WEST COAST WATCHER: OCTOBER 27, 2007

Underdog Trojans (What!?) Travel to No. 5 Oregon

By John Scheibe / watcher@collegeblitz.com

The USC Trojans, who are trying to get back in the chase for the Bowl Championship Series title game, find themselves in a position that they haven't been in since the early days of Pete Carroll's reign. They're underdogs going into Saturday's conference clash against the Oregon Ducks. By three points.

The Ducks, ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press poll, are averaging 47 points a game and are lead by their multi-talented quarterback, Dennis Dixon, who has 16 touchdowns and has completed 69% of his passes.

USC's quarterback situation got a little murky this week because John David Booty will likely be cleared to play against the Ducks. He had been sidelined that last two games (Arizona and Notre Dame) because of a broken bone in the middle finger of his throwing hand. Mark Sanchez, a redhshirt sophomore, has filled in adequately for Booty. Sanchez is more mobile and has a stronger throwing arm, and several L.A. sports columnists have debated who should start against Oregon. The consensus is that Coach Carroll will stick with Booty as long as he is healthy.

The Trojans dominated the Irish last weekend in South Bend, Ind., where they won by the widest margin in the history of the storied intersectional rivalry, 38-0. And, USC's receivers and offensive line, which had been hampered by injuries, appear to be on track after playing poorly against Stanford, Washington and Arizona. This should give Booty some confidence. The Watcher likes the Trojans in an upset at noisy Autzen Stadium.

The UCLA Bruins, still basking in the glow of their big upset over California in the Rose Bowl, head to the Great Northwest to play lowly Washington State in Pullman. UCLA played its best game of the season against the Golden Bears, who are on a see-saw after losing consecutive games, a last-second heartbreaker to Oregon State, and 30-21 to the Bruins. The win took pressure off of Coach Karl Dorrell, who has been maligned by fans and alumni this season. Dorrell finally has a near-healthy quarterback in Patrick Cowan, who gives the Bruins offense a lot of energy with his versatility to pass and run. UCLA should have little troulbe disposing of the Cougars who are 0-4 in the Pacific 10 and 2-5 for the season.

Meanwhile, there's no let-up for California, which travelsl to Tempe, Ariz., to face a team that's hotter than its desert surroundings, the ASU Sun Devils. Arizona State, ranked No. 4 in the BCS poll and No. 7 in AP's, has adopted the swagger of its coach, the wiley Dennis Erickson, who seems to be as unbeatable as a popular cartoon coyote and has made more coaching stops than a Pony Express rider. In a season pocked by upsets and surprises, ASU is the talk of the Pac-10. A major showdown looms on the schedule horizon when it plays USC on Thanksgiving Night.

The Coast Watcher, John Scheibe, is the author of the new book "On the Road With Jim Murray: Baseball and the Summer of '79," which is available at Barnes and Noble stores and online at amazon.com and bn.com. Visit the book’s official website for more information.