Even if Young enters, Texans will take Bush No. 1

ESPN.com: The Houston Texans will select USC running back Reggie Bush with the No. 1 pick in this April's NFL draft, pending the formality of Bush announcing that he is turning pro, team and league sources told Chris Mortensen.

	Bush

Almost nothing will change that course, the sources say, even after the Texans received word Friday from an intermediary representing Texas quarterback Vince Young that the Houston native is leaning strongly to also going pro.

The Texans will pick up an $8 million option on quarterback David Carr, who was the expansion team's first draft pick four years ago. Texans owner Bob McNair made the decision after getting extensive evaluations from various sources that strongly endorsed Carr, including a favorable report from Dan Reeves, the former longtime NFL coach hired last month as a consultant.

USC's Matt Leinart, who could have been the first pick a year ago had he turned pro after his junior season, still remains the consensus top quarterback in the NFL draft, even if Young comes out. For Leinart, he is likely to be the choice of the New Orleans Saints at No. 2 with Young projected to the Tennessee Titans at No. 3.

Young would be mentored by Titans quarterback Steve McNair, who is hoping to sign a new contract with the club for the 2006 season.

Leinart also would be desirable to Tennessee, where his former USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow is now calling plays for the Titans.

East beats West in All-American Bowl

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The East got redemption in this year's U.S. Army All-American Bowl and a major reason why was the fantastic play of Chris Wells, with the help of his mammoth offensive line. Wells was selected as the game's MVP.

Chris Wells was the dominating player all week for the east squad, during Saturday's U.S. Army all-American Bowl it was Wells who continued to show his dominance as he earned the games MVP honors.

Wells scored three touchdowns to lead the East to a 27-16 victory over the West. The 6-foot-2, 230 pound, running back from Akron, Ohio., he ran for more than 60 yards, perhaps the most astonishing play of the day was when Wells peeled back and delivered a devastating block on Anthony Lewis of the West.

Wells is headed to Ohio State University where he is expected to compete with Antonio Pittman for playing time as a true freshman.

A number of top-flight high school athletes revealed their college committments at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Running back James Aldridge, of Merrillville, Ind., was being highly recruited by Ohio State at one point in time, but the elite back decided to end his recruitment early by committing to Notre Dame. Since then, Aldridge has had a chance to play with two Ohio State commitments as he was a high school teammate of defensive tackle Dexter Larimore and is now an All-American teammate of running back Chris Wells.

Two of the worst-kept secrets in the college football recruiting game were revealed at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl when A.J. Wallace and Maurice Evans committed to Penn State. They jointly announced their decisions.

Wallace and Evans, who both played for the East squad, become the 15th and 16th members of State's Class of 2006. Both rank as four-star recruits by Scout.com.

Brandon Spikes, the four star-rated linebacker from Shelby (N.C.) Crest, ended all the speculation about where he will attend school next season. With cameras rolling and a national television audience, Spikes made it official — he'll be a Gator next year. Spikes chose Florida over Alabama and Virginia Tech.

Terrence Austin, the 5-11, 180-pound receiver from Long Beach (Calif.) Poly, announced that he's chosen UCLA.

Saturday's U.S. Army All-American Bowl commitments
Player	Pos.	Ht./Wt.	Hometown	College
David Ausberry	WR	6-4/215	Lemoore, Calif.	USC
Terrence Austin	WR	5-11/175	Long Beach, Calif.	UCLA
Allen Bradford	LB	6-0/222	Colton, Calif.	USC
Matt Carufel	OL	6-5/288	St. Paul, Minn.	Notre Dame
Jai Eugene	CB	5-11/185	Destrehan, La.	Michigan
Maurice Evans	DE	6-3/250	Middle Village, N.Y.	Penn State
Joseph Faifili	DT	6-3/294	Kahuku, Hawaii	Utah
Derrick Hill	DT	6-4/280	Oakland, Calif.	Cal
Butch Lewis	OL	6-5/280	Aurora, Colo.	USC
Jarrell Miller	LB	6-3/235	Highland Springs, Va.	North Carolina
Emmanuel Moody	RB	5-10/190	Coppell, Texas	USC
DeMarco Murray	RB	6-1/185	Las Vegas, Nev.	Oklahoma
Robert Rose	DE	6-4/240	Cleveland, Ohio	Ohio State
Brandon Spikes	LB	6-4/230	Shelby, N.C.	Florida
A.J. Wallace	CB	6-1/195	Pomfret, Md.	Penn State

See you in the Spring

This is a message sent on the WeAreSC board from what has been widely rumored to be 5 star recruit and USC commit Antwine Perez.

"Hey everybody so remember a few months ago when I said everything was going to turn out alright, well it's looking good isn't it. This will probably be the last time I post, I'm set to get going at SC now and spring ball is coming up soon I'm so excited to be a part of the team. The Rose Bowl didn't go as planned but we're going to work so hard to get back to the National Championship, and I have no doubt we can do it.

As far as today's game it was alot of fun, I thank everybody for the support. It was good to get in a few good sticks. Practice this week went well, the Wells RB whose going to Ohio State is a good player though I'll admit to having been pretty upset when he decided to suddenly run me over during a no contact drill. But I know we will play Ohio State in the future and this time we'll see how it goes when we're both playing with contact. Anyways it was a great time and thanks for the support on here. My Mom said that they said I was a computer geek on TV, well I guess that's true I just had to get on here real quick before school and everything get's so busy."

More on the #4 Safety recruit in the Nation:

Can you say Ronnie Lott, Perez is explosive when he closes on an opposition he acts like he was just shot out of a cannon. He finishes each tackle, and punsishes the opposing player. A very versatile and athletic prospect. Needs to improve his coverage skills, but should have no problem doing so.

Biography: 2005 - High School Football:
As a senior earned first team Philadelphia Inquirer All-South Jersey

As a junior (7-3 record), Perez had 58 tackles and seven interceptions as a safety. Also recovered four fumbles. He also threw for over 1700 yards and 14 touchdowns with seven interceptions. Perez also ran for 400 yards and scored 10 rushing touchdowns. He was named All-State for his efforts; Bench: 305/Squat: 415/Power Clean: 245/Vert Jump: 34"

Perez reports a 3.2 GPA/940 SAT (old test).

Perez: "I think my #1 defensive ability is to hit hard--I just explode at the ball carrier. I'm also fast on breaking on the ball and I've got a great ability to cover as well. I do a good job at reading offenses now, but I always think that I could get better at it. That's what I want to improve on more for this season."

USC welcomes several new faces as four players commit at the U.S. Army all-American Bowl

Losing the National Championship game doesn't seem to have affected USC's recruiting prowesss, as noted this morning at the U.S. Army all-American Bowl. Emmanuel Moody, the heralded running back who was once commited to the now National Champion Longhorns, spurned his home state team to don a USC cap today. This obviously takes some of the sting out of what was a surreal weak for Trojans everywhere. Moody is noted to have that shake and bake out of the backfield similar to that of Bush. USC will most likely also use Moody split wide to create mismatches with linebackers.

5 star recruit Allen Bradford out of Colton, CA was another recruit who decided to make USC his home today. It is widely known that Bradford is possibly the best linebacker prospect out of California in many years. So chalk up another monster who will eventually plug holes and defend those mobile QB's for USC. Bradfords two favorite schools going into today were USC and UCLA. Sorry cubbies.

OL Butch Lewis out of Aurora, CO also decided that USC was the best match for his talents. He was Second Team All-State, First Team All Conference and the top offensive tackle prospect in the Midlands region. It's nice to pick this talent up, as USC will be losing several great players on the OL to the NFL.

David Ausberry is a WR from Lemmore, CA who is noted, like Jarrett, to be another BMW. He's a large target out there at 6-4 and 215 lbs. From what I hear, Ausberry performed well at the All-Star game today. Count on this kid to be a superstar for USC in the future.

Scout.com now has USC ranked #5 in the nation in recruiting, and we're not finished yet. It is rumored that we have several other silent verbals which will be announced on LOI day. Keep fighting on, Trojans.

With Washington Ineligible, USC May Be Thin at Tailback

Gary Klein
Los Angeles Times

USC could be going into spring football practice with only two tailbacks.

Junior Reggie Bush is thought to be headed to the NFL to become one of the league's top draft picks, and junior LenDale White also may leave school to launch his professional career.

Now, Chauncey Washington, a talented back who might have filled their void, has been declared academically ineligible for spring practice, Coach Pete Carroll said Friday.

Washington also was ineligible the past two seasons. He fared better academically in the fall semester, Carroll said, but he did not reach the standard needed to participate in spring drills. Washington, a junior, could remain in school — spring semester classes begin Monday — and play next season if he qualifies academically.

The former South Torrance High star recently said that he, too, would consider making himself available for the draft if he were again ineligible.

Minus those three players, the Trojans would have only Hershel Dennis and Michael Coleman in spring camp.

Dennis, who will be a fifth-year senior in the fall, sat out last season while recovering from knee surgery. Coleman, a freshman from San Bernardino, had hip problems early this season but was impressive in bowl-game workouts.

Sophomore Desmond Reed tore knee ligaments against Notre Dame and is still recovering from surgery.

Carroll is expected to meet with the Trojans' draft-eligible players through next week.

The deadline to declare for the draft is Jan. 15.

Junior offensive lineman Winston Justice said Friday that he hoped to meet with Carroll on Monday when the Trojans gather as a team for the first time since the Rose Bowl loss to Texas.

Justice said he had not made a decision about his future.

"I'm still kind of shocked over the game," he said. "It's really up in the air."

Carroll said Thursday that he would advise Bush to go pro, if he was emotionally ready and wanted to, because of his status as the top running back in the draft. White met with Carroll on Thursday and said he would announce his decision next week.

Junior safety Darnell Bing, junior flanker Steve Smith and junior offensive lineman Fred Matua are other draft-eligible Trojans considering leaving school early.

The Battle for No. 1 Has Only Just Begun

Los Angeles Times

Bush was considered the certain top pick in the NFL draft, but Young's Rose Bowl performance could make him a Texan -- if he opts to go pro.

By Sam Farmer
Times Staff Writer

January 6, 2006

With its last-second victory over USC in the Rose Bowl, the University of Texas not only changed the pecking order at the top of college football, but also, perhaps, at the top of the NFL draft.

It was widely assumed before the game that Heisman Trophy-winning running back Reggie Bush, a USC junior, would forgo his final season of eligibility and be selected No. 1 overall this spring.

Although it's still expected that Bush will come out early, at least one of the NFL's top talent evaluators thinks his performance against the Longhorns could have hurt his chances of becoming the top pick.

"If anything, Bush's stock dropped some," said Bill Walsh, former coach of the San Francisco 49ers and known for his ability to judge talent. "People just assumed he would be the No. 1 player taken, and I couldn't guarantee that now. … People are going to say, 'Wait a minute, he didn't dominate.' "

It was Texas quarterback Vince Young, Walsh said, who probably improved his standing in the eyes of NFL scouts — even though speculation before the game had tilted toward Young's staying next fall for his senior season.

"[The Rose Bowl] was center stage for him," Walsh said. "I think he performed brilliantly."

Trojan Coach Pete Carroll said Young almost certainly improved his draft standing with his performance.

"Vince Young's stock couldn't have gone higher," Carroll said. "I think he has to rethink whatever he was thinking about doing…. He did an extraordinary job on an extraordinary stage to show what he's all about."

On Thursday, the story of the day in Houston — at least among sports columnists and radio commentators — was that Young supplanted Bush as the probable top pick of the Texans. The Longhorn quarterback grew up within two miles of Reliant Stadium, where the NFL's worst team plays.

Agent Leigh Steinberg, who has represented many of the top NFL quarterbacks, said Young's apparent emergence as a No. 1 prospect "is amazing, not only because [the Texans] already have David Carr, but because that town has been gripped by Bush mania."

That said, in the eyes of Walsh, who is no longer affiliated with the 49ers, the best quarterback on the Rose Bowl field was USC's Matt Leinart, who threw for 365 yards and a touchdown in a 41-38 loss.

"He's a pure passer," said Walsh, who coached Hall of Fame quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young. "His chances in the pros are a lot better than [Vince] Young's. He sees his receivers a lot better."

Walsh said that USC and Texas are so good they probably could beat some lower-echelon NFL teams.

Steinberg said he expected to hear talk of a reshuffling at the top, but he was skeptical about whether that speculation would hold up through the draft, which takes place April 29-30.

The Texans finished 2-14 and avoided a possible five-way tie for last place with a loss to San Francisco in a finale unofficially dubbed the "Reggie Bush Bowl." New Orleans has the second pick, followed by Tennessee, the New York Jets and Green Bay.

"Going into the game, Bush and Leinart were clearly the top picks," Steinberg said. "But Vince Young is right in there now. We'll see if that's still the case in three weeks. We're talking now, the day after the game, and everyone is still on that high. But that's the way it is now."

Young, who finished second to Bush in the Heisman balloting, rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns, and passed for 267 yards to give the Longhorns their first national title in 35 years and extend their winning streak to 20 games. He clinched the victory by scoring on a fourth-and-five run from the eight-yard line with 19 seconds to play.

He was just as elusive in his dodging Thursday when asked whether he had a timetable for deciding whether to turn pro. He indicated he was keeping his options open and said he would approach the decision by "basically, sitting down with family members. Just sitting down and talking with Coach [Mack] Brown."

Brown asked reporters to give Young time to savor the moment rather than quiz him immediately on his long-term plans.

The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft is Jan. 15.

"We want our guys to enjoy it," Brown said. "And then our job would be to help the families understand as much about the options as they are available. And then Vince and his family, like the other juniors, would make the decision that's best for them.

"But we would expect you all to allow him to enjoy it for the day."

Effective as the Longhorn offense was against USC, rolling up 556 yards, there are several reasons the shotgun-based scheme might not be a desirable one at the pro level. First of all, NFL defenders are, on the whole, faster than their college counterparts.

"A lot of the running Young did, he wouldn't have been able to get away with in the pros," Walsh said. "Everybody is a step or two or three faster. The punishment he would take in the NFL would start to slow him down."

Having a quarterback take most of his snaps under center, Walsh said, allows teams to get the ball off quicker and allows for more flexibility with the running game. Besides, Walsh said, tailoring an entire offense to the rare skills of one player is risky.

"If anything happens," he said, "a sprained ankle or anything, the whole offense goes down the drain."

Although Bush's 82 yards rushing was tied for his third-lowest performance of the season, he also caught six passes for 95 yards and returned five kickoffs for 102. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a personnel executive for an NFL team who was in attendance at the Rose Bowl said he still considered the Trojan tailback the top prospect in the draft.

"A lot of people make snap judgments after the game," the executive said. "You have to distance yourself from the [Rose Bowl] game to take out the emotional element, and make a decision based on 12 games and the rest of his career.

"I still think he's the No. 1 pick, because I think the guy's phenomenal."

The team executive said USC running back LenDale White and tight end Dominique Byrd might have improved their draft status with their performances in the Rose Bowl, with White being a possible late first-round pick should he decide to turn pro early, and Byrd being a solid second-rounder.

Of the two quarterbacks, the executive said Leinart is more likely to be selected first.

"Vince needs to be with a head coach and coordinator that could fit him into the system," he said. "If he goes to a West Coast offense, he might have problems adjusting. You need a coach who's flexible and can play to Vince's strengths.

"I could see the Jets or Tennessee taking a look at him. Maybe Houston. I don't think he'll go No. 1, but he's a Texas guy, so you never know."

USC is own worst enemy, not Young

KRT Wire

BY SCOTT BORDOW
East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Arizona)

MESA, Ariz. - Leftover thoughts now that I've picked my jaw up off the floor . . . As brilliant as Texas quarterback Vince Young was Wednesday night - he delivered the greatest single individual performance I've ever seen in a bowl game - he would have been an afterthought had USC not self-destructed in the first half.

After their first touchdown, the Trojans had the ball four times inside the Longhorns' 25-yard line and came away with just three points.

USC made three crucial mistakes.

Coach Pete Carroll went with an open backfield and had quarterback Matt Leinart try a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-1 from the Texas 16 late in the first quarter. Leinart was stopped for no gain.

Carroll has Reggie Bush and LenDale White at his disposal, and he makes Leinart a short-yardage back? Goofy.

Bush then had his brain cramp. After running 37 yards on a screen pass, he tried to lateral the ball to teammate Brad Walker at the Texas 20. The Longhorns recovered and drove down for a field goal.

Finally, Leinart didn't put enough zip on a pass to Steve Smith in the corner of Texas' end zone. The soft toss allowed Texas' Michael Griffin to sprint across the field and make the interception.

If USC scores on any of those possessions, it wins the game.

NEXT LEVEL?

As good as Young was against the Trojans, I'm still not sure he'll be an elite NFL quarterback.

You have to throw the ball on Sundays to win, and Young is not a consistent passer. He has a hitch in his throwing motion, and NFL defensive backs will close quicker on his balls than college corners did.

Remember, everyone thought Michael Vick would revolutionize the quarterback position, and the Atlanta Falcons are still waiting for him to learn how to throw the ball accurately.

Leinart is not as physically gifted as Young, but his style of game is better suited to the NFL.

SACRED GROUND

The Rose Bowl is still the greatest college football venue in the country.

It somehow has kept its subtlety while screaming big game. There's no extravagant halftime show, ala the Orange Bowl, and a corporate sponsor hasn't wrapped its tentacles around the grand, old dame.

The traffic getting in and out of the Rose Bowl is brutal, but when you're in the stadium, you feel like you're in college football's cathedral.

It was amazing to see more Texas fans at the game than USC fans. The split was at least 60-40 in favor of the Longhorns, and all of Pasadena seemed to be wearing orange.

Is it any wonder teams like Texas - and Ohio State - are so loved by bowl organizers?

FLIGHTY SERVICE

Finally, a question for America West Airlines:

Mechanical failures happen, so we can understand why our flight to Burbank, Calif., on Wednesday morning was canceled. But can you explain why, at your hub airport, there wasn't another plane available?

