USC Beats Bo in His Last Rose Bowl, 17-10

Ricky Ervins scored on a 14-yard run with 1:10 to play, lifting 12th-ranked USC to a 17-10 victory over third-ranked Michigan in the Rose Bowl game at Pasadena on Monday.

Bo Schembechler, in his last game as Michigan’s coach, closed his career with a 2-8 record in Rose Bowl games.

The Trojans finished the season 9-2-1; Michigan is 10-2.

In Monday’s other bowl games:

--Fourth-ranked Notre Dame staked its claim to the national championship by beating top-ranked Colorado, 21-6, on two touchdowns by Anthony Johnson and a career-high 108 yards rushing by Raghib Ismail in the Orange Bowl at Miami.

The Fighting Irish completed a 12-1 season and handed Colorado its only loss. But they will have to wait until the release of today’s final Associated Press poll to find out if they will become the first team since Alabama in 1978-79 to win consecutive national championships.

--Miami pressed its own claim to the national championship with a 33-25 victory over seventh-ranked Alabama in the Sugar Bowl at New Orleans. Craig Erickson led the second-ranked Hurricanes with three touchdown passes.

Miami finished at 11-1, Alabama at 10-2.

--Peter Tom Willis threw for 422 yards and five touchdowns, both Fiesta Bowl records, as fifth-ranked Florida State beat sixth-ranked Nebraska, 41-17.

The victory at Tempe, Ariz., capped a 10-2 season for Florida State, which won its final 10 games. Nebraska also finished at 10-2.

--Chuck Webb ran for 250 yards, the second-best rushing performance in Cotton Bowl history, as eighth-ranked Tennessee beat 10th-ranked Arkansas, 31-27, at Dallas.

Tennessee finished with an 11-1 record; Arkansas is 10-2.

--Reggie Slack completed his last 12 passes before halftime and led ninth-ranked Auburn to a 31-14 victory over 21st-ranked Ohio State in the Hall of Fame Bowl at Tampa, Fla.

Auburn finished at 10-2, Ohio State at 8-4.

--In the Citrus Bowl at Orlando, Fla., Jeff George passed for a season-high 321 yards and three touchdowns as 11th-ranked Illinois defeated 15th-ranked Virginia, 31-21.