ESPN College Football

See your team in your mind's eye -- 24 starters, including specialists.

If you could put an absolute halo of safety -- perhaps a girdle of indestructibility -- around just one, who would it be?

We're rating each team's most indispensable player. And when the choice is too obvious -- say, Stanford -- we'll try to offer a second choice.

Up next: USC

QB Matt Barkley

Yes, this is obvious. But it's also absolutely accurate, and no other Trojan even comes close to Barkley in importance. For one, Barkley is a two-year starter and a future first-round NFL draft pick who will be in his second year working with coach -- and playcaller -- Lane Kiffin after throwing 26 touchdown passes last year and ranking third in the Pac-10 in passing efficiency. Just about everyone expects Barkley to make a significant step forward in 2011, with his considerable talent finally meeting the hype that has surrounded him since he started as a true freshman and had coach Pete Carroll gushing like a school girl considering the merits of Justin Bieber. But it's not just about Barkley. If Aaron Corp or Mitch Mustain were still around, we might even tap someone else -- defensive end Nick Perry or offensive tackle Matt Kalil? -- as the most indispensable Trojan. But Barkley's backup is redshirt freshman Jesse Scroggins, who's a fine talent but isn't ready for prime time. Further, with a makeshift and questionable offensive line, the Trojans need an experienced quarterback who has played under pressure and understands the nuances of negotiating a pass rush. And, finally, the Trojans are going to have a young but extremely talented crew at receiver. They not only need a guy who can get them the ball, they need a guy who thoroughly knows the offense and can put them in the right place. In fact, with NCAA sanctions killing USC's postseason possibilities, Barkley's leadership skills will be nearly as important as his physical skills. USC needs someone to keep his team's spirits up, to keep them focused and to, at times, give them a kick in the pants. If Barkley goes down, it's not hyperbole to suggest the Trojans become a .500 team.

Recruiting is an inexact science -- just ask any coach. Recruiting rankings are the same.

ESPN Recruiting went back and reviewed its 2007 rankings and found it had plenty of hits and plenty of misses.

Right USC?

Recall that the Trojans had the nation's No. 1 class, featuring four top-20 players and eight in the top-50. Some of the names will inspire a "who?" from those who don't follow recruiting closely.

Oregon and Stanford, which earned the Pac-10's two BCS bowl berths this season, only had one player on the 2007 ESPNU 150: Oregon's Kenny Rowe. Rowe was also the only member of the ESPNU 150 from 2007 to earn first- or second-team All-Pac-10 honors this year, though a couple, such as Arizona TE Rob Gronkowski, are already in the NFL.

You can start your review of the ESPNU 150 from 2007 here.

Here's a re-ranking of the top-10 of the recruiting rankings.

And here's a "best of" from the ESPNU 150.

For quick reference, here are the Pac-12 players who made the list.

Top 25
1. Joe McKnight, RB, USC
2. Chris Galippo, LB, USC
3. Marc Tyler, RB, USC
18. Marshall Jones, S, USC

25-50
31. Everson Griffen, DE, USC
33. Aaron Corp, QB, USC
43. Dominique Herald, S, USC
47. Ronald Johnson, WR, USC

51-75
68. Martin Coleman, OT, USC
70. Apaiata Tuihalamaka, DE, Arizona
71. Ryan Miller, OT, Colorado

76-100
None

101-125
104. Conrad Obi, DE, Colorado
107. DaJohn Harris, DT, USC
111. Kenny Rowe, DE, Oregon
116. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona
122. Kristofer O'Dowd, C, USC

126-150
133. Chris Forcier, QB, UCLA
135. Raymond Carter, RB, UCLA

Here's a quick look at Week 2 in the Pac-10

All times are PDT. And all games are on Saturday.

Colorado at California (FSN, 12:30 p.m.)
A preview of a future Pac-12 game! The competition will be a bit stiffer this weekend for the Bears after they pushed UC Davis around. The Buffaloes look much improved after whipping rival Colorado State last weekend. Up next: at Nevada.

Oregon at Tennessee (ESPN2, 4 p.m.)
The Ducks were dominant in all phases vs. New Mexico, but this is a substantial step up in opponent and hostile venue. Sure, this isn't the Volunteers of the 1990s, but this is still a quality SEC foe. It will be interesting to see how Ducks quarterback Darron Thomas reacts to his first taste of a big-time road venue. On the plus side for Oregon, running back LaMichael James returns. Up next: Portland State.

