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USC and Washington ruled the Pac-10 in two different six-year periods

Although neither program currently holds its former tier of power, two historic West Coast universities once completely monopolized the annual trip to Pasadena through two distinct eras. Historically leading all institutions in postseason contest appearances and victories at the New Year's Day classic, the Southern California squad and their northern conference rivals from Seattle uniquely locked out every other league competitor across two separate six-year spans.

During the initial stretch lasting from 1977 through 1982, leadership under John Robinson and Don James successfully fended off competition from Terry Donahue's program to exclusively control the conference's premier bowl slot, with both schools splitting six total appearances evenly. A subsequent sequence from 1988 until 1993 featured three consecutive trips by the southern contingent followed by a three-year run from the northern powerhouse, which included a victory yielding a shared national title alongside Miami.

Currently attempting to gain steady footing within the Big Ten conference, both universities previously carried regional football prominence entirely on their shoulders.

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