Even though the series between USC and Penn State is older than Joe Paterno (barely), the historic college football power houses have only faced each other eight times.

Maybe that’s why they can co-exist with basically the same mottoes.

The Nittany Lions consider their most famous athletic cheer, "We are … Penn State!"

But the Trojans shout an eerily similar, "We are … SC!"

USC thinks they invented the phrase "Fight on!"

But Penn State fans also tell each other to "Fight on!"

Appropriately, that’s how the first game between the schools started.

During a conference call with coaches and reporters on Sunday night, USC’s Pete Carroll joked about the legacy with PSU’s Joe Paterno. "I heard that in 1923, ‘SC played Penn State. I don’t think you were there, but there was a fight between the coaches in the pregame. I know that you’re a little under the weather recovering, but I’m sure you still got a good left hand."

Paterno shot right back, "If you got to worry about my left hand, you’re in real trouble."

It never came to blows on New Years of 1923, but a heated argument at the Rose Bowl was reportedly caused by the most traditional of LA excuses — traffic.

According to "Tournament of Roses," a book by Joe Hendrickson, the game was supposed to start at 2:15 p.m., but Penn State’s bus didn’t make it until fifteen minutes after the scheduled kickoff. USC coach Elmer "Gloomy Gus" Henderson was waiting in the Lion’s locker room and berated PSU coach Hugo Bezdek, "You tried to stall so we would get itchy. Furthermore, you wanted the sun to lower, believing you’d have a better chance when it’s cool."

Bezdek called Henderson a liar.

Henderson said Bezdek was full of "bunk."

Bezdek suggested Henderson remove his glasses.

No, I’m not making this up.

Fortunately (depending on how you look at it), some people stepped in and the game was able to kick off at 3:05 p.m. While still early by today’s standards, it threw reporters and telegraph operators for a loop. Evidently there was no electricity, so they needed matches for enough light to finish their stories.

USC won that evening, 14-3, and the schools wouldn’t face each other again until the 1982 Fiesta Bowl. Perhaps that pregame conversation is why they avoided each other for almost sixty years.

In another strange twist, a newspaper column ran days before the game
titled, "Tom Thorp, Famous Coach, Recites the Cardinal Rules for
Success on Gridiron."

Rule number one?

"Never get conversational with
your opponent."

— Adam Rose
(Click the image to see a larger version)