Stanford at UCLA (ESPN, 7 :30 p.m.)
The first conference game of the year. UCLA will be looking for a better performance from its defense after Kansas State rolled up huge rushing numbers over the weekend. An interesting test between the Bruins' new pistol offense, which mostly struggled at Kansas State, and Stanford's new 3-4 defense. Up next: Stanford plays host to Wake Forest and UCLA plays host to Houston.

Virginia at USC (FSN, 7:30 p.m.)
Last time these teams tangled in 2008, USC won 52-7 . That seems like a long time ago, and both teams have new coaches. Virginia beat Richmond and former USC quarterback Aaron Corp last weekend. The big question for the Trojans: Will the defense redeem itself after a pitiful performance at Hawaii? Up next: at Minnesota.

The Citadel at Arizona (7 p.m.)
This will be a warm-up for the big one on Sept. 18: A visit from Iowa. The Citadel is coming off a 56-14 win against something called "Chowan." Up next: Iowa.

North Arizona at Arizona State ( 7 p.m.)
New Sun Devils quarterback Steven Threet was sharp in his first start, and this one will serve as a second preseason game for him to get ready for a Sept. 18 visit to Wisconsin. NAU is coming off a 48-0 win against Western New Mexico. Up next: at Wisconsin.

Syracuse at Washington (FSN, 4 p.m.)
Washington will try to regain its mojo after a tough loss at BYU. Jake Locker's first career start as a redshirt freshman in 2007 was a 42-12 win at Syracuse. The Orange beat Akron 29-3 last weekend. Up next: Nebraska.

Montana State at Washington State (7 p.m.)
An absolute must-win for Paul Wulff and the Cougars after the disappointingly uncompetitive performance at Oklahoma State. This is likely the only game in which the Cougars will be favored this season. Up next: at SMU.

Oregon State is off. It plays at Louisville on Sept. 18.

Demand me nothing; what you know, you know: From this time forth I never will speak word.

• Arizona QBs coach Frank Scelfo is getting used to the desert. Some Arizona notes.
• Arizona State is excited about frosh RB Deantre Lewis.
• Some networking helped California coach Jeff Tedford find his new defensive coordinator.
• Oregon feels good about its depth at LB, but it's still unclear who starts at one cornerback. Some notes.
• Former walk-on RB Jordan Jenkins has made a move at Oregon State. Opening against TCU has the Beavers focused.
• The "perfectly engineered football player" will go two ways for Stanford. Six-foot-8 redshirt freshman Levine Toilolo has won the starting job at TE over veterans Konrad Reuland and Coby Fleener.
• UCLA QB Kevin Prince says he's feeling better and will be ready to start at Kansas State. We'll see. Andrew Abbott has earned a scholarship.
• Aaron Corp is gone but not forgotten at USC. Checking in with Matt Barkley. Joe Houston won the kicking job and a scholarship.
• DE De'Shon Matthews has been solid for Washington in preseason camp.
• Some notes from Washington State. There's depth at running back.
• Which program has the most recruiting star power? And which conference?

The 2007 recruiting class members are either seniors or redshirt juniors this fall, so they should be the backbones of most Pac-10 team's starting lineups.

Therefore, it seems like a reasonable moment to look back and review some recruiting hits and misses. (And, yes, we did this last summer with the 2006 class, which you can review here -- Ducks fans should get a kick out of it).

As for the 2007 rankings, USC ranked No. 1 in the nation, according to ESPN.com's Scouts Inc. Oregon, at No. 23, was the only other Pac-10 team in the Scouts Inc., top-25.

Scout.com ranked USC No. 2 in the nation, Oregon ninth, and California 12th. The rest of the Pac-10 went, in order, Washington (29th in nation), UCLA (36th), Arizona State (38), Oregon State (40), Stanford (43), Arizona (49) and Washington State (54).

Here's an overview.

Arizona

Class: 17

ESPNU top 150 players: 2 (DE Apaiata Tuihalamaka, TE Rob Gronkowski)

How many are expected to start in 2010: Four (RB Nic Grigsby, CB Trevin Wade, WR William Wright, K Alex Zendejas)

Misses: Tuihalamaka, QB Bryson Beirne,

Verdict: Obviously, the biggest catch of this class, Gronkowski, is gone. Otherwise, a lot of these guys qualify for the "where are they now?" file.

Arizona State

Class: 24

ESPNU top 150 players: 0.

