BCS Is a Topic, but Not a Hot One

USC’s ascent from fourth to second in the bowl championship series standings Monday was an agenda topic at the weekly team meeting.

USC, which has this week off and three games remaining, moved past Florida State and into prime position for a run to the national championship game in the Sugar Bowl.

Coach Pete Carroll said he addressed the national polls and the BCS standings with his players but did not dwell on the subjects.

“I said to them, ‘We really haven’t accomplished anything yet. So let’s not get all caught up in whatever is going on right now. Let’s just make sure we take care of business and all that, and we’ll see where that all sits at the end,’ ” Carroll said. “We’re positioned real well, and it’s up to us to do something about it from this point.”

Though he downplayed the significance of the BCS standings, Carroll acknowledged his team’s potential opportunity. USC last won a national championship in 1978.

“This is what this program could stand for for a long time if we can keep going,” Carroll said. “You come here for championships.... I think guys have always come here with that thought in mind.”

Sophomore wide receiver Mike Williams said that, based on USC’s success last season and the players returning from an 11-2 team that won the Orange Bowl, the Trojans’ current status should come as no surprise.

“No one wanted to talk about it [before the season] because it wasn’t important, but in the back of everyone’s mind, everyone knew this team had the talent and coaching to do some good things,” Williams said.

USC, 8-1 overall and 4-1 in the Pacific 10 Conference, plays its next game Nov. 15 at Arizona (1-8, 0-5).

“You still have to take one game at a time no matter if you’re 10-0 or 0-10, whether you’re trying to be the spoiler like Arizona right now or, in our case, trying to get to the national championship game,” senior center Norm Katnik said.

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The game at Arizona will be televised nationally on TBS.... Punter Tom Malone is averaging 49.2 yards per kick but is no longer listed as the NCAA leader, because he is one punt shy of meeting the minimum 3.6 punts per game. He has kicked 32 times in nine games. He could reclaim the national lead by kicking four times against Arizona.... The Trojans held position-group meetings but did not practice. They will practice today, Wednesday and Thursday on Cromwell Field because Howard Jones Field is being re-sodded.