Report: USC's Barkley Named Starting QB
Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 4:00PM By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season
NEW YORK -- USC's highly touted freshman quarterback Matt Barkley should place a phone call -- or a Facebook friend request -- to his Ohio State counterpart, Terrelle Pryor.
YOUR THOUGHTS: Can Freshman Barkley Win in Columbus?
His first question might be, "As a true freshman, how do you handle a high-profile game with national championship implications in a hostile environment?"
Barkley Thursday was named the starting quarterback for Southern Cal, which plays Ohio State on Sept. 12 in Columbus. ESPN's Shelley Smith reported that it's not yet clear whether coach Pete Carroll's decision applies only to USC's season opener vs. San Jose State, or if the depth chart was filled out in pen to signify a more permanent ruling today.
Either way, Barkley is a talented young player who just eight months ago was roaming his high school hallways. But in 16 days, he might be asked to steer USC, always with national championship aspirations, to a victory in front of 110,000 scarlet-sweatered Buckeye backers at Ohio Stadium.
Ohio State is led by Pryor, who as a true freshman saw significant playing time at quarterback when the Bucks got blasted out of Los Angeles Coliseum last September, 35-3. With that embarrassing defeat still likely fresh in his head and a clear-cut role as team leader, Pryor will have to come up big no matter who starts where for USC. The Trojans are always dangerous on offense, nasty on defense and very well coached.
Matt Barkley, Ohio State, Terrelle Pryor, USC
Reader Comments (2)
yes - I belive that USC will win this game. I know nothing about USC but I do know that OSU always seems to lose important ones.
If by always you mean four or five in the last two and a half years, then I agree. But Ohio State is not an elite program because it ALWAYS loses important games. Prior to the current stretch of losing big games, OSU beat defending champion Texas in Austin, beat two No. 2 teams in the 2006 season, went 3-0 in Fiesta Bowls from 2002-2005, including one that earned the Buckeyes a national championship. The recent stretch is temporary and merely cyclical.