The USC Trojans. Psh. We could've beaten them at their place if we were given one final play.

The Beavs beat 'em. The darn Cougs almost did.

Yet today, Pete Carroll and company have a firm hold of the No. 2 positions in all the major polls after a 44-24 thrashing of Notre Dame.

And rightfully so.

Saturday's game against Brady Quinn and some other guys was the triumphant finale to a brutal three-game stretch.

First they roasted the Ducks, then tamed the Golden Bears and finally handcuffed the Fightin' Irish.

A young team is improving week-to-week. So much so that I will officially guarantee a USC victory over cross-town rival UCLA this weekend.

Gotta love bulletin-board material. Come get some, Daily Bruin staff.

The Trojans have absolutely reloaded.

Chauncey Washington, Emmanuel Moody, C.J. Gable. Pick a running back, any running back, and you are guaranteed 100 yards and a few scores.

Who needs Reggie Bush?

Louisiana's finest, John David Booty, leads the conference in pass efficiency, completion percentage, yards per game and passing touchdowns.

Hope you're enjoying that 2-9 record Matt Leinart.

Don't even get me started on Dwayne Jarrett. That guy is more unstoppable than Jimmy Chitwood from Hoosiers.

Not to mention, local product Taylor Mays is the most dominant freshman in the country on the defensive side of the ball.

I hate to say it, but these guys deserve to be in the national championship game.

Sure they stumbled through a mediocre Pac-10 conference, but check out some of their non-conference wins. They obliterated Arkansas 50-14 in Razorback Stadium. Now the SEC West champions will be playing for the title in the toughest conference in the country.

The following week the Trojans handled an overmatched Nebraska team. Similarly, the Cornhuskers will play this weekend for the Big 12 championship.

Which brings us to the Notre Dame game.

Despite never beating anyone that's any good, the Fightin' Irish always seem to fool the country that they're a legit contender. Instead every year it's about this time we find out they're faker than NASA's trips to the moon — yeah, I said it.

We'll still see Notre Dame in a BCS game though; it's sad how much money rules the world.

Back to football. This is the fourth year in a row that USC has been a key player in the national championship discussion. Its success is so frustrating that it actually adds an added element to the big game: It provides a villain.

An Ohio State vs. Florida match-up is way too vanilla. Ohio St. vs. Michigan is so two weeks ago.

Not only would a USC selection light-up all the T.V. sets in a huge Los Angeles market, but it gives much of the country a team to hate.

On the lighter side, it will give Snoop Dogg and Will Ferrell more airtime. Nothing wrong with that.

So in this crazy world of college football that has seen Ohio State dominate and everyone else try desperately the keep up, the USC Trojans have rightfully earned the opportunity to tackle the champs.

They just better beat UCLA first.

Columnist Joshua Mayers: joshuamayers@thedaily.washington.edu