Call it a Rose Bowl Rumble.
Just minutes after ABC's broadcast of Tuesday's Illinois-USC game, Kirk Herbstreit and Brent Musburger had to be separated by stadium security during a brief but violent skirmish.
Apparently, the dispute centered around who had a bigger man-crush on USC head coach Pete Carroll.
Musburger, the senior member of the broadcast duo, spent most of the four-hour telecast gushing over Carroll's forays into Southern California ghettos in search of new running backs. Herbstreit matched his play-by-play man with a compliment-to-commercial ratio that made Carroll blush during his postgame press conference.
At one point during the game, Musberger observed, "Carroll could probably start 11 song girls and still find a way to beat the Illini."
Herbstreit countered, "Heck Brent, look at him. He's hot enough to be a song girl!"
Sources close to Bleacher Report tell us the scuffle broke out as both broadcasters rushed to the elevator in an effort to intercept Carroll in the parking lot.
ABC sideline reporter Lisa Salters, who interviewed the USC head coach following a 49-17 win, confirmed that both Herbstreit and Musburger offered to trade assignments with her before the broadcast.
ABC declined comment for this story.
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