ADN

Associated Press


NEW YORK -- When Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr. and the rest of Ohio State's blazing Buckeyes were last seen on a big stage, they were whizzing around Sun Devil Stadium at warp speed.

That 34-20 victory over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl made a lasting impression.

Whitlock explains votes
I don't see a clear-cut dominant team this year. So my preseason national champion is the team with the best chance of going undefeated. It's the only team with a chance of making it through the regular season unscathed.


For the first time since 1998, Ohio State is preseason No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25.

"Around here, whether you're high in the polls or not, the expectations are still the same," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said in a telephone interview.

The Buckeyes received 35 of a possible 65 first-place votes from a panel of media members in the poll released Friday. Notre Dame was No. 2, the best preseason showing for the Fighting Irish since they were second in 1994.

"There wasn't a clear-cut No. 1, which I guess if you're a college football fan you have to really like," said Jason Franchuk, a poll voter from the Provo Daily Herald in Utah. "I just remember watching the Fiesta Bowl and being really impressed with that (Ohio State) team."

Texas will start the defense of its national title as the No. 3 team in the country. Auburn was fourth and West Virginia fifth.

Southern California, preseason No. 1 the past two years, was No. 6. Florida, LSU, California and Oklahoma rounded out the top 10.

"It's not a problem," USC receiver Dwayne Jarrett said when he found out about the Trojans' ranking. "We're just going to take that and roll with it."

No. 11 Florida State and No. 12 Miami will renew their rivalry on Labor Day night in the Orange Bowl.

No. 13 was Louisville, followed by Michigan, Georgia, Iowa, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Penn State and Nebraska.

The final five were Oregon, TCU, Tennessee, Arizona State and Texas Tech.

Unlike the past two seasons, when Southern California started the season as an overwhelming No. 1, the Buckeyes received 54 percent of the first-place votes, and all the teams in the top six received at least three votes for No. 1. Notre Dame had 10 first-place votes, Texas eight, West Virginia six and Auburn and USC three.

"I think that anytime we're ranked No. 1, it puts a bull's-eye on us," center Doug Datish said after practice Friday night. "But on that same note, we're Ohio State and we always have the big bull's-eye on us anyway."

Ohio State closed the 2005 season on a seven-game winning streak and was No. 4 in the final AP poll. The Buckeyes' two losses were to Texas and Penn State by a combined total of 10 points.

The emergence of Smith, a dual-threat quarterback whose junior season started with a suspension, gave the Buckeyes' a new identity.


In Ohio State's first five seasons under Tressel, defense had become the Buckeyes' forte, complemented by a play-it-safe offensive mentality. Tresselball won Ohio State a national title in 2002 with Maurice Clarett powering the offense on the ground.

With Smith running the show, Ohio State has a new MO.

These Buckeyes run a jet-powered spread-option offense, turning Smith loose the way Texas did Vince Young. During the seven-game winning streak, Ohio State averaged 38 points per game.

"There's no question we'd love to be explosive," Tressel said. "We have some kids who can do those type of things."

Smith passed for 2,282 yards, ran for 611 more and accounted for 27 touchdowns on the ground and through the air last season. He did all that despite sitting out the first game for taking money from a booster and then sharing the job for two games.

Smith solidified his status against Michigan and Notre Dame, throwing for 642 yards.

"I think he has done an excellent job battling through adversity, some of which he created and others were circumstances that had nothing to do with him," said Tressel, who's 50-13 with Ohio State. "Now the fun thing about Troy Smith is to find out how he'll handle success."

Smith has a couple of excellent running mates in Ginn and tailback Antonio Pittman.

Ginn, the super-fast receiver and return man who was a freshman star in 2004, was having a disappointing sophomore season until he burned Notre Dame for 167 yards on eight catches, including touchdowns of 56 and 68 yards.

Pittman had the second-best sophomore season of any running back in Ohio State history with 1,331 yards rushing -- only two-time Heisman winner Archie Griffin did better -- capped by a game-clinching 60-yard yard touchdown sprint against the Fighting Irish.

The Buckeyes must replace seven defensive starters, including linebacker A.J. Hawk and two other first-round draft picks.

"You miss the maturity, the leadership and the game experience," Tressel said.

All the top teams seem to be missing something.

