Coach Pete Carroll, his team having dropped from No. 5 to 7 in the latest BCS rankings despite the 56-0 victory against Washington, was asked repeatedly Tuesday during his weekly press conference for his thoughts on the BCS system. He did not shy away from answering.

“I think it stinks,” Carroll said. “I don’t know if we would have been No. 1 had we won all our games. That’s even why presidential candidates want to see playoffs.

“What is the criteria of the process? Is it the team that has the best season? The season that you like the most and feel best about voting for? Or is it the best team at the end of the year, the team that would win a playoff system if you did have it? … All we can do is keep talking about it.”

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• USC football: Mark Sanchez’s big test
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• USC football: In Carroll’s words (with commentary)