USC coach Pete Carroll Tuesday on the unveiling of the BCS standings. The Trojans sit No. 7, behind Cincinnati and Iowa:

"No. I really have the same stance that I've had forever. This is the first time that they unveiled, you know, the information, and this is really the most the least meaningful time of all, because we're so much in the middle of the season. You know, there's a lot of football. When it gets down to the last week, it makes a difference. Until then it doesn't have any bearing on anything to me.

I know there's a lot of people talking about it, and I guess that's why they do it."

USC coach Pete Carroll Tuesday on the unveiling of the BCS standings. The Trojans sit No. 7, behind Cincinnati and Iowa:

"No. I really have the same stance that I've had forever. This is the first time that they unveiled, you know, the information, and this is really the most the least meaningful time of all, because we're so much in the middle of the season. You know, there's a lot of football. When it gets down to the last week, it makes a difference. Until then it doesn't have any bearing on anything to me.

I know there's a lot of people talking about it, and I guess that's why they do it."

USC coach Pete Carroll on Saturday's visit of Oregon State, which shocked the Trojans last year in Corvallis:

"Q. What has Oregon State been able to do against you guys better than anybody else? Scheme wise, position wise?

"They've been really effective against us on both sides of the ball. They've been able to give us problems and they've had good fortune at their place two of the three times. Jumping out on us early offensively. You know, we fell behind 21-0 last year at one time.

They executed really well. Their guys played great football. They played just as tough as anybody we've played on that day. And we had trouble staying up with them, you know. The tempo of the game was set by their side of the football and their guys. And their crowd had a lot to do with it, you know, and they did a great job of it.

It wasn't just because it was a Thursday night game, they did it to us on Saturday, in the afternoon, and the sunshine.

I have tremendous respect for Mike and what he does, and their scheme and their approach. You know, they're an interesting team when you watch them year in and year out, because they have their games. You wonder how could this team play like this had and play at the other end of the spectrum. They struggle with a couple of games this year early.

As we saw them last year, remember, we came off the Penn State game and the Hawaii game last year. In the Penn State they looked terrible in that game...got blown away. And they came back and played a pretty good game against Hawaii. Then they played the game of the year for themselves against us.

So we have a lot of respect for them in that they can figure out their ways. They can get their kids right. They can give us issues that can upset us and allow us to play right. So hopefully we'll be able to overcome that here at the coliseum, and we'll figure out what happens next time around when we play them up there."

Following his eight catch, 117-yard, two-TD performance in Saturday's epic loss to USC, Notre Dame receiver Golden Tate has been compared to Hall of Famer Lynn Swann by USC coach Pete Carroll:

"He's a great player now. He really is. He's a true play maker. He has extraordinary confidence in his own ability to make things happen. The catch he makes over the middle when he holds the ball away from T.J. or Josh, that's an amazing grab. The presence to know to keep the ball away, that was big time.

His ability to play with great speed on the deep ball. But the best part of the deep ball that he caught was he elevated at the end of all of that. He was running full speed 40 yards down the field, and he hit it and got up off the ground and needed every bit of that elevation to make the play.

That's big time stuff. That's reminiscent of Lynn Swann going over top guys in Super Bowls. Those are fantastic athletic demonstrations. He's a great player. We kind of held him down, to tell you the truth. We were fortunate. We did a lot of stuff on keep him under wraps. A couple of times they caught it on our one on ones and we tried it, and we covered them. But the one time he did get us."

Pete Carroll's typical optimism shone thorough when asked Tuesday about true freshman quarterback Matt Barkley, who will start the Trojans' season opener Saturday afternoon at San Jose State.

"Way beyond the expectations that we had for a first-time quarterback."

"I'm not real worried about having to limit what we're doing and we're going to be vulnerable because of it."

USC coach Pete Carroll lacked his normal optimism when speaking about the Trojans' linebackers Tuesday morning.

"That's a questionmark for us," said Carroll. "Hopefully, that'll be an adequate group and we'll have a chance to be an OK team."

Perhaps Carroll had just finished reading this article, which seems to say that Carroll has wrote off this season and is focusing on 2010.

Seems slightly ridiculous, right?

Pete Carroll, now the dean of Pac-10 football coaches, once again served as the grand finale to the morning session at Pac-10 media day today.

(on safety Taylor Mays returning for his senior year)

"He wanted to be the best player he could be for his school."

(on the team's issues entering fall camp)

"The quarterback spot is what everybody wants to talk about. The linebacker spot is what everyone wants to talk about and rightfully so. It's nothing new for us. We have to recapture the level of intensity in practice..."

(on the strength of the conference)

"I know we've only lost a few games out of conference over the years, but we've lost of bunch of games in the conference. I can't imagine anybody better than this conference. This is the best conference in America.

"It's great for us, it makes us so strong at the end of the year. It calls for us to be at the very best."

(on the quarterbacks)

"The quarterback situation to me is very clear right now. Aaron came out of spring practice as the No. 1 guy. Just did a great job for us and gave us the feeling like 'Here we go.' "

(on the linebackers)

"When you lose four guys to the NFL, you should feel it. But we've never focused on the losses, we've always focused on who's arriving for the opportunity.

