By: Scott Wolf (DailyBreeze.com) —
Pete Carroll said Sunday that USC has made great progress against running quarterbacks since the 2006 national championship loss to Texas, when the Trojans couldn’t stop Vince Young.

“We’ve come so much further scheme-wise in that time,” Carroll said. “We’ve changed so much over the years. We had to adjust. Everybody has trouble with them. It’s the hardest thing to defend.”

The changes occurred recently because Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon rushed for 76 yards in 2007 against USC.

And a cynic might note the Trojans have not returned to a BCS title game since that loss to Texas.

But stopping a running quarterback and making the BCS title game go hand-in-hand this week as the Trojans’ ability to stop sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor and No. 6-ranked Ohio State could determine if USC plays for the national title.

“He’s getting more comfortable and sure of himself,” Carroll said of Pryor. “He’s an accurate thrower. He’s really fast but doesn’t look it because of his long stride, like Vince Young. He’s hard to tackle.”

Carroll said even during Saturday’s 56-3 rout of San Jose State, the Trojans’ tackling left something to be desired. That’s even more worrisome with Pryor the opposing quarterback.

“We missed some tackles. More than I’d like,” Carroll said. “The quarterback is almost untackleable, if that’s a word. We have to work on tackling.”

For Carroll, the game is a belated return to Ohio State. He was the Buckeyes’