The toe? Did it hurt or was it merely sore? Just as important, would he recover by Sept. 13?

"Everyone asks about him," linebacker Marcus Freeman said. "You get people who have said, 'Just tell him to sit out and wait till USC.' "

Though the Buckeyes spent the week preparing for Ohio, there was no keeping the Trojans out of the conversation.

Radio talk shows buzzed and the local newspaper ran daily reports. The hottest-selling item at Lucas' store was a red T-shirt bearing the words: "Beat USC."

Even the players, supposedly focused on the task at hand, found themselves evaluating the Trojans' performance against Virginia. Tressel mused about the challenge of not looking ahead.

"We'd all be lying if we didn't talk about being excited about Southern Cal," he said.

It made perfect sense to Bruce. The old coach, who hosts a weekly call-in show on the radio, went so far as to compare next weekend's game to the blood feud with Michigan.

"We're playing U-S-C," he said. "This is serious business."

USC will watch Ohio State-Ohio game for quarterback clues

By David Wharton
Time Staff Writer

USC coaches and players will watch Ohio State's game against cross-state rival Ohio University today with an eye on the quarterback situation.

Fifth-year senior Todd Boeckman starts for the Buckeyes but, if last week is any indication, he will be spelled by freshman Terrelle Pryor.

Boeckman is a classic drop-back passer, and Pryor is more mobile.

"When Pryor's in, it's runs for him and quarterback draws," USC middle linebacker Rey Maualuga said. "We're going to have a big emphasis about which quarterback is in."

In their season opener against Youngstown State last week, the Buckeyes did not wait long to debut the new guy, sending him in on the third series. Pryor completed a short pass on his first play, leading a drive that ended with a field goal.

He completed four of six passes for 35 yards and rushed nine times for 52 yards, scoring a touchdown on the ground.

"The thing you don't like for any of those young guys when you put them in there is to go in there and have a tough first experience and then all of a sudden lose some confidence," Coach Jim Tressel said. "So I'd hoped he would go in and learn some lessons, do some things, have some fun, and I think he did all of the above."

Rotating quarterbacks present a challenge to USC defensive coaches as they devise a game plan for the Trojans' matchup with the Buckeyes on Sept. 13. Watching the game Saturday or reviewing videotape Sunday, they will look for when and how Ohio State uses Boeckman and Pryor.

"We want to see if they stay consistent," secondary coach Rocky Seto said. "They have so much personnel, they can do a lot of good stuff."

USC coaches head off to recruit; players take a break

By Gary Klein and David Wharton
Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

After delivering a star-making performance in top-ranked USC's opener against Virginia, quarterback Mark Sanchez is eager to keep the momentum going.

But with an open date today, coaches instructed Sanchez and his teammates to remain truly idle and not work out.

"We don't need the rest, but we'll take it," Sanchez said after an early-morning practice Friday. "We'll be able to sit down and relax this weekend and watch a lot of football."

Many eyes will be on third-ranked Ohio State, which plays Ohio today and then visits the Coliseum next week.

"We'll keep them on our mind," Sanchez said.

Defensive lineman Clay Matthews planned to track his brother, Casey, in Oregon's game against Utah State. He also will watch his cousin, Kevin, play for Texas A&M against New Mexico.

Offensive lineman Butch Lewis has other plans.

"Sleep!" he said.

Sanchez will attempt to relax, but he is returning home to Mission Viejo armed with a DVD of Ohio State action.

On Friday, during a lively scrimmage between starters and reserves, freshman defensive lineman Jurrell Casey intercepted a Sanchez pass and returned it for a touchdown. Walk-on linebacker Ross Cumming also had an interception.

"Oh man, not my best day," said Sanchez, who recovered from the miscues and made an outstanding throw to receiver Patrick Turner for a touchdown.

Coach Pete Carroll, pointing to the two-minute drill that Sanchez engineered for the touchdown, said the quarterback will benefit in subtle ways from having two weeks of preparation for Ohio State.

Sanchez said a sense of urgency will come next week.

"All the studying and hard work we put in the week before is going to pay off so we can practice even faster," he said.

Parting words

As coaches raced from practice to begin a big weekend of recruiting, Carroll counseled players to avoid situations that could lead to trouble.

"We lose control of the guys for a couple days here, so hopefully Rule No. 1 is in effect: Everybody's got mindfulness and consciousness about our team," Carroll said.