Notre Dame's 17 returning starters include its Heisman contender, quarterback Brady Quinn, but also most of the defense Ohio State torched.

Texas would have been a lock to enter the season No. 1 if Young hadn't left early for the NFL. Without him, the Longhorns are loaded but leaderless.

USC must replace Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and enough offensive talent to start an NFL expansion team.

Auburn's smallish defense was last seen being run over by burly Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl.

West Virginia proved it belonged among the nation's elite with a 38-35 win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. But how will last season's fabulous freshmen, quarterback Pat White and backfield mate Steve Slaton, respond to high expectations?

LSU and Cal have quarterback questions. Speaking of quarterbacks, how will Florida's Chris Leak do in Year 2 under Urban Meyer?

And how will Oklahoma hold up after its starting QB, Rhett Bomar, was kicked off the team for taking a no-show job?


AP Top 25 odds and ends
†™‚¢‚¢¢¢¬…¡‚¬¢‚¬Å¡‚¢ Ohio State received its seventh preseason No. 1 ranking. Only Oklahoma with nine has had more preseason No. 1 rankings.
†™‚¢‚¢¢¢¬…¡‚¬¢‚¬Å¡‚¢ Ohio State has never won the national title in a season in which it was preseason No. 1. Oklahoma has won the national title four times when it started No. 1. The Buckeyes finished second in 1998 after being preseason No. 1.

†™‚¢‚¢¢¢¬…¡‚¬¢‚¬Å¡‚¢ Ohio State has been ranked in 53 of 57 preseason polls, the most of any school. Notre Dame and Oklahoma have been ranked 48 times.

†™‚¢‚¢¢¢¬…¡‚¬¢‚¬Å¡‚¢ California has its highest preseason ranking, No. 9, since 1952 (No. 8).

†™‚¢‚¢¢¢¬…¡‚¬¢‚¬Å¡‚¢ Six teams received first-place votes in the preseason Top 25. The most teams to receive first-place votes in the preseason poll is 11 in 1984.

†™‚¢‚¢¢¢¬…¡‚¬¢‚¬Å¡‚¢ The SEC has the most teams ranked in the preseason Top 25 with five. The ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and Pac-10 each have four. The Big East has two, the Mountain West has one and there is one independent.

†™‚¢‚¢¢¢¬…¡‚¬¢‚¬Å¡‚¢ Defending champion Texas is No. 3. The previous time the Longhorns were the defending AP national champions was 1970, and they were ranked No. 2 in the preseason poll.

1 Ohio State (6) 10-2 242 The Buckeyes are loaded on offense, but will the nine new starters on defense come through?

2 Texas (2) 13-0 213 VY is no longer an option. So is Colt McCoy or Jevan Snead the best quarterback for the Texas offense?

3 Notre Dame (3) 9-3 204 Has the Irish secondary improved enough for the defense to slow down the opposition?

4 Auburn (2) 9-3 201 How will the Tigers' defense adapt to new coordinator Will Muschamp's adjustment-heavy playbook?

5 West Virginia (3) 11-1 193 Will any defense be able to stop sophomores Pat White and Steve Slaton?

6 USC 12-1 184 Is the secondary good enough for the Trojans to make another BCS run?

7 LSU 11-2 136 Should JaMarcus Russell, Matt Flynn or Ryan Perrilloux start at quarterback for the Tigers?

8 Florida State 8-5 127 How good can quarterback Drew Weatherford be for the Seminoles?

9 Florida 9-3 116 Will the talented defensive line be the difference in the Gators' run at the SEC title?

10 California 8-4 99 Will the Bears' QBs succeed in new coordinator Mike Dunbar's spread offense?

11 Iowa 7-5 83 Can the Hawkeyes adequately replace two veteran linebackers and cornerbacks?

12 Oklahoma 8-4 77 Do the Sooners' national-title hopes rest on the shoulder pads of QB Paul Thompson?

13 Louisville 9-3 67 Do the Cardinals have the defense to make a run at a BCS bowl game?

14 Michigan 7-5 65 Can QB Chad Henne, RB Mike Hart and a talented group of wideouts spark a Wolverines revival?

15 Miami (FL) 9-3 50 Can the Hurricanes' offensive line adequately protect quarterback Kyle Wright?

16 Clemson 8-4 39 Do the Tigers have the defensive backs to win the ACC title?

Others receiving votes: Georgia 26, Oregon 15, Virginia Tech 12, Penn State 10, Arizona State 6, TCU 4, Nebraska 3, Alabama 2 and Tennessee 1.

