Article published November 30, 2006
OSU-USC: dandy duel in the desert
Ohio State and Southern Cal have recorded a split decision in four previous bowl games when the national championship was on the line.
The Buckeyes were victorious in the Rose Bowl in 1954 and '68, while the Trojans won in 1972 and '74.
The latter three meetings marked the heyday of the nostalgic rivalry, as Heisman tailbacks O.J. Simpson and Archie Griffin were piling up yards, and legendary coaches Woody Hayes and John McKay were racking up wins.
Now OSU and USC appear headed for a rematch.
If USC beats rival UCLA Saturday - the Trojans are 13-point favorites - they would advance to play the Buckeyes in the Jan. 8 BCS national championship game in Glendale, Ariz.
It would be the first meeting in 16 years between the two powerhouses. USC leads the series 11-9-1, having won five consecutive games. OSU-USC figures to be a ratings bonanza for television. It will be No. 1 vs. No. 2. Ohio State has been the top-ranked team all season.The Buckeyes (12-0) have the nation's longest winning streak at 19. They have quarterback Troy Smith, the Heisman favorite, and explosive receiver/return man Ted Ginn Jr. And they have coach Jim Tressel, who already has delivered one national title (2002).
The Trojans, who moved past Michigan and into the No. 2 spot in the rankings last weekend after routing Notre Dame 44-24, aren't one-trick ponies, either.
Pete Carroll is the nation's winningest coach.
In the last five years, Carroll's crew has won two national championships (2003, 2004) and finished second another time.
He has produced three Heisman winners - quarterbacks Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart and tailback Reggie Bush - and the Trojans have won 55 of their last 58 games, the three losses coming by a combined eight points.
The Trojans (10-1) have dangerous receiver Dwayne Jarrett, a 2005 All-American, and quarterback John David Booty.
USC also has a local flavor. Fred Davis, the starting tight end, is from Rogers High School.
OSU and USC have provided some great Rose Bowl memories through the years.
In 1954, Hayes made his first trek to Pasadena in his fourth season as coach. He came away with the ultimate prize, his first national championship, after the Buckeyes blasted the Trojans 20-7. USC fumbled seven times and had just six first downs.
In 1968, No. 1 Ohio State overcame a 10-0 deficit and the heroics of the now disgraced Simpson to claim a 27-16 victory over No. 2 USC and another national championship. Simpson finished with 171 rushing yards, but he fumbled twice and threw an interception.
In 1972, USC fullback Sam Cunningham scored four touchdowns and Anthony Davis ran for 157 yards as the Trojans trampled OSU 42-17 en route to the national title.
A year later, Ohio State fullback Pete Johnson rumbled for three touchdowns and Griffin ran for 149 yards as the Buckeyes ripped USC 42-21.
And in 1974, the Trojans repeated as national champions with an 18-17 victory. Pat Haden's 38-yard touchdown pass and subsequent two-point conversion pass with a little over two minutes left provided the thrilling conclusion.
In 1979, USC toppled Earle Bruce's unbeaten and top-ranked Buckeyes 17-16. Five years later, the Trojans escaped with a 20-17 win.
We can only hope for another riveting finish if the two heavyweights do indeed duke it out 39 days from now in the desert.
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