Who will win USC or Texas

[KIISQueen]

Who will win The Rose Bowl

[ialsohaveadream]

I'm rooting for USC, but all the ridiculous hype they've been getting scares me.

[MikeD]

I'm rooting for USC, but all the ridiculous hype they've been getting scares me.

I'm rooting for UT, but all the ridiculous hype USC has been getting is pretty well deserved; odds are they roll by 10-14.

[ialsohaveadream]

I think '04 USC would beat '05 USC, which is why I think this team is over-hyped. Last year's team was pretty nuts...and would've been more so if they'd been allowed to let Williams back.

[brainsmile]

I'm hoping that they play to a 0-0 tie in quad overtime

[MikeD]

I think '04 USC would beat '05 USC, which is why I think this team is over-hyped. Last year's team was pretty nuts...and would've been more so if they'd been allowed to let Williams back.

Hey IAHAD, does '04 USC beat '01 Miami? How about the Ward FSU teams?

I know ESPN asked this about '05, but since you mentioned '04 I was wondering what you thought.

My thoughts = no.

[ialsohaveadream]

Hey IAHAD, does '04 USC beat '01 Miami? How about the Ward FSU teams?

I know ESPN asked this about '05, but since you mentioned '04 I was wondering what you thought.

My thoughts = no.
I can't think of any team I've seen that could top that '01 Canes team. That team probably could've gotten at least 6 wins playing in the NFL. USC '04 probably takes out Charlie's FSU teams, but it'd be close. There were years where the 'Noles were loaded (Derrick Brooks, Warrick Dunn, etc.).

The thing that would make USC a winner would be to have Williams still involved. Then the offensive talent just gets too overpowering (more so than that old Penn State team with Kerry Collins at QB).

[Sirrich3]

Go Horns!

[shaggyucla]

it wont even be close... usc in a stomping
dont get me wrong.. and dont worry fellow ucla fans...i hate sc and i hope they lose... but i dont think tex has a chance. i hope i am wrong but

[bachviet]

Always go with the *dog. :D

[cheapie]

That team probably could've gotten at least 6 wins playing in the NFL.



no way they win even one game in the NFL! every time there's a good college team people start saying things like that.

every player on a nfl team is someone that was just about the best on his college squad.

here's the miami roster



Ken Dorsey
Clinton Portis
Willis Mcgahee
Najeh Davenport
Frank Gore
Jarret Payton
Andre Johnson
Daryl King
Jason Geathers
Roscoe Parrish
Jeremy Shockey
Kellen Winslow
Bryant Mckinnie
Joquin Gonzalez
Bret Romberg
Chris Meyers
Sherko Haji Rasouli

Defense

Vince Wilfork
Jerome Mcdougle
William Joseph
Matt Walters
Johnathan Vilma
DJ. Williams
Chris Carpenter (RIP)
Mike Rumph
Philip Buchanon
Ed Reed
Sean Taylor
Antrel Rolle
Kelly Jennings
James Lewis


yeah...pretty good. but they never played anyone that was just as fast, but bigger in pretty much every position. once you get past the big names in that roster, do you think the miami O or D line would have an advantage over their bigger opponents on 6 nfl teams?

[ialsohaveadream]

no way they win even one game in the NFL! every time there's a good college team people start saying things like that.

every player on a nfl team is someone that was just about the best on his college squad.

here's the miami roster
Look at that Miami roster again. Portis, McGahee, Shockey, Winslow, Johnson, McKinnie aren't just NFL players now, they're Pro Bowl-caliber NFL players. Errr, Winslow would be, but he's a moron.

On defense, that D-line is insane, and you've got Vilma and Williams at LB (both in the NFL- and Vilma turning into a star), Reed (already one of the NFL's best safeties) and Taylor (insane, but talented). Then, at corner, you have Rumph (who went first round but was overrated even in college) who can back up Buchanon and Rolle.

Here's the teams that team could beat: San Fran, Houston, NY Jets, New Orleans, Baltimore...and then the Jets again, because I decided to put them in the AFC East. :P

[modena]

No college team could ever beat an NFL team. Just about never. And like if you would delete an NFL team and just drop in the '01 Canes, they would be lucky to have a win. They are not used to playing that long of a season and it would be men against boys.

[VTGreg]

Look at that Miami roster again. Portis, McGahee, Shockey, Winslow, Johnson, McKinnie aren't just NFL players now, they're Pro Bowl-caliber NFL players. Errr, Winslow would be, but he's a moron.

On defense, that D-line is insane, and you've got Vilma and Williams at LB (both in the NFL- and Vilma turning into a star), Reed (already one of the NFL's best safeties) and Taylor (insane, but talented). Then, at corner, you have Rumph (who went first round but was overrated even in college) who can back up Buchanon and Rolle.

Here's the teams that team could beat: San Fran, Houston, NY Jets, New Orleans, Baltimore...and then the Jets again, because I decided to put them in the AFC East. :P

You are basing you comment on what kind of players they are now. No matter how talented and loaded the college team, they would be lucky to win a NFL game against any team. You have to remember that while many of these players are pro bowl caliber players now, many were still young backups in 2001.

That '01 Miami team was very close to losing to VT (granted it was at Lane) so it is silly to think that they would win 1 or 2 games in a NFL season, much less 6.

As far as tonight's matchup, I think UT wins. Both teams are loaded and have incredible play makers, but UT has a much better defense than any other that USC has faced all year and I think that will be the difference. UT wins 37 - 31.

[Showtime]

02 SC team would beat this years and last years team imo. That was my favorite SC squad coached by Carroll. That team had some serious heart and would beat their opponents into submisson. Slow start separated them from a shot, but they were the best team at the end of the seaon that year. Palmer/Williams were on fire and Troy Polamalu was getting it done. They won that bowl game (28-14) with Troy on the bench due to an injury. Would have been a complete blowout with Troy in the game.
Anyways, back to the topic at hand....
The spread on this years game was like 7 1/2 and might have changed... My friends and I aren't touching it. Blowout or loss imo.
I think SC blows them out if they start out strong, TX wont recover. Texas has a huge chip on their shoulder and that can work for or against them. SC has "been there and done that" and that could hurt them, but historically, SC plays well in bowl games. In a close game I think Texas will win, but I would love to see SC win a close one, ala the Notre Dame game. Best game this year by far. Much, much, much more entertaining than watching a team win on a field goal.

