Trojans haven’t had a Super starting quarterback

UCLA had Billy Kilmer and Troy Aikman. …

Stanford had Jim Plunkett and John Elway, while rival Cal had Joe Kapp, Craig Morton, Vince Ferragamo (before he transferred to Nebraska) and now Aaron Rodgers. …

The only Pacific 10 Conference program in the state that has not produced a Super Bowl-starting quarterback is USC. …

Rodgers is a slight favorite over Ben Roethlisberger to win the Super Bowl MVP award, according to odds posted at bodog.com, which gives 10-1 odds that Fergie will wear a thong, G-string or bikini bottom during the Black Eyed Peas’ halftime appearance. …

The late Pete Rozelle once told promoter Al Franken that his greatest contribution as NFL commissioner was “making sure Green Bay got as much from TV revenues as New York.” …

Lamar Odom might not be chosen for the All-Star game, but he should draw votes for sixth man of the year. …

Questions about Jay Cutler’s toughness, in the same week that country music pioneer Charlie Louvin died, brings to mind a lyric from a Louvin Brothers song: “You’ve already put big ol’ tears in my eyes/Must you throw dirt in my face?” …

Cutler’s critics might want to ask USC fans what they thought of John David Booty’s staying in the game after suffering a broken finger in Stanford’s stunning 2007 upset at the Coliseum. …

The Cotton Bowl is no longer played in the Cotton Bowl and the Orange Bowl long ago abandoned the Orange Bowl, but a renovation of a Pasadena landmark will keep the Rose Bowl in its namesake stadium for at least another 30 years. …

Regarding three names on GQ’s list of the 25 coolest athletes, reader Craig Lesly of Chino Hills e-mails to ask, “How about a follow-up poll to determine which of these was closest to being an athlete: Mario Andretti, Evel Knievel or Ted Turner?” …

It would be disappointing but not surprising if Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal never again met in a Grand Slam final. …

With Ben Howland and UCLA hosting Steve Lavin and St. John’s next week, it’s worth noting that Lavin is 1-0 against his UCLA successor, his Bruins swamping Howland’s Northern Arizona team in December 1997 at Pauley Pavilion. …

UCLA is college basketball’s best-dressed team, according to Sporting News Today’s Mike DeCourcy, who calls the uniforms worn by Tyler Honeycutt & Co. “classy” and “understated.” …

Word that North Carolina and Michigan State plan to play a men’s basketball game on an aircraft carrier in San Diego on Veterans Day probably would bring a smile to the late Al McGuire, who referred to dominant big men as aircraft carriers. …

Rallying cry Wednesday night at Brigham Young, where high-scoring Jimmer Fredette and the Cougars handed San Diego State its first loss: “You got Jimmered.” …

The only foe not Jimmered by BYU this season was UCLA, which held Fredette to 25 points in topping the Cougars last month. …

Vernon Wells, weighty contract and all, should make the Angels better, which is all their fans really care about. …

Derek Jeter, perhaps destined to end his career as an outfielder, has played no position other than shortstop in his major league career, other than 19 games as a designated hitter. …

In a Sports Illustrated poll of 164 NBA players asking which of their peers would make the best NFL quarterback, LeBron James received the most votes. …

Runner-up: Rajon Rondo. …

The Canadian Press did the math, noting that more than 13,000 NHL games have been played since Wayne Gretzky retired in 1999, yet only one of his 61 records has been broken (career assists in overtime). …

Twenty years ago Thursday, Scott Norwood’s field-goal attempt sailed wide right with only seconds to play, securing the New York Giants’ 20-19 Super Bowl victory over the Buffalo Bills. …

Quarterback Jim Kelly and the Bills, never that close again, lost in the Super Bowl in each of the next three seasons too. …

Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo, asked if he regretted turning down the Cleveland Cavaliers last summer, told radio host Dan Patrick, “Only when I go to the bank.”

jerome.crowe@latimes.com