Your customer relations folks might want to wear flame-retardant gloves when they read the letters from the 25 or so Texas fans who had to get a rental car at the last minute and drive to Pasadena.

It wasn't a good look, burnt orange clothes with a bright, red face.

Some final thoughts on Rose Bowl . . .

KRT Wire

BY JON WILNER

Knight Ridder Newspapers

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Punt, schmunt. Fourth-and-two, two minutes left, five-point lead - you go for it. You go for the kill.

That's how USC Coach Pete Carroll played it at Notre Dame (winning touchdown instead of tying field goal), and that was the right move Wednesday night in the Rose Bowl.

A first down would have sealed the victory, and Carroll had LenDale "Why all the fuss about the Texas defense?" White in the backfield.

The problem was who USC had on the sideline: Reggie Bush.

Shouldn't the Trojans' best player have been on the field for the most important play of the game - if not to handle the ball, then at least to make the Longhorns think he might?

Line him up next to White in the backfield.

Send him in motion.

Split him out wide.

Just put him somewhere.

But with Bush on the sideline, the Longhorns had only one concern: White. They stuffed him short of the first down, took possession and eventually beat the Trojans, 41-38, to capture the national championship.

And here's the thing: that wasn't USC's only coaching gaffe of the game.

If you're going to pass up a first-quarter field goal and go for it on fourth-and-almost-two, why empty the backfield and send quarterback Matt Leinart on a sneak? Why not give the ball to White and let him bulldoze?

Why spend your final timeout to organize the defense before a two-point conversion? It didn't matter. Either the Trojans were going to trail by one or by three with 19 seconds left. The timeout would have greatly improved their chances of getting into field-goal range.

But enough about the Rose Bowl, and enough about the 2005 season.

USC Trojan express comes to a sudden halt after big game

Taipei Times - archives:

Saturday, Jan 07, 2006,Page 19

Matt Leinart's last meal as a Southern California Trojan came in a plastic container.

In a nearly empty locker room on Wednesday night, Leinart picked at a turkey sandwich, swigged a blue Gatorade and devoured a chocolate chip cookie. Between bites, Leinart hugged team managers and received consoling pats on the back from his teammates.

"I don't have any regrets," Leinart said.

His final meal marked the end of a remarkable career that ended with a transcendent performance by Texas quarterback Vince Young and an ill-fated fourth-down play that left the Trojans about five inches short of cementing one of college football's dynasties.

Leinart did all he could to lead the Trojans to their third consecutive national title, completing 15 of his first 16 second-half passes. But the aggressiveness, gusto and verve that were prevalent in the Trojans' 34-game winning streak undid them in a 41-38 Rose Bowl loss.

The critical play came with USC leading, 38-33, with a little more than two minutes remaining. Facing a fourth-and-2 on the Texas 45, the Trojans ran "27 Power," the same play on which LenDale White had scored twice. It is run over left guard behind the Trojans' top lineman, Taitusi Lutui. That was the same gap through which Leinart plunged into the end zone on USC's final play in a victory against Notre Dame.

"He's been a great short-yardage guy for three solid years," Trojans coach Pete Carroll said. "We ran it to the side and the best way. Everything was exactly what we wanted."

Except the result. A Texas linebacker crashed the gap. Safety Michael Huff came in and completed the tackle as White gasped for extra yardage. White, who finished with 124 yards rushing and three touchdowns, fell a few inches short, setting the stage for Young's winning drive.

"I tried to make one more surge forward," White said wistfully. "It just didn't work."

Texas coach Mack Brown said Thursday morning that he would have made the same decision and run the same play.

"We had not stopped LenDale White all night," Brown said. "We had not stopped the power play."

That aggressive play-calling popped up throughout the game and the USC winning streak. Carroll eschewed a chip-shot field goal on fourth-and-1 in the first quarter and called a Leinart sneak. Inexplicably, the Trojans lined up with an empty backfield, and Leinart was stopped for no gain.

Against Notre Dame, Carroll elected to go for the victory at the 1 in the waning seconds instead of kicking a field goal to force overtime. That resulted in the Bush Push of Leinart into the end zone, perhaps the most heart-pounding victory in the 34-game streak.

"That's just Coach Carroll's philosophy," Trojans safety Scott Ware said. "We always want to be the ones that decide the game."

That philosophy applies to the officiating. Carroll has said he dislikes officials in the replay booth deciding a game. Heading into the Notre Dame game, Carroll elected not to have instant replay. The decision helped the Trojans when Leinart fumbled out of bounds on the play preceding Reggie Bush's push. Perhaps with replay, the spot would have been farther back than the 1.

But in the Rose Bowl, replay -- or its absence -- burned USC at least twice. Officials had ruled that a Leinart pass to the end zone was not an interception, saying that Texas' Michael Griffin did not catch the ball inbounds. Officials reversed the call after reviewing the replay.

When Young's knee hit the ground before he pitched the ball to Selvin Young for a 12-yard touchdown, a replay review did not occur.

"I'd like to go without instant replay," Carroll said last week. "I'm not a proponent of instant replay. I'd rather stick with what the officials call."

Scout.com: One Man's Opinion - Texas review

Scout.com:

LenDale White		By Michael J. Davidson Date: Jan 5, 2006 Well, it's been a long time since USC had lost a college football game. I can't imagine any serious fan who really thought this incredible streak would last forever. On the other hand, I can't think of anyone who would have objected to seeing the winning ways continue for at least one more game. Unfortunately, that was not in the cards and USC lost to the University of Texas in the BCS Championship game 41-38.
By this time, it is unlikely that there are many serious fans who have not read countless posts on the various internet boards, listened to game recap after game recap, and/or that have read numerous newspaper articles and editorials regarding this game. On a night when the top two teams in the nation slugged out a game for the ages, it was the Texas Longhorns that had the most unstoppable weapon and it was the team from Texas that scored last to win the title. Although I am as disappointed as most any other fan that USC failed in its quest for an unprecedented third straight AP national football title, I am still thrilled to have been alive to have witnessed one of the most amazing rides in the modern sports era. It was not all that long ago that mediocrity had become the unacceptable norm for football at the University of Southern California, and I often wondered if anything even closely resembling the dominance of the late 1960's and 1970's would ever be seen again at USC. Thankfully, Pete Carroll has proven that even in this day of relative parity, it is possible to have a team that thrives for excellence and succeeds in its quest to be a superb program. Although USC lost this heartbreaker, I do not see a final rating of number two as a huge failure. Obviously others disagree and will say that the season was not a success but difference of opinion is what can often make things fun. For much of the season, I have written and expressed that I think this USC offense is one of the best, if not the best of all time and that it is an unstoppable unit. Despite the loss to the Longhorns, nothing has changed my mind on that point. USC gained some 574 yards against a defense that was very highly rated and against a unit that thought it could stop USC. Well, Texas did make one huge stop, but for the most part, I think USC caused many of its own offensive mishaps. Nobody is perfect and bonehead type plays and calls happen to the best of them. Despite the fact that Reggie Bush is arguably as fine an offensive football player as any other to ever don the Cardinal and Gold for USC, I think he would be the first to admit that if he had it to do again, he would not attempt that lateral in the first half that put an end to an otherwise fine offensive drive for the Trojans. There has been bickering and second guessing about the offensive play calling and the offensive schemes amongst fans and internet posters all year long. Even last night as I watched the game and threw fit after fit when things went wrong, I could not help but question some of the plays that were called. As my viewing partner Terrytrojan32, a guy who knows tons about football pointed out last night as he has most every game, there was no logical reason to ever go away from LenDale White for much of the game. With Texas keying on Reggie, LenDale was virtually an unstoppable force running the ball, though we all know he was stopped on one crucial fourth down and short attempt. And when SC was running LenDale and eating up the clock, the UT offense and Vince Young were simply unable to do any damage. However, after taking a deep breath and analyzing the game with a more level head, it became obvious to me that the offense, like it or not, was not the reason USC did not win the game last night. Any time a team scores 38 points and gains 574 yards, there is some other kind of trouble brewing if that team loses. The passing game was awesome in the second half and Dwayne Jarrett, Dominque Byrd and Matt Leinart were on fire for the last 30 minutes. In most games, that would have been more than enough. Is there really any reason to question the play calling and offensive performance? That depends on who is asking and then answering the question. To my critical way of thinking, the answer is yes, it's ok to challenge anything that will satisfy one's desire; but truth be told, the bar has been set so high that anything other than a win and a near perfect game will leave somebody dissatisfied. How many times have I already read that had Chow been the guy, surely he would have called a better game, especially in crunch time, and surely SC would have won. To that I say, some folks have very limited memories. Think back to the Carson Palmer's last season. Some people think that offense was unstoppable late in the year, and I would have to agree. However, they did not do any better than SC did last night. Nope, I do not think Chow or anyone else would have had the answer. Sure, I do wonder why Reggie Bush was not on the field for that last attempt at the first down. I do wonder why he was not at least used as a decoy to help clear out the box a bit. On the other hand, LenDale had been running through them all night. I also wonder why SC would go for a quarterback sneak from an empty set backfield. But in the end, I still don't think either of those plays is the main reason USC lost the game. No, in the end, their failure to hold a 12 point lead for 6 minutes in crunch time says it all. The offense scored enough points to put the Trojans in a position to win. Unfortunately, this time it was the opposition who had that one guy who was destined to lead his team over the top. Most of the time, it had been USC that had the one star. This time, on this night, in this given game, the Trojans met their match, and his name is Vince Young. What is up with SC's defense? Is there a general lack of talent? Are the schemes less than optimal? Or is very little wrong and did the Trojans simply run into a buzz saw when they played Texas? I suppose there are as many answers to that question as there are people who ask them. In my opinion, the coaching was fine, maybe even better than fine for the majority of the season and again last night. Texas had an offense that was more talented and more efficient than the defense that was trying to defend it, (much the same way the Texas defense could not defend the USC offense.) I did notice that SC did better when they blitzed as opposed to those plays when they dropped back and let Young pick them apart. Yes, Young did beat some of the blitzes, but he simply clobbered the Trojans when he had time to sit back and look around. If Pete was trying to confuse Vince with lots of guys back, it did not work since the receivers had plenty of time to run free and Vince hit them more often than not. Obviously, USC was unable to sustain or generate any kind of rush with only four down linemen. Coming into the game, USC's Defensive Ends were considered one of the premier duos in the nation. That has been true for much of the season, but in this championship game, the Texas Offensive Tackles appeared to get the better of the SC defensive ends. On some occasions the inside NG and DT were able to get some pressure, but they could not catch Vince Young or if they got him, they could not bring him down. Anytime a defense gives up over 500 yards and 41 points, the opposing offense has done their job better than the defense. After having the luxury of seeing Mike Patterson, Shaun Cody, Lofa Tatupu, Matt Grootegoed , Manny Wright, Eric Wright and others manhandle the Oklahoma Sooners in last year's Orange Bowl, it had to be frustrating for players and coaches alike to watch Vince Young and the Longhorns dismantle the Trojans. What is equally difficult is to watch one guy do so much damage. In fact, even with the group mentioned above, USC, under Pete Carroll, has actually had a tough time on other occasions when they have had to face a mobile quarterback who can also throw. Pete is a master at devising defensive schemes, but he has yet to come up with the solution to the aforementioned. And to be perfectly fair, perhaps there is no antidote, though it can never hurt to have big, physical linebackers and safeties who can fly to the ball and to the runner, and to have a down four who dominated their opponents in almost every game. Last night, the shortcomings of the somewhat makeshift defense were magnified by an opponent with a great offense of their own. The general lack of dominant dline play came back to hurt the Trojans in this game. The inexperience and lack of quality depth due to injuries also played havoc with the linebacking corps. Under ideal circumstances, an injured Brian Cushing would not have had to play so many minutes. It would have been great to have the experience of senior Dallas Sartz and the help of a healthy Thomas Williams. (and oh how SC could have used Lofa Tatupu-perhaps the most underrated of all of last year's defensive guys that were lost to the pros and/or graduation.) The safeties have been steady all year long and I thought they played reasonably well. I also thought that on those few plays that the corners were actually playing somebody tightly, they did very well. However, to my eye, most of the time, the SC dbacks were well off the Texas receivers and then tried to swarm to the receiver. This time, they were unable to shake the ball loose and to get the turnovers. So what else is there to say? First, I would like to say thank you to all the players and to the staff for giving me and thousands of others thrill after thrill watching some great USC football. One of the reasons so many of us are so disappointed is that the staff and players alike have spoiled us. Five short years ago, a 12-1 season and a spot in the BCS championship game would have been an unbelievable dream come true. Now, without ending the season as number one, many are suffering through a feeling of loss, anger and almost disbelief. Putting things in perspective, USC has won about 45 of the last 47 games and that is not a bad accomplishment. This year, Reggie Bush brought another Heisman Trophy to Heritage Hall and that made it 3 out of the last 4 years that a Trojan has won college football's most prestigious award. USC finished the season rated as the number two team and that is also pretty darned good, at least for most teams. Pete has laid the foundation for a program based on excellence and it should last for some time. The future still looks bright and I will go on record as saying that I think the days of USC playing dominant defensive football will return. I know that the saying is that defense wins championships, so it can never hurt to dominate the defensive side of the ball. (though last night offense won the game, as neither team could consistently shut down the other) USC would appear to be on the verge of getting even more fine young players into the program and I really like USC's chances to compete for the conference and national title year in and year out so long as Pete Carroll is the head coach.

Trojans won't second guess fourth-down play

By Bruce Feldman
ESPN.com

PASADENA, Calif. -- Dumbest question asked in the USC locker room after the game: Did you guys give any thought to punting on that fourth-and-2? After all, the Trojans had the ball at the Texas 45-yard line with 2:13 remaining and were clinging to a 38-33 lead. That's usually the call, right? Play it smart. Force the other team to make the big plays.

Puh-leese. If you think that way and you figured that's what the Trojans were planning, then you don't follow USC football. The program's motto might as well be "Go for it!" The Trojans approach fourth downs like they're on a 3-on-1 fastbreak. The choice for the play call was almost as much of a given. Even some of the USC Song Girls probably knew what was coming: 27-Power -- a smash-mouth play that has become as much a staple of USC's amazing recent run as police escorts and pretty blonde hangers-on.

The design of the play is fairly simple: center Ryan Kalil blocks down on the nose guard; the guard and tackle combination block off that on the inside man while the other guard pulls around. Then, LenDale White, USC's punishing 235-pound tailback, follows through to the hole and makes his read. It had worked brilliantly all night. White had hammered his way to three rushing touchdowns already in the game on 27-Power, slashing through gaps that seemed to get wider as the game wore on.

It also had been a perfect fit for White's downhill running style. He finished the night with 124 yards on 20 carries in what likely was his final college game since White is leaning toward bolting for the NFL.

"When it's time to go, we're gonna run 27-Power," USC assistant head coach Steve Sarkisian said. "[Texas] knew it. We knew it. There's was no doubt in anybody's mind about."

OK, well, there was a hint of doubt. Meaning the Trojan coaches toyed with the idea of going against their tendencies and running a naked bootleg with QB Matt Leinart, giving him the option of a two-way go. But in truth, the Trojans knew if they were going to go for it, they had to go with what they had ridden all night.

This time, though, the Longhorns came up with the perfect counter. Their front submarined the blockers, slowing down the flow of the play and strong safety Michael Huff -- calling his own audible -- blitzed, knifed through a gap to bottle White up and left him inches short of the first down.

"We didn't really account for them," said White, "and I just put my head in there and tried to get there, but I just came up short."

The sometimes combustible White was very calm as he recounted the play as well as the way USC's 34-game winning streak was halted. He seemed very at peace with the how the game went down. He knew there was no shame in losing when the other team just rises up and makes a play. "I tried to leave it all out there man," he said with a smile. "I really did."

USC head coach Pete Carroll, hardly the second-guessing type, said he has no qualms about the play-call or the decision not to punt. "That's the way we've been doing it for years," he said, adding "that you go with your best jump shot from the top of the key."

Carroll explained it was hardly a calculated risk. "You make that first down and you win the football game," he said. "You're going to have to kick it anyway. How far are you going to punt it, 20 yards? It's not even close. The decision, in our way of thinking, is you're going for it all the time."

The decision was a fitting way for the Trojans to see their amazing streak come to an end, with the team stiff-arming conventional wisdom and opting to go down swinging.

"This is really what we wanted," said guard Fred Matua. "We want to be out there and play it to the fullest. We don't play to just stay on top. We play to win, man.

"We're not about putting the game in our defense's hands. We want to take it from them on our terms. If we go down, we're going down fighting, not just hopin' and wishin'. This is how we play at SC, and any high schooler that wants to play like this, man come on through. We don't play scared."

Said Pat Ruel, USC's O-line coach, "I'm disgusted because this team has given so much and it came down to this play, but hey, I guess it's time for us to start a new streak. That's all."

Bruce Feldman is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine.

Forget rhyme, there's reason why Rose is best

KRT Wire

BY MIKE BIANCHI

The Orlando Sentinel

PASADENA, Calif. - There is no substitute for this.

The biggest game ever. The best game ever. The most venerable venue ever.

There is absolutely no equivalent for the tenacity of Texas.

Or the radiance of the Rose.

Robert Frost once wrote,

"The rose is a rose,

And was always a rose.

But the theory now goes,

That the apple's a rose."

He was dead wrong.

The apple's not a rose. And neither is the Orange, the Sugar or the Fiesta. Never will be.

The Southern Cal-Texas championship game Wednesday night was hyped as the biggest game in college football history, and that's why this setting was so perfect. After all, shouldn't the best game of them all be played on the grandest stage of them all?

The Rose Bowl.

If college football had any soul left, it would play every national championship game right here at this majestic stadium where the history and heritage of the sport are handled with the same delicate care by which the little old ladies from Pasadena nurture their hybrid tea roses.

What better place for two of college football's epic programs to play the epic game, and play it down to the ultimate ending_a hair-raising, heart-stirring 41-38 Texas victory? And what better place for the long-dormant Texas program, behind an incredible_no, In-Vince-able_performance by quarterback Vince Young, to resurrect itself and win its first national championship since the Nixon Administration?

