ESPN College Football

What's the matter, Colonel Sandurz? CHICKEN?

• Some more on the Davonte Neal no-show.
• Arizona State is inching closer to facility upgrades. House of Sparky named its all-time ASU cabinet in honor of President's Day (very clever list).
• California Golden Blogs rated the most efficient quarterbacks in the country in 2011.
• Connor Wood is ready to challenge for Colorado's vacant quarterback spot.
• De'Anthony Thomas and his 91-yard touchdown in the Rose Bowl was one of the most "transcendent" touchdowns in Oregon history.
• Oregon State DB Sean Martin was suspended indefinitely for a reported DUI arrest.
• Stanford DE Ben Gardner was named to SI's All-Two-Star team. Baylor moved its pro day, which means Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III won't have dueling pro days.
• Former UCLA defensive coordinator Joe Tresey has been hired to do the same job at Youngstown State.
• The Orange County Register continues its countdown of USC players to watch going into spring ball. Former USC quarterback Mitch Mustain and his bizarre career arc.
• Kyle Whittingham is early in the process of delivering The Mailman's son.
• Taking a look at Washington's 2010 recruiting class.
• What are Washington State's chances of landing some of the top-flight recruits in 2013?

"If I could work my will," said Scrooge indignantly, "every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!"

• Retaining Arizona's offensive line coach Robert Anae was a smart move by Rich Rodriguez, but does Rich Rod really know what he got himself into?
• Considering just where Arizona State stands as it prepares for its bowl game.
• California needs receivers, and it got a commitment from a good one.
• Colorado's president wants success everywhere, including football. The Buffaloes are moving up in the recruiting rankings.
• The Rose Bowl means Chip Kelly is in the money. What's up with the Ducks who redshirted this year?
• A moving tribute to former Oregon State defensive lineman Fred Thompson, who tragically died last week.
• Might Stanford play Notre Dame in China? Who replaces Andrew Luck?
• Check-gate was embarrassing for UCLA. Most Bruins don't know much about their new coach, Jim Mora.
• Whatever happened to former USC and Arkansas QB Mitch Mustain? A number of Trojans are dealing with "mayhem" as the figure out whether to return or enter the NFL draft.
• Rumors of potential suitors for Utah coach Kyle Whittingham is just the price of doing business.
• Washington's freshman TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins had a pretty good freshman year.
• What does Mike Leach mean at Washington State? That it hires coaches away from Tennessee, not the other way around. More on assistants here. On the downside, change means the Cougars lose a good coach and a good man.

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.

The next turn in the weaving road of Mitch Mustain's football career points north.

Mustain, the touted prep All-American who transferred from Arkansas to USC but never broke through, has signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL.

Mustain will be back on the field for the Ticats first rookie camp practice Thursday morning.

Mustain, a 6-2, 221-pound native of Springdale, Ark., spent the last two seasons at USC after transferring, but he couldn't beat out Mark Sanchez and then Matt Barkley. He threw for 505 yards and three touchdowns as the Trojans' backup quarterback, losing his only start against Notre Dame.

There was a school of thought that Mustain might get drafted this spring by an NFL team desperate for help at quarterback, one that subscribed to the "Matt Cassel Path to a Lucrative NFL Career," which espouses that a USC backup is better than most team's starter.

A February arrest on suspicion of selling prescription drugs probably ended that possibility.

By the way, Mustain joins a team that features two former UCLA standouts: DE Justin Hickman and K Justin Medlock.

Ree slid her fingers toward the shotgun, thinking, This was how sudden things happened that haunted forever.

• Taking out the crystal ball and asking it what it thinks of California.
• Oregon and Oregon State will use the new TV money to pay bills.
• Oregon State AD Bob De Carolis talks about the Pac-12 TV deal.
• Three things that will decide UCLA's QB competition.
• USC DE Nick Perry is a coming attraction. What's the future hold for former USC QB Mitch Mustain?
• Where will Utah land in the new Pac-12? The Utes' new measuring stick is the other teams in their new conference, no longer BYU.
• A look at former Washington QB Jake Locker from his new home.
• A facilities boom for Washington State?
• The new Pac-12 TV contract means more exposure. More details here in a deal that includes lots of upside. A Q&A with a Bay Area focus. What is an underrated aspect of the new deal?
• Commissioner Larry Scott has made the Pac-12 the conference everyone is talking about.
• A look at some of the top Pac-12 NFL prospects.

