Only in Los Angeles could a fashion statement be worth two timeouts.

USC coach Pete Carroll said this week that his Trojans will wear their home cardinal jerseys when they travel across the LA freeway for their showdown with crosstown rival UCLA on Saturday, which if the Trojans win puts them in the Rose Bowl against Penn State.

Because the Trojans are the visiting team, the NCAA requires them to wear white uniforms. Because Carroll insists the Trojans wear their home jerseys, USC will lose a timeout before the start of each half, giving Carroll four instead of the normal six.

But the laid-back Carroll doesn't mind. He said he thinks having his Trojans in their cardinal red jerseys and UCLA in its powdered blue jerseys will look cool on the field,

"I don't care about it right now," Carroll said. "I think it's the fun thing to do, and I think the fans will appreciate it over time."

It used to be a tradition for both schools to wear their home jerseys during their annual end-of-the-year battle, but it ended in 1982. But Carroll, and first-year, also very laid back, UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel both said they like the idea of bringing back that tradition.

Now if the clock runs out on the Trojans as their trying to get their field goal team onto the field for a tying, or winning, field goal, Carroll might want to consider a job as a fashion designer (tongue firmly planted in cheek). But since USC opened the week as 32-point favorites, it's easy to understand Carroll's optimism.

-- Wible