From The LA Times...

It looks like Everson Griffen got his head screwed on straight.

Everson Griffen is angry. He wants his starting defensive end position back at Southern California.

"Of course I'm angry, but angry like I need to get better on the field," said Griffen, a sophomore who starred at Avondale Agua Fria High. "It's action. No talking. Just show what I can do."

Griffen is hoping to reassert himself with Arizona State coming to Los Angeles on Saturday.

It doesn't matter if Pete Carroll's demoting Griffen was intentional or not...it sent a strong message and the message was received.

Lets hope it turns into some solid consistent play by Griffen.

ESPN's Ted Miller asks a legit question...

USC went from dominant to dreadful once before, so it's fair to ask if the Trojans might again be caught staring at their own reflections in the mirror with struggling Arizona State coming to town.

The Trojans buried Ohio State, then flopped at Oregon State. They then redeemed themselves with a 44-10 crushing of Oregon last weekend.

Now what?

Good Question!

As I have said in the past I will never look past a team ever again, not after Stanford.

As I read through a number of write-ups I keep seeing where people are saying that SC is just going to unload on ASU and pile it on.

Which Southern California will Arizona State see this weekend?

The Trojans who hope to improve to 4-1, or the Trojans who hope to improve to 4-1 and roll up excessive points with the intent of impressing voters whose polls impact the BCS standings?

I tried. Really. BCS detoxification. Algorithm exorcism. Garlic necklaces to ward off the ugly BCS thoughts that sucked the life out of my love for college football. I thought I had rid myself of Bowl Championship Series bashing until a point spread of 27 1/2 for Saturday's ASU game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum left me wondering if it reflected a disparity in talent or a disparity in talent plus the likelihood that the Trojans will pour on the points (under the guise, of course, of securing the backup quarterback some important fourth-quarter reps.)

That could very well be the case with Carpenter out but we have seen 1st time QB's come into the Coliseum and come out with a win...You know, Stanford.

Now that SC has punched in the mouth I am hopeful that they will do their best to keep their intensity up. ASU is down right now and they have a lot of the same problems that they had last season and when you couple that with Carpenter probably being out it could line up to be a rout but again we have been down that road before.

Pete Carroll seems to think that this time it's different now that the team is in the middle of conference play.

"I think this is a different situation," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "We're right in the middle of the conference right now. I'm hoping that we're going to find out if we can elevate to the kind of level and consistency that we've played with for years around here. That's by taking every game as if it's so darn important, strictly a championship opportunity."

Sanchez starting will also give the team an emotional boost as he has become the teams natural leader. But if for some reason Sanchez can't go Mitch Mustain has progressed far enough along that he should be comfortable and effective at running the offense.

He traveled more than 1,500 miles from Arkansas to Los Angeles to become USC's starting quarterback. Spent more than a year learning a new offense. And went up and down the depth chart with hopes of sticking at No. 1.

Saturday's game against Arizona State at the Coliseum might have been Mustain's opportunity.

But Mark Sanchez has recovered from a knee injury that briefly sidelined him during last week's victory over Oregon and provided Mustain with his first taste of real playing time for the Trojans.

So Mustain waits. And prepares. He is content, for now, knowing he is one play away from getting back onto the field and leading the offense.

"Certainly, this is the best spot I've been in since I got here," he said this week.

All we want this team to do is to live up to their potential and put in a solid effort.

It would appear that the team has settled in after that terrible Oregon St. loss and that they have put their best attitude forward. We saw what they could do against an Oregon team with a pretty good defense but now they can't let up when they face a team who may be without their leader starting a virtual unknown at QB.

Things are clicking pretty good with the receiver play vastly improved, the running game is pretty effective and the defense for the most part is doing some stellar work. With how the team has played at home this year I think SC wins on Saturday but I expect nothing. SC just needs to play their game...the game like we saw against Ohio State and Oregon an they should be fine. The question is will they be up for it?

With this weekend's game against Arizona State we took some time out to have some Q&A with one of newer SBN Blogs House of Sparky...

1.The big question last season was how would the offensive line do at protecting Carpenter. We all saw how much that unit struggled against SC last year, how have they improved if not where are they deficient?

They are still very rough around the edges. Dennis Erickson tried rotating in new blood at right tackle for the Cal game, removing redshirt freshman Adam Tello who struggled against the blitz. It didn't help, and Rudy has been pressured consistently since the UNLV disaster. They need to improve their pickups. It is only natural for new O-linemen to find it difficult to gel against experienced front sevens, and USC has the best linemen and linebackers in the Pac-10. The complete lack of a run game is partially the O-line's fault, but I wouldn't rest it entirely on them; Dimitri Nance has been putrid and looks like he has been afraid of punching through holes when he has the chance.

The consensus might be wrong. We have seen a lot of plays where Carpenter just couldn't get through his progressions quickly enough, leaving receivers open long enough so that coverage could make plays on the balls he finally throws. A good example of this was last week's pass to Kyle Williams, where Rudy just took too long to see him, and was picked on a waffling throw. I haven't seen much "improvement" from his junior to his senior season, but he has always been gritty and motivational towards his teammates. With that said, he also motivates the other team to beat the tar out of him.

