Ohio State Loses Advantage Over USC With UCLA’ s Upset Win

Then, there’s a quarterback by the name of Mark Sanchez, who came back from a dislocated kneecap in three weeks and threw for 338 yards and four touchdowns with only one tipped interception. He’s been mentioned briefly in the national media for being the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Week, and his short sound bites have made a few sportscasts.

But which quarterback has been the darling of the media here in Los Angeles this week? No, not Mark Sanchez. It’s been Kevin Craft, the juco transfer to UCLA, who overcame four first-half interceptions to lead the miracle comeback at the Rose Bowl.

Forget the sound bites. Craft has been doing entire interview segments on all the local sports shows all week.

Now, I’m not saying that Neuheisel and Co. don’t deserve it. Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. After all, it was only one game, and no one is certain just how good or bad Tennessee really is.

But, the point is, Buckeye fans, after this past week, hearing all that stuff about their archrivals, the Trojans will have no emotional let down.

For the Trojans, the game with Ohio State is not a springboard to a National Championship. It is not even to maintain their ranking at the top of the polls. It is not to show that the Pac-10 is better than the Big Ten. It is not even to prove that Trojans are better than Ohio State.

For the Trojans, the game with Ohio State is much, much bigger than all that. This game is for one thing and one thing only: to take back the City of Angels.

It won’t matter if UCLA is victorious in Norm Chow’s return to BYU next week. By beating Ohio State, USC can reclaim its No. 1 ranking not so much in the national polls but in the City of Los Angeles and all of Southern California.

But if the Trojans should lose and the Bruins should beat BYU, well...they just can’t let that happen. They will spill blood on the field before they let that happen.

So, if the Buckeyes think they can come into the Coliseum under the cloak of a decided underdog and have a psychological advantage, it’s just not happening. For the Trojans, and especially their seniors, it’s not just a game. It’s an entire city.

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