The USC Trojans (7-5, 4-4 Pac-10) conclude their 2010 season this Saturday, Dec. 4, against their crosstown rivals, the UCLA Bruins (4-7, 2-6) at 7:30 p.m. (PST) at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and in front of a national Fox Sports Net cable television audience. It is the 80th meeting in the series, with Troy holding a 44-28-7 edge. USC has won 10 of the past 11 meetings with the Bruins, including a 28-7 victory a season ago at the Coliseum. In the most recent battle at the Rose Bowl, the Trojans also notched a 28-7 decision in 2008.

A week ago, the Trojans "conservatived" themselves to death in an embarrassing 20-16 defeat to banged-up and undermanned Notre Dame at the Coliseum. Unable to capitalize on great field position for much of the game, especially after four Irish turnovers, USC's offense only cut loose on a desperate final possession that featured a sure touchdown pass dropped by senior wideout Ronald Johnson and a game-sealing interception at the goal line from Irish safety Harrison Smith. Meanwhile, the Bruins' quest for bowl eligibility went up in flames as UCLA was drubbed, 55-34, by Arizona State in Tempe. After building a 17-0 first-quarter lead, UCLA allowed 595 total yards to the Sun Devils, including a career performance from reserve ASU quarterback Brock Osweiler.

Trojan Coach Lane Kiffin (14-11 career collegiate head coaching record; 7-5 at USC) is in his first season at USC, after serving as the head coach at Tennessee in 2009. He also coached the Oakland Raiders in 2007-08, after spending the preceding six seasons as an assistant at USC. UCLA headman Rick Neuheisel is in his third year in Westwood, but in his 11th season overall as a head coach (81-52 overall, 15-22 at UCLA). After going 7-6 in 2009, including a victory in the EagleBank Bowl over Temple, hopes were high for another positive step for the Bruin program in 2010. Instead, UCLA has backtracked and, if it loses Saturday, would match the 4-8 mark it posted in 2008, Neuheisel's first season at the helm.

With UCLA being a topic of interest across Southern California and many USC fans having a general idea of the Bruins strengths and weaknesses, the idea came to me last week to do something a little bit different with this week's piece. This Saturday will mark my 20th consecutive USC-UCLA game attended, a bit of a milestone for me (I celebrated similar anniversaries against Cal and Stanford earlier this season). Once last Saturday night's embarrassment was complete - and my irritation was maxed out - I made the final decision: rather thank break down the 2010 Bruins, let's take a step back in time and kick around my personal memories of the past 19 Trojan-Bruin showdowns.

Yes, that's right. My first SC-UCLA game was the first win in the Bruins' beloved eight-game winning streak over the Trojans. Moreover, my first USC football game as a student (upon transferring from Cal State Fullerton that fall) was USC's famed upset loss to Memphis State. Why did I keep coming back - to the point that I've now not missed a home game since? I'll tell you one thing, Larry Smith tried to break me. As to the UCLA game, this is probably the least memorable of the streak. Tommy Maddox gained a measure of revenge by leading the Bruins to a tighter-than-expected win over an outmanned USC team that entered on a five-game losing streak. Ah, the Reggie Perry Era. UCLA 24, USC 21

When this game kicked off late on a Saturday afternoon at the Rose Bowl, Coach Smith's job was safe. By the time John Barnes, Notre Dame's Jerome Bettis and Fresno State's Trent Dilfer had their way in USC's next three games, he was mumbling something about logos not meaning anything while being scooted out the door by the USC administration. The Trojans held a 31-17 lead in the fourth quarter, but no-name transfer Barnes would etch his name in Bruin history by repeatedly finding J.J. Stokes, who made Trojan cornerback Jason Oliver look like a munchkin - and made the cool but livable Arroyo Seco night unbearably cold. Still, the Trojans scored with 41 seconds left to cut the margin to one, but Rob Johnson's two-point conversion pass was incomplete, causing the first of many Rose Bowl roars from the 1990s that still echo in my ears to this day. UCLA 38, USC 37

