Creative Writing Is New Course at USC

Erica Lucero, a USC sophomore from Upland, is doing periodic updates on Trojan football for Page 2 of ESPN.com.

Of course, quarterback Matt Leinart is a focal point.

According to Lucero, there are certain rules that pertain to what she calls the “Big Man on Campus.”

One rule is that he is never referred to as simply Matt or Leinart. It is always Matt Leinart.

Another rule is that no incident involving Matt Leinart, however insignificant, should go unreported.

Wrote Lucero: “ ‘I saw Matt Leinart go into the bathroom today and I almost fainted,’ one freshman girl told me.

“A senior girl told me, ‘Matt Leinart dropped a pen today. And then he picked it up!’ ”

Trivia time: Who was Leinart’s backup at Santa Ana Mater Dei High, and where is he playing now?

Good point: Lucero, on Leinart’s decision to remain at USC for one more year: “Who would want to give up his superstar status? He would have gone to the San Francisco 49ers, a mediocre team at best. Here, he has girls throwing themselves at him almost constantly, not to mention the envy and respect of the vast majority of the school’s male population.

“So why would the Big Man on Campus want to go to the big, bad NFL and return to freshman status?”

Who’d be favored? “The NFL and the NCAA, responding to a lack of suspense, have decided to suspend their upcoming football seasons,” wrote Greg Cote of the Miami Herald. “Instead, New England and Southern Cal will proceed directly to a title-unification bout.”

Nonstop USC football: ESPNU will devote 11 consecutive hours to USC football, beginning at 9 tonight.

In what is billed as a USC “Cram Session,” there will be replays of last season’s games against Virginia Tech, Brigham Young, California, Notre Dame and UCLA, as well as the Orange Bowl victory over Oklahoma.

The session also includes last year’s Heisman Trophy presentation to Leinart.

Do you think this might be just a little overkill?

A new beat: This year ESPN assigned a reporter, Pedro Gomez, to follow Barry Bonds on a daily basis.

Now the cable network has assigned a reporter, Shelley Smith, to follow the Trojans on a daily basis.

Smith also will be the sideline reporter when USC plays Hawaii on Saturday on ESPN2.

Trivia answer: Colt Brennan, who is at Hawaii after transferring from Saddleback College.

Brennan and redshirt freshman Tyler Graunke are expected to share quarterback duties against USC on Saturday.

And finally: During the 50th anniversary celebration of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ first and only championship team last weekend, outfielder George “Shotgun” Shuba recalled one time when he went to church before a game.

“I asked the priest, ‘Will I get a hit today if I say a prayer?’ ” Shuba said. “The priest said, ‘You will -- if you’re a good hitter.’ ”

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Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.