USC, in the heart of Los Angeles, surrounded by Hollywood nightlife, "industry" bling and countless hangers-on, provides some unique challenges for steering clear of NCAA violations and staying on the right side of johnny law. This is a place where starlets mingle with starting quarterbacks, rappers are invited to practice and celebrities pack the sidelines for every game. In the absence of an NFL team in town (and the decline of the Showtime Lakers), USC football has been the scene for the who's who set in Tinseltown over the past few years. The lines have blurred; this isn't a merely a college football program anymore, but a major destination on the Hollywood circuit, and the quaint notion of the student-athlete has been flushed down the Trojan toilet.

An ND coach has it easy in comparison. Our sideline celebrities usually amount to Digger Phelps, Rudy Ruettiger and the president of the Scranton alumni club. LA has the Sunset Strip; South Bend has Ramona's Carwash. It's gotta be a tough job at SC keeping your players' heads screwed-on straight, and if you or I were coach down there we'd be drilling the guys on a daily basis on how to fend off distractions and stay out of the fast lane. If someone got out of line, I'd turn into R. Lee Ermey and make a huge example out of the offender. How else to keep your program clean in such a tempting environment?

But that's not Pete Carroll. Nope, goodtime Petey has fostered a party atmosphere at Southern Cal, and he loves it. It's one thing to battle against the tide and sometimes lose, but Pete broke out a surfboard and hit the waves running. "America's Buddy" is just one of the guys. And when disaster strikes he's a bystander watching the wreck. Wha' happened?

I don't know, Pete, but you've been driving this car, and talking tough about discipline at this point is like applying the brake pedal when you've already careened off the cliff.

USC backup QB Mark Sanchez was placed on "interim suspension" by the USC Student Affairs Office in the wake of his arrest on sexual assault charges last week.

Because of the suspension, which banned Sanchez from attending class & all university related functions, it was feared that Sanchez might lose his eligibility because he must miss final exams.

However, the LA Daily News reported today that Sanchez was being allowed to take his final exams this semester, just as his case was being referred to the LA County DA's office.

Preferential treatment for an athlete?