It was pushing midnight as UCLA players trudged through the rain into their dated but quaint riverside hotel. The Bruins had endured something of a slog after making the roughly hourlong drive from Corvallis following a second consecutive defeat.

Across town, the mood was more upbeat for their USC counterparts. The Trojans could fully enjoy the comforts of their modern boutique hotel complete with cardinal and gold blown glass light fixtures in the lobby after beating Oregon to notch a third consecutive victory.