Highly-touted true freshman quarterback Jevan Snead looks the part of a future star. At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, the Stephenville High School product has a prototypical frame and good mobility. Even more impressive is his arm strength; the ball explodes off his hand faster than any freshman quarterback I have witnessed since LSU's JaMarcus Russell. However, despite his impressive natural tools, Snead is nowhere near ready to assume the role vacated by Vince Young. For now, at least, that honor should go to redshirt freshman Colt McCoy.

In terms of game experience at the collegiate level, there's not a difference between McCoy and Snead, as neither has taken a snap. They're both cut from the same mold and come from shotgun offensive schemes at the high school level. Neither possesses Young's rare athletic ability, but McCoy and Snead are mobile enough to get outside the pocket and create the run/pass option after the initial play breaks down.

While Snead is bigger and possesses the stronger arm, it is evident in the way McCoy carries himself in practice that he's more mature and polished. McCoy has better footwork and mechanics as a passer. He also seems to have a better grasp of the offensive scheme, which allows him to make quicker decisions.

Snead is too talented to keep bottled up, which is why Mack Brown and his staff will likely get the youngster a series or two per game early on this season to see how he handles the pressure. Snead's performance vs. Ohio State in Week 2 will serve as quite a litmus test.

The bottom line is that if the Longhorns are to repeat as national champions, they will do so with great defense, a strong running game and the occasional big play from a stable of thoroughbred wide receivers (Limas Sweed, Billy Pittman, Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley). In stark contrast from a year ago, Texas' quarterback has to be a caretaker, not a playmaker. That's why you'll see McCoy under center for the first snap and for the majority of snaps this season.

Runnning back Selvin Young is a fifth-year senior that has endured through two serious injuries during his career at Texas. With Jamaal Charles bursting on the scene as the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2005, it would have been easy for Young to throw in the towel. Instead, he put himself through a rigorous offseason conditioning program that helped him take off 17 pounds and added noticeable quickness to his game. Selvin Young roomed with Vince Young a year ago and coach Brown says Vince's leadership skills have clearly rubbed off on Selvin. With two youngsters breaking in at the quarterback position, Selvin has taken over the leadership role of the offense throughout the spring and the first half of summer practice.

Charles will likely handle more than half the carries for the Longhorns this season, but Selvin has been named the starter because of the excellent example he has set for the program. Charles looks up to Selvin as a role model, thus he has no problem being labeled the backup heading into the season. More importantly from a football standpoint, Selvin's health and production are critical for a Texas offense that will feature more I-formation and power running this season, especially considering Charles' lack of size (6-1, 190) and the loss of No. 3 RB Ramonce Taylor (transfer) during the offseason.

There has been an interesting shakeup in the Longhorns' offensive line recently. As expected Tony Hills, a former tight end with good agility and pass-pro skills, will take over the left tackle spot vacated by Jonathan Scott. Originally the plan was to insert Cedric Dockery, the younger brother of Derrick Dockery (Redskins), at right guard for the departed Will Allen but Dockery has not met expectations. As such, the coaches decided to move senior Justin Blalock, a Lombardi Award candidate, from right tackle to right guard in order to make room for freshman Adam Ulatoski at right tackle. Blalock has accepted the move and the inexperienced Ulatoski has been impressive in the starting lineup thus far.

TE David Thomas' receiving production from a year ago will not be easy to replace, but the Longhorns have a future star in Jermichael Finley, who eventually could become an even bigger weapon in the passing game. Only a freshman, Finley still needs to add bulk to his frame, increase his strength as a blocker and improve the crispness of his routes. However, it's becoming increasingly clear during summer camp that Finley has the size, speed, athletic ability and hands to develop into a dangerous weapon as an H-Back type. Neale Tweedie will be Texas' starter this season because he's more experienced and reliable, especially as a run blocker. But expect Finley to see lots of time in two-tight packages and also on obvious passing downs this season.

Marcus Griffin is close to solidifying the starting free safety job next to twin brother Michael Griffin, who returns at strong safety. Marcus is aggressive in run support and shows solid range in deep-middle coverage. He doesn't make quite as many big plays or jarring hits, but Marcus doesn't make many mistakes, either. So far, Marcus has been the most reliable and consistent of the three Longhorns (Erick Jackson and Matt Melton) vying for the job.