"We hope they can fill the linebacker spot that was left vacant by those guys going to the NFL."

(on how he would change the NCAA if he were in charge for one day)

"We'd have an awesome playoff system. That's it. I really don't care about anything else.

Speaking after practice Saturday at Howard Jones Field, USC head coach Pete Carroll thinks that the Rose Bowl against Penn State could be a low-scoring game:

"Logically, everyone will think this would be a really low scoring game. We'll try to do that, that's the only way I ever think. These are two high-powered offenses as well, so it will be interesting to see come game time."

Carroll is looking forward to coaching against Penn State's legendary coach Joe Paterno:

"It's a nice aspect of this game. It's fun to have this opportunity and I look forward to it. It's exciting to have the opportunity to go against him in such a big setting and big match-up. I have great respect for him, like everyone has and he is well-deserving of all of it."

After an up-and-down season, USC quarterback Mark Sanchez says the Trojans' offense is "starting to click." :

"We are coming around and I think we are going to peak at just the right time. The offense as a group looks fast. We are playing fast. We know what we are doing and that makes things a lot easier."

USC tailback Stafon Johnson seems excited about the potential for a physical game against a Big Ten Conference opponent:

"That's the type of game that you want. Smash mouth football, down hill football on both sides. We just want to make sure we capitalize on third downs and execute in the red zone."

For more reaction provided by the Tournament of Roses, click the jump.

There was a humorous U-Turn in the manner in which USC head coach Pete Carroll answered questions about reports that USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian would take the Washington head coaching job after the Trojans' 28-7 win over UCLA Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl.

Carroll initially told reporters, "I don't know what the deal is, I don't know what we're supposed to say."

Carroll then debated the point with himself audibly, saying "Why am I saying that? Screw it."

Carroll then confirmed that, as far as he knows, Sarkisian is on the verge of taking over the position vacated by the firing of Tyrone Willingham earlier this season.

"As far as I know, it sounds like Washington," said Carroll. "We proudly send our guy to that job.

"It makes us extremely proud."

USC plays Washington in its second game of the 2009 season.

"We're coming after him," said Carroll. "I want you know this."

Two one-loss teams will play in the Bowl Championship Series national title game, but No. 5 USC (11-1) won't be one of them. The Trojans are set to play No. 6 Penn State (11-1) on New Year's Day in the Trojans' fourth straight Rose Bowl appearance.

"That's just how it is," said defensive end Clay Matthews, an Agoura High product. "That's just how it works. I'm sure Penn State is thinking the same thing."

USC has won all five meetings against Big 10 Conference opposition under Pete Carroll by an average margin of 35-14.

"For whatever reasons, the loss that we had just hung on us," said USC coach Pete Carroll of the Trojans 27-21 upset at Oregon State on Sept. 25. "It didn't seem like it ever changed, the opinion of that (loss).

"We had a bad quarter and a half all season... There's nothing we can do about it."

USC allowed only 56 points in the nine games since the loss in Corvallis, an average of 6.2 per game. It's allowed just seven points in the third quarter all season, a 5-yard touchdown run by Arizona's Nic Grigsby on Oct. 25.

"I'm not politicking because it doesn't feel right," added Carroll. "We just accept what it is."

Pete Carroll addressed the USC football team's loss to UCLA in its last regular season Rose Bowl visit:

"They played great defense on that day. We couldn't move the football. You know, that was the first time in a long time we scored that few points, however you say that. You know, played really well on defense that day. They had a couple plays that put them in scoring position, and that's all they needed.

"You know, if you remember back to that game, like some other games when we've struggled, we struggled early. We didn't convert on a couple third and shorts, third and short, fourth and short. You know, you make those first downs, it's first down on the 30 yardline, whatever, the momentum of the start of the game allows you to get maybe on the board and get some points and it changes everything.

"You know, really, the format of that game was reminiscent of the Oregon State game. Same kind of thing happened, although we played much better on defense that day. That can happen any time. DeWayne Walker is a really good football coach. He knows what he's doing. He has had tremendous success. He's got a lot of stuff up his sleeve he can pull out. He's got a great background in style of defense that can give you problems. They played great last week against Arizona State. You can't tell by the score, but the defense played like crazy in that game. They looked loaded up, fired up, well schooled, great intensity, all that. That's what gives any team a chance to beat somebody. So we have great respect for what they're doing over there and what they're capable of doing and know they have it in them to put together a game that can knock us off. We're going to do everything we can to not let that happen."

The 80th game between USC and Notre Dame was marred by altercations in the tunnel before the game and an on-field fight in the fourth quarter that led to the ejections of USC's Malik Jackson and Notre Dame's Robert Hughes.

USC head coach Pete Carroll:
"It's never happened since we've been there. The control of having the teams come down was not well done.
"Their team had been held from passing. Blame it on anybody. It just shouldn't have happened."
"They weren't fighting. They were just jawing and getting all jacked up. That's not supposed to happen."
"They was some chippy stuff going on out there and that's not who we are."