LOS ANGELES -- Last summer, four guys with a lot in common hung out in Manhattan and at the ESPN offices in Bristol, Conn. They had a good time. They traded war stories. But, no, Matt Barkley, Nick Foles, Jake Locker and Andrew Luck did not become good buddies. They didn't start firing off text messages talking smack to each other the way young men do when they bond. They didn't plan a Vegas getaway so they could radiate awesomeness as a foursome.

Locker is a likely first-round NFL draft pick next week. Luck will be touted as the likely top overall draft pick in 2012. Foles could join him in the first round, as Barkley likely would if he opted to leave after his junior season at USC.

"We're all good [with each other]," Barkley said. "But we're all kind of doing our own thing."

And, for Barkley, he admits that "our own thing" includes competing to be the best of the group.

"I definitely have them on the radar," Barkley said. "I'm aware of them. It is competition. Every quarterback wants to be the best at what they do. When I hear their name, I'm always trying to one-up them."

The best quarterback in the Pac-12 next fall likely will be the best quarterback in the nation. The second-team all-conference quarterback could end up a second-team All-American. Luck entered the offseason as the leading Heisman Trophy candidate. Barkley, Foles and Oregon's Darron Thomas will make most preseason watch lists for the award.

It seems a bit odd that the USC quarterback, a position in recent years that almost automatically included front-runner status for the bronze statue, is an underdog in the group. Luck is the decided front-runner. Thomas was second-team All-Pac-10 in 2010 and led the Ducks to the national title game. Foles has the best supporting cast of receivers of them all and could end up with the biggest numbers.

And Barkley? He's been running for his life this spring behind a patchwork offensive line.

Last year, Barkley went 1-3 against the group. He put up bigger numbers than Luck in a 37-35 nail-biting defeat at Stanford -- Luck was more efficient -- but put up inferior numbers against the other three, including in a win over Foles and Arizona.

The first priority for Barkley and the Trojans is reversing those numbers and winning those games. But Barkley also is honest enough to admit that he wants to eclipse the other Pac-12 quarterbacks and, yes, he wants to push into the Heisman discussion.

"You grow up wanting to be the best and the Heisman Trophy is the mark of the best player in the country. So, yes, I've dreamed of that," he said. "It's kind of what you expect here."

Barkley has been the quarterback of record during a tumultuous time at USC. He won the job as a true freshman over Aaron Corp and Mitch Mustain after Mark Sanchez surprised then-coach Pete Carroll by opting to leave early for the NFL. Carroll went from being perturbed with Sanchez to gushing over Barkley in rapid fashion, calling Barkley, the No. 1 high school prospect in the nation in 2009, an "outlier," a term Carroll adopted after reading Malcolm Gladwell's book titled the same.

"This is not a typical kid," Carroll said after Barkley won his first start over San Jose State.

Then Carroll bolted for the Seattle Seahawks, Lane Kiffin was hired and NCAA sanctions hammered the program. Along the way, Barkley's ride hasn't always been smooth. When his numbers are viewed from the perspective of being a starter as a true freshman and sophomore, 5,526 passing yards, 41 touchdowns and a 61 percent completion rate sound pretty darn good. But Carroll set him up as a mutant quarterback and he turned out to just be flesh and bone like everyone else -- see: 26 interceptions.

Further, going from Carroll's over-the-top praise to Kiffin's unadorned feedback was a challenge for Barkley. One of the first things Kiffin did was talk about how Barkley needed to lose some weight, and Barkley never seemed to be thrilled with his weight being an issue, even after he lost a few pounds.

"It was definitely different," Barkley said of the transition to Kiffin. "I didn't expect it. But you've got to learn to go with it and know how to react to him, what works with him and what doesn't."

