Notes on a Scorecard - Nov. 20, 1995

The two biggest losers Saturday at the Coliseum were USC and the Tournament of Roses. . . .

An impressive Trojan victory over UCLA would have made the Rose Bowl game attractive. . . .

It wouldn’t have been difficult to get excited about the prospect of USC attempting to upset unbeaten Ohio State and the Buckeyes perhaps trying to win a national championship. . . .

After the Trojans’ unimpressive loss to UCLA, the Rose Bowl appears to be the biggest mismatch since Mike Tyson vs. Peter McNeeley. . . .

I am conceding that Ohio State will beat Michigan at Ann Arbor on Saturday. . . .

Fans of America’s team, Northwestern, will be rooting for the Wolverines, but the Buckeyes might be the best college football team this decade. . . .

Their coach, John Cooper, has been a whipping boy in Columbus for years. So was Jim Harrick in Westwood before UCLA won the NCAA basketball title. . . .

Another Bruin coach, Terry Donahue, did a terrific job last Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. . . .

UCLA was well-prepared, spirited and imaginative for the fifth consecutive time against USC. . . .

“It finally validates me as a coach in this city,” Donahue said after the 24-20 victory that made him the winningest coach in Pacific-10 Conference history and was accomplished without star tailback Karim Abdul-Jabbar. . . .

Now John Robinson knows how Donahue must have felt in 1985 when UCLA went to the Rose Bowl after losing to USC. . . .

An 8-2-1 regular season and a share of the conference title might look good on paper, but they are unsatisfactory to the alumni when the defeats are to Notre Dame and UCLA. . . .

*

Some of the Trojan strategy Saturday was curious. . . .

On their first offensive play of the day, Kyle Wachholtz aimed a long pass at Keyshawn Johnson. It was incomplete. . . .

So much for the bomb attempts to the great wide receiver, even though the Bruin secondary seemed to be vulnerable. . . .

The longest of Johnson’s 12 receptions was for 20 yards. . . .

On the Trojans’ last touchdown drive, he caught passes for seven, five and 10 yards. . . .

That was the nine-minute, eight-second drive in the fourth quarter that took USC out of the game. . . .

There was 12:30 left when the Trojans, trailing, 24-14, took possession on their 18-yard line. . . .

As they methodically marched downfield, there never was even the slightest sense of urgency. . . .

They acted as though they had all day to register a comeback victory. . . .

When UCLA regained possession with a four-point lead, there was 3:26 left. . . .

With USC down to two timeouts, the Bruins were able to run out the clock on eight plays. . . .

Attached to a fence after the game in the USC VIP parking lot was a handwritten sign that simply said, “Nine minutes.” . . .

Next stop for UCLA will be the most appealing of the non-major bowls, the Aloha in sunny Honolulu. . . .

Next season the Bruins will face a difficult schedule that includes non-conference games at Tennessee and Michigan. . . .

The questions are whether Donahue, who might leave for CBS, and Abdul-Jabbar, who might leave for the NFL, will return. . . .

As for the Trojans, you wonder how they will rebound this time from a devastating loss. . . .

After the defeat at Notre Dame, they felt sorry for themselves for three quarters at Washington before rallying to tie the Huskies. . . .

In the first halves of their two losses and tie, the Trojans have been outscored, 55-14. . . .

If they don’t break more alertly from the gate on New Year’s Day, that might be the score at intermission. . . .

The atmosphere used to be even more electric when both teams wore their home jerseys and the ticket allotment was virtually even, but the scene was very special again Saturday at the Coliseum. . . .

“It was a happening,” Donahue said. “I’m glad I was part of it.” . . .

Missing the first nine plays of the happening was the national television audience. . . .

ABC chose to stick with the lopsided Penn State-Michigan game to the end, picking up the UCLA-USC game with the Bruins positioned on the Trojan one-yard line, one play before James Milliner ran for the first touchdown. . . .

Like the Trojans in the first quarter, ABC didn’t have a clue.