Rose Bowl still has its bloom

But Rubin has an even bigger claim to fame -- swimming victories over Michael Phelps.

Yes, that Michael Phelps.

Rubin, who grew up in a suburb of Buffalo, N.Y., has said that he defeated the Olympic champion between five and 10 times -- but yes, lost the vast majority of his races against the hero of the Beijing Olympics.

After the Ohio State victory, a reporter from USA Today noted that Rubin's forced fumble resulted from an arm swing that looked like a breaststroke.

Rubin smiled and said, "I want to see Phelps do that."

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Status check

For USC, fullback Stanley Havili is not academically eligible to play.

Senior safety Kevin Ellison and freshman tight end Blake Ayles will sit out because of knee injuries. The Trojans will rotate freshman D.J. Shoemate, sophomore Rhett Ellison and junior Adam Goodman at fullback, and Will Harris will start in Ellison's spot. Wide receiver Damian Williams (shoulder) and tailback Stafon Johnson (knee) will play.

For Penn State, reserve linebacker Bani Gbadyu will not be playing for academic reasons. He is the only player on the two-deep who is not available.

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By the numbers

*--* USC CATEGORY PSU 37.5 Scoring 40.2 7.8 Points given up 12.4 247.1 Pass offense 240.6 206.0 Rush offense 211.6 453.1 Total offense 452.2 122.8 Pass defense 168.0 83.3 Rush defense 95.9 206.1 Total defense 263.9 *--*

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gary.klein@latimes.com

mike.hiserman@latimes.com