LOS ANGELES — The conversation was about Terrelle Pryor, and right in the middle of it, USC coach Pete Carroll uttered the two words that make Trojans fans shudder:
“Vince” and “Young.”

Carroll said Pryor — the sophomore quarterback who will lead Ohio State against USC on Saturday night in Columbus — reminds him of Young in several ways.
“He’s a deceptive runner because he’s so tall,” Carroll said Sunday of the 6-foot-6 Pryor. “He doesn’t look like he’s going that fast because he’s a long strider. He’s very much like Vince Young in that regard. And guys bounce off him and slip off him all the time.”
Carroll described Pryor as “un-tackle-able, if that’s a word.” The same could be said of Young in his heyday at Texas, when he steered the Longhorns past the Trojans in the Jan. 4, 2006, BCS title game at the Rose Bowl.
Young was the star of stars in that epic, 41-38 Texas victory, passing for 267 yards, rushing for 200 and scoring the winning touchdown with 19 seconds left. That wasn’t the first or last time Carroll’s defenses have had problems with mobile quarterbacks. But he doesn’t believe it’s a problem that’s unique to USC.
“Everybody has trouble with them,” Carroll said. “I just think it’s the hardest thing to defend, a running quarterback.”
Carroll said USC’s defensive scheme is more advanced now and that he has learned to “respect the QB position as a threat.”
The Trojans faced Pryor in last season’s second game, a 35-3 USC victory at the Coliseum. Pryor was only a part-timer then, and he accounted for 92 yards of offense (52 passing, 40 rushing).
He became the starter soon after and finished his freshman season with 1,311 passing yards, 631 rushing yards, 12 passing touchdowns and six rushing TDs. In Ohio State’s opener against Navy, Pryor passed for 174 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 30 and a score. Although the Buckeyes struggled to get past the Midshipmen, Pryor had Carroll hurling superlatives.
“He’s just more comfortable, more sure of himself,” Carroll said. “He’s an accurate thrower, has a very strong arm and throws beautifully on the run.
“Whenever they have big opportunities, he’s going to have the ball in his hands.”
INJURY UPDATE
Center Kristofer O’Dowd (knee) and defensive tackle Averell Spicer (ankle) are listed as probable for Saturday’s game after sitting out vs. San Jose State.
“I think they’re going to make it back,” Carroll said. “That’s what we’ve been told.”
O’Dowd worked on the side last week while Spicer participated in some individual drills.
Carroll said he also hopes to have cornerback Brian Baucham back after he missed last week because of the flu. Baucham had won the nickel-cornerback job over T.J. Bryant and Marshall Jones.