Yeah -- it means this isn't a "conference" thing. You had two outstanding, undefeated teams. The played a helluva game and one came out on top. The suggestion that USC lost because their opponent wasn't in the Pac 10 is BS. If USC's status were merely the result of a weak conference, as he is suggesting, they wouldn't have won the last 2 years in non-conference games and national championship games and they wouldn't have lost by a mere 3 points in a game that could have easily gone the other way.
But who did USC beat in the conferences? Michigan was not the best non-conference team that year, LSU was. The next year, Oklahoma wasn't the best non-conference team, Auburn was.
It's a conference thing because no one in the Pac-10 has anywhere near the talent to compete with USC. The only way USC ever loses in the Pac-10 is if USC just plays really horribly and the other team has the game of its life. Playing only one or two tough games a year is a huge advantage injury wise as well.
If Auburn, LSU, Ohio State or Texas had been in the Pac-10 it is very likely that they would be on a 34 game winning streak as well.
Let's see if USC could go through Florida, Auburn, Tennessee, Georgia, LSU and Alabama all in one year in the SEC and then win the championship game. It's very hard which is why you don't see long unbeaten streaks in the SEC.
How about USC going through Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Penn State every year in Big-10. That is why you don't see long unbeaten streaks in the Big-10 either.
How about USC going through Virgina Tech, FSU and Miami in the same year in the ACC. The ACC is more top heavy than the other two, but there are still 3 teams just as talented as USC where in the Pac-10 there are none.
USC went through the last two season with almost zero major injuries to any of their starters. Compare that to other top notch teams in other conferences. Only playing one or two really tough games a year allows your teams to be really healthy at the end of the year in the bowl game.
This is the same advantage that Nebraska and Oklahoma enjoyed during the 80s and early 90s in the Big-8.