Senior linebacker Rey Maualuga expected most teammates to go out.

"Everyone's still young. Everyone's going to go and have fun," he said. "But we've got to take care of each other."

Maualuga planned to play watchdog.

"I've been in that situation. I messed up here and there, but I grew up from it," he said. "I learned from it, and I'm going to make sure nobody else messes up."

Gaining experience

Carroll was pleased with the Trojans' work this week, especially the play of backup linebackers, safeties and young offensive linemen.

"Nothing dramatic turned for anybody, but we got guys closer to playing," Carroll said.

Casey, who is listed at 6 feet 1 and 280 pounds, played in the opener against Virginia and could take on a larger role as the season progresses.

"He started out real fast in camp, then got worn down and didn't do much for about 10 days," Carroll said.

"He's starting to come back around. . . . We're going to get him in there and see if he can help us."

Wells watch

Ohio State running back Chris Wells will not play against Ohio because of a foot injury suffered against Youngstown State, but Carroll expects him to play against the Trojans.

"We're not worrying over it," Carroll said. "We're just figuring he's going to play and we're going to get their best shot."

USC's receivers get big confidence boost

By Gary Klein
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

One game does not qualify as a turnaround.

But after an impressive drop-free performance in their opener, USC receivers are confident that the criticism that dogged the unit last season is behind them.

Damian Williams, Patrick Turner, Vidal Hazelton and Ronald Johnson each made outstanding catches against Virginia. The receivers intend to continue their momentum next week against Ohio State and beyond.

"It's going to be throughout the whole season," Hazelton said Thursday.

Williams, the Arkansas transfer, debuted with a team-high seven receptions, Turner caught a touchdown pass and Hazelton had five catches before suffering an ankle sprain.

Johnson, however, was the greatest revelation.

The speedy sophomore from Michigan acknowledged stadium-sized anxiety when a ball thrown by quarterback Mark Sanchez hung in the air for what seemed like eternity before descending toward him in the end zone.

"I was like, 'Wow . . . If I don't catch this I'm going to get heckled the rest of my life,' " Johnson said.

Johnson hauled in the pass, double-clutching the ball before he secured it, completing a 49-yard scoring play. The touchdown fueled USC's rout and signaled perhaps the return of a deep threat that was absent from the Trojans' offense most of the last two seasons.

But for all the attention the third-quarter play received, Johnson's earlier reception on a slant route and a leaping grab along the sideline marked bigger steps for a player who caught only seven passes and scored one touchdown last season.

"That catch over the middle gave me more courage," Johnson said. "I want to make it so that to go over the middle is like second nature.

"On the sideline play, that was a hard ball and Mark put it out there for me to get it. I want to be a playmaker, and I came through."

After the game, Coach Pete Carroll said of the receivers, "We're much different from where we were at last season at this time."

Johnson does not disagree.

"Last year, it was not really in my mind-set," he said of making tough catches. "I am now. I got involved more in the middle and that opened my eyes that I can catch it."

Wells watch

Ohio State tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells, who suffered a foot injury last week against Youngstown State, will not play on Saturday against Ohio, Buckeyes Coach Jim Tressel said.

Wells' status for the USC game remains uncertain, but Trojans players anticipate that he will play.

Green day

After coaches instructed Broderick Green to leave the dancing behind and play to his strength, the redshirt freshman tailback from Arkansas responded Thursday with perhaps his best practice performance to date.

The 6-foot-2, 235-pound Green rumbled for several long gains and got the best of a collision with linebacker Rey Maualuga. Carroll said he instructed Green to be "The Hammer."

"He maybe got caught up in trying to be like the other guys a little bit -- everybody's got the quicks," Carroll said, referring to the Trojans' other five tailbacks. "He's got the big body and the big shoulders that can allow him to be that kind of player."

Quick kicks

The Trojans will practice today at 7 a.m., so that coaches can use the weekend to recruit. . . . Carroll said there was no word on the status of defensive lineman Nick Perry and running back Curtis McNeal, who signed letters of intent in February but are still trying to gain NCAA certification and admission. The deadline for admittance is the end of next week. "Those two guys are in overtime right now," Carroll said. . . . Freshman tackle Tyron Smith continued to work with the first-team offense with hope of developing depth if he is needed this season. "He's an extraordinary athlete at the position, as special as anybody we've had physically at his spot," Carroll said.

USC's Allen Bradford ready for a starring role

By Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Now that he is developing a role as a power back in USC's tailback rotation, Allen Bradford is about to take a star turn.

