Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

First, Oregon fans, knock on wood.

With Justin Roper returning to practice Monday, Oregon, though not exactly chipper after losing 44-10 at USC over the weekend, is getting healthier at quarterback.

During the upset loss to Boise State, the Ducks were down to their No. 5 quarterback.

Roper, who started the season as No. 2 on the depth chart, partially tore the MCL in his left knee at Purdue on Sept. 13, and then got sick (it turns out it wasn't mono). He's lost some weight but he's back, running the No. 2 offense as of now, and ready to compete with Jeremiah Masoli for the starting job, starting Saturday against UCLA.

Here's what Roper had to say after practice.

The Ducks, however, still aren't completely healthy -- running back LeGarrette Blount (hip), cornerback Walter Thurmond (groin), offensive tackle Fenuki Tupou (knee) and linebacker Spencer Paysinger (hamstring) sat out practice.

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A few sentences looking at this week's matchups.

Arizona State (2-3, 1-1) at USC (3-1, 1-1): This might become a battle of backup quarterbacks with Mitch Mustain starting for Mark Sanchez (knee) and Danny Sullivan filling in for Rudy Carpenter (ankle). Considering the supporting casts, that tit-for-tat favors the Trojans.

Arizona (4-1, 2-0) at Stanford (3-3, 2-1): A critical game for both teams' bowl hopes. Arizona could assert itself as a legitimate Pac-10 contender and move within one win of bowl eligibility. Meanwhile, this is the first of three winnable games (at UCLA, Washington State) that could do the same for Stanford.

Washington State (1-5, 0-3) at Oregon State (2-3, 1-1): This looks like an easy romp for the Beavers, but after two massively emotional games -- with far different outcomes -- might they come out flat and give the Cougars hope? Guessing OSU coach Mike Riley will mention that this week during practice.

UCLA (2-3, 1-1) at Oregon (4-2, 2-1): UCLA starts a stretch of four road games over its next six dates, so if the Bruins are going to make any noise this season they're going to have to win on the road, which has been a problem in the past. Autzen Stadium is probably the toughest place to do that in the Pac-10. It looks like the Ducks will get quarterback Justin Roper back, but Jeremiah Masoli might start anyway.

California (4-1, 2-0): Open date. Next game is Oct. 18 at Arizona

Washington (0-5, 0-3): Open date. Next game is Oct. 18 vs. Oregon State

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter limped into his weekly news conference wearing a boot on his sprained left ankle, not looking like a player who will make his 37th consecutive start Saturday at USC.

He said the ankle feels a little better than it did when he walked out of the postgame locker room after the Sun Devils lost, 24-14, at California, but that he's uncertain whether he'll be able to play.

Carpenter, a quarterback known for his toughness, isn't easy to write off. He got sacked 55 times last year and took numerous other hits and still managed to show up for the first snap every Saturday.

"As long as I can walk," he said, "then I can play."

The Sun Devils need him to play. His backup, junior Danny Sullivan, has never made a start (for obvious reasons), and the running game, now ranked 113th in the nation (85.4 yards per game), has been abysmal.

But this might not be an injury that Carpenter can just play around.

"I'm not going to put him out there on the field unless he has the mobility to move and throw -- he's got to be pretty close to 100 percent," coach Dennis Erickson said.

Erickson termed Carpenter day-to-day. If the quarterback can practice by Wednesday, then he'll likely start.

If not, it's Sullivan, who's big -- 6-foot-5, 238 pounds -- and owns a good arm. Erickson said Sullivan has improved his footwork and knows the offense well.

"He studies as much as any backup quarterback I've been around," Erickson said. "He's going to know what's going on."

Of course, it's different starting than just seeing mop-up duty. And it's different starting on the road.

And it's really different starting on the road against USC.

That's why every effort will be made to get Carpenter ready. It's fair to say that no other Pac-10 player is as important to his team as Carpenter is to the Sun Devils.

"If he plays, it's because he's tough," Erickson said.

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USC quarterback Mark Sanchez, California defensive end Cameron Jordan and Cal punter Bryan Anger were named Pac-10 Players of the Week on Monday.