How many are expected to start in 2010: Five (C Garth Gerhart, WR Kerry Taylor, CB Omar Bolden, DE James Brooks, OG Matt Hustad)

Misses: OL Po'u Palelei, LB Oliver Aaron

Verdict: This is a decent class, particularly when you factor in the contribution of the since-departed JC signees, such as LB Morris Wooten and DE Luis Vasquez. And there are several non-starters who will contribute this year.

California

Class: 27

ESPNU top 150 players: 0

How many are expected to start in 2010: 10 (OT Matt Summers-Gavin, P Bryan Anger, LB D.J. Holt, WR Alex Lagemann, OT Mitchell Schwartz, S Sean Cattouse, S Chris Conte, OG Justin Cheadle, DE Cameron Jordan, RB Shane Vereen).

Misses: QB Brock Mansion, CB D.J. Campbell

Verdict: Obviously, ESPN.com's Scouts Inc., missed with its evaluation of this solid recruiting class, particularly when you consider RB Jahvid Best, WR Nyan Boateng and LB Devin Bishop were significant contributors before their tenures were done. Jordan and Vereen obviously were well underrated. And there were 21 running backs better than Best?

Oregon

Class: 29

ESPNU top 150 players: 1 (DE Kenny Rowe)

How many are expected to start in 2010: 10 (Rowe, WR D.J. Davis, LB Casey Matthews, CB Talmadge Jackson, OG Carson York, TE David Paulson, OG Mark Asper, WR Jeff Maehl, S Eddie Pleasant, DE Terrell Turner).

Misses: DT Myles Wade, S Malachi Lewis

Verdict: When you toss in DE Will Tukuafu, WR Aaron Pflugrad (a starter who transferred to Arizona State) and WR Terence Scott, this is a good, if not great, class. Three or four of these guys should be All-Conference players.

Oregon State

Class: 35

ESPNU top 150 players: 0

How many are expected to start in 2010: Eight (HB Joe Halahuni, S Cameron Collins, WR Darrell Catchings, CB Brandon Hardin, FB Will Darkins, DE Taylor Henry, LB Keith Pankey, WR James Rodgers)

Misses: CB David Ross, RB Reggie Dunn

Verdict: We don't have the time to go back and retrace the maneuvers that are part of managing a 35-man recruiting class (each class can only include a maximum of 25 members, but there are lots of ways to fudge numbers). Obviously, there are the Beavers typical crew of so-called diamonds in the rough -- hello, James Rodgers -- but here's a guess that coach Mike Riley winces over some of these names. Certainly not a lot of production from the six JC guys.

Stanford

Class: 19

ESPNU top 150 players: 0.

How many are expected to start in 2010: Six (P David Green, CB Corey Gatewood, LB/FB Owen Marecic, TE Coby Fleenor, DE Thomas Keiser, DE Matt Masifilo)

Misses: QB L. D. Crow, S Sean Wiser

Verdict: An interesting class considering that six of the eight lowest rated players are on the Cardinal's preseason two-deep depth chart, including three starters. In terms of skill positions -- see the two QBs -- this class doesn't measure up.

UCLA

Class: 11

ESPNU top 150 players: 2 (QB Chris Forcier, RB Raymond Carter)

How many are expected to start in 2010: Five (LB Akeem Ayers, LB Glenn Love, LB Steve Sloan, DT Nate Chandler, OT Mike Harris)

Misses: Forcier, Carter

Verdict: This is a very small but highly productive class collected by former coach Karl Dorrell -- note that it includes DT Brian Price, who bolted early for the NFL. The only busts were the two highest rated players, Forcier and Carter, and JC LB Mike Schmitt. The other eight members are either on the two-deep or, in Price's case, already in the NFL.

USC

Class: 20

ESPNU top 150 players: 10 (RB Joe McKnight, LB Chris Galippo, RB Marc Tyler, S Marshall Jones, DE Everson Griffen, QB Aaron Corp, WR Ronald Johnson, OT Martin Coleman, DT DaJohn Harris, C Kris O'Dowd)

How many are expected to start in 2010: Four (LB Chris Galippo, WR Ronald Johnson, C Kristofer O'Dowd, LB Malcolm Smith)

Misses: S Marshall Jones, OT Martin Coleman

Verdict: Obviously, this class, ranked No. 1 in the nation, was overrated, even when you factor in that McKnight, Griffen and Damian Williams already are in the NFL, and NT Christian Tupou would be a second-year starter if he didn't blow out his knee this spring. Lots of guys who never contributed or left the program.

