Oregon cheerleader Katelynn Johnson, who graciously posed in our picture last year at the Coliseum, was carted off the field tonight after being hit by a water bottle after the Ducks beat Arizona in double OT tonight.

Stanford loses to Cal tonight, which enhances the Trojans' chances for the Holiday Bowl and shows that every team that beat USC this season lost the following week's game. That's where the hangover term comes from. Remember, if teams tie for second place, the Holiday Bowl can choose whoever it wants.

Forward Kasey Cunningham said his knee injury felt different than his past ACL injuries.
``I think I just sprained my knee a little bit,'' Cunningham said.
Cunningham will undergo an MRI on Monday.

It's a final as the Trojans go 1 for 9 from 3-point range and Dwight Lewis is 3 for 12 and scores just 11 points.

The Lions are up with 1:46 left.

Oft-injured USC forward Kasey Cunningham left the game with a sprained left knee.

The Lions mount a comeback and tie the score with 10:23 left.

The Trojans are still ahead with 16:10 remaining.

It's halftime and Donte Smith's nine points lead the way. He made 4 of 7 shots in the first half. Marcus Simmons and Nikola Vucevic each scored seven points. Edgar Garibay led LMU with eight points.

The Trojans are up to 46 percent shooting while Loyola is down to 42 percent. Nikola Vucevic has seven points while Marcus Simmons has seven.

Nikola Vucevic ties it on a 3-point play.

The Beavers' victory officially ends that outlandish six-way tie possibility that would land USC in the Rose Bowl.

Drew Viney's got six points for Loyola and the Trojans are shooting 33 percent while the Lions are at 55 percent.

And they're off at the Galen Center. Kasey Cunningham already has 4 points while LMU's Edgar Garibay, who seemingly went to every USC home game while at Compton High and wanted to play for the Trojans, also has 4.

``I think he'll be gone and Jimmy will leave because of that.''
-- NBC analyst Pat Haden on Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis and quarterback Jimmy Clausen following the Irish's loss to UConn.

USC could play Notre Dame in the Sun Bowl following the Irish's overtime loss to UConn today. The Sun Bowl has the right to select the Irish if they fall out of the Gator Bowl slot.

If Arizona beats Oregon tonight, will USC need to do the Ducks a favor in two weeks at the Coliseum?

Something feels weird when Stanford-Cal is today but USC-UCLA will not be for another week.

The forum will be finished at some point today. Finally.

Just in case you wondered if Pete Carroll went and watched linebacker prospects Ronald Powell of Rancho Verde or Josh Shirley of Fontana, he saw them play earlier in the season and you can only watch a prospect once each season.

When you are in an emergency answer session, it is a week-long project.

USC tight end Anthony McCoy blames the offense's woes on mental mistakes.

Freshman forward Evan Smith was a pleasant surprise in USC's basketball opener and will be a key player again tonight against Loyola Marymount.

Can anyone pick the correct winners for this weekend's Pac-10 games?

More answers.

Big weekend for recruiting with three assistants out on the road and many others scouring Southern California.

You ask. We answer.

I'm already on record as being a big fan of Kevin O'Neill but he earned even more respect when he told me he will no longer use twitter.
``I'm not doing it at all,'' O'Neill said. ``I don't like it at all.''
Finally, a coach who stands against the tide and does not feel the need to discuss everything via twitter.

We already mentioned that Pete Carroll will watch Edison High linebacker Jordan Zumwalt tonight, who committed to Stanford but is considering USC. Last week Zumwalt attended the USC-Stanford game. So did he feel Stanford was the right choice after watching the rout? Or did he see a golden chance for playing time at USC?

Look who emerged as Hollywood's most overpaid star.

USC (Pete Carroll) and Tennessee (Lane Kiffin) will play each other but neither coach will probably be there by the time of the games.

Here's a look at where USC might end up playing after the regular season.

A lot of the defensive starters rested today, especially in the secondary and the linebacker corps to get everyone healthy for the UCLA game. Everson Griffen remains bothered by turf toe, but linebacker Malcolm Smith is back and will start again.
Devon Kennard will probably start next week because Michael Morgan is battling wrist and shoulder injuries.

