Tickets Extremely Scarce

USC and Michigan fans are not the only people scrambling for tickets to the sold-out Rose Bowl.

Each Trojan player receives six ticket passes, but that is not nearly enough to meet the demand from family and friends.

“It’s been crazy,” senior cornerback Marcell Allmond said. “Everyone is looking for tickets.”

During the regular season, players routinely surrender tickets to teammates. However, with the Trojans playing what amounts to a national championship game in their own backyard, all tickets apparently are spoken for.

“I’ve been trying to weasel my way into a few, trying to see how good a friend [teammates] are,” defensive tackle Shaun Cody said. “I’ve had no luck. Nobody likes me that much.”

No USC player is in a tougher ticket predicament than senior linebacker Melvin Simmons, who has 10 siblings.

“I’m really short,” Simmons said. “I know that my mom and dad, my brother Marlin and one of my sisters will be going, but from there I told my dad to decide because I don’t want to show any bias against anyone.

“Usually, the priority would go to the oldest, but they’re going to have to figure it out.”

USC lists 16 out-of-state players on its roster, including senior cornerback Will Poole from New York.

Poole said he watched many Rose Bowl games on television and remembers the splendid setting. So do the family and friends who have claimed his tickets.

“I’m using them all,” he said.

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After two days off, USC will practice today, Monday and Tuesday before taking a two-day break for Christmas.