It seemed like old times, as the return of John Robinson had helped put the Trojans into a position to battle UCLA for a Rose Bowl bid on the regular season's final day. For my last game as a student, I thought it would be advisable to down two bottles of Night Train prior to the 12:30 kickoff. I, like USC, was suffering a hangover at the half, with the Trojans falling behind 17-0 before rallying. USC had a first-and-goal at the UCLA three in the game's final minute - directly in front of the student section. The Trojans failed to move the ball on their first three plays, and Marvin Goodwin intercepted Johnson's fourth-down pass in the end zone to set off a wild Bruin celebration. A tough way to go out as a student, but little did I know that even tougher times were to come. (Predictably, UCLA lost to Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl, 21-16, after Bruin fans famously sold a ton of tickets to visiting Badger fans.) UCLA 27, USC 21

After three consecutive losses to the Bruins - each one painful, but reasonably explicable - the 1994 contest at the Rose Bowl was absolutely brutal. The Trojans, with an outside shot at the Rose Bowl (a USC win and an Oregon loss would put Troy in Pasadena on 1/1/95), led UCLA 12-3 at halftime, but squandered a number of opportunities. A bad UCLA team returned to the field fired up and essentially ran the Trojans right off of the Pasadena turf. "Four more years, four more years ..." rang out across the Arroyo at the final gun. UCLA 31, USC 19

This time, the Trojans had already clinched a Rose Bowl berth by winning at Oregon State (remember when USC used to do that?) the weekend before. The focus was squarely on ending UCLA's streak, and a fired-up USC team took the field as Keyshawn Johnson planted the USC flag at midfield. Oops. The Trojans trailed 24-13 early in the fourth quarter, and proceeded to unleash a mind-numbing 10-minute ball control drive that ended in a touchdown, but also left USC too little time to finish yet another attempted comeback. UCLA 24, USC 20

The ultimate ignominy: two poor football teams squaring off in Pasadena, but behind solid performances by Brad Otton at quarterback and Sammy Knight at safety, USC led 34-17 with six minutes left. The band plays "Tusk." The celebration is on. You know what happens next. Cade McNown, Skip Hicks, LaVale freaking Woods, Matt Koffler playing quarterback for an injured Otton in overtime. The fact that UCLA fans still hold this up as one of the program's greatest victories (to finish the year 5-6) says volumes about them. UCLA 48, USC 41 (2OT)

The Bruins are riding an eight-game winning streak and Robinson's second era is about to end on a hot November afternoon in the Coliseum. UCLA is a heavy favorite, but an early deep ball to R. Jay Soward sets the tone as USC hangs in for most of the afternoon. One of two times in the 19 years where UCLA was simply and clearly the better team. UCLA 31, USC 24

And here's the second of those two times. A week later, the Bruins would be embarrassed by Miami and fall short of their one chance at national football prominence since 1954, but on this day they dominate. McNown's unprovoked naked bootleg late in the game is the most memorable thing that happens on the field. "Eight more years, eight more years ..." UCLA 34, USC 17

Whew, how about that trip down memory lane? An ugly time for USC - yet the Trojans managed to win one more Rose Bowl than UCLA, even though the Bruins had a pair of opportunities. Often, I've heard this era referred to as a "Golden Era" by UCLA fans. Take a look at the records and you'll get a laugh at what UCLA reflects fondly upon and USC looks back at as the Dark Ages:

UCLA combined record entering USC game (1991-98): 50-29 (.633)

UCLA total record (1991-98): 60-33 (.645)

USC combined record entering UCLA game (1991-98): 49-28-2 (.625)

USC total record (1991-98): 54-39-2 (.579)

That's right, each team's average record entering the game was 6-4. Thanks to the Bruin streak, they were able to up their average record annually to 7.5-4, while USC's average record was 7-5. Whoa, Golden Age indeed! If you actually needed proof that all UCLA cares about in football is beating USC, I'd say you've got it.

