One cliche at a time, Carroll talks good game

BILLED AS “The Game Is On” luncheon at the Bonaventure Hotel for USC and Notre Dame supporters the day before the two teams would get together, it was not only a terrific preview of what was to come, but “Game Over” after Pete Carroll whupped Charlie Weis.

As debates go, it was Nixon-Kennedy. Now that I think about it, I believe Kennedy was in office the last time Notre Dame won a bowl game.

Starved as Notre Dame has been to find its way again in college football, it’s easy to understand why Weis has already been featured on “60 Minutes.”

But listening to him speak, well, good luck when it comes to waking up the echoes.

Weis, sounding more like a good guy trying to win a citizenship award than a worthy reminder of Knute, talked about the money the luncheon was raising for scholarships. He spoke about the warm and fuzzy feelings he had for his Irish rivals, and mentioned something about understanding the BCS implications of this game.

Former Notre Dame basketball player, Tom Hawkins, working as emcee, introduced Carroll after chastising him. He told Carroll to relax after he spotted him tossing aside his blue napkin in favor of a red one.

Carroll told the crowd, “if you’re not competing,” you’re certainly not on the same athletic page with USC’s football coach.

Then he proclaimed he had no idea what Weis was talking about, and with just the right amount of “who is he kidding” in his voice when it comes to raising money for scholarships, he said everyone was there because they were jacked about watching a great football game. Straight to the competitive point.

As for any BCS nonsense, Carroll snapped, “there is only one thing we’re thinking about,” and that’s playing Notre Dame -- one more stirring reminder why Carroll’s teams have been singularly focused and successful in winning 54 of their previous 57 games.

Carroll’s delivery, packed with enthusiasm, emotion and decisiveness, sent a message to everyone in the room that he fully intended to kick Pollyanna’s butt all over the Coliseum. If afforded the opportunity of a TV closeup, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see the sweat dripping down Nixon, ah, Weis’ face.

Weis preached a similar sappy sportsmanship-like sermon to Notre Dame fans and players at the pep rally before the game with UCLA, and the Irish responded with a flat effort. By way of comparison, Karl Dorrell is fire and brimstone.

I can see where Weis would be big at Rotary Clubs and in front of folks who think they play college football games because they’re a good outlet for our student-athletes.

But getting a football team fired up to play any one other than Army, Navy and Air Force remains a work in progress.

The Irish ended last season in less-than inspiring fashion against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, and blessed with a patty-cake schedule this year, they only had to beat Michigan at home and USC here to find themselves playing for a national title. What would Notre Dame’s record be if matched against USC’s schedule?

Michigan crushed the Irish, and when Notre Dame went to the locker room for Weis’ halftime pick-me-up down by 11 to USC, the season was over.

All together now -- what’s Carroll’s strength: “halftime adjustments.”

USC had an answer for everything, outscoring the Irish again 23-14 in the final two quarters for a 20-point win. Sorry, Charlie.

“It was a fun night of football,” and Carroll, and as often as he talks about the competitive side of the game, fun is right there too -- which comes with winning so much.

Carroll’s teams are now 64-11 in his first 75 games at USC -- with John McKay 50-23-2 by way of comparison. That also includes five wins in a row over the Irish for those seniors who have hung in there with Carroll.

It’s beyond incredible what Carroll and USC have accomplished to date in this age of reduced scholarships, the list of players lost to the NFL last season as good as any reason to expect a Trojan drop off.

But true to what Carroll preaches, as I told him after Saturday’s win against Notre Dame, I’m almost beginning to believe him: The great competitor really does take one game at a time.

“I mean that,” Carroll said, “and when someone says something about the BCS or anything else, I guess I just have a bad attitude because I really don’t care. I still believe all that takes care of itself.”

One more win, and he’s got a point.

WHEN I bumped into Carroll outside the USC locker room, he said, “You’re still waiting for us to fall apart, aren’t you?”

I have no idea where he gets this stuff, but knowing how much the great competitor likes to be challenged, I told him that I’ve got USC going down this week against UCLA. At least I didn’t curl up into a ball like Weis.

I’ll check Monday at his news conference to see what position Dorrell has assumed.

I‘VE BEEN waiting almost seven years for a return phone call from USC President Steven Sample, and so the first time I see him in person is at “The Game Is On” luncheon and he’s reading from a prepared speech in which he tells the audience he calls the Notre Dame president about once a month.

I appreciate the fact that it’s taken him seven years so far to prepare what he’s going to say to me, but since I can no longer recall what I wanted to ask him, I’m not sure it really matters.

SPEAKING AT the luncheon, former USC wide receiver J.K. McKay spoke of his admiration for former USC quarterback Pat Haden. He said he named his child “Haden.”

He said the child “is 6 months old, and the same height now as Haden.”

*

T.J. Simers can be reached at t.j.simers@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Simers, go to latimes.com/simers.