Go Fetch: Tirebiter’s Morning Byte Of USC Trojans News

Kiffin didn’t completely buy into the supply-and-demand theory that USC is racking up commitments from four- and five-star prospects at a frenzied clip because there are limited spots available. But he did acknowledge that some degree of prestige might come along with being one of the chosen few. “I think kids do in general feel a little bit of that,” he said.

While folks use this as an opportunity to pile on USC and/or Lane Kiffin, the fact of the matter is that secondary violations happen. The NCAA understands this and responds in kind to the self-reporting of such violations. With USC clearly promoting an atmosphere of compliance and working to fall into lockstep with the NCAA, an innocent incident such as this won’t sink their ship or set them back. This is not “ghost phone calls” or illegal text messages; this is a mere slip of the tongue by a party to  whom the rule generally does not apply. If you’re a University of Southern California fan, don’t lose sleep over it. As long as it gets reported, the Trojans will continue to be alright pushing to come out of their sanctions on top.

This one looked a little different three months ago, with Jesse Scroggins then still occupying an unspecified spot on the depth chart. Now, the redshirt sophomore’s gone to El Camino College, and it’s an all-out competition between Kessler and Wittek for the right to back up Barkley this season. And the guy who wins the job will have a significant, worth-mentioning advantage over the guy who loses when it comes time to compete for the No. 1 job next spring. Why? Because Barkley’s not going to play all 60 minutes of every game, especially early on. So the No. 2 quarterback could get 30 or 40 in-game throwing attempts under his belt by the end of the season.

Below is the 2012 preseason All-America Team in college football, voted on by staff, writers and bloggers from CBSSports.com. Heisman Trophy candidate Matt Barkley, from USC, headlines the the list after throwing for 3,528 yards and 39 touchdowns last season. LSU had the most players on the first team with five, including three on defense. The SEC had the most players overall with 11, while the Pac-12 was second with seven.