UCLA eliminated USC from the Pac-12 South race with a lopsided 38-20 win at the Rose Bowl. It marks the first three-game winning streak in the series for the Bruins since 1996-98.

How the game was won: After USC (7-4, 6-3 Pac-12) took a 7-0 lead, UCLA (9-2, 6-2) basically did whatever it wanted. The Bruins led 24-14 at halftime and extended the lead to 38-14 in the third quarter before coasting to the win.

Game ball goes to: UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley finished 22-of-31 for 326 yards three touchdowns passes to move to 3-0 in his career against the Trojans -- the first Bruins quarterback since Cade McNown with such a record. Hundley also rushed for a touchdown and passed McNown to become UCLA's career leader in total offense.

What it means: UCLA can lock up the Pac-12 South with a win against Stanford next week at home. It would be the Bruins' third appearance in the title game since it was introduced in 2011 -- the most of any Pac-12 team. USC could have clinched the division on Saturday with a win and an Arizona State loss to Washington State, but instead are no longer in contention.

Playoff implication: UCLA is a serious threat for a playoff berth. If the Bruins win out, they would be 11-2 (including a potential revenge win against Oregon). Would that be enough to convince the committee they deserve a shot? Who knows, but they would have to be seriously considered. Their résumé would include five wins against teams that are currently ranked by the committee and both losses are also to ranked teams. That compares favorably to, say, Ohio State, which has one bad loss (Virginia Tech) and counts Minnesota as one of its best two wins.

Best play: UCLA's Thomas Duarte caught a 57-yard pass from Hundley in the first quarter, which set the tone for the type of night it would be.

What's next: UCLA hosts newly bowl-eligible Stanford (6-5, 4-4) next week and USC will host reeling Notre Dame (7-4).