Will Trojans Be Toast in Latest Microchip Beef?

No reason for outrage, not yet. No reason to cry in your Sample or scream to the highest Garrett, for now.

But even the most reasoned USC football fan can be forgiven today for feeling like the mugging victim who, two years later, finds himself in the same dark alley with the same fat wallet.

If it happened once, could it really happen again?

Yes it could, absolute proof being provided Monday when a tired machine spit out something that could best be described as throwback trash.

The team that could be writing the greatest chapter in college football history was computed to not even be the best team in the country.

Despite leading in both relevant human polls, the USC football team was dropped into second place behind Texas in the only list that counts -- the BCS brine that determines the national championship game.

Talk about a sudden shower on a two-year parade.

“Somebody told me USC had dropped, and I didn’t believe them,” said Pat Haden, former Trojan quarterback and voter in the Harris poll, which is part of the BCS calculation. “How can you be the No. 1 team in the country, win five road games, three against ranked opponents, and lose ground? How does that happen?”

From the other side of town, the same sentiment.

“Anybody who thinks USC is not the No. 1 team in the country hasn’t been watching as much football as I’ve been watching,” said Pete Dalis, former UCLA athletic director and another Harris poll voter.

Even from across the country, in USC-plays-after-bedtime land, there was disbelief.

“I don’t know how anyone can even conceive of dropping them when they keep winning every game,” said Tom Luicci, veteran Newark, N.J., sportswriter and Harris poll voter. “The only thing I can think of is, maybe people are growing tired of them, which is ridiculous.”

At first blush, the drop is not enough to make the Trojans blush, for two reasons.

The top two teams still will play for the title at the Rose Bowl, so as long as they’re one of them, why do they care whether they are first or second going in?

And, with three ranked opponents left on their schedule, if the Trojans keep winning they probably will move back into first place within a week or so, and remain there.

A blip, the experts called Monday’s calculations, and, at first glance, we’ll take them at their word.

After all, how crazy would it be for a team to finish the year with 34 consecutive victories and not be allowed to play for the national title?

Well. Hmmm. Wait a minute.

It would be as crazy as a team losing its conference championship game by 28 points and playing for the national title a month later.

That was Oklahoma in 2003.

It would be as crazy as a team whose record is inflated by wins over Louisiana Monroe, Louisiana Tech and Western Illinois playing for the national title.

That was Louisiana State, also in 2003.

The Sooners and Tigers met that season for the BCS title in the Sugar Bowl while USC -- far superior to either squad -- had to “settle” for winning the Rose Bowl and the Associated Press title.

So although Monday’s nutty tabulations may be without foundation, they are not without precedent.

Two years later, the same BCS villain might be on the prowl again, discounting West Coast teams, penalizing the Pacific 10 for not having a conference championship game.

Now that the Trojans have been dropped to second, they could be a pickpocket victim waiting to happen.

What if UCLA, California and Fresno State struggle down the stretch, hurting the Trojans’ strength of schedule?

What if Virginia Tech, currently a distant third in the BCS, makes a huge leap with huge wins against ranked opponents Boston College, Miami and perhaps Florida State in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game?

What if Texas simply holds serve?

Could there really be a scenario where USC could be weeded from the Rose?

“Well, you know, you can’t say for sure, and that’s the beauty of it,” said John Mackovic, former longtime coach and Harris poll voter. “It all comes down to strength of schedule, and because it doesn’t have a conference championship game, the Pac-10 is really left behind.”

Mackovic, a former Texas coach, said he voted USC No. 1. But, as he said, now that the Trojans have fallen to second, anything can happen, which means the latest BCS standings could mean everything.

What if one of the Harris poll or coaches’ poll voters views the standings as validation for that queasy feeling he’s had in his stomach ever since watching USC trail Arizona State at halftime? What if that persuades him to change his vote to Texas?

“Considering half of the Harris voters are not qualified, that’s a concern,” Luicci said. “Because they don’t really pay attention, they might look at the BCS rankings and take the easy way out.”

Or what if the standings make Trojan Coach Pete Carroll just uneasy enough to start leaving his starters in games long enough to turn 48 points into 72, increasing their national presence while risking silly injuries?

While the party line out of Heritage Hall has long been that winning will take care of itself, 2003 proved that wrong, and they know it.

“I’m not voting on how USC plays in the first half, I’m not voting on how they win. The bottom line is that they keep winning,” Luicci said. “But I’m not sure everyone feels that way.”

If nothing else, these BCS numbers are the latest indication that folks around the country are starting to believe that Texas is quicker, stronger and better than USC.

It is reminiscent of last winter, when folks were believing that another Big 12 powerhouse was better than the Trojans.

The final argument being, USC 55, Oklahoma 19.

Bill Plaschke can be reached at bill.plaschke@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Plaschke, go to latimes.com/plaschke.