Freshman linebacker Sergio Kindle is a promising young prospect with impressive athleticism, but he will have to wait his turn before cracking the starting lineup. The Longhorns are less than two weeks into camp but Drew Kelson (WLB), Robert Killebrew (SLB) and Rashad Bobino (MLB) have already put their stamps on the three starting linebacker jobs. Bobino and Killebrew were starters a year ago and Kelson, a junior, saw plenty of time primarily as a backup.

Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter has chosen senior Sam Keller as the team's starting quarterback for a Aug. 31 opener against Div. I-AA Northern Arizona.

Koetter chose Keller over sophomore Rudy Carpenter, ending one of the most competitive battles in the preseason.

"It was a tough decision, very difficult decision," said Koetter, who informed the players of his decision before the team's scrimmage on Friday night. "We went with the guy we think is the best guy for our situation that we're in right now. We couldn't go wrong. I told you guys that all along. We couldn't make a bad decision. We have two excellent guys.

"It was very close. I was hoping that one guy would clearly outplay the other one. It just didn't happen that way, so we had to do what we had to do."

Keller started for injured Andrew Walter in the 2004 Sun Bowl when he threw for 370 yards and three touchdowns and was named MVP in a 27-23 victory over Purdue. He looked just as spectacular early last season, throwing four touchdowns in each of his first four starts and for more than 300 yards in four of his first six games.

But the Sun Devils lost four of their first seven games, and Keller threw five interceptions in a 38-28 loss to USC. All hope seemed lost when Keller was hurt during a 45-35 loss to Stanford.

Carpenter threw for 2,273 yards and 17 TDs in 2005. But Carpenter, who redshirted in 2004 after playing his senior season at Westlake High in Los Angeles, sparked the Sun Devils to a 4-1 record in their last five games. He threw for 2,273 yards and 17 touchdowns and led the country in pass efficiency (175.01). Carpenter threw only two interceptions in 228 pass attempts and was named MVP in a 45-40 victory over Rutgers in the Insight Bowl after throwing for 467 yards and four touchdowns.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Mark Schlabach covers college football and men's college basketball for ESPN.com. You can contact him at [email protected].

AUBURN, Ala. -- Unlike college football coaches, I'm going to tell you which team was my choice for preseason No. 1. I picked Notre Dame in ESPN's preseason Power 16 poll.
It was a decision I wasn't very comfortable with from the beginning. I love Notre Dame's offense -- Brady Quinn, Darius Walker, Jeff Samardzija, Rhema McKnight and, of course, Charlie Weis drawing up ball plays. But I'm still not convinced the defense is going to be much better, and I don't like the schedule. There are simply too many potential roadblocks, including the Sept. 2 opener at Georgia Tech.

But I thought the Irish had fewer issues than Texas (quarterback), Ohio State (front seven on defense), West Virginia (weak schedule), USC (quarterback) and Oklahoma (quarterback).

If I could change my vote today, I'd pick Auburn. After spending a few hours on the Plains on Wednesday -- and I didn't even get to see the Tigers practice because it was the first day of fall semester classes -- I'm beginning to think Auburn might have fewer concerns than any other team in college football. They've got an experienced quarterback in Brandon Cox. A potential All-American tailback in Kenny Irons. The offensive line has to replace both tackles, but Hugh Nall is one of the best offensive line coaches in the business. The receivers will be better than average, with Courtney Taylor coming back and a few younger players stepping up.

Tigers coach Tommy Tuberville told me during our conversation Wednesday that this might be the fastest defense he's had there. The defensive line might be Auburn's biggest concern on that side of the ball after losing Stanley McGlover, Tommy Jackson and Wayne Dickens. Unproven players such as Josh Thompson, Tez Doolittle, Chris Browder and Quentin Groves will have to play well up front, and end Marquies Gunn must have an All-SEC kind of season. The linebackers are a little bit small, but very, very fast. The secondary, led by David Irons, the running back's brother, is going to be very good.

