X-and-O factors

Not many people know the USC and California football teams the way Scott White does.

As a linebacker at Washington, he has faced both the Trojans and Golden Bears this season, giving him an up-close view of what makes them tick.

“A lot of talent on the field,” he says. “Players who can be difference makers.”

Yet, in a game stacked with offensive firepower -- Dwayne Jarrett and John David Booty for USC, Marshawn Lynch and DeSean Jackson for Cal -- White is intrigued by the lesser-known matchups at the Coliseum today.

He isn’t alone.

This week, coaches and players from around the conference talked about the roles special teams and pass defense might play. A former coach spoke of an overlooked emotional factor.

And at Arizona, Coach Mike Stoops, whose team upset Cal last week, suggested brute force up front might determine which team earns a Rose Bowl bid.

“Those guys never get much attention paid to them,” Stoops said. “But it could be the most integral part of this game.”

The trenches

Last week, as Booty passed efficiently but not spectacularly, the Trojans dominated Oregon, with tailback Chauncey Washington rushing for a career-high 119 yards and three touchdowns.

“They like to play that physical running game,” Stoops said.

The USC offensive line features center Ryan Kalil and tackle Sam Baker, a 2005 All-American.

On the flip side, the Golden Bears have surrendered 128 yards rushing a game and rank only seventh in the Pacific 10 Conference in rushing defense. Tennessee trampled them for 216 yards in the season opener.

Yet Stoops isn’t quite ready to concede the edge to USC.

“Cal’s defense is very underrated,” he said. “They’re very physical up front.”

To give a banged-up Washington room to move, the USC blockers will need to cut through that line and take out linebacker Desmond Bishop, the Pac-10’s second-leading tackler.

“That’s going to be the key for USC,” Stoops said. “Will they be able to run the ball?”

The other side

The matchups don’t get much glitzier than USC’s Jarrett, with the most touchdown catches in Pac-10 history, versus Cal cornerback Daymeion Hughes, tied for the national lead with eight interceptions this season.

No telling who might get the best of that confrontation, White said. So the linebacker is more interested in what happens across the field.

“Whoever’s matched up against Steve Smith, that’s going to be intriguing,” he said.

With Jarrett battling injury this fall, Smith leads USC with 49 catches and 786 yards receiving, including two Herculean performances: 186 yards at Washington State and 258 in the loss to Oregon State.

If Hughes spends much of Saturday assigned to Jarrett, as expected, freshman cornerback Syd’Quan Thompson will draw Smith. And that could spell trouble for the Golden Bears.

“I really like Steve Smith,” White said. “He’s been the unsung hero all year for those guys.”

A special player

Asked about Cal, the first words out of Oregon Coach Mike Bellotti’s mouth are: “DeSean Jackson.”

The sophomore leads the conference with nine touchdown receptions and ranks in the top 20 nationally in yards receiving per game. Paired with tailback Lynch, he makes Cal “a little bit better on offense than SC,” Bellotti said.

But he and others see a potentially more explosive role for Jackson.

“When you look at special teams, I may give Cal an advantage with DeSean,” Stoops said. “He’s a freak at returning kicks.”

Last week, Jackson returned a punt 95 yards to the end zone. He leads the nation with 20.7 yards per return and has scored five touchdowns on punt returns -- including a conference-record four this season.

That’s not good news for a USC team that ranks in the middle of the pack in punting with Greg Woidneck averaging 40.3 yards.

Woidneck will kick away from Jackson all night. At least, that would be Stoops’ recommendation.

“DeSean might be the wild card,” the coach said. “He can go from anywhere.”

An emotional game

Personnel aside, the Trojans are on a roll, having vaulted to No. 3 in the Bowl Championship Series standings after the Oregon victory. The Golden Bears, on the other hand, know the Arizona loss dashed any hopes of a national title.

So USC has the emotional edge, right?

Maybe not, says Frank Kush.

The former Arizona State coach votes in the Master Coaches Poll and has watched extensive tape of USC and Cal this season. He gives the Golden Bears a pass for what happened in Tucson.

“They just weren’t into the game mentally,” he said. “Where you really saw that was on defense.”

If anything, Kush wonders if the loss might light a fire under a team known for its mood swings. The Golden Bears could enter the Coliseum feeling backed against a wall.

“This is a do-or-die game for them,” he said. “I just think they are in a hungrier position.”

Pretty even

Ask Kush, Stoops or Bellotti. Ask receiver Jason Hill at Washington State or linebacker Blair Phillips at Oregon. Nobody wants to pick a winner.

“I just know it’s going to be a pretty good game to watch,” Phillips said.

White and his Washington teammates are playing intrastate rival Washington State this afternoon, but the linebacker seems almost as excited about the game down south.

“I’m a big Pac-10 fan,” he said. “It’s my passion.”

He calls Cal’s Lynch the best tailback in the nation: “You can’t come with a big shot because he’ll bounce off. And he won’t go down without a fuss.”

The USC defense, he says, can be just as tough.

“They blitz a lot. They stunt a lot. Their defensive line really gets on people.”

After weighing all the matchups, big and small, White sounds a little disappointed that he can’t watch on television today.

“It’s pretty even across the board,” he said. “That’s what makes it a great game.”

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david.wharton@latimes.com