SC4Life

Nebraska is shooting for a return to elite status. Southern California hopes to stay there. One faces a setback Saturday night.

The 19th-ranked Cornhuskers face No. 4 USC at the Coliseum, where the Trojans have won a school-record 27 straight games. It will be just the third game between two of college football's most decorated programs and the first since 1970.

"This is a big, exciting time for us coming home," Trojans coach Pete Carroll said. "There is a great buildup and it's a great event for us, particularly since we have such an extraordinary opponent. I know this is a great opportunity for them and I know they will be revved up and ready to go."

A capacity crowd of over 90,000 is expected for USC's home opener, and it figures to include a significant percentage of red-clad Nebraska fans.

Turns out No. 3 Southern California was vulnerable.

Oregon State capitalized on four turnovers to upset the Trojans 33-31 on Saturday, snapping USC's 27-game Pac-10 winning streak and breaking the national championship race wide open.

USC (6-1, 4-1) had also won 18 straight road games. But the mighty Trojans had shown cracks in their last three games, each a victory by seven points or less.

Against the Beavers, they couldn't escape and came up one play short.

John David Booty's 2-yard scoring pass to Steve Smith with 7 seconds left made the score 33-31. But Oregon State's Jeff Van Orsow batted down a pass on the 2-point conversion to preserve the lead.

USC's run to the BCS championship game just hit a major roadblock.

The No. 1 ranked Trojans were stunned by unranked Oregon State, 27-21, on Thursday.

USC (2-1) was coming off a resounding 35-3 win against then No. 2 Ohio State on Sept. 13, but looked rusty on both sides of the ball against the Beavers (2-2).

Justin Kahut kicked a 44-yard field goal late in the first half and No. 24 Oregon State beat No. 18 Pittsburgh 3-0 Wednesday in a defensive struggle at the Sun Bowl.

The game included 20 punts and nine sacks. Pitt kicker Connor Lee tried a 58-yard field goal in the closing minutes but the ball, helped by a steady wind, dropped just short of the crossbar.

It may not have been as swift as some would have liked, but the punishment for LeGarrette Blount was certainly about as harsh as you can get.

Head coach Chip Kelly announced after practice this afternoon that Blount had been suspended for the remainder of the 2009 season for his sucker punch of Boise State's Byron Hout and subsequent meltdown on teammates, coaches, fans and stadium security.