The election season is over, but USC Coach Pete Carroll on Tuesday thanked President-elect Barack Obama for stumping for a college football playoff system.

Obama has said he advocates a playoff rather then the current system utilized to determine the Bowl Championship Series champion.

"I think it's a sign that he's in touch with stuff. He's in touch with the people," Carroll said during his weekly news conference. "This isn't going to solve world issues here, but it certainly is a fun issue for the people that run the world of college football. I think it's really cool that he's picked up on it.

"It gives us, those guys that do want to stand up and say that we'd like to have it differently, a little encouragement and backing. It's the president. I mean, shoot, how can you turn that down?"

USC is No. 5 in the BCS standings, trailing No. 1 Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma and Florida.

The Trojans are a long shot to play in the BCS title game in Florida.

"If you took a vote across the country, there's no way the vote would come out, `Let's vote for the BCS,' " Carroll said. "They're going to vote for a playoff system."