Pete Carroll went to an afternoon game featuring Narbonne High School of Harbor City, which is lead by safety Sean Parker. He returned to USC for practice and then left for Westchester to watch defensive tackle Dakota Smith, who already committed to the Trojans.
Offensive line coach Pat Ruel flies to Minnesota on Friday to watch offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson, rated the No. 1 player at his position by some recruiting services. Carroll is expected to several games Friday, including Edison of Huntington Beach, which has linebacker Jordan Zumwalt. He committed to Stanford but is considering USC.

How much political heat would the BCS face if a three-loss USC team was selected over a Boise State or a Cincinnati for a BCS bowl game?

Another one of those Pete Carroll-Jim Harbaugh questions in this segment.

From the Pac-10 office:
``The Pacific-10 Conference has retained the firm of Spencer Stuart to conduct a national search for the position of Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer. The newly-created position will report directly to Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott, with the person selected being responsible for managing many of the day-to-day operations of the Conference. The search is being headed by up by Jed Hughes of Spencer Stuart New
York. It is anticipated the new position will be filled by early 2010.''
Apparently the commish is too busy for day-to-day duties.

Answers, answers, answers.

In this segment, I mention something that hurt the program that was allowed to happen last season.

A reader writes that song girls tryouts were this week. Maybe the Stanford loss was a brilliant distraction maneuver to get everyone's attention elsewhere.

Back to the emergency answer session!

In 1983, Oregon and Oregon State played a 0-0 tie in Eugene. The game represents the last scoreless tie game in FBS history due to the NCAA's institution of overtime beginning in 1994.

In case you missed the Morning Buzz, assistant coach Todd McNair leaves today for Florida where he will watch linebacker Jeff Luc of Port St. Lucie, Fla. McNair will go to Cincinnati on Friday and watch linebacker Jordan Hicks of West Chester, Ohio.

How many yards will ``bye'' rush for against USC this weekend?

We asked USC coach Pete Carroll if he still thinks Matt Barkley is playing as well this season as any quarterback he ever coached.

Here's Pete Carroll's interview this week on the Petros and Money Show.

Quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates would not respond to that previously posted Internet report that said he could be a candidate at Colorado if Dan Hawkins is fired.
``I've learned being a coach's son you can't look ahead,'' Bates said.
Colorado is currently 86th in the nation on third-down conversions but that is superior to USC's 100th.

Senior Nick Howell is getting more reps at right guard this week, to see if he can play more in the final two games. Alex Parsons has started at the spot the entire season.

Back to the answers.

One could argue that there is nothing to be gained and only something to be lost the rest of the season. All the energy is gone following the Stanford loss and now all that is left is the idea of playing your crosstown rival. A victory means status quo in the rivalry and the general feeling of disappointment for the entire season (including a make bowl appearance in Decemeber).
But a loss to UCLA makes this a complete and utter embarassment. And many of you will hear about it from your Bruin friends for the next year.

Some readers are focusing on the staff in this segment.

Jerry Glanville is out at Portland State and Amanda Pflugrad's father, Robin Pflugrad, is being mentioned as a candidate to replace him. He played wide receiver at Portland State and we heartily endorse his candidacy.

The Birmingham News compiled a list of the SEC's top-paid assistants. It's a good thing USC is a private university or you would see quite a few assistants giving this list a run for its money.

Top 10 Highest-Paid SEC Assistants (counting total compensation)
1. Monte Kiffin, Tennessee Defensive Coordinator: $1.2 million
2. Ed Orgeron, Tennessee Assistant Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Line: $650,000
3. Gary Crowton, LSU Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks: $469,917
4. John Chavis, Tennessee Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers: $450,000
5. Joe Pendry, Alabama Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line: $390,000
6. Jim Chaney, Tennessee Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends: $380,000
7. Willy Robinson, Arkansas Defensive Coordinator/Secondary: $378,238
8. Ted Roof, Auburn Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers: $370,000
9. Kirby Smart, Alabama Defensive Coordinator/Secondary: $369,350
10. Tyrone Nix, Ole Miss Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers: $365,500

Back to the unanswered questions now.

Toby Gerhart's 178 yards rushing was the most ever by a Stanford player against USC, and the fifth highest total against the Trojans at the Coliseum since 1946.