Bad teams, bad game. But, the streak is over. Remembering this afternoon, with the USC students rushing the field to celebrate the streak's end, and fans carrying running back Chad Morton off the field after he'd guaranteed a victory over UCLA before the season began, I can imagine how most ND fans felt last weekend. Ugly game, rough performance, but ending a rival's streak is always sweet. USC 17, UCLA 7

To an outsider, it might be strange that this is one of the most personally memorable games in my current streak - but for any USC fan who sat in the Rose Bowl in 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000, while it was far from great, this one was sweet. After tailgating with UCLA players' families (my stepbrother on my mom's side was a starting cornerback for the Bruins that season), we entered the stadium knowing Paul Hackett was on his way out as USC coach, but a back-and-forth game that was never separated by more than a touchdown either way, went down to the final seconds. And finally, in Pasadena, the breaks went USC's way as kickoff specialist David Bell's 36-yard field goal attempt wobbled over the crossbar with nine seconds left - his first field goal of the season. Bedlam in the endzone sections in Pasadena and, perhaps, for the first time in my experience of attending USC-UCLA games, a feeling that order was somehow restored. Ask my sister, who had to sit through me screaming "Order has been restored," at the top of my lungs during the band's postgame concert. USC 38, UCLA 35

Pete Carroll's first appearance in the rivalry. Cory Paus' DUI drama. DeShaun Foster's car troubles. Bob Toledo presiding over the fall of UCLA's 1997-98 "empire." This game signified the full turnaround of both schools' fortunes on the football field. I took my friend Danny, a diehard Bruin, to the game with an extra ticket. After an afternoon of strong tailgating, he made it through Shaun Cody terrorizing Paus, a long completion to Kori Dickerson, Antuan Simmons' between-the-legs pick-six and a 17-0 Trojan halftime lead before heading back to his car to pass out for the second half. When I arrived post-game, I had to knock on his car window to wake him up. "Game's over?" "Yep." "What was the score?" "27-0." "Oh ..." And turn the keys in the ignition. Sorry, Danny, you're one of the good Bruins out there, but it's just too good a story. USC 27, UCLA 0

A festival of Trojan goodness in one of my most beloved seasons. USC led 21-0 less than 10 minutes into the game, as Carson Palmer was in the midst of sealing his Heisman. When USC scored early in the second half to move ahead 42-7, from down our row at the Rose Bowl, we heard someone shout, "This is better than porn!" Still a line that gets used in my family. Post-game, riding the shuttle back to Old Town Pasadena, there was one lowly, downcast Bruin (I like to think of him now as a regular caller to postgame Bruintalk) who wanted to challenge my dad, sister and then-fiancee for rooting for USC since they hadn't attended the school. My retort: "I went there, which means my family is also part of the Trojan Family, for life. Something you wouldn't understand, Mr. Four Years." Subdued silence followed for the rest of the short ride. USC 52, UCLA 21

This one was another Trojan runaway, as USC headed for its first national championship in a quarter-century. However, the most memorable moment came when UCLA scored two of their eventual 22 points (oh, how the Bruins became expert at trying to tidy up the score a bit during the fourth quarter in this era). USC scored a touchdown just prior to halftime to take a 30-0 lead. The PAT attempt was blocked, and the Bruins ran it back for a defensive two-point conversion - setting off a massive celebration in the UCLA sections of the stadium. Seriously, to this day, I don't know if those people partied harder after that score ("Now, it's 30-2!!! Take that, 'SC!") or three years later when they pulled off their most recent win in the series. It was ON in the UCLA sections, and it's still one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my years attending sporting events. USC 47, UCLA 22

A game that, according to the NCAA (purveyors of such stories as "Cam Newton IS eligible!") never happened. But for those of us there, it was proof that it's rare that any game at the Rose Bowl between the two schools is safe. A stunning performance by Reggie Bush kept the heavy-underdog Bruins at bay. Still, many remember this game as closer than it actually was. UCLA never had the ball with a chance to take the lead until they got it 85 yards from paydirt with less than a minute left - and proceeded to turn it over on the first play. I still remember the oranges flying out of the end zone section near the band as USC players took turns leading "Conquest." It was on to Miami. USC 29, UCLA 24

And another "NCAA-says-you-didn't-see-this-happen" special. You know what I don't remember most about this game? I can't recall then-freshman linebacker Brian Cushing returning UCLA's onside kick effort for a touchdown to make the score USC 66, UCLA 13. Yes, that's right, UCLA never actually tried a fourth-quarter onside kick after drawing within 46 points in the fourth quarter. Never happened. No longer an embarrassment for Karl Dorrell and Co. Of course, this non-event pales in comparison to the justice served to Neuheisel just four years hence. (This game was also one of only three times UCLA has been ranked in the past 11 meetings. Of course, they were ranked in just four of the previous eight, but that was a "Golden Age" they'll tell you!) USC 66, UCLA 19