Whatever happens... I will be watching and hopefully enjoying this historic matchup.

Fight on!

[zippyjuan]

Texas has the better defense and their best team ever. USC is not as strong and last season, but still potent on offense. Texas has a history of underperforming in the big games. but I don't think that will happen this year. I go Texas, 38- 35.

[PrObLy]

02 SC team would beat this years and last years team imo. That was my favorite SC squad coached by Carroll. That team had some serious heart and would beat their opponents into submisson. Slow start separated them from a shot, but they were the best team at the end of the seaon that year. Palmer/Williams were on fire and Troy Polamalu was getting it done. They won that bowl game (28-14) with Troy on the bench due to an injury. Would have been a complete blowout with Troy in the game.



I agree with you on that. Although, I think you are mistaking the score from the '04 Rose Bowl against Michigan (28-14) and the Orange Bowl that the '02 team with Carson Palmer and Polamalu played Iowa at the beginning of '03 where you guys smacked us around.

It was indeed a blowout, 38-17, with one of our touchdowns coming on a kickoff return. I think that USC team is better than this one if not only because of the exceptional defense.
___________________________________________________________


I think USC will win tonight...I would like to say by a lot because I really dislike the Longhorns, but that probably won't be the case.

I understand that Texas' secondary is much more experienced than last year, but they lost their best linebacker and probably best overall defensive player in Derrick Johnson.

Last year Michigan was able to run up 37 points against Texas thanks to playmakers like Braylon Edwards and Steve Breaston. USC has this kind of playmaking ability.

[borrowed from SI]
http://www.engineering.uiowa.edu/~hsaubert/pics/t1_usctexas2.jpg

[ialsohaveadream]

I think SC blows them out if they start out strong, TX wont recover. Texas has a huge chip on their shoulder and that can work for or against them. SC has "been there and done that" and that could hurt them, but historically, SC plays well in bowl games. In a close game I think Texas will win, but I would love to see SC win a close one, ala the Notre Dame game. Best game this year by far. Much, much, much more entertaining than watching a team win on a field goal.
Agreed on all points...although I think the blowout will only be about 2-3 touchdowns (even though I'd love to see USC re-enact that UM vs. UT Cotton Bowl game, where Miami just laid the whoopin on the Horns...of course, they also rubbed it in way too much).


You are basing you comment on what kind of players they are now. No matter how talented and loaded the college team, they would be lucky to win a NFL game against any team. You have to remember that while many of these players are pro bowl caliber players now, many were still young backups in 2001.
Portis shined in his first year in the league. McGahee would've done the same if he hadn't got injured in a game that didn't happen. Shockey was a huge threat in his first year, they just didn't get the ball to him enough.

I will grant you that I was adding in guys like McGahee, who were backups at the time. We'll never know, of course, but I still think that UM team had the players to contend with some of the NFL's weakest teams. Just for sh*ts and giggles...assume that we could make all the players on that 2001 squad into themselves as college seniors. You think that team beats any NFL teams?

[Merlin]

This is some real bad tackling by USC.

[Sirrich3]

An exciting game so far.

[DarkFury]

OMG... please tell me that the USC band didn't just play "BEAT IT" during the halftime show...

Bwaaa haa haa haa.... (I'm rollin' all over the floor here...) :heh: :hihi:


Too funny to watch Division 1A school bands... in comparison to the show you get at most HBCUs (like my beloved FAMU Marching 100) :heh:

Sorry to digress from the subject... but this seemed to be the thread for folks actually watchin' the game. :D

[eSDee]

Actually I came in to comment on the band as well. The Texas band had one of the most boring performances ever witnessed by man. Damn that sucked! :puke:

[ialsohaveadream]

Also, I love how this game is setting up...it gives USC the opportunity to win by 1 point and simultaneously make ever Texas fan in the country cry at once. Oh, what a night that would be!

By the way, I cannot BELIEVE that USC didn't call a timeout after that BS Texas "touchdown" in the first half to allow for a review. They reviewed plays that weren't nearly as close as that one.

[eSDee]

This game is a lot better than I thought it would be!

[kgsilvas]

...By the way, I cannot BELIEVE that USC didn't call a timeout after that BS Texas "touchdown" in the first half to allow for a review...

Carroll probably didn't think the game would be this close and didn't want to look bad.

[guiseppewv]

There have been a few BS calls or non-calls in this game. It is defintely a great game, though.

Edit: Wow, USC is on the ropes. That was an awesome run by VY.

[Nija]

Texas wins. =\

[guiseppewv]

This is the only time I believe in the prevent D.


I guess I am one of the 10 who were correct in this poll.

Texas wins!!! Texas wins!!!!

[Sirrich3]

WHOA NELLIE!!!!!!!!

Hook Em Horns!!!!!

NATIONAL CHAMPS!!!! TEXAS LONGHORNS!!!!!

[bachviet]

Vince Young is too good for USC defense! :thumbup: I should have bet with my co-worker (USC alumn) but he only gave me 7 instead of 7-1/2. Bragging rights belong to me though.

[brainsmile]

Suck it Leinert

[zippyjuan]

Hey, I was pretty close. Texas by three. They both scored three more points than I predicted. We saw several players who will be finding homes in the NFL soon. There was a lot of talent on both sides. Vince Young was very impressive. 200 yards rushing?

[Thesifer]

Ohhh.. I voted right.

[guiseppewv]

That was freakin' awesome!!!!! VY is one helluva QB. TX is going to be looking for a new QB b/c he has got to be going to the NFL.

268 yds passing and 199 yds rushing. Amazing.

[Thesifer]

That was freakin' awesome!!!!! VY is one helluva QB. TX is going to be looking for a new QB b/c he has got to be going to the NFL.

268 yds passing and 199 yds rushing. Amazing.


All year he said he isn't going to the draft. But will see now. I still doubt it

[shaggyucla]

yea-ya... sc goes down tonight... thanks texas

[Memo]

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crazy **** dudes. A crowd has now gathered here on west campus and is heading to the tower, people going ape ****!

[Daedalus]

I say Texas won by a facemask! VY earned it big though.

[DarkFury]

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crazy **** dudes. A crowd has now gathered here on west campus and is heading to the tower, people going ape ****!
Betta go get your shotgun and sit in your truck...

The riot is on tonight... :heh:

(j/k... I hope nothing else bad happens to Memo's truck. :D )

[eSDee]

That was an amazing game. I was rooting for Reggie Bush which means I was rooting for SC, however I was blown away by Vince Young's performance. He won the game for Texas.

[gear02]

Yup. Got it right.

Sounds like Vince is going to the NFL. Kept talking about sitting down with his family to make a decision. Far cry from his prvious statements of returning to Texas.

This changes the whole Texans first pick. If Vince comes out, I say we trade Carr and take Vince.

[ialsohaveadream]

Yup. Got it right.

Sounds like Vince is going to the NFL. Kept talking about sitting down with his family to make a decision. Far cry from his prvious statements of returning to Texas.

This changes the whole Texans first pick. If Vince comes out, I say we trade Carr and take Vince.
Wow....that would make you the worst GM ever. :)

Pete Carroll's an idiot. He didn't call a timeout to let that non-TD get overturned, and it cost them the game. Just an amazingly poor decision by him and his staff.

[Sirrich3]

Heading to Vegas in the morning to CASH in these FAT bets!

[Kevster]

Well my Sister-in-Law is overjoyed right now since she is an alumni of UT. I was rooting for Texas mainly because I cannot stand USC because of a very personal reason: the absolute worst teacher I ever had in college got his Ph.d from USC and my graduate class of topics in digital communications was his first teaching job. He didn't show up half the time to teach and I wasted $1500 tuition on his class where I learned absolutely nothing. I have hated USC ever since then and tend to look down at their engineering graduates (I work with someone who got a Masters in Engineering from USC as well and he's the mental equivilent of a bag of hammers too - and now he owes me $50 :D )

It was an umbelievable game to watch. USC simply lost to a better team. VY ran all OVER them - he was simply amazing to watch.

[SpikeDig]

Was this a game for "The Ages?" Only got to see the highlight film & followed the score throughout the night via cell phone updates. Anyone recommend I roll the whole video tape? Or just re-watch the highlight/lowlight reel?

[brainsmile]

Heading to Vegas in the morning to CASH in these FAT bets!
how much and what was the spread?

[attgig]

Wow....that would make you the worst GM ever. :)

Pete Carroll's an idiot. He didn't call a timeout to let that non-TD get overturned, and it cost them the game. Just an amazingly poor decision by him and his staff.


the way texas was marching down that field on that drive, i doubt that it would've been a problem for them to score eventually even if that did get overturned.



and the spread was like 7 or 7.5

[Showtime]

*Sigh* I called it. Unfortunately it went the way I was hoping it wouldn't.
SC didnt lose to a better team. An equal maybe, but definitely not a better team. SC should have won. The only thing I saw out there was two teams that claimed they expected to win, but only one team/person taking it upon themselves to win it. Props to Texas/Vince Young who got their/his due tonight. They/he did what no other team could do for 34 games, including CAL, Arkansas, VT, Oregon, Oregon State, Ucla, Fresno St., Washington, Washington State, Arizona, AZ State, Stanford, Michigan, Colorado St., BYU, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, etc., and that is beat SC.

I was nervously anticipating this game all year and it's good that it's over, but sad because of how special this win would have been. Not only for SC, but for the whole PAC10. That's right all you Cal/Ucla people who should have been rooting for the PAC10 team. Well at least we beat everyone else. :)

Right now I am disappointed. 3 points, some very bad plays and bad calls and bad execution. It's like if Carroll was off, it would have been ok because Matt or Reggie would make something happen. If Bush was off, Lendale and Matt and the defense would come through. But for all of them (except Lendale) to be off on the most important game of their careers..... :disa:

Cool. Now for the Lakeshow and we will see what next season brings for the Trojans. Time for them to start their next streak and for Booty or Sanchez to show and prove. Fight On!

[ShawnLee]

Despite what could have been many complaints and protests, Texas won it.

Foot, meet mouth. Stomach, get ready for some crow.
My bad.

[brainsmile]

they lost... end of story.

[PrObLy]

It sure seemed like I was watching last year's Rose Bowl game....except Pete Carroll looks a lot more stubborn than Lloyd Carr did after letting Vince run all over them, nearly untouched.

And about that one non-reviewed call, I agree that Carroll should have taken a timeout much like Carr did in the Alamo bowl. Texas may have scored still, but it couldn't have been any worse.

Instead of resting the game on that, I blame Bush and Leinart for making two very bonehead moves. That lateral thing that Reggie tried to pull off after breaking free on that screen pass cost USC the game as much as their inability to tackle Vince Young. Leinart also held on to th ball waaaaaaaaaay too long on that last play...but that is more understandable because of all the pressure, you couldn't really expect him to be able to keep an eye on the clock while running around like that.

*Oh, and WTF was up with calling timeout after Texas scored that last touchdown?!....their final timeout none the less..

[brainsmile]

I agree... so what if they make the conversion... still need to kick the field goal regardless. They panicked.

[ray]

Vince Young is an awful QB. In the NFL, you won't succeed if you can't pass the ball. End of story.

[Memo]

Buncha crybabies, boo-hoo. :P

[Showtime]

Vince Young won that game and will be talked about just like Bush was talked about for the last few weeks. He did whatever it took. Passed, ran, kicked.. oops he didn't do that, but I bet he could have.

I see no reason why he couldn't be a cross of Daunte and Vick. He almost has the size of Caulpepper and is almost as agile as agile as Vick. He is faster than both, but maybe not as quick as Michael. Watch him decide to leave now. Depending on your needs as an NFL team, he would be the only player worth gambling on over Bush.

Memo, do you go to school there?

[attgig]

Vince Young is an awful QB. In the NFL, you won't succeed if you can't pass the ball. End of story.


that's one of the first things the NFL coaches will work on with him. he's not going to want to change. it's going to be ugly.


i'm just weary of a option qb in the nfl. there is no proven offensive coordinator who can take a qb and use his strengths as an option guy. without the coordinator/coach, the qb will not flourish.

i do love how white grew his stock. he might become a better nfl back than bush will.

[Merlin]

By the way, I cannot BELIEVE that USC didn't call a timeout after that BS Texas "touchdown" in the first half to allow for a review. They reviewed plays that weren't nearly as close as that one.
At that point it didn't matter. The USC defense was not going to stop them. That particular drive was a clinic.

[MikeD]

I had that one wrong, and couldn't be happier about it. Young is a beast. That size and speed...if he ever truly develops as a passer, it's light out. He's going to be a monster.

Leinart came off as an ass postgame with his "...I still think we're the better team" comments. He looked like a pouty little kid. Get used to it toughie, 'cause you won't go 37-2 at the next level.

I don't think anyone has mentioned Mack Brown. Class guy, glad to see him finally get the monkey off his back (after finally beating OU as well).

Awesome game. Definitely an all-time classic. :)

[zenbooty]

Pete Carroll's an idiot.That's what we Patriot fans have been trying to tell you now for years!


Time for them to start their next streak and for Booty or Sanchez to show and prove. Fight On!Um, do you really want to go there? Seems I remember the last time I jawed with you you had a little girly tantrum and lost your composure. One would hope you would have learned something from it.

[cheapie]

i loved the attempted lateral from bush.

hahahaha....you know the GM for the houstons just made a mental note to tell reggie to NEVER try that in the nfl.

[VTGreg]

Great game. Glad UT won and VY went off in what should be his final college game.

It is very funny how fickle the media is. VY is now the greatest thing since sliced bread and there is a bunch of debate if he should be the #1 pick when Bush was being talked about as a lock for #1 and the best college back of all time a week ago. Young should go while he's hot and be a top 5 pick. I don't think he will amount to much in the NFL because he plays out of the shotgun every play and runs a single wing option in college, but he will definitely get paid.

With regards to Carroll calling a timeout to get the play reviewed, who says UT doesn't score anyway. Also, UT likely wouldn't have missed the PAT if that play gets reviewed and UT goes on to score. Who knows what that missed PAT did to the Pino's confidence since he missed the FG at the beginning of the 4th quarter the exact same way.

I agree that Leinart sounded petty in the post game conference. Give props to the other team and move on. UT had all sorts of problems with fatigue and cramps in the second half and I think that had something to do with USC's ability to score at will (still an unbelievable 2nd performance by their offense regardless). Leinart's 2nd half performance was overshadowed by Young, but he was absolutely amazing as well going 15-17 for about 175 yards and a TD before the final drive.

I think Bush was exposed in this game. He had about 175 yards of total offense but much of that came on 2 plays and he showed 0 ability to run tough between the tackles. He won't be able to outrun everyone in the NFL like he was able to in college prior to last night's game. He will be a great kick returner and a great 3rd down back, but I don't see him being the franchise back that everyone is making him out to be.

Like I said before, great game. Definitiely a classic.

[ialsohaveadream]

That's what we Patriot fans have been trying to tell you now for years!
Oh, I know...and I agreed. It's the sports media that didn't. ;)

By the way, if Vince Young succeeds in the NFL, it will be at WR, not QB.

[VTGreg]

By the way, if Vince Young succeeds in the NFL, it will be at WR, not QB.

Couldn't agree with you more. He needs to give Matt Jones and Hines Ward a call.

[ialsohaveadream]

Couldn't agree with you more. He needs to give Matt Jones and Hines Ward a call.
And if he thinks he'll be a good QB, he needs to give Kordell Stewart a call. :)

[zenbooty]

Welcome Back, Coach Fredo
By Bill Simmons
Page 2


Once upon a time, back when I was still living in Boston, Pete Carroll did a terrible job coaching the New England Patriots. Eventually, they fired him. But not before I gave him the nickname "Coach Fredo" on my old Web site.

Deep down, I always felt bad about it. Pete seemed like a good guy. Of course, that was the problem -- there wasn't anything coach-like about him. His teams consistently screwed up and did dumb things. His players consistently walked all over him and found trouble off the field. Even in his press conferences, beat writers found ways to undermine him and make him look bad. Poor Pete carried himself like a giddy substitute teacher for an inner-city high school, the high-energy dude who strolls in hoping to change everyone for the better and ends up getting duct-taped to his desk and covered with gobs of Whiteout. That was Pete Carroll in New England.

Well, a funny thing happened: He took over USC's program and became the modern-day Bear Bryant. In fact, I moved to Califonia three years ago, in November 2002 ... and the Trojans have lost exactly once since I arrived. Thanks to Kobe's Tony Montana-like collapse, the Trojans are now the marquee team in Southern California. Out here, Carroll is a football god. Part of me feels happy for him; part of me feels like I moved to Bizarro World. And maybe I did.

Anyway, I have few rules in life, but this is one of them: Any time Pete Carroll has a chance to win three straight national championships within 15 months of the Red Sox winning the World Series during a lunar eclipse, I have to keep a running diary. Here's what transpired.

8 p.m. ET -- It's No. 1 USC against No. 2 Texas, the Rose Bowl, live on ABC! Keith Jackson just made it through the pregame intro without morphing into a Gatorade commercial. Here was my favorite part: "By consensus, these teams rank one and two, with nary a vote of dissent."

8:02 -- Dan Fouts, Jackson's partner tonight, just tied Doug Collins' record for most broadcasting clichés in an opening: "Both of these teams are ready, willing and able. This is gonna be like a heavyweight fight. It's time to get it on."

8:05 -- Good times in the Ford Built-Tough Pregame show -- Aaron Taylor is wearing one of Mr. Roarke's old suits from "Fantasy Island." Smiles, everyone, smiles! That's immediately followed by a trash-talking celebrity montage with Will Ferrell and a zonked-out Matt McConaughey. All right, all right, all right! Has anyone morphed into their most famous character more beautifully than McConaughey's glacier-like transformation into David Wooderson over the past 10 years? All he's missing is a thin mustache and a TransAm at this point.

8:09 -- Our first promo for an ABC show debuting as a midseason replacement tonight: "Everyone needs a hero ... especially the innocent ... an all-new "Injustice," Friday on ABC."

(See, I would have gone with a different promo, something like: "Kyle McLachlan is so desperate for a hit, he even stole Peter Gallagher's hairdo ... and holy crap, does his head look enormous. It's an all-new 'Injustice,' Friday on ABC.")

8:17 -- Highlight of the game so far: LeAnn Rimes belting out the National Anthem, followed by a cut to Matt Leinart with a pensive, "Have I had her yet?" look on his face. He's the best. We need to figure out a way to get him on the Jets next year.