Jim Harbaugh is not only a good football coach, he knows how to break down the Heisman Trophy race.
``Seems like a little bit of the Heisman is a lot of preseason hype, maybe it's 50 percent preseason hype, maybe it's 25 percent playing on the undefeated team and about 25 percent what they actually do.
``Hopefully the 25 percent of what Toby (Gerhart) does will get noticed. Because I think the `What you do part,' should be the determining factor.''

Linebacker Jarvis Jones was not cleared by doctors last night to resume playing. Jones originally was out with a neck injury. But he also suffered a pinched nerve in his shoulder and does not have full mobility.

I am going to revisit two questions from yesterday, including one on the band and one on a linebacker.

In case you missed the Morning Buzz, linebacker Chris Galippo accepted that fans would criticize him and the other linebackers for failing to stop the run against Stanford.
``Any time you give up 55 points, everyone is a Monday morning quarterback and has the greatest solution in the world,'' Galippo said. ``That's part of playing in a big-time program.''

Pete Carroll went back and watched last week's practice films and noticed a lack of tempo as a problem for USC's performance against Stanford.

Point guard Romeo Miller was reinstated by the NCAA on Tuesday and will be available to play against Loyola Marymount on Saturday.

Kevin O'Neill wins his first game as USC basketball coach.

``We fought some foul trouble and got a little immature at the end. But we played solid enough to win. But we have to get better.''
-- USC basketball coach Kevin O'Neill

Kevin O'Neill praised Marcus Simmons, who scored 18 points against UC Riverside.
``I thought Marcus Simmons during one stretch dominated the game on both ends,'' O'Neill said. ``I thought he played exceptionally well.''

``I'll take any win, any time, any where.''
-- USC coach Kevin O'Neill on his first victory with the Trojans

Marcus Simmons, who was not an offensive threat for the past two years, scored 18 points and helped make Kevin O'Neill's debut a success.

A well-balanced effort as four players are in double figures. Did I already say I'm a big fan of Kevin O'Neill?

The night is a success and USC leads 48-37 with 11:21 left.

Dwight Lewis has 12 points as USC continues to roll in Kevin O'Neill's debut game.

Dwight Lewis and Marcus Simmons hit 3's as the Trojans get off to a quick start.

Tailback Allen Bradford did not practice today because of a bone bruise in his ankle that he suffered against Stanford.

The crowd at the Galen Center tonight could fit nicely into the Lyon Center.

Texas has extended its streak to nine straight 10-win seasons. That's the nation's longest active streak, a UT record and now stands as the second-longest 10-win victory string in NCAA history (trailing only Florida State's 14 in a row from 1987-2000).
USC's won 10 or more games for seven straight seasons and needs to win its final two regular-season games and bowl game to keep it going.

Remember to follow us on twitter.com/InsideUSC for post-practice reports.

In the old days, the Walter Camp Award would include a USC player among its 15 players to watch. Today, the award included three players who faced the Trojans: Stanford tailback Toby Gerhart, Oregon State tailback Jacquizz Rodgers and Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate. Here's the full list.

If USC would blow someone out, I would have time to answer the Girls' Aloud forum questions.

Time to convene the emergency answer session.

The website FootballCoachScoop.com reports that Colorado coach Dan Hawkins will be bought out after the season and that athletic director Mike Bohn has already met with former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan about ``future possibilities'' with the program.
The site reports that Bohn is interested in speaking to Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables, former Buff player/assistant Eric Bienemy, USC assistant head coach of the offense Jeremy Bates and former Buff player/assistant Jon Embree about succeeding Hawkins.
Perhaps it's the national ranking of 100 on third-down conversions that has Colorado interested.

``I do not for one second believe that I failed in this pursuit. I just wasn't given enough time or enough resources to do it.''
-- former USC player and assistant coach Mike Sanford, after being fired by UNLV.

USC needs some help if it wants to go to the Holiday Bowl.

A lot of players are missing for tonight's basketball opener. Hopefully the Galen Center's soft-serve ice cream machines are working.

In case you somehow missed that enlightening interview on the Petros and Money Show, here is the link. The interview starts around the 24:40 mark.

Look at the neck-and-neck race to see who can have the worst third-down conversion percentage according to this week's NCAA stats.

Rank
100 USC 34.17 percent
101 UCLA 34.06 percent

ESPN reports that Notre Dame blocked tracking access to its university-owned private plane from the web site FlightAware.com.