Sanchez, a senior from Mission Viejo, Calif., was 19-of-28 (.679) for 332 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in the Trojans 44-10 win over No. 23 Oregon. His scoring passes covered 34, 63 and 11 yards. USC rolled up 598 yards total offense, including 443 yards passing and were forced to punt only one time.

This is the third time this year Sanchez has earned player of the week honors.

Jordan and Anger played key roles in California's 24-14 win against Arizona State.

Jordan, a sophomore from Chandler, Ariz., made the most of his first start, posting eight tackles -- five solo -- including three tackles for loss (-8) and two quarterback sacks (-7) and forced a fumble. The Cal defense limited Arizona State to 236 yards total offense (71 rushing, 165 passing), just 4-of-16 on third-down conversion attempts, forced three turnovers and posted three quarterback sacks (-22).

Anger, a freshman from Camarillo, Calif., averaged 47.4 yards on seven punts, including a career-long 72-yard boot. Three of Anger's seven punts were downed inside the Arizona State 10-yard line.

Also nominated for offensive player of the week honors were tight ends Rob Gronkowski of Arizona and Ryan Moya of UCLA and tailback Shane Vereen of California. Also nominated on defense were backs Alterraun Verner of UCLA, Kevin Ellison of USC and Devin Ross of Arizona. Kicker David Buehler of USC, punter Aaron Perez of UCLA and punt returner Mike Thomas of Arizona were nominated for special teams play.

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Eat, link and be merry.

• Arizona is clicking in every way -- and here are numbers to prove it -- but tougher tests are ahead, starting Saturday at Stanford.
• California's defense is stepping up big, and safety Sean Cattouse has impressed at least one columnist as the shiny new piece that completes the puzzle.
• Not to pick on Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, but his postgame comments after the Ducks were drubbed 44-10 at USC suggested he took another hard blow the head. And, just to pile on a bit, John Canzano undresses the touted Ducks secondary. He notes: "...on six consecutive offensive drives in the second and third quarters, USC went touchdown, touchdown, field goal, touchdown, touchdown and field goal. Five of the scoring drives covered more than 60 yards."
• Sure, it was just Washington State, but UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft is getting better. That's probably got fewer folks asking, what's up with Ben Olson?
• Washington State is looking for a few good quarterbacks.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

After suffering its worst loss in history to Arizona, 48-14, Washington now owns the nation's longest losing streak at seven games.

The Huskies, 0-5 for the first time since 1969, are now 11-30 under coach Tyrone Willingham. The only other winless FBS team is North Texas.

This is a program that has played in 14 Rose Bowls, didn't suffer a losing season from 1977-2003, won a national championship in 1991 and finished ranked in the top 10 four other times during that span.

Now Washington is headed for its fifth losing season in a row.

Each week the ranting and raving and speculation about when -- not if -- Willingham will be fired gets louder.

The atmosphere around the program is toxic.

At least one Seattle columnist is almost pleading for the misery to end, and Jerry Brewer isn't known as a guy who goes off half-cocked.

Arizona players said it seemed like the Huskies quit on Saturday.

Recruiting is going terribly. The Huskies presently have only five committed players and that crew ranks last in the Pac-10 according to most recruiting services.

Yet new athletic director Scott Woodward has repeatedly told reporters that he won't make a decision on Willingham's fate until the end of the season.

Patience is typically a virtue, and it is rarely seen when evaluating college football coaches.

But it's impossible not to wonder if in this case delaying the inevitable is pointless and counterproductive.

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Doctors found no structural damage to Mark Sanchez's left knee, but the USC quarterback will sit out practice Monday and coach Pete Carroll called his status "day-to-day" as the Trojans prepare for a visit from Arizona State.

Sanchez hurt his knee in the Trojans 44-10 victory over Oregon when he was dragged down from behind by Nick Reed. After remaining down for a few moments, he walked off the field under his own power and later returned for a series.

Carroll told reporters the injury is unrelated to the dislocated knee cap that Sanchez suffered in the preseason on the same knee, which is why he has been wearing a knee brace.

If he can't go, Mitch Mustain is in line to step in, though the Trojans backup role has changed hands three times in as many weeks.