But the tit-for-tat -- Barkley has made fun of Kiffin's inexperience on Twitter a couple of times this offseason -- doesn't seem to indicate tension between quarterback and coach.

"Everybody would ask me, 'What do you think of Kiffin?' expecting me to bash him. He's awesome," Barkley said. "He's a great playcaller. He pushes you to be the best."

And Kiffin likes what he's seen this spring from Barkley, who's the team's only returning captain while still being a young player (second semester sophomore).

"He's doing a really good job of being a leader," Kiffin said.

Other players have noticed. Said safety T.J. McDonald, "He's the centerpiece that's putting that all together, and you can see that by how the offensive members are responding."

Barkley wants to be the best. He admits that is a primary goal. He expects to become a Heisman Trophy candidate. And he expects to become a high NFL draft choice; though it's not a topic he will talk about, more than a few folks figure this is his last season at USC.

But the best way to accomplish his personal goals is to reverse the downward course of what had been a college football dynasty. Barkley's Heisman chances and perhaps even his NFL prospects will decline if the Trojans don't win.

"All that doesn't mean anything unless this year produces results," he said. "If this season doesn't produce what I want to do, which is be the best in the country, then it's worth nothing. If I'm playing my best football, it gives our team the best chance to be successful."

And if he plays his best football, Barkley believes he'll become the best quarterback in the land.

Me and my homies though
you know we kick it like everyday
Me and my homies, kick it like everyday

• Arizona State is ready to take a step forward.
• Some might call this a transcript of California coach Jeff Tedford's a live chat. I call it Jeff Tedford UNLEASHED! But he needs to watch out for Zombie Bears.
• Previewing Oregon's wide receivers heading into spring practices.
• Oregon State's big shakeup this spring is on the offensive line, which underperformed last year. Here's the spring depth chart.
• Dennis Dodd visits with Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and provides insights as to why he's still in college and not getting ready for the NFL draft.
• A preview of UCLA's running backs.
• Former USC quarterback Mitch Mustain may escape charges after his arrest last month on suspicion of selling prescription narcotics. Previewing the Trojans receivers.
• Bob Condotta makes a nice list of Washington's best JC transfers. I bet if you hound Condotta, he'd also make a list of the Huskies worst JC transfers. (It's a long one; JC recruiting has never been a program strength due to academic rules.)
• This lawsuit takes on academic requirements for student-athletes. (Pause here to slap your forehead.)

Some post-signing day links for your review.

• Arizona is thinking about dominating Polynesian recruiting.
• Some got away from Arizona State.
• California fans are getting defensive when thinking about the Bears stellar class.
• Colorado targets "unselfish" players.
• Has the Pac-12's balance of power shifted from Los Angeles to Eugene? Is Oregon about to lose an assistant coach?
• What is going on with Oregon State wide receiver James Rodgers?
• David Shaw's first class at Stanford looks pretty good.
• Is UCLA quarterback Kevin Prince going to miss spring practices?
• USC dominated UCLA on signing day. Former USC quarterback Mitch Mustain won't face felony charges after his arrest.
• Utah hopes its class will be off and running.
• Washington signed a top-25 class.
• Washington State got big but not flashy.

Former USC quarterback Mitch Mustain was arrested late Tuesday night and held on a felony narcotics charge, Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson Bruce Borihanh confirmed Wednesday to ESPN Los Angeles.

Mustain was arrested at 8 p.m. PT on Tuesday. Bail was set at $30,000. Mustain has not paid bail and is still in jail, Borihanh said.

The LA Times reported "the arrest came as the result of a sting operation."

Mustain, 22, might be the nation's best-known backup quarterback. Considered one of the nation's top QB recruits in 2006, he signed with his home-state team, Arkansas, and he went 8-0 as the Razorbacks starter as a true freshman. But he opted to transfer to USC in 2007 after a highly publicized falling out with coach Houston Nutt.

At USC, however, he was unable to beat out Mark Sanchez and then Matt Barkley. While he only started one game at USC -- a 20-16 loss to Notre Dame this season, when Barkley was hurt -- he was still considered an NFL prospect.

