USC beat crosstown rival UCLA this week, and it wasn't, as usual, on the football field. No, surprisingly, the win is in the academic arena, as USC outranked UCLA in U.S. News & World Report's annual national college rankings. The Trojans ended up one step above the Bruins at 23 to 25 (there were two schools, including Carnegie Mellon University, tied for 23rd).

The Los Angeles Times notes that it's the first time USC has beat the Bruins since the rankings started in 1983. And for good reason — UCLA usually admits freshman with Ivy League-level GPAs and SAT scores. But the private USC has the cash to create smaller class sizes and attract solid professorial talent.

Of course, the stereotype was always that 'SC was the Mustang GT-drivin' jocks' school and UCLA was where nerds on mopeds prevailed. No longer? Compare and contrast.

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