*Sports Agent Gary Uberstine was extremely influential throughout this coaching search. Uberstine is the agent for Pete Carroll, Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian and Ed Orgeron. He was also indirectly involved in the Jack Del Rio negotiations even though he doesn’t directly represent him. Once negotiations broke down with Del Rio Monday evening, Uberstine and his coaching clientele were USC’s fall back option.

Scott Wolf and ESPN both reporting Lane Kiffin (and his wife Layla, both pictured above) will return to Southern California so that Lane can assume the role of USC’s next head coach.

When you are accustomed to watching USC win Pac-10 championships and Rose Bowls, anything short of that is a disappointment. By those lofty standards, the 2009 season was a disappointment (and hopefully just a down year). When talking about an upcoming season for the USC Trojans, you will hear the words “Rose Bowl” and “National Championship” along with it. It is a sign of where USC football is and where it expects to be. That alone tells you that in the college football world, the high standards at USC are the exception, not the rule.

What can be said that hasn’t already been said? As Coach Carroll put it, the Trojans got their butts kicked yesterday. Sodomized by The Tree. The only remotely positive was Harbaugh’s insane decision to poke the bear at the end of the game that may or may not turn Pete into the Incredible Hulk.

A lot is being made about the USC offense and Matt Barkley’s recent “struggles.” When asked about this Matt Barkley told the LA Times:

“I’ll take the responsibility for that and for the offense because it does start with the quarterback.”

I would personally put the blame on the play calling, injuries, stupid penalties and some costly drops by our tight ends, but what do I know. To read the full article click here.

Here is a quick run down on some injured Trojans.

The Good News:

Fullback Stanley Havili practiced yesterday and is expected to start on Saturday. Havili injured his shoulder vs. Notre Dame last month.

Defensive end Everson Griffen got some work in yesterday and said that he will play on Saturday. Griffen missed the ASU game because of turf toe.

Congrats to USC safety Will Harris for being named the Pac-10 defensive player of the week. Harris finished the day with five tackles and intercepted two passes. One of those interceptions he returned 55 yards for a game changing touchdown in the Trojans 14-9 defeat of ASU. Harris also did his best Neon

If you don’t know Rick Reilly (he’s kind of a big deal), he is the guy that used to write those one page columns on the last page of every Sports Illustrated. He is no longer with SI and is now at ESPN where he recently wrote a piece about Matt Barkley. You can click here to check it out.

While watching the Trojans lose control of a football game for the first time in the Pete Carroll era and reflecting on the last 9 quarters of football USC has played, the beginning of Buffalo Springfield’s song “For What It’s Worth” started playing in my head “There’s something happening here, what it is ain’t exactly clear, there’s a man with a gun over there telling me I have go to beware…”

The Trojans have survived tough road environments this year at Ohio State, Cal and Notre Dame. However, the biggest test of the year will be Saturday night at the toughest place to play in the Pac-10, Auzten Stadium, where the Trojans will battle the 10th ranked Oregon Ducks.

The Trojans will have to survive a real house of hunts with a raucous Halloween night crowd, rain and wind in the 1st half and an Oregon team that is operating at the top of its game.