Have at it, Bruins. Your holy grail. You kept us from matching that beloved eight-game streak (of course, USC has won essentially two of every three games in the series outside of that streak, but that's just nitpicking). What's the over/under for first "13-9" t-shirt I see this coming Saturday? Three minutes after arrival at the stadium? Five? The top memory here, though, is having to nearly literally fight our way out of the stadium through angry - yes, those of you who don't have a lot of experience with this rivalry, angry - UCLA fans. Scoring a huge upset over my rival always pisses me off, too. Riiiiight. However, one very manly student thought it would be a good idea to slap my sister in the face for no apparent reason while walking in the opposite direction - while holding a cigar. Big mistake. That cigar didn't last another 5 seconds in his hand, and he and his four pipsqueak buddies cowering at the sight of my father and I remains ingrained in my head as one of the finer examples of Bruindom that I can recall. UCLA 13, USC 9

The Carroll Era was such a thrill ride that this game is nearly a blur. With the loss still stinging from the prior year, perhaps the Trojans and their fans were all blind with hatred. It wasn't a thing of beauty, but Fred Davis' late touchdown catch opened up the game, and USC was headed back to the Rose Bowl once again. And, once again, order had been restored. USC 24, UCLA 7

Another Rose Bowl-clinching domination for the Trojans. One of the more amusing moments came at halftime, with USC leading 21-7. The Rose Bowl sound system was blaring some really bad pop music, and many members of the USC team that was out warming up (for an overly lengthy period thanks to ABC), began to dance around mockingly on the Trojan sideline. Yes, the music was that bad. But never underestimate a Bruin's paranoia. The Bruins, in a preview of coming attractions one year later, advanced across the field en masse, thinking USC was somehow taunting them. A brief shouting match between teams ensued before things calmed and the Trojans returned to their latest rote dismissal of the Bruins. USC 28, UCLA 7

Barkley-to-Williams. And somehow Neuheisel's sold it to his team that USC was the bad guy? Brilliant. Call another timeout, Skippy. To echo what Matt Barkley said repeatedly on the video board this year in calling it his favorite TD pass of 2009, it's one of the top 10 moments from a USC fan's perspective in the history of the rivalry. Neuheisel asked Carroll to notice that he didn't believe the game was over by calling timeout. So, Carroll did - and decided to end the game then and there. UCLA's continued whining - and the L.A. Times' effort to provide them with the megaphone this week - remains one of the best sources of unintentional comedy anywhere in sports. USC 28, UCLA 7

There you have it. Nineteen years of memories, good and bad. Somehow, USC leads 10-9 in those games, even after giving up an eight-game lead during one of the darkest decades in Trojan football history. Bruin fans remember it fondly. How do you think USC fans would remember the past 11 years if all they'd brought (beyond 10 wins over UCLA) was a couple of Rose Bowl defeats? Not too fondly. Instead, USC's domination of UCLA is a footnote to a history that includes two national championships, a record seven-straight conference championships, Heisman Trophies, seven top-four national rankings, and on and on. That, my friends, is a true Golden Age.

Now, in case it's not clear to anyone still, that Golden Age of USC football - which had been on its way out for most of the past two seasons - was finally put out of its misery in last week's loss to Notre Dame. Let's hope that was the final nail, because another nail this Saturday would just be overkill.

This Bruin team is more undermanned than last week's ND team. Notre Dame has a winning record and is going to a bowl game. UCLA is 4-7 and threw for 321 yards last week to raise their pass offense ranking - to No. 116 nationally. It's a bad team. Period. The bad news is that USC, too, is a bad team when it arrives with a play-not-to-lose mindset and keeps inferior opponents in the game by playing with a baffling conservatism. Personnel-wise, USC should dominate on Saturday if it brings an aggressive offensive gameplan up the 110. Will it? Unlikely. I expect the Trojans to drag the Bruins right along with them until the fourth quarter. While it smells like the 1990s all over again - below average teams playing a game that is essentially meaningless beyond the rivalry - I can't bring myself to call for a Bruin upset. But, after last Saturday, I sure wouldn't be surprised.