Michael Ventre

LOS ANGELES -

Reggie Bush almost went to Notre Dame. He happened to make his recruiting visit to USC on Nov. 30, 2002, the night the Trojans walloped the Irish 44-13 at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Detecting a tip in the balance of power, Bush withdrew his unofficial lean toward South Bend, Ind., and eventually committed to USC.

Since then, Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Bush have won Heisman Trophies and the Trojans have won two straight national titles and are riding a 27-game victory skein.

If Bush had sided with the Golden Domers, perhaps the Trojans might not have the greatest offense in college football history.

But he did. And they do.

Such a declaration may seem premature, given that the top-ranked Trojans have only played five games thus far and now must endure the intersectional lollapalooza against rival Notre Dame on Saturday in South Bend. Also, there have been moments of offensive flatulence in USC’s performances thus far, times when observers might have thought they were watching outtakes from “The Longest Yard.”

Yet in the six victories, there have been point totals of 63, 70, 45, 38, 42 and 34, for an average of 49 per outing. In total yards, the results have been 518, 736, 593, 631, 724 and 476, for an average of 613 per contest.

Ordinarily, when a superpower displays that kind of might, it runs the risk of U.N. sanctions.

No. 1 USC 34, No. 9 Notre Dame 31 Leinart, Bush lead USC in thriller Commentary: A magic year for Trojans Dynamic duo too much for Fighting Irish Weis not interested in moral victories Ventre: USC offense may be best of all-time Interactive: Three-peat failures in history Notre Dame Central: Full coverage of the Irish

Although the dazzling and versatile Bush is a vitally important weapon in the Trojans’ stockpile, he is hardly the only one. Bush is spectacular from the backfield, having gained 761 yards and nine touchdowns. But he’s also a threat as a receiver and on punt and kickoff returns.

But take Bush out of the lineup, and there’s a conga line of candidates waiting to get the ball in his place.

It all starts with perhaps the best offensive line in the nation. Throwing behind its protection is Leinart, possibly on his way to becoming only the second man in history to win two Heismans. Leinart usually gets lots of time to throw, but he also is poised, confident and well-versed in the offense.

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As testament to how Leinart won’t allow complacency to enter his life or that of his offense, he spent extra time this week working with a personal technician to throw a tighter spiral and to pinpoint his passes. After spending much of last season dealing with tendinitis in his elbow, he had surgery in the offseason, and now his throws are stronger than ever.

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