TROJANS LOOKING AT 2ND AND 1 USC BEATS NOTRE DAME; UCLA STANDS IN WAY OF BCS TITLE GAME.

Byline: STEVE DILBECK

Another year, another remarkable season. Another USC team that doesn't just feign being very good but hints at greatness.

It's not supposed to happen like this in the real world, a college football team being special season after season, one influx of players after another.

Yet even if in some far hinterlands of the country some doubt remained that Pete Carroll had developed something truly extraordinary at USC, it must forever be put to rest after Saturday's 44-24 victory against Notre Dame.

The emphatic victory has carried the third-ranked Trojans to the brink of a third consecutive national championship game.

Only the computer element held the Trojans back from overtaking Michigan for the second spot in the Bowl Championship Series rankings, an obstruction expected to be eliminated after their victory over No. 6 Notre Dame.

The Trojans needed to beat the Irish to continue down their road to Arizona and a meeting with No. 1 Ohio State, and maybe needed to throw in some style points in the process.

This young USC team, a team most figured to be a year away from this level after losing stars Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and LenDale White to the NFL, started the season well at Arkansas and then had its moments of stops and starts.

But as the season nears an end, the Trojans -- as they typically do under Carroll -- have continued to grow, to get better, to finally give off the appearance of a team worthy of playing for the national championship.

Fact: Carroll's teams get better. Every year, they improve as the season wears on. In his six seasons at USC, Carroll and his Trojans now are a stunning 20-0 in November.

Every year, they finish like a team just hitting its stride.

``It's the program,'' USC quarterback John David Booty said. ``It was that way before I came here. It's really awesome to see.''

Booty is Carroll's third quarterback to lead the Trojans to a special place. First there was Carson Palmer, then Leinart ---- both of whom won Heismans ---- and now Booty.

Players graduate, go on to the pros, and new players -- new Carroll recruits -- step in and the program just rolls on.

Maybe not perfectly, but continually, impressively.

New starters, new players and the victories just keep coming.

``Coach Carroll does a great job,'' said defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis. ``Young guys come here and they fall in line and don't try to do too much of their own thing.

``That's kept us great for years and will continue to for years to come.''

Certainly, the Trojans continue to own Notre Dame.

They are now 6-0 against the Irish under Carroll.

Saturday will not go down in the annals of USC-Notre Dame as one of their classic matchups. It lacked the dramatics of last year's epic USC victory in South Bend, Ind.

But in its own way, it was even a more impressive victory for USC. The Irish had already lost to No. 2 Michigan 47-21 at Notre Dame earlier this season.

USC needed to win and make something of a statement in the process.

USC came out like a team intent on taking care of business. The Trojans scored touchdowns on their first three possessions and jumped out to a 21-3 lead.

``We came out and made big plays early on,'' Booty said.

Notre Dame could never recover. The Irish seemed to be going for it on fourth down, and failing, all night. Their defense struggled to contain the USC passing game. Their offense struggled for consistency against the still-improving USC defense.

The Irish have yet to figure out how to guard receiver Dwayne Jarrett. His dramatic 61-yard play set up the Trojans' winning touchdown last season, and Saturday he simply looked all-world.

The marvelous Jarrett caught seven passes Saturday for 132 yards and three touchdowns. It was Jarrett who looked like the Heisman candidate Saturday, not Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn.

The consistency of the program is amazing. This is not the best USC team Carroll has fashioned, but it has grown into another formidable unit, another team that now appears to have an opportunity to play in the national championship game -- for the third consecutive year.

``When I first came here, I would have thought it was crazy to do what we're doing,'' Carroll said.

Carroll has done it against all-comers. USC's nonconference schedule this season featured Notre Dame, Nebraska and Arkansas -- all highly ranked teams.

No directional schools. No second division schools.

USC tries to play the best and benefit from it.

``We need those matchups, those hard-fought games to make us what we are,'' Carroll said. ``We're ready for whatever comes. Hopefully, we can put together a great game next week and whatever happens, happens.

``We'll play anywhere. We're hard to beat, and that's a good way to be.''

Next week comes UCLA. A victory in the Rose Bowl likely sends USC to Glendale, Ariz., and a date in the BCS title game.

A new group, the same result.

USC is the envy of every college football program in the country. It's beyond hard to do what Carroll and the Trojans are pulling off.

Ask Texas. Heck, ask Notre Dame.

USC has two more games to play. The bad news for everyone else is, once again, the Trojans are still getting better.

``We ain't done yet,'' Carroll said, ``and can't wait to get going.''

Same enthusiasm, same ambition, same remarkable program.

stephen.dilbeck(at)dailynews.com

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) USC's Dwayne Jarrett, left, beats Notre Dame's Mike Richardson for a first-half touchdown during USC's 44-24 victory Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

(2 -- color) USC's Brian Cushing, right, dives past Notre Dame's David Bruton into the end zone for a touchdown on an on-side kick recovery in the fourth quarter during USC's win Saturday.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

(3 -- color) USC's Dwayne Jarrett, left, celebrates catching a pass for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Jarrett caught scoring passes of 9, 5 and 43 yards from Trojans quarterback John David Booty.

Keith Birmingham/Staff Photographer