- Freshman quarterback: USC starts 19-year-old Matt Barkley; Boston College starts 25-year-old Dave Shinskie
- 1,000-yard running back: USC has Joe McKnight (1,014 rushing yards in '09); Boston College has Montel Harris (1,355 rushing yards in '09)
- Wideout who was the team MVP: USC has Damian Williams; Boston College has Rich Gunnell
- All-conference linemen: USC has All-Pac-10 selections Jeff Byers and Charles Brown; Boston College has All-ACC selection Anthony Castonzo
- Off-field adversity-turned-inspiration: USC has tailback Stafon Johnson, who endured a life-threatening weightlifting accident in September; Boston College has linebacker Mark Herzlich, who was diagnosed with bone cancer and missed the entire '09 season
University Southern California Trojans
Comparisons galore
Comparisons galore
For being 2,600 miles apart, the similarities surprisingly abound between USC and Boston College. Take a look at the most glaring parallels between the two programs:
