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PASADENA, Calif. -- Illinois couldn't answer the question. Wouldn't answer the question. Wouldn't come out and say whether Southern California was better than Ohio State, which, of course, the Trojans are.
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But the Illini -- Rashard Mendenhall and Kevin Mitchell, at least -- are not to be faulted. They're part of the Big Ten, which looks more and more like the Big Bust. They're not going to badmouth another team from their conference. [/FONT]
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Even a team they beat, while the other team -- USC -- crushed them, embarrassed them. [/FONT]
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The other team won the Rose Bowl on Tuesday in a rout, the final score 49-17, equaling the most points a winner scored in 93 previous Rose Bowls. [/FONT]
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USC started the season as No. 1 and has ended the season as No. 1. [/FONT]
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No, not in the polls -- the voting -- which will go to Ohio State, the team Illinois upset, or LSU. But in the eyes of those who know the game, such as USC coach Pete Carroll, the Trojans are the best team in the country. [/FONT]
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"In my mind, no doubt," Carroll said after USC finished with 11 victories a sixth consecutive season. "This is a great football team. A great defense." [/FONT]
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"No one really wants to play us," USC cornerback Terrell Thomas said. [/FONT]
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You could understand why. Here was the team that stunned Ohio State getting whipped from here to there.[/FONT]