USC makes its claim as best team in land

PASADENA, Calif. -- Illinois couldn't answer the question. Wouldn't answer the question. Wouldn't come out and say whether Southern California was better than Ohio State, which, of course, the Trojans are.

USC's Rey Maualuga records four tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. (Getty Images)

But the Illini -- Rashard Mendenhall and Kevin Mitchell, at least -- are not to be faulted. They're part of the Big Ten, which looks more and more like the Big Bust. They're not going to badmouth another team from their conference.

Even a team they beat, while the other team -- USC -- crushed them, embarrassed them.

The other team won the Rose Bowl on Tuesday in a rout, the final score 49-17, equaling the most points a winner scored in 93 previous Rose Bowls.

USC started the season as No. 1 and has ended the season as No. 1.

No, not in the polls -- the voting -- which will go to Ohio State, the team Illinois upset, or LSU. But in the eyes of those who know the game, such as USC coach Pete Carroll, the Trojans are the best team in the country.

"In my mind, no doubt," Carroll said after USC finished with 11 victories a sixth consecutive season. "This is a great football team. A great defense."

A defense that held Illinois to 79 yards total offense in the first half. A defense that, because of sacks on supposedly elusive Illini quarterback Juice Williams, allowed Illinois only 24 yards rushing in 24 attempts before intermission.

Remember Woody Hayes and three yards and a cloud of dust? This was one yard and a cloud of doubt. This was the banished mascot who showed up in Southern California, "Chief Illini-Wreck."

This was USC, too fast, too strong, too well-coached, rolling up a Rose Bowl-record 633 yards in offense.

This was John David Booty, booed earlier this season when he threw four interceptions in that upset against Stanford, winning the award as offensive player of the game by completing 25 of 37 for 255 yards and three touchdowns. In two Rose Bowls, he had seven touchdown passes.

This was the tough guy, Rey Maualuga, the linebacker who once said, "I want to become the player that the offense game plans around," the one who on the lampblack under each eye has written "Dad," for his late father, being chosen defensive player of the game. He had four tackles, a forced fumble, an interception and three sacks, including a thundering one on which Williams practically was knocked back to his hometown of Chicago.

The usual 93,923, or parts thereof, watched a Rose Bowl that lacked drama, USC going up quickly enough, 21-0. But not excitement. Even new UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel was in the seats, getting a close-up view of what he has to deal with in the team on the other side of town, the team that virtually owns the Rose Bowl after winning here four times in five years.