USC to play Syracuse at Meadowlands in 2012

Syracuse will play three home games against Notre Dame and USC over the next seven years in the new stadium at the Meadowlands.

The Associated Press reported that two people with knowledge of the agreement, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Orange will play the Trojans in 2012 and Notre Dame in 2014 and 2016.

The announcement is expected to be official Tuesday.

USC's Jeff Byers works to the nth degree in the classroom

USC All-American guard-center Jeff Byers of Loveland (Colo.) High will get not only his Bachelor's degree but also an MBA in less than six years. Read about Byers' amazing classroom accomplishment on the USC RipsIt blog.

Top offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson to visit USC-Ohio State game

Seantrel Henderson of St. Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Derham Hall, the nation's top-ranked tackle, will make an official visit to Columbus on Sept. 12.

Henderson, 6-foot-8, 300 pounds, also will visit USC (Nov. 28), Florida, Notre Dame (Oct. 17) and Oklahoma.

Seems like Henderson has an affinity to see the Trojans. In addition to the Sept. 12 game in Columbus, USC plays at Notre Dame the weekend of Oct. 17 and UCLA the weekend of Nov. 28.

Pryor named to Manning Award watch list

Ohio State sophomore Terrelle Pryor is among 38 quarterbacks on the Manning Award watch list. The winner will be announced Jan. 14 and be honored at a banquet in New Orleans in February.

The award honors Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning and is the only QB award to take into consideration the players' bowl accomplishments.

Jeremy Bates speaks his mind

USC quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates talks about replacing Steve Sarkisian, the quarterback situation, the talent at SC and much more in this Q&A with ESPN.com's Ted Miller.

Is it best for Buckeyes to take Pryor on the run?

One of Terrelle Pryor's greatest assets is his ability to run, but is that always wise for the Buckeyes and for Pryor's longevity as a football player? That is the topic of a story by Doug Lesmerises in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Duron Carter can't avoid comparisons to father, Cris Carter

Ohio State freshman Duron Carter has tried hard to avoid comparisons to his famous father, Cris Carter, but inevitably they will come around. Read Columbus Dispatch writer Ken Gordon's profile of Duron Carter here.

Catch USC's scrimmage Monday at Coliseum

Photo courtesy of USC athletic department

Trojans coach Pete Carroll throws to
wide receiver Ronald Johnson

USC will play a free scrimmage Monday night at 7:30 at the Coliseum.

"This is a big-time scrimmage for us, because we're going to the Coliseum," coach Pete Carroll told the team, according to the USC RipsIt blog. "Let's make sure we live it up and have fun doing that."

Monday's complete schedule from the RipsIt Blog:
7 a.m., Breakfast
8-11 a.m., Dorm move-out
Noon, Lunch
3 p.m., Picture day
4:30 p.m., Dinner
5 p.m., Pre-scrimmage meetings
7 p.m., Depart for the Coliseum
7:30 p.m., Scrimmage at the Coliseum
9:30 p.m., Post-scrimmage snack
11 p.m., Bed check