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Sorting out the Pac-10 pecking order after six weeks:

1. USC: The Trojans reasserted their dominance with a blowout win over Oregon. The question remaining is can they play to their potential every week? And, if so, will that get them back to the national title game? Up next: Arizona State

2. California: The quarterback switch worked in that Nate Longshore led the Bears to a key conference victory over Arizona State. But the Bears' offense is still looking to find its rhythm. Fortunately for them, the defense is catching on. Up next: A bye week.

3. Oregon: For a quarter and a half, the Ducks looked like every bit the Trojans' match. Then the deluge. The defensive scheme puts a lot of pressure on the secondary, and the Ducks' defensive backs couldn't match up with the USC receivers. Up next: UCLA.

4. Oregon State: The Beavers beat Utah. And then they didn't. For all the good things they've shown this season, including the red-letter win over USC, they presently sit at 2-3. Up next: Washington State.

5. Arizona: Every game is important for a team scrambling to earn its bona fides, but the Wildcats' biggest game of the year may be Saturday at Stanford. A fifth win with six games remaining would virtually guarantee bowl eligibility -- Washington State is still on the slate -- but a loss means the Wildcats head into the toughest part of their schedule with a lot of work left.

6. Arizona State: The Sun Devils, at 2-3, are starting to look like a team that belongs in the bottom half of the conference pecking order, and they will be if Rudy Carpenter's sprained ankle sidelines him.

7. Stanford: Stanford, now 3-3, enters a critical run for its bowl hopes with three winnable games ahead: Arizona, at UCLA and Washington State. Those three games will either separate the Cardinal from the bottom third of the conference or again relegate them to it.

8. UCLA: Can the Bruins win on the road? If they want to move up they must, because four of the next six are on the road, starting at Oregon on Saturday.

9. Washington: Washington finally gets some good news: It's not playing this weekend. Any hopes that new quarterback Ronnie Fouch would create a Cinderella story for the Huskies and embattled coach Tyrone Willingham evaporated quickly in the desert last weekend.

10. Washington State: If there was something positive to take from the 28-3 loss to UCLA, it's that the Cougars looked competitive through the first quarter. They figure to run into a fairly grumpy bunch of Beavers at Oregon State on Saturday.

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While California surely isn't happy that it lost defensive end Rulon Davis to a leg injury a week ago, sophomore Cameron Jordan had an impressive debut stepping in for Davis on Saturday against Arizona State.

Jordan recorded two sacks and another tackle for a loss among his eight tackles and forced a fumble in the Bears' 24-14 victory.

Jordan, a native of Chandler, Ariz., had one sack last year as a true freshman.

His bloodlines are outstanding. His father, Steve Jordan, played 13 years for the Minnesota Vikings and was selected to the Pro Bowl six times.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

It may be "just" a matter of pain tolerance whether Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter can make his 37th consecutive start at USC on Saturday.

Carpenter was sacked 55 times a year ago and has been knocked around this year, too, so his pain tolerance track record is good.

The East Valley Tribune and Arizona Republic reported that Carpenter's injury suffered in the Sun Devils' 24-14 loss at California has been diagnosed as "a non-weight-bearing projection of a bone in his left ankle."

Basically: A sprained ankle.

"I've been told he has a chance to play," ASU coach Dennis Erickson told the newspapers. "If he progresses during the week and can stay healthy, that's the key. You don't want him hobbled out there in the game."

Carpenter's backup is junior Danny Sullivan, who has never started a game. Sullivan is 1-for-8 this year in mop-up duty and is 26-of-52 for 257 yards in his career with two touchdowns and one interception.

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Surveying the Pac-10 landscape, looking for new trends and teachable moments

If the national title is about finding the nation's best team, then USC is still in the hunt: USC blasted Oregon 44-10, dominating both sides of the ball. It's unlikely any team in the nation could do the same to the Ducks, a talented squad that should end up in the top-25 by season's end. Folks can rant about a down year in the Pac-10. And they can cackle about the performance at Oregon State. But the Trojans remains the nation's most talented team and they'd in all likelihood be favored against any other squad in a national title game.

