USC?

In case you missed it - and if you're lucky, you did - USC was out-hit by Virginia and out-gunned by Hawaii the first two weeks of the season, scoring just 16 more points than the ACC and WAC also-rans. Worse still, the Trojans were out-gained by a total of 75 yards and 17 first downs, with better opposition and the inevitable injuries - to a roster of 67 scholarship players - still to come. So, where does that leave USC? Five-and-oh following trips to Minnesota - worst in the Big Ten - and Washington State - worst in the Pac-10 and just about any other conference - and a home date with Washington - Jake Locker or not, the Huskies haven't won on the road since 2007.

Stanford and Oregon, both in October, will face a different USC team than the one that it took all eight quarters to get wins its first two games. And that's good, because these Trojans have no chance of beating either.

To make any run at the Pac-10 title, USC first needs to get better in three areas:

Tackling. Whether it's not tackling in practice - Lane Kiffin thinks limiting the risk of injuries is worth the tradeoff - or talents like linebacker Malcolm Smith not living up to the hype coming out of high school, the Trojans have missed more tackles than they've made so far this season. USC got better against Virginia, but that's damning with faint praise: Hawaii rolled up 588 yards of offense.

Blocking. Maybe it's talents like center Kris O'Dowd not living up to the hype coming out of high school, but my theory is it's not tackling in practice. With the edge off, running backs don't have to go 100 percent, leaving offensive linemen to sort out assignments and technique, instead of fighting for extra yards. That lack of intensity was evident against Virginia, which pulled Marc Tyler down from 154 yards in 17 carries (9.1 per) at Hawaii to 67 on 18 (3.7 per) last Saturday night.

Passing. With the running game inconsistent and the back seven on defense a far cry from most of the Pete Carroll Era, the Trojans need Matt Barkley more than ever. Don't let the sophomore's 20 of 35 for two touchdowns against Virginia fool you: he overthrew receivers and missed passes that would have put the game away in the second half.