Happy New Year from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Steve Ramirez, Miguel Melendez and I are writing stories from today’s game, so lets just make this the Penn State-USC game thread. Before the BCS, this was a classic Big-10, Pac-10 showdown, and both teams probably would have been playing for a piece of the national title. It wasn’t a consolation bowl, which is the feeling coming out of the USC camp after missing the BCS championship game, played next week between Florida and Oklahoma, two other 11-1 teams. If there isn’t going to be a playoff system, go back to the old way and let the writers and coaches decide in the polls. Why do you have to pick two 11-1 teams and say, “this is the national title game.” You can’t say Penn State or USC isn’t just as deserving. You can’t say undefeated teams like Utah have no say either. Let’s see how Utah does in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama, and then decide. Prior to the BCS, everyone played, and the voters decided after the games who the champion was. We should all be in favor of a playoff, but until that day is here, get rid of the BCS and go back to the way it was.