Harbaugh said this week that reports of any "animosity" between the two coaches are "erroneous." He summed up their rivalry as being about "football, competition and winning." Thanks for clarifying.

As college coaches in what was then the Pac-10, Harbaugh (Stanford) and Carroll (Southern California) overlapped for three games over three seasons (2007-09). As NFL coaches in the NFC West, Harbaugh (49ers) and Carroll (Seahawks) are heading into their seventh meeting in three seasons.

In Seattle, where Sunday's NFC championship game will be played, Carroll has won the past two as his team outscored the Niners 71-16. But dating back to the Cardinal against the Trojans, Harbaugh (6-3) still has the overall upper hand:


Stanford vs. USC

Oct. 6, 2007: Cardinal 24, No. 2 Trojans 23. This is when Harbaugh, during his first season in Palo Alto, broke out as a top-flight coach. Playing at the Los Angeles Coliseum where USC was favored by 41, Stanford stunned the Trojans with inexperienced backup QB Kavita Pritchard and a 17-point fourth quarter. Carroll’s team saw its 35-game home winning streak come to an end.

Nov. 15, 2008: No.  6 Trojans 45, Cardinal 23. Carroll got his team to rebound in Stanford Stadium. The game was tied 17-17 at halftime, until USC pulled away thanks to its running game (282 yards) and big plays by quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Nov. 14, 2009: No. 25 Cardinal 55, No. 11 Trojans 21. Back in the Coliseum, the duel between Andrew Luck and Matt Barkley turned into Stanford showing its dominance with its power rushing attack. Toby Gerhart and Coby Fleener were big factors. Cornerback Richard Sherman, now with Carroll’s Seahawks, also had a TD.

San Francisco vs. Seattle

Sept. 11, 2011: 49ers 33, Seahawks 17. Special teams ensured Harbaugh would roll with the 49ers in his first meeting with the Seahawks at Candlestick Park.

Dec. 24, 2011: 49ers 19, Seahawks 17. David Akers did it again for Harbaugh, smacking in four more field goals in the game in Seattle, including the 39-yard game-winner.

Oct. 18, 2012: 49ers 13, Seahawks 6. Defenses dominated in this otherwise sleepy Thursday night clash at Candlestick. The only touchdown and the difference for Harbaugh’s team came on a red zone pass from Alex Smith to Delanie Walker.

Dec. 23, 2012: Seahawks 42, 49ers 13. Russell Wilson threw four TD passes and the mistake-prone 49ers couldn’t stop Marshawn Lynch. It marked the first duel between Wilson and Colin Kaepernick.

Sept. 15, 2013: Seahawks 29, 49ers 3. Kaepernick had one of his worst games with three interceptions and just 166 yards combined passing and rushing. Five turnovers overall and 121 penalty yards did in San Francisco before it had a chance.

Dec. 8, 2013: 49ers 19, Seahawks 17. Phil Dawson kicked four field goals including the 22-yard chip shot game-winner in the fourth quarter. While Kaepernick and Wilson played to a draw, Frank Gore had the better game (110 yards) than Lynch (72 yards) to help the Niners.

THE JAW SPEAKS


Bill Cowher knows all about Spygate. In fact, he knows all about spying in the NFL.

The Patriots head for Sunday's the AFC championship against the Broncos, their eighth conference title game in Bill Belichick's 14 years. The only real blotch on Belichick's record was in 2007, when the Patriots were caught videotaping other teams' defensive signals.

But if you believe Cowher, Spygate's no big deal.

During a radio appearance on 93.7 FM in Pittsburgh, Cowher, who now works as an analyst for CBS, admitted that the Steelers also tried to steal signals under his watch.

"The only thing (the Patriots) got caught (was) doing it with a camera," Cowher said. "We had people that always tried to steal signals. Stealing someone's signals was a part of the game, and everyone attempted to do that."

The topic came up when Cowher was asked why he didn't ask Belichick about Spygate, in regards to the teams' AFC championship game for the 2004 season, during an interview for "The NFL Today" on CBS.

Cowher insisted the Steelers lost that game because the Patriots had the better team.

"We didn't lose the game because of any Spygate, because of them having any additional things," Cowher said. "If they're guilty of anything, they're guilty of arrogance because they were told not to do something. But it was something that everybody does."


AWAITING PERCY


Seahawks wideout Percy Harvin remains in concussion testing and awaits clearance for Sunday's NFC championship game.

Harvin didn't be participating in practice Thursday. The only deadline for Harvin is the one determined by doctors who must clear him to play against San Francisco.

Harvin was injured late in last week's victory over the Saints. Before being injured, Harvin had three receptions and one carry in just his second game of the season.


BRADY BACK


Pats quarterback Tom Brady was back practicing Thursday after adding drama to this weekend's hyped Brady-Manning game.

The Patriots practice report listed Brady as out Wednesday because of illness and a right shoulder problem.

Brady said last week he had a cold and but played as the Patriots defeated the Colts. He was listed on the injury report earlier in the season for a shoulder injury, but practiced with it.


PROSECUTION RESTS IN BRENT CASE


Prosecutors rested their case against former defensive tackle Josh Brent Thursday after presenting testimony from two Dallas Cowboys players who were with Brent the night of a crash that left a practice squad player dead.

Brent is accused of drunkenly wrecking his Mercedes and killing practice squad player Jerry Brown in December 2012.

Brent faces 20 years in prison if convicted either of manslaughter or intoxication manslaughter in the death of his friend, who was also a teammate of Brent's at the University of Illinois.

Jurors heard from safeties Barry Church and Danny McCray, who played video games for several hours with Brent, then went to dinner and a nightclub with him and Brown. Prosecutors said credit-card receipts showed Brent bought drinks at dinner and three bottles of Champagne at the nightclub.

Both Church and McCray testified that they could not remember exactly how much Brent had to drink.

Prosecutors showed police dash-cam video of Brent failing a field sobriety test after the fiery wreck in the Dallas suburb of Irving. Police say blood tests showed Brent to have a blood-alcohol level afterward more than twice the legal limit.

Contributors: Vinnie Iyer, Ben Estes, Cassandra Negley, The Associated Press

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