Washington

Class: 27

ESPNU top 150 players: 0

How many are expected to start in 2010: Eight (WR Devin Aguilar, LB Alvin Logan, LB Cort Dennison, SS Nate Williams, LB Mason Foster, CB Quinton Richardson, DE Kalani Aldrich, K Erik Folk)

Misses: DE Emeka Iweka, DT Nick Wood

Verdict: You read the names of the seven highest-rated players in this class and you have one reaction: Terrible. But then you see six defensive starters among the lower rated guys. Still, the Huskies defense is a huge question mark. How it performs this year will tell you how this class should be rated.

Washington State

Class: 26

ESPNU top 150 players: 0

How many are expected to start in 2010: Five (CB Aire Justin, WR Daniel Blackledge, C Andrew Roxas, OG B.J. Guerra, SS Chima Nwachukwu)

Misses: WR Deon Ford

Verdict: Not much should be expected from Bill Doba's final recruiting class, and this one doesn't deliver much sizzle. A couple of solid hits, though, including a couple of departed JC transfers.

USC got a look at what its offense might look like without starting quarterback Matt Barkley during the spring game. The verdict? Not too shabby.

With Barkley sidelined by a bruised hand, Mitch Mustain threw five touchdown passes while completing 19 of 29 for 299 yards to lead his team to victory.

While ESPN's College Football Live rates Barkley as "irreplaceable," the Trojans coaches doesn't seem too worried about the prospect of potentially turning to Mustain, a fifth-year senior.

"We'd be very comfortable," quarterbacks coach Clay Helton said.

Mustain is probably the nation's best known backup quarterback. He went 61-2 at Springdale (Ark.) High School and was named the 2005 Gatorade, USA Today and Parade Magazine National Player of the Year before becoming the biggest recruit in Arkansas history. He went 8-0 as a true freshman starter, yet things turned sour between Mustain and Razorbacks coach Houston Nutt -- let's just say it was complicated -- and Mustain opted to transfer to USC.

The Trojans offered a new start, but Mustain couldn't manage to win the starting job after sitting out a season, per transfer rules. He first served as Mark Sanchez's backup in 2008 and then failed to beat out Barkley last fall. He saw limited action in 2008 -- he passed for 157 yards with two TDs and two interceptions -- but didn't throw a pass last year and was a mostly a forgotten man under coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates.

With the arrival of new coach Lane Kiffin, however, the message was no job was safe. Even Barkley's.

"Mustain really wanted to come and compete and show that he's a big-time quarterback who can help the team in any way," Helton said. "We were very proud of the way Mitch responded during the spring."

While few expected Mustain to beat out Barkley, who emerged as a clear No. 1 when spring practices ended, he impressed the coaching staff, Helton said.

"I thought he really put in the extra effort and the extra time of really understanding the system," he said. "We're extremely pleased with him."

The good news is that Mustain's game experience likely means he won't be too wide-eyed if he's needed to step in for an injured Barkley. The bad news is that he's the last line of defense -- or offense. This spring, after Aaron Corp opted to transfer to Richmond, he and Barkley were the only two scholarship QBs on the roster, though James Boyd was moved from defensive end to fortify depth. In the fall, touted freshman Jesse Scroggins arrives, but turning to a true freshman quarterback is rarely a good thing in the Pac-10.

If Barkley is lights out and doesn't get hurt, it seems unlikely that Mustain will see much playing time. His future hope, of course, is to copy the path of Matt Cassel, Matt Leinart's backup at USC, who signed a six-year, $63 million contract in July 2009 with the Kansas City Chiefs.

But Helton isn't writing off Mustain.

"I think he is going to be a guy who definitely helps us in his last year," he said.

The Pac-10 moments that stood out.

1. Pete Carroll leaves USC for the Seattle Seahawks: It wasn't just the biggest story in the Pac-10. It was the biggest story of the college football season. Carroll built a dynasty and nearly won three consecutive national titles. His run at USC -- two national championships, seven Pac-10 titles, seven consecutive top-four finishes, three Heisman Trophy winners -- ranks among the best in college football history.

2. Lane Kiffin leaves Tennessee for USC: This one nearly equaled Carroll's departure in shock value: Kiffin, a former USC assistant, bolts his job at Tennessee after just one season to take over the Trojans. Obviously, unless you've been under a rock, you've read plenty about this one of late, including the potential inclusion of Norm Chow, presently UCLA's offensive coordinator, on Kiffin's new staff. That certainly will cool things down between the Bruins and Trojans, eh?