8:21 -- Our celebrity coin tosser tonight ... Judge Smails' wife from "Caddyshack." Whoops, that's Sandra Day O'Connor. Sorry about that, Sandy.

8:23 -- Funny shot of Leinart warming up and wearing a conspicuous knee brace. After the Saints locked up the No. 2 pick, do you think Leinart went to USC's doctor and asked, "Can you give me the biggest, scariest looking knee brace you can find?"

8:25 -- Texas coach Mack Brown ... welcome to the Reggie Cleveland All-Stars! How can you be white with the name "Mack Brown?" Stunning. And no, I'm not a big college football fan. But you knew that already.

8:30 -- Fouts compares Bush to Barry Sanders AND Walter Payton on the same exciting 10-yard run. And you know what? It worked. I was thinking the same thing. I watched a record (for me) 10 college football games this year, including seven USC games, and only because of Reggie Bush. He's so close to Gale Sayers in so many ways, I would almost be afraid to be a white fullback on his NFL team next year.

8:33 -- Touchdown, LenDale White. 7-0, USC. How many times do you think he thought about pulling a Tonya Harding on Reggie Bush during the season? The over/under has to be 500.

8:37 -- Keith Jackson on Vince Young: "As an old defensive coach once said, 'He ain't got no handles,' but he led the country in passing this year."

(Um, does anyone on this plane speak jive? What just happened there?)

8:40 -- Let's be honest -- there's no way Vince can succeed in the NFL with that throwing motion. It's impossible. It can't happen. I'm telling you. There has never been a successful NFL quarterback who threw like that. And by "that," I mean, "throws like someone who just realized they have dog poop on their hand and is trying to fling it off."

8:42 -- Fourth-and-2 at midfield, Texas goes for it and gets absolutely stuffed. That's quickly followed by our first promo for "Dancing With the Stars," featuring celebrities dancers like Jerry Rice, Stacey Keibler, George Hamilton, Tatum O'Neal ... and ESPN's own Kenny Mayne. I will now pop a champagne bottle directly into my right eye.

8:45 -- Top-four names, words and phrases that sound 10 times more entertaining when Keith Jackson says them: (1) LenDale White; (2) Tostitos; (3) the speedster; (4) Frostee Rucker.

8:51 -- The Trojans go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Texas 18 ... and Leinart pulls a Scott Mitchell and botches the QB sneak for no gain. Texas ball. And yes, the decision-making in this game is already confirming something I already believed -- to coach a good college football team, you basically need two arms, two legs and a head. That qualifies you.

8:56 -- Scariest moment of the game: Coming back from commercial, a close sideline shot of Reggie Bush sitting on the injury cart (NOOOOOOOOO!) followed by the camera panning back to reveal that he's just getting his shoes changed (PHEW!). Every Houston Texans fan just passed out.

8:58 -- All right, is there a dumber sports rule than "If your knee hits the ground, the play is over ... even if if you weren't touched" in college football? That's right up there with "You can't just intentionally walk someone, you have to throw four balls," "You don't get an extra foul for overtime," "You can call a timeout while you're in midair" and "You aren't allowed to punch A-Rod in the face during a game" in the pantheon of Dumb Rules That Only Make Sports Less Fun.

9:03 -- One more question: Has there ever been a national championship up for grabs between two schools that had hotter female fan bases? ABC could pan anywhere in the crowd right now and hit the proverbial jackpot. I need to start watching more college football. Seriously. Remind me next year.

9:04 -- Reggie Bush just makes me happy. I think I have a man-crush on him.

9:10 -- We see a goofy sideline shot of Marcus Allen and Sean Salisbury laughing it up in wildly expensive-looking suede jackets. That reminds me, wouldn't you have picked Salisbury in the "Guess who's representing ESPN in 'Dancing with the Stars' " game well before Kenny Mayne? My list would have looked like this: (1) Stu Scott; (2) Salisbury; (3) Michael Irvin; (10) Kenny Mayne; (750) John Clayton.

9:11 -- Crazy turn of events: Bush rips off a 35-yard screen pass, gets chased down deep in Texas territory, then throws a boneheaded lateral to an unsuspecting teammate that's recovered by Texas. USC should be up by 20 points already.

(A morning e-mail prediction from reader Jack Buell in Lakeport, Calif.: "Prepare yourself for your New Year's present -- the Pete Carroll face, coming to a screen near you, Jan. 4, 2006, 9:30 p.m. PT." Jack, you were about 19 minutes late with that one.)

9:17 -- Texas rolls down the field and settles for a 46-yard field goal. 7-3, USC. Hey, after the game, do you think Vince Young will give Johnny Damon his throwing arm back?

9:30 -- Leinart gets picked in the end zone to kill another USC drive. Either he's rattled by Lindsay Lohan's drug abuse/bulimia confession, or he's the next Scott Mitchell and we haven't fully realized it yet.

(So far, we've had a USC interception, fumble and failed quarterback sneak inside the Texas 20 ... good to see things haven't changed with Pete Carroll teams. I think I watched this game 20 times when he was coaching the Pats. Wait, why am I still bitter about this? We ripped off three Super Bowls as soon as he left. I need to let this go.)

(Nahhhhhh ...)

9:39 -- Young scrambles to the USC 11, then laterals for a touchdown even though his knee was clearly down, followed by the replay officials not stopping the clock for a challenge and the touchdown counting (although Texas missed the extra point). Unbelievable. Gawd-awful officiating. 9-7, Longhorns.

9:45 -- After USC's offense gets hit with illegal substitution and delay of game penalties, Fouts notes "two uncharacteristic mistakes by the Trojans on this drive." Excuse me? This is a Pete Carroll team! It's absolutely characteristic!

9:51 -- Ramonce Taylor breaks a 30-yard TD run for Texas ... it's 16-7, Longhorns. I'm just excited that the guy's first name is "Ramonce."

9:55 -- We should be able to bet on things like "Which will get cancelled first, 'Jake In Progress' or 'Emily's Reasons Why Not'?"

10:00 -- An action-packed USC drive for a field goal closes out the first half, highlighted by shaky clock management and a vicious hit on a Leinart scramble that didn't even remotely phase Keith Jackson. After about 90 years of announcing, you would need to sack someone with a chainsaw for Keith Jackson to be flustered. Heading into halftime, it's Texas 16, USC 10.

