After all, USC has played in 29 Rose Bowls -- 10 more than any other team -- and has won it 21 times, 13 more than second-place Michigan.
"Our first goal each year is to win the Rose Bowl,'' sophomore split end Dwayne Jarrett said after practice Monday. "Now, if a national title comes with it, that's well and good. But our first goal is Rose Bowl.''
The national title indeed goes to the Rose Bowl winner this year, with USC taking on No. 2 Texas on Wednesday. And the Trojans will consider the Longhorns to be trespassing on their turf.
"The Rose Bowl is our home away from home,'' senior quarterback Matt Leinart said. "We obviously love playing there because we've been so successful there. So we consider it just another home game for us.''
USC actually plays its home games at the 92,000-seat L.A. Coliseum, while crosstown rival UCLA plays at the Rose Bowl. But the two stadiums are 12 miles apart, and the Trojans' frequent Rose Bowl appearances, along with playing the Bruins there every other year, make them much more familiar with the surroundings than Texas.
The Longhorns did play in their first Rose Bowl a year ago, beating Michigan 38-37. USC, meanwhile, beat Oklahoma 55-19 in the Orange Bowl for its second straight Associated Press national title.
"So we're not total strangers to the Rose Bowl,'' Texas quarterback Vince Young said. "We got acquainted with it playing there last year. And now we're back here, just like I promised we would be.''
But the Trojans don't plan to offer much hospitality.
"We'll welcome them there with open arms,'' Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush said. "Then we will try our best to beat them with all of our heart. We'll have all our fans and all of Los Angeles behind us. We want to be the first team to win three straight [AP] championships.''
Young denied a report that he was angry about finishing second to Bush in the Heisman voting and was using that as motivation to prove that the voters made a mistake.
"I'm happy Reggie won,'' Young said. "He's a friend of mine. So it's not about me trying to show him up. It's about me working to lead us to win as a team.''
USC is a 71/2-point favorite, not only because of its rich tradition in the Rose Bowl, but also because of its star-studded offense that many have called the best in college football history. The Longhorns aren't arguing about their underdog status.
"Hey, they are the defending champions,'' Texas coach Mack Brown said. "They've won 34 straight games, they have two Heisman Trophy winners in their backfield in Leinart and Bush, and their other tailback, LenDale White, is also a fantastic talent at 6-2 and 235 pounds. They deserve all the praise they're getting. They've earned it.
"But I agree with everybody else that the two best teams will be playing each other, which is as it should be, and I'm just happy that we have a chance to be No. 1 if we win. They have a great offense because they have so many weapons. You have to stop more than Leinart and Bush. But I like to feel we also have a good offense. We've won 19 straight games.
"Our defense is great, and it gets a lot of credit. But people must realize that we can put points on the board, too. Both teams run the ball so well and are so good at scoring that they will be able to score regardless of the weather conditions.''
It has been raining hard off and on since Saturday, and at one point Monday, heavy winds blew apart a portion of the tented media-access area while Brown and his players were being interviewed. But the forecast for Wednesday calls for clear skies and temperatures in the 60s.
"You can't expect to really exploit anything against Texas,'' USC coach Pete Carroll said. "They're too well-balanced, too well-schooled and just too darn talented. You have to try and survive this game. We're going to have to condition ourselves play after play so we're where we're supposed to be.''