HIGH-STAKES CONTEST FEATURES A PAIR OF ACES USC, NOTRE DAME MEET WITH BCS TITLE IMPLICATIONS ON LINE.

Byline: SCOTT WOLF  Staff Writer

When nothing is at stake, everything still is at stake when USC plays Notre Dame -- thanks to the history and aura of the rivalry.

Throw in the fact that some considered last year's game the greatest meeting in 77 games and the high-profile programs offer larger-than-life coaches who enjoy a prickly relationship, and things become even more magnified.

Then add the fact the No. 3- ranked Trojans are two games away from a national-title appearance and the No. 6-ranked Irish harbor longshot championship hopes, and today's 78th meeting at the Coliseum almost can't get any bigger.

``I'd just like to think that as good as their program has been for quite some time, we're on our way to being on equal footing,'' Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said. ``I'd like to think we're on our way here.''

But does USC require more than just a victory? Do the Trojans need some style points to reinforce to poll voters they deserve a trip to the BCS championship game more than No.2-ranked Michigan?

``I'm not worried about it,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said. ``I don't really care what happens.''

That's a deliberate strategy, which nicely contrasts with just about everyone else. Besides every fan having some sort of opinion on the BCS, Florida coach Urban Meyer said this week his No. 4-ranked Gators deserved to be ahead of USC.

``Realistically the one team out there is University of Florida, and probably Southern Cal,'' Meyer said. ``But Southern Cal got beat by an unranked team. We went to a hostile environment (at Auburn), played our heart out, we were on the 6-yard line and failed to get it done.''

What happens if USC earns a close victory over the Irish? How long before lobbying begins that Michigan blew out Notre Dame 47-21 on Sept. 16 in South Bend and deserves voters' consideration to move back into the No. 2 spot in the coaches' poll and Harris poll?

USC (9-1), No. 3 in the BCS rankings, is expected to surpass Michigan by virtue of its strong computer ranking if it defeats Notre Dame. But an ugly win could give Michigan some favor with the human voters.

Ask anyone but Carroll about these scenarios, however, if you want to know how it affects USC.

``If it happens, it happens,'' Carroll said. ``I can't even follow it. Whenever you talk BCS, I get confused.''

In another indication of just how different they are, Weis never lets detail pass on any topic, let alone the BCS.

``I'd say (Notre Dame needs) to have a very, very convincing win even to get into the discussion, OK?'' he said.

But Weis acknowledged Notre Dame's immediate goal might be just as difficult as making a title game.

``It's not like we're going against some crummy team here at the end of the year, and let's see what happens,'' he said. ``We're going to have our hands full just winning this game.''

Although Carroll avoids comparisons to Michigan, the Wolverines did aid him a bit by providing a nice game tape to watch how to dominate the Irish.

``Michigan really got after the quarterback, really controlled the game and had field position in their favor,'' Carroll said. ``We'd be so lucky to have a game like that. They're a lot like us, so we learned something from that game.''

The other blueprint comes from USC's other main rival. UCLA gave the Irish offense fits until the last minute, when quarterback Brady Quinn threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Samardzija with 27seconds left to give Notre Dame a 21-17 victory.

``Sure, I watched that tape closely,'' Carroll said.

[e-mail]

[phone]

CAPTION(S):

box

Box:

NO. 3 USC (9-1) VS. NO. 6 NOTRE DAME (10-1)

- Scott Wolf