College Football Corner: Trojan Hosses

Maybe the voters in the national college football polls don't want to take any chances with the national championship game. It's not that the Georgia Bulldogs aren't a legitimate No. 1. It's that USC is the safer bet.

The Trojans became the new No. 1 in both The Associated Press and USA Today polls earlier this week, supplanting Georgia -- even though the SEC power romped in its opener. Everyone's favorite title-game runner-up, Ohio State, is third in both polls.

There could be another lesson in this switcheroo. Georgia and Ohio State, like many Bowl Championship Series schools, tend to play a nonconference schedule of teams that, let's just say, are not quite at their level -- note the openers against Georgia Southern and Youngstown State, respectively.

USC quarterback Mark Sanchez

But Southern Cal went on the road and whomped on the Atlantic Coast Conference's Virginia Cavaliers, not a national power but a BCS team coming off a good season. (Speaking of the ACC, it doesn't look like it will be a good year in football for that great basketball conference. The conference's big hope, Clemson, took a licking from the Alabama Crimson Tide last week.)

One sweet early season twist to the rankings is that the Buckeyes will meet USC in Los Angeles on Sept. 13 -- consdier it a Rose Bowl in September -- so we'll have some sorting out right away. On Sept. 20, Georgia makes its first trip west of the Mississippi River in 30 years to play Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz.

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