Trading Idaho as USC's opener next season for a Hawaii team with Heisman Trophy quarterback candidate Colt Brennan from Mater Dei in his senior season seemed like a good idea for a while. Especially to USC fans who aren't all that excited about opening against a Vandals team that was coached by USC defensive coordinator Nick Holt when the contract was signed.

It seemed such a good idea that the Honolulu Advertiser was reporting that ESPN was working hard to make the new game happen so it could have a USC-Hawaii feature telecast that first weekend of the season.

But as it turns out, USC could only play Hawaii as the allowed 13th game if the game were played in Hawaii Sept. 1 and the Idaho game moved back to Sept. 8 to give USC a home opener of its own. Teams are allowed an extra-game exemption if they play a game in Hawaii. But for USC to make that move, the Trojans would then open the season with games 11 straight weekends and no weekends off, then an 11-day break for the Arizona State Thanksgiving Day game and UCLA the next week.

It's not going to happen. Idaho may not be all that strong an opponent for the Sept. 1 opener but with a road game at Nebraska Sept. 15 and games at Washington, Notre Dame and Oregon the next six weeks, don't look for USC to pull the trigger on an ESPN-backed opener at Hawaii next season.

USC plans to take the open date Sept. 8 and go with a 12-game schedule, it appears.

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