Subplots Thicken the Mix for Trojans

Before the season, it looked like a potential yawner -- an overwhelming mismatch between programs going in opposite directions.

Today’s game between second-ranked USC and Arizona still has the makings of a rout, but few could have predicted in August the subplots that have put it on the national radar.

Consider:

* USC, 8-1 overall and 4-1 in the Pacific 10 Conference, is second behind unbeaten Oklahoma in the bowl championship series standings.

The Trojans remain on track to possibly play for the national championship in the Sugar Bowl if they defeat Arizona, UCLA and Oregon State in impressive fashion.

Though repeating his one-game-at-a-time mantra, Coach Pete Carroll said his players had been bombarded by questions about the BCS and that they know what is at stake for a program that last won a national title in 1978.

“I’m not hesitant to mention to them that it’s really about these next three upcoming games,” Carroll said. “That we have to take care of these games first.”

* USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow is regarded as one of the leading candidates to become the next coach at Arizona.

With Wildcat players once again bordering on mutiny, Arizona Athletic Director Jim Livengood fired John Mackovic in late September and replaced him with defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz, who got his first victory last week when the Wildcats defeated Washington, ending a school-record eight-game losing streak.

Oklahoma assistant Mike Stoops is considered the front-runner for the job, but Arizona officials have contacted Chow and will be watching when he starts calling plays for a team averaging 40.2 points a game.

* USC is coming off the second of three byes.

Much to Carroll’s dismay, that otherwise mundane fact took on added significance when the Trojans lost to California after their first bye in September.

If USC had not stumbled against a team that is now 5-6, the Trojans probably would be unbeaten and their fans would not be fretting about Ohio State and BCS computers.

Instead, overconfident USC sleepwalked through the first half and lost its conference opener in triple overtime, 34-31.

Carroll initially said he’d erred by taking a developmental approach during the first bye week. He demanded a more competitive atmosphere this time around and pitted the first-string offense against the first-string defense for much of the last two weeks.

“We’ve had great practices,” quarterback Matt Leinart said. “I don’t think we’re going to have any kind of letdown against Arizona.”

* USC’s defense continues to be depleted by injuries.

The Trojans will not be near full strength today or, more important, down the stretch.

Senior defensive end Omar Nazel was scheduled to have season-ending thumb surgery Friday. Linebackers Matt Grootegoed (high ankle sprain) and Melvin Simmons (leg bruise) did not make the trip.

Redshirt sophomore Frostee Rucker will start in place of Nazel, the emotional leader of a unit that ranks fourth in the conference.

“Frostee is faster and a little more agile than Omar, so he brings us a good element at the spot, but the experience definitely will be missed,” Carroll said.

Sophomore Dallas Sartz will start for the third consecutive game in place of Grootegoed. Walk-on Collin Ashton, a redshirt sophomore, will start in place of Simmons. Junior Bobby Otani and freshman Salo Faraimo also are expected to play.

“At SC, we live by the motto, ‘Fight On,’ ” junior defensive end Kenechi Udeze said. “If somebody goes down, whether it’s Omar, Matt Leinart or anyone else, you’ve got to keep pushing.”

Arizona (2-8, 1-5) is hoping to stage an upset similar to the one the Wildcats pulled off in 1992, when they beat top-ranked Washington, 16-3.

The Wildcats opened the season with a 42-7 victory over Texas El Paso, then lost to Louisiana State, Oregon, Purdue and Texas Christian before Mackovic was ousted.

Arizona lost its first four Pac-10 games under Hankwitz before defeating Washington, 27-22.

The Wildcats share last place in the Pac-10 with Arizona State and rank at or near the bottom of the conference in virtually every statistical category except rushing offense. Sophomore Mike Bell gained 222 yards and scored on runs of 69, 67 and 37 yards against Washington.

“We’ve been through a lot of frustrating times but our emphasis was that we had to keep working with what we’ve got,” Hankwitz said. “We felt like we had a chance to beat TCU and UCLA, but didn’t.

“Our goal was to keep fighting until we got one, and now we want to try and get another one, even though it will be extremely difficult.”