Good + bad = ugly

PULLMAN, Wash. -- As midterms go, it was kind of like having a professor supply all of the answers before the test.

Or maybe having no test at all.

Sixth-ranked USC concluded the first half of its schedule Saturday by romping over hapless Washington State, 69-0, and then deemed itself ready for a possible run to the Bowl Championship Series title game.

"We have a chance to really make this turn here with a lot of things going in our favor," Coach Pete Carroll said.

USC's victory before 25,118 at Martin Stadium improved the Trojans' record to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the Pacific 10 Conference.

It remains difficult to gauge just how good the Trojans are, and how formidable they might become, because of the weakness of their last two opponents.

But the defense is inarguably performing like one of the nation's best.

The Trojans posted their second consecutive shutout, the first time a USC team accomplished the feat since 1971.

Mix that with an offense that has produced most of the 138 unanswered points the Trojans have scored since the second quarter against Oregon two weeks ago, and the Trojans have reason for optimism.

Of course, the only number that really matters is the one pollsters and computers assign USC when the final BSC standings come out at the end of the season.

The Trojans will find out their starting position today when the first BCS standings are announced.

While Carroll typically downplayed the announcement -- "I don't care," he said -- players acknowledged interest in where they will be positioned with six games remaining.

"Everybody will look at it whether we care or not," said quarterback Mark Sanchez, who tied a school record by passing for five touchdowns. "It's going to be something we'll care about come December.

"Sure, it will be great to see where we're at but it's not really going to change how we prepare" for the next game against Arizona in Tucson.

Sanchez came to the Northwest prepared to show that last week's turnover-filled third quarter against Arizona State -- he fumbled and then had passes intercepted on three consecutive possessions in a 28-0 USC victory -- was a fluke.

Sanchez looked sharp Saturday, completing 15 of 20 passes for 253 yards in the first half en route to a 41-0 lead that nearly covered the 42 1/2 -point spread. Receivers Patrick Turner and Ronald Johnson each caught two scoring passes and tight end Anthony McCoy had one.