3. A victory in the Civil War for the Roses sends Oregon to the Rose Bowl: The Ducks 37-33 victory over rival Oregon State lived up to the pregame hype. LeGarrette Blount scored a touchdown in his first action since his meltdown at Boise State, but the stars for Oregon were running back LaMichael James (166 yards rushing, three TDs) and quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who led a masterful final possession that featured two fourth-down conversions and burned the final 6:09 off the clock.

4. The punch: Blount's punch of a Boise State player after the Ducks embarrassing 19-8 season-opening road loss became one of the most replayed highlights of the season. It also became the touchstone for the Ducks' transformation from a national joke into Pac-10 champions. And Chip Kelly from an overmatched neophyte into Pac-10 Coach of the Year.

5. Toby Gerhart is runner-up in closest Heisman race in history: Despite putting up the best numbers against the best competition during the regular season, Gerhart finished second to Alabama's Mark Ingram in the Heisman Trophy voting. Still, Gerhart won the Doak Walker Award -- over Ingram -- as the country's top running back and earned consensus first-team All-America honors.

6. Oregon crushes No. 4 USC 47-20: For anyone who had covered USC during the Carroll era, it was shocking to watch. The Ducks piled up 613 total yards -- 391 rushing -- while handing USC its worst loss since 1997.

7. Stanford runs up the score on USC, 55-21: For anyone who had covered USC during the Carroll era, it was shocking to watch. Perhaps it was possible to write off the Trojans getting blown out on the road at Oregon, but getting physically manhandled at home? The 34-point defeat was USC's worst home loss since 1966. Even more galling: Cardinal coach Jim Harbaugh opted to go for a 2-point conversion with a 27-point lead and just 6:47 left, inspiring a spirited post-game handshake with Carroll, who asked Harbaugh, "What's your deal?"

8. Oregon beats Arizona 44-41 in double-overtime: It was as entertaining a game as you could see. Oregon overcame a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit because of a tour de force performance from Masoli, who scored three touchdowns running and three passing, including an 8-yard toss that tied the score with six seconds left and forced overtime, stunning Wildcats fans who already had jumped from the stands for a postgame celebration. The loss kept Arizona from playing in its first Rose Bowl.

9. California goes down by a combined 72-6 on consecutive weekends: Talk about a fall from grace. Cal went to Oregon on Sept. 26 ranked No. 6 in the country with a 3-0 record. The Bears were national title contenders and Jahvid Best was the conference's leading Heisman Trophy candidate. But a 42-3 loss to the Ducks followed by a 30-3 defeat at home against USC the following weekend made the Bears a national punchline.

10. Sarkisian bests Carroll: Fresh off a thrilling 18-15 win at Ohio State, USC carried a No. 3 ranking to Washington, which had just ended a 15-game losing streak the week before against Idaho. Most of the pregame discussion was whether Carroll would take it easy on his former offensive coordinator, Steve Sarkisian. But with quarterback Aaron Corp starting for an injured Matt Barkley, the Trojans couldn't get anything going on offense. Washington quarterback Jake Locker, meanwhile, engineered a thrilling 68-yard drive that ended on Erik Folk's 22-yard field goal with three seconds remaining for a shocking 16-13 victory.

Aaron Corp believed the quarterback job would be exempted from USC's much-ballyhooed "culture of competition" next fall, so the sophomore opted last week to transfer to FCS power Richmond so he could legitimately compete for a starting spot.

The way Corp -- and almost every other observer -- saw it, coach Pete Carroll wasn't going to promote Corp ahead of Matt Barkley even if Corp scored five touchdowns with every four passes.

"That was probably what drove me, ultimately, to look elsewhere," he said. "I'm glad I landed here."

Of course, the minute he landed on the opposite coast, massive change happened at USC. Carroll resigned to become the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, which Corp admitted he never saw coming.

"Just like everyone else on the team, I was shocked," he said. "I had no idea. Hopefully he can make it work."

The next question is obvious, isn't it? A new USC head coach might have given Corp a clean slate and a new opportunity to prove himself. More than a few coaches would have seen Corp's athletic ability and outstanding speed as a great asset that could stress an opposing defense.

Any regrets?

"No, my decision was made. There were no regrets," he said.

Corp, who will be eligible to play this coming fall, said he likes Richmond's campus and academics, as well as its football program.

