EUGENE, Ore.—Hollywood couldn’t have scripted it better: Halloween night, the din of Autzen Stadium, crisp fall temperatures and No. 10 Oregon versus No. 4 USC in arguably the Pac-10’s biggest game of the season. “It’s going to be crazy,“ Ducks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli said. “It’s going to be one of those Autzen nights times 100.“

LOS ANGELES Matt Barkley did nothing special for his 19th birthday this week. He attended class at Southern California, went to football practice, and visited with his parents when they drove over to campus from Orange County. He realizes the week’s big festivities await him in Ohio, where the freshman quarterback will lead No. 3 USC against eighth-ranked Ohio State today—and Barkley doesn’t mind that none of those 100,000-plus fans will be singing or bringing him cake.