USC-NOTRE DAME Leinart is in Heisman showcase

He can state his case with a standout performance on national television.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Carson Palmer kept throwing and throwing, and by the time he was finished with Notre Dame two years ago, Southern California had a one-sided victory and the quarterback had locked up the Heisman Trophy.
USC's Matt Leinart gets a similar shot against the Fighting Irish (6-4) on Saturday night before another sellout crowd at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
And, unlike Palmer, Leinart will have an opportunity to influence voters again a week later when the Trojans (10-0) face UCLA at the Rose Bowl in their regular-season finale.
Top-ranked USC already has locked up a spot in the Bowl Championship Series, so this weekend's games with the most impact on the BCS standings will be played Friday at Austin, Texas, and Saturday at Reno, Nevada.
No. 6 Texas, hoping to solidify its chances of getting a BCS at-large bid, plays host to No. 22 Texas A & amp;M on Friday. The following day, No. 10 Boise State puts its undefeated season -- and its hopes of a BCS at-large bid -- on the line at Nevada.
Team is No. 1
Leinart, considered one of the leading contenders for college football's top individual award, is aware of his upcoming opportunities. He swears that won't influence the way he plays.
"I realize what people are saying, that it's a nationally televised game and I need to have a big game. But I'm not concerned with that," said Leinart, who passed for 351 yards and four touchdowns in USC's 45-14 victory at Notre Dame last year.
"Any time you play a big game against a team like Notre Dame in front of a big audience, everyone wants to see it," Leinart said. "This week, there aren't many big games, so it will be a big stage for us."
USC coach Pete Carroll said Leinart's Heisman bid won't influence the way he coaches, just as he didn't make any adjustments for Palmer in 2002. Palmer passed for 425 yards -- the most ever against the Irish -- and four touchdowns in a 44-13 win.
"At that time with Carson, it couldn't have been farther from my mind," Carroll said. "Carson Palmer had a great night and led us to a great win. He sent a message around the country that he was a worthy Heisman Trophy winner."
In his favor
Leinart figures to have a big game for several reasons.
For one thing, he's completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 2,348 yards and 23 touchdowns with only five interceptions this season.
For another, Notre Dame has shown an ability to contain the run and an inability to defend the pass, allowing 95.5 yards rushing and 261.2 yards passing per game.
Finally, Steve Smith and Chris McFoy, USC's starting wide receivers at the beginning of the year, are expected to return after being sidelined with injuries.
"If Stevie is up to par, we'll be as healthy as we've been all year," offensive coordinator Norm Chow said.
Chow said the loss of standout receivers Mike Williams and Keary Colbert from last year's team has made Leinart's job difficult.
"That's what makes college football so interesting," Chow said. "You have to bring the young guys along."
In leading USC to a 12-1 record last season, Leinart completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 3,556 yards and 38 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He had never thrown a pass in college before last year, but finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Texas A & amp;M-Texas
The Longhorns hold a four-game winning streak over their fiercest state rivals. Texas (9-1) has so dominated the rivalry of late (winning by an average score of 40-15 the past four years) that many Texas fans now place it behind Oklahoma as the biggest game of the season. Friday's game will be the 10th time in 111 meetings that both schools are ranked.
Boise State-Nevada
The Broncos, who lead the nation in scoring by averaging nearly 49 points per game, will try to extend their 21-game winning streak. And Boise State is giving up only 85 yards rushing per game, third best in the NCAA. If the Broncos fail to move up and claim a BCS spot, the Liberty Bowl wants Boise State for a possible shootout with No. 7 Louisville on Dec. 31 at Memphis, Tenn.