Daily headlines, notes and errata in anticipation of the Game of the Decade of the Year.

Ray Small is a Buckeye, but he's not only a Buckeye: in addition to his love for the stoic Midwestern dignity of the Ohio State University, Small is also defiantly Not a Trojan Man, as the Worldwide Leader's Adam Rittenberg explained on Saturday after Small's upstanding, game-icing punt return against Ohio U.:

Ohio State wide receiver Ray Small pointed out some of those differences after Saturday's too-close-for-comfort 26-14 win against Ohio. Small, like several players in the Ohio State-USC game, visited both schools during the recruiting process.

"As I took my visit to USC, I'm like, 'How are they successful? They're not even serious about the game,'" said Small, who caught five passes and had a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown against Ohio. "Before the game, they're all going crazy. Me and [Buckeyes defensive end] Rob Rose was on the visit and I'm looking like, 'Wow.' And then the coach said, 'You better get out of here. It's 'bout to get hectic.'

"And then I come [to Ohio State] on the visit and before the game, it's all quiet, everybody getting taped, coaches talking. It's the total opposite."

Small can't figure out how two divergent programs achieve such similar results. But he knows he made the right choice with the Buckeyes.

"It's more of a class thing," he said. "We took what [former USC quarterback] Carson Palmer said. I don't think somebody from Ohio State would have ever said that remark."
[...]
"Here at Ohio State, they teach you to be a better man," Small said. "There, it's just all about football."

Aw, nose in the air snap! at the crass victory-seekers out West. But before Small's personal, revelatory voyage toward superior masculinity turns this into a surprisingly engaging yet conventionally sappy Jack Nicholson/Helen Hunt vehicle, let's take some solace in the middle ground of reality: when it comes to better men, or the lack thereof, Small may be right that USC is not be a paragon of virtue. But both schools have produced notable alums whose eventual misdeeds make the skin crawl, champions whose mere visage is accompanied by a vague sense of terror and shame. Their memories bring us to the week's very first . . .

Tale of the Tape.

Clarett has the size, though O.J. was more graceful and dominant for his time and place. The Juice was also more ruthless; where Maurice had all the physical tools, he was prone to breakdowns, and lacked the foresight to put it all together: you never plan to take off in an SUV with a loaded assault rifle, a hatchet and a handle of Grey Goose before drunkenly struggling with police as they attempt to fend you off with Mace and stun guns just months after your arrest for armed robbery. You try to do too much at once, son, and you end up careening around like a bull in a china shop. Maybe you break through a few arm tackles, but eventually, they always knock you out of the game.

O.J., on the other hand, is fast, precise, decisive and unblinking in his cuts, and he always involves his teammates. Contrary to Smalls' stereotype, the Juice was filled with passion for the game, but he was also quick, calculating, expertly setting up the defense, also quiet while being taped. O.J. was driven by one obsession, to protect what belongs to him, and that's the heart of a champion. Advantage: Southern Cal.

Extremity Report. Everyone assumes Chris Wells' toe-related absence Saturday was a mere precaution, that he could have gone if necessary, etc., and a gang of elephants would not bother trying to keep him off the field in the Coliseum. This is less certain than if he'd actually played against Ohio, but whatever his actual status, Pete Carroll expects a full load of Beanie:

“We just figure that he is playing,” he said. “It looked like he hurt his right toe when he pushed off. It’s not a big deal. We’re not worrying over it.”

"Not worrying over it" = "Including the anatomy of the foot and toes in this week's gameplan in order to inflict maximum damage," right? Can we just assume that's what he means?

Plausible Scenario of the Day. Beanie Wells sits out the entire week of practice, suits up with quarts of painkillers coursing through his veins and tries to go on his bum toe, but ultimately there's too much pain and he doesn't play. Buoyed by a sense of solidarity without its star, Ohio State plays lights out defense against the run, overpowering Southern Cal's young line and forcing Mark Sanchez into errant throws on third down, including at least one costly mistake. Meanwhile, the Buckeye offense takes advantage of the short field created by the turnover and another special teams gaffe, turns the opportunities into points, and effectively plays keep away by mixing its trio of backs into the line with safe passes that don't lead to much on the scoreboard but keep the chains moving, the clock ticking and the SC offense on the sideline. Todd Boeckman is ordinary but avoids turnovers and sacks. Growing increasingly impatient and without a ground game, Sanchez continues to throw the ball away under pressure, the Trojans never get into a rhythm and the Buckeyes eke out a low-scoring, hard-fought win in the 14-10 range.

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Photo of Roy Small and Maurice Clarett via Getty Images. Photo of O.J. Simpson via US Presswire.