Still, didn't he expect to miss the three-ring circus that was USC football, with its media horde and huge, celebrity-studded crowds at open practices?

Short answer: No.

"I think it will be a little bit of a relief not having to deal with all that craziness at 'SC," he said.

He said most -- though not all -- of his teammates were supportive of his decision to transfer.

As far going from being a mighty Trojan to a, er, Spider, Corp has already embraced his new, slightly unorthodox mascot.

"A spider seems pretty cool," he said. "They've got a great logo."

Because no battle is ever won, he said. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools.

• Hey, buddy, can you spare a game? Arizona State can't find a FBS foe to fill a void in the 2010 schedule.
• California football review: Receivers.
• Oregon's first-year players -- and coach -- are honored.
• Two Oregon State Beavers get the boot.
• Stanford offers a scholarship to a prep QB in Arizona.
• The BCS title game gave UCLA a preview of the quarterback it will face next year.
• Aaron Corp's departure means USC isn't deep at quarterback.
• An impressive honor for an incoming Washington recruit.
• They're neighbors so why shouldn't Washington State and Eastern Washington play? So they signed a game contract for 2012.
• Jon Wilner gives us a 2010 preseason Top 25.

USC has confirmed that No. 3 quarterback Aaron Corp has decided to transfer to Richmond.

"We wish Aaron the best. I know it'll work out well for him," coach Pete Carroll said in a statement.

Corp's transfer was first reported by WTVR CBS in Richmond.

USC quarterback Aaron Corp is transferring to Richmond, an FCS school, according to a report from WTVR CBS in Richmond.

A message left for Corp by ESPN.com was not immediately returned. A USC spokesman couldn't confirm or deny the report.

The report said Corp is expected to enroll at Richmond on Monday. It also said that USC granted Corp a release "earlier this week," which runs counter to what Corp's father, Chris, told reporters on Tuesday. The elder Corp said his son had not asked for a release.

After beginning preseason practices as the starting quarterback, Corp fell to No. 3 on the depth chart during the season behind Matt Barkley and Mitch Mustain. Corp started one game in 2009, a 16-13 loss at Washington.

Because Richmond is an FCS school, Corp would be eligible to play next fall.

When I buy a new book, I read the last page first. That way, in case I die before I finish, I know how it ends. That, my friend, is a dark side.

• Not everyone is thrilled with Arizona State's hire at offensive coordinator.
• California season review: Quarterback.
• Former Oregon coach Mike Bellotti is recovering from double knee replacement surgery. Coach Chip Kelly said he's "day to day."
• Checking in with Oregon State quarterback Lyle Moevao, who's chances of getting a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA are remote.
• Reviewing the defining plays of Stanford's season.
• Aaron Corp's father talks about the USC backup QB's thoughts on transferring.
• Incoming freshman QB Nick Montana wants to enroll early at Washington so he can participate in spring practices. Breaking news on Jake Locker's... dog.
• Ranking the Pac-10's 2010 nonconference schedules.
• How will the Pac-10 end up in the final national polls? Probably not good.

I'm afraid I'm gonna have to pull rank on you. I didn't want to have to do this. I'm with the Mattress Police. There are no tags on these mattresses.

• Arizona had a historically bad night in the Holiday Bowl against Nebraska.
• A quick California QB note.
• The Rose Bowl is tradition vs. innovation. Here's why Oregon wins. Tight end Ed Dickson leads the 2005 recruiting class. Checking in with injured cornerback Walter Thurmond.
• Stanford vs. Oklahoma in the Sun Bowl is strength on strength. Good story here on how Stanford went from 1-11 to the Sun Bowl.
• Departures will make things tougher for UCLA.
• What does USC's backup quarterback Aaron Corp plan to do -- stay or go?
• With all the craziness that is going on at Texas Tech, Washington may be happy that the school didn't hire Mike Leach.
• A note on the bottom of this story about potential new offensive line coaches for Washington State.

Everybody get my Christmas list?

To the notes.

JT from New York writes: Do you think the success of Utah, Cincinnati, Boise, and Oregon, and the fall of USC, Georgia, and Notre Dame, will put a damper on the star system for recruits and the overall ranking of recruiting classes? Seems that the emphasis placed on the incoming guys becomes less and less relevant (or relates less to success) every year given the season ending outcomes.

Ted Miller: Short answer: No.

Folks love reading about recruiting. They love ratings. They love the whole thing, even when they are complaining about it.