Coach Pete Carroll said Wednesday that along with his regular repetitions with the first-unit offense, Bradford would likely serve as a model for Ohio State's Chris"Beanie" Wells when the top-ranked Trojans begin focused preparations for the third-ranked Buckeyes.

Bradford, a 5-foot-11, 225-pound junior, had a career-high nine carries, scored a touchdown and caught two passes in the Trojans' 52-7 season-opening rout at Virginia.

Wells, 6-1 and 237 pounds, suffered a foot injury in the Buckeyes' victory over Youngstown State. It is doubtful that he will play on Saturday against Ohio, especially with the Sept. 13 game against USC looming.

Ohio State officials remained evasive about Wells' status.

"Is he injured or does he just have some pain he can play through?" running backs coach Dick Tressel said Wednesday.

If Wells does not play on Saturday, the Buckeyes would probably use four running backs.

"If I could get each of them about 15 carries, I'd have a good weekend," Tressel said.

Tressel might want to call Todd McNair.

In 2005, McNair divvied up the opportunities -- and psychological strokes -- between Reggie Bush and LenDale White nearly to perfection, both tailbacks going into the regular-season finale with the same amount of carries.

Against Virginia, the Trojans mainly played four tailbacks. All touched the ball between nine and 11 times.

Along with Bradford's 11 touches, sophomore Joe McKnight rushed six times and caught four passes. Sophomore C.J. Gable and junior Stafon Johnson each had nine carries.

Together, they produced 202 rushing yards, 39 yards receiving and four touchdowns.

"I've got a good feel for that stuff," McNair said of his knack for dividing carries equally.

But was it enough to keep all of them happy?

"The score says it all, so it was enough for me," McKnight said after the game on Saturday.

Bradford, the odd man out last season, agreed.

"It's good to get the chance to show what I can do," he said.

McNair will attempt to continue the delicate balancing act as the Trojans prepare for Ohio State. The coach wants to keep his charges happy, but did not rule out going mainly with one or two players with a hot hand.

"The main thing," he said, "is win the game."

After two years of waiting for his turn, Bradford is happy to finally figure in McNair's equation.

"He told me, 'When it's time to pound the rock, I'm going to put you in there,' " Bradford said.

Staying mindful

USC has an open date on Saturday, but quarterback Mark Sanchez is preparing as if Ohio State is coming to town a week early.

"I'm thinking about them every day, trying to prepare like were playing . . . like we're suiting up and playing at 5 o'clock just like we will the week after," Sanchez said.

Quick kicks

Senior guard Jeff Byers said he wore padding on his left hand to protect a broken ring finger he suffered a few weeks ago. . . . As per the bye-week plan to play younger players, freshman Tyron Smith worked with the first-team offense at left tackle. . . . Freshman cornerback T.J. Bryant, who had shoulder surgery in the off-season, has been cleared for full contact, Carroll said. . . . Freshman offensive lineman Matt Kalil suffered a knee strain on Tuesday and did not practice. . . . A contingent of Trojans football players is scheduled to visit USC Women's and Children's Hospital today.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

USC leaps over Georgia, Ohio State into No. 1 spot

NEW YORK -- By staying away from the cupcakes, Southern California earned itself a slim new ranking.

No. 1 always seems to fit USC.

Southern California jumped two spots to No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 on Tuesday, rewarded by voters for opening the season with a dominant performance on the road against a BCS conference opponent.

Georgia and Ohio State, the preseason Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, started their seasons with glorified scrimmages at home against FCS (formerly I-AA) teams. USC, however, traveled across country to face Virginia and could not have been more impressive in a 52-7 victory.

Georgia fell to No. 2 and Ohio State to No. 3.

"We realize that rankings so early in a season are certainly fluid. But rankings do help establish a pecking order for things later in the season," USC coach Pete Carroll said in a statement. "As for moving into the No. 1 spot, it's nice to know that people think highly of our team."

Since reaching No. 1 on Dec. 7, 2003, the final-regular season AP poll of that season, USC has been No. 1 in 39 polls, by far the most of any team during that time.

"Some have said the voters are taking our schedule into consideration," Carroll said. "Our philosophy has always been to schedule outstanding opponents. We need to play challenging games like we just did, traveling across the country to open the season at Virginia. Games like that bring out our best and make us stronger as a team."

