I feel what you guys are saying, I just think that USC should not be criticized for their scheduling.
In a way, it is kind of good that USC was the one shut out because they have a damn good backup, the Rose Bowl. I mean most young kids on the west coast or in Big-10 country dream of playing in the Rose Bowl, not the Sugar Bowl or any other bowl, so if the Rose is the alternative, then it is not AS sour. LSU and OU don't have that tradition in the Rose Bowl, it would have been really sour for them. By the way, if we still had the old-school 1980's era bowl system, the bowls would have been something like:
Rose: USC vs. Michigan
Fiesta: at large vs. at large
Sugar: LSU vs. Oklahoma
Orange: K-state vs. at large
In that system, if OU wins the Big-12 (Big-8 back then) then they go to the Orange Bowl. But then again, there would not have been a Big-12 title game either
Interesting