USC linebacker Brian Cushing
"It really comes down to it being the heat of the rivalry. Those guys came across the country and didn't want to be disrespected and neither did we. It was really just a mix of emotions and everybody was hyped up. I'm not sure who started it, but neither backed off."

Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis
""I was on the 50-yard line, so I didn't see it... but there was some jawing in the tunnel... some pushing and shoving."

Pete Carroll improved to 27-0 in November and 7-1 against Notre Dame as USC coach.

"We're playing the best we've ever played," said Carroll of the USC defense. "I love the defense we had in '03... but no one has ever played this good. You can't score on them."

"It was a tremendous, consistent job of controlling the line of scrimmage. It just seemed like series after series nothing happened. We really didn't have to do much."

"What a terrific night for our seniors. Everyone in the program was dedicated throughout the week. We wanted this to be a great experience for the seniores tonight and it's great to go out as Pac-10 champs. The seniors have been a huge part of our success over the past few years. With guys like Cush, Rey, Kaluka, Fili, Moore, Clay, we're going to miss all those guys. They've give so much to this program, and I'm glad they've been able to receive so much as well.

"We're not done yet, though. We get one more chance to go across town. I couldn't be more proud of all these guys, of what they've accomplished, of playing with purpose, and by the way, how about Joe? What a great run tonight. I loved it."

In the aftermath of the USC football team's impressive 44-10 win over Oregon Saturday night at the Coliseum, USC head coach Pete Carroll took the blame for the 27-21 loss at Oregon State that knocked the top-ranked Trojans out of the Top 8.

"We just weren't right," said Carroll. "As much as I hate to say it, coming off the win against Ohio State, we didn't handle it well enough.

"We just totally didn't get it done. I just didn't get it done. I'll forever be frustrated by (the performance)."

"It was a tremendous learning opportunity that no one game is more important than another. I'm still bitter about how it played out. I loved this win tonight, but I'm still pissed about last week."

The USC football program mourned the loss of former player and assistant coach Craig Fertig, who died Saturday morning of kidney failure in Newport Beach, before and after its 44-10 win over Oregon.

Before kickoff, USC held a moment of silence. After the game, head coach Pete Carroll opened his postgame press conference by saying, "Today, the Trojan family got hit in a big way."

"We're gonna miss Craig."

Fertig was known for his special sense of humor and for throwing the game-winning touchdown pass to Rod Sherman in USC's come-from-behind win over unbeaten, top-ranked Notre Dame in 1964.

Fresno State head coach Pat Hill has taken this week's trip to UCLA to complain that UCLA and USC won't make a return trip to the Central Valley.

Fresno famously had one of the most entertaining games in recent history at USC in 2005, but didn't get a crack at the Trojans in Fresno.

"Our schedule is scheduled so far out. It's pretty much done. It's not that easy," said USC coach Pete Carroll.

"It just doesn't fit because the schedule is made for years and years in advance."

The first month of the college football season is nearly complete and the Pacific-10 Conference won't be sad to see it go.

Only top-ranked USC (2-0) will wake up this morning unbeaten and the Trojans will do so in Corvallis, Ore., where they've lost on two of their last trips to Reser Stadium, including the stunning 33-31 loss in 2006.

Through the first four weekends, the Pac-10 Conference has a combined 10-12 against bowl subdivision schools (12-12 overall).

That fallout of two gory weekends is apparent in the AP Top 25, which lists No. 1 USC as its lone Pac-10 school. Which raises questions on the affect a conference campaign without a ranked opponent would have on a Trojans march to the Bowl Championship Series title game.

The question seemed to rankle USC head coach Pete Carroll when he was presented with the issue Tuesday.

"No, what would we address about that?" said Carroll. "We have a ridiculously difficult schedule going through the conference. We don't address where they're ranked or anything. I've never brought that up and I'd never understand why we would."

"Every game for us is a championship, enormous event and opportunity, and it doesn't matter what the setting is."

Hueneme High product Josh Pinkard, who missed most of last season with a knee injury, will return to the starting lineup tonight at Oregon State.

"He's had a difficult time getting going," said USC coach Pete Carroll. "I've always talked about Josh so highly because he has such fantastic physical ability and overall talent.

"He's had a difficult time staying out there with the two big knee injuries, but he's back now. He played beautifully through camp and had a really productive first two games for us.

"Just getting out there, we've rotated him with our starting corners. The fact that he's going to start this game is not a big transition for us, he's already played with the ones all camp. Hopefully he can have a real nice game."

Both coaches are in their eighth season at their respective schools -- USC coach Pete Carroll is 77-14 while Ohio State coach Jim Tressel is 75-16. Both have one BCS title.

USC football coach Pete Carroll says Ohio State's come-from-behind win over Ohio doesn't affect how the Trojans will approach Saturday's cross-country showdown at the Coliseum:

"No, I don't think that has to do with anything. These guys have won a ton of games together. They know how to do it. They've played in all the settings. They've won year in and year out...

"So they just won that game a little differently than anybody wanted them to and expected them to. They took the game in hand. Really I think from their sidelines, they felt -- even when they were behind, they didn't feel out of control of that game. It was just a matter of time.

"Fourth quarter, they owned it, won the football game going away, and it was easy for them."