The latest voting was close. USC received 21 first-place votes and 1,539 points from the 65-member media panel. Georgia had 20 first-place votes and 1,506 points. Ohio State got 15 first-place votes and 1,497 points.

"I'd say we've evolved as pollsters," said Stewart Mandel of SI.com, who moved USC up to No. 1. "In the past, voters just kind of automatically moved teams up and kept teams where they were if they won."

Georgia beat Georgia Southern 45-21 on Saturday and Ohio State opened with a 43-0 win over Youngstown State.

"There's a bit of a growing backlash for the amount of teams that open with I-AA cupcakes," said Mandel, whose book "Bowls, Polls and Tattered Souls" chronicles college football's controversies. "To see a team [USC] go on the road and play a New Year's Day bowl team from last season, and not only play them but destroy them, how could you not reward that team?"

USC also jumped past Georgia to No. 1 in the USA Today coaches' poll, which has the same top five as the AP poll.

"It's definitely a privilege to be No. 1. But it's not heartbreaking to me if we drop," Georgia offensive lineman Chris Davis said. "It doesn't matter right now what we're ranked. What matters is our next game and right now, that's Central Michigan. The only time the polls matter is in December. That's when the polls matter."

While the Bulldogs opened easy, their schedule ultimately should be as difficult as any team's. Georgia's big nonconference test is at No. 15 Arizona State on Sept. 20. The Bulldogs also face six Southeastern Conference rivals that've been ranked in the first two polls.

As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes play at USC on Sept. 13 before getting into the Big Ten schedule.

But of the teams in this week's top 10, USC and Texas are the only ones that don't play an FCS opponent, and the Trojans are the only team that doesn't play a team from a non-BCS conference.

The last team to drop from No. 1 after a victory was USC last season. LSU jumped from No. 2 to No. 1 when it beat Tulane 34-9, the same week the Trojans edged Washington 27-24 on the road.

The last preseason No. 1 team to lose the top spot after winning its opening game was Florida in 2001. The Gators beat Marshall 49-14, but preseason No. 2 Miami opened with a 33-7 victory over Penn State and the Hurricanes jumped to No. 1 with Florida slipping to second.

The next four teams in the new Top 25 stayed the same: No. 4 Oklahoma (two first-place votes), No. 5 Florida (five first-place votes), No. 6 Missouri (one first-place vote), No. 7 LSU (one first-place vote) and No. 8 West Virginia.

No. 9 Auburn and No. 10 Texas each moved up a spot, taking advantage of Clemson's big drop. Clemson, ninth in the preseason, fell out after losing 34-10 to Alabama on Saturday.

Also falling out after losses were Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Tennessee.

Moving into the rankings were No. 21 Fresno State, No. 22 Utah, No. 23 UCLA and No. 24 South Carolina.

Alabama moved up 11 spots after its big victory over Clemson.

The second 10 started with No. 11 Wisconsin, followed by Texas Tech, Alabama and Kansas. BYU and Arizona State were tied for 15th. Rivals BYU and Utah are both ranked for the first time since 1996.

South Florida was No. 17, ahead of Oregon, Penn State and Wake Forest at No. 20.

The final five were all the teams to move into the ranking, except for Illinois, which dropped four spots and tied South Carolina for No. 24.

A Trojan explosion

By Arash Markazi, SI.com

Mark Sanchez jumped up and down and ran around the field during practice last week to prove that he had fully recovered from his dislocated right knee and could start the season opener against Virginia. Sanchez wouldn't have to use that much energy to show how healthy he was in a surprisingly easy 52-7 win over the Cavaliers on Sunday.

In leading USC on three straight touchdown drives to start the game, Sanchez was given so much time in the pocket that he probably would have been just as effective dropping back with the crutches he used after his injury.

Then again, it isn't hard being an effective quarterback when all you have to do is drop the ball into the hands of Stafon Johnson, Joe McKnight, C.J. Gable and Allen Bradford -- the Trojans' talented quartet of tailbacks who all scored and combined for 200 yards rushing. For good measure, Marc Tyler, who would be a starter on most teams but finds himself as a fifth-stringer in the Trojans' crowded backfield, scored a 10-yard touchdown at the end of the game.

Sanchez, who finished with 338 yards on 26-of-35 passing for three touchdowns, moved around effortlessly in the pocket. Coaches opened up the playbook for him in the second half after staying fairly conservative in the first. He began the third quarter with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Turner before connecting with Ronald Johnson on a 49-yard score where he actually eluded a rare pass rusher that had broken through USC's offensive line.