This arrest, obviously, dims those prospects.

Mustain is the second former Trojan to be arrested this week. Former defensive end Everson Griffen, now with the Minnesota Vikings, was arrested Monday on suspicion of felony battery, when LAPD officers used a Taser to subdue him after a traffic stop near campus. Prosecutors told the LA Times "that felony charges would not be filed because officers were not injured and Griffen lacked a criminal history. The case is being forwarded to the Los Angeles city attorney's office."

USC's eight-game winning streak against rival Notre Dame is over after the Fighting Irish triumphed 20-16 in the Coliseum.

It wasn't Mitch Mustain's fault. The game plan was conservative and his receivers were awful.

Sure, it was raining. Hard. But the Trojans receivers put on one of the worst shows you'll ever see, particularly on USC's final possession. Ronald Johnson dropped a sure touchdown pass a few plays after Brandon Carswell dropped a pass that would have been a big gain.

Another difference: Notre Dame could run the ball (147 yards) and USC could not (80).

The Trojans (7-5) lose their second consecutive game, and suddenly a solid season is taking a dramatic downturn. They are at rival UCLA on Saturday.

Happy Friday.

• No. 1 Oregon presents an opportunity for Arizona on a big stage.
• Arizona State's seniors are playing their final home game.
• California hasn't had a great year, but Derrick Hill impresses nonetheless.
• Oregon's offensive line needs to step up after losing the battle at Cal.
• It's the season when giving is better than receiving, unless you are these guys for Oregon State.
• Considering Stanford's problems with football attendance. Thank you Jon Wilner for answering this question: "The Rose Bowl WOULD BE OFF THE HOOK if it goes the non-AQ, at-large route this year."
• UCLA offensive coordinator Norm Chow talks about the Bruins struggles.
• The child agent controversy appears over, now the question is who starts at QB for USC?
• Washington will be the final visitor to Cal's Memorial Stadium before it closes.

Issues to consider heading into the 13th week of games.

Can Arizona "Cal" Oregon's offense? California didn't reinvent the wheel when it held Oregon to just one offensive touchdown Nov. 13. A good defense just played soundly and with passion and focus. Sure, the Wildcats probably picked some things up from the Bears, but you also have to figure that Chip Kelly & Co. made adjustments during their own bye week in anticipation of folks trying to use the Bears "man-free" scheme (man-to-man in the secondary with a safety spying the QB). The Wildcats have the personnel to slow the Ducks. But can they keep up with the tempo and not lose focus -- and gap control -- over four quarters?

Luck, Stanford need to roll up style points: Stanford is fighting to prove it is BCS bowl-worthy. It could guarantee itself an at-large BCS bowl berth if it pushes up two spots from No. 6 to No. 4 in the BCS standings. So style points matter, because you never know what could happen at the top of the BCS standings. Further, QB Andrew Luck is trying to secure an invitation to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Another big performance could give him a push against Auburn's Cam Newton among "character counts" voters.

Will Mustain (finally) get his close-up? USC's backup QB Mitch Mustain is the best-known player in college football who has seen barely any action since 2007, when he was a good SEC quarterback, going 8-0 at Arkansas as a true freshman. But playing QB in the Pac-10 is a whole other level, and Mustain was never able to win the Trojans' starting job. But with Matt Barkley's high-ankle sprain, it's possible -- likely? -- he will get the call Saturday against rival Notre Dame. It's a great chance for him to earn some redemption as well as help his team. And, he also might raise an NFL eyebrow or two (see Cassel, Matt).

Is California Jekyll or Hyde this week against Washington? The whole "California is always great at home!" line of thinking went poof last weekend when Stanford slammed the Bears 48-14 in the Big Game. The Bears have now suffered three blowout losses on the road and one blowout loss at home. The deal with the Bears is simple: Sometimes they show up and play four quarters. And sometimes they don't. Of course, Stanford has made a lot of teams look bad, and Washington is no Stanford. If Cal shows up and plays four quarters, it should be able to handle the Huskies. But if it doesn't, it could get its rear end kicked again.