But it wasn't easy. In fact, it was breathtakingly burdensome. USC trailed at halftime but came out in the second half and marched right down the field. Texas responded and scored when Young, looking like a bigger, stronger version of Michael Vick, ran over and around USC's defense for a 14-yard touchdown. And USC responded with Matt Leinart marching his team 74 yards, shredding Texas' beleaguered secondary along the way.

And on it went with a Heisman winner (USC's Reggie Bush), past Heisman winner (Leinart) and perhaps a future Heisman winner (Young or USC's LenDale White) battling it out on the biggest stage in college football.

It finally ended with USC Coach Pete Carroll going for it on 4th-and-2 with about two minutes left just to keep the ball out of Young's hands.

It didn't work.

Just call it Texas hold `em. The Longhorns held, and Young, who ran for 200 yards and passed for 267 yards, ran for an 8-yard touchdown with 19 seconds left.

Unbelievable.

If any venue deserved such an incredible game, this is the place. The rest of college football has sold off its tradition as if it was just another T-shirt or trinket at the stadium souvenir stand. Not the Rose Bowl. It staunchly and stubbornly clings to its roots and refuses to bend to a Bowl Championship Series power structure that has turned the college football postseason into a mishmash of meaninglessness_an excuse to run endless TV commercials for snack chips and auto parts.

Sure, the Rose Bowl has made some concessions to stay on top, but it has made them grudgingly. Unlike other bowl games that have auctioned off their names to the highest corporate bidder, the Rose Bowl has not. The Rose is the Rose is the Rose and always will be, although it has allowed itself to be "presented by Citi"_a credit card company.

Unlike the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, which wall-papers the stadium with countless logos trumpeting the tortilla-chip mega-corporation, the Rose Bowl tones down the sponsorship visibility, almost as if it is embarrassed by its crassness. Much like Augusta National in golf, the Tournament of Roses Association figures a football game in this vast and venerable venue should be enough. No loud music during timeouts. No elaborate halftime shows.

All the Rose Bowl organizers care about is putting on the best parade and hosting the best bowl game. Any questions?

If only the BCS worked this well every year. If only all championship games could be like this one. If you used your imagination and gazed up at the magnificent San Gabriel Mountains surrounding this stately stadium, you almost could see Bear Bryant, Bud Wilkinson and other legends taking in this phenomenal game from their spot on college football's Mount Rushmore.

But you didn't have to use your imagination when you looked down to the playing field and saw college football's living legends live and in color. And, now, Vince Young becomes the biggest legend of them all.

Nineteenth-century feminist Emma Goldman once said, "I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck."

She never said the same thing about Tostitos snack chips.

Final College Football Rankings

Week 17 AP Top 25
1. Texas (65) 13-0 1,625
2. USC 12-1 1,560
3. Penn State 11-1 1,484
4. Ohio State 10-2 1,428
5. West Virginia 11-1 1,325
6. LSU 11-2 1,314
7. Virginia Tech 11-2 1,197
8. Alabama 10-2 1,081
9. Notre Dame 9-3 1,019
10. Georgia 10-3 994
11. TCU 11-1 937
12. Florida 9-3 817
12. Oregon 10-2 817
14. Auburn 9-3 799
15. Wisconsin 10-3 786
16. UCLA 10-2 778
17. Miami 9-3 589
18. Boston College 9-3 545
19. Louisville 9-3 410
20. Texas Tech 9-3 359
21. Clemson 8-4 339
22. Oklahoma 8-4 329
23. Florida State 8-5 232
24. Nebraska 8-4 128
25. California 8-4 45

Week 17 USA Today Poll
1. Texas (62) 13-0 1,550
2. USC 12-1 1,483
3. Penn State 11-1 1,421
4. Ohio State 10-2 1,357
5. LSU 11-2 1,281
6. West Virginia 11-1 1,235
7. Virginia Tech 11-2 1,176
8. Alabama 10-2 1,066
9. TCU 11-1 914
10. Georgia 10-3 900
11. Notre Dame 9-3 866
12. Oregon 10-2 837
13. UCLA 10-2 774
14. Auburn 9-3 760
15. Wisconsin 10-3 739
16. Florida 9-3 718
17. Boston College 9-3 584
18. Miami 9-3 558
19. Texas Tech 9-3 422
20. Louisville 9-3 342
21. Clemson 8-4 310
22. Oklahoma 8-4 274
23. Florida State 8-5 209
24. Nebraska 8-4 109
25. California 8-4 68
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES

My closing comments on the Rose Bowl -- and the season

To begin with, I just want to say congratulations to Texas for playing an outstanding game. To most people, USC fans may have seemed to be overlooking Vince Young and Texas and expecting that crystal trophy. But I submit that when your team wins 34 straight games, you gain confidence in what got you there. I was supremely confident that Pete Carroll would pull this game out, because that's what USC does. That's what USC has done for 3 years now.

That's not cockiness. That's confidence based on experience.

As it turns out, just as in life, football teams cannot remain perfect forever. Vince Young played out-of-sight. He was 30/40 passing for 267 yards and also ran 19 times for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns. I've seen him play well before, but tonight he took it to another level. Young carried the entire state of Texas on his back tonight. He led his team back from a 12 point deficit with les than six minutes left in the game with amazing runs full of twists, turns and jukes. The USC defense simply had no answer for him tonight.

Likewise, Texas had no answer for our offense either. Overall, the boys were spectacular tonight. USC did make several mistakes in the first half, including Reggie Bush's bonehead decision to try a lateral. That lateral turned into a Texas score, but was ultimately just one of several errors that added up to a loss.

Leinart played a nearly perfect second half and ended up going 29/40 for 365 yards and a touchdown. Lendale white was NEARLY unstoppable, until 4th and 2 at midfield with 2 minutes left. Dwayne Jarrett is a man out there and can really catch the rock. The offensive line proved how good they really are, we may be watching the best o-line in USC history. All of the support players were all outstanding

In the end, our defense simply couldn't stop Vince Young. I'm dismayed at the amount of arm tackles that were broken by him. But I've seen it happen to other teams defenses against Young too, so maybe the guy just sweats WD-40 or something.

Also, he's so big and strong that two separate times he was being rushed, the Tings tried to sack him, he just stood there with two guys hanging on him and threw the ball.

Overall, both teams had their offenses rolling, and neither team could stop the other. It came down to who scored last before time ran out. That team was Texas.

Congratulations to Texas and Vince Young for the win.

Destiny Denied

Los Angeles Times

Texas quarterback Vince Young scrambles for the go-ahead touchdown in the final seconds as USC is denied a third straight national championship.

By Diane Pucin
Times Staff Writer

9:50 PM PST, January 4, 2006

It came down to this.

Vince Young, the do-it-all Texas quarterback, had the ball in his hands on his 44-yard line, 2 minutes 8 seconds to work with and a five-point deficit to overcome in the national title game at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday night.

On fourth and five from the USC eight, Young had his 20th carry and when it ended in the end zone, an eight-yard touchdown run with 19 seconds left in this stunning and emotional game, No. 2-ranked Texas was on its way to a 41-38 upset of No. 1-ranked USC.

The Longhorn win ended the Trojans' bid for a third straight national title and also their 34-game winning streak.

Young also ran in the two-point conversion after his touchdown, which was fitting because he had done everything all night. Young, a junior, had 200 yards rushing and 267 passing yards to carry Texas to its first national title since 1970.

To set this all up, Texas threw at USC a no-huddle offense that discombobulated the Trojans. Young, who felt unappreciated after losing the Heisman Trophy to Trojan tailback Reggie Bush, picked apart USC's secondary with pinpoint passing (he completed his first nine and 12 of his first 13 attempts) and then befuddled the linebackers with his sneaky running speed.

There was also a curiously misbegotten lateral-gone-bad from Bush at the end of what had been a dazzling catch-and-run by the consensus 2006 No. 1 NFL draft pick. The lateral turned into a fumble and the fumble turned into a momentum-changing Texas field goal early in the second quarter.

And that was only in the first half.

Because Bush redeemed himself with a somersault into the end zone for a touchdown that finally gave USC the lead and LenDale White busted away at Texas's line, wearing down the Longhorn defenders, it seemed the Trojans were ready to complete their second consecutive undefeated season and earn a third straight national title when they took a 38-26 lead with 6:42 left in the game.

The touchdown that seemed to clinch the win for USC was a furiously-determined catch by Trojan sophomore receiver Dwayne Jarrett, who split Texas defenders Michael Griffin and Tarrell Brown to snare a 22-yard pass from senior quarterback Matt Leinart.

Then Jarrett somehow twisted his upper body and stretched into the end zone as if he were rubber. The Texas defenders had to be helped off the field while Jarrett slapped his head in joy. But Young would not let it end.

The Longhorns, with quick, tenacious defenders in the secondary and linebackers who met Bush almost every time he turned a corner, led the Trojans, 16-10, at halftime and 23-17 in the third quarter.

The Trojans started the third quarter with a stout defensive stop of the Longhorns and a 62-yard touchdown drive that was punctuated by a steamrolling three-yard touchdown run by White, who stiff-armed away one tackler and ran over two more on his way. For a moment the Trojans led, 17-16.

Not much more than two minutes later, Young answered. He had a 14-yard touchdown run with his own stiff-arm move to cap an 80-yard Texas drive. About five minutes later White busted up the middle for a 12-yard touchdown run.

No one had time to catch a breath or add up the score but with 4:27 left in the third quarter 21 points had been scored and USC was ahead, 24-23.

The way the Trojans had started off the game with a fury and a quick touchdown, it didn't seem as if Texas would have a chance.

After going three-and-out, the Trojans punted. USC safety Scott Ware pummeled Texas returner Aaron Ross, who fumbled the ball. The Trojans recovered and scored six plays later when White bulled through the line on a four-yard run.

Bush's creatively flamboyant mistake came when it seemed USC was on the verge of dominating the game.

The Trojans led 7-0 and the offensive line was clearing large swaths of free running room for White and Bush. The back had gained 24 yards and USC had moved to the Texas 45 when Leinart dumped a little screen to Bush who made like a Heisman winner, skittering left and right and gaining 37 yards before Texas defenders caught up with and started to drag him down.

For no good reason, Bush underhanded the ball toward Brad Walker who was not expecting the lateral. Longhorn safety Michael Huff pounced on the fumble and recovered for Texas on its 19 yard line.

Rejuvenated, Young directed a steady nine-play, 52-yard drive that was finished by a 46-yard field goal from kicker David Pino.

The Texas crowd roared and Young galloped around the sideline high-fiving every teammate he could reach.

In the immediate aftermath, the Trojans shrugged and moved. Leinart struck quickly, hitting wide receiver Steve Smith for 15 and Jarrett for a seven-yard gain. Bush carried for two, White for nine. Leinart dumped off a short seven-yarder to tight end Fred Davis. White gained seven, Bush a yard and USC was dancing on the Texas 25. On second and nine, Bush threw a high, fluttering ball to the corner toward Smith.

Texas safety Michael Griffin leapt in front of Smith and snatched the pass away. The call on the field was an incomplete pass as it appeared Griffin might have been out of bounds. But replay was used and showed clearly that Griffin had a foot in the end zone when he secured the ball.

Using a no-huddle offense that sent the Trojans into disarray, it took the Longhorns seven plays and 1:53 to score. Or did they?

Young ran from the USC 22 to the 10 when it seemed he was brought down. As Young's knee appeared to hit the ground he shoveled the ball ahead to Selvin Young who ran into the end zone.

Though the replays made it clear Vince Young should have been down, USC did not use a timeout to request a review and none was given. Though the Longhorns missed the extra point, they had taken the lead, 9-7.

After USC had to punt, the Longhorns scored again when tailback Ramonce Taylor broke loose for a 30-yard touchdown run. Vince Young was now on the sideline doing a little jig as all the fans wearing burnt orange roared.

With 2:34 left in the second quarter, the underdog Longhorns led 16-7 and not even a 43-yard from USC's Mario Danelo, his longest of the season, could keep Texas players from waving their arms and pumping their fists as they left the field at halftime. They led, 16-10, and would start the second half with their offense.

Trojans can't capitalize on Leinart's near-perfect game

ESPN.com

PASADENA, Calif. -- Matt Leinart could only watch as Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns

broke his heart.

The Southern California senior was nearly flawless after halftime Wednesday night, completing 16-of-19 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown. But Young scored on an 8-yard run with 19 seconds remaining to give No. 2 Texas the national championship with a 41-38 victory over the top-ranked Trojans in the Rose Bowl.

"We just couldn't tackle him," Leinart said. "I still think we're a better football team. They just made the plays at the end.

"This is what it's all about, 41-38 in the final game," he added. "You couldn't ask for anything better. This was a great football game. We gave our hearts, they gave their hearts, and they came out on top."

Leinart threw an incompletion to finish his career, overthrowing Dwayne Jarrett as time ran out, and trudged off the field a loser for only the second time in 39 starts at USC.

The 2004 Heisman Trophy winner didn't seem himself during a shaky first half, perhaps feeling the rust of a month off. The Trojans moved inside the Texas 20-yard line four times in the first half and to the Longhorns' 25 on another occasion but scored only 10 points.

"It's disappointing. We missed some stuff in the first half, but that's the way things go," Leinart said.

He was sacked twice in a row in the final minute of the half to prevent USC from perhaps scoring a touchdown. He knelt on one knee after one of the takedowns with his helmet off, appearing shaken up and in need of the halftime break.

Once he got it, there was no stopping him or his team for a while as USC (12-1) scored touchdowns on its first four possessions of the second half to take a 38-26 lead.

But Texas (13-0) had what it took at the finish.

Next stop for Leinart: The NFL, where he could have played this season, assuring himself of all the money he could ever spend.

That'll come soon enough for the 6-foot-5 left-hander from Orange County, who decided to go with his heart and stay in school for his senior year.

"No regrets," he said. "This is what I came back to school to do."

Leinart beat out three competitors to win the starting quarterback job in the spring of 2003 after sitting out his first year and playing third string his second, playing in mop-up time in three games without throwing a pass.

He has excelled in his three years as a starter to the point where it's reasonable to call him one of the best quarterbacks in college football history.

"He's got to be one of the all-timers, he's got to be," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "He's one of the top few that's ever played."

If that's not the case, Leinart certainly qualifies as one of the most successful with his 37-2 record as a starter -- including a 34-game winning streak snapped by the Longhorns.

"He's been a great champion, he's been a great leader, he's been a role model, he's been a blast to be around," Carroll said. "You know it and I know it, it's time to go.

"He played fantastic tonight again; it's just too bad he couldn't walk out of here as the Rose Bowl champ one more time. It isn't because he didn't do all he could," Carroll said.

Among the other outstanding records by starting college quarterbacks are the 35-0 mark by Toledo's Chuck Ealey from 1969-71, the 32-1-1 record by Oklahoma's Steve Davis from 1973-75 and the 38-2 mark by Miami's Ken Dorsey from 1999-2002.

Young is 30-2 as a starter and could surpass Leinart's standard as a senior next season, assuming he returns to school.

Carroll said Leinart's decision to play his senior year was the right one and should send a message to other youngsters.

"He's such an extraordinary kid," Carroll said. "I know he wouldn't trade this experience for anything. We're very lucky that we've had the time with him; it's been great to be with Matty."

Leinart went 29-of-40 for 365 yards with one interception against Texas. He was at his best in USC's most important games, winning MVP honors in the Rose Bowl two years ago, when he completed 23-of-34 passes for 327 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-14 victory over Michigan, and in the Orange Bowl last January, when he hit on 18-of-35 for 332 yards and five TDs in a 55-19 triumph over Oklahoma.

Leinart passed for a startling 10,603 yards and 99 touchdowns with only 23 interceptions in the past three seasons.

Young is unstoppable in upset; Bush and White enter the record books

ContraCostaTimes.com

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rose Bowl notebook

PASADENA - Finally, Texas' lone star shined brighter than all the glitter and glamour USC could muster.

Vince Young, back in the Rose Bowl and at his best, lifted the Longhorns to a 41-38 victory over top-ranked USC with his 8-yard touchdown run on fourth down with 19 seconds remaining.

"It's so beautiful," Young said as he received the MVP crystal. "Don't you think that's beautiful? It's coming home all the way to Austin, Texas."

Young came to California hoping to prove he was the best player in the country after his bitter disappointment at finishing second to USC running back Reggie Bush this year for the Heisman Trophy, which Trojans quarterback Matt Leinart won the year before.

By running and passing his way through another spectacular Rose Bowl performance, the Longhorns quarterback finally relegated the Heisman twins to supporting roles.

This was, without a doubt, Young's show: He ran for 200 yards and passed for 267 in a game that surpassed his 372-yard, five touchdown effort against Michigan here last year, and became the first player in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 yards and pass for 2,500 in a season.

"He's a fantastic player, and he made the difference," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "How classic was it that he ran it in on the last play?"

The only question now is whether the junior, who said he plans to return for a final season, leaves school early for the NFL. If he stays, the Longhorns can expect to enter the 2006 season ranked No. 1.

Dynamic duo

Bush somersaulted into the end zone in the fourth quarter, his future as the likely No. 1 NFL draft pick ahead of him and his bid for a record third consecutive national title yet to be dashed.

Then, there was his running mate, LenDale White. Overshadowed by Bush for much of the season, White had a breakout game in the Rose Bowl, scoring three touchdowns in the duo's run to history. The two combined for 99 career touchdowns in three years, breaking the record of 97 set by Army's Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard from 1943-46.

Despite their efforts, top-ranked USC had its 34-game winning streak snapped.

"Everybody can't win all the time," White said. "They came out and played a great game. We can't take that away."

With 2:09 remaining and USC ahead 38-33, White fell inches short of a first down, effectively toppling the Trojans' hopes for another title.

"If you make that first down, you're squatting on the football to win the game," Carroll said. "We just missed it. By what -- two inches?"

Whether these shooting stars add to their career touchdown total remains to be seen. The NFL beckons, and Bush and White are expected to announce their future plans soon.