But here's why I like Auburn to win the SEC and play in the BCS title game: coaching and schedule. Everyone knows offensive coordinator Al Borges is one of the brightest minds in college football. Look what he did with quarterback Jason Campbell in 2004, after Campbell had struggled mightily for two seasons. Now Tuberville has added former LSU defensive coordinator Will Muschamp to his staff. I'm not saying Gene Chizik wasn't a good coach, but I think Muschamp will bring a different attitude and philosophy.

Some more observations from Auburn:

†™‚¢‚¢¢¢¬…¡‚¬¢‚¬Å¡‚¢ Tuberville and David Irons raved about the progress of quarterback Brandon Cox, who completed 57.8 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his first season as a starter in 2005. He was second in the SEC in pass efficiency last season.

"He's stronger," Tuberville said. "He came in here at 160 pounds and now he weighs 205. He spins the ball so well. He's left-handed and he's very accurate. When you spin the ball like he does, it's easier to catch. Jason Campbell was so strong, he threw everything so hard and it was on the line. Brandon's balls are easier to catch."

Said Irons: "It seems like Brandon has taken over the offense more. His balls have always been accurate, but he's been super accurate in camp. He's really seeing both sides of the field and checking down more. He worked super hard during the offseason and gained some weight."

†™‚¢‚¢¢¢¬…¡‚¬¢‚¬Å¡‚¢ Auburn's young defensive line could get a boost from junior college defensive tackle Greg Smith, who wasn't expected to join the team until Thursday. Smith, who signed with the Tigers out of high school in 2004 and then spent the past two seasons at Northeast Mississippi Community College, was supposed to enroll at Auburn after the spring semester. But he had to finish some college courses over the summer in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tenn.

Since Smith (6-foot-3, 345 pounds) missed the team's offseason workouts, Tuberville is concerned about his conditioning. But he'll be a welcome addition to a defensive line that has some question marks.

"We're going to try to use as much speed as we can," Tuberville said. "We're not going to be as big, but this is probably the fastest defense we've had here."

†™‚¢‚¢¢¢¬…¡‚¬¢‚¬Å¡‚¢ Tuberville wouldn't confirm my earlier report that linebackers Kevin Sears and Tray Blackmon have been suspended for the first three games following their arrests on alcohol-related charges. Tuberville would only say they're going to miss "several" games, and it didn't sound like they'd be back anytime soon.

Worse, the Tigers lost sophomore weakside linebacker Steve Gandy for three or four weeks after he underwent multiple surgeries last week for compartment syndrome of the thigh.

"It's going to hurt," Tuberville said of not having the three linebackers. "It hurts your depth and special teams, especially losing a guy like Sears, with all of his experience. Blackmon hasn't played yet. But it's going to hurt us. In this business, when you get those players in their fourth and fifth seasons, you can't replace that kind of knowledge."

†™‚¢‚¢¢¢¬…¡‚¬¢‚¬Å¡‚¢ The Tigers lost receivers Ben Obomanu, Devin Aromashodu and Anthony Mix, who combined to catch 82 passes and score 13 touchdowns last season. Taylor is back after catching 22 passes and one touchdown in 2005, but there's little experience behind him. Players such as Prechae Rodriguez and walk-on Rodgeriqus Smith have looked the most seasoned in camp so far. But freshman Tim Hawthorne, a highly regarded recruit from Homewood, Ala., has caught Tuberville's attention.

"He's exactly what you're looking for," Tuberville said. "He's big and tall and thick and fast. He's just got to learn the offense. It's like learning a new language."

Walking around downtown Fayetteville, Ark. the other night, I asked one of my producers if I could say this on the air: "Trojans Break Under Pressure."
Of course, he said. He thought it was a pretty creative T-shirt, actually, and was impressed that even though the USC-Arkansas game is more than two weeks away and most students aren't yet back on campus, that almost everyone seemed to be wearing a bold red shirt mocking the USC boys.

A little over a year ago, Arkansas was routed by Leinart and Co. to the tune of 70-17, leading Hogs' receiver Marcus Monk to say, "At the end, we just wanted to get out of there. Fast."

I was one of those who said that Arkansas' returning starters would be able to keep up with this restructured USC team well into the fourth quarter. Now, with Darren McFadden (Arkansas' version of Reggie Bush) kicking a curb and breaking a toe and quarterback Casey Dick experiencing back problems that will render him a non-factor on Sept. 2, I'm not so sure.

