USC’s Football Game Against Oregon State Moved to Dec. 6

USC’s first appearance in a bowl championship series game last season apparently portends a possible repeat next season in the eyes of ABC.

USC, which finished the regular season 10-2 and defeated Iowa in the Orange Bowl, has accommodated the television network’s request to move its Pacific 10 Conference game against Oregon State at the Coliseum from Nov. 8 to Dec. 6.

Daryl Gross, USC’s senior associate athletic director who handles scheduling, said ABC requested the move so that the game could be broadcast nationally on the final day of the regular season that precedes bowl game announcements.

Last season, Washington State played UCLA on the final Saturday in a game that clinched the Cougars’ berth in the Rose Bowl and sent Pac-10 co-champion USC to the Orange Bowl.

Gross said ABC originally broached the idea of moving USC’s Nov. 22 game against UCLA to Dec. 6, but UCLA could not do it because of a conflict with the Wooden Classic basketball event.

USC, which once again will play 12 regular-season games, now has three byes.

The Dec. 6 date will be the latest the Trojans will have played since defeating Notre Dame on Dec. 6, 1980.

-- Gary Klein