Any responsible recruiting guru will tell you that the "star system" is an inexact science, but measuring things in shades of gray is part of college football -- see the national polls and BCS system as a whole.

I also don't know if the recruiting rankings look that much different than the final polls. If you go here, you see a lot of Alabama, Texas, Florida, USC and other national powers.

If you're asking why schools that typically don't rank highly in recruiting seem to end up scattered throughout the national polls annually, there are a handful of explanations.

Evaluation: Some staffs are particularly good at projecting how a high school senior might develop physically over the next few years. They also seem to see the inner football player. Oregon State's Mike Riley would be a good example, as would Arizona's Mike Stoops.

Development: A good strength and conditioning program is critical, and nutritional guidance is often underrated. On the field, it's about assistant coaches who are superior teachers of fundamentals and technique. Often less highly rated guys take coaching better, too.

Coaching: A well-coached team can make up for talent deficiencies by outsmarting its opponent. I'd throw Brian Kelly and Chris Petersen into that pool and I suspect you could add Chip Kelly, though he's been a head coach for just one year. Those guys strike me as schematic savants. But coaching isn't just a big brain. It's also motivating and unifying a locker room. Again, that's Riley and also Jim Harbaugh and, though he's also a newbie, Washington's Steve Sarkisian.

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Kai from Castro Valley, Calif., writes: The new thing in college football is to leave high school early and join college spring camp. What are your thoughts? Good or Bad decision?

Ted Miller: It's not really a new thing. I recall back in 1991 being among the throng who couldn't wait for super-recruit Eric Zeier, the pride of Marietta (Ga.) High School, to win the starting quarterback job of Georgia. But it seems like early-entry -- some call it "greenshirting" -- really became more popular over the past five or six years.

The reason players opt for early-entry is simple: They want to get their career started and showing up early might help them play sooner.

Quarterbacks, particularly, seem to want to get a head start with the playbook and coaching -- see Philip Rivers, John David Booty (who skipped his entire senior year of high school), Tim Tebow, Matthew Stafford, Matt Barkley, Richard Brehaut, etc.

The oft-cited downside: What about enjoying your senior year of high school? Why skip a step growing up?

That's not invalid, though it might be a tad sentimental.

To me it comes down to this: What's right for the young man and his family?

If a player is that focused on football and getting his career started, then there's no reason for him to spend his final months of high school trying to figure out when everybody's parents are going out of town so they can throw a righteous house party.

Also, there are a number of advantages for the student-athlete: He gets more bang for his buck on scholarship -- it's a free semester. And it also gives a young man a chance test drive the school and program before he gets lost in a crowd of 25 or so incoming players.

This is a nice story on the topic by the LA Times' David Wharton.

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Mike from Seattle writes: After reading your post on the pac-10 quarterbacks returning next year I found myself wondering who is the deepest?

Ted Miller: That's tough to evaluate, but here are the backup situations (class standing is for 2010).

Arizona: Junior Matt Scott. He started three games last year, so he's not completely green.

Arizona State: Both junior Samson Szakacsy and sophomore Brock Osweiler saw significant playing time in 2009. Michigan transfer Steven Threat, a junior, started eight games in 2008. One of those three will start.

California: Neither sophomore Beau Sweeney nor junior Brock Mansion have seen significant action.

Oregon: Senior Nate Costa and sophomore Darron Thomas are a solid tandem with some game experience.

Oregon State: Sophomore Ryan Katz and junior Peter Lalich will compete to replace Sean Canfield this spring.

Stanford: Redshirt freshmen Josh Nunes and Robbie Picazo will be very green behind Andrew Luck.

UCLA: Sophomores Richard Brehaut and Nick Crissman will start spring behind sophomore Kevin Prince on the depth chart. Brehaut threw 17 passes in 2009, Crissman two.

USC: Junior Aaron Corp and senior Mitch Mustain will backup sophomore Matt Barkley, unless one opts to transfer.

Washington: Junior Ronnie Fouch stepped in for an injured Jake Locker in 2008, though things didn't go well. Redshirt freshman Keith Price and incoming freshman Nick Montana also are in the mix.

Washington State: Junior Marshall Lobbestael figures to be sophomore Jeff Tuel's primary backup.

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Kevin from Fullerton, Calif., writes: What do you think about the Beavs playing TCU next year along with Louisville and at BSU? Yikes! Not a great schedule for starting fast. I'm excited because those are all great games, but I'm just not confident the Beavs can win big, early OOC games.

