Rose Bowl still has its bloom

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Room with a view

Much has been made of Joe Paterno's status today.

Penn State's lively 82-year-old coach is coming off hip surgery, and he intends to coach from the press box because of the strain of standing on the sideline.

He would prefer to be with his players.

"If I told you I'd rather be upstairs than downstairs . . . I wouldn't be honest," he said. But, he added, "When you're upstairs you can see little things that you'd miss on the sideline, and once in a while you can do something that's helpful."

Paterno said he probably wouldn't be able to get to the locker room at halftime because of logistical problems.

Moreover, he thinks way too much attention is being focused on his situation.

"Who knows what's going to happen by Thursday for crying out loud," Paterno said. "I might decide to take a boat to Italy."

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All quiet

'Tis the season all right.

Usually, anyway.

With four NFL coaches fired this week and more awaiting the possible ax, USC's Carroll typically this time of year is fending off questions about his possible return to the professional ranks.

But Carroll's name has not surfaced.

"It's been good that it isn't popping up or coming up," Carroll said. "It's been a bit of relief."

Does he miss the attention?

"No, not at all," he said.

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Time out

Penn State hasn't played a game in 40 days -- 14 more than USC, which played its regular-season finale on Dec. 6 at the Rose Bowl against UCLA.

A disadvantage for Penn State?

Paterno thinks so.

" . . . I think the Big Ten really has got to take a good look at what's going on," he said. "You know, we go into limbo for a long time when other people are playing for division championships and conference championships and being competitive, and I think it is a little bit of a disadvantage."

However, Paterno quickly added: "That will not be the reason we lose the football game if Southern Cal beats us. I don't think that's fair to Southern Cal."

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Staying afloat

The Penn State secondary has yet to face a receiving corps as tall and athletic as USC's, so it could be sink or swim for that unit today.

Which should suit Penn State safety Mark Rubin just fine.

Rubin, who is among four seniors who start in the Nittany Lions' defensive backfield, made one of the plays of Penn State's season when he forced a fourth-quarter fumble against Ohio State that set up his team's game-winning touchdown drive.