No doubt SC is a great team with a great record. My point was they were challenged this year while Texas was not. At least not as much. In addition to the two games you mentioned, ND and Fresno, you might add both Arizona games. They had a stretch in the middle there where for three games they looked a bit laid back. As you said they came back strong in the second half. Texas didn't have that problem. Fresno and Arizona are weak. I've tallied their records and rankings over the last few years and if you exclude 2001 when USC was having a very down year, only three games separate the two over four seasons. SC average rank over the last four years was about 2.5 give or take and TX was maybe 4. They've both had great runs and this will be a great game. If TX wins this one though you could suddenly argue that their recent history will be similar. SC will have 1 championship and one split championship as well as a #2, #7 final rankings while TX will have one championship, a #3, and a couple of #6's. SC still wins the comparison but the two teams in addition to maybe Oklahoma have dominated. The year prior TX was again #6 and USC was in the 50's. I'm not taking anything away from SC but if TX wins they will have the dominant record in this decade although SC will have a split champoinship more. If SC wins well then we can compare them to some of the great teams of all time.
I would argue that they are already there.
The split Championship, is a bit of a slap. I believe had USC played LSU, as they should have, that there would have been no doubt in the outcome.