With apologies to Thomas Wolfe, Rick Neuheisel and Pat Hill can go home again…Neuheisel to his alma mater UCLA as head coach, and Hill at least for a weekend.

The Ducks, ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press poll, are averaging 47 points a game and are lead by their multi-talented quarterback, Dennis Dixon, who has 16 touchdowns and has completed 69% of his passes.

USC's quarterback situation got a little murky this week because John David Booty will likely be cleared to play against the Ducks. He had been sidelined that last two games (Arizona and Notre Dame) because of a broken bone in the middle finger of his throwing hand. Mark Sanchez, a red-shirt sophomore, has filled in adequately for Booty. Sanchez is more mobile and has a stronger throwing arm, and several L.A. sports columnists have debated who should start against Oregon. The consensus is that Coach Carroll will stick with Booty as long as he is healthy.

The Trojans dominated the Irish last weekend in South Bend, Ind., where they won by the widest margin in the history of the storied intersectional rivalry, 38-0. And, USC's receivers and offensive line, which had been hampered by injuries, appear to be on track after playing poorly against Stanford, Washington and Arizona. This should give Booty some confidence. The Watcher likes the Trojans in an upset at noisy Autzen Stadium.

The UCLA Bruins, still basking in the glow of their big upset over California in the Rose Bowl, head to the Great Northwest to play lowly Washington State in Pullman. UCLA played its best game of the season against the Golden Bears, who are on a see-saw after losing consecutive games, a last-second heartbreaker to Oregon State, and 30-21 to the Bruins. The win took pressure off of Coach Karl Dorrell, who has been maligned by fans and alumni this season. Dorrell finally has a near-healthy quarterback in Patrick Cowan, who gives the Bruins offense a lot of energy with his versatility to pass and run. UCLA should have little troulbe disposing of the Cougars who are 0-4 in the Pacific 10 and 2-5 for the season.

Meanwhile, there's no let-up for California, which travelsl to Tempe, Ariz., to face a team that's hotter than its desert surroundings, the ASU Sun Devils. Arizona State, ranked No. 4 in the BCS poll and No. 7 in AP's, has adopted the swagger of its coach, the wiley Dennis Erickson, who seems to be as unbeatable as a popular cartoon coyote and has made more coaching stops than a Pony Express rider. In a season pocked by upsets and surprises, ASU is the talk of the Pac-10. A major showdown looms on the schedule horizon when it plays USC on Thanksgiving Night.

The loss, described as “disgusting” and “despicable” in Los Angeles, sent USC tumbling, to No. 10 in the Associated Press’ Top 25, and to No. 7 in polls used by the BCS.

It should be noted that the lingering problem for the Trojans is not that they lost (Stanford has a history of pulling off big upsets), but it was how USC blew the game. Clinging to a 23-17 lead late in the fourth quarter, the defense, which is supposed to be USC’s strength, allowed the Cardinal to convert a 4th and 20 play for a first down, which ultimately lead to its game-tying touchdown.

The injuries that have beset Pete Carroll’s team, at running back, the offensive line and defensive backfield, are having an adverse affect. Suddenly, USC is thin at tailback, a position that was stocked nine-deep at the start of the season. Chauncey Washington and sixth-year player Herschel Dennis are now carrying the running-game’s load.. Stafon Johnson and C.J. Cable, who began the season as the No. 1 and No. 2 backs, are out for the season.

Stanford, on the other hand, looks like a completely different team than the one that was routed by UCLA in early September. One press box wag referred to the Cardinal players as “pencil necks” studying for master degrees. But Coach Jim Harbaugh has made remarkable strides in just a month’s time.

Stanford may have the highest of academic standards for its student athletes but it is not inaccurate to call the school a sports factory. In its history, Stanford has 104 national sports titles, second on the all-time list. It has 92 NCAA championships, 57 for men and 35 for women. The football team has played 11 times in the Rose Bowl, the most recent in 2000 against Wisconsin.

John Elway, Jim Plunkett, John Brodie, Frankie Albert, Ernie Nevers, the Vow Boys and the Wow Boys, Pop Warner and John Ralston can hardly be called pencil necks. Privately, school officials should be thrilled with the description.

So, now USC ‘s season really begins, starting with Arizona Saturday at home. The Wildcats have been a disappointment so far with a 2-3 start and Mike Stoops is suddenly under the hot seat in Tucson. Pete Carroll will probably start Mark Sanchez at quarterback, subbing for John David Booty who broke the middle finger on his throwing hand in the second quarter Saturday night.

USC is a heavy favorite again, by 20 points, and the game will be televised on ABC.