USC's defense lived up to its preseason hype, holding Virginia to only one first quarter touchdown. The Trojans allowed just 185 total yards and forced three turnovers, handing the Cavaliers their worst loss since 1987.

While the Trojans were expected to prevail somewhat easily, the manner in which they won was certainly a surprise. The consensus from most coming into the season was that USC would likely be a defensive, field-position team early on, leaning heavily on its experienced defense to win some close games as Sanchez and many of the inexperienced offensive starters around him grew into their new roles. After USC rolled up 52 points and 555 yards in the season opener, it's apparent the learning curve for the offense came quicker (like during pregame warm-ups) than most predicted.

Five Things We Learned

By Stewart Mandel, SI.com

I realize the weekend's not over yet, but hey -- this thing's a Sunday tradition.

1. That the ACC will not surrender its punch-line status. Another year, another glorious start for the nation's wannabe superconference. It began Thursday night with N.C. State's nationally televised 34-0 shellacking at the hands of South Carolina and continued Saturday with Virginia Tech (11-3 a year ago) falling to East Carolina, Virginia (9-4) losing 52-7 at home to USC and of course league favorite Clemson laying a colossal egg against Alabama in front of a national, prime-time audience.

However, the biggest blunder in ACC country Saturday took place in the sky. A pair of parachuters who were slated to deliver the game ball for North Carolina's opener against McNeese State inadvertently landed eight miles away -- at Duke's stadium. "In about five years," said concerned UNC associate AD Rick Steinbacher, "maybe this will be funny."

Oh no -- it's plenty funny right now.

2. That Alabama may have the next Glenn Dorsey on its hands. Tide fans spent the offseason drooling in anticipation over the arrival of freshman WR Julio Jones, and while Jones did not disappoint in his debut, the truly astonishing newcomer was defensive tackle Terrence Cody. Clemson's offensive line had no answer for the freakish 6-foot-5, 365-pound junior college transfer, who could be seen storming into the Tigers' backfield over and over. Clemson's vaunted rushing attack netted zero -- yes, zero -- total yards.

With such a rare combination of size and speed, Cody -- who, as legend has it, began the year nearly 30 pounds heavier yet could be seen on the basketball court "dunking and doing 360s with the ball," Tide center Antoine Caldwell said this summer -- looks like the same kind of one-man wrecking crew as the former LSU star. Foes will have no choice to double or triple-team him, which, in 'Bama's 3-4 scheme, frees up all kinds of gaps for the linebackers.

3. That Mark Sanchez will be just fine, thank you. Technically, Sanchez was not a first-time starter -- he filled in for the injured John David Booty in three games last season - but Saturday's Virginia game was the junior's first as "the man" for USC. All he did was torch the Cavaliers for 338 yards and three touchdowns on 26-of-35 passing.

The most encouraging aspect of Sanchez's performance was that it included several deep balls to his receivers (albeit mostly after USC had built a comfortable first-half lead), an area in which the Trojans were sorely lacking last season. He hit Ronald Johnson for a 49-yard touchdown and Patrick Turner for a 42-yard gain, while Arkansas transfer Damian Williams finished as USC's leading receiver (seven catches, 91 yards). One word: Scary.

4. That I picked the wrong Pac-10 surprise team. There's nothing like sticking your neck on the line, putting your faith in a team that nobody else deemed remotely fit to be ranked in the Top 25 -- then watch that team lose its opening game to Stanford. Thanks, Beavers.

But it may well be that losing to Stanford is longer the indignity it once was. The buzz over the offseason was that Jim Harbaugh's team is steadily improving, and it's been a long, long time since the Cardinal ran the ball the way they did Thursday night. Toby Gerhart, who gained 140 yards in his lone performance last season prior to suffering a season-ending knee injury, carried 19 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns. If he and the offensive line keep it up, look for Stanford to reach its first bowl game since 2001.

5. That the injury gods are not smiling on Georgia. If this is to be the storybook, national-title season Dawgs fans have been dreaming about since January, they're going to have to defy one of the sport's long-held assumptions: That the breaks have to go your way. Having already lost starting left tackle Trinton Sturdivant for the year with a preseason ACL tear, the nation's No. 1 team watched starting DT and senior leader Jeff Owens go down with his own knee injury a quarter into the Dawgs' season opener against Georgia Southern. While an MRI is still pending, the Atlanta Journal Constitution says Owens is likely out for the season.

