Chasing greatness

The numbers stand out: back-to-back national championships, 34 consecutive victories, 37-1 over the last three years, 48-3 over the last four.

USC No. 1?

It was that way at the end of last season, when the Trojans walked off the field in Miami after a 55-19 romp over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.

Fast forward to Jan. 4 and the Rose Bowl, and the latest challenge for coach Pete Carroll's team awaits in No. 2 and unbeaten Texas.

At stake is a part of college football history that already has cast these Trojans among the best the sport has ever produced.

How hard has it been?

''It hasn't been as hard as people would think," said Carroll, not trying to demean anyone, but making a case for the overall system. ''Because once we found our way of doing things, we just stuck with it. It's been the discipline and the strength of your belief in what you are doing that has made this possible."

The dot-com world of instant comparisons to the past, of course, has begged a bigger question. Where do the Trojans rank in the overall lineage of college football dynasties? A victory over Texas will certainly put USC near the top of the heap because no one has ever won three national championships in a row, even if the first one was half of one.

But the best? That is another matter.

It will take a while to catch Oklahoma's record 47-game winning streak during the 1950s. For the Sooners, it was an incredible stretch of football dominance that ran from 1948-58. Oklahoma was an astounding 107-8-2, with winning streaks of 21 and 47 games.

''You want to talk about winning streaks," former Texas coach Darrell Royal told the Los Angeles Times last week, ''get out your pencil."

Royal, who turned 81 in July, played for the Sooners from 1945-48 and was part of the 21-game winning streak, which preceded the 47-game stretch (Oct. 10, 1953-Nov. 16, 1957).

In a historic coincidence, should USC beat Texas in Pasadena, and go through next season undefeated, it would be playing in the BCS title game in the Fiesta Bowl next January with a . . . 47-game winning streak.

But greatness fades quickly. Just ask Miami. The Hurricanes, with four national championships from 1983-91, were on a run similar to USC's a few years ago when they put together a 34-game winning streak. Then they dropped a 31-24 double-overtime loss to Ohio State in what has been called the greatest college football game of all time.

Even with the loss, Miami compiled a four-year record of 46-4 from 2000-03, which ranks right up there with USC's current run.

And then there is Nebraska. From 1993-97, coach Tom Osborne's team compiled a 60-3 record with 2 1/2 national championships, which was a loss away from 3 1/2. Their four-year run at greatness from 1994-97 was a 49-2 record and three unbeaten seasons. Had it not been for an 18-16 loss to Florida State in the Orange Bowl after the 1993 season, Nebraska might have broken the three consecutive national championship barrier.

Need more? Notre Dame was 36-0-2 from 1946-49, won three national championships, and never trailed in any game over the four-year period. Army, from 1944-46, won two national championships.

The Alabama teams of Bear Bryant from 1971-80 won eight of 10 Southeast Conference titles and three national championships. Florida State, under Bobby Bowden, went 141-16-1 and won two national championships from 1987-99.

On a lower level, Division 3 Mount Union won 47 consecutive games from 1996-99.

Now the focus is on USC -- and Texas stands in the way.

''It's a tremendous challenge for us, but a great opportunity," said Texas coach Mack Brown. ''I've really admired what Pete has been able to do with a program that was struggling and made it the dominant program in college football. And he's done it with a smile."

Which could get even bigger with a win in the Rose Bowl.