"It's been a great run. We've done some special things," Bush said. "I don't think we should be ashamed about anything."

Leinart shines in loss

Leinart could only watch as Young and the Longhorns broke his heart. The USC quarterback was nearly flawless after halftime, completing 16 of 19 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown, but was upstaged by Young.

"We couldn't tackle him," Leinart said of Young. "I still think we're a better football team, they just made the plays in the end.

Leinart threw an incompletion to finish his career, overthrowing Dwayne Jarrett as time ran out, and trudged off the field a loser for only the second time in 39 starts at USC.

"This is what it's all about, 41-38 in the final game," Leinart said. "You couldn't ask for anything better. This was a great football game. We gave our hearts, they gave their hearts, and they came out on top."

Next stop for the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner: the NFL, where he could have played this season, assuring himself of all the money he could ever spend. That'll come soon enough for the 6-foot-5 left-hander from Orange County, who decided to go with his heart and stay in school for his senior year.

"No regrets," Leinart said. "This is what I came back to school to do."

He passed for a startling 10,603 yards and 99 touchdowns with only 23 interceptions in the past three seasons.

"He's got to be one of the all-timers, he's got to be," Carroll said. "He's one of the top few that's ever played.

"He's been a great champion, he's been a great leader, he's been a role model, he's been a blast to be around. You know it and I know it, it's time to go."

White a rock for Trojans

www.statesman.com

In end, though, Longhorns stonewall USC's other running back on key play.

By John Maher
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, January 05, 2006

PASADENA, Calif. — To most, LenDale White is Southern California's other tailback, the runner who isn't Reggie Bush. His USC teammates, however, know that White is a big handful to bring down, a runner who's deceptively fast for a 6-foot-2-inch, 235-pounder.

Although the Longhorns bottled up Heisman Trophy winner Bush except for one dazzling touchdown, they couldn't stop White on Wednesday night, except on the one play they absolutely had to.

On a fourth-and-2 at the Texas 45, rather than punt the ball away, the Trojans called on White one last time.

White was the rock for a USC team that came out with a case of the first-half jitters. He scored three touchdowns and ended up gaining 124 yards on 20 carries. He needed to gain perhaps a couple more inches for the Trojans to with three national titles and 35 straight games.

USC Coach Pete Carroll could have elected to punt the ball away and make Texas go most of the field for the winning score.

After the loss, Carroll defended his move.

"It's real simple," he said. "The series before, they had been moving the ball. . . . It wouldn't make much difference if they had to go an extra 20 yards."

"We felt it was a good move," USC defensive end Frostee Rucker said. "Whenever you have an offense like this that's been so confident, you have to go for it."

A first down would have allowed USC to run down most of the clock and might eventually have resulted in another score.

"That offense, we could not stop them. We couldn't get them off the field," Texas Coach Mack Brown said.

"We had success up the middle all night," safety Darnell Bing said. "You've got to be confident."

All week leading up to the Rose Bowl, the Trojans were California cool, almost blasé about being in the national championship game. It was, after all, their third straight time playing for the national championship.

In a way, they were living up to an old Darrell Royal saying: Act like you've been there.

Royal was talking about the end zone, but when the Trojans got down there or had a chance to score early, they were even more jittery than the Longhorns, who quickly got a grip on their nerves.

White was the consistent threat all night, but even that was not quite enough.

Vince brings the drama

The Daily Texan

By Jake Veyhl
Daily Texan Staff

PASADENA, Calif. - Vince Young led the Longhorns to their first ever Rose Bowl appearance and victory last season with a 10-point fourth-quarter rally.

Apparently that wasn't enough drama.

Staring at a fourth and five with Texas down 38-33 and a little more than 20 seconds left in the game, Young went through three passing progressions then scrambled right and trotted eight yards into the end zone to propel Texas to a 41-38 victory before 93,986 fans at the Rose Bowl.

Young rallied the Longhorns from a 12-point deficit with less than seven minutes remaining and led the Texas earned its fourth national title in football and its first since 1970.

Young topped last year's Rose Bowl performance of 192 yards rushing, 180 yards passing and four touchdowns. He completed 30 of his 40 passes for 267 yards and rushing 19 times for 200 yards and three touchdowns. The redshirt junior won his second consecutive Rose Bowl MVP award and helped head coach Mack Brown win his first national championship.

Texas' defense jumped out of the gate with three plays and out but Aaron Ross fumbled the ensuing punt, allowing USC to recover and drive for the game's first touchdown.

Texas responded with 16 consecutive points in the second quarter.

David Pino got the Longhorns on the board by nailing a season-long 46-yard field goal 21 seconds into the quarter. Then, with USC driving on the next possession, safety Michael Griffin nabbed a Matt Leinart pass on the end zone sideline and tapped his left foot for a touchback.

Texas responded with a seven play, 80 yard scoring drive that ended when Vince Young rushed to the left then, while falling down, pitched the ball to Selvin Young for the Longhorns first touchdown. David Pino missed the extra point, giving Texas a 9-7 advantage.

Texas kept rolling with their no-huddle offense after forcing a USC punt. Young engineered a four-play, 51-yard drive capped by Ramonce Taylor's 30-yard counter run.

The Trojans managed a field goal before halftime and narrowed the gap to 16-10.

Points came at a premium in the first half but the nation's two most explosive offenses found a rhythm in the second.

USC put up 28 second-half points on the Longhorns, but the Texas defense came up with a big stop when it needed it most. Trojans coach Pete Carroll decided to go for a crucial fourth and two situation inside of three minutes remaining. The Longhorns held LenDale White, who rushed for 124 yards and three touchdowns on the evening, to only one yard and turned the ball over to Young and the Longhorns' offense.

Texas' Young is magnificent Lone Star

AP Wire

JIM VERTUNO
Associated Press

PASADENA, Calif. - Finally, Texas' lone star shined brighter than all the glitter and glamour Southern California could muster. Vince Young, back in the Rose Bowl and at his best, lifted the Longhorns to a 41-38 Rose Bowl victory over top-ranked Southern California with his 9-yard touchdown run on fourth down with 19 seconds left.

The victory brought the Longhorns their first outright national championship since 1969.

Young came to California hoping to prove he was the best player in the country after his bitter disappointment at finishing second to USC running back Reggie Bush this year for the Heisman Trophy, which Trojans quarterback Matt Leinart won the year before.

By running and passing his way through another spectacular Rose Bowl performance, the Longhorns quarterback finally relegated the Heisman twins to supporting roles.

This was, without a doubt, Young's show: He ran for 200 yards and passed for another 267 in a game that surpassed his 372-yard, five touchdown effort against Michigan here last year, and became the first player in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 yards and pass for 2,500 in a season.

Before the game, Young went through his usual routine, listening to music on his iPod while tossing passes to his receivers and hamming it up with thousands of Texas fans who came to the game early.

By kickoff, he was reaching for what he calls his "Jordan Mode" - the zone where he feels he can make any play at any time. It worked to perfection on Texas' first touchdown when Young snuck one past the USC defense and the replay officials.

Young broke through the left side of the line and pitched the ball to tailback Selvin Young, who slipped through three tacklers to get into the end zone. The quarterback was being tackled when he tossed it, and television replays showed his knee was down before the ball left his hands. Game officials did not review the play.

By the second quarter, he was still dancing on the field, pantomiming riding down the field on a horse during a timeout.

On one play, Young slipped through the tackle of blitzing USC safety Brandon Ting for a short pass, then turned and shook Ting's hand as if to say "I'll be here all night."

Young scored his first touchdown when he capped a seven-play, 80-yard drive in the third with a stiff-arm of a Trojan defender before diving for the end zone pylon to give the Longhorns a 23-17 lead. He then flashed a "Hook'em Horns" sign to the crowd.

His second touchdown, a 17-yard run in the fourth, started when he dropped back to pass, then used a burst of speed to run through the middle of the defense. The score pulled the Longhorns within 38-33 with 4:03 to play.

By then, Young was unstoppable.

When Texas got the ball back for its final drive near midfield, Young completed five passes and covered the final 14 yards on his own. He also pushed his way through the middle of the line for the two-point conversion that made it 41-38.

"He's a fantastic player and he made the difference," Carroll said. "How classic was it that he ran it in on the last play?"

The only question now is whether the junior, who said he plans to return for a final season, leaves school early for the NFL.

If he stays, the Longhorns can expect to enter the 2006 season ranked No. 1.

Leinart brilliant in defeat

AP Wire

JOHN NADEL
Associated Press

PASADENA, Calif. - Matt Leinart could only watch as Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns broke his heart.

The Southern California quarterback was nearly flawless after halftime Wednesday night, completing 16 of 19 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown. But Young scored on an 8-yard run with 19 seconds remaining to give No. 2 Texas a 41-38 victory over the top-ranked Trojans in the Rose Bowl.

"We couldn't tackle him," Leinart said. "I still think we're a better football team, they just made the plays in the end."

Leinart threw an incompletion to finish his career, overthrowing Dwayne Jarrett as time ran out, and trudged off the field a loser for only the second time in 39 starts at USC.

The 2004 Heisman Trophy winner didn't seem himself during a shaky first half, perhaps feeling the rust of a month off.

He was sacked twice in a row in the final minute of the half to prevent USC from perhaps scoring a touchdown. He knelt on one knee after one of the takedowns with his helmet off, appearing shaken up and in need of the halftime break.

Once he got it, there was no stopping him or his team for a while as USC scored touchdowns on its first four possessions of the second half to take a 38-26 lead.

But Texas had what it took at the finish.

Next stop for Leinart: the NFL, where he could have played this season, assuring himself of all the money he could ever spend.

That'll come soon enough for the 6-foot-5 left-hander from Orange County, who decided to go with his heart and stay in school for his senior year.

Leinart beat out three competitors to win the starting quarterback job in the spring of 2003 after sitting out his first year and playing third string his second.

He has excelled in his three years as a starter to the point where it's a reasonable premise to call him one of the best quarterbacks in college football history.

If that's not the case, he certainly qualifies as one of the most successful with his 37-2 record - including a 34-game winning streak snapped by the Longhorns.

Among the other outstanding records by starting college quarterbacks are the 35-0 mark by Toledo's Chuck Ealey from 1969-71, the 32-1-1 record by Oklahoma's Steve Davis from 1973-75, and the 38-2 mark by Miami's Ken Dorsey from 1999-02.

Young is 30-2 as a starter, and could surpass Leinart's standard as a senior next season, assuming he returns to school.

Leinart wound up going 29-of-40 for 365 yards with one interception against Texas. He was at his best in USC's most important games, winning MVP honors in the Rose Bowl two years ago, when he completed 23 of 34 passes for 327 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-14 victory over Michigan, and in the Orange Bowl last January, when he hit on 18 of 35 for 332 yards and five TDs in a 55-19 triumph over Oklahoma.

Leinart passed for a startling 10,603 yards and 99 touchdowns with only 23 interceptions in the past three seasons.

Bush, White run into history, together

AP Wire

BETH HARRIS
Associated Press

PASADENA, Calif. - Reggie Bush somersaulted into the end zone, his future as the likely No. 1 NFL draft pick ahead of him and his bid for a record third consecutive national championship yet to be dashed.

Then, there was his running mate, LenDale White.

Overshadowed by Bush for much of the season, White had a breakout game in the Rose Bowl, scoring three touchdowns in the duo's run to history. The two combined for 99 career touchdowns in three years, breaking the record of 97 set by Army's Glenn Davis and Felix "Doc" Blanchard from 1943-46.

Despite their efforts, top-ranked Southern California had its 34-game winning streak snapped in a 41-38 loss to No. 2 Texas on Wednesday night.

"We can appreciate everything we did to this point," Bush said. "It's been a great run. We've done some special things here - the championships we've won. I don't think we should be ashamed about anything."

Bush embellished his reputation as college football's most explosive player in the fourth quarter with his sideline-hugging sprint and ensuing somersault in which his helmet smacked the turf in the end zone.

Not everything was picture perfect for the two friends, however.

USC led 7-0 on White's first TD run, Bush had the ball and another score appeared imminent.

But suddenly, inexplicably, he tried to lateral to a teammate who hadn't touched the ball all season.

Bad move.

Bush's flashy 37-yard run on a screen pass from Matt Leinart carried him inside the 20-yard line, where his lateral intended for Brad Walker went haywire. Safety Michael Huff recovered at the 19-yard line for Texas early in the second quarter.

Bush clapped his gloved hands to his helmet in dismay and ran off the field. He was crouched alone on the sideline when fellow Heisman Trophy winner Leinart came over and gave a consoling tap on Bush's helmet.

The Longhorns capitalized on Bush's mistake with a 46-yard field goal by David Pino to trail 7-3.

Bush's blunder could have proven colossal for the Trojans, who trailed 16-10 at halftime in the matchup of two unbeaten teams.

White eased the sting with two straight touchdowns in the third quarter - bulldozing between tackles on his second one - that gave the Trojans a 24-23 lead and set up his potential bid to win the Heisman next season.

Then, Bush scored his first TD of the game and extended USC's lead to 30-23. Back on the sideline, he kissed his right glove and pointed toward the night sky.

With 2:09 remaining and USC ahead 38-33, White fell inches short of a first down, effectively toppling the Trojans' hopes for another title.

Whether these shooting stars add to their career touchdown total remains to be seen. The NFL beckons, and Bush and White are expected to announce their future plans soon.

Finally, It's Here: USC Vs. Texas

ABC News

Anticipated All Season and Relentlessly Hyped: It's USC Vs. Texas in the Rose Bowl

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP Sports Writer
The Associated Press

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Anticipated all season, set up with matching blowouts and relentlessly hyped for the last month, the Rose Bowl everyone's been waiting for is finally here. No. 1 USC against No. 2 Texas, with their perfect records, potent offenses, glittery stars, rich tradition and eye-popping pageantry playing for the national championship in Pasadena on Wednesday night.

The game of the year! The game of the century! The game of all time!

Or just another day at work for two-time defending champ Southern California?

"This is what we have really prepared to do and hopefully built ourselves toward this," USC coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday. "You can't get a big enough game for us."

Heisman Trophy winners Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush have led the Trojans to 34 straight victories. Against Texas, they'll become the first Heisman duo to play together in a college game as USC goes for a record third consecutive national title.

The Longhorns also are 12-0, and they've won 19 in a row. Heisman runner-up Vince Young is the dynamic dual-threat who leads an offense that has more than matched USC touchdown for touchdown.

Texas puts up 51 points per game, USC 50. The Trojans are favored by a TD.

"We don't have to be the best team of all time, just tomorrow night," Texas coach Mack Brown said.

It's already the best game Bowl Championship Series officials could have imagined in their eight-year history. No doubts about who belongs this season.

Plus, the weather will apparently cooperate. After storms soaked the area earlier this week, clear skies are in the forecast.

Everything, it seems, is set.

"These two teams have been talked about every day for a month," Brown said. "Good teams enjoy the hype."

Young returns to the site of his breakout performance.

The 230-pound quarterback with sprinter's speed made last year's Rose Bowl look like a pickup game, running for 192 yards and four touchdowns to beat Michigan 38-37.

"From the Rose Bowl, it kind of just took off and carried over," Young said. "A lot of guys on the team, we knew what it takes and understand what we need to do to play well to get to this point."

Young brought a new dimension to Texas. The guy many thought would never complete enough passes to lead a team to a championship threw for 2,769 yards and 26 touchdowns this season.

"There's nobody like this," Carroll said. "There's guys that can run, there's guys that throw, there's quick guys and all that, but nobody's ever been this fast."

The Longhorns began the season ranked No. 2 in the country behind USC and that's the way it stayed as each team stormed through unbeaten seasons, punctuated with fierce finales on Dec. 3.

Texas wrapped up its return to the Rose Bowl with a 70-3 rout of Colorado for the Big 12 championship. A few hours later, USC locked up a second straight trip to the BCS title game with a 66-19 romp over UCLA.

Young was brilliant, but not good enough to keep Bush from sprinting away with the Heisman.

Bush ran for 1,658 yards 8.9 per carry hurdling a few tacklers along the way.

"My favorite one that made me go 'Wow!' was the Notre Dame game when he shook off a tackle, hit the hole and jumped over the safety and took it to the house," Texas linebacker Rashad Bobino said.

Ah yes, the Notre Dame game. The Trojans' brush with imperfection, when they flashed moxie and guts to match their skill and speed.

Leinart's fourth-and-9 pass to Dwayne Jarrett pulled the winning streak from peril. After his fumble went out of bounds, Leinart scored with a push from Bush in the closing seconds for a 34-31 win.

The game will stand as a defining moment for Leinart, who returned for his senior year to direct one of the most prolific and balanced offenses in college football history.

USC is the first team with a 3,000-yard passer (Leinart), two 1,000-yard rushers (Bush and LenDale White), and a 1,000-yard receiver (Jarrett).

"Right now we're right where I hoped we were going to be when I made my decision," Leinart said. "But I feel like this has been the best time of my life, these last four or five years, and Wednesday is kind of the culmination."

It could be the finale for Bush, too. He's expected to pass up his last year of eligibility and become the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft by the Houston Texans.

Young also could turn pro, but has said he'll return for his senior season.

No matter what, both teams figure to be stacked next season.

"Young people go to Texas and USC to play in games like this," Brown said.

While USC will be shooting for a three-peat, the Longhorns will be looking to end a long title drought.

Only Michigan and Notre Dame have won more games than Texas. But of the seven winningest schools to play football, none have gone longer than the 'Horns without a national title their last outright championship was 1969 and they shared the crown in 1970.

"Our plan is to bring this thing back to Texas, where it belongs in the South," running back and Houston native Selvin Young said. "Growing up, I've always been a believer that real football is played in Texas."

Over the last three years, the best football has been played at USC.

The Trojans turned last year's game against unbeaten Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl into a victory parade, breezing 55-19 for the national title.

Texas should be tougher, giving USC a chance to lay claim title to an even bigger title than national champ.

"I think it's a fair statement," Bush said, "that we could possibly compete as one of the greatest offenses, greatest teams in college football ever."

