College football

Trojans shrug off talk of rank among all-time greats

By MICHAEL SNYDER
Published January 3, 2006

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - If Southern California beats Texas in Wednesday's Rose Bowl to win an unprecedented third straight national championship, would that make the Trojans the best team ever?

Even USC's players aren't sure.

"We don't talk about that, really," quarterback Matt Leinart said. "We realize that it is the national championship game, but what we've done in the past and what we can do or have a chance to do, it doesn't come up in our conversations."

The Trojans say they won't lose focus by thinking about the ramifications.

"We just have to stay focused and just prepare and just go out there and execute our plays and worry about the history stuff after the game," receiver Dwayne Jarrett said. "All of that doesn't even matter if we don't prepare for this game and we don't go out there and win."

The offense, which features Heisman Trophy winners in Leinart and tailback Reggie Bush , has inspired similar talk.

"Well, I think that these guys would probably agree that there's no way to prove that," offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said. "Obviously it's fun for you guys to write about, the stories and comparisons and SportsCenter and all that, so there's no way to know. We don't worry about it."

Added running back LenDale White , "To think about all the great teams that have played, Michael Vick and his Virginia Tech squad, Miami, there's a lot of teams that have played before that have been great. We do have a lot of great players, and I just think we execute real well. I don't know about being the greatest."

BUSH SAYS NO DECISION: Bush reiterated during Media Day that he hasn't made up his mind whether to forego his senior season and head to the NFL. "Before I make that decision I want to talk to numerous people, my parents and everybody else," he said.

BROWN REMEMBERS: In 1989, then-Duke coach Steve Spurrier delighted in mocking Mack Brown , the Texas coach who was then in the midst of a second straight 1-10 season at North Carolina.

"When you're 1-10 it's a hurtful period," Brown said. "It's not who makes fun of you because you feel worse about yourself. It's because someone gave you a chance to run their program, and you aren't running it very well. That's what you're proud of for Texas, that they've asked you to do something and you've gotten it to this point."

WEATHER IS FRIGHTFUL: A storm has caused minor flooding and rock slides in nearby Malibu, but fine weather is expected for kickoff with clear skies and temperatures near 70.

FINAL WORD: "I got a chance to be myself; they fired me. They just didn't like it." - USC coach Pete Carroll on his stint as New England Patriots coach from 1997-99.

[Last modified January 3, 2006, 02:00:48]