This much I am sure of: Houston Nutt is feeling pressure. And after two consecutive losing seasons, why wouldn't he be?

This is what you need to know about the injuries to McFadden and Dick: During a videotape change while interviewing Nutt for an ESPN story this week, the coach asked if he could quickly return a phone call from Darius Vinnett, a senior vying for a starting corner position (Can you say, "Cover Dwayne Jarrett?").

Vinnett informed Nutt, through tears, that doctors had recommended knee surgery on the knee opposite the one that held him out last season. "It's OK," Nutt told Vinnett. "I know about your character. I know you'll come back. Go get that on the schedule and you'll get back when you can."

Nutt hung up the phone and shook his head.

The coach said he was disappointed by McFadden's involvement outside a night club and hopes he would use it as a learning experience. "Worst part about coaching," Nutt said. "Absolute worst. Getting that call."

Nutt told me he wouldn't make his team watch the entire USC game from last season, only bits of it as a learning experience.

And he said in no uncertain terms that the hiring of Springdale High coach Gus Malzahn as offensive coordinator, though "unheard of" was not exclusively related to their ability to land four of Malzahn's seniors, including quarterback phenom Mitch Mustain. The offense did need a jump start.

Notable, however, is that nobody -- including Nutt, Malzahn, Mustain or former Springdale receiver Damian Williams (a stud, from what I saw in practice, by the way) -- was going to deny that Malzahn had a positive influence on his last recruiting class.

No matter. Mustain, though he likely will play a few series in that USC game (don't believe for a second that he might redshirt), will not start. And Williams might be the one Springdale kid ready to make an immediate impact.

That quarterback assignment falls to junior Robert Johnson, a frequent target on sports talk radio shows and message boards throughout the state. The last thing most Razorbacks' fans wanted was Johnson to hold off Dick and Mustain (especially Mustain), but he has.

Johnson was too good in practice, throughout the spring and into the first few weeks of the fall, not to be named starter. And I will say that in my post-practice conversation with Johnson, I was impressed.

He convinced me he is different than last season. Johnson noted that he doesn't have the hype of Mustain or the reps in Malzahn's offense, but that he's "been through the fire" and emerged as not only a better player physically, but also mentally.

Johnson conceded there were times last season he would be hurt by something he overheard someone saying about him around town. He credits a new "psychological approach" with enabling him to block out everything but the next play.

Make no mistake. USC's defense is loaded. The biggest question new coordinator Nick Holt has is how to get all that talent on the field at once. And it will take some time for Malzahn's shotgun, fast-break, no-huddle, spread offense to take full effect.

A new offense. An injured McFadden. A killer defense. National television audience. Under the lights. How will Malzahn do in his first game as play-caller? How will Johnson do in his attempt to disprove skeptics who say he's a brilliant practice player without the resolve to deliver in the clutch?

These are soem great articles Buff...Man I can't fucking WAIT for the season to start...

Oh I know, I was seeing some clips on Sportscenter and I was thinking the same thing. I can't wait to just spend my entire Saturday with the TV on watching games. I prolly won't sit in front of it all day, but just to be able to watch it. Man, I can't wait

Associated Press


SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame is looking into whether student-athletes, including football and basketball players, violated NCAA rules with comments promoting a local sports talk show on the CBS affiliate here.

John Heisler, Notre Dame's senior associate athletic director, said Saturday he became aware of possible violations when contacted Friday afternoon by a reporter for The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne. Heisler said the school has not seen the spots, promoting "Sports Dogz" on WSBT-TV, so it does not know if it violates NCAA rules.

"We're just trying to figure out what this is," he said. "I don't know if we know for sure it's an NCAA violation."

Jennifer Kearns, associate director of public and media relations with the NCAA, said she could not comment on specific cases, or whether the Indianapolis-based organization was investigating the students.

Kearns said that in past situations when a student-athlete did not know they were breaking an NCAA rule it had been deemed as a secondary violation.

"The NCAA is trying to get student athletes the benefit of the doubt," Kearns said. "If they say, 'I didn't know this was happening,' we try to work with them and do what's best for them."

Heisler said school officials would ask WSBT-TV to provide copies of the promotions.

Last year USC quarterback Matt Leinart had his eligibility temporarily revoked after appearing in a promotional segment on ESPN. Leinart was reinstated after Southern California petitioned the NCAA. The NCAA said Leinart's actions were "unintentional and inadvertent."