Danny Sullivan has a strong arm. He's a big guy, and he's not afraid of contact. But truth be told, no one really knows what he can do; we saw him tear up Texas during the 4th quarter of the Holiday Bowl last year, but lets be honest: that was not a sample you can rely on. I don't think anyone ever expected that he would be a starter in the Pac-10, but we're still interested in seeing how he differs from Rudy Carpenter. If he plays within himself and makes short, concise throws, we could be looking at an efficient passing game based on slant and out routes.

5. The USC offensive line is going to have to keep an eye on DL Lawrence Guy. He seems to be getting it done with a sack and six tackles who else on the defense should SC be worried about?

Well, to be frank, ASU's defense has been fairly mediocre this year. We lost Justin Tryon to the Redskins this year, and Omar Bolden has had to play #1 corner in his stead. Unfortunately it seems like he wasn't quite ready for that duty, and passing games have exploited our secondary's weaknesses. If I had to pick a player, I would say Dexter Davis. He is a bad man, makes quarterbacks pay when he can get past the O-line. Since USC doesn't have the best O-line at this point in time, they could be at a loss to stop Guy, Davis, and DE Luis Vazquez, who all love eating up the running lanes.

Best of luck to you, however.

You can find our answers to their questions here.

Well, thankfully its been a while but unfortunately its time for another Injury Clinic write-up.

Earlier this week it was revealed that TB Allen Bradford has a labral tear in his hip. This is a NEW injury in regards to its name recognition but it has been around for a while.This is the same injury that has also affected a number of other SC players recently.

The orthopedic community has done a much better job at identifying the injury and the treatment options has significantly improved.

So, lets take a look at it.

First, the Anatomy...

- - a basal surface which connects the labrum to the acetabular bony rim

- - an internal articular surface which is in continuation with the articular surface of the acetabulum

- - an external surface where the hip joint capsule attaches.

A network of blood vessels enter the outer third of the labrum on the external surface only. The lack of blood supply to the inner two-thirds is thought to impede healing after injury. Free nerve endings are found throughout the acetabular labrum but are most densely packed in the anterior and superior quadrants.

The main function of the acetabular labrum is to improve hip joint stability in two ways. Firstly it deepens the hip socket, providing it with extra structural support. Secondly it partially seals the joint to create a negative intra-articular pressure which counteracts any distractive (pulling-apart) forces.

A second important function of the acetabular labrum is to increase joint congruity. After removal of the labrum the frictional force between the femoral and acetabular articular surfaces is increased by up to 92%, showing that the labrum plays an important role in the even distribution of forces across the articular surface.

This is not the same type of injury as say a meniscal tear in the knee. That sort sort of injury is usually the direct result of a traumatic twisting of knee.

From the Mayo Clinic's website.

 Photo Credit: Hospital for Special Surgery

A tear in your labrum, known as a hip labral tear or acetabular labral tear, can result from injury, repetitive movements that cause wear-and-tear on your hip joint, or degeneration, such as from osteoarthritis.In many cases, a hip labral tear causes no signs or symptoms and doesn't require treatment. Occasionally, however, a hip labral tear may cause pain or a "catching" sensation in the hip joint.

Many hip labral tears cause no signs or symptoms. Occasionally, however, you may experience one or more of the following:

• A locking, clicking or catching sensation in your hip joint
• Pain in your hip or groin
• Stiffness or limited range of motion in your hip joint

The labral tear in the hip is not something that just happens because of repetitive motion or join reaction forces. It is usually caused by Femoro-acetabular impingement (FAI). Other reasons for FAI are capsular laxity, dysplasia, and trauma.

From the Hospital for Special Surgery website.

Femoro-acetabular impingement (FAI) occurs when the ball (head of the femur) does not have its full range of motion within the socket (acetabulum of the pelvis).

Impingement itself is the premature and improper collision or impact between the head and/or neck of the femur and the acetabulum. This causes a decreased range of hip joint motion, in addition to pain. Most commonly, FAI is a result of excess bone that has formed around the head and/or neck of the femur, otherwise known as "cam"-type impingement. FAI also commonly occurs due to overgrowth of the acetabular (socket) rim, otherwise known as "pincer"-type impingement, or when the socket is angled in such a way that abnormal impact occurs between the femur and the rim of the acetabulum.

The reason orthopedic surgeons have become better at diagnosing and treating this injury is because of better MRI capabilities. Once they have identified it they then can address a specific course of treatment.

 

Symptoms and Diagnosis:

The presentation of acetabular labral tears is very inconsistent but the most common complaint is a sharp groin pain after trauma. Other possible sites of pain are the anterior thigh, greater trochanter and buttock region. Other symptoms include clicking, locking and ‘giving way’ of the hip. The pain may be reproduced in sport by weight-bearing activities that require twisting, such as kicking a football.

