Formality Follows Function for USC

Suspense and controversy were nowhere to be found in college football Sunday, especially at USC.

Trojan coaches and many players gathered in the athletic dining hall on campus to watch the official announcement of what was essentially day-old bowl championship series news.

Top-ranked USC will play second-ranked Texas in the Rose Bowl, this season’s BCS title game, on Jan. 4 in Pasadena. Unlike last season, when USC, Oklahoma and Auburn finished the regular season undefeated, the Trojans and the Longhorns are the only unbeaten teams.

“It’s awesome for the BCS,” USC Coach Pete Carroll said, chuckling. “They finally got it just exactly the way everybody expected it.”

USC (12-0) clinched its spot Saturday by routing UCLA, 66-19, for its 34th consecutive victory. The Trojans, pursuing a historic third consecutive Associated Press national championship, will play in the BCS title game against a Big 12 Conference opponent for the second year in a row. Last season, USC demolished Oklahoma, 55-19, in the Orange Bowl.

Texas (12-0) earned a shot at its first national title since 1969 by routing Colorado, 70-3, in the Big 12 championship game. The Longhorns return to the Rose Bowl for the second year in a row. Last season, they defeated Michigan in their first BCS bowl game appearance.

USC and Texas began and ended this season ranked No. 1 and 2, respectively.

“It’s what everybody wanted to see,” USC tailback Reggie Bush said.

Rose Bowl officials were among the overjoyed.

Mitch Dorger, chief executive of the Tournament of Roses, said the game was “a magical matchup.”

USC and Texas, among college football’s most storied programs, will meet for the first time since 1967, when a fourth-ranked Trojan team defeated the fifth-ranked Longhorns, 17-13, at the Coliseum en route to a national title.

USC returns to the Rose Bowl for the second time in three seasons. In 2003, after the Trojans finished No. 1 in both major polls but only No. 3 in the BCS, keeping them out of the BCS title game in the Sugar Bowl, they defeated Michigan in Pasadena to win the AP title.

Carroll and his players said Sunday that proximity to Pasadena gave them an advantage over the Longhorns. The Trojans will practice on campus and won’t have to deal with potential distractions of traveling.

“It’s 15 minutes away so it’s like a home game for us,” receiver Dwayne Jarrett said.

Safety Darnell Bing said: “We don’t have to leave and go out and get familiar with the air somewhere else. We’re already at home. We’re used to this environment.”

The Rose Bowl victory two seasons ago and last season’s rout in the Orange Bowl also should provide the Trojans with another advantage, according to players.

“The experience that we have just playing in the last two games is probably going to help us out a lot,” running back LenDale White said. “And the game plan Coach Carroll prepares is going to be awesome.”

Carroll said he had not yet begun to study the Longhorns, who average a nation-leading 51 points a game and are third in total offense (508.4 yards a game) and sixth in total defense (280.3).

“They’ve done everything you can do: huge scores, great defense. We know just through recruiting that they have great personnel,” Carroll said.

Start with quarterback Vince Young, a 6-foot-5 junior who is expected to join Bush and USC quarterback Matt Leinart in New York on Saturday for the Heisman Trophy announcement.

Young accounted for five touchdowns last season in the 38-37 Rose Bowl victory over Michigan. He rushed for 192 yards and four touchdowns and passed for 180 yards and a touchdown to help Texas finish 11-1.

“He tore that game up, so we’ll have our hands full,” USC defensive end Frostee Rucker said.

Texas Coach Mack Brown said he was impressed by USC’s turnaround under Carroll, the Trojans’ winning streak and players such as Leinart, Bush and White, who helped the Trojans finish the regular season ranked first in total offense (580 yards a game) and second in scoring (50 points a game).

“These guys have done it for three straight years,” Brown said.

USC players will be off until Saturday when they will hold the first of 15 pre-bowl practices to be spread over the next month.

“The last couple years we’ve had great bowl practices and our preparation has been perfect,” Carroll said. “That’s what we’re after. I’m going to try and do that again.”