Andrew Luck

USC climbed back into the top 25 and attracted national attention after an impressive victory last week against Notre Dame. An upset of No. 4 Stanford on Saturday would truly make the Trojans relevant again. Staff writer Gary Klein examines the game's issues and matchups: Star power Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is a Heisman Trophy front-runner and the presumed No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft. USC's Matt Barkley is regarded as a first-round pick if he leaves after this season, but a dynamic winning performance by the junior in a side-by-side matchup with Luck could boost his stock.

Most people thought he was the typical Plan B. Turns out, quarterback Russell Wilson was Exhibit A. Wilson, selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of last year's NFL draft, looked to be a guy destined to hold a clipboard behind presumed starter Matt Flynn. But Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll opened the door to a fair competition, Wilson won the job, then assembled a first season worthy of rookie-of-the-year consideration. Now, he's the prime example of what every NFL team wants to do, regardless of position: find an overlooked diamond who has somehow slipped through the draft cracks.

Indianapolis Colts Coach Chuck Pagano has been through a lot this season. After being hired by the Colts during the off-season, Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia and missed most of the season while undergoing treatment. He re-assumed his head-coaching duties before the final regular-season game, a victory over the Houston Texans, and remained in that role for the Colts' wild-card playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, a season-ending 24-9 loss. Still, it was quite a season for the Colts, who had won just two games the previous year and revamped much of the team, opting to draft Andrew Luck as quarterback and trade all-time great Peyton Manning.

Indianapolis Colts Coach Chuck Pagano , who is hospitalized as he battles a treatable form of leukemia , sent a letter to the team this week asking them to play in an attempt to even their record at 2-2 rather than dedicate the game to him. Owner Jim Irsay told the players that he wanted a victory over the Green Bay Packers so he could deliver the game ball to Pagano, but the coach was having none of it. "We all have a job to...

Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and his stock continues to rise after an impressive showing at the NFL scouting combine. With Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck likely to go to the Indianapolis Colts as the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft, a question remains as to which team will end up taking Griffin. Writers from around the Tribune Co. will discuss the topic. Check back throughout the day for more responses and join the discussion with a comment of your own. Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times Robert Griffin III had an excellent combine even though he didn't throw, and the Rams are the huge beneficiaries of that because their No. 2 pick is all the more valuable.

NEW YORK - There's no Andrew Luck, no Robert Griffin III, no headline-grabbing talent who unquestionably belongs at the top of this year's NFL draft. This year, the most likely scenario at Radio City Music Hall involves the Kansas City Chiefs using their No. 1 overall pick on one of two offensive tackles, the guys who are having a good game if their name isn't mentioned. Could this be the least sexy draft on record? "I think that's the best way to put it," Central Michigan tackle Eric Fisher said Wednesday with a laugh.

2. Washington Redskins: QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor - Jim Harbaugh recruited both Griffin and Andrew Luck to Stanford. Griffin declined the scholarship offer because he reasoned there would be a logjam at quarterback. He is the only player from Baylor to win the Heisman Trophy. As a high school track star in Texas, he broke state records in both the 110- and 300-meter hurdles. Comment: The Redskins run a bootleg offense - - roll right, roll left - - and Mike Shanahan says Griffin is the best he's coached at doing that since Steve Young.  MORE Photos: 2012 NFL draft picks First round of draft is a rush to judgment NFL considers suspending Pro Bowl after 2013     Robert Griffin III selected second by the Redskins    

Stanford head coach David Shawn made it clear Tuesday that nobody can replace Andrew Luck, his All-American quarterback who was selected No. 1 overall in April's NFL Draft. But if thePac-12 preseason media poll is any indication, Shaw should have enough talented players returning  to remain competitive. Stanford was picked in the poll to finish second in the North Division, just behind defending conference champion Oregon. The Cardinal also received five first-place votes and garnered the third most points in the conference.

Let's peel back a layer on this Matt Barkley story. The deeper significance of what he did Thursday afternoon can be easily lost in the noise and nectar of the moment. In the last 24 hours, the obvious has been beaten like a drum. Barkley didn't take the money and run. Barkley is a fine young man, a class act and a role model. Heisman trophies and national titles are now real possibilities. There are so many ways to say these things, and the media found them all. News and chatter come so fast now, and are so indistinguishable from one another, that the end measure becomes the eventual snowball at the bottom of the hill.

Russell Wilson, the dynamic but undersized rookie from Wisconsin, is the latest young quarterback to set the NFL abuzz. Wilson got his first start with the Seattle Seahawks on Friday night and led the offense to scores on six conseuctive possessions in a 44-14 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Wilson was drafted in the third round after Seattle had signed veteran Packers backup Matt Flynn to take the helm this fall. Wilson, who passed for 185 yards and two touchdowns Friday, could become the fifth rookie starter at quarterback if the Seahawks choose him over Flynn.