updated 3:23 p.m. ET Dec. 1, 2006

LOS ANGELES - Center Ryan Kalil, one of the few seniors on the Southern California roster who plays on a regular basis, smiled when the question was posed:

Have the Trojans accomplished enough in the past five years to be considered a dynasty?

“I would call it fun,” Kalil replied Tuesday. “I know we’ve won a lot of games, been in championship games over the years and we might be in another one.

“Having fun is the most important thing. The way Pete Carroll coaches, we could be 12-0 and if it wasn’t fun, that wouldn’t be enough. It’s a fun thing, especially at the college level. I’ll never have a chance to play for a team like this again.”

Carroll’s teams are 55-3 since the middle of the 2002 season — his second as the Trojans’ coach. The three losses have been by a total of eight points, with the most recent a 33-31 setback at Oregon State on Oct. 28.

USC (10-1, 7-1 Pac-10) has won four straight since then, outscoring the opposition 144-43. That combined with a series of upsets to other contending teams put the second-ranked Trojans in position to play in their third straight Bowl Championship Series title game should they beat cross-town rival UCLA (6-5, 4-4) on Saturday.

Such a scenario seemed unlikely last spring, when 19 USC players worked out for around 100 NFL representatives, with those in attendance marveling at the talent leaving school.

And it seemed even more unlikely after the loss at Oregon State.

TROJANS TO REACH TITLE GAME? No. 2 USC at UCLA, 4:30 p.m. ET, Sat. USC looks to to lock up spot in title game? Celizic: Carroll would be crazy to leave USC Despite departures, USC looking like dynasty UCLA seeks ultimate revenge | Prediction Cowan, not Olson, to start at QB for UCLA   Discuss: What do you think about game? Bowl projections: Where will teams play? Vote: Trojans worthy of title game?

But Carroll said at the time anything could happen, and he was right — should the Trojans beat the Bruins for the eighth straight time, they’ll almost surely play No. 1 Ohio State on Jan. 8 in Glendale, Ariz.

Among the offensive players to leave after last season were quarterback Matt Leinart, tailbacks Reggie Bush and LenDale White, offensive linemen Winston Justice, Deuce Lutui and Fred Matua, and tight end Dominique Byrd.

“We weren’t expecting something like that,” wide receiver Chris McFoy admitted.

Special feature Florida faces SEC upset

“We knew people were going to look down on us because we lost so much talent,” tight end Fred Davis said. “We have the athletes to do it. We have the No. 1 recruiting class every year.”

Carroll said it was clear following the recruiting season last winter that the Trojans would have enough talent and depth to be successful, despite the lack of star power and experience.

“That doesn’t mean you can’t play to the same level,” he said. “You do it differently. We were very hopeful we could have a very good team if we could survive the first few games.”

College football How all 32 games are shaping up

The Trojans did more than survive, beating No. 8 Arkansas 50-14 and No. 19 Nebraska 28-10. Then, hit hard by injuries, they had a much more difficult time once Pac-10 play began, at one stage winning three games by a total of 19 points.

“This team has really grown,” Carroll said. “We still feel like it’s a work in progress.”

In its last four games, USC has beaten Stanford 42-0; Oregon 35-10; No. 21 California 23-9, and No. 12 Notre Dame 44-24.

Asked about the Trojans’ recent dominance, Carroll said: “It’s a lot of stuff. You can’t do it without the talent level. You can screw it up. I don’t think we’re playing beyond our capabilities. We’re playing to our capabilities. When we do that, we’re hard to beat.”

Carroll has called the defense the fastest he’s had in his six years at USC. It’s also the youngest, with only three seniors listed as first or second stringers. A junior, two sophomores and a freshman start in the secondary, with their backups all sophomores.

Three seniors start on offense.

“We have recruited really well over the years,” Carroll said. “We should be winning these games. I’m proud of where we are. We have a chance to maintain our level of play based on the depth of our roster.”

Carroll isn’t fond of talking about the BCS and what a victory Saturday would mean.

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures Pain on the skating rink, flying high on the hardwood, upsets on the football field, and more. more photos

“It would be wrong, I think, to not admit what the situation is,” he said. “We’ve already done that. We don’t have to do it anymore. We’ve proven the value of focusing on what’s ahead of you, to have a great time today. The truth is, the BCS is sitting out there. When they tell us what we’re doing, we’ll do it.

It’s enough to keep us totally immersed in what we’re doing,” Carroll said of playing UCLA. “It’s real easy, this isn’t hard at all. This is a great game.”

MORE FROM COLLEGE FOOTBALL

College football Section Front

Florida’s Meyer says Notre Dame not an option CFT: End-of-season award finalists announced Bowl Projections: Penn State in BCS picture   Vote: Who should be ranked No. 1? Heisman Hopefuls: Race is tight down stretch Bama's defense rolling, Auburn's struggling   CFT: Colorado coach regrets having son as QB QB Robinson resumes throwing for No. 11 Cowboys CFT: Pike returns to Cincinnati starting lineup CFT: Leach blasts Mangino ‘witch hunt’ College football Section Front   Add College football headlines to your news reader: