OPINION

By Matt Hayes

updated 5:28 a.m. ET Sept. 18, 2009

Matt Hayes

Here are five thoughts, observations and predictions as I look forward to what might happen in the week ahead:

1. The dreaded quarterback controversy
I'm not exactly sure what was more perplexing last week: that, on third and long and the game on the line, Ohio State had linebacker Ross Homan covering speedy tailback Joe McKnight, or that ABC's Brent Musburger acted like a queasy schoolgirl with his mancrush on freshman Matt Barkley.

Despite what Musburger and many others have proclaimed about The Next John Elway, Joe McKnight won that game last week. Ask Homan. Or Jim Tressel.

Why is this significant? Because the last thing USC needs right now is a quarterback controversy. And with Barkley likely not being able to start against Washington on Saturday because of a bruised shoulder, backup Aaron Corp is expected to step in and the offense will suddenly have an added dimension it hasn't had since Pete Carroll arrived at Troy in 2001.

Yes, everyone, the Trojans will have a quarterback who can hurt you with his legs, too. Remember, Corp won the job in spring practice — clearly won it — and was the leader going into fall camp and Com-Pete was gushing about Corp's potential. Then Corp broke a bone in his leg and got Wally Pipp'd.

Make no mistake: Corp is good, really good. That he can scramble and make plays with his legs — and throw with accuracy on the run — gives the predictable USC offense more of a threat from the most important position on the field. USC didn't need to score last week because Ohio State couldn't do anything offensively — and that had very little to do with the USC defense (see: Ohio State vs. Navy). If Ohio State had any semblance of offense, it would've won that game by two touchdowns. (Quick aside to wacko USC fans: If Ohio State is overrated, so is USC).

Now USC enters the meat of its schedule, the Pac-10 games that have been significantly harder than non-conference games because everyone in your league knows your personnel and knows your tendencies. That's why USC has had those confounding league losses the last three seasons; they weren't flukes.

If Corp plays against Washington, and the offense takes on another dynamic with his running ability and rolls up points (Barkley: zero touchdowns against Ohio State, one touchdown pass against San Jose State with the worst statistical defense in Division I), you better believe there will be serious discussion among the staff to give Corp the job permanently.

2. Bluster and blowouts
If we've learned anything, it's things rarely are what they seem in the SEC. Case in point: Last week's Georgia-South Carolina game, where two brutal offenses that combined to score 17 points in Week 1, somehow found the wherewithal to score a combined seventy-flipping-eight points in Week 2.

Let's go back six months — not all the way back to Lane Kiffin's gigging of Florida that started this fabricated nonsense of Florida getting paybacks … ooooooh … for the way mean Lane talked about the Gators. But back to the spring, when I was sitting in Monte Kiffin's corner office in the Tennessee football complex and he already was breaking down tape of the Gators.

His greaseboard was full of Florida's personnel and plays and specific sets and looks. Monte Kiffin had back surgery this spring, and was supposed recuperate for a week before returning to work.

He left the hospital the day after surgery, went to his office and started breaking down Florida.

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"Have you seen this team?" Kiffin asked this spring. "I'm not wasting any time."

Now, back to things not being what they seem: Kiffin's defense has given up bubkes in two games, and the guy knows a little about the sport considering, you know, his defense merely revolutionized the NFL over the last decade.

All this talk about a Florida blowout, and all I can think about is Florida hasn't found a go-to receiver yet, hasn't played a meaningful snap against a legitimate team yet, and hasn't face a Monte Kiffin defense. The Vols aren't going to beat Florida, but it certainly won't be the beatdown everyone expects.

3. The BYU question
Frankly, we're getting way ahead of ourselves. But since this is the 25th anniversary of BYU's national championship season, and since Utah and Boise State have been banging on the BCS door the previous five seasons, we may as well go ahead and get it out of the way now.

Does BYU deserve to be in the BCS national championship game if it wins out? The fact that we're even addressing this so early is absurd, but because the Cougars could get another boost this weekend with a victory over BCS big boy Florida State (which, at this point, is no better than a win over any other middling BCS team; but that's a story for another time), we must at least all come face-to-face with our BCS snobbery.

Let's say every BCS team had one loss with the exception of Cincinnati. There's no doubt the Bearcats would be in the BCS national championship game. It's not even a question; don't bother raising any doubts.

If that's the case, why wouldn't unbeaten BYU be just as, if not more, a legitimate pick for that big game? We can all agree that the Mountain West is at least as good or better than the Big East. And BYU would have wins over Oklahoma and Florida State and a MWC schedule that includes ranked TCU and Utah. Cincinnati's resume couldn't match that.

A lot has to happen for BYU to find a way to the BCS national championship game, but let's not rule it out completely.

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