An interesting dynamic, in Southern California journalism. And this pertains to blogging as well as writing:

You have to get your ideas into print/on the web … before the Los Angeles Times does.

Or you run the real risk of being seen as a intellectual-property thief.

The maddening thing is, it doesn’t work the other way. Your brilliant insight can appear in any other publication (print or electronic, from the Orange County Register to this blog) … and if the L.A. Times does essentially the same story a week later … that’s OK. Because they’re the big media, and how can they be expected to know what all The Little People are blathering about?

Anyway, my perfectly good idea that I didn’t get around to writing in time … is how USC suddenly is at risk of going 12-0 in the regular season and NOT being a lock for the Bowl Championship Series title game. Which was hard to imagine after the Trojans spanked Ohio State.

But then Chris Dufresne of the Times wrote that — in today’s print edition. And now anything I do on the topic is derivative. Though I thought of it (honest) on Saturday, just watching the scores roll in.

So I’m going to go ahead anyway, after making sure everyone knows that I understand how the rules work.

Here is USC’s dilemma:

USC’s schedule suddenly looks like a pastry cart. Cupcakes and cream puffs all over the place.

Virginia? 9-4 last year, but the Cavaliers just got drilled by Connecticut and look like a bad team.

Ohio State has looked shaky in all three of its victories — and looked awful against the Trojans.

Notre Dame just lost and is unranked in the AP poll. Every Pac-10 team has at least one defeat and none of them are ranked in the top 25.

Thus, USC’s schedule is weak, through no fault of its own, and that will hurt it in the computer rankings. So if Georgia or LSU or Florida survives the SEC unbeaten and, say, Oklahoma or Missouri comes out of the Big 12 without a blemish … those two will go into the BCS title game ahead of USC. Count on it. Because those teams will have played a schedule considered far more difficult than USC’s.

Just now, USC fans have to be rooting for Ohio State to win as many games as possible (going 11-1 would be nice, thank you) … and see if it can get a conference roomie to beat someone (anyone) with a serious program (or at least stop losing by huge scores) … and pray for Notre Dame to win as many games as possible (and I know that idea has to come hard, very hard for USC fans).

Anyway, the way this L.A. Times/SoCal sports market thing works … since I didn’t jump to the computer and bang this out Saturday night or Sunday, now I’m late. I’m a copy cat.

It’s a weird dynamic, as I said, of journalism in this market. One I’m not sure most people even think about, but very real if you’re working here. If you’re not The Times, you have to be first.