Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

True freshman Matt Barkley will be USC's starting quarterback in the opener against San Jose State on Sept. 5, but it remains to be seen what happens after that, particularly at Ohio State the following weekend.

Sophomore Aaron Corp was named the No. 1 quarterback after spring practices and he seemed to be holding onto his lead during the early days of preseason camp. While Barkley owns a better arm, Corp made fewer mistakes and his speed also added an intriguing dimension.








AP Photo/Jae C. Hong



True freshman Matt Barkley got the nod as the Trojans' starting quarterback.



But Corp suffered a fracture of his left fibula on Aug. 10 and didn't return to practice until Tuesday. He's been fitted with a custom leg brace and hasn't fully recovered his mobility.
"Aaron has done a marvelous job of getting back from his injury," head coach Pete Carroll said on his Web site. "By next Saturday, we'd expect him to be ready to play if needed, but he's not ready yet. The competition will continue at this position, but at this point, Barkley is our starting quarterback."
Barkley, who is just 18, will be the first true freshman to start a season opener at quarterback for the Trojans.
"He has exceeded all our expectations," Carroll said. "He has all the physical ability, he has the mentality and temperament to handle the position, his personality is very well received by all the players and he's extremely talented. At this point, he's ready to be the guy for us."
If that sounds like Barkley is only starting because Corp isn't physically ready, Carroll made sure to cut short that sort of speculation.
"He's the starting quarterback at USC -- it's not a one-game deal," Carroll said. "He seized the opportunity that was in front of him and took control. He deserves all the credit in the world and we expect nothing but great things from him."
So is the quarterback competition over?

Well, Carroll always insists that competition never ends at USC. That means if Barkley is shaky against San Jose State, it's entirely possible Corp, if ready, could see playing time.

Or the competition could renew the following week and the Trojans could keep the Buckeyes guessing.

A couple of USC beat writers had already suggested USC's best bet was Corp. So this is a bit of a surprise.

Turnovers will be the prime issue for Barkley. Everyone knows he's a fantastic talent. But the best way for him to remain the USC starter is to avoid taking risks, however tempting it is for him to show off his golden arm.

With one of the best offensive lines in the nation and outstanding talent at the skill positions surrounding him, Barkley needs to manage the offense and avoid forcing plays, which he has done at times during his competition with Corp.

Of course, it's worth noting that in previous USC quarterback competitions under Carroll, once a quarterback was named the starter he remained the starter until he entered the NFL draft.