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Pac-10 title on line when USC hosts California

Nov 14, 2006 - 10:15 PM No. 17 California (8-2) at No. 4 USC (8-1), 8:00 pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) - An unexpected loss last weekend pushed California out of the national championship picture. But a victory Saturday over a bitter rival will guarantee the Golden Bears a Bowl Championship Series berth.

The 17th-ranked Bears visit No. 4 Southern California with the Pac-10 Conference title on the line.

Last week, Cal (8-2, 6-1 Pac-10) blew a 17-3 lead and lost at Arizona, 24-20.

The Bears were their own worst enemy, having a pair of late-game interceptions erased by penalties and a potential 79-yard touchdown scamper by Marshawn Lynch called back in the first quarter because of another. Quarterback Nate Longshore had his worst game of the season, tossing three picks.

Despite all their mistakes, Cal appeared on the verge of victory when Longshore found DeSean Jackson for a late 63-yard touchdown, but it was overturned after a replay showed that Jackson went out of bounds at the Arizona 41. Longshore then threw his final interception and the Wildcats ran out the clock.

An electric sophomore, Jackson had six catches for 131 yards and a touchdown and returned a punt 95 yards for a score. It was his Pac-10-record fifth career punt-return TD.

USC (8-1, 6-1) appeared out of the national championship picture after getting stunned at Oregon State on October 28, 33-31. But the Trojans have posted consecutive routs of Stanford and Oregon while numerous teams above them in the polls lost.

In last weekend's 35-10 home win over the Ducks, Chauncey Washington ran for a career-high 119 yards and three touchdowns.

If USC wins out - including a home win over No. 6 Notre Dame next week - it may earn a spot in a third straight BCS title game, as the Ohio State-Michigan loser likely will slip a couple spots in the polls.

The winner of this game will clinch at least a share of the Pac-10 title, and because the victor also will own the tiebreaker over the loser, it will guarantee itself the conference's automatic berth in the BCS. Since Cal has no shot at the national title with two losses, it would book a spot in the Rose Bowl with a win.

USC has won four of the last five meetings, with the sole loss a triple-overtime setback in Berkeley in 2003.