Examination of the hip is often entirely normal with a full range of movement. There are specific tests for a labral tear. The impingement test (flexion, adduction and internal rotation of the hip joint) commonly produces pain or a clicking sensation when an antero-superior tear is present. The McCarthy test involves flexing both hips and then extending the affected hip patients with a labral tear will feel a catch. Passive hyperextension, abduction and external rotation elicit pain with a posterior tear.

Treatment- Non-Surgical:

Non-surgical treatment is always the first choice in treating these types of injuries Many labral tears may become asymptomatic, and these do not need specific treatment. However, for athletes with persistent pain from labral tears, there are many treatment options. Physical therapy is used to improve hip range of motion and strengthen the muscles around the hip joint. Pain medications such as anti-inflammatories can be used to decrease inflammation around the labrum and provide pain relief.

Treatment- Surgical:

Hip Arthroscopy

If non-surgical treatment is not effective then surgery is often indicated. The most effective way to address this injury is Hip Arthroscopy. This is very similar to the technique of Knee Arthroscopy but the set up and and actual procedure is much more involved.

As you can see, this is a little more involved than a typical knee arthroscopy. From HSS

From the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA)

Arthroscopic management consists of debridement and repair. The goal of arthroscopic debridement of a torn hip labrum is to relieve pain by eliminating the unstable flap tear that causes the observed hip discomfort. The surgical technique of a hip labral tear repair depends on the nature of the labral injury. There are at least two distinct types of acetabular labrum tears.

Type I consist of a detachment of the labrum at the zone of transition to the articular hyaline cartilage and require reattachment to the acetabular rim, usally with anchor.

On the other hand,Type II tears are intrasubstance splits with one or more cleavage planes can be repaired with a suture lasso technique and a bioabsorbable suture.

Images of the arthroscopic repair.

This is a great video of the procedure.

From the Southern California Orthopedic Institute (SCOI)

Post-operative Care:

After the surgery, the patient will be on crutches for two to six weeks; this is determined on a case by case basis. Physical therapy is used to improve the hip range of motion and muscle strength around the hip. Once a patient is free of symptoms and has regained their strength, they can return to play, which is usually between two and six months, depending on the extent of the injury.

In case you missed it. Both were on Mason and Ireland on Tuesday.

Here is Pete Carroll

Here is Mark Sanchez

We have noted before how the receivers' production in 2008 has been a welcome sight in how the USC offense has performed so far this season. Having a deep ball threat gives SC the ability to spead the field and takes advantage of the various mismatch opportunities that can come up from game to game. Of course simply having a deep ball threat isn't enough, the receivers need to hang on to the ball and they need to run their routes correctly. That has also been evident in the 4 games USC has played this season.

Michael Lev of the OCR takes a closer look at the passing game with some interesting numbers.

• In 2007, the Trojans' top three wide receivers averaged 10.9 yards per reception. In 2008, they average 17.1.

• In 2007, the top three wide receivers averaged 16.3 yards per touchdown reception. In 2008, they average 28.7.

• In 2007, the longest pass play to a wide receiver covered 48 yards. In 2008, through four games, USC already has three receptions longer than that.

"We're already, out of the chute, way better at getting the ball downfield," said USC coach Pete Carroll, whose team faces Arizona State on Saturday. "We've always had nice concepts to get guys deep but didn't connect as much."

Coaches cited multiple reasons USC's downfield passing is on the upswing. But finding out what's right now requires looking back at what wasn't then.

Part of the problem was '07 quarterback John David Booty's style of play. Booty excelled at completing quick, medium-range passes. There's nothing wrong with that if you mix in the occasional deep ball to stretch out the defense and prevent it from ganging up on the ground game, but USC rarely did.

Those are some impressive improvements. It's also significant because if the QB can't or won't get the ball down field the safeties simply have to keep the play in front of them. If the QB, as in Booty's case, focused on quick and medium range passes you will see a lot of bend don't break type of defensive schemes that will sometimes rely on the cornerbacks in one-on-one coverage while the safeties come up and try to contain the run. Oregon tried to stop the run and put pressure on Sanchez relying on their corners to cover the receivers with no help and because of that Sanchez read the coverage perfectly as the Ducks were beat bad a number of times last weekend.

The other important thing to note is that the younger receivers are a year older now and they are more comfortable in the system. They are also now being led by a QB in Mark Sanchez, that has more of a firery personality and leadership qualities. No, that is not a knock on John David Booty. His time at USC speaks for itself and while there were a few hiccups he did a pretty good job for his abilities whenhe was here.

It isn't perfect as little things like not fiighting the defender off the ball to prevent an interception or the QB's making a bad throw in traffic or behind the receiver has got us into trouble a few times but it is a major improvement. If Sanchez is healthy and effective with time to throw he is one of the deadliest in the game. Lets hope we see that this weekend.

Polls, Polls, Polls....Time for another Pac-10 Power Poll. Here are the tallied results...

1. USC - 70
2. Cal - 63
3. Oregon - 51
4. Arizona - 47
5. Oregon State - 45
6. ASU - 38
7. Stanford - 27
8. UCLA - 23
9. Washington - 11
10. WSU - 10

Individual results after the jump.

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