With press conferences over, it's a waiting game

	The scene that presents itself after first entering the Rose Bowl never gets old. Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Stewart Mandel checks in daily from Los Angeles leading up to Wednesday night's Rose Bowl game between USC and Texas.

Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2:09 p.m. PT

Greetings from the Rose Bowl press box! To make absolutely, positively sure no one got caught in L.A. traffic, media shuttles left the Beverly Hilton five hours before kickoff, arriving without incident an hour later. Needless to say, I've got a little time to kill.

• This is the fifth Rose Bowl game I've attended or covered, and I'll tell you, the sight when you first walk in the stadium never gets old. As usual, the sun is shining and the sky is clear, providing an unobstructed view of the San Gabriel Mountains ascending in the distance. The freshly painted field is glistening -- Texas' end zone is burnt orange with white lettering; USC's cardinal with gold lettering -- and an enormous, purple "National Championship" banner spreads from one 36-yard line to the other beneath the midfield Rose Bowl logo.

• An entire section of the parking lot was already filled with tailgaters when I arrived -- and it seemed like nearly every one of them was wearing burnt orange. Hometown Trojans fans are expected to outnumber the Texas Exes eventually, but we all know L.A. fans are notorious late-arrivers.

• After spending nearly a week at their respective Beverly Hills hotels, both teams moved to more isolated locations last night to get away from the hoopla (Texas' hotel, the Century Plaza, is also the home base for the official alumni tour).

• I watched the second half and the three overtimes of last night's Penn State-Florida State game at a bowl-sponsored media outing, and it was fun to watch as a room full of normally jaded sportswriters get so into the climactic (albeit drawn out) finish. It's been a good year for the BCS. Not only did they get a controversy-free title game, but I can't remember a season in which all three of the non-title games were so compelling. Usually there's at least one stinker (remember Florida-Maryland? Utah-Pittsburgh?) you turn off by the third quarter. Hopefully it won't come tonight.

• Speaking of which, I'll be curious to see how last night's game did ratings-wise. While it was certainly a thriller, it also didn't end until 1 a.m. on the East Coast on a worknight. The BCS is reaping what it's sowed by moving these games away from New Year's Day. Suddenly those World Series marathons aren't the nation's only sleep-depriving sports event.

• T-minus three hours until kickoff. Hopefully Texas won't make me look stupid. Enjoy the game.