College Athletics

After nearly a month of workouts and hitting only one another, USC players finally began looking forward on Thursday. The Trojans completed their last practice before Saturday's opener against San Jose State, and veterans and newcomers said they could not wait to get to the Coliseum. "I'm ready," said Wes Horton , a redshirt freshman who will start at defensive end. "I don't have any game experience, so it's going to be a little overwhelming at first, but I can't let that get to me."

Twice in the last three games USC has had to do without Taj Gibson for a significant stretch. Twice, the Trojans have been able to survive, even thrive, without their best inside player. Strange, but true. Gibson played only 10 minutes of the first half against Oregon on Jan. 2, sitting out the last six after picking up his third foul. The Trojans got to halftime tied, 34-34, and went on to defeat the Ducks, 83-62.

USC's running backs apparently got the message. After their mostly lackluster effort in the Trojans' first scrimmage, Coach Pete Carroll pointedly told the group it wasn't running hard enough. On Sunday, the running backs answered en masse during practice with a punishing performance that left several defenders dazed or on the ground after absorbing contact. "We wanted to impose our dominance as much as possible and show everybody that we're not a slouch," senior Stafon Johnson said.

This time, Pete Carroll chose not to wait. A week after failing to announce a starting quarterback, and then watching Aaron Corp struggle in a loss at Washington, Carroll said Wednesday that freshman Matt Barkley would return to the lineup Saturday night against Washington State. "He's going to give us the best chance to win right now," Carroll said after practice. Barkley was sidelined last week because of a bone bruise in his right shoulder, an injury suffered against Ohio State on Sept.

An actual national football championship won't be won today, but in the absence of any real games college fans will nevertheless either enjoy or suffer through -- most likely a combination of both -- wins and losses by their favorite teams. So it goes on national letter-of-intent day for high school football seniors, when the decisions made by a select group of prospects will influence the fortunes of college programs across the country. Ohio State's projected class is ranked No.

USC ends spring practice with its annual Trojan Huddle scrimmage at the Coliseum today at 1 p.m. Five things that are apparent after four weeks of workouts: Corp-orate feel Aaron Corp's running ability will give the Trojans a new weapon at quarterback -- if he can hang onto the job through training camp.

The way Josh Shipp sees it, he and his UCLA teammates pretty much got what they deserved after a few too many losses this season. "We didn't take care of business," Shipp said. "So we expected to get sent off." Sent off down a rocky NCAA tournament road, all the way to Philadelphia, where the sixth-seeded Bruins will face a potentially dangerous 11th-seeded Virginia Commonwealth in the first round of the East Regional on Thursday night.

UCLA hopes a pattern isn't forming that entails the opponent's tailback having a showcase performance. First it was Stanford's Toby Gerhart (134 yards). Then it was Oregon's LaMichael James (152 yards). This week, UCLA faces California's Jahvid Best , considered a Heisman Trophy front-runner before the Bears were thumped in consecutive losses to Oregon and USC. "If you don't get your arms around him, he is going to make you pay and pay dearly," Coach Rick Neuheisel said.

USC quarterback Aaron Corp spent much of Tuesday wearing a slight grimace on his face and a rubberized sleeve on his swollen left knee. Unable to practice because of an injury suffered the day before, Corp watched freshman Matt Barkley take command of the Trojans' morning walk-through and afternoon practice. By evening, after doctors had read Corp's X-rays, examined him and indicated there was no ligament damage, the sophomore smiled easily and walked with a spring in his step rather than a limp.

With USC having an open date on Saturday, Trojans tailback Allen Bradford went home for the weekend. And for the first time in his collegiate career, he did so without questions about his lack of playing time from family and friends waiting. Bradford, a fourth-year junior, enters this week's game at Notre Dame having carried the ball a career-high 12 times against California. Senior Stafon Johnson is out for the season because of a throat injury, so Bradford and fellow junior Joe McKnight will once again handle the rushing load for the Trojans.