Ted Miller: It's great that Oregon State is giving college football fans games that they can get excited about. Both Boise State and TCU probably will start out next year ranked in the top-10, and Oregon State also figures to be ranked in the preseason, perhaps even in the top-15.

Now, we all know that Oregon State has started slowly in recent years, but the 2010 squad will be veteran at just about every position other than quarterback. So the Beavers may be more in sync early.

Win these games, and the Beavers could launch a special season. And, even if they lose, they will have plenty of ranked teams in the Pac-10 they can crawl over as they make their typical late-season run back into the national polls.

Still, it's a brutal slate, particularly playing TCU in Texas and Boise on the blue turf. And some folks still will sniff over TCU and Boise State not being BCS conference teams, no matter where they are ranked. Losing to, say, a 15th-ranked Penn State squad still doesn't carry as much downside as losing to a No. 6 Boise State team.

Please, that's not my idea. Just the way it is.

If I were the Oregon State athletic director, I wouldn't have scheduled these games. If I were an AD, I'd always go with an A, B, C scheduling philosophy, with "A" being a marquee game with a BCS conference foe, a "B" game vs. a solid team -- not a Boise State or TCU -- and always at home and a "C" game with a patsy.

Still, it's hard to raise too much hell about matching up against two ranked programs during the early-season. I can't wait to watch both those games.

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Aaron from "SEC country" writes: Maybe the Pac-10 is generally the #1 conference. When you look at the map, they should be! Where the SEC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12 and ACC - 55 of the 65 AQ schools - are all either contiguous or co-located and must compete with each other for players and exposure, other than outlier Colorado the Pac-10 is the only game in town west of Texas.Example: the SEC. 4 of 9 SEC states are shared with ACC and Big East schools (i.e. Florida, which has 2 ACC schools and a Big East school). The SEC East borders ACC and Big East country to the north and east and Big 10 country to the north. The SEC West borders the Big 12 and Big 10 to the north and west. So, programs like Miami, FSU, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Louisville, Missouri and Cincinnati compete directly with the SEC for players, coaches and media attention. Whatever obstacles the Pac-10 has, that sort of direct competition is not among them!Meanwhile, the Pac-10 has a whole 1/4 of the country to itself! So, the question must be asked: isn't the Pac-10 doing a better job of exploiting this clear advantage?

Ted Miller: Maybe.

First, I would direct you to this map of U.S. population density.

Second, I think some of the Pac-10 blog readers would say, "You had me at your first sentence."

This quarterback has thrown 11 interceptions and 12 touchdown passes in 10 games.

Is he any good?

That, of course, oversimplifies things with USC's true freshman quarterback Matt Barkley. If you've watched him play, his potential is clear. It's hard to believe that in two or three years he won't be a first-round NFL draft choice.

And yet, as the LA Times' Gary Klein writes, there was a lot not to like about his first season as the Trojans' starter, particularly the interceptions.

Barkley admits that. He's been a stand-up guy all season.

His biggest defender, coach Pete Carroll -- it's sport among Trojans beat writers how Carroll nearly always blames other factors for Barkley's interceptions -- mostly admits the same. Mostly.

Barkley has completed 59 percent of his passes, a middling percentage considering how conservative the Trojans' offensive game plans have been. He ranks fifth in the Pac-10 in pass efficiency, but two of the quarterbacks he leads -- Oregon's Jeremiah Masoli and Washington's Jake Locker -- bring other attributes to the table (Locker has accounted for 23 total touchdowns; Masoli, 26).

More than a few Trojans fans wonder if the season would have been more successful with Aaron Corp or Mitch Mustain starting. And what if Corp, No. 1 on the depth chart after spring practices, didn't get hurt during the preseason?

Ah, what-ifs.

On the other hand, the payoff may be the next two years.

Barkley is clearly mature and bright. It's hard to believe he won't process this season and come back better next spring and fall. A sophomore blossom seems much more likely than a sophomore slump.

Of course, the Trojans' offense will be rebuilding next year -- is it time to jump ship on the automatic "reload?" -- particularly if a couple of juniors, such as receiver Damian Williams, declare early for the NFL draft.

The Pac-10 will be loaded at quarterback next fall, especially if Locker returns.

Where will Barkley rank in that pecking order entering the season? Probably fifth behind Locker, Masoli, Stanford's Andrew Luck and Arizona's Nick Foles.

But that doesn't matter, does it? The big issue for the Trojans is where he will rank a year from now.