Get Ready for This, Nittany Nation: USC are Going to the Rose Bowl

Penn State vs. USC. The Rose Bowl. Jan. 1, 2009. Be there. Be square.

USC again didn't do a whole lot on offense against a gruesome UCLA team, putting up 478 yards of offense, but only 28 points (including just SEVEN in the second half), but it was enough for the Trojans to claim yet another Pac-10 title.

Although it looked early on in the season that USC's win over UCLA would have them singing songs about Miami, this season they'll have to be satisfied with yet another conference crown. That small screw-up at Oregon State did the job.

Don't worry, USC fans, Penn State fans, like those at the VFA, know how you feel. We were just seconds away from their own National Championship dream, only to have their hopes crushed at Iowa.

But the Big Ten Championship wasn't bad compensation. But if Penn State beats USC in what is perhaps the second-best BCS bowl of them all after the National Championship Game, then the celebrations will be heard from Pasadena to Happy Valley to London, where this writer will screaming himself hoarse watching the game. 

And Joe Paterno's pregame conference will say exactly the same thing (and will be true this time) that USC is a "good football team." They are one of the best, hands down.

THE MATCH-UPS.....OHH....THE MATCH-UPS

So now what will a superb USC defense do against a Penn State's "Spread HD" offense? Will Penn State's vaunted running defense play as they did in the Ohio State and Michigan State games, where they stifled Beanie Wells and Jevon Ringer, or will they stumble as they did against Shonn Greene?

Will USC's cornerbacks and safeties, ranked the best in the country on pass defense, be as good against a class quarterback in Darryl Clark as they were against the dross of the Pac-10, or will they finally meet their match against Penn State's wide receiving trio of Butler, Norwood, and THAT MAN Derrick Williams.

'No Reason to get excited", sings Dave Matthews. Sorry Dave, the 2009 Rose Bowl should give any college football fan EVERY reason to be excited.

And they'll be Song Girls!! Yaaaaaay!! 

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