LOS ANGELES — USC safety Kevin Ellison has had enough of the hype. He's ready for some action.

"I don't really care. I'm tired of talking about it," Ellison said after being asked — again — about injured Ohio State star Chris "Beanie" Wells. "If he's in there, good for him. You want to play their full squad. We're going to play whoever they bring.

"It's time to play. It's time to hone in and get down to it. It's going to be rocking at the Coliseum."

No doubt about that. Today, No. 5 Ohio State plays at No. 1 Southern California (2 p.m. HST) in the most highly anticipated September college football game in years.

That pretty much says it all.

A sellout crowd of 93,607 will be on hand at the Los Angeles Coliseum, where the Trojans have won 38 of 39 and haven't lost a nonconference game since 2001, when Kansas State beat them 10-6 in Pete Carroll's first year as the USC coach.

USC went 6-6 in Carroll's first season, but are 71-8 in the past six-plus years. Jim Tressel became the Ohio State in 2001 as well, guiding the Buckeyes to a 7-5 record in his first year. They've gone 69-11 since.

The Trojans (1-0) will be playing their first game since an impressive 52-7 victory Aug. 30 at Virginia. Ohio State (2-0) has beaten in-state opposition Youngstown State, 43-0, and Ohio University, 26-14.

Wells, who rushed for 1,609 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, injured his right foot in the opener and without him, the Buckeyes had to rally to beat the lightly regarded Bobcats last weekend.

Following a 40-minute walkthrough yesterday afternoon at the Los Angeles Coliseum, Tressel announced that Wells will not play.

"We won't have Beanie tomorrow," Tressel told the assembled media just minutes after he told his team of the decision. "He was getting treatment 15 times a day. I guess if looks could kill, he fought me. I just told the team because it's important our guys know what we thought we should do.

"I just think as I listened to the doctors and I thought about the situation that this was the decision that should be made. We've got good kids. We're going to go after them."

Tressel said early in the week that Wells would play, but it was a different story Thursday, when he said the 6-foot-1, 237-pound junior was doubtful because of lingering soreness in his foot.

USC defensive coordinator Nick Holt said the Trojans face a difficult challenge whether Wells plays or not.

"They've got a veteran offensive line, four of the five starters are back," Holt said. "They're dangerous no matter what because they're very experienced up front. If you don't stop the run against these guys, they'll get after you, they'll make you pay."

Perhaps that task would be a bit easier if Wells can't go.

"The guy's a Heisman Trophy candidate," Holt said. "(But) I don't want to belittle the other guys. They're good, too."

The other guys are redshirt freshman Dan Herron, sophomore Brandon Saine and senior Maurice Wells, who shared the carries against Ohio University.

Todd Boeckman, in his second year as the Buckeyes' starting quarterback, passed for 2,379 yards and 25 touchdowns with 14 interceptions last season, and 297 yards and two TDs with no interceptions so far this year. Freshman Terrelle Pryor, one of the most heavily recruited prep players in the country last year, has gained 89 yards on 14 carries and passed for another 35 yards.

Quarterback Mark Sanchez will be making his fifth career start for USC. He passed for a career-high 338 yards and three touchdowns at Virginia, where five different tailbacks scored touchdowns for the Trojans.

"We'd better be fast," Tressel said. "I don't care what they're running, they are fast."

FLORIDA STATE

NO NEW CASES FOUND OF ACADEMIC CHEATING

Florida State officials say the NCAA has found no new allegations of academic cheating by school athletes.

The university in February reported the results of its own investigation into the scandal involving 61 athletes, including about 30 football players.

The results of an NCAA investigation that followed were disclosed yesterday in Florida State's response to the allegations.

The school already has imposed sanctions on itself, including the loss of scholarships and suspensions of athletes. The NCAA will hold a hearing Oct. 18 on whether Florida State will face additional penalties.

NAVY

QB KAHEAKU-ENHADA WILL START AGAINST DUKE

Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada had been easy to spot at Navy's practices over the past month. The senior quarterback, who was nursing a partially torn left hamstring, lurked around the edges of the field, watching his teammates while wearing either a red or green jersey.

But Monday afternoon, Kaheaku-Enhada blended in with the rest of his teammates as they lined up for a series of post-practice sprints. The Kapolei High alum from Hawai'i was back in a blue jersey like the rest of the offensive players, and he looked smooth — if a little slow — as he ran between the hash marks.

Kaheaku-Enhada worked with the first-team offense throughout the week, and coach Ken Niumatalolo plans to start him today against Duke and play him as much as he can.

"Mentally, he's sharp," said Niumatalolo, a Radford High and University of Hawai'i alum. "He threw the ball well, he ran OK (in practice). But he's still working and trying to get in game shape, and that's the biggest concern. We've conditioned him hard this week and he withstood everything. ... But it's a stamina issue. We're not a drop-back team, where the quarterback can sit back and not practice for a while and step into the game. Obviously he has to run the football."

Navy's triple-option offense is averaging 452 rushing yards per game. Senior quarterback Jarod Bryant, who started the past two games, leads the Midshipmen (1-1) in carries (48) and is second in rushing yards (169). Last year, Kaheaku-Enhada averaged 15 carries per game.

But Kaheaku-Enhada has done very little sprinting since he injured his hamstring in the team's first scrimmage Aug. 9. During the ensuing week, he practically lived in the training room as he spent hours getting treatment designed to speed the healing process: ice, whirlpool, massage, electro-stimulation.

"The first few snaps felt like the beginning of camp," Kaheaku-Enhada said. "Once I got into the full swing, it felt good. But I got tired. ... I've been working out, but game shape is a whole lot different."

Kaheaku-Enhada is known for his easygoing nature — "He's got a little bit of that Hawaiian laid-back attitude," said Niumatalolo. "Those didn't disappear during the past weeks; when asked how the injury might affect his plant leg, for instance, he cracked: "I don't throw. I'm still learning the footwork and stuff."

WEST VIRGINIA

COACH STEWART SIGNS SIX-YEAR CONTRACT

West Virginia University football coach Bill Stewart has signed a six-year contract that will pay him $800,000 this year with an annual increase of $50,000.

Athletic Director Ed Pastilong announced yesterday that Stewart's base salary is $150,000, and he will earn $550,000 in supplemental income for promotional purposes, including radio and television appearances with the Mountaineer Sports Network.