Carroll's best? It's this team here

Who is going to beat them?

A game that was supposed to supply this year's USC football team with its first definitive answer instead ended with a roaring, resounding question.

Who is going to beat them?

You tell me, after watching the Trojans dismantle the country's fifth-ranked team by 32 points Saturday night, exactly who is going to be better than them?

"If we practice and prepare as we have done, I don't think anybody," said beaming Trojan Kyle Moore, standing firm on the unscarred Coliseum field, saucer-eyed Ohio State players trudging around him.

This supposed game of the century ended up being a referendum on the last eight years.

You can stop debating the identity of the best team of the Coach Pete Carroll era, because, in four months, everyone will agree.

This will be it.

This was more than a 35-3 victory against an experienced group that has appeared in the last two national championship games.

This was more than a second victory in a season in which the Trojans have outscored their two major-college opponents by a combined 87-10.

This was linebacker Rey Maualuga scoring on an interception return by outrunning a wide receiver.

This was quarterback Mark Sanchez getting his Favre on by throwing four touchdown passes from his heels, his toes and his wits.

This was a debutante ball for the future undefeated national champions.

"This was USC football," said linebacker Brian Cushing, smiling under the "Feel Me" sign etched into his eye black.

Oh, the Buckeyes felt them, all right.

With flags flapping and players leaping, they initially ran on to the field as famed Ohio State.

But they left it three hours later as another state entirely. A state of confusion. A state of disrepair. Washington State?

The Buckeyes' reputed "best defense in football" -- Pete Carroll's words, not mine -- felt the Trojans score after lunging catches, playground picks and Joe McKnight's cleats on their face masks.

The Buckeyes' smart and experienced offense felt a Trojans defense that chased them from here to the Alamo Bowl with relentless pressure, constant thumps and two allowed yards in the third quarter.

Two yards.

"Yeah," said Cushing, nodding with a complete lack of surprise.

Some Columbus folks will say it could have been different if the Buckeyes had had the services of injured star running back Chris "Beanie" Wells.