FanHouse Samson Szakacsy

Saturday was to be the college football return for embattled Oregon tailback LeGarrette Blount, but a funny thing happened along the way -- the Ducks never found a need for him in an impressive 44-21 victory over Arizona State.

The 44 points marked the fourth straight game Oregon's red-hot offense has scored 42 or more. Meanwhile, the cold night at Autzen Stadium seemingly prompted the Duck coaching staff to give Blount -- suspended since Sept. 4 for punching a Boise State player and refusing to leave the stadium peacefully -- the cold shoulder.

College Football Spring Storylines 2009 looks at the key developments and big news from spring ball.

Since 2002, the Pac-10 has been derisively called USC and the nine dwarves. Its more than a little unfair, but that's the prevailing wisdom. Although the conference is consistently among the deepest and most competitive around, USC's monopolized that top spot. Any chance of that changing this year begins with decisions those programs make this spring.

If there is one over-arching theme to the brief tenure of Dennis Erickson at Arizona State, it can be summed up in one word: commitment.

The head ball coach for the Sun Devils came to Tempe after just one season coaching the Idaho Vandals. Now, he has poached one of Southern California's best High School quarterbacks from the USC Trojans.

Camarillo's Samson Szakacsy has de-committed from the Trojans and will instead be a Sun Devil.

Szakacksy had committed last Spring when it looked like the Trojans may need his services immediately--John David Booty was out with back troubles and Mark Sanchez was arrested on unfounded sexual assault charges. But Booty and Sanchez are back and Aaron Corp is waiting in the wings, which sent Szakacsy, like Jimmy Clausen before him, looking for an open starting job elsewhere.