AP: Pesky Bears Pose a Challenge for Trojans

USC Seeks Title Game Shot; Cal Can Earn 1^st Rose Bowl Berth in 48 Years

The mantra at Southern California has been the same since midway through Pete Carroll’s first season as the Trojans’ coach: Every game is a championship game. While that’s not literally true, it will be Saturday night when No. 4 USC (8-1, 6-1 Pac-10) faces No. 17 California (8-2, 6-1) at the Los Angeles Coliseum for the conference title and the automatic berth in the Rose Bowl game that goes with it. Should the Trojans prevail and become the first team to win five straight Pac-10 football crowns, it would be another step toward a possible berth in the national championship game. USC finishes the season with games against No. 5 Notre Dame and crosstown rival UCLA.

The Golden Bears can earn their first Rose Bowl bid in 48 years with a victory. Carroll recalled Tuesday the mistake he made when he stressed to his players the added importance of a game at Notre Dame in October 2001. “I knew I screwed it up,” he said. “I could tell during the week. You don’t need extra incentive. You realize that every game is a championship game. That’s an important mind-set. I don’t think it’s too hard. “This has really served us well. We’ve been able to do this for a long time, maintain a consistency.” The Trojans lost that game at Notre Dame 28-17, but are 60-6 since. And that probably has a lot to do with Carroll’s players buying into his philosophy. “We’re not going to say, ‘Oh, this is Cal, let’s get fired up.’ We’re just going to play our game,” offensive tackle Sam Baker said. “A lot of teams you think shouldn’t beat you, but it can happen,” tight end Fred Davis said. “I think you’ve got to play each week like a championship game.”  Cal has given USC a tough time since Jeff Tedford was hired as coach in 2002. The Trojans won a 30-28 decision over the Golden Bears that season, lost 34-31 in triple overtime the following year and needed a last-minute defensive stand to win 23-17 in 2004. Last year, USC wasn’t stressed at the end in winning 35-10. “They’re really good and really capable. Jeff does a marvelous job,” Carroll said. “They’re a very dangerous opponent. We wouldn’t ask for anything less than that. I think it’s going to be fun for everybody.”  The Trojans enter having won 31 straight at the Coliseum, including 22 over conference opponents. They’re 18-0 in November under Carroll.

USC appeared to drop out of the national championship picture following a 33-31 loss at Oregon State on Oct. 28, but a 42-0 victory at Stanford the following weekend, a 35-10 triumph over then-No. 21 Oregon last Saturday, and a series of upsets to other highly rated teams have thrust the Trojans back in. USC stands third in the latest BCS standings, and No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Michigan meet Saturday, with the winner likely earning the No. 1 spot in the final standings. Should the Trojans win their last three games, they’d have a good shot at finishing second.  “I would think that it’s pretty hard to keep us out because of the schedule that we play,” Carroll said. “I don’t know how that weighs in. I know it’s a factor.”

The game against Oregon was one of the best USC has played all season, prompting offensive tackle Kyle Williams to say he can feel a significant difference from a few weeks back.

“Something was off,” he acknowledged. “We’re just not supposed to lose — that’s our mentality here, but it was probably the best thing for us. I think this is probably the healthiest we’ve been. I feel a little more confident. It kind of feels like last season.”