Coach Charlie Weis said Saturday that the television spots by the Notre Dame players might be different because the comments weren't used as promotions outside of the program.

"This is something run during the show, so it's a totally different," he said.

Weis said he is depending on Notre Dame's compliance officer to determine whether any rules were violated.

"I'll just let them go ahead and deal with it," he said. "But I feel it will be taken care of very quickly."

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Just when you thought the klieg lights had dimmed and USC had transitioned back to normal football powerhouse status, here came Ricky Bobby.

Actor/USC fan Will Ferrell showed up at a Trojans team meeting last week wearing a NASCAR jump suit, upstaging coach Pete Carroll in his own NASCAR getup. Moments before, Carroll burst into the meeting to announce a training camp surprise: He was taking the team to see Ferrell's new movie, "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," at a campus theater. Then here came Ferrell, in character, stunning the unwitting Carroll and sparking a boisterous group jump-around session befitting the winning pit crew at Daytona. The only thing missing was a celebratory burnout and some sprayed champagne.


Pete Carroll's Trojans went 48-4 over the last four seasons.Losing the Rose Bowl, saying goodbye to the past two Heisman Trophy winners and repeatedly swapping paint with controversy clearly didn't chase all the celebrities off the bloated bandwagon. Despite a bumpy offseason that threatened to suck the joy out of Troy, USC still can stake a claim to being America's most glamorous football program.

The question now is whether the Trojans have any business being called America's best football program.

Petey Bobby -- uh, Carroll -- can't wait to find out. After years of having all the answers, he's now full of questions.

"I'm more excited about this year than ever because there's more things to find out about, more stuff, more issues," the excitable 54-year-old boy said at Pac-10 media day. "It's like Christmas, with all those presents under the tree.

"I realize people don't think we're going to be as good. That makes me more fired up."

The beginning of preseason camp at least meant the end to the offseason, and that alone was something to be fired up about at USC. Really, from the 6-minute, 42-second mark of the fourth quarter of the Rose Bowl on, 2006 hasn't been very kind to the Trojans.

At that point they were mere feet from the summit of college football, and a place never before occupied in the sport's history. USC had just scored to go up a dozen on Texas and was closing in on the first national championship threepeat. Immortality was right there for the grasping.

And then it suddenly became as elusive as Vince Young escaping the pocket.

The USC defense caved in, unable to detour Young's flowing feet or deter his crisp throws. The USC offense, unstoppable the entire second half, finally was stonewalled on a fourth down in Texas territory. The 12-point lead dissolved into a mystique-shattering three-point loss.

"It's definitely a bitter pill to swallow," said center Ryan Kalil, "but it's something we've moved past."

Center Ryan Kalil and the Trojans are focused on more victories in 2006.That's Carroll's message as well. If you believe him, being on the losing side of that epic game only lives on in some aching corner of his gut. The residue doesn't linger in a larger sense within the football complex.

"It's a done deal," Carroll said crisply and emphatically. "There's nothing we can do about that. †™‚¢‚¢¢¢¬…¡‚¬¢‚¬Å¡‚¦ Do I rub [the game film] in [the players'] face to piss 'em off? No. I'm done with it. If we play the Titans [who drafted Young] next week, I'm going to watch the film. In some regards I'm never over it, but I'm over it in terms of going back and watching the films."

Carroll also says he's over the anarchic April week when it seemed every day brought another damaging USC headline.

There was the story about 2005 Heisman winner Reggie Bush's family allegedly living rent-free or at a reduced rate in a nice house in greater L.A., supposedly financed by a would-be agent. (Update: A joint Pac-10/NCAA investigation is crawling onward, but ultimately might lead nowhere. Word is the involved parties haven't been overly helpful with the NCAA, and they cannot be compelled to cooperate. If the NCAA ultimately is able to determine that its rules were broken, the Trojans could be stripped of some of their glory accrued during Bush's college career.)

There was the story about backup quarterback and high school All-American Mark Sanchez being arrested on suspicion of sexual assault. (Update: No charges were filed against Sanchez, who said he was unfairly accused and has returned to the team without sanction.)