Rose Bowl brings out the Marin kid in Carroll

Marin Independent Journal

Dave Albee

TONIGHT'S Rose Bowl for the national championship is the biggest game of Pete Carroll's life. But to the 54-year-old USC coach, it's no bigger in his mind than a Pop Warner game he played at College of Marin in 1963.

They are one of the same, these grand events, whether you're coaching for a record third consecutive NCAA title or playing as a kid growing up in Greenbrae.

Carroll reverted back to fond childhood memories and reminded himself of that boyhood perspective Tuesday at the final pre-Rose Bowl press conference at the Beverly Hills Hilton about his recollection of his first big game before tonight's biggest game.

"When you get to game day, when you get to that stadium, all of the dreams you lived with as a kid come to the front," Carroll said on the eve of the "Granddaddy of them all." "I've never dreaded the games. I've never gone to any game where I wished I wasn't there or I was worried about the outcome in the sense that I wasn't going to enjoy (the game). It's been that way since I was a little kid. It feels exactly the same way now. I'm looking forward to it. I'm glad you brought that up."

You're welcome.

It was Thanksgiving Day 32 years ago that Carroll was a safety and back-up single-wing tailback playing behind "the mercurial Kenny Johnson." The Redwood Junior Giants were playing a Pop Warner team from San Diego.

"To me, it was the Rose Bowl. I think I was 12 at the time," Carroll said.

What thrilled Carroll at the time, other than a chance to compete in a game, was this Pop Warner game was contested on the same field where, on Thanksgiving Day 1962, Redwood and Tam staged the so-called "Turkey Bowl," perhaps the single greatest sporting event in Marin history. The undefeated Indians and the Giants were playing for the Marin County Athletic League championship in a game that had been rescheduled from Oct. 13 because of flooding.

The COM stadium seated 7,000 but a standing-room only crowd of 9,500 showed up, at that time more than 10 percent of the county's population. Redwood won, 20-14.

"That was a huge event in my life. That was one of the biggest football games I've ever been around when I was a little kid," Carroll said. "Then to have a chance to play a few years later in that same kind of setting. It's like what it's going to be (at the Rose Bowl)."

Except the Rose Bowl now seats 91,000 and the national championship game will be nationally-televised. Except that the Redwood coach and quarterback in that 1962 Thanksgiving Day game - Bob Troppmann and his son Jim - will be sitting in the stands watching Carroll's team play this time. Troppmann, Carroll's coach at Redwood, will be sitting with Jim, his other son John and his son-in-law Tony Yarish. Coach T and Yarish drove to L.A. on Tuesday,Jim flew in from Cincinnati and John flew in from Spokane and today more of Carroll's Redwood buddies - Lou Larsen, Bill Peters and John and Steve Boro - flew to L.A. from the Bay Area. They're all hoping to connect with Carroll after the game.

"He's like a rock star. It's tough to get in touch with him," said John Boro, who grew up in the same Greenbrae neighborhood as Carroll.

Skip Corsini, another lifelong Carroll friend, isn't making the Rose Bowl trip but two of his sons - 21-year-old USC student and Daily Trojan staffer Mike and 22-year-old San Diego State student Joe - will attend the national title game.

It's a big event for all of them, too, though Carroll is mindful not to make playing the Texas Longhorns in Pasadena any more imposing than playing Pop Warner in Kentfield.

"When you're a little kid, your eyes are so big. You're full of the all the energy and excitement of it. I don't feel a whole lot different about going into this game then I did back then," Carroll said. "It's the same kind of a feeling. The same kind of build-up and opportunity."

But without the masses and media coverage. With all those expectations and distractions swirling around him and his Trojans, Carroll is maintaining a singular focus. Keep it simple. It's still a kid's game.

"By the time we get to game time our guys are playing it like they're kids. I don't care how old you get, I think you should play it that way," the USC coach said.

"This is an extraordinary gift that we've been given, us football guys, to have a chance to play. Whether you're playing it with the Redwood Junior Giants or UOP or you're playing in the NFL playoffs or you're playing it here in the Rose Bowl. It should be what it is. It's a game. That's the only thing we've ever put on is a game. And to forget that is wrong.

"The thing I like the most is it is a game and it goes right back to all the rest of them. I'm not going to approach this one any differently than any game I've ever been involved with."

So they're all big in Carroll's eyes because they are rare, once-a-week opportunities to compete for basically four months out of the year. It's doesn't matter who, when, why or what's at stake for Pete's sake.

"I always think when I say that it makes it seem that it minimizes what this is," Carroll said. "It's the other way around for me."

The gift here isn't the Rose Bowl. It's the game itself. The game kids dream of playing.

Fans turn out early at Rose Bowl for national championship game

AP Wire

Associated Press

PASADENA, Calif. - The sun was barely up Wednesday and fans were already flocking to the Rose Bowl for the evening matchup between the No. 1 University of Southern California Trojans and the No. 2 University of Texas Longhorns to decide college football's national championship.

Parking lots filled rapidly and tailgating got under way in partly cloudy but dry and warm weather - a turnabout from Monday's wind-driven downpour that drenched the Rose Parade and the golf course next to the Rose Bowl, reducing use of the grass for game parking.

Inside the stadium, two helicopters hovered low over the field, blow-drying it with rotor wash.

The impact of the big contest extended well beyond Pasadena.

Rapper-actress Queen Latifah took time to cheer on the Trojans, her team of choice, as she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The University of California, Riverside, moved up its 7 p.m. men's basketball game against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to midday "to accommodate fan interest in the national championship football game."

"We realize that the Rose Bowl is going to be one of the most watched events in Southern California in several years, and we want to provide our fans with the opportunity to see both games," Athletics Director Stan Morrison said in a statement.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, however, was busy working on his state of the state speech and it was only likely that he would watch parts of the game if he took a break from that task, said spokesman Darrel Ng.

Texas’ key to stopping USC? There may not be one

The Anniston Star

By John Henderson
Denver Post
01-04-2006

Heisman trophy winner Reggie Bush is just one of the stars of the USC offense, which takes the field tonight. Photo: Phil McCarten/Associated Press

PASADENA, Calif. — The burden of history can be a heavy yoke to carry, particularly when your sport dates to the horse and buggy and you can establish its longest dynasty of the modern era.

But regardless of how much pressure top-ranked Southern California feels — and through a 34-game win streak it has shown all the stress of a beach bar house band — it isn’t nearly as heavy as another team’s role.

The team that tries to change history.

That is the burden second-ranked Texas (12-0) carries into today’s national championship game at the Rose Bowl. The Longhorns must stop USC (12-0) from an unprecedented third straight national title by stopping what historians are calling the most dangerous offense in college football history.

The last 34 opponents couldn’t do it. Seven of the 12 this season have given up at least 50 points. One NFL scout says 40 players on USC’s roster will play in the NFL. The key to the game is how USC’s more mortal defense stops Texas quarterback Vince Young — merely because no one believes anyone can stop USC’s offense.

"Watching the game film, it’s like this is a highlight tape," Texas linebacker Rashad Bobino said. "This is not a game film. Watching Reggie Bush running over people, Matt Leinart squeezing through holes, Dwayne Jarrett, LenDale White running through people, tight ends dragging and the guards — oh, my God! — taking linebackers and just throwing them 15, 10 yards back.

"Looking at them it’s like, `This is a team?’ Man, I see why they’re No. 1 in the nation."

Only two years ago, Texas Tech averaged more yards than USC’s nation-leading 580.2. But no team in history has been more balanced at these high-rent numbers. The Trojans average 316.0 yards through the air and 264.2 on the ground. Pick your poison.

Oregon led USC 13-10 at halftime and Arizona State led 21-3. Both essentially put their fingers in the dike. Oregon wound up losing 45-13 and ASU fell 38-28.

"You try to change it up, but it starts by trying to stop the run game," Arizona State defensive coordinator Bill Miller said. "If don’t stop that — which we couldn’t do — it’s over."

That will be Texas’ strategy. The Longhorns plan to force the game into the hands of Leinart, last season’s Heisman Trophy winner. It may not seem to make sense to count on stopping a Heisman-winning quarterback, but it’s the only option teams have found that makes sense.

Leinart has thrown for 3,450 yards and 27 touchdowns and was a Heisman finalist, but he has had slow starts, if that means anything. Besides, USC was fifth nationally in rushing. Opponents not only must stop White’s bruising 98.2 yards a game, but Bush averages 138.2. Then there is Bush’s all-purpose threat — just ask Fresno State, which saw him compile 513 yards rushing, catching and returning.

Bush makes USC impossible to prepare for, like waiting for a flash flood but not knowing which window it will come through. The Trojans line him up at tailback, H-back, at wide receiver and in the slot.

"The bottom line for us was knowing where Reggie Bush was, that’s the key," Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti said. "You know that children’s book, `Where’s Waldo’? That was kind of our cry throughout the week."

For the past month, Texas has practiced with Jamaal Charles, its leading rusher among tailbacks, and wide receiver Ramonce Taylor imitating Bush. They’ve contemplated putting one defender, a "spy," shadowing Bush everywhere. But, as Texas defensive coordinator Gene Chizik said, "If the guy is that good that you’re spying him, he’s probably better than your spy guy." That’s why he said, "We’ve got to have 11 guys spying this guy."

Bush is the best in America in the open field and will likely become the No. 1 player in the NFL draft this spring because of a full-speed change of direction no one in football can match.

With USC boasting an underrated offensive line that has allowed only 14 sacks and hasn’t missed a start all season, Bush is in the open field a lot.

"We’re relying on a lot of help from our friends," said Chizik who, counting his previous stint at Auburn, has won 27 straight. "He’s hard to tackle in the open field with one guy or two guys or three guys. That’s what we’ve talked about for the last month: How we are going to corral this offense? It’s going to be very important we stay alive."

As Arizona State and Oregon learned, early success doesn’t mean 60-minute success. Keep in mind USC coach Pete Carroll is a magician at halftime adjustments so stopping Bush and Leinart for a half is only good for bragging rights.

In the third quarter, the Trojans have outscored opponents 164-35.

"Their numbers got to us in the second half," Aliotti said. "They’re playing about three tight ends, about five receivers, two fullbacks and two running backs with LenDale and Bush. We were so spent at halftime."

But, Aliotti said, "The good news is Texas has those athletes, too."

True. Texas has the nation’s sixth-ranked defense with All-Americans in cornerback Michael Huff and tackle Rodrique Wright. The Sporting News in preseason ranked its secondary as the best in the country, and Texas held three of its last four opponents to under 270 yards offense.

Then again, the Big 12 doesn’t have the offensive firepower of the Pacific 10. Look at Texas’ schedule, and the best quarterback it faced was likely Texas Tech’s Cody Hodges. Have the Longhorns faced anyone like Bush?

Even Bevo laughs at that one.

Besides USC’s offense, Texas is a 7 1/2-point underdog because USC’s defense tops the nation in turnover margin (plus-1.83), and the Longhorns must pull the upset in the Trojans’ backyard. USC hasn’t lost in Southern California in 27 games dating to 2001, or back when Texas had problems beating Colorado.

Texas coach Mack Brown pooh-poohed it, saying, "It’s the same atmosphere they had at Ohio State. There were 106,000 and 100,000 of them were against us and there was another 100,000 outside and it was fun."

But Ohio State didn’t have Leinart, Bush and White. No one does. And no one in modern history has won three national titles in a row. USC has history going against it. Texas has USC going against it. We’ll all learn Wednesday night which is a tougher foe.

Battle-tested, well-prepared USC will win

Michael Ventre
MSNBC.com

LOS ANGELES - To understand why USC will defeat Texas in the Rose Bowl for an unprecedented third straight national championship on Wednesday, study the example of Fresno State.

For years, the Bulldogs have been hopelessly plagued by an inferiority complex. They defeated USC in the 1992 Freedom Bowl 24-7, but all that did was get Larry Smith fired. Since then, they’ve longed for, pined for, craved another shot at USC. It would make their lives. They could then die happy.

This season, after long last, they got their wish. Coach Pat Hill and his staff schemed and planned. The players were pumped. They stormed into Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, played a magnificent game, threw a major scare into the No. 1 team in the nation, lost 50-42, then proceeded to go deep into the tank, ending the season with three more straight losses.

They put all their chips on one crazy roll of the dice, and lost.

The USC Trojans have precisely the opposite approach. Every game is equally big. No one game is treated any differently — mentally, physically or emotionally — than another. And every week another Fresno State is lurking around the corner. Sometimes it’s Notre Dame. Sometimes it’s Arizona State. Always it is a team looking to bag the biggest trophy in its history.

Meanwhile, the Trojans are riding a 34-game winning streak.

USC’s track record of winning big games is second to none. At the end of the 2002 season, the Trojans faced Iowa in the Orange Bowl, a rough, tough, Midwestern smash-mouth thresher of a football team. The Trojans physically whipped the Hawkeyes en route to a 38-17 victory.

The following year they opened at Auburn, a team some picked as No. 1 in the land, with a new quarterback named Matt Leinart who had never thrown a pass in a college game. USC rolled 23-0.

There was the Rose Bowl two years ago, a 28-14 win over Michigan. There was the opener last season on the road against Virginia Tech, a 24-13 triumph. There was last season’s UCLA game at the Rose Bowl, when the Bruins had three weeks to prepare and USC had just one, and the Trojans averted a season spoiler with a 29-24 win. There was the 55-19 blowout over Oklahoma at the Orange Bowl. There were the Notre Dame and Fresno State bullet-dodgers this season.

USC is the No. 1 battle-tested team in the country. It established itself as such because coach Pete Carroll has instituted a pattern of behavior that emphasizes attention to detail, lots of energy and enthusiasm, careful scrutiny of opponents, competition and fun.

Wednesday’s Rose Bowl game is a biggie, to be sure, and the USC players certainly aren’t deluding themselves as to what’s at stake. But they have put themselves in a position to play their A-game because they’ve been conditioned to do that every week anyway. And if you haven’t noticed, their A-game ain’t bad.

“It’s going to pay great dividends. We’re not going to be overwhelmed,” guard Fred Matua said. “We’ve been in the spotlight steadily for the last four years.”

This is not to suggest that the Trojans understand what big games are all about while the Longhorns just fell en masse off the turnip truck. Texas is a terrific football team that also knows how to win under pressure; one only has to procure a tape of the Ohio State game to get that message. USC is just better at it, and has been at it longer.

It doesn’t matter how the game unfolds Wednesday. Vince Young could run 98 yards on the first play from scrimmage. Michael Huff could pick off Leinart. Bevo could gore Traveler.

At some point early on, when the game shakes out a little and the Trojans get a feel for what their opponents are doing, they’ll take control. Their offense will sizzle and their defense will assert itself. It won’t necessarily be a blowout, because the Longhorns have too much talent to let that happen. Plus, they have the memory of last year’s Orange Bowl and what happened to the Sooners to try to avoid. But it will be decisive.

Carroll is remarkable when he has extra time to prepare. This time he’s had a month. After a month, Carroll and his charges will be ready to take over a small country.

“We know how to prepare for these games,” receiver Steve Smith said. “We get ourselves ready with fast-paced, up-tempo practices.”

On offense, the Trojans just have too many options. No matter how good of a defensive coordinator Gene Chizik may be, he will have to have magical powers — and be able to bestow them upon his charges — to beat USC. Leinart can pass to a superb corps of wide receivers. He can throw to his tight ends. He can throw to his running backs. Heck, he can throw to his fullbacks. And when the Trojans run, they do so with Reggie Bush and LenDale White, and behind an offensive line that is one of the finest ever.

USC’s defense has taken some shots, most notably against Notre Dame and Fresno State. But now everyone is healthy, Carroll has broken down every frame of film available on Young and the Longhorns, and some young kids pressed into duty earlier this season now have valuable big-game experience for USC. The defense won’t stuff Young, but it will keep him from going berserk like he did last year against Michigan.

Call it attitude. Call it swagger. But really it is the confidence that comes with knowing how to get the job done. The Trojans just don’t get flustered. They’re convinced they’re going to win, and so far nobody has been able to argue otherwise.

Rose Bowl could be showdown for the ages

FOXSports.com

Frank Burlison / Scout.com

The tendency of some in the sports media is to approach a championship-level game or event from a historical perspective, and with as much hyperbole as can be humanly mustered.

And, by the way, let me take this moment to say that Wednesday night's Bowl Championship Series title game between No. 1 USC and No. 2 Texas, which will be played in the greatest football facility on Earth (the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.) and features three of the best college players in history in Reggie Bush, Vince Young and Matt Leinart, has a chance to be the most explosive and electrifying college football game in history.

But leave it to the players and coaches involved to keep one thing in perspective about a football game between a USC team that has won 34 games in a row and is trying to capture the program's third consecutive national title and a Texas squad that has won 19 in a row and wants to bring the first national title back to Austin since Richard Nixon was wrapping up his first full year in the White House (1969).

"Just because it's USC against Texas for a national championship,'' Longhorns' linebacker Aaron Harris said, "the game hasn't changed. It still comes down to tackling and making touchdowns."

Amen.

And the national perception is that coach Pete Carroll's Trojans, led by 2005 Heisman Trophy-winner Bush (18 touchdowns running, receiving and returning kicks), 2004 Heisman-winner Leinart (27 throwing TDs and six running), LenDale White (21 running and two receiving) and Dwayne Jarrett (15 receiving) have a lot more players who are better at the latter than they have at the former.

The foundation of that perception was created via the loss of six 2004 defensive starters, including NFL draft picks in linemen Shawn Cody and Mike Patterson, and linebacker Lofa Tatupu, who is toppling ball carriers at a rapid rate with the Seattle Seahawks.

And the "defense is their weak link" theory got a boost when Fresno State rung up 42 points and 427 yards on the Trojans as recently as their second-to-last regular-season game.

Mack Brown discovered otherwise, via analysis of 12 games' worth of USC video football that no doubt left his as bleary eyed as it did with the utmost respect for the USC defensive personnel and scheme.

"Probably the biggest surprise was in (watching) how good their defense is," Brown said, no doubt impressed, in large part, by the way the Trojans blistered UCLA's high-powered running and throwing attacks in USC's 66-19 spanking of the Bruins a month ago.

