And Then There Are Those Trojan Fans . . .

May I offer some much-needed help to a very confused UCLA fan [Tim McOsker, Viewpoint, May 2]? His addlepated accusation is that Trojan football players do not take academics seriously. He is on very soft ground, to wit:

* USC ranks third nationally in NCAA postgraduate scholarships, including 20 football players.

* USC has three Rhodes scholars, including one football player.

* USC leads the Pac-10 with 26 first-team Academic All-Americans, including 20 football players.

The list is much longer, but this sounds like pretty serious academic commitment, to anyone with an open mind, including blind Bruins and their enablers at The Times.

ROY ROUDINE, Los Alamitos

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Responding to Mr. McOsker’s inquiry last Saturday, the answer to such a profound question is obvious: USC’s athletes need only transfer 15 miles to that serious academic institution in Westwood, of course.

There, the Trojans can study horticulture alongside Jelani McCoy and Kris Johnson, learning about the harvest and consumption of “exotic plants.” After getting something to munch on, I’m quite sure the Trojans will have enough energy to sustain them into the wee hours of the morning as they tirelessly assist Baron Davis and Earl Watson in their research of computer and social science, resolving the perplexities in and mastering the intricacies of the latest, most challenging video games.

Best of all, should any of the Trojans hail from a foreign land (e.g., Australia), after the season they can return home without taking their final exams.

CARLO PACIULLI, Arcadia