And there was the story about All-American wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett allegedly paying White Castle rent on a Ruth's Chris apartment he shared with quarterback and 2004 Heisman winner Matt Leinart, in apparent violation of NCAA rules. (Update: After initially being ruled ineligible, Jarrett was reinstated recently, ordered to pay more than $5,000 to charity and is eligible for the season.)

"You thought it was never going to stop," Carroll said of that April week.

It did stop, and just in time for the NFL draft, which saw Bush and quarterback Matt Leinart taken in the top 10 picks and 11 Trojans (five of them juniors) picked overall. The loss of star power was so substantial that sports information director Tim Tessalone's stock line this offseason has been, "It's kind of like The Beatles split up."

In their place, at least offensively, comes The Who.

As in, who are these guys?

Actually, Carroll's offensive brain trust of Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian simply had to dust off a few high school All-Americans who have been waiting a few years for meaningful playing time. The defense should be one of the nation's best, especially if Carroll develops a couple of reliable run stoppers and pass rushers up front.

Nobody is counting USC out of the 2006 national title race, but it'll start from outside the top two in the polls for the first time since November 2003. And for the first time in three years the Trojans were not the unanimous preseason choice to win the Pac-10, with California, Oregon and Arizona State also getting votes in a media poll.

The NCAA's reinstatement of WR Dwayne Jarrett gave USC some good news this summer."We've competed on a really high plane for a lot of years in a row," Carroll said. "We've got to see if we can recapture that."

Those are the questions that interest the Trojans far more than inquiries about the off-the-field issues. (Which didn't stop completely last spring. Defensive back Brandon Ting reportedly tested positive for steroids before he and his twin brother, Ryan, surprisingly left the USC team in late July.)

The players believe that if all that turbulence is an issue, it actually could be a positive one. It could wind up being a blessing.

"Those kind of situations almost make us tighter," Kalil said. "You think people are out to get you -- and sometimes they are, when you're a top program -- but it's going to make us be more accountable to each other. We're going to make sure guys know the spotlight is on them.

"Ultimately, it's not going to matter on game day. Nobody's going to break us."

Unbroken is one thing. Unscarred is another. Unbeaten is something else entirely.

"There's not going to be an enormous impact on any individuals or on the program," Carroll said of the offseason issues. "Mark's deal was ridiculous. It was a horrible thing for everyone to have to deal with. He was really out there. It was very difficult for everyone who loves the Trojans.

"But all the while, we had a sense that all these issues were going to be OK."

He's right in the sense that none of the issues has resulted in a mushroom cloud -- but the cumulative effect of that and other off-field problems makes you wonder whether Good Time Pete is sweating all the details that make college coaching different from the NFL. Disciplinary authority can't be delegated, yet sometimes you wonder whether Carroll finds it interferes with the zone blitzes and the motivational stunts.

If you combine the loss of invincibility against Texas with the loss of innocence since April and the loss of all that talent to the NFL, USC could be facing an abrupt end to the halcyon days from 2002-05, when it went 48-4.

Then again, it faced a remarkably similar situation in 2003.

"A couple years ago we lost Carson Palmer and Troy Polamalu and people were saying, 'What are we going to do?' " Kalil recalled. "Then here comes this lanky kid out of Orange County, and he's winning the Heisman Trophy and national championships."

John David Booty steps into the USC quarterback spotlight this season. The lanky kid was Leinart, of course, who merely pushed himself into the Greatest College Quarterback Ever argument by the time he was done. Now comes John David Booty to see whether he can pull a Leinart.

The spotlight finally returns to Booty, an all-everything coming out of Shreveport, La. He backed up Leinart the last two years, then missed spring practice after back surgery. He says he's feeling fine now.

"I'm back to full-go and feeling better than I have since I can remember," said Booty, whose Southern drawl replaces Leinart's Cali cool. "No pain, no stiffness. I don't really remember what it was like to have a normal back."

Nor does he remember what it was like to play in a semi-normal football atmosphere. After three years of immersion in GlamourBall, Booty is anxious to see whether USC can rediscover the game's gritty roots.

"I want us to get back to playing football and nobody worries about what credit they get," he said. "Let's get back to just playing football and being a hard-nosed team, and not having that unnecessary attention that's been on us."

Easier said than done when Ricky Bobby is commuting from Hollywood to bust in on your team meetings.

Pat Forde is a senior writer for ESPN.com. He can be reached at [email protected].