While Owens was a productive player, Georgia is fairly stacked at defensive line. Still, this is hardly the type of stuff you associate with dream seasons, especially for a team that is already facing the nation's most daunting schedule.

Of course, Owens' injury may wind up seeming like a drop in the hat compared to the injury vigil currently taking place with the nation's No. 2 team.

Pac-10: What we learned

Five lessons from Week 1.

1) USC is (again) a national title contender: QB Mark Sanchez hardly looked like he suffered a knee injury just a few weeks ago. Against Virginia, he looked like a Heisman Trophy candidate. Meanwhile, all the questions -- the underachieving WRs, the surfeit of RBs, the rebuilt OL -- each answered its respective questions resoundingly. The defense? Oh my.

2) Oregon's defense might be the equal of its offense, no matter who plays quarterback: Speaking of defense, Oregon's got one. Washington welcomed back a veteran offensive line and QB Jake Locker, but they managed just 95 yards rushing and 10 points -- zero in the second half in the Ducks' 44-10 blowout.

3) California coach Jeff Tedford picked the right QB: Kevin Riley won a close competition over Nate Longshore in the preseason, but it wasn't close against Michigan State. Riley completed 17 of 24 for 202 yards with two TDs and no interceptions in the Bears' 38-31 win. Longshore threw two picks on five attempts, one on the Spartans' goal line and another that was returned for a TD.

4) Stanford is no longer a Pac-10 patsy: The Cardinal is now 1-0 in the Pac-10 with a solid 36-28 win over Oregon State, despite being outgained 490 to 301. Stanford played smart and took advantage of the myriad mistakes from the Beavers, and the long-woeful running game showed signs of life with Toby Gerhart leading the charge with 147 yards on 19 carries and a pair of TDs.

5) Washington coach Tyrone Willingham is in trouble: The Huskies looked overwhelmed in the opener at Oregon. They couldn't run the ball. The rebuilt defense broke down against the run and pass and looked slow. Where was all the speed that Willingham was supposed to be recruiting? The critics will be out this week, and the schedule certainly doesn't get any easier.

USC's Pete Carroll teaches another lesson

T.J. Simers

August 31, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- I'm here in the Commonwealth with Uncle Pete, and right from the start it's obvious this isn't going to be a fair fight.

Everyone says the grounds here are so pretty, so historic, and while I haven't set my eyes yet on the Wahoos, I've seen Katie Couric's bedroom, a blind Homer with his naked student guide and T.J.'s rotunda, and USC can trump it all with one stop to Heritage Hall.

USC has the Duke in bronze, and nobody beats John Wayne.

There's nothing like four hours on the road before a USC kickoff these days, the oddsmakers and most everyone else knowing the opposition doesn't have a chance, so what else is there to see?

They have a bunch of buildings here surrounding the Lawn, which looks more like an unkempt fairway at a public golf course.

Ran into USC fan Gary Capata, the mayor of the city of Laguna Niguel, and he suggested ripping up the Lawn and putting down synthetic grass like they've done in Laguna Niguel. Just what we need, another civil war.

Couric got her start here living on the edge of the Lawn -- in Room 26, a 6-by-6 cell, which probably explains why she's still trying to break free as a news anchor. Edgar Allan Poe also lived here, and for all we know someone is locked in his room and still trying to break free.

Thomas Jefferson, the original T.J., founded this place and was also a writer known to irritate folks. He initiated the "Academical Village," leaving someone else to come up with the "training table," which tells you how little they think about football here.

USC rallies around Tommy Trojan; the Virginia Wahoos, or Hoos as they like to call themselves, have a statue of a naked teenager with harp in hand sitting at the feet of Homer. That might do wonders for the Virginia harp team, but not sure about the football team.

And the football team had high hopes too, but after weeks of practice was left splattered across the field before more than 60,000 orange-clad fans.

Uncle Pete will do that to you. In the last six years, he's ruined the start of the season for six schools, winning by an average of 25 points a game.

He's also not opposed to making a mockery of your football school in the second game -- note to Ohio State -- winning all six by an average of 32 points a game.

"Every game is a championship game," said Carroll, his philosophy no different for Ohio State than Virginia, and just maybe USC's edge.

"We don't ever try to play great in games. We try to play to our capabilities and do it every game. That's why we can go across the country into a hostile environment and play so well. We don't care where the score goes; we just play."