He grinned.

"I'd heard so much about how bad it (the Trojans' defense) was (before the video study) that I figured this is going to be easy."

Reality is, of course, that nothing figures to come very easily Wednesday night, on either side of the line of scrimmage, for either team.

Texas already has experience in Pasasena, having beaten Michigan in last year's Rose Bowl. (Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images)

The Trojans dropped multiple hammers on their last three bowl game opponents, smacking Iowa (38-17, in the Orange Bowl), Michigan (28-14, in the Rose Bowl) and, of course, Oklahoma (55-19) in last year's BCS title game in Miami. Each of those games, especially the one with the Sooners' team that took a 12-0 record into the contest, was expected to be a down-to-the-wire struggle.

But the challenge Carroll's team (especially his defense) faces Wednesday night in Pasadena seems much more laced with potential stumbling blocks.

For one, the Trojans haven't prepared for any defense comparable to the one that, led by tackle Rodrique Wright, linebacker Aaron Harris and safeties Michael Huff and Michael Griffin, Texas will line up against them in the Rose Bowl.

Is it good enough to stifle the Leinart/Bush/White/Jarrett-led offense that covers large hunks of real estate (it averages 580 yards per game) very rapidly (it has 29 scoring plays covering 20 or more yards)?

Of course it isn't. But "holding" the Trojans to three or four touchdowns Wednesday night could be all the Texas defense has to do to help hand Carroll's team the program's first loss since Sept. 27, 2003, when Cal prevailed, 34-31, in two overtimes.

That's because, a. this USC defense, even with as much improvement as it has made over the course of the season, isn't anywhere nearly as potent as the 2003 and 2004 versions; and, b. the Texas offense, led by Young, seems much more explosive and multi-dimensional than any USC has come across over the past 34 games.

If the Longhorns can establish a consistent running attack (which very few teams have done, even this season, against the Trojans under Carroll) and Young is able to roam, scramble and improvise his way into big plays like no one has on the college level has since Michael Vick, maybe they can ring up the four or five touchdowns they'll probably need to win the game.

You notice there are a lot of "ifs", "maybes" and "probablys" involved in this analysis.

And too many of them have to line up on the side of the Longhorns to keep USC from taking a 35-game winning streak into next season.

Make it Trojans 38, Longhorns 28.

But for now, we can sit back and enjoy watching the "tackling" and "touchdown-scoring" take place for the better part of four hours Wednesday.

Then the media can digest it for a few moments, compare what it saw when what it hyped, and offer up its own bit of historical perspective — and begin gearing up to do it all over again a year from now.

Hey! It's what we do best!

Trojans expected to reload for 2006

www.azstarnet.com:

Opinion by Greg Hansen

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 01.04.2006

Southern Cal football coach Pete Carroll is 53, looks 40 and acts younger. Last week, he agreed to a contract extension. Fight on, USC.

His offensive coordinator, Lane Kiffin, just turned 30. His assistant head coach, Steve Sarkisian, is 31. Carroll appointed his son, Brendan, 26, as a full-time assistant coach. He earlier hired Rocky Seto, 28, as linebackers coach.

So much for the Trojans being too young, reeling from the losses of 59-year-old offensive whiz Norm Chow and the man recognized as their top recruiter, Ed Orgeron, now the head coach at Ole Miss.

Given all the changes, USC improved, per game, by 138 yards and 13 points this season. It pounded the Pac-10's two leading contenders, Oregon and UCLA, by a composite score of 111-32.

And you think the Trojans can be had? His staff was full of beginners, yet USC averaged 580 yards and 51 points per game.

After quarterback Matt Leinart plays his final college game tonight at the Rose Bowl, the Trojans will audition junior John David Booty and redshirt freshman Mark Sanchez for the 2006 opener at Arkansas. Booty generally was recognized as the nation's top high school QB in 2002. Sanchez was Parade magazine's 2005 high school player of the year.

The Trojans have a mere six full-time senior starters for tonight's game against Texas. That does not include fabulous tailback Reggie Bush, a junior, who is sure to enter this year's NFL draft.

No, the Trojans do not have another Bush in stock — who does? — but they have such an excess of young talent that it would be crazy to think they will not be No. 1 when they come to Tucson on Sept. 23 to play Mike Stoops' club. By then, USC's winning streak likely will be 37 and counting.

Nobody wins 37 consecutive games any more.

Toledo went 35-0 from 1969 to 1971, but you did not know that. It played in the cocoon of the Mid-American Conference and each year went to the Tangerine Bowl, where it whipped, in order, Davidson, William & Mary and Richmond. Toledo's coach, Frank X. Lauterbur, bolted the school when the streak was at 24. He became the head coach at Iowa, went a cumulative 4-29-1 and was fired.

So much for the romance to Toledo's streak.

Oklahoma went 47-0 from 1953 to 1957. Sooners coach Bud Wilkinson was a young man (41) when the streak ended, but even he could not sustain OU's remarkable success. After Notre Dame broke the Sooners' streak in 1957, Wilkinson went 7-3, 3-6-1 and 5-5. Almost unthinkable.

Unlike the '71 Rockets and the '57 Sooners, the Trojans appear made for a longer haul.

Oklahoma's recruiting reach of the '50s and '60s, while strong, does not compare to USC's Hollywood image, its lock on Southern Cal turf, the best of its kind, and its ability to handpick five-star recruits from anywhere. Virginia receiver Vidal Hazelton, perhaps the most-sought high school receiver in the country, long ago pledged to play for Carroll.

Even if USC loses tonight or next season, the Pac-10 does not have a ready list of replacements, or contenders, to end the all-USC, all-the-time mentality of Pac-10 football. That cannot be good.

In Carroll's brief (five years) USC tenure, the Pac-10 has not produced a consistent challenger. Cal went from a career-year 10-1 to .500 in the Pac-10. Oregon, a bit overrated this year at 10-1, was 5-6 as recently as last season. UCLA's 9-2 regular season, a bit soft in reputation, was broad-sided by a 66-19 loss to the Trojans.

It did no good that Cal and Oregon went 10-1 in successive years; neither was attractive enough to be invited to a BCS game. USC's shadow all but blotted out the league's other nine schools. Cal and Oregon were thus reduced to playing in the nondescript Holiday Bowl, lost amid the clutter of post-Christmas, pre-New Year's games.

USC's winning streak and attendant hoopla is good for USC, bad for the rest of the league. There is some revenue-sharing, but there is no image-sharing.

Indeed, the longer USC reigns in the Pac-10, the more the league will be looked upon as generally harmless.

For two decades, the Big Ten was Michigan, Ohio State and the eight dwarfs, but neither became as dominant as the Trojans of today. Over time, Iowa and Wisconsin, in particular, fought back, and thereafter the rest of the league, especially with the addition of Penn State, was able to develop a quality football reputation.

But in the Pac-10, 2006, it's USC and nobody else. Because the Trojans have become more, the conference has become less.

The Western school to get the most positive attention this season was Fresno State, which was a play or two away from beating USC. A year ago, it might have been Boise State, a latter-day version of Toledo from 1969 to 1971.

Toledo and Boise State. To the dauntless Trojans, that's what the Pac-10 must look like these days.

● Contact Greg Hansen at ghansen@azstarnet.com or 573-4362.

Brian Cushing's Rose Bowl diary

North Jersey Media Group

Brian Cushing's Rose Bowl diary

Southern California freshman linebacker Brian Cushing, a Bergen Catholic graduate and Park Ridge native, is preparing for the Rose Bowl with the top-ranked Trojans. Cushing, a starter at strong-side linebacker in USC's last three games, has never been in a game of this magnitude. Here are some of his thoughts leading up to what could be the biggest college football game ever:

LOS ANGELES - Today was media day, and it was cool. We had to go to the Home Depot Center in Carson (Calif.) and there were a ton of reporters there, probably more than 100. People were asking us a ton of questions.

We had to wear our jerseys so they could identify us, and we were just standing there. I never got a chance to look over at the pack surrounding Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart. It is crazy, though. They get so much respect from people and the attention is just unbelievable.

It's like having two Hollywood stars on the team, but away from the cameras and off the field they're both just really humble. Reggie is the hardest-working kid I know. He deserves all the hype.

I was getting a lot of questions about the game, about my feelings and what it's like as a freshman playing in this game, on such a big stage.

They wanted to know what the difference is from high school football. One of them was, "Is this going to be the most memorable game of my life?"

I had to say no.

I stuck with last year's Non-Public Group 4 State championship game when Bergen Catholic beat Don Bosco. I have to go with that one just because it was the turning point for me. It meant a lot for me what I did for the team and to play with the friends I was with.

I was getting asked a lot of questions by Adrian Wojnarowski for you guys at The Record; Sports Illustrated, ... the L.A. Times and ESPN the Magazine. It's always cool just hearing what they have to ask, and what their perspective is.

Media day lasted about an hour and then we came back to the hotel. I took a nap, and now [5:45 p.m. EST] we're heading over to practice. It starts in a little over two hours, but we have about two hours of meetings before practice begins.

You'll hear from me again on game day. It's almost here.

Terry Bowden picks against USC, too.

By Terry Bowden, Yahoo! Sports

This is the one you've been waiting for and talking about all season. And so have I. If you check out ol' Terry's Yahoo! Sports archive, you'll see I predicted Texas to make it back to the Rose Bowl – and win it again – on Aug. 16 (assuming it won at Ohio State).

A lot of you laughed at me. I've still got the emails from folks ripping me for my faith in Vince Young.

But I'm not off the hook. Now I have to explain why I picked Texas to win this game 4½ months ago. And after having seen USC's last seven games, I have a hard time seeing how the Trojans are going to lose.

There's a reason some people are calling this the most anticipated game ever. It features some of the best matchups in recent memory. For starters, we have the last two Heisman Trophy winners and this year's runner-up, not to mention a lot of future NFL stars.

These are by far the two best offenses in the country. Both average at least 50 points per game. That's almost illegal.

However, as I (and others) have said and written countless times, defense wins championships. Texas clearly will have the best defense on this field, and that will be the difference.

USC has not played anybody nearly as strong on defense as the Longhorns. California was ranked 26th in the nation in scoring defense and held the Trojans to 35. Texas ranks fifth (USC is 27th).

As you know, I have been wrong before. And if I am this time, it will be because of the other key statistic (besides scoring defense) that often determines champions – turnover margin. And guess who leads the nation in that? USC.

But the way I look at it Texas is going to hold the Trojans in the low 30s, while at the same time putting up a couple of more points on offense. I know it sounds strange to say "hold them to 32 points," but with these two offenses it's a fair statement.

Texas should close this thing out at around 35-32, winning with a late touchdown or field goal.

And it will be the classic everyone is hoping for.

Pick: Longhorns 35, Trojans 32

USCFootball.com - An X And O Look At The Rose Bowl

Ted Venegas
USCFootball.com Staff Writer

This will be the last preview that I write, at least for the forseeable future. I just wanted everyone to know how much I enjoyed writing these articles, and how good it made me feel to read so much positive feedback from Trojan fans. I wrote these articles out of pure enjoyment of the sport and this team. The fact that many of you reacted to them in such an enthusiastic fashion made them all the more easy and fun to write. I just wanted to say thanks to each and every one of you. You have been an important and beneficial part of my life.

I think everyone knows that Texas is by far the best team that USC has faced. The whole season has built up to this match-up. There were no Auburns this year. In late October, there were still several undefeated teams, but in my mind, there was little doubt that these two teams would be the only ones left standing once the regular season ended. It's safe to say that USC hasn't faced a team like Texas, and the Longhorns have not played anyone as good as the Trojans. So fans can leave both of those arguments by the wayside. As attorneys would say, those are facts already in evidence.

This game has carried more hype even than last season's Orange Bowl. Two Heisman Trophy winners will take the field on the same team, and the only other finalist this season is one of the opponents. ESPN has been running segments comparing the 2005 USC team to other all time greats, even before the Trojans have proved that they are the best team of THIS season. The Longhorns have award winners at quarterback and in the secondary, and a finalist on the defensive line. So will this game live up to the hype? Last year's certainly didn't. Why not? Football is a game of match-ups, and the Sooners didn't match up well. Does Texas? Here's my take.

Wright looks like a nice guy, but he'll knock your head off

USC Offense vs. Texas Defense

The Longhorns are very good defensively as a unit. They give up 14.6 points and 280 yards per game. They held a high scoring Texas Tech outfit to 17 points. The Buckeyes couldn't even muster 300 total yards, and we all saw them torch Notre Dame. It all starts in the middle with senior defensive tackle Rodrique Wright. He was a first team All Big 12 selection, and made quite a few All American teams. He was second on the team in tackles for loss with 13, an excellent number for a DT. He occupies two guys in the middle, and that free up others to make plays. It doesn't hurt that Texas rotates Frank Okam and Larry Dibbles at the other tackle spot. Okam made second team All Big 12 this season, and Dibbles did it last season. Defensive end Tim Crowder made the first team, and DE Brian Robison was left to the scraps of honorable mention, despite leading the team in tackles for loss and sacks. Along with talented freshman Brian Okrapo, the Longhorns feature the best and deepest DL that the Trojans have seen this season.

Still, the true strength of this team is pass defense. The Horns give up only 156 passing yards per game, and they are second in the nation in pass efficiency defense. Texas plays a very aggressive style of coverage. The corners play right on the line of scrimmage a lot, and the safeties spend a lot of time near the line as well. Texas as a team broke up an outstanding 81 passes, compared to SC's 52. That's because they like to challenge wide receivers before they can get into their routes, and more often than not, they are right on the ball when it is in the air. They only had ten interceptions, but that may be because a lot of teams stayed away from high risk passes because the Horns played so tight in coverage. Because they play so close to the line, it allows the secondary to be effective in run support as well. There are three secondary guys in the top four in tackling for Texas, and it's not because teams have had a lot of success throwing the ball. Plus defensive coordinator Gene Chizik likes to use Thorpe winning strong safety Michael Huff on blitzes. They showed that a few times in the second meeting with Colorado. Texas is more than happy to play a lot of press man to man schemes.

	Harris is the centerpiece of the LB corps

If Texas has a weakness defensively, it's against the run, although its hardly a glaring one. The two teams that had success offensively against the Horns (Oklahoma State and Texas A&M), were able to utilize some option and some outside running to find the corners. The Trojans won't be running the option, or out of the shotgun anytime soon, but they have the ultimate outside rushing threat in Reggie Bush. Texas has a couple of young guys at outside backer, and they have showed their youth at times. Middle backer Aaron Harris is a solid player, but there is some speculation that he might be nursing a minor injury that is slowing him.

Texas will start the game in a base 4-3, but the Longhorns love to crowd the line of scrimmage, whether it be with corners, backers, or safeties. They usually start that in the second series, or in the first if the other team is driving. They don't do an inordinate amount of blitzing, but when they do, they come from all angles. This is what makes this match-up interesting. The Horns haven't faced an offensive line nearly as good as USC's, and the Trojans don't face many defenses that regularly play eight in the box football. Most teams fear Matt Leinart and the passing game far too much to use that strategy. However, Texas believes that they have an elite secondary that can stand up to USC's receivers, so they are willing to take the risk. In my opinion, Mack Brown and his staff believe that the key to stopping the USC offense is by stopping the run. They are going to do what they can to do that. The Trojan receivers can expect to see a lot of bump coverage, so they have to make some opportunities for themselves. The opportunities for big plays will be there.

Associated Press
Young is the MVP of college football

Texas Offense vs. USC Defense

The Longhorns are the best offensive team that USC has faced during the Pete Carroll era. While everyone talks about USC's offense, it's actually Texas that leads the nation in scoring offense. They average 508 yards per game as well. They have a lot of speed and talent at the skill positions, but Vince Young is the straw that stirs the drink. He can do it all. People like to ridicule his release, but it was good enough to lead the nation in pass efficiency. He also led the team in rushing with 850 yards, and he has accounted personally for 35 TDs. He is fast, but it's not his speed that makes him remarkable. He is a big kid at 6-5, 230, and he is extremely strong. He is quick enough to avoid rushing linemen, and strong enough to throw linebackers and DBs off him. He is outstanding, and no one is more valuable to his team.

People talk so much about Young that they don't talk about the other players on offense. Texas has a great offensive line. They paved the way for Texas to rush for 274 yards per game, and Young was sacked only eleven times. Their tackles are especially good, which will make for an interesting match-up with Trojan ends Frostee Rucker and Lawrence Jackson. They have a couple of big play backs in sophomore Ramonce Taylor and true freshman Jamaal Charles. Charles was getting the bulk of the carries before he got dinged up a little, but he should be healthy tomorrow. The Longhorns will also rotate carries with other guys including Selvin Young and the mammoth Henry Melton, a short yardage specialist.

Texas has a lot of skill at wide receiver. Everyone talks about Limas Sweed because of his size and his back catch against Ohio State, but he is only third in receptions with 28 catches. He is tied for the team lead with five TD catches. Billy Pittman is not even listed as a starter on their depth chart, but he had 30 catches and leads the team with 23 yards per catch, and he is basically a starter in Texas' scheme. Tight end David Thomas has more catches than any Longhorn, and also has five TD catches. Quan Cosby is a starter at wide receiver, but he has not been a big factor, averaging just over one catch per game.

	Associated Press
	Thomas is a playmaker, and he will have a big day

Much has been made of Young's improved passing ability, but the fact of the matter is that this team is clearly a run first team. The Horns have 569 rushing attempts compared to only 296 passes. Even if you factor in Young's scrambles and sacks off designed pass plays, you still get a heavy rush lean. Unless Texas is in a short yardage situation or inside the opponent's five, they line up in the shotgun. Their base formation is three wide receivers with a back to flank Young. Sometimes they will run that formation with two tight ends, but usually less than 15% of the time. They have a few base plays from the formation: the option to the back's side, the sweep to the opposite side, the blast, the QB draw, or the read option, which involves the QB reading the end and deciding whether to hand the ball to the back or keep. Much has been made of the read option, probably too much. Young only kept on the play five times against A&M, and only once again Colorado. In fact, Texas ran the regular option more than the read option against CU. Plus, despite what many have written, USC has seen the read option this year against Hawaii and Oregon. The Ducks run a lot of it.

