USC’s Rivals Hold Out Hope

The equation works like this: Take one USC football team, subtract two Heisman Trophy winners, and you get a handful of Pacific 10 rivals who think they can end the Trojans’ conference dominance.

“At least, we all hope that,” Oregon State Coach Mike Riley said.

Riley was speaking Thursday in a hallway of the Sheraton Gateway hotel near LAX, host of the Pac-10 media day, an annual event at which coaches and players discuss the coming season.

Such gatherings are usually marked by boundless optimism, though recent editions had taken a subtly resigned tone.

The past two seasons, USC was a reigning national champion and a unanimous pick to win the conference. Those teams featured quarterback Matt Leinart and tailback Reggie Bush, both eventual Heisman winners.

When Leinart arrived at the 2005 media day, he was followed by clots of reporters and cameramen, as if it were a Hollywood premiere. Even rival coaches seemed awestruck.

“USC was such an overwhelming favorite in every game,” Arizona Coach Mike Stoops recalled. “They were virtually unstoppable and most teams were defenseless.”

Though the Trojans are favored to win a fourth consecutive Pac-10 title this fall, their opponents have hope. USC proved fallible in a Rose Bowl loss to Texas and must replace key players -- including Leinart, Bush and LenDale White -- who departed for the NFL.

“It’s really going to be different playing against them without their studs,” California cornerback Daymeion Hughes said. “I feel like we have more of a chance to knock them off.”

At the same time, other teams appear to have closed the gap.

California returns 18 starters, including tailback Marshawn Lynch. Oregon must fill several skill positions but has a veteran offensive line and defense.

Arizona State has two quarterbacks, Sam Keller and Rudy Carpenter, who could start for most teams.

For UCLA to finish at the top, and match last season’s 10-2 record, the Bruins must adapt.

Tailback Maurice Drew and quarterback Drew Olson are gone, and the coaching staff has been revamped. Much of the burden could fall upon heralded -- yet unproven -- sophomore quarterback Ben Olson.

“We are very capable of taking a big step,” Coach Karl Dorrell said.

Quarterbacks are something of a conference strength. Alex Brink will start his third season at Washington State, a team that finished 4-7 because of five close losses.

Arizona began to shed its doormat reputation with two late victories under freshman Willie Tuitama.

This fall also marks the debut of a full Pac-10 schedule -- historically, teams have played only eight conference games, skipping one rival each season. Now, as Dorrell put it, “everybody is fair game.”

That includes USC, which should improve on defense but must answer questions in the offensive backfield.

The Trojans are preseason favorites, as well as a top-10 team in early polls, on the potential of their recruiting classes.

John David Booty and Mark Sanchez will compete for the quarterback spot. Coach Pete Carroll is waiting to see if freshmen Stafon Johnson, C.J. Gable and Emmanuel Moody can help Chauncey Washington fill the void at tailback. The rest of the conference is waiting, too.

“I think there will be some initial falloff with their new people -- offense takes a bit of time,” said Stoops, whose Arizona team faces the Trojans in the conference opener on Sept. 23. “I’m just glad we play them early.”