Kiichiro Sato / AP

Ohio State running back Chris Wells reacts as trainers check on his injury during an Aug. 30 game against Youngstown State.

Carroll called Ohio State’s defense “the best in America.”

“This is the ultimate challenge at this point,” he said. “How can you play anybody better than the best?”

Regarding the Buckeyes’ linebackers, Carroll said: “They’re quick agile, athletic. They pressure a lot. They put them in positions a lot to make things big happen, and they do it. We have great respect for what they do and how they play.”

Carroll also noted Ohio State’s experience, saying: “When you return 18 starters, that’s probably the max.”

USC is an 11-point favorite over the Buckeyes in the first game between the teams since 1990. USC has an 11-9-1 record in the series that dates to the days of coaches John McKay and Woody Hayes, but has won the last five matchups since Ohio State prevailed 42-21 in the Rose Bowl following the 1973 season.

“Growing up in Ohio in the late ’60s, those were the years Ohio State and USC were playing in the Rose Bowl frequently,” Tressel said. “In my background, USC was the pinnacle. They have great talent. What I love about them is their discipline. They play the game the way it’s meant to be played. They go out there and have fun, they compete.”

Carroll knows all about Ohio State as well, in part because he served as an assistant coach under Earle Bruce in 1979.

“They’ve got a great history,” Carroll said. “They’ve got great leadership. They’ve got impact, extraordinary players in all phases of their team. It makes for an unbelievable opportunity.”

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