Maybe so, but with the score standing at 45-7, they played "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" in the stadium, and so the Trojans added yet another touchdown.

They did as they pleased all day long, Carroll making the case afterward they now have something in Mark Sanchez they haven't had since Matt Leinart. As if USC was in need of yet another asset.

"He can strike deep in a heartbeat, and we haven't had that in the last few years," Carroll said. "John David Booty was very conservative and that was fine, but Mark has that attitude to just seize it. He had two deep ball opportunities and hit them both."

The Trojans are loaded on defense, and although some might think Carroll would prefer a conservative quarterback and let his defense dictate the terms of surrender, he said, "No, no, no.

"Mark has unusual qualities, and our job as coaches when you have someone with unusual qualities is to bring those qualities to the forefront."

Hard to find fault with anything the Trojans did, but as Carroll said, "We're not putting ourselves in the Hall of Fame. To go crazy like that would be wrong."

In fact some experts have suggested USC lacks the experience Ohio State packs, and although they concede the Trojans might win such a game later in the year, they believe USC won't be ready early on.

"Were we ready today?" Carroll shot back.

But Ohio State has so many returning starters . . .

"Look at history; it doesn't make a whole lot of difference," he said, and now that's the kind of history worth noting.

Around here they make a historical big deal about the rotunda that T.J. built, a statue of him standing prominently inside, and the place burned down something like 50 years after he died and then had to be rebuilt.

Where's the statue of the guy who rebuilt it?

As Carroll knows so well with the Ohio State game next, it's what have you done for us lately.

IT'S TRUE, I was wearing a "Virginia" T-shirt, and several Trojans fans had something to say about it, unaware it's my wife's name. As soon as I explained it to USC fan Rebecca Tsujimoto, she said, "This way you can keep your wife close to your heart all day."

If you're waiting for a punch line, forget it. I'm headed home.

USC has no speed limit

By David Wharton
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

August 31, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Quiet voices. The occasional pause. The Virginia players acted as if they had just witnessed a train wreck.

The Cavaliers -- the ones who play on offense -- were trying to describe what it felt like to face the USC defense.

Again and again, they arrived at the same conclusion.

"Their speed was pretty unbelievable," quarterback Peter Lalich said.

Tailback Cedric Peerman agreed: "Speed everywhere."

Forget about schemes and stunts. In the moments after third-ranked USC's 52-7 victory Saturday afternoon, Virginia tight end John Phillips mused, "They were really fast."

Fast enough to pounce on three fumbles and intercept a Lalich pass.

Fast enough to limit Virginia to 32 yards rushing.

"The holes closed awfully fast," Coach Al Groh said. "Those two linebackers can really run and close space and the two safeties play like linebackers."

Linebacker Kaluka Maiava had six tackles, as did safety Taylor Mays and Clay Matthews, who shifted between rush end and linebacker. The Trojans recorded seven tackles for losses.

Not that Virginia was particularly surprised.

Defense was clearly USC's strength entering the fall. The Trojans returned seven starters from a unit that stood near the top of the national rankings in several categories last season.

After watching game film this summer, the Cavaliers had an idea about the aggressive schemes they might face, the blitzes and man-to-man coverage.

Figuring the Trojans would come after the sophomore Lalich -- which they surely did -- Virginia countered with the shotgun formation and quick slant routes.

"Gives him a little bit longer to look at things," Groh said.

The strategy worked . . . some of the time. Lalich completed about half of his passes and made some sharp plays. During a first-quarter scoring drive, he threw to receiver Maurice Covington on the sideline and beat the blitz with one of those slants to Phillips.

But the bright spots were few and far between for a quarterback who ended up with 155 yards passing, for a team that converted only two of 12 third-down plays.

As the running game stuttered and the points stacked up for USC, Lalich was forced to throw often. The USC rush smelled blood, sacking him twice and spending much of the afternoon in his face.

"He had to make those [passes] without having the opportunity to get much of a look at the defense," Groh said. "The pocket didn't hold up very long."

Lalich, for his part, refused to shift the blame to his linemen.

"We had a lot of open guys I should have hit," he said.

In particular, he mentioned lofting a third-quarter pass down the middle of the field where USC defenders literally fought each other to make the interception. Cornerback Kevin Thomas came down with the ball.

"At that point I was trying to do too much . . . trying to get a big gain," Lalich said. "I had an underneath guy open and I should have hit him."