Brehaut or Bruin nothing: UCLA QB Richard Brehaut wasn't playing well at Washington last week, but it became clear when he was forced out with a concussion that the Bruins have no shot without him. His backups were 1 for 11 passing, each throwing an interception. Brehaut is expected back at Arizona State on Saturday. The losing team is out of contention for earning bowl eligibility. The Sun Devils have a much better defense than the Huskies. If UCLA is to have any shot, first, it needs Brehaut to stay healthy. And, second, it needs him to look like a Pac-10 quarterback.

Foles and Wildcats attack: If Arizona can slow down the Ducks' offense at all -- see the Cal game -- then the Wildcats have an offense that can take advantage much better than the Bears did. QB Nick Foles isn't the sort to get spooked by the Autzen Stadium crowd, and he leads a veteran unit with plenty of playmakers. The Wildcats will need to attack and, perhaps, even take chances because conservative play won't beat the Ducks.

Beavers' lines redefined? The Beavers' offensive and defensive line have struggled much of the year, and they hit rock bottom in a loss to Washington State. But both played well in the shocking domination of USC. The offensive line opened holes and protected QB Ryan Katz. The defensive line shut down the Trojans' running game and pressured Barkley. Was this the proverbial turning of a corner? We figure to get a much better idea at Stanford, particularly for the Beavers' D-line, which will have to go mano-a-mano with one of the best O-lines in the nation.

Will the USC D (finally) make a stand? If Barkley can't play against Notre Dame due to a sprained ankle, that means we have no idea what we'll see from the USC offense. So this would be a good weekend for the Trojans' defense, which has ranged from bad to mediocre this year, to take a big step forward. And the Notre Dame offense, which also is using a backup QB -- freshman Tommy Rees -- is hardly a juggernaut. The USC offense may not be able to score in bunches, as it often did with Barkley, but it can still score enough to win a ninth consecutive game versus the Fighting Irish if the D makes a stand.

Not to repeat ourselves but ... Locker? The hype around Washington QB Jake Locker really started to really bubble during his final two games of 2009, when he put up huge numbers against Cal and Washington State. It's been a thoroughly disappointing season for Locker, but if he leads the Huskies to wins in their final two games -- at Cal and at Washington State -- they will go to their first bowl game since 2002. That counts for something. And while the Huskies could afford to just run the ball against woeful UCLA last week, they will need balance to overcome a good Bears defense.

Sun Devils put it together: Arizona State might be the best 4-6 team in the nation. It's lost four games by four points or less, and two of those defeats were against top-10 teams (Wisconsin and Stanford). The Sun Devils also gave Oregon its second-toughest game. They are as good as a team with a losing record can be, but they seem to find ways to lose with mistakes at critical times -- penalties, turnovers, whatever. If they play a smart, (mostly) mistake-free game versus UCLA, they should win. And even if they fail to become bowl-eligible -- the season finale is at Arizona -- they will create some positive momentum for what could be a breakout in 2011.

While angry fans and critical sportswriters have had plenty to say about USC's execrable performance in a 36-7 loss at Oregon State last weekend, the identity of coach Lane Kiffin and the Trojans' worst critic might be surprising.

It's Lane Kiffin.

"We were just horrible," Kiffin said. "We played as bad as you can play. I saw some things I hadn't seen in 10 games. I don't know where they came from, so obviously I didn't do a very good job. I can't even fathom that we scored seven points. It's like a bad dream. We're trying to move on."

So how do you really feel, Lane?

He is correct, though. And they best wake up and move on. The Trojans, now 7-4, play their two archrivals over the next two weekends: Notre Dame and UCLA. Win those games and the season can be considered a moderate success, considering the circumstances of the arrival of a new coach and playing under the dark cloud of harsh NCAA sanctions.

Lose one or both? Not good, particularly when you consider the recent dominance -- the Trojans have won eight consecutive games against the Fighting Irish and have lost just once to the Bruins since 2001.

