A discussion in another thread gave me the idea for this, but it would be too far off-topic there.
In the past three seasons, both of these teams have lost 5 games. While looking at losses isn't the only way of comparing teams, it is a method that is being roundly ignored w.r.t. this match-up. Final ranks below are AP/USA Today.
Year__USC losses____final rank_||_OSU losses____final rank
2005____Texas____________1_____||____Texas________ ___1____
_______________________________||_____PSU_________ ___3____
2006____OrSU___________21/22___||_____FLA____________1____
________UCLA____________NR_____||_________________ ________
2007___Stanford_________NR_____||_____LSU_________ ___1____
________Oregon_________23/24___||_____ILL__________20/18__
While CC and his ilk constantly talk about how USC has a better record in Big Games, this is still the Jim Tressel that is 6-1 vs TSUN and won 4 straight bowl games (3 BCS) before 2006. No one else has lost to all three of the past national champions, because no one else has played all three of the past national champions.
And they ignore the data in the table above. JT has beaten who he was supposed to beat for the past 3 years with one (top-20) exception. No one, and I mean NO ONE, else can say that. Not even the "invincible" Pete Carroll.
Only teams that played in BCS bowls have beaten
OSU in the past 3 years. No one, and I mean NO ONE, else can say that. Not even the "invincible" Pete Carroll.