His words sounded a bit dazed.

A few feet away, wide receiver Jared Green also struggled to put the game in context, saying he would need to look at film.

Asked about the USC defense, he said: "I don't know what to say about those guys . . . it was a tough game, man."

Mark Sanchez, USC click on all cylinders in victory over Virginia

By Gary Klein
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

August 31, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Bring on the Buckeyes.

USC coaches and players spent the entire off-season and training camp deflecting questions about their Sept. 13 game against Ohio State.

Their focus, they insisted, was on Saturday's opener against Virginia.

After traveling to the land of Thomas Jefferson, the third-ranked Trojans made a declaration that they are prepared for the second-ranked Buckeyes, and possibly more, by routing the Cavaliers, 52-7.

"Everything happened just right," Coach Pete Carroll said. "Too bad we let them score."

USC still has some areas to address before Ohio State and its scarlet-and-gray-clad legions descend upon the Coliseum in two weeks.

But Saturday's impressive display in front of a national television audience and stadium-record crowd of 64,947 offered Carroll plenty of reasons for optimism.

Quarterback Mark Sanchez erased any doubt that he had recovered from a knee injury, passing for three touchdowns and leading an offense that looked equally formidable on the ground and through the air. The defense, save for a couple of penalties, was as good as advertised, causing four turnovers.

Former USC running back LenDale White watchedthe Trojans manhandle the Cavaliers in a style that was similar to the national championship teams he played on in 2003 and 2004 and the high-flying 2005 team that reached the Bowl Championship Series title game.

"Bring on O-S-Who," he said.

USC players were more respectful, but they seemed relieved to finally turn their attention to a showdown that will jump-start the winner's drive to a possible championship-game appearance.

"The Coliseum is going to be rocking," Sanchez said while cradling a cellphone jammed with 68 congratulatory text messages.

Three weeks removed from a dislocated left kneecap, Sanchez more than answered the call against the Cavaliers. The fourth-year junior, clearly benefiting from the confidence and experience gained in three midseason starts in 2007, passed for a career-best 338 yards.

Sanchez, who completed 26 of 35 passes with one interception, dissected the Cavaliers with short, medium and long-range passes, keeping multiple plays alive by scrambling out of the pocket. His 10-yard touchdown pass to running back Joe McKnight in the first quarter and his 20-yard scoring strike to receiver Patrick Turner early in the second half set the stage for the reintroduction of the deep pass, a missing element in the Trojans' offense for most of the previous two seasons.

Sanchez's 49-yard third-quarter bomb to receiver Ronald Johnson gave the Trojans a 38-7 lead.

But it was Sanchez's moxie -- he threw an open-field block on a McKnight cutback run -- that drew raves.

"Mark brings energy," tailback Allen Bradford said.

So did Bradford, one of five tailbacks who scored touchdowns while amassing 218 team rushing yards.

By design, or perhaps luck, Bradford, C.J. Gable and Stafon Johnson all finished with nine carries. McKnight got six carries and caught four passes.

"Everybody got a chance to show what they can do, so we can keep it rolling," said Gable, who started the opener for the third year in a row and scored on a 33-yard, fourth-down run.

Most of the postgame talk in USC's locker room centered on the offensive line, which went into the game as the Trojans' biggest question mark. The unit, which features four new starters, did not yield a sack and paved the way for 558 yards of offense.

"We have huge shoes to fill, there's no question about that," senior guard Jeff Byers said. "We've still got work to do, but it's exciting to see these young guys and the offensive line pick it up."

A receivers corps that fell short of USC's recent standard last season also stepped up, Arkansas transfer Damian Williams leading the way with seven receptions.

"We're much different than where we were last year at this time," Carroll said of the receivers.

The Trojans as a whole looked pretty much as expected to Virginia Coach Al Groh, who watched his team fall behind 21-0 in the first quarter.

"We wanted to take a challenge against a team that is in a league of its own," Groh said. "We knew it was going to take a lot on our part to pull this off.

"To play as poorly as we played is not acceptable."

USC played well but still has some cleaning up to do before Ohio State arrives.

The Trojans were penalized seven times, McKnight fumbled a punt and several Sanchez passes were tipped or batted down.

But the Trojans mostly liked what they saw in their performance and intend to improve upon it over the next two weeks.

"More than making an impression for Ohio State, " safety Taylor Mays said, "we made an impression for ourselves."