There are a couple of main differences between Texas' offense and the Oklahoma offense that USC saw in the Orange Bowl. First, the Sooners generally gave away the play with their formation. Since the Longhorns run almost all of their plays out of one base formation, they are less predictable. They will fake the sweep to the back, and throw the quick slant, the post, or the dig route. Play action is a huge part of their passing game, as it should be for any team that runs the ball so frequently. The other is Young. He is the kind of player who can make something happen when the play breaks down. Jason White was not that kind of player, especially after all of those knee surgeries. Young's most famous play of the season was a broken play against Oklahoma State, where he juked a Cowboy defender out of his shoes with a pump fake and then ran untouched down the sideline for a huge TD. That is what he brings to the table.

As a result, the Trojans need to find a way to keep him in the pocket and force him to throw the ball. If they can't do that, you could be looking at last year's Rose Bowl all over again. In order to contain him, that could mean that the defensive tackles are less aggressive with their pass rush. Most importantly, the ends need to keep Young from getting outside of them, where he can do some real damage. If USC can do that, they can take advantage of Young's weakness: interceptions. His low release and his poor footwork can cause balls to sail on him. He threw three more interceptions than Leinart despite having 106 less attempts. His INT rate is twice as high as Leinart's, and only eight QBs in the top 50 in pass efficiency have a higher INT rate than Young.

The most important thing that USC has to do to force Texas to throw the ball is to keep Texas' running game under wraps. With Texas' style of play and Young's ability, it is highly unlikely that the Trojans can hold Texas under 125 yards rushing. Still, if they can hold them to about 150, that might be enough.

Special Teams

The Longhorns have a huge advantage here. David Pino is a solid kicker, and Mario Danelo has done a great job this season, so they will likely cancel each other out. Texas punter Richmond McGee has struggled, but his short kicks have not given opponents much chance for returns. Texas only allowed ten punt returns all season, and the average on them: a mediocre 7.0 yards. From here, the differences are stark. Aaron Ross has been a great punt returner, averaging 15 yards per return with two TDs. Taylor averages nearly 30 yards per kickoff return, and has great speed. Meanwhile, Bush averages only 17 yards per kickoff return and 9.9 per punt return, and his only TD came when he had to disappear into a pile and break about three tackles. Texas does a good job in coverage, and they blocked a whopping nine kicks this season. The Longhorns could make some big plays here. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Trojans employ the same pooch kickoff strategy that we saw against UCLA. However, it's unlikely that they'll be able to avoid punting in this game.

Associated Press
Bush will get a lot of attention, so he may be slowed

Outlook

Ever ask yourself why conference teams, even mediocre ones like ASU and last year's versions of Oregon State, UCLA, and Stanford, have been far more competitive against USC than teams like Iowa, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Auburn? The conference teams regularly see USC, and know what they are up against. The team that has had the most success against USC under Carroll? Cal, and Jeff Tedford is 1-3 against the Trojans. Since Pete Carroll took over at USC, every single Pac-10 team (and Notre Dame) has been on the bad end of a 24+ point defeat. Only Cal and Oregon State have not been beaten by 30 or more. These teams realize that they don't have the talent to play straight up with USC, especially USC's offense. They know that if they try to stack the box, that they will pay dearly in the passing game. So they do what is unthinkable in football: they surrender the running game.

Ever notice that Reggie Bush's highlight games tend to be the close ones? This season, Reggie had huge games against Fresno State, Notre Dame, Arizona State, and Oregon this season. The Trojans trailed at halftime in all four games, and three of them were contested into the fourth quarter. It was the same thing last year. In 2004, Bush's signature games came against Virginia Tech, Stanford, Oregon State, and UCLA. All four of those games were tight, and USC trailed at the half in three of them. Why is that? The reason is that opponents decide to make USC earn its points. Instead of playing up to try and stop the run, they take away the deep ball with cover two or cover three so that SC can't bury them early in the game. They attempt to make USC shorten the game and they try to limit the number of possessions. The Trojans will respond with Bush in those scenarios because there is more room to run against seven man fronts. When there are eight man fronts, the Trojans use LenDale White to bang around in tighter spaces, and they attack with their passing game.

Much of the focus in this game will be on Reggie Bush. After all, he did win the Heisman Trophy, and Texas will be out to prove that Young should have won it. It's a plus that Texas' regular gameplan is to stop the run first by crowding the line. Here's where it's almost better to be a middle of the road Pac-10 team than a #2 Big 12 team when you're playing SC. The middle of the road conference team already knows that they can't play their normal, straight up, stop the run first defense against the Trojans, so they will adjust and hope that USC hurts themselves in longer drives with penalties, dropped passes, missed assignments, and turnovers. Better yet, maybe USC's offensive coordinator will be stubborn and will keep trying to throw deep even though it isn't there. That's what happened against Oregon and ASU in the first half. However, a team that has won 10, 11, or 12 games thinks that they can win playing straight up. They've won that way all year. Why change things now? That's exactly the trap that Oklahoma, Michigan, and Iowa fell into.

That opens the door for Matt Leinart. It's foolish to say that USC is a certain record when Matt Leinart does something, because he has only lost one game as a starter. So let's go a different route. When Matt Leinart has thrown for at least 300 yards and two TDs, the Trojans have won by an average of 33 points. Leinart has reached those marks in his two bowl starts. In fact, he is 41 of 69 for 659 yards, seven TDs, and no INTs in the Rose and Orange Bowls. That's nearly ten yards per pass. How did Leinart play so well against those excellent defenses from conference championship teams? They played the run first, and paid for it. If Texas schemes the way they have all year, they will pay for it as well.

USC's defense has been maligned, and they have had a few poor performances, namely against Notre Dame and Fresno State. Still, this defense has played well for most of the season. Seven of USC's opponents (Fresno State, Notre Dame, UCLA, Oregon, ASU, WSU, and Cal) are in the top 26 in scoring offense, and four of them are in the top 11. Among them, the seven averaged 36 points per game. The Trojans allowed 22 points per game against those teams. Texas played three teams in the top 30 (those three also averaged 36 points per game collectively), and the Longhorns gave up 23 points per game against those three teams. In my opinion, the main difference between the two defenses is the offenses that they have played against.

	Associated Press
	Charles will be bottled up by the SC defense

Texas' problem offensively in this game: most of their running plays develop slowly. It's not as tough to see the ball fakes because Texas lines up in the shotgun, so things don't get lost behind the offensive linemen as easily. The sweeps take a long time to get going, allowing linebackers more time to react. The option reads take a while as well. Texas can dominate lesser teams with those runs because they are more physical and they out-man those opponents with talent. I don't think they can do the same thing to SC. The teams that have had success running the ball this season against USC (Cal, WSU, Arkansas) have done it with quick hitting plays, and the Horns don't run many of those. The Trojans have played two teams that do almost all of their running out of the shotgun, Hawaii and Oregon. They combined to rush for 125 yards on 50 carries, 2.5 yards per carry. Neither of those teams runs the ball nearly as well as Texas, and neither has an offensive line as powerful. Still, the Trojans have been tough against the run versus shotgun teams under Carroll.

This is going to put a lot of pressure on Vince Young. I believe that USC will be able to slow down Texas' running game without committing safety help. Mind you, they likely will not completely shut it down, as they did last year against Adrian Peterson. Young's athletic ability will prevent that. Still, I don't expect Charles or Taylor to have a big game. Peterson and Chris Perry did next to nothing against USC in bowl games. Young will have to be the guy who runs the ball. I also expect the young backs to fumble the ball once or twice. The Longhorns lost only eight fumbles, but that was nothing more than dumb luck, because they fumbled an astounding 31 times this season, almost three per game. Compare that to USC, who fumbled only 18 times all season.

If the Trojans can slow down the running game from Texas' backs, the game will be on Young's shoulders. He is going to put pressure on himself to outplay Bush and Leinart. We all saw it in the game against Texas A&M. Despite completing an unbeaten regular season and finishing a comeback against a rival, Young looked like his dog had died. He played poorly in that game, partially because of the pressure that Bush had put on him with the big game against Fresno State the week before. Young must try not to press too much as he did against A&M. He will have to make plays with his legs, and he will have to be smart with his passes. I think he will run the ball well, and he could end up with about 100 yards rushing, or more. But he's going to have to pass more in this game than he did the rest of the season because you can't be one dimensional against USC. This is where his lack of footwork and mechanics is going to hurt him. Only one team intercepted more passes than USC did all season, as the Trojans pulled down 22 picks.

Associated Press
There's a reason that Leinart has been the star of the bowls

My prediction would change if Texas makes some big plays in the special teams game, as they are more than capable of doing. However, I think Carroll will try to take the air out of the ball, just like he did against UCLA. He will sacrifice some field position to keep Texas from getting the big kickoff return. He will have Tom Malone punt away from Ross. As a result, the offenses and defenses will win or lose this game. The Trojan defense is going to give up some yards, mostly through the air and on the legs of Young, but Young's propensity to throw high is going to hurt Texas and cost them points. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, Texas is going to focus on the dynamic Bush, only to be hammered over the head by Leinart, Dwayne Jarrett, Steve Smith, and Dominique Byrd, who has been an afterthought this season. The Longhorns are not a great pass rush team, getting 31 sacks this season. They are not going to be bale to get to Leinart without blitzing, and blitzing against SC only makes things worse. Ask Oklahoma. Texas has not played teams with the capability to hurt them with the deep ball, so they have been able to get away with their scheme. Ohio State was conservative and went with Justin Zwick. The Fiesta Bowl showed what a foolish move that was. Oklahoma was still having quarterback woes. Texas Tech does not have the speed on the outside. Texas A&M was starting a redshirt freshman at QB who was a better runner than passer. Texas played only one team in the top 40 in pass offense: Texas Tech. The Red Raiders threw for 369 yards in that game.

This game will be tight early, with the Trojans adjusting to the tremendous talent that is Vince Young. Once that happens, forget about it. The Trojans will pressure Texas' offense with their own fabulous offense, and Texas will not have the success running the ball that they have had against other teams. That will lead to more passes from Young, which will lead to turnovers and frustration. Texas will try to make their run in the third quarter, but they will not be able to slow down USC's offense, which will take advantage of the turnovers and Texas' scheme by going deep early, and then letting LenDale White carry the load. Leinart will again be the MVP of the bowl game throwing for, let's say, 325 yards, three TDs, and no INTs. The Trojans will cap the greatest three year run in the history of college football by pounding another elite team in a BCS bowl.

Trojans-45, Longhorns-24

Southern Cal balances grit, glamour

Rivals.com College Football

LOS ANGELES - Grit was the final ingredient.

If Southern California beats Texas in the Rose Bowl to win an unprecedented third straight championship, the Trojans could do more than restart the debate over whether they're the game's best team ever. They might force coach Pete Carroll to step back and admire not just what USC has accomplished - "It has never been a focus of our program to look at the end of the rainbow," he said the other day - but how all those far-flung pieces settled into a portrait so close to perfection.

And if that happens, none will loom larger than the character-building exercise commemorated simply as the "Bush Push."

A dynasty built on dazzling speed and finesse was tottering unsteadily at Notre Dame, seven seconds and 18 inches from the end of its run. The Trojans arrived in South Bend, Ind., for an Oct. 15 game against the Fighting Irish on the wings of a 27-game winning streak, boasting as many skill-position stars as an entire wing of the College Football Hall of Fame nearby.

Quarterback Matt Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner, could find the seam in most defenses and commanded a trio of NFL-ready receivers capable of ripping it open. All-purpose back Reggie Bush, already a front-runner for the 2005 award, gave Southern California the luxury of stretching those same defenses. His backfield tandem, LenDale White, added the option of running through them.

But at that moment, trailing 31-28, a team used to dodging and dancing away from opponents before scoring a TKO was being dared, finally, to stand in front of one and slug it out.

On the visitors sideline, Carroll called a quarterback sneak, eager to see how his team would react when push came to shove. But he also left Leinart an out: Spike the ball, set up a game-tying field-goal try and the Trojans would take their chances in overtime.

Before the whistle blew to resume play, Bush asked his quarterback the question everybody in the stadium wanted answered:

"You gonna go for it?"

Nine months earlier, Leinart waffled for nearly two weeks before taking one of the bigger risks in sports history. He left a guaranteed eight-figure deal from the pros on the table to play one more season at USC. But now, Leinart was ominously undecided about what to do next.

"You think I should?" he said.

"Go for it," Bush replied.

The ball was snapped.

"I think that's a moment you can only get, maybe if you're lucky, once in a lifetime, and that wouldn't have happened," Carroll noted, had Leinart taken the NFL's money and run.

"That was really, kind of, the turning point for us in a season as a team to get on a run to finish out this year. I know that was kind of a pivotal opportunity I think Matt will never forget."

It was unforgettable not just because of where Leinart eventually wound up - at the Rose Bowl to defend USC's back-to-back titles- but because of where he'd just been.

Some 90 seconds earlier, facing fourth-and-9 from his own 26-yard line, Leinart brought the Trojans to the line, scanned the defense and checked off to a different play. Then he wedged a wobbly spiral between the Notre Dame secondary and the left sideline, where Dwayne Jarrett latched onto it and raced 61 yards to the Notre Dame 13.

A few plays later, from first-and-goal at the 2, Leinart took off up that same sideline to make up the rest of the distance himself. A perfectly timed hit by Irish linebacker Corey Mays sent the quarterback flying and the football flying even farther, backward and out of bounds. The final few seconds ticked off the clock, the Irish players rushed the field just ahead of the fast-emptying stands, and the officials struggled to maintain order.

By the time they succeeded, 7 seconds were back on the clock and the ball rested inside the 1. His mind made up, Leinart put his body behind left guard Taitisu Lutui and pushed. But the middle of the Notre Dame defense pushed right back, fighting to a standstill.

In the briefest of moments, as Leinart turned his back to the goal line and made a second effort to gain traction, Bush rushed in. He put both arms on his quarterback and pushed.

Touchdown.

For a few moments afterward, it was hard to tell who'd won.

Leinart made his way back to the sideline and cried. A half-hour later, drained, he sat in front of his locker and dabbed at his eyes. In the interview room, meanwhile, Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis smiled and said he hoped every one of his kids would have done what Bush did. He ran into the USC star at an awards ceremony not long ago. Nothing had changed.

"Reggie and I had a nice conversation about that down in Orlando," Weis recalled recently. "We sat down for about 10 or 15 minutes and we were talking about a bunch of things. I think when you're in football you can't look at the what-ifs."

Even now, just about everyone else who caught the conclusion of the best college game so far this century agree on a few things: The push was illegal. It was a brilliant bit of improvisation. And it proved that USC's grip on the crown was less about pedigree than toughness.

That last point was hardly wasted on Texas. The Longhorns destroyed Colorado that same October afternoon and a few players paused to watch the end of USC-Notre Dame before leaving the locker room.

"Any athlete, any competitor, would have done the same thing," Texas defender Mike Huff recalled Monday. He didn't try to hide his admiration for the "Bush Push," either.

"I know," Huff added, "I would have."

Dascenzo: Brown has the stage that he has wanted

heraldsun.com:

By Frank Dascenzo, The Herald-Sun
January 4, 2006 12:36 am

---

The day Mack Brown left North Carolina to take the Texas job, I was standing near the back of the room in Kenan Stadium where he was elaborating on his past, present and future.

Some stares were darting around the facility, suspicious eyes wondering if Brown had a clue what he was getting into. I mean, at UNC there was always basketball season for people to look to if the football team lost a few more than it should. There was, well, Dean Smith and the building named after him.

Brown's legacy in Chapel Hill is characterized in two ways: He rebuilt the Tar Heels from the recruiting shambles left by Dick Crum, but he couldn't win the big game.

In other words, he couldn't beat Florida State. And then there was that collapse at Virginia on Nov. 16, 1996, when the Heels, with a 17-3 lead early in the fourth quarter and driving deep into Cavaliers territory, lost the game 20-17 and an invite to the Fiesta Bowl.

After the 1997 season, Brown bolted for Austin where the eyes of Texas have watched him coach the Longhorns to an 82-19 record in eight years.

Tonight, however, they will watch him like never before.

At Texas, Brown knew he'd have a chance to win a naitonal title. Not that it's impossible at North Carolina -- just more improbable, for sure.

Texas-Southern California at the Rose Bowl is a match made on earth, but it seems more like one made in heaven.

The Trojans are fabulous in seemingly every way. Their 54.9 percent third-down conversion ratio leads the nation. Their Heisman Trophy winners, Matt Leinart in 2004 and Reggie Bush in 2005, bring an attack to the field that most NFL franchises crave. And who is about to forget that other Trojans running back, LenDale White?

The Trojans are reigning national champs for many reasons. Pete Carroll's first four teams led the nation in takeaways with 151. They have 1.8 per game this season, tops in the nation.

What USC brings into this game is what Texas does not, and that's the know how to win the ultimate battle. In last year's Orange Bowl, Leinart embarrassed Oklahoma, throwing for 332 yards and an Orange Bowl-record five touchdowns in a 55-19 laugher. This season, Leinart has 27 touchdown passes and seven interceptions.

To beat the Trojans, Mack Brown will need two factors -- a defense that stops third down and a quarterback to match Leinart's abilities. And Texas has both capable of doing the job in a game seemingly too delicious for anyone to miss.

Texas quarterback Vince Young got my No. 1 vote for the Heisman Trophy because I feel he is the best player in college football. Does Texas beat Ohio State in Columbus without Young? Do they beat Oklahoma without Young? As good as the Southern California defense is, has it seen a playmaker like Young?

Then there's defense. As good as Brown's UNC defenses were in 1996 (allowing just 110 points) and in 1997 (surrendering 143), this Longhorns defense rates in the top 10 in every national statistical category except for run defense. A concern for Brown? Absolutely.

