Column: College football mailbag: Houston Coach Tom Herman can toot own trombone

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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FYI: Tom Herman used to play trombone in middle school and high school here in Simi Valley. If a Tom Herman-coached team ever plays Stanford, watch out!

Corey Nordal

Simi Valley

This is a fantastic clip-and-save piece of information to file in the event Houston Coach Tom Herman becomes USC’s next coach.

I knew Herman was raised in the Valley, graduated from Cal Lutheran and was also a member of Mensa.

I did not know he could, if called upon, take the lead blast on “76 Trombones.”

Herman might be the first USC coach who could accompany the Trojan Marching Band for the playing of “Conquest.”

Herman is an intriguing candidate. He was Urban Meyer’s offensive coordinator last year at Ohio State and has led Houston to a 6-0 start.

I would look forward to any USC game against Stanford in which Herman could play a duet with Gary Tyrrell, the trombone player who got knocked over on the “the Play” against California in 1982.

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Spurrier golfing in L.A. this week?

Gary Wilson

Don’t go there. Don’t do it. Do not get my hopes up about Steve Spurrier possibly becoming the first man to coach USC and USC (University of South Carolina).

With the Lakers struggling, could you imagine the copy Spurrier would produce for us?

First game against UCLA: Spurrier calls an on-side kick, USC recovers and scores a touchdown. Spurrier orders another on-side kick, USC recovers, and USC scores again.

Think that would raise some hackles?

Spurrier after the game: “What’s the big deal? I’ve done that before against a UCLA coach.”

It’s true. It happened when Spurrier was coaching the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League. After Tampa Bay scored an early touchdown in a game against the Memphis Showboats, Spurrier ordered an on-side kick. Tampa Bay scored, then Spurrier ordered another on-side kick.

Memphis was led by former UCLA coach Pepper Rodgers (1971-73).

Rodgers’ reaction to Spurrier’s ploy, as I recall, was a little salty.

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If you have any suggestions for the next coach, just keep ‘em to yourself, OK?

@BalzacSportz

That would sort of defeat one of the reasons I get paid.

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Story is about a beat-up, injury-ridden UCLA defense that shut down Cal and Goff, right?

Mike Bultsma

The bigger story is whether UCLA is going to have enough players to finish the season. Is there a JV team standing by?

UCLA’s impressive win over Cal on Thursday was offset by scene after scene of Bruins players being tended to by trainers, physicians and cart drivers.

If they had a top 25 for injuries, UCLA might overtake Notre Dame this week for No. 1. The Irish have lost a half dozen starters this year, at key positions: quarterback, running back, defensive line. Notre Dame has shown an impressive display of resolve, depth and focus.

UCLA will likely move back in the top 25 this week after defeating No. 20 Cal, but what will Coach Jim Mora’s team have moving forward?

The Bruins were already playing without three defensive starters, including two-way superstar Myles Jack. Thursday, they lost another linebacker, Isaako Savaiinaea, and it was even worse on offense. The possible loss of tailback Paul Perkins, UCLA’s MVP on offense this year, will make life more difficult for freshman quarterback Josh Rosen.

The Bruins were already without backup tailback Nate Starks, and also lost receiver Devin Fuller.

UCLA’s running game is down to two freshmen who are also an announcer’s nightmare: Soso Jamabo and Bolu Olorunfunmi.

USC has also been hit hard this year. Last weekend, against Notre Dame, it was playing a quarterback at wide receiver.

I know injuries are part of the game, but I can’t remember a season with this kind of carnage.

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Your rankings, if legitimate, make little sense to me. Utah at No. 2 is an underdog to the Trojans Saturday. … Hopefully the Trojans will end your adulation of Utah around 8 p.m.

Steven Block

My adulation of Utah? The Utes are ranked No. 3 in this week’s Associated Press media poll. It’s not like I discovered them. They defeated Oregon, in Eugene, by 42 points.

That said, I would not be shocked if USC won the game. I’m sticking to my prediction that no team is going undefeated through the Pac-12 Conference schedule. There is a reason it has happened only six times since 1990: Washington (1991), Arizona State (1996), UCLA (1998), USC (2004, 2005), Oregon (2010).

And the conference is better now, by far, than it was in any of those seasons.

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Despite your anti-Big Ten bias, we all have Los Angeles-based alumni clubs and hold tailgate/watch parties and spend big money with Los Angeles area restaurants.

Gilbert Melton

TOST Class of 1970

Where is TOST? Is that Toledo Ophthalmology State?

I know of no Big Ten schools that start with the letter “T.”

Please clarify. Perhaps TOST is short for THAT Ohio State, or “Tressel’s Ohio State?”

I certainly am not biased against the Big Ten. I have three Big Ten teams ranked in my top 10: Ohio State (5), Michigan State (8) and Michigan (9).

I moved Michigan up two spots this week after that wacky loss to Michigan State. I was one of the few pundits who ranked Michigan in my preseason top 25.

Michigan received two points in the AP poll and only one point in the USA Today coaches’ poll.

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Why did Rankman move Notre Dame down one spot after beating USC? To make room for a Michigan team that lost?

Brian Clark

I’m trying to think like the College Football Playoff selection committee, not the mindless, faceless Bowl Championship Series computers that used to pick the champions.

I’m not going to punish Michigan for 59 minutes and 50 seconds of hard work because a punter dropped a snap that allowed Michigan State one of the most ridiculous wins in college football history.

My eyes saw a game Michigan should have won.

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The world of social media, with all its potential to connect people all over the world, comes with the side effect of unleashing viciousness deep in people’s souls. The fact that they can hide behind anonymous Twitter names and #s brings them out in droves.

Robin Hirsch

Well put. And thanks for putting your name, not your handle, to this. The social media reaction to Michigan punter Blake O’Neill’s botched punt last week against Michigan State was pathetic.

It made me watch “House Hunters International” all day and consider beach front property in Costa Rica.

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Watch your writing! LOL

I played football at Western Kentucky in the late 1960s.

George Franklin

(U.S. Secret Service-retired)

Laguna Niguel

Wait, don’t tell me what position you played at W. Kentucky. It had to be … guard.

Good luck Saturday at Louisiana State.

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You’re at your worst when you’re criticizing fans. Breaking news: Fans are irrational, exuberant, angry, complex.

Matt McKillop

You make college football fans sound like the tasting notes on a really interesting bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.