USC 20 Ohio State 17
The Big Ten, which beat the West with hard-nosed "men against boys" football in the 40s and 50s, succumbs to the physical might of the Pac-10 as Ted Tollner's 8-3 USC smashes Earl Bruce's 9-2 Ohio State 20-17. The Pac-10 takes the lead in the Rose Bowl series 20-19 with its 13th victory in the last 15 meetings. The swarming USC defense causes Buckeye quarterback Mike Tomczak to throw three interceptions while being forced to take the air 37 times when running star Keith Byars is checked following an early 50-yard sprint. Tim Green is flawless at the Trojan controls and gets big offensive contributions from kicker Steve Jordan (two 51-yard field goals), Timmie Ware, Joe Cormier, Fred Crutcher and Kennedy Pola. Ohio State kicker Rich Spangler connects for a record 52-yard field goal and Chris Carter catches nine passes.