A week ago, USC looked like a good bet to sweep to a 10-win season. Now they look ripe for another upset defeat, particularly when you consider the dispiriting loss at Oregon State also included a high-ankle sprain to QB Matt Barkley, who is questionable for the Irish's visit. Backup Mitch Mustain didn't look good in relief, either, completing 8 of 17 passes for 60 yards.

Kiffin said that Barkley is undergoing two-a-day sessions of rehab, but that he expects Mustain -- who is more comfortable playing out of the shotgun -- to perform better with a week of preparation as the starter, if that proves necessary.

The Irish's season under first-year coach Brian Kelly hasn't exactly been placid. Off the field, there's been tragedy and controversy. On the field, Notre Dame was mostly written off following losses to Navy and Tulsa.

But then the Irish upset Utah and whipped Army by a combined count of 55-6. At 6-5, they are bowl-eligible, but if they beat the Trojans and get to 7-5, they could upgrade their bowl options, including taking the Big East's slot in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando.

Orlando sounds good when you've been in South Bend during a difficult fall.

USC, of course, can't play in a bowl game. It's only motivations are pride and retaining the Jeweled Shillelagh.

For much of the year, pride was enough. But that didn't seem present during the listless effort at Oregon State. Perhaps the notion of becoming the first team to beat Notre Dame nine consecutive times will reignite motivation among the Trojans.

Here's a quick look at Week 13 in the Pac-10. All times are ET, per ESPN.com policy.

All rankings are from the BCS standings.

Friday
UCLA (4-6, 2-5) at Arizona State (4-6, 2-5), 3:30 p.m., FSN: This is a bowl-elimination game for two programs that are trying to crawl out of the doldrums. It appears that Bruins QB Richard Brehaut is good to go after getting knocked out of the Washington game with a concussion. Even with him, the Bruins' offense is struggling, and the Sun Devils' defense is significantly better than the Huskies.

No. 21 Arizona (7-3, 4-3) at No. 1 Oregon (10-0, 7-0), 7 p.m., ESPN: If the Ducks win, they clinch a BCS bowl berth. But the Rose Bowl is no longer what they are eyeballing. The Wildcats have a solid defense, team speed and poised QB -- Nick Foles -- so this is no gimme, even inside the friendly confines of Autzen Stadium.

Saturday
Washington (4-6, 3-4) at California (5-6, 3-5), 3:30 p.m., CSN CA: Another bowl-elimination game! Jake Locker's tour de force performance in a 42-10 victory last year played a huge role in his preseason hype heading into 2010. Does he have more magic in him? Cal is a different team at home -- at least until getting blown out by Stanford last weekend -- but can its offense get on track?

Oregon State (5-5, 4-3) at Stanford (10-1, 7-1), 7:30 p.m., Versus: Stanford needed a last-second field goal to beat USC. Oregon State buried the Trojans 36-7. Meaningful? Maybe. The Beavers could become bowl-eligible with a win. Stanford is still eyeballing a BCS bowl game.

Notre Dame (5-5) at USC (7-4), 8 p.m., ABC: USC has won eight consecutive battles for the Jeweled Shillelagh. But will QB Matt Barkley be ready to go? High-ankle sprains don't heal quickly. Or will star-crossed backup Mitch Mustain finally get a chance to shine. And do so.

Washington State has an open date.

The team that lost to Washington State just beat the pooh out of USC. Oregon State, which couldn't have been more in the dumps last weekend, made USC look like an FCS team in a 36-7 victory.

Go figure. The Pac-10, after Oregon and Stanford, is all over the place this season.

While USC lost QB Matt Barkley to an injury late in the first half, the story here was simple: Oregon State dominated. USC never made a move. Trojans backup Mitch Mustain never even suggested he could lead a comeback.

The Beavers outgained the Trojans 327-255. No USC offensive lineman could block Beavers defensive tackle Stephen Paea. Jacquizz Rodgers rushed for 127 yards and caught seven passes for 43 yards.

Suddenly, Oregon State is interesting. It needs to win one of its final two games to become bowl eligible. But those two games are against Stanford and Oregon. Both those teams are hunting for BCS bowls. Or even national titles.

Oregon State looked like an easy date last week after the debacle versus the Cougars. Now? Not so much.