10:12 -- I have to mention Holly Rowe's halftime interview with Mack Brown, and only because she's really, REALLY good at a thankless job. Anyway, she asked him the typical "What happened to turn the momentum in the first half?" question, which Brown answered with the typical blah-blah-blah college coaching answer, although he did say, "We really stunk in the first part of the half," followed by some more babbling. And as he was ready to pull away, old Holly stuck her mike out and asked, "What stunk?"

Well, Brown had to answer that one, right? It's a direct question. So he loosened up and started talking about their turnovers and lost opportunities, then mentioned how they have to protect the ball better in the second half. Here's the point: It's not that hard to ask a direct, concise question that traps someone into giving an engaging response. It really isn't. Nice job, Holly Rowe.

10:30 -- My two favorite moments from the Pontiac Game Changing Performance halftime show: First, John Saunders trying to say the words "Kirkuk, Iraq." That was outstanding. And second, Marcus Allen reprising his role as one of the worst halftime studio guys ever. A one-time-only deal. Kinda like Sinatra coming back to play MSG in 1974.

(By the way, I was sifting through e-mails at halftime and noticed one from Chicago reader Steve Huffman, who wrote, "It occurred to me immediately that Reggie Bush's ill-fated pitch in the second quarter was an 'I'm Keith Hernandez' moment." An excellent call. It's not like Reggie was forcing a bad play, he was probably just thinking to himself, "Screw it, I'm Reggie Bush ... I won the Heisman and I'm the first pick in the 2006 NFL Draft ... let's see if I can pull this off." Can you blame him?)

10:40 -- Texas goes three-and-out to start the second half. Meanwhile, I just called my buddy Bish (my only friend who truly loves college football) to find out why there isn't a college playoff system in place. "Money," he says. "The colleges would lose too much money from the bowl games." Oh.

(Note: I loved watching the Monday Bowl games, where the No. 9 team was battling the No. 12 team, and people were pretending that this was even remotely interesting. Oooooooh, if they lose, they could drop from No. 9 to No. 14 for the season! Who cares? Does anyone even keep track of this stuff? Imagine if, one day before the NFL playoffs started, San Diego played Kansas City to determine who was the 13th best team in the NFL? Or what if the AFC and NFC Championship losers met one day before the Super Bowl to battle for the No. 3 ranking? Would anyone care? Of course not. So why would anyone follow these meaningless college bowl games? I find the whole thing perplexing. Back to the column.)

10:47 -- White breaks out the old stiff arm to bring USC inside the 5, then carries it into the end zone on the next play. USC 17, Texas 16. Why is it legal for an offensive player to whack a defense player in the face, but it's illegal for a defensive player to whack an offensive player in the face? Have we ever figured that out?

10:55 -- Texas comes roaring back with a seven-play, 80-yard drive, including an awesome 14-yard TD run by Young. Texas 23, USC 17. Screw it, why couldn't some NFL team just run the option with Vince? Wouldn't you rather have him running your team than Charlie Frye or JP Losman?

10:57 -- Reason No. 235 why I enjoy the Keith Jackson Era -- any time he has to read a "Dancing with the Stars" promo. I'm dying for him to do "Emily's Reasons Why Not." "You know Heather Graham as the stunning beauty who played Rollergirl and Felicity Shagwell ... now this little lassie has her own show on ABC ..."

11:02 -- My new favorite name in today's game: USC tight end Dominique Byrd. Couldn't they pair him up with another tight end named Kareem Moses or Jordan Drexler?

11:04 -- On the Texas 12, USC goes for it on fourth-and-1 ... touchdown, White! Should we even have punters in college football? Probably not. USC by one.

11:07 -- All right, this wasn't just the highlight of the game, it might have been the highlight of my life. Here's an actual transcript of Keith Jackson reading an "Emily's Reasons Why Not" promo (10 minutes after I wished for it):

"Don't miss the season's premiere of 'Emily's Reasons Why Not.' [Mumbling to someone off-camera.] 'Emily's Reasons' ... I don't know. [Back to the promo.] Starring Heather ... Graham. A new comedy about love, laughter and life, premiering at Monday, 9 central, followed by an all-new 'Jake' ... [prolonged pause] ... in Progress,' starring John Stah-mos."

(Note: That was 10 times funnier if you imagine Stamos flipping out in his living room, screaming, "It's STAY-mos, you old fart! STAY-mos!" before flipping over his 40-inch Sony Wega, breaking a coffee table and finally being consoled by Dave Coulier and his publicist, Lewis Kay.)

11:11 -- Young scrambles for 45 yards to the USC 20, giving him 150 yards on the night (and counting). Wow. This guy could throw like Costner's Dad in "Field of Dreams" and still thrive in the NFL. Unbelievable. He's killing USC. Now I would put him above Frye, Losman, Gus Frerotte, Brooks Bollinger, Kyle Orton, Mike McMahon, David Carr, Josh McCown, Joey Harrington, Patrick Ramsey, Kyle Boller and all of the Detmers. And we're not even in the fourth quarter yet.

11:17 -- Not only does the Texas kicker have the last name "Pino," he just shanked a 31-yard field goal. They might need to revise the field goal rules for college -- kick it past the end zone, it's worth three points.

11:29 -- Just as I'm typing the words "Poor Reggie Bush -- he's being outshined tonight by Vince Young AND LenDale White (101 yards, three TDs)," Reggie breaks around the right corner at the 26-yard line, shifts into ninth gear and zooms by two defenders, jumps from the 5-yard line, soars like "Superfly" Snuka and finishes it off with a flip into the end zone. Well, then. USC 31, Texas 23.

11:40 -- Since I firmly believe Marv Albert should do every big NBA game, Pat Summerall every big NFL game and Keith Jackson every big college football game, no matter how old they are, and only because it feels like a bigger game when any of them is involved, I feel totally comfortable saying this: Listening to Jackson is like driving with my mother at night. In other words, maybe he can't really see anymore, and he might drive over a few curbs, and maybe he'll even send a pedestrian diving behind a parking meter ... but it's always exciting, and you always get home safely in the end.

11:49 -- Texas kicks a field goal, USC roars back with a quick TD. USC by 12 with less than seven minutes to play. We're less than an hour away from a Three-Pete.

