Big Deal?

1967: USC 21, UCLA 20

Known as the "Game of the Century," a No. 1 national ranking was on the line for both teams. O.J. Simpson, who had an iconic 64-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, led the Trojans past battered quarterback Gary Beban, that year's Heisman winner. (AP Photo)

The ever-popular "My all-American pioneer spirit moved me to Southern California because I saw a football game on the telly" legend is dragged out again, this time not in reference to seeing the Rose Bowl Parade &/or Game New Yr.'s Day on a new color television, & it's January & sunny & 70°F!, but November's annual USC-UCLA Dip Bowl.

Then on to how special it all is:

It's special because the schools aren't in different states or different cities. With apologies to Texas-Oklahoma, Florida-Georgia and Ohio State-Michigan, we see our rivals every day. We see them at home, we see them at work, we see them at school and we see them while we're stuck in traffic looking at their ugly license-plate frames.

It's the only football rivalry between two major universities in the same city.

These aren't strangers we see once a year and hate because our fathers and our father's father told us we're supposed to; it's a living, breathing rivalry we live every day. USC is less than 12 miles from UCLA and the rivalry often pits family members, friends and old teammates against one another.

If the rivalry doesn't seem as fervent as others do to those who only view it once a year, it's because we live it every day.

Arash Markazi is a columnist and writer for ESPNLA.com.

Follow Arash Markazi on Twitter: @ArashMarkazi

Or, this magically unique rivalry is more warm than hot because of the inbreeding Mr. Markazi glossed over, & the general geographic proximity. Hard to pursue aggressive civil war non-stop all yr., even for SoCal bragging rights.