College football mailbag: Cardinal rules L.A. schools as USC soap opera grinds on

Each week during the college football season, national analyst Chris Dufresne will burn a timeout to answer questions and exchange opinions. You can email him at chris.dufresne@latimes.com and reach him at @DufresneLATimes on Twitter.

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When was the last time the same opponent hung 97 points on USC and UCLA in the same year?

Brian Landman

I’m going to guess never. That’s the kind of combined number USC and UCLA are supposed to hang on Stanford.

Yet, in a quick review of the record books, I can’t even find that happening.

In 1954, USC and UCLA scored 93 total points in wins over Stanford, 86 in 1973 and 85 in 1959.

USC and UCLA couldn’t even do it against a Stanford team coached by Buddy Teevens.

In 2002, the Trojans and Bruins scored 77 total points against Stanford.

The remarkable thing about this year is UCLA and USC were ranked higher than Stanford entering the season.

So much for preseason polls, huh?

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I admired Pat Haden a lot and would like him to know that life is tough and we all make mistakes. However, our mistakes can often come back and bite us .… Pat, man up and do the right thing. It’s time to resign.

Norm Zareski

I have no inside knowledge, but my guess is that Pat Haden will step away at some point in the very near future. He is working without a contract and without much support from his own boosters. Other than the money, why would he want to continue much longer?

Seems to me Haden got screamed at enough when he played quarterback for the L.A. Rams.

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Spoke to Jim Mora on Friday night. He despises USC, not just because he’s at UCLA, but how and why they do things.

Trap King

I’m surprised, based on your inside knowledge, that Mora allowed his own daughter to attend such a despicable university.

But you know how defiant teenagers can be.

I get what you’re saying. But, if you’re USC, making a run at Mora makes sense. It’s a page out of Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War.”

Tzu wrote: “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.”

Also: “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”

What would be sweeter than stealing the head coach from your archrival?

Mora may love UCLA, but I’ve found that most college coaches are loyal to two things: money and their alma maters.

USC, a private school, could outbid UCLA for his services. And Mora’s alma mater is Washington.

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Why not Jeff Tedford? He would be a great fit right now who could be a big help to Cody Kessler and the USC offense — and would be a strong recruiter in California.

John McDonald

What a great suggestion … for 2006. Tedford would have to get here soon to help Kessler and the USC offense. Kessler is a fifth-year senior.

It is interesting how fast Tedford fell off the face of the Earth. A decade ago, he was the up-and-comer coach in the Pac-10. His 2003 California team handed USC its only defeat. He found, and developed, Aaron Rodgers.

You know where Tedford is now? He’s head coach of the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League.

Tedford has dealt with some heart issues but is presumably healthy, and still only 53. Could USC really hire a coach from the CFL? My guess is no.

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Mark Dantonio will soon realize he cannot compete on a level field with Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh. Welcome to Troy.

Nathan Caruso

Dantonio is an outstanding coach and recent Rose Bowl champion, but he is not a media-friendly coach and certainly does not suffer fools gladly.

Do you know how many fools gladly attend USC home games?

Also, those dark bags under Dantonio’s eyes indicate to me he’s having a tough enough time dealing with the noise in East Lansing, Mich.

Dantonio has also had a heart attack.

If Michigan State gets spanked this weekend at Michigan, as some die-hard Spartans fans suspect might happen, Dantonio will be busy enough containing that brush fire.

I’m not sure I’d wish him the eye baggage that would come within taking over at USC.

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Why would you not ask Bryan Harsin?

Bryan Stith

I think Bryan Harsin is an excellent thought. Most Trojans, though, would have a big problem hiring a Boise State coach.

USC fans still haven’t recovered from losing to Fresno State in the Freedom Bowl.

Former receiver Keyshawn Johnson put it eloquently in the ESPN “30 for 30” that aired this week on the rise and fall of the USC dynasty.

“We’re arrogant,” Johnson said.

USC did look at Chris Petersen, but he was an established coaching star. His record at Boise was 92-12, comparable to Pete Carroll’s record at USC.

Harsin has sustained what Petersen established in Boise but probably hasn’t done it long enough to make him USC worthy.

And that’s too bad. I wish more major programs would think out of the box and hire the right coach, not the name coach.

Notre Dame could have won multiple nationals titles had it hired Urban Meyer when he was coaching Bowling Green.

Meyer was a former Notre Dame assistant.

By the time Meyer got to Utah, it was too late. Meyer chose Florida over Notre Dame.

How could USC sell Houston Coach Tom Herman, even though he might be the right guy?

Or Bryan Harsin? USC fans are going to expect a home-run, hire, especially after striking out twice with Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian.

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What happened to the Pac-12 being the strongest conference?

Ashley Herndon

Good question. I am doing this week’s mailbag from the Bay Area after covering UCLA at Stanford on Thursday night. Hotel rooms were so tight and expensive I had to stay all the way in Walnut Creek, longtime headquarters of the Pac-12.

So I walked over to Treat Street to visit, only to find the Pac-12 is no longer here.

This is more than the Pac-12 no longer being the strongest conference. The Pac-12 is gone!

I pressed my nose on the window looking for helmet logos, or Commissioner Larry Scott sitting at his desk, feverishly working on a deal to get the Pac-12 Network on DirecTV.

But it appears the conference has leased its offices to a for-profit night school for aspiring football referees.

If anyone knows what happened to the Pac-12, please let me know.

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Any comment on Alabama dropping in the AP poll after winning and one-loss Stanford being ranked ahead of undefeated teams?

Huckleberry Friend @portdauphin

It is true that Alabama was demoted two spots, to No. 10, in this week’s Associated Press media poll.

The AP voters must have caught wind of Alabama sleepwalking through the first three quarters of last week’s home game against Arkansas.

Alabama trailed, 7-3, late in the third quarter, before pulling away to win, 27-14.

The AP voters may have heard the game was much closer than the final score.

The USA Today coaches are more apt to rubber-stamp any Alabama victory as proof it is the best team in the country. The voting coaches looked at that win and moved the Crimson Tide up one spot to No. 9.

I have no problem with Stanford being ranked ahead of certain unbeaten schools any more than I have a problem with Michigan being ranked ahead of certain unbeaten schools.

Both schools lost tough road openers. Stanford played a 9 a.m. PDT start at Northwestern and Michigan lost at Utah.

Utah is undefeated and Northwestern’s only loss came last week at Michigan.

The more important question to ask: How do Stanford and Michigan look now?

I say they look pretty good and would take them today to defeat undefeated Oklahoma State, Memphis, Houston, Toledo or Temple.

chris.dufresne@latimes.com