With the opening kickoff just a litte more than a week away, Pete Carroll and his staff have finally ended the suspense and named Matt Barkley the Starting quarterback for the season opener.  For the moment, Barkley can claim victory in a competition that that lasted several months without a clear cut favorite.  In naming his new starter, Pete Carroll ends a historic drought, as Barkley will become the first ever true freshman quarterback to open for USC.

Aaron Corp now falls to second, after being named the starter in spring.  For Corp, it was more of a bad break than bad play.  It was his job to lose this fall, and it was lost moreso by inactivity than poor performance.  Corp was prepared to resume full practices, after cracking his fibula weeks ago, but it now appears as too little, too late.

Barkley is the definite starter against the San Jose State Spartans on September 5th, but there is no assurance that he will be leading the offense against Ohio State in the second game.