Jeff Tedford listens to his own counsel, not the unwashed masses: Many California fans developed a dislike of quarterback Nate Longshore during last season's downturn and were rooting hard for Kevin Riley to beat him out. Riley's winning the job with a late surge during the preseason went over well. So when Tedford announced that the quarterback competition had re-opened following a 42-7 win over Colorado State because the Bears coach wanted the offense to start faster, there was a lot of hand-wringing. But after Longshore completed 17 of 28 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns with one interception in the victory over Arizona State, he appears poised to start again against Arizona on Oct. 18. By the way, Longhshore's three TD passes give him 46 for his career, which ranks fifth on Cal's all-time list.

Arizona State's season is on the brink: It's never good news for a struggling team to go to USC, but it's even worse when that struggling team may be without its best player. California pounded on Sun Devils quarterback Rudy Carpenter, sacking him three times and forcing a pair of interceptions and a fumble. Afterwards, Carpenter walked gingerly out of Memorial Stadium with his left ankle wrapped in ice, and no one could say if he'd be available for next weekend's visit to USC. The Sun Devils offense has shown little spark of late, even with Carpenter, scoring just 44 points in three consecutive defeats that have dropped them below .500 for the first time since 2005.

It may be time to buy Arizona stock: Arizona has shown flashes of a potential turnaround in the past, so it's a little bit dangerous to announce the 4-1 Wildcats have arrived. But their workmanlike, 48-14 destruction of Washington suggested this team will not only earn a bowl berth, it could play its way into the Pac-10 race. Instead of messing around with an overmatched Washington team that's in disarray, Arizona dominated, outgaining the Huskies 449-244 in total yards, playing well on both sides of the ball. This weekend's visit to Stanford will be a critical test of the Wildcats ability to remain focused. And winning might be necessary, because the schedule ahead gets a lot harder, with Washington State the only remaining patsy on the slate.

Stanford's loss at Notre Dame should eat at the Cardinal for many reasons: It started with Stanford offensive guard Chris Marinelli trash talking, which only served to get the attention of a Notre Dame team that might have overlooked the Cardinal. Then there were the terrible calls made by a Pac-10 officiating crew, including an awful spot that gave the Irish a first-quarter fourth-down conversion on Stanford's 22 in the first quarter and a phantom punt-interference penalty that killed a fumble recovery in the second quarter. But the Cardinal also figures to look at film of its beleaguered secondary, which Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen picked apart, and then worry about its bowl hopes.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Helmet stickers for those who stood out during the weekend's games.

Mark Sanchez: Sanchez took the USC offense under his wing against Oregon, completing 19 of 28 passes for 332 yards with touchdowns of 34, 63 and 11 yards. And he bounced back from a knee-injury scare that had the entire Coliseum holding its breath.

Pac-10 defenses: Guess who's ranked No. 2 in the nation in total defense? That would be Arizona (226 yards per game). USC is No. 4 (244 ypg) and California is No. 25 (290.6). That's three in the top-25, and Oregon State is at 40 and Arizona State 42.

Nate Longshore: He wasn't spectacular, but Longshore seems to still be an unpopular choice as California's quarterback. So he was operating under a lot of pressure -- and some Memorial Stadium catcalls -- when he took the field over Kevin Riley against Arizona State. He responded by completing 17 of 28 passes for 198 yards with three TDs and one interception in Cal's critical win.

Rob Gronkowski: Gronkowski hauled in five passes for 109 yards in Arizona's 48-14 win over Washington, with touchdowns of 37, 9 and 8 yards. After missing the first three games due to mono, Gronkowski is back as Arizona quarterback Willie Tuitama favorite TD-maker.

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LOS ANGELES -- On a night when just about everything went right for USC, it seems reasonable that even a scary injury had an apparent happy ending.

With less than four minutes left in the third quarter, Oregon defensive end Nick Reed yanked Trojans quarterback Mark Sanchez down from behind for a sack. Sanchez's left knee -- the one he wears a brace on since he dislocated his kneecap during the preseason -- got bent under him.

And he didn't get up.

"I think we all got scared a little bit," defensive end Clay Matthews said.

