Enjoying the View

The “NO DOUBT!” signs that were taped to windows throughout Heritage Hall after the Orange Bowl are long gone. So are several key players and coaches that helped USC return to prominence and win back-to-back national championships.

But when the Trojans walked through the gates of Howard Jones Field and began spring practice on Tuesday, Coach Pete Carroll had no complaints. Life is good at No. 1, a position the Trojans are expected to easily retain when preseason polls are released.

And though Carroll politely refuses to acknowledge it, talk of a third straight national title began during the second half of USC’s 55-19 rout of Oklahoma. The victory completed an unbeaten season in which the Trojans went wire to wire atop the Associated Press poll.

“We’re not concerned about any of that stuff,” Carroll said. “We just want to re-establish our work ethic. That is our No. 1, 2 and 3 objective in the spring.”

USC, which won a share of the national championship in 2003, demonstrated last year that it could flourish despite the No. 1 target on its back.

Unlike 2002 national champion Ohio State, which was derailed the following season by the Maurice Clarett implosion, USC maintained its focus throughout the spring and fall after defeating Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

The Trojans weathered the distraction of Mike Williams’ ill-fated attempt to jump to the NFL, the arrests of several current and former team members during the winter and spring, and a sexual assault investigation in the fall that ultimately resulted in no arrests.

But USC faces a different challenge over the next nine-plus months as it attempts to become the first school to win three consecutive AP championships.

On Tuesday, Carroll oversaw a USC practice for the first time without Norm Chow as his offensive coordinator. Chow left in February for a similar job with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. Carroll promoted Lane Kiffin, USC’s receivers coach, to replace him.

Kiffin, 29, said he would not worry about comparisons to Chow.

“You’re talking about a guy who was probably the greatest offensive coordinator in college football history,” Kiffin said. “I’m just going to try and make us better.”

Chow’s departure was not the only important one.

Ed Orgeron, the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator, was the first to leave, becoming head coach at Mississippi. The Jacksonville Jaguars hired quarterbacks coach Carl Smith to be their offensive coordinator, and the Miami Dolphins hired offensive line coach Tim Davis for a similar position.

Steve Sarkisian, USC’s quarterbacks coach in 2002 and 2003, has returned as assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach after working last season for the Oakland Raiders. Carroll and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Matt Leinart are confident that Kiffin and Sarkisian can share responsibility for the offense with no dropoff.

“It’s going to be a new style,” said Leinart, who is recovering from elbow surgery. “Coach Chow was kind of reserved and didn’t speak a whole lot. These guys are young and fiery. They’re going to get on you if you make a mistake, they’re going to yell. But it’s only going to help us.”

Jethro Franklin, a former assistant with the Green Bay Packers, replaced Orgeron and longtime college and NFL assistant Pat Ruel replaced Davis. Carroll also promoted Ken Norton Jr. from graduate assistant to full-time status as a linebackers coach, and former Trojan linebacker Sam Anno joined the staff as a graduate assistant for special teams. Anno replaces Dennis Slutak, who left after the Orange Bowl for a full-time position at Mississippi but returned last month as USC’s director of football operations.

“There’s no question we lost a lot of high-energy, big-personality guys,” Carroll said. “It will be a little bit different, but these guys are terrific football coaches.”

USC’s chances of winning another title also will be affected by the way nearly a dozen players come back from surgeries.

Redshirt sophomore John David Booty and redshirt freshman Rocky Hinds are taking snaps in place of Leinart. Junior running back Reggie Bush, a Heisman finalist, also will be limited while recovering from arthroscopic shoulder surgery.

Junior running back LenDale White (ankle), senior tight end Dominique Byrd (toe) and junior defensive lineman Manuel Wright -- all regarded as NFL prospects -- will not practice this spring while focusing on academic issues.

For the time being, however, the athletic department is reveling in the football program’s success.

“I liken it to being on a merry-go-round,” said Tim Tessalone, USC’s sports information director, referring to the increased off-season demands on Carroll and his players. “Usually, you can ride it and then get off it for while. But this merry-go-round hasn’t stopped yet and I don’t know when it will.”

The most difficult part of the off-season, Carroll said, was declining appearance requests from various groups seeking to honor him or his team.

“I’d like to do everything but I’m not able to if I’m going to maintain the focus and attention I need to have,” he said. “It’s very uncomfortable because I hate saying no. ... But I can’t do it all.”Since returning from the Orange Bowl, Leinart has attended ceremonies out of state for the Walter Camp and Manning awards. A few weeks ago, he sat for a photo shoot for GQ magazine. Next month he will attend the Sullivan Award ceremony, and in May the Playboy All-America weekend in Arizona. In June, he is scheduled to be a keynote speaker at the Special Olympics and he will also attend the ESPY and Victor awards in July.

“There’s tons of other things people want him to do and we just have to say no,” Tessalone said.

Ron Orr, an associate athletic director who works with the school’s ticket office and president’s office to coordinate ticket distribution, said being No. 1 creates “a lot of good problems.”

Last season, USC established a school attendance record for the second year in a row, averaging 85,229 for six home games. Orr said demand for season tickets and membership in support groups has “gone through the roof,” though he said he could not quantify the total until the fiscal year ends in June.

“People want to be involved -- they want to maintain seats and add seats,” he said. “So it’s been pretty overwhelming.”