11:56 -- Just so nobody gets TOO excited about his NFL future, Young throws across his body into triple coverage, but USC drops the interception. That would have been the end of the ball game. Texas just keeps hanging around, hanging around ... they got alligator blood ...

11:59 -- This just in: Vince Young is awesome. He just single-handedly kept Texas alive with two crazy scrambles (including a 17-yarder for a TD to cut USC's lead to five). Sure, it's helping that USC is steadfastly refusing to keep extra defenders around the line of scrimmage to contain a guy who doesn't seem like he can successfully throw deep, but still. Fouts sums it up best: "I've never seen anything like him in my life."

(Me, neither. And can you put a price on a scrambling quarterback with the same name of the monosyllabic guy who played Noah Hunter on "90210"?)

12:04 AM -- I'll tell ya, one of these times, Jackson and Fouts are going to realize that someone fumbled in this game when it actually happened. Law of averages.

Anyway, here's the setup: fourth-and-2, 2:11 remaining, USC on Texas' 45 and leading by five, with the logical move being a punt that would force Texas' offense to drive 85-90 yards in 120 seconds with a quarterback who hasn't completed a pass longer than 15 yards all game. The decision rests in the hands of Pete Carroll. For once, he does the logical thing -- goes for the game-ending first down, keeps Reggie Bush and his Heisman Trophy on the sideline, then runs a predictable dive play with LenDale White that falls short because everyone on the planet knew it was coming (including all 11 guys on the Texas defense). Wait, absolutely none of that was logical. Texas ball.

12:09 -- And the gifts keep on coming: USC keeps Texas' drive alive with a face-mask penalty on third down, followed by an Emmy Award-winning shot of the Pete Carroll Face. That was fun. I should go put on Tony Simmons' blue Patriots jersey from the 1999 season just to complete the effect.

12:13 -- Young dances in traffic for another first down, somehow gets out of bounds and earns a "My gosh!" from Keith Jackson. He has thrown for 250 yards, rushed for another 187 and two touchdowns and caused at least 2 million Trojans fans to wonder, "Why don't we have a linebacker spying him?" Now the Horns are inside the USC 30 with less than a minute to play. Let's just start simulcasting this one on ESPN Classic.

12:16 -- Facing a game-deciding fourth-and-5 from the 8-yard line, Young lines up behind center as Jackson chuckles, "I'm too old for this." High comedy. I'm shaking and I don't even have money on this game. The snap, some pressure, Young has to scramble ... touchdown, Texas! Wait, can I swear on ESPN.com? Because that was (bleeping) unbelievable! Vince Young, everybody! He's just joined the 200-200 club.

"You're not gonna beat him!" Fouts screams. "Invincible!"

12:19 -- In one of the most amazing random sports blunders of all-time, one of the USC players is forced to call their final timeout because they don't have the right defense for the 2-point conversion. By the way, there are only 19 seconds left. "My goodness!" Fouts screams.

(Sorry, I'm hanging that one on Carroll and his staff -- would anyone on a well-coached team think that the two-point conversion mattered more than a timeout there? Come on. That's beyond awful. Poor clock management, dumb penalties, no defensive adjustments, stupid decisions leading to turnovers, wasted timeouts for no good reason ... does any of this sound familiar, Pats fans?)

12:21 -- Young runs for the 2-point conversion. I now have him ranked above every NFL QB except for Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer. Good golly. We also had this exchange right after the conversion:

-- Jackson: "Only 19 seconds to play ... clock didn't move on that play."
-- Fouts: "That's an extra point, it's probably not going to ... "

12:24 -- USC drives to the Texas 43 with 8 seconds left ... of course, they don't have any timeouts left ... leading to the inevitable Leinart incompletion ... game over! Your national champions, the Texas Longhorns! What a comeback!

As we see the Longhorns and their fans celebrating, ABC's cameras catch Leinart and Carroll hugging and Leinart whispering the words, "God, I wish I knew how to quit you!" All right, I made that up. But that's the only way this defeat could have been worse for USC fans.

12:25 -- Just a classic ending to Carroll's postgame interview with Todd Harris:

-- Harris: "At the very end of the game, you had a timeout, did you want to save one timeout if they had scored?"

-- Carroll (rattled): "Yeah, we had a little problem, we had to go for two right there ... but, eh, you know ... we didn't get it done."

(In the words of Brian Fantana, "Take it easy, Champ. Why don't you stop talking for awhile?")

12:26 -- In his postgame interview with Holly, Matt Leinart throws out a classic, "I think we're a better football team, they just made the plays in the end," backhanded compliment before heading to the Roosevelt Hotel's pool bar with Nick Lachey. You're right, we shouldn't have played the game, Matt. That was stupid. You guys were better.

So what did we learn? Three things ...

1. Not only is Vince Young the best player in college football, his Rose Bowl performance following the Heisman Trophy ceremony ranked at least an 8.3 on the Vengeance Scale. It's nice to see an athlete back up their own words, isn't it?

2. If your season potentially rides on one first down, and you have a Heisman Trophy winning running back on your team ... well, you might want to have him on the field. It's a little unorthodox, I know. But it's probably a good idea.

3. Pete Carroll will always be Pete Carroll.

And there would be no Three-Pete. As always, one my readers (Greg in Philly) summed it up best after the game: "It was only a matter of time. And you know exactly what I'm talking about."

[guiseppewv]

Pete Carroll's an idiot. He didn't call a timeout to let that non-TD get overturned, and it cost them the game. Just an amazingly poor decision by him and his staff.

I doubt that they would have been able to stop them from scoring anyway. It does put some doubt in your mind but from seeing how the rest of the game went I would be surprised if USC could have stopped them on that drive.


<snip>
He's going to be a monster.

Leinart came off as an ass postgame with his "...I still think we're the better team" comments. He looked like a pouty little kid.
<snip>

I agree on both counts. VY was crazy on the field last night. I saw the OSU/Texas game and thought VY was good but not that good. <DF> Dayuuum</DF> is all I have to say. :P :D

As far as Leinart goes I thought he was a pretty class person but after his post game comment I lost a lot of respect for him.

