The high motivation of USC raised the level of this classic meeting between two grand old conferences that used to meet here every Jan. 1 until the Rose Bowl officials joined the pot-luck roving supper of the BCS.
The two old opponents met here in the surprisingly cozy sunken oval, in the shadow of purple mountains.
Aside from a slight drizzle in 1997, there has not been significant rainfall at this game since 1955, a phenomenon that is blamed for the influx of millions of frozen immigrants from back East.
Once again, the Rose Bowl had the feel of the center of the football universe. Michigan, which had lost twice, wanted to prove "we're back," in the words of coach Lloyd Carr. They did not exactly do that against USC, which lost only once, 34-31, to California in triple overtime on Sept. 27.
The two teams in the Sugar Bowl have also lost once, Oklahoma most recently.
"With the BCS, it doesn't matter when you lose, and that's a good thing," said coach Bob Stoops of Oklahoma.
One of the two teams in New Orleans will lose again -- with the formidable silhouette of USC looming large over everybody's shoulders.
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