After playing its way out of a...

After playing its way out of a New Year’s Day bowl appearance, USC talked its way out of a trip to Honolulu, a spokesman for the Freedom Bowl said Tuesday.

“When I talked with (USC Athletic Director) Mike McGee on Sunday, he told me that USC was leaning toward the Aloha Bowl,” said Don Andersen, executive director of the Freedom Bowl, to be played Dec. 29 at Anaheim Stadium.

Andersen, who sought the Trojans, said USC apparently reconsidered because its opponent in Honolulu on Dec. 25 would have been Syracuse. The Trojans beat the Orangemen in their opener, 34-16, and weren’t interested in a rematch.

Instead, USC reached a verbal agreement with officials of the John Hancock Bowl to play in the New Year’s Eve game at El Paso, a spokesman for that bowl said Monday. McGee was unavailable for comment, and other USC officials would not confirm for the record that an agreement had been reached.

Bowl invitations cannot be officially extended until Nov. 24, but the John Hancock Bowl hopes to match USC (6-2-1) against Michigan State (4-3-1).

A source said USC also was interested in the Holiday Bowl Dec. 29 in San Diego, where its fans could more easily attend and the Trojans would possibly be paired against Brigham Young and its All-American quarterback, Ty Detmer.

“I guess you could say they had some (interest),” John Reid, executive director of the Holiday Bowl, said of the Trojans. “I don’t know how serious it was.”