A short time after he walked gingerly off the field, it was announced that Sanchez might return to the game. And then he did -- albeit briefly -- for the first series of the fourth quarter.

So the knee wasn't seriously hurt and shouldn't keep Sanchez from practicing this week and suiting up Saturday when Arizona State comes to town.

"It was just aggravated a little bit, nothing too serious," Sanchez said. "I wanted to come back in, but as a precaution we held back a little and it was [backup Mitch Mustain's] time to step up. Thankfully, I had the patella stabilizer and the brace and that took care of me."

Sanchez walked up the tunnel with a limp immediately after the game, his knee wrapped in bandages and ice.

But he walked to the shower showing few ill-effects and fielded questions afterwards per his usual routine.

Before he went down, he turned in perhaps the best performance of his career, completing 19 of 28 for 332 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Reed's sack was the only time the Ducks pass rush got him.

"Sanchez was very accurate," Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said. "They did a nice job of protecting him and moving the pocket around."

In the loss at Oregon State, Sanchez's numbers were OK, but he only averaged 7.8 yards per completion. The plan against the Ducks was to throw down field more.

Sanchez's touchdowns were 34 yards, 63 yards and 11 yards. He averaged 11.5 yards per completion.

"He throws a beautiful deep ball," USC coach Pete Carroll said.

And it appears he'll again be throwing deep Saturday against Arizona State.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

	AP Photo/Mark Avery
	No. 9 Southern California stormed back from last week's stunning loss to rout No. 23 Oregon 44-10 on Saturday.

LOS ANGELES -- Oregon State didn't blindside USC nine days ago. Pete Carroll saw it coming.

He saw it six months ago.

He saw Ohio State on the schedule. He knew what that meant. The hype machine would roll into town, and to the victor would go considerable spoils, namely the No. 1 ranking.

And he saw a tricky visit to Oregon State 12 days later.

He knew what his team needed to do. He tried to get them to do it. But they didn't, and a sense of personal failure still weighed heavily on Carroll's shoulders, even as he talked about his ninth-ranked Trojans' 44-10 plundering of No. 23 Oregon.

"That huge game against those guys [Ohio State] -- it was going to be talked about and all that, and as much of our philosophy and approach addresses that, it still fricking happened to us," he said. "It was the fact I couldn't keep it from happening. I tried everything I could think of."

So when he gathered his players Friday night for the traditional pregame talk, he took things deeper.

He spoke, many of his assistant coaches spoke and some of the veteran players spoke.

"It's about sensing your responsibility and to respect what we've been about through the years here," he said. "You could tell from the depth of the night that it made sense and they got it. They respected this opportunity to play here today."

There's a risk in selling out on an emotional speech. It can come off as sappy in a world of irony and cynicism. And it's hard to produce an encore if it doesn't work.

But this one did.

"This one was really special," defensive end Clay Matthews said. "It was pretty much about what football means to each and everyone of us, how it's a part of our lives and it's so much more than just a sport."

Said center Kristofer O'Dowd, ""It gave me chills."

Oregon would be exhibit A of the effectiveness of that emotional gathering.

The woeful USC run defense that surrendered 186 yards to Oregon State true freshman running back Jacquizz Rodgers held the Ducks to just 60. This is the same Ducks team that entered the game ranking fourth in the nation with 309 yards rushing per game.

Oregon's 239 total yards were nearly 300 off their season average.

Meanwhile, the USC offense, befuddled in Corvallis, exploded for 598 yards, with quarterback Mark Sanchez completing 19 of 28 for 332 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

The turning point was fairly obvious.

Oregon led 10-3 with eight minutes left in the second quarter, and USC faced a fourth-and-2 on the Ducks 34-yard line.

Lots of coaches kick the field goal. Others go for it but use their favorite short-yardage play.

USC went for a home run and it worked: Sanchez found an uncovered Damian Williams streaking down the sideline for the tying score.

"That's such a big spark for our team, to know this coaching staff believes in us going for it on fourth and short in the redzone," Sanchez said. "We started rolling after that."

That was the first strike of 41 unanswered points.

And now the USC that whipped Ohio State has reemerged, dispatching the one that looked so terrible at Oregon State.

But will this version stick around?