[guiseppewv]

Also, I find it funny that at least 4 people on this board voted for UT in this poll *AFTER* the game was over. :P

[bachviet]

9:03 -- One more question: Has there ever been a national championship up for grabs between two schools that had hotter female fan bases? ABC could pan anywhere in the crowd right now and hit the proverbial jackpot. I need to start watching more college football. Seriously. Remind me next year.
That's pretty funny. :D

[brainsmile]

hehe

good thing Stanfurd wasn't playing. Eeesh

[zenbooty]

"8:23 -- Funny shot of Leinart warming up and wearing a conspicuous knee brace. After the Saints locked up the No. 2 pick, do you think Leinart went to USC's doctor and asked, "Can you give me the biggest, scariest looking knee brace you can find?"


-My favorite line

[Memo]

Memo, do you go to school there?

Ya, this is my final semester at UT :)

[DarkFury]

Vince Young is an awful QB. In the NFL, you won't succeed if you can't pass the ball. End of story.
But he did pass the ball... 30/40 completions

He's a playmaker, game taker, and a heart breaker. END OF STORY. :)

[Memo]

Vince Young is an awful QB. In the NFL, you won't succeed if you can't pass the ball. End of story.

Last I checked he wasn't playing in the NFL and he just won the national championship and was up for a Heisman trophy this year. He plays under the NCAA environment amazingly. What he will do in the NFL really doesn't change the fact that he's a bad ass college QB.

[modena]

Bill Simmons must have not seen any other Texas games, because I saw parts of every one of their games this year, and believe me, Young can fire some pretty passes done field. And yea he doesnt always come straight over top with it, but he did on a few highlights I can remember from the season, and they resulted in some pretty plays.

[Prisoner 24601]

But he did pass the ball... 30/40 completions

He's a playmaker, game taker, and a heart breaker. END OF STORY. :)

Couldn't agree more!! He is really phenominal! Someone here at work made the same valid comment that in the NFL 300lbs defenders would wipe him out but he has been trained to actually take a hit or two! All of the other quarterbacks are the biggest cry babies! :cry: when someone pokes them!

[DarkFury]

Sports Guy Diary post... (snipped due to length)

That was teh funnae! :heh: Good read. :heh:

[Showtime]

Ya, this is my final semester at UT :)

Congrats Memo. Hoepfully this will help make your final year there a memorable one.

As far as jawing with anyone goes.... Did someone not post in this thread before SC lost and then troll in and try act like a big man? Oooooh sooo scary. "I told you about Carroll", he now cries out.
It says a lot about a person that will come out of their cave and talk trash after the match is decided. If SC had won would this someone post? I think he would have sat by computer in the dark and sulked with the other trolls.
I think someone is still sore from bitch slap they and their goon squad got from me a while back. Here's a thought.... Don't be so petty you little tiny troll of a man. :wavey2:

It was a 3 point win that easily could have gone the other way. The 2 best teams that were the 2 top ranked teams all year battled it out for 4 quarters. It was a damn good game. The best in BCS history. You can't say SC's hype was undeserved. 34 games is no joke and there is only one team currently in college football with half as many consecutive wins.
You can say that Texas didn't get enough credit for their program.
Vince Young had arguably the best game of his career with 460 yards of total offense. Bush had a subpar game in which he quietly grabbed 175 total yards against a good TX defense.

Now I can get back to watching the Show make the playoffs. I hear Ron Artest is looking for a new studio and LA has lots of them. ;)

[kgsilvas]

As a Bruin fan, it was a bit fun to watch SC lose. Would have liked to seen a PAC-10 team be national champs though.

Guess they shouldn't have messed with Texas--Hook 'em Horns!

[zenbooty]

As far as jawing with anyone goes.... Did someone not post in this thread before SC lost and then troll in and try act like a big man? Oooooh sooo scary. "I told you about Carroll", he now cries out.Are you serious!? What the Hell are you talking about? I was joking around with IAHAD, for crying out loud. Forget a chip, you've got to have a goddamn tree growing out of your shoulder to take that as an offensive comment.

It says a lot about a person that will come out of their cave and talk trash after the match is decided. If SC had won would this someone post? I think he would have sat by computer in the dark and sulked with the other trolls.I really couldn't care less who won, though it was kinda nice feeling vindicated seeing Pete Carroll collapse as he should. Yeah, I was REALLY talking trash there :rolleyes:

I think someone is still sore from bitch slap they and their goon squad got from me a while back. Here's a thought.... Don't be so petty you little tiny troll of a man. :wavey2:Hah. Whatever, you spazz. What you call 'bitch slap' was pretty clearly a whiney childish temper tantrum to any adult observing it. I laughed at it when I read it (as did my entire "goon squad," whoever they might be. What, you think I run some Cabal specifically to go after you or something? You really are amazing!), but decided to withold my initial comments because picking on the mentally handicapped is unfair, and probably bad luck.

Oh, well, you can go back to watching Kobe Montana doing his best impression of Dominique Wilkins. See you in the spring after the wheels come off (again)!

[cheapie]

...I really could care less who won....


i'm amazed that as smart as both you and LK are, you guys both make this mistake.


anyhow...carry on. :wavey:

[zenbooty]

i'm amazed that as smart as both you and LK are, you guys both make this mistake. anyhow...carry on. :wavey:I'm a techno-science-numbers kinda guy, and I lost my Strunk and White.

[cheapie]

I'm a techno-science-numbers kinda guy, and I lost my Strunk and White.


ha! if you're literate enough to know what a Strunk and White is then you lose the right to claim ignorance by default. :heh:

[Showtime]

Blah blah blah Patriots rule! Go Celtics!!!!


Relax ZB. I am not mad at all the stuff you've written, but you seem to still be upset with me. Why would you come and quote me in a thread you "really couldn't care less" about? You seem a little hurt or angry about something. I mean you never see me go into your threads and gloat when something happens that is against what you hoped for. It's a sign...

I could continue with this, but it's just not the same dealing with last of the goons. Especially the lesser goon, the sidekick goon that I labled as Canta's.... :kiss:

[zenbooty]

ha! if you're literate enough to know what a Strunk and White is then you lose the right to claim ignorance by default. :heh:
Even we Engineers gotta take English 101 in school.

[brainsmile]

http://www.snopes.com/photos/sports/rosebowl.asp

http://www.snopes.com/photos/sports/graphics/rosebowl_small.jpg

[Sirrich3]

She didn't know what was going on....

[brainsmile]

apparantly not

[molecularfire]

What's the big deal even if she did? It was a good play and either ways deserved cheer.

[zippyjuan]

I think Texas will beat USC.