By: AP via Internaltional Herald Tribune -- NEW YORK: If the worst that can be said of a college football program is that it played poorly in the last two national championship games, then that program has few problems. If 11 victories, a top-five ranking and yet another triumphant BCS appearance is considered a down year, life is good for that program. This is where Southern California and Ohio State currently reside, at the very top of the college football food chain. When the ... Read More

By Scott Haynes (SportsNetwork.com) -- GAME NOTES: The potential game of the year takes place in week three, as the fifth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes make the trip out west to battle the top- ranked USC Trojans this weekend at the Coliseum. Both gridiron powers have their sights set on a national title and the winner of this game will certainly have the upper hand in making it to the BCS Title game. Jim Tressel's Buckeyes have played in the last two championship games ... Read More

By Gary Klein (Los Angeles Times) -- USC Coach Pete Carroll was not surprised. Carroll maintained for more than a week that Ohio State running back Chris "Beanie" Wells would recover from a foot injury in time to play against the top-ranked Trojans. So, Tuesday's announcement by Buckeyes Coach Jim Tressel that Wells would play barely registered. "He's dealt with injuries real well through his career and basically fought through it," Carroll said after Tuesday's practice. "We just kind of assumed he would do ... Read More

By: Seattle Post-Intelligencer -- Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - The potential game of the year takes place in week three, as the fifth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes make the trip out west to battle the top-ranked USC Trojans this weekend at the Coliseum. Both gridiron powers have their sights set on a national title and the winner of this game will certainly have the upper hand in making it to the BCS Title game. Jim Tressel's Buckeyes have played in the last two championship ... Read More

By David Wharton (Los Angeles Times) -- Todd Boeckman still holding his own against the challenge of freshman Terrelle Pryor. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- It might not seem fair, all this commotion over the new quarterback at Ohio State. From the moment Terrelle Pryor arrived on campus as the top high school recruit in the nation, fans and the media have clamored for details. They want to know about the big kid with the strong arm and tailback moves. When will he break into the lineup? ... Read More

By: The AP via The Internaltion Herald Tribune -- COLUMBUS, Ohio: An hour or two before kickoff on Saturday, James Laurinaitis will put on his headphones. Other Ohio State players will prepare for battle with No. 1 Southern California with heavy metal and screaming vocals, or maybe bluesy bass and a mellow backbeat. But the Buckeyes' co-captain, the top college linebacker in America according to most experts, goes with something understated, a bit of pop to prepare him for all the collisions and ... Read More

By JOHN NADEL (AP via Washington Post) -- LOS ANGELES -- Rey Maualuga was all over the Rose Bowl field on New Year's Day, sacking quarterback Juice Williams three times, making an interception and forcing a fumble to win the outstanding defensive player award in USC's resounding 49-17 victory over Illinois. He did all that carrying 273 pounds on his 6-foot-2 frame. And he's a linebacker. "We must have fed him too much during bowl preparation," Southern California coach Pete Carroll said with a smile this ... Read More

By: Dan Boss (Analyst - BleacherReport.com) -- The most anticipated college football game of the season has finally arrived. The recent play of Ohio State has diminished the game a little. However, it will prove to be a very good game between two programs that have some of college football's best fans and traditions. The two teams are very evenly matched on paper. The game could be decided by a number of factors. Here are some factors that may provide ... Read More

By David Wharton (Los Angeles Times) -- The Buckeye who questioned USC's character got a taste of Trojan style as a recruit. Pete Carroll has said his team's 'primitive' pregame pump-up is unifying and stimulating. In all the Sturm und Drang over comments made by Ohio State receiver Ray Small, comments that questioned the character of the USC football program, a key element has been missing. What, exactly, was Small talking about? Describing a recruiting visit to USC, he said: "Before the game, they're all ... Read More

Courtesy: OhioStateBuckeyes.com -- Carroll coached under Earle Bruce in 1979 and helped the Buckeyes to a Big Ten title and Rose Bowl berth Q. What do you remember from your days at Ohio State, that one year? COACH CARROLL: I remember a lot. It was an extraordinary experience. We had come from Iowa State with Coach Bruce. He got the job after Coach Woody Hayes took off. We went in there with really high hopes and expectations, and felt like we had kind ... Read More

Trojans' blockers shined in opener against Virginia, a 52-7 win in which the team rushed for 218 yards and Mark Sanchez wasn't sacked. But the No. 5 Buckeyes will provide a much sterner test. By Gary Klein (Los Angeles Times) -- Mark Sanchez had all the time in the world. When USC's quarterback dropped back to pass in the season opener, Virginia defenders barely touched him. Several times Sanchez stood leisurely in the pocket, double- or triple-pumping before finding receivers. "It was like we were ... Read More

By Gary Klein and David Wharton (Los Angeles Times) -- t's the toughest ticket in town, with prices ranging from $100 to $5,000 on one leading marketplace website. But fans are not the only ones scrambling for tickets to Saturday's showdown between top-ranked USC and fifth-ranked Ohio State at the Coliseum. USC players are allocated four tickets to each home game. Several Trojans said Monday that their phones have been ringing and buzzing with requests from friends and family members. "It's crazy," senior receiver ... Read More

Suspense is still in the air, but Coach Jim Tressel says he's 'encouraged' by star running back's recovery from injury. By Chris Dufresne (Los Angeles Times) -- Beanie is a go for USC. The suspense is over. Well, sort of. Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel announced today that junior tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells would play against USC on Saturday, although how much he plays will depend on how he practices the rest of the week. Wells injured his right foot in Ohio State's season-opening win against ... Read More