Matt Barkley back in the saddle for USC

Photo by Lori Shepler (A/P)

WSU @ USC
Game info: 10:15 pm EDT
Sat Sep 26, 2009

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Pete Carroll announced Wednesday night that Matt Barkley will be the starter for Saturday's game against the Washington State Cougars even though he may not be one hundred percent healed. Barkley, who injured his shoulder during the game against the Buckeyes and sat out against the Huskies, will take back the starting job from embattled redshirt sophomore Aaron Corp. Corp had a game to forget against the Huskies, putting in a paltry effort with the team going 0-for-10 on third down conversions.

The decision by Carroll to get his quarterback prodigy back in the game even if he is not completely healed is an interesting one. Is Coach Carroll so disenchanted with Corp’s performance and with the once highly touted, now turned-punter Mitch Mustain that he is willing to risk Barkley to further injury?

Aaron Corp did not have a great game against the Huskies. This is a fact that we know all too well, but he still did enough this past year to be considered the starter going into fall camp. Mitch Mustain, the one-time 8-and-0 freshman starter for the Razorbacks, is another option that has not been used in game situations. Is it so hard for Pete Carroll to bite the bullet and make a change, or is he just so enamored with the football skills of young Barkley that he cannot fathom anyone else at quarterback?

I have to go with the latter. Barkley is Carroll's selection. He was picked to be the next big item in college football and gain the notoriety that comes with being the best quarterback at the college level (see Tim Tebow). Barkley was also picked to help maintain Carroll’s status as an incredible coach, a dynamic recruiter and a master quarterback molder.

The only reason that Aaron Corp started against the Washington Huskies last Saturday was because Matt Barkley was too injured to make it on to the field. If Barkley could have played that game against the Huskies, Pete Carroll would have had him in there and Corp and Mustain would have been on the sidelines.

By choosing Corp or Mustain over Barkley as the starting quarterback at this point might be considered a defeat for Coach Carroll, which is something that I highly doubt Carroll has even considered. While Coach Carroll would not risk compounding an injury to Barkley by playing him too soon, he is nevertheless quite eager to get Barkley back at starter with medical clearance. The success of the Trojans’ football program is paramount with Pete Carroll, but he realizes that such success may very well ride on the shoulders of Matt Barkley.

For another interesting take on the situation, check out Michael Lev's blog over at the OCregister.com.

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