Palmer has been catching some heat during the past few days for remarks he made Thursday in an interview with Los Angeles radio station KLAC. Palmer, a Southern California product, was asked if he had to be careful about what he said about the Sept. 13 Ohio State-USC game because he lives in Ohio part of the year.

Here’s his response:

“I don’t watch what I say. . . . I cannot stand the Buckeyes, and having to live in Ohio and hear those people talk about their team, it drives me absolutely nuts.

“It’s amazing to hear what those guys think about that university and that football program and (coach Jim) Tressel and all the crap I’ve got to put up with being back there.

“I just can’t wait for two years from now (actually 2009) when SC comes to the ‘Shoe. Hopefully, we’ll have a home game that weekend and I go up there and watch us pound on them on their own turf and put all the talk to rest, because I’m really getting sick of it.

“I just can’t wait for this game to get here, so they can come out to the Coliseum and experience L.A. and get an old fashioned Pac-10 butt-whipping and go back to the Big Ten. I can’t wait.”

Yesterday, Palmer backed off. He stressed that his comments were intended mainly for a southern California audience.

“I’m a Trojan all the way, and I was talking to a Trojan audience in California,” he said, in a statement issued by a Bengals spokesman. “I guess I got a little fired up, as all good fans will do.

“But I really do respect the Buckeyes, and I know their fans are passionate, too. I hope they all understand I’m just looking forward to a big game for my school against a very tough opponent, and that it’s all in the good fun of a rivalry. You don’t have a real rivalry unless both sides are great teams.”