LOS ANGELES — The outcome of last night's Notre Dame-Southern California game was never in doubt. What remains in question is Charlie Weis' job security with the Fighting Irish.

Mark Sanchez passed for 267 yards and two touchdowns, USC's hard-hitting defense thoroughly dominated Notre Dame, and the fifth-ranked Trojans rolled to a 38-3 victory over the Irish and their beleaguered coach.

"This was a terrific way to send the seniors out," USC coach Pete Carroll said following the Trojans' final home game. "We're not done yet. We just keep playing. We're going to the Rose Bowl, one way or another."

By winning their eighth straight game, the Trojans kept their slim national championship hopes alive and, at the very least, are in position to play in their fourth straight Rose Bowl game.

With No. 17 Oregon State's 65-38 loss to No. 19 Oregon earlier yesterday, USC (10-1, 7-1 Pac-10) needs only to beat crosstown rival UCLA (4-7, 3-5) Saturday at the Rose Bowl to win its seventh straight conference title and set up a New Year's date in Pasadena with No. 6 Penn State, the Big Ten champion.

"Our only concern is going up to Pasadena next week and taking care of the Pac-10," USC linebacker Brian Cushing said.

USC finished with 22 first downs and 449 yards of total offense while Notre Dame (5-5) had four first downs and 91 yards. The Irish didn't get a first down until the last play of the third quarter on a 15-yard run by James Aldridge.

After it was over, Weis patiently answered questions about his future.

"I'm the head coach at Notre Dame," he said. "When the time comes sometime in my career, either by my choice or their choice, they're going to tell me I'm not the head coach at Notre Dame. But right now, my intent is to finish this press conference, be cordial, worry about my players, get them off to the airport and go on this recruiting trip tomorrow."

NO. 1 ALABAMA 36, AUBURN 0

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Glen Coffee rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown and Nick Saban's Crimson Tide (12-0, 8-0 Southeastern Conference) snapped a six-year Iron Bowl losing streak with a rout of the rival Tigers (5-7, 2-6), the biggest margin in the series in 46 years.

The dominant win set the stage for Alabama to face No. 2 Florida in the league championship game with a berth in the BCS national title game on the line. The loss left Auburn shut out of a bowl game for the first time in nine years and cast another shadow on the decade-long tenure of coach Tommy Tuberville.

NO. 7 TEXAS TECH 35, BAYLOR 28

LUBBOCK, Texas — Graham Harrell capped a 21-point rally with a touchdown pass with 7:14 to play as the host Red Raiders kept their hopes for a Big 12 South title alive with a victory against Baylor.

Texas Tech (11-1, 7-1) won 11 games in a season for the third time in the program's 84 years.

The Bears (4-8, 2-6) led 21-14 at halftime, and scored on their opening possession of the second half with Jacoby Jones capping a 78-yard drive on a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 28-14.

Texas Tech took control from there — without All-American Michael Crabtree, who left with a right foot injury midway through the second quarter and did not return.

KANSAS 40, NO. 12 MISSOURI 37

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Todd Reesing threw a touchdown pass to Kerry Meier with 27 seconds left to lift the Jayhawks (7-5, 4-4 Big 12) over the Tigers (9-3, 5-3), who will still play for the league title despite a hard-fought loss to their border rivals.

The Jayhawks led by 16 early in the third quarter, let Missouri back in it, then traded touchdowns with the Tigers in the fourth quarter before Reesing hit Meier.

Reesing finished 37-for-51 for 375 yards with two interceptions. Missouri's Chase Daniel had 391 total yards and threw for four touchdowns, but also had two interceptions, a fumble and was sacked for a safety in the second quarter.

NO. 18 GEORGIA TECH 45, NO. 13 GEORGIA 42

ATHENS, Ga. — Roddy Jones rushed for 214 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown run for a 45-35 lead with 7:12 left, as the Yellow Jackets (9-3) rallied to beat the Bulldogs (9-3) at Athens, Ga., and snap a seven-game losing streak against their state rival.

After building a 28-12 halftime lead, the Bulldogs simply had no answer for Georgia Tech's triple-option offense, which piled up 409 yards on the ground. Georgia Tech had not beaten Georgia since 2000.

NO. 19 OREGON 65, NO. 17 OREGON STATE 38

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Jeremiah Masoli threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns and the visiting Ducks (9-3, 7-2 Pac-10) all but crushed the Beavers' (8-4, 7-2) hopes of going to the Rose Bowl with a rout in the annual Civil War rivalry game.

A win would have sent the Beavers to Pasadena on New Year's Day for the first time since after the 1964 season. Instead, Oregon State will have to wait to see if UCLA can upset No. 5 USC Saturday. It the Bruins win, the Beavers would share a three-way tie for the conference title with the Trojans and the Ducks, and Oregon State would have the tiebreaker for the Rose Bowl.

NO. 20 B. COLLEGE 28, MARYLAND 21

BOSTON — Backup quarterback Billy Flutie, nephew of Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie, threw for a 9-yard touchdown pass on a fake field goal and Robert Francois returned an interception 36 yards for a score and a 28-14 lead with 1:42 left as the Eagles beat the Terrapins to reach the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.

BC (9-3, 5-3) will play Virginia Tech Saturday — the second straight year the former Big East foes will play for the ACC's spot in the Orange Bowl. Maryland (7-5, 4-4) fell into a logjam of ACC teams seeking a secondary bowl berth — the conference has 10 teams competing for nine guaranteed spots.