Trojans rediscover spotlight

LOS ANGELES – Southern California appeared to be eliminated from the national championship picture two weeks ago after losing at Oregon State.

Two convincing victories and a series of upsets around the country since that time have thrust the Trojans back into the race.

Chauncey Washington rushed for a career-high 119 yards and three touchdowns, USC held No. 21 Oregon’s explosive offense in check, and the Trojans celebrated homecoming with a 35-10 win over the mistake-prone Ducks (7-3, 4-3) Saturday night.

The Trojans (8-1, 6-1 Pac-10) extended their winning streak at the Los Angeles Coliseum to 31 games, and Pete Carroll’s teams are 18-0 in November since he became USC’s coach in 2001.

USC was ranked ninth after its 38-game regular-season winning streak was snapped Oct. 28, but five higher-ranked teams have been knocked off since that time.

The Trojans, ranked seventh entering this weekend, figure to move up to third or fourth when the new rankings are released. They face No. 8 California (8-2, 6-1) Saturday night at the Coliseum, with the winner clinching the Pac-10 title.