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Best of the best A look at some of the key players, coaches for No. 1 USC NBCSports.com

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As for the Big 12, Oklahoma is second, Missouri sixth, Texas seventh and Texas Tech 10th. The Longhorns face all three of the others, while Texas Tech and Oklahoma face two. The Tigers have the easiest ride, relatively, only having to visit Texas. Just as the SEC does, though, the Big 12 rewards its top team in either division with an extra hurdle, the conference championship game.

To put it in reality show terms, the SEC and Big 12 would be "Survivor: Gabon." USC is "Deal or No Deal." The Trojans need not concern themselves with alliances or tribal councils. Their greatest concern is the crazy cousin who keeps yelling, “No deal! No deal!” (to prospective agents) as Howie Mandel (or is it Stewart Mandel?) implores a Song Girl to “open the case.”

The path is easier, and for that reason USC will be given no latitude should it be anything less than undefeated after the UCLA game. A 12-0 Trojans team will be immune to being dethroned by a similarly unbeaten Big Ten champ (sorry, JoePa), considering what they did to the Buckeyes.

Who else is out there? The ACC and Big East unbeatens — should one remain — would do well to pipe down this season. Nobody wants to hear it. BYU? Terrific team and the Cougars, who have outscored opponents 103-0 since Jake Locker’s excessive exuberance penalty, may well be worthy of a BCS bowl. But not a trip to the BCS championship. Not this season.

So there is really just one poisoned apple to which college football’s Snow White is susceptible. Should both the SEC champion and the Big 12 champion emerge undefeated, both would be 13-0. Besides having one more victory than the nation’s sexiest program, each of those two programs would have had a more difficult obstacle course to have navigated.

How unlikely is that scenario? Very. Though if we had to pick, we’d go with Georgia and Missouri. But that’s out of the Trojans’ hands. Out west Carroll and the Trojans are best-served by simply taking care of business over the next 10 games, beginning with this Thursday night’s visit to Corvallis. And, well, it would not hurt if they were to whistle while they work.

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