USC/Rose Bowl update, Dec. 30

Just a quick rundown of issues we're looking at right now, regarding the Rose Bowl and USC Trojans:

• Penn State Live has a very good slideshow of the team in its last days on campus. It's worth the look:

On with the update...

• The CDT's Jeff Rice updated us today on Joe Paterno vs. The Sideline. Joe said it's about 50-50. We'll see.

• David Jones at the Patriot News took a good look at USC's Butkus winner Rey Maualuga. But even better is that we now know how USC plans to use him... not much differently than they have his entire career.

"Though middle linebackers have a lot of duties, it's been dispensed by USC that Maualuga's been "assigned" to the PSU quarterback."

• Bernard Fernandez at the Philadelphia Daily News wrote a very nice piece on Penn State's career backup quarterback, Paul Cianciolo. But don't down play how important he is, or how much he can help this team. I mean, he did give Penn State its only touchdown against Michigan in 2006.

"I'm one play away now instead of two," said Cianciolo..."

And against a defense like USC (hey, they may not be the all-time best, but they're still really freakin' good), Paul may get one more shot. But let's hope it's not in relief, but rather, mop-up duty.

• Of all people to ask, Bill Plaschke poses the question many in LA are wondering, "is USC overlooking Penn State?"

"The Penn State players spent Tuesday's 30-minute Rose Bowl media session sitting upright, quiet, attentive.

The USC players lounged. Some buried their heads in their hands and slept. Some talked on cell phones. Others bounced to iPods.

One player spent nearly the entire session stretched out on the floor underneath his table. A couple of others used their hands to pound out rhythms on top of the table.

As a giant clocked ticked off the final moments of the interview session, many of the Trojans chanted "3 . . . .2 . . . 1 . . . Happy New Year!"

Hmmm. Will it be?"

Plaschke goes on to say how Pete Carroll tells his players every day that Penn State was one point away from the national championship game. But just like Plaschke points out, we all know what happens to USC at least once a year...

"Yeah, well, Carroll also told them to stop celebrating the Ohio State victory and concentrate on Oregon State, and how did that turn out?

Once or twice a year, it seems, this Trojans monster takes on a life of its own.

No matter what their creator preaches, they hear only an inner voice that reminds them of their incredible skill. They interpret this to mean their immortality. A humbling loss usually follows."

Let's hope the humbling comes early and often.

Quick Outs:
• Not much has changed in the USC injury front. It's still looking like this: RB Stafon Johnson (knee - probable), WR Damian Williams (shoulder - doubtful), S Kevin Ellison (knee - doubtful), RB Allen Bradford (hip - out), TE Thomas Herring (ankle - out), FB Stanley Havili (academics - out)*

• Depending on how many other PSU bloggers pitch in, I'll try to have a short round-up tomorrow of the Blue & White Roundtable.

• Also tomorrow morning, look for my Rose Bowl preview. I can't believe that in less than two days, we'll know who won.

*note that Havili is now academically ineligible for the Rose Bowl, so his ankle injury has become a moot point.