Los Angeles ? Pete Carroll would rather not discuss the Bowl Championship Series and how it works. The Southern California coach says he doesn’t understand it, and has no desire to learn what it’s all about.

“I do know this – if we win, we’ll probably be playing in the Rose Bowl,” Carroll said with a smile Tuesday. “The BCS people are probably pretty happy with the way things are now.”

There’s no need for Carroll to use the word “probably” in either instance.

Should Carroll’s Trojans beat crosstown rival UCLA at the Los Angeles Coliseum on Saturday, they’ll definitely play in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 4 for a shot at an unprecedented third straight national championship.

With No. 1 USC (11-0, 7-0 Pac-10) and No. 2 Texas (11-0, 8-0 Big 12) the only unbeaten Division I teams in the country, the BCS folks have to be pleased since there won’t be anything controversial about the national championship game.

That’s assuming, of course, that the Trojans beat the 11th-ranked Bruins (9-1, 6-1) and the Longhorns beat unranked Colorado (7-4, 5-3) in the Big 12 championship game earlier Saturday.

The BCS pairings will be announced Sunday.

USC head coach Pete Carroll oversees practice in preparation for Saturday's grudge match against UCLA at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

“We feel very fortunate to be in this situation at this time of year,” Carroll said. “It’s a beautiful time to be coaching and playing football. This is the situation we all hope for. We all want to get in the Rose Bowl. The situation this year is a little different.”

Carroll referred to the fact that the Rose Bowl will host this season’s national championship game, as the Orange Bowl did last January. USC beat Oklahoma 55-19 in that game.

The Trojans bring several significant streaks into Saturday’s game: They’ve won 33 consecutive games overall, 26 in a row at the Coliseum, and 22 straight against Pac-10 opponents.

Perhaps the most cherished streak is the shortest – USC has won six straight over the Bruins, and is a 21-point favorite to make it seven.

“The rivalry means a lot,” said defensive end Frostee Rucker, a senior from nearby Tustin. “I’ve been watching it ever since I can remember. I can’t say I hate them. I dislike them a lot, let’s put it that way. It feels good to know that since I’ve been in school, we haven’t lost to them.”

Quarterback Matt Leinart, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner and a senior who will be playing in his final regular-season game, has a different take.

“It’s not that I dislike them at all,” he said. “It’s just a big rivalry game. I’m friends with some of the guys on the team. There’s no hatred between the schools, I don’t think. We’ve been doing well against them recently. I know they want to win badly. So do we.”