Plague of allegiance

The Rose Bowl came and went with all the intrigue and excitement it arrived with. Like a bad New Year's hangover it was predictable and painful but mercifully over by sunset.

The final score -- USC 49, Illinois 17 -- was simply the latest example of the Rose Bowl 's inability to move past its outdated tradition of picking matchups.

" Pac-10 versus Big Ten ," said USC coach Pete Carroll before the game. "The way it should be."

In a college football season as unpredictable as this one, the Rose Bowl 's "traditional" matchup and the ensuing blowout were the rare locks.

The Rose Bowl turned into a glorified scrimmage for USC , arguably the hottest team in the country, facing a three-loss Illinois team that was unranked a week before its season finale. But, hey, the Illini play in the Big Ten , so they've got that going for them, right?

The Trojans began the season with expectations of playing in New Orleans next week for the national championship but had to settle for watching their two Louisiana-born players put on an offensive clinic against the Illini.

John David Booty , who left his high school in Shreveport , La., a year early to come to USC five years ago, threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns in his final game as a Trojan, while Joe McKnight , who came to Los Angeles from River Ridge, La., last year, ran for 125 yards and one touchdown.

While Booty closed the chapter on his roller-coaster career at USC , McKnight gave the country a glimpse of what it can expect to see the next two years. If his eye black is any indication, he probably won't be around after that.

"I'm trying to get money," said McKnight , pointing at his eye black, which had "I need" under the left eye and "$" under the right one. "I'm trying to get to the league. I'm just a poor college student from New Orleans right now."

He showed flashes of the talent that made him Carroll 's most prized recruit last year when, in the third quarter, he scooped up a bobbled lateral and raced down the field for 65 yards before being caught from behind by Illinois defensive back Vontae Davis.