When Tim Floyd coached at USC, he used to say he would never work in the NBA again. At least I never heard him say anything about not visiting Indian casinos.

Does any team lose two games by 61 points without the reasons being 2-3 years in the making? Isn't it implausible that it happens overnight? Or maybe Pete Carroll was right to be so angry when Mark Sanchez announced he turned pro in January because he knew his team better than anyone else.

From the Football Writers Association of America today: ``With their 55-21 win at No. 9 USC, the Stanford Cardinal (7-3) are the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week for games of the weekend of Nov. 14, as chosen by the board of the Football Writers Association of America.''

USC forward Alex Stepheson will miss the UC Riverside game because of a swollen knee.

USC scrimmaged Air Force last week in a closed scrimmage and won by 10 points.

I'll be on the Petros and Money Show (570-AM) today around 3:30 p.m.

Here's the basketball team's starting for tomorrow night's game according to Kevin O'Neill, who of course, I am bullish on, for those who forgot my June comments.

PG -- Donte Smith
G -- Dwight Lewis
G -- Marcus Simmons
F -- Kasey Cunningham
F -- Nikola Vucevic

USC tight end Anthony McCoy was one of eight semifinalists for the Mackey Award.

You can post your questions following the Stanford game in Sunday's Weekend Forum entry.

Here's the grades from Homecoming.

And to think just two weeks ago, Amanda Pflugrad and I were discussing who would win the Pac-10 championship before the USC-Oregon game.

Finishing up the pre-Stanford disaster questions, which are pretty similar to the post-Stanford disaster questions.

Daily News columnist Tom Hoffarth weighs in on Stanford's decision to go for two points.

USC guard Romeo Miller is currently ineligible for tomorrow night's basketball game against UC Riverside. Miller did some promotional work in the summer that violated NCAA rules.
USC applied for his reinstatement to the NCAA.

Here's my ballot for the Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll.

Let's all agree the defense was unable to stop Stanford. But why does the offense get afforded witness-protection privileges when it comes to honest criticism?
The defense showed up against Arizona State and scored seven points. Where was the offense in that game? Or the second half of the Oregon game? Or the Stanford game? When you turn the ball over four times, it demoralizes the defense. That does not excuse allowing 325 yards of rushing to Stanford.
But it means the offense should be part of the discussion of what ails the program. Yet nary a peep anywhere about the playcalling or anything else.

USC coach Pete Carroll surveys the wreckage after watching the game films and comes to some conclusions about his team.

Here's an interesting comment posted by a reader today:

Pete Carroll talked about the defense getting manhandled against Stanford.
``Our ability to play well at the end of a game. We're not finishing like we did in the past,'' he said. ``As much as I hate to admit that. We're not as stout. Part of that comes from experience.''

Pete Carroll said right now that he is not considering any changes at quarterback and will remain with Matt Barkley.

USC is ranked 18th in today's BCS rankings. Stanford is 17th.

USC did not make the 16-team playoff bracket for Sports Illustrated this week. However Stanford did and plays Cincinnati in the first round.

On ESPN's sports reporters today, frequent Pete Carroll critic, Mike Lupica, said USC plays as little defense as the Golden State Warriors.

Are people still worried if USC will make a BCS bowl game?

In two of USC's past three games, its opponents set team scoring records against the Trojans. Stanford's 55 bested, by 20, their previous high, 35, against USC in 1997 and 1957. Oregon's 47 topped, by 13, the 34 it scored against USC in 1915 and 1987.

Tailback Stafon Johnson attended the game and spoke his first words to the media.

One point to make in defense of Pete Carroll. This is as low as it has been for eight years and USC could still finish 10-3. Just two years ago, Florida went 9-4. And four years ago, Florida went 9-3.
Now Florida is the gold standard and will probably win its third national title under Urban Meyer this year, but the point is, a massively disappointing season by USC standards is still something a lot of schools would enjoy.

Is this an emergency question-and-answer session? Well, the football program seems to be in a state of emergency.

Is the Pete Carroll era of domination over?

Here is my ballot for the Associated Top 25 poll.

Will USC be able to regroup for its final two games?

Here's the anatomy of a blowout. One observation: Pete Carroll either coaches a really bad team or his team is badly coached.