Is Oregon the new leader of the Pac?

With a reshuffled coaching staff, an exodus of defensive stars, and an NFL bound quarterback, one person already believes that USC has lost its grip on the Pac 10 conference. Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports doesn’t make a definite statement, appearing more as “beating around the bush”, but his early 2009 college football rankings show the Ducks positioned higher than the Trojans. The top of his early pick is similar to the final regular season rankings of 2008, with the exception of Southern Cal taking a plunge.

Dennis Dodd’s Early 2009 Top 25

1. Florida
2. Oklahoma
3. Texas
4. Alabama
5. Virginia Tech
6. Oregon
7. Ohio State
8. USC
9. Oklahoma State
10.Georgia Tech

Oregon finished the season strong, capped with a Holiday Bowl victory over Oklahoma State, but I’m still struggling to find reason for Dodd’s catapult above USC. The Ducks also have questions surrounding their coaching staff, with most speculating that Mike Bellotti is preparing to move into the athletic offices, leaving Chip Kelly to hold the reins. The top defensive playmakers, Jarius Byrd and Patrick Chung, have offered their services to the Sunday league, and joining them is their top runner (Jeremiah Johnson), top receiver (Jaison Williams), and two big bodies from the offensive line (Max Unger and Fenuki Tupou). Changes can easily affect both programs, but perhaps he is eyeing the Oregon schedule and change in venue.

Autzen Stadium will host 7 games in 2009. Inside that roaring sound machine, the home team will face Utah, Purdue, Cal, Arizona State, Oregon State, and USC. If they survive the schedule and list of style point opponents, I can see how they would finish in the top 10. They also have a road date with Boise State. But is that change of scenery enough to change the game result against mighty USC? Pete Carroll’s Trojans have lost only twice to Oregon. The first defeat came in 2001, during the miserable beginning of the coach's first year. The second occurred 2 years ago, with Mark Sanchez rushed into the line up for an injured John David Booty, and the banged up Trojans still came close to recording a win. It was Oregon’s second victory against USC in Autzen Stadium, as Carroll’s teams have overcome the noise and crowd ruckus to split 4 games played in this unfriendly pond.

Oregon at No. 6 and USC appearing 8th can only signify a one game difference between the two, which would be the head-to-head meeting in October. Dodd doesn’t say it, but he obviously has the Ducks defeating the Trojans on that day, and for the first time in 7 years, the Pac 10 crowning a new king in December.

Gophers headed to the left coast woodshed

It's only been 3 weeks since USC notched another Rose Bowl victory, and made Penn State another Big 10 victim. The eyes are now set on Columbus Ohio, where the Trojans meet their next Midwestern opponent. Most are aware of the track record against the boys from the fading BCS group, but the Minnesota Golden Gophers didn't hesitate to accept the challenge. Once the contract is finalized, Tim Brewster's Gophers will travel to the Los Angeles Coliseum in 2010. And in agreement to the home-and-home series, Carroll's troops will invade Minnesota in 2016.

Senior Bowl Notes: Carroll eyes the action

Wednesday’s practices had a sideline visitor. In between travels for recruiting, Coach Pete Carroll made an appearance in Mobile Alabama to watch his Trojans work. In an interview with Lindsey Soto, he explained how the current competition against the nation’s best isn’t anything new to Trojan players, because they face fierce battles each day in practice. He took photos with the 5 USC players on the field, watched some drills, and was off to catch a plane to his next recruiting destination.

Patrick Turner has a lot to prove, if he’s going to shed the image of other big receivers from USC that couldn’t/haven’t adapted to the professional game. What scouts will be looking for most is his ability to separate from corners, something Mike Williams couldn’t accomplish, and Dwayne Jarrett is slowly achieving after two seasons in Carolina. Turner’s size allows him to standout on the field, with only Cal Poly’s 6’6 Ramses Barden being a larger receiver.

Clay Matthews continues to steal the spotlight. Working as a stand up 3-4 rusher, he beat Mississippi’s Michael Oher on consecutive plays, powering him back and into the QB on the first series, and then using a spin technique to get around the massive tackle to reach his target.

Rey Maualuga is generating more talk, and was interviewed by scouts representing several NFL franchises. Spectators are wowed by his sideline-to-sideline quickness, and there probably isn’t a harder hitter on the field.

There’s still a debate over who is the better linebacker, between Matthews and Brian Cushing. This is great for Clay Matthews, because Cushing’s stock isn’t falling. The debate alone signifies that Matthews has made a climb in draft status.

Fili Moala and Kyle Moore continue to display reasons for the Trojans possessing the nation’s No. 1 defense. From size to technique, they’ve shown everything a scout could ask for. There’s a sense of anticipation whenever USC defenders line up for drills, as they are clearly this year’s Senior Bowl celebrities.

Senior Bowl Notes: Moala and Moore impressive

Senior Bowl week officially began on Monday. Six student-athletes from USC are participating in this year's version, which is 3 less than the year prior, but still the largest representation of any school. It's the NFL's biggest "job fair", with all 32 franchises present to scout future prospects. 5 defensive Trojans took the field on Tuesday morning, and the highest and lowest grades were not as most would expect.

The best Tuesday performances were turned in by Fili Moala and Kyle Moore. Scouts were impressed with Moala's ability to play anywhere along the defensive front. Starting the 2008 season as a possible first overall pick in the 2009 draft, his stock took a severe dive, with other Trojan defensive teammates becoming household names, with Moala quietly, and with little notice, battling in the trenches. Today, he showed the quickness and speed in pursuit that made him a preseason favorite, perhaps leading to a rise in that fallen stock.

Kyle Moore was equally impressive coming off the edge. Moore repeatedly beat his man to get to his target, and is a hybrid that can be used in the down position or standing. He also possesses a frame that can add more weight to increase his effectiveness as a pass rusher.

The stock of Clay Matthews has been soaring. This former walk-on is looking to position himself in the late first round or early second of the upcoming draft, and didn't ease up in his first professional audition. Matthews was agressive in rushing the passer, taking on tight ends, full backs, and defensive linemen, and winning most of those battles. That's no surprise to the Empire, since it's only a repeat of what he's done all year.

Brian Cushing first impressed Senior Bowl scouts with his physique. Walking in with the body of a professional football player, he then made his presence felt everywhere on the field, highlighted by a jarring hit put on a fellow South squad player.

One of the lowest grades of the day went to Rey Maualuga, with the buzz being that he appeared heavier than his playing weight and a bit out of shape. The initial impression led SI.com's Tony Pauline to add him to a list of first day sliders. Maualuga also didn't appear dominant in drills coming off the edge, but he was clearly out of position. He's a middle linebacker who is shot out of the cannon and brings the blitz from the center, but struggled to get to the quarterback or cone from the outside angles.

There's still plenty of auditioning to do before the weekend finale. By the time the game is kicking off, the majority of scouts will have already left Alabama. The practices are more important than the main event, so performing well in drills is the top priority.