The pattern of Brown's programs -- at Tulane, at UNC and at Texas -- has been to improve quickly. His third and last Tulane team finished 6-6 after going 1-10 and 4-7 the first two years. The brunt of many jokes when his UNC teams went 1-10 in 1988 and again in 1989, Brown's reputation changed when the Tar Heels were a combined 20-3 in his last two seasons there.

Texas finished 11-2 in 2001 and in 2002, 10-3 in 2003 and 11-1 last season. Still, there was Oklahoma and the stigma of the big game haunting Brown, as it did during his days at UNC.

Precious opportunities are rare in such an atmosphere as this one. So Brown's chance is not only bigger than ever but more important than any other.

And there will be more than the eyes of Texas watching this one.

USC will ace final

GREGG PATTON

The good news for Texas is that college football will hold a championship game again next year, when the Longhorns will have a chance to win.

Today, however, is USC's day.

The Rose Bowl this year is about history and a legacy and an exclamation point on greatness. The Trojans are not about to fail their final exam.

Not even if they claim to be ignoring the subject.

"We can't worry about the possible history that's going to play into this game," said USC's Heisman Trophy winning running back, Reggie Bush. "We've got to take it as another football game."

No one doubts the Trojans will approach it as "another" game. That's what they do. In Coach Pete Carroll's world, every Saturday is Armageddon and his team believes it.

But don't for a moment think the Trojans are not worried about their history. It is precisely what they are worried about. It is precisely what they have been shooting for from the moment they trampled Oklahoma one year ago in the Orange Bowl to win that national championship.

It is a core reason that last year's Heisman Trophy-winning Trojan, quarterback Matt Leinart, returned for his senior year rather than skip off to the NFL, most likely as the No. 1 pick.

Today USC will win its second consecutive Bowl Championship Series crown and become the first team to be voted to three consecutive Associated Press national championships.

If you think they aren't hyper-aware of that distinction, maybe you also believe that Donald Trump doesn't count his money, Tom Cruise ignores his box office numbers and Paul McCartney forgot he was a Beatle.

The Trojans will not even let it be close. We have seen this one before. Whenever USC feels the slightest bit of breath on the back of its neck, or wants to prove a point, it gets serious.

Serious means 66-19 against UCLA last month, and 55-19 against Oklahoma last year. It means turn-on-the-jets rallies against Fresno State, Arizona State and Oregon. Serious means a last-minute, game-winning drive against stubborn Notre Dame.

It has added up to the nation's most impressive winning streak, now 34-going-on-35 games in a row.

Texas has never seen a team like USC, and it knows it.

"Watching (USC) game film, it's like, 'That's a highlight tape, this is not a game film,'" said Longhorns linebacker Rashad Bobino. "Looking at them, it's like, 'This is a team?'"

Still, the Longhorns say they will not be intimidated.

"They won two national championships, 34 games in a row ... but at the same time you have to be confident," Texas linebacker Robert Killebrew said. "Any time you play any team, you have to think you have an opportunity and a chance to win."

Of course. But there is reality, and somehow USC's destiny seems as certain as gravity right now. It's happening and you're not doing anything about it.

The intimidation will likely occur during the game, and sink in afterward, like it did against another Big 12 team, Oklahoma, last year.

No team with such a massive amount of talent, with such a competent coaching staff, with such a long time to prepare, with this much at stake has ever played a game exactly like this before.

This is not where the streak will end for USC, not in a title game, not with so much to gain with one more victory.

Texas? Nice group of players, and surely the next-best team in the country, riding its own 19-game winning streak.

But it doesn't matter who the Trojans are playing today. It's a three-touchdown win and a date with destiny kept.

Final Test

PE.com:

USC thinks it has pieces back together to stop Texas' Young

09:51 PM PST on Tuesday, January 3, 2006

By DAN WEBER / The Press-Enterprise

LOS ANGELES - They're coming back now.

USC cornerback Terrell Thomas and safety Kevin Ellison were cutting across the practice field last week, looking almost like they could play -- even if they can't. You could hardly tell which of the former starters had knee surgery this season.

Senior linebacker and defensive co-captain Dallas Sartz, without his sling after shoulder surgery, is feeling pretty good himself. He can pump up his teammates with both hands banging on their shoulder pads while looking to his own return in the spring for a fifth season as a medical redshirt.

Then there's linebacker Thomas Williams, hustling to catch a holiday ride home to Vacaville but moving along nicely without crutches. He promises, with a big grin, that by the time he gets back to the USC football team this week, he'll be almost ready to go.

"Sure I'm going to make it," he said of today's national championship game against unbeaten Texas in the Rose Bowl. "No doubt."

That's been the attitude of this young USC defense. It was first decimated by the departure of four All-Americans to the NFL, then whacked where it hurts most with season-ending injuries to three starters. It has been slowed by 19 different defensive players having missed at least a game because of injuries.

But just when it looked as if the Trojans' apparent defensive shortcomings would be their undoing in pursuit of a third consecutive AP national title, the USC defense now appear to have Texas right where it wants it.

"Sure our defense has drawn attention since last year with the players we've lost, but we've got a pretty solid group," USC coach, and defensive coordinator, Pete Carroll said. "But after all the conversation that's gone on, we ended up leading the conference in defense again. The only thing we didn't live up to was sacks."

Carroll knows that Texas is led by 6-foot-5, 230-pound quarterback Vince Young, who runs and throws like a combination of Steve Young, Michael Vick and Randall Cunningham.

They also know what people are saying: How can a team that let Fresno State score 42 points just two games ago handle the 'Horns?

"When our defense comes to play, you can't beat us," nose tackle Sedrick Ellis said.

What these USC defensive players and Carroll say they know is this: The USC defense you will see tonight in the Rose Bowl against Texas is the one that slammed Cal 35-10 in the game before Fresno State and completely shut down a UCLA team averaging 40 points a game without a touchdown against the starters in a 66-19 romp the last game of the regular season.

"I'm real confident," Carroll said.

"We've had that feeling all year," Ellis added. "But it's definitely great now to have all our first-team guys back and healthy."

But what about Young? Here's a scouting report on Young from Ohio State linebacker Anthony Schlegel, a Texan who started for the Buckeyes in their 25-22 loss to Texas.

"To beat Texas you'd better be sound on your assignments," Schlegel said during Fiesta Bowl preparation. "I ran by my guy too fast on one play and Young got me for a big, big gain. He's so good at that and will explode on you for a big play if you don't carry out every assignment perfectly. I learned the hard way."

To see what USC plans for that, look back at the 45-13 victory at Oregon, the fifth-ranked Ducks' only regular-season loss. That was against a team that ran its pass-and-run offense through its quarterback, Kellen Clemens.

"We're using some of the same techniques, especially our open-field tackling," Ellis said. "Taking them down on first contact is the key. I think that what we did against Oregon is a lot of what we're going to be trying to do against Texas."

Added freshman starting linebacker Brian Cushing: "I can see what the Big 12 teams go through having just a week to prepare for them. They've got such diverse athletes. But we'll have had almost a month."

USC has used 230-pound freshman Michael Coleman, who ran that offense in high school at San Bernardino Arroyo Valley, to replicate Young's speed. It's also used 6-3, 255-pound tight end Fred Davis to replicate both the size and speed and 6-4, 215-pound Mark Sanchez to mimic Young's passing ability.

"There's nobody like him," Carroll said. "But there's a second emphasis here. It's not all just tackling. There are turnovers."

USC's "maligned" defense again led the nation in turnover margin, a plus 1.83 a game on 37 interceptions and fumbles gained to just 15 lost. Texas, meanwhile, has managed to take the ball away just 25 times while giving it up 19. The big difference: USC's 22 interceptions to Texas' 10.

If there's an advantage for the Trojans on defense, it's there.

Texas coach Mack Brown said USC defensive ends Lawrence Jackson and Frostee Rucker are the best Texas has faced. And Jackson and Rucker say that's only because of the beginning-to-end improvement of defensive tackles Ellis and LaJuan Ramsey.

With six of USC's seven linebackers (Sartz is the exception) at full health, and the secondary finally fully experienced, USC should be ready for all that Texas will send at them. At least that's the plan.

"Each day you can feel us improving," said linebacker Keith Rivers, back from a month-long hamstring pull just in time to be the outside speed USC needs to check Young.

The USC approach received support from an unlikely place in recent days. Getting ready for the Fiesta Bowl, Ohio State's Nate Salley, a first-team all-Big Ten safety, had this to say about the Trojans.

"What I would tell the USC defense is that Vince Young is a running quarterback," Salley said. "And I would tell them Vince Young is a throwing quarterback. You've got to stop both Vince Youngs and we didn't do a good job with the throwing Vince Young.

"But," Salley added, "every time I've looked around, USC has always done what it takes, so I don't know, maybe they don't need my advice."

Reach Dan Weber at dweber@pe.com

Nothing Ever Rains On Carroll's Parade

courant.com:

Jeff Jacobs
January 4 2006

PASADENA, Calif. - The 2005 Orange Bowl was going to be the greatest game in college football history. There was unbeaten Oklahoma. There was unbeaten USC. There was a national championship on the line, or at least the BCS version of one. There was a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback going against a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and his running back prodigy.

And there was, of course, the magnificent specter of 2005, which was better than 2004, which was superior to 2003, ad infinitum. The next greatest, as we have come to learn in this hype-a-minute world, is always the greatest of all time.

College football junkies were drooling from where Rodgers and Hammerstein told us the wind comes sweepin' down the plain to where Albert Hammond told us it never rains.

Then they played the game.

Matt Leinart threw five touchdown passes and USC humiliated the Sooners, 55-19.

The Trojans had been a one-point favorite over a team featuring Jason White and Adrian Peterson, but the only point worth making by halftime was Auburn should have been in the title game instead of Oklahoma. Forget game of the century, as Chris Fowler of ESPN said recently, it wasn't even the game of the day.

There always is a danger of hyping events and making guarantees, and that danger is becoming an even bigger fool than you ordinarily are. Contrary to Mr. Hammond's assertion that it never rains in Southern California, it even rained on the Rose Parade for the first time in 51 years. Camille Clark, the Rose Queen, had to wear a poncho and hold an umbrella Monday as she rode along drenched Colorado Boulevard.

The oddsmakers have made USC a seven-point favorite over Texas in another one of those games-for-the-ages tonight at the Rose Bowl. Both teams are averaging a shade more than 50 points a game. Both are unbeaten.

The touchdown difference seems like a solid line for this BCS title game.

The oddsmakers also have made the over-under 69 points. If we carry out the logic, that calls for a 38-31 USC victory.

But here's what nobody - including the oddsmakers - knows.

Nobody knows if immensely gifted, if unpolished, Texas quarterback Vince Young will produce the game of his life. If he does, hey, we could be in for one of the most thrilling college football games ever. If he doesn't, there's no way the Longhorns will keep up with a USC offense that racks up points like one of those old pinball machines on the boardwalk arcade. We could be looking at 55-19 redux.

So you get only two guarantees here today:

Pete Carroll will have lots of fun watching his offense, perhaps the greatest offense in college history.

Pete Carroll will have fun anyway.

Los Angeles has no NFL team. L.A. shrugs at the mundane. That's what makes what is going around the Trojans these days glitteringly similar to the "Showtime" Lakers of the '80s. This isn't John Roseboro appearing on Mr. Ed in the '60s. This is way bigger. This is Jack Nicholson, Dyan Cannon and all the beautiful people hooking into Magic and Kareem against Larry Bird's Celtics.

Everybody from the Fonz to Snoop Dogg are part of a Hollywood entourage almost too big to count. There's Dr. Dre. There's Nick Lachey with ... whoops, who used to be with Jessica Simpson. There's the ubiquitous Will Ferrell and the equally ubiquitous Alyssa Milano. There's George Lucas, Spike Lee and Kirsten Dunst. The A list goes on.

They roam the sideline at games. They show up at practice. Leinart's tight with Lachey. Snoop's tight with LenDale White. Heck, Snoop is even going to wear a mike during the game for ESPN Hollywood. Carroll embraces the celebrities so fondly, you almost expect Henry Winkler to come charging out on a white horse in Trojan gear.

Could you imagine Woody Hayes allowing this?

Or Bear Bryant?

Forget the old-timers, how many other big-name college coaches today would allow this?

Coaches are control freaks. They are wrapped tighter than some of the outfits the Hollywood starlets will be wearing in the Rose Bowl tonight. They are CIA operatives. They want to know this, that and the other thing. They are paranoid beyond belief. They are convinced reporters are communists.

Scowling is their definition of quality recreation time.

And then there's Pete. Happy Pills Pete.

When he was coach of the Jets and Patriots, he was described in this space as a third-grader mainlining Milk Duds.

That punch line demands an apology. Carroll is much more mature than that.

He's a fifth-grader mainlining Milk Duds.

Call him the world's only 54-year-old high school sophomore and he'll probably respond, "Thanks, dude."

In the end, recruiting the best players may be a much bigger key than a sunny disposition. Maybe Reggie Bush and Leinart and White and Dwayne Jarrett are why he never stops joking and smiling. Jarrett said the other day he never recalls Carroll being in a foul mood.

College coaches major in foul moods and minor in screaming.

But spending his time counting the number of missing strawberries, Carroll spends his time having fun. He believes in inclusion. He wants everyone to believe they are part of something special. He smiles. And they smile back. He's the only perky male coach in captivity, and damn if his mood isn't infectious.

Carroll's NFL record (33-31) was better than the critics gave him credit for, but the problem is he didn't engender the belief that he could command enough respect to lead a team to its greatest heights. He didn't seem to bleed enough. He didn't seem to bully enough. The other day he told USA Today, "There's a level of seriousness that takes the fun away from it - the No Fun League. I was real good at being me. They just didn't like it."

Well, don't look now, Coach Happy Pills has won 34 in a row and is on the verge of a third successive national title. They love him now. The Trojans will take the field tonight with two Heisman Trophy winners. They will take the field with a 3,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard receiver and two 1,000-yard rushers. None of that stuff has happened before. Good grief, their offense has five first-team All-Americans, three second-teamers and, thanks to their coach, 11 All-American smiles.

So in a sports world with too many guarantees, here are two more:

USC scores at least 40 tonight.

And Pete Carroll will jump around on the sideline like a puppy on Christmas morning.

There are times when the "fun" seems like the only word in his vocabulary, but maybe that's his biggest weapon of all. Maybe a whole generation of alpha-dog control freaks with coach's whistles should take a look in the mirror and say, "Maybe I should be a little more like Pete."

At ease over uneasy

By Barker Davis
The Washington Times
Published January 4, 2006

---

LOS ANGELES -- The most anticipated recent title game in college football could come down to the difference between a sweatshirt and a sports coat.
Southern Cal's Pete Carroll bounced into the interview room yesterday looking more like a kid on his way to recess than a man on the threshold of history. He wore a sweatshirt and sneakers, shedding a black leather jacket as he hopped onto the dais to address the media. He then proceeded to spend 30 minutes absolutely bubbling over the joys of football and the dreamy thrill of game time.
Texas coach Mack Brown followed Carroll at the podium (which no man should be forced to do), a coat and tie and uneasy expression overwhelming practiced words intended to convey casual and calm. He looked less like a man basking in the confident glow of 19 straight victories and more like a prisoner desperately trying to smile at the gallows.
In a title game as evenly matched as tonight's Rose Bowl between the top-ranked Trojans (12-0) and No. 2 Longhorns (12-0), that startling juxtaposition and its implications could make all the difference.
To label Carroll as loose and Brown as tight would be an understated injustice to both. Carroll often borders on luminous, radiating a childlike joy that might seem disingenuous if the man hadn't been in character for a lifetime.
Carroll is the coach who was chastised by the machismo police in New England for the crime of riding his bicycle to Patriots training camp. He's the man who revels so deeply in the college game he has fight songs -- and not just the redundant Trojans theme -- piped into USC's summer camp dining hall, commonly polling incredulous freshmen for their favorites. This is the coach who, when asked to share his seminal big game memory, scrolls back to his peewee playing days.
"My first big game was the Thanksgiving Day game when I was a Pop Warner player," said Carroll, genuinely transported by the recollection. "We played a team from San Diego. ... To me it was the Rose Bowl. I think I was 12 at the time. I was the single-wing tailback, backing up the mercurial Kenny Johnson at the time, and played defense and safety. ... As a little kid your eyes are so big and you're floating on the energy and excitement of it. I don't feel a whole lot different going into this game than I did back then."
Even as the cynic within bridles, it's impossible not to believe Carroll, the coach whose favorite f-word is "fun," the coach who yesterday likened the running style of Heisman Trophy-winning tailback Reggie Bush to the improviso of a master jazz musician.
Even beyond his technical talents with X's and O's, the acumen that given a month of preparation many believe will produce an unusually stout USC defensive performance tonight, perhaps Carroll's ultimate coaching gift is his magnetic, contagious passion and his fearless belief in his players.
"I've never dreaded a game," he said. "I've never gone to any game where I wished I wasn't there, was worried about the outcome in the sense that I wasn't going to enjoy it. ... We've grown up in the last four or five years here such that we look forward to creating this kind of hype and being in this kind of situation. You can't get a big enough game for us."
It doesn't matter whether fans or media buy into Carroll's outrageous aura of optimism as long as his players do.
"He has such complete and total faith in you that after a while you start almost believing you can't lose," Bush said. "It's hard to explain because it sounds arrogant, but it's not. He's just so positive that you almost forget losing is a possibility and you can't imagine letting him down. If I could, I'd play for him forever."
There are those who might scoff at that, but a 34-game winning streak, two straight national titles and a 45-1 record since mid-2002 are proof Carroll is selling some fairly potent stuff.
In fact, Brown would like both his players and the rest of the world to think he's got an ample supply of the same stuff. Brown has learned to talk a pretty good game, but it's impossible to fake absolute belief. Read between the lines and there's still the unmistakable tinge of defeatism and diffidence in Brown's personality. Perhaps that's unavoidable because of a 5-20 career coaching record against top-10 teams.
Asked the same question yesterday about what he considered his first big game experience, Brown's response had a remarkably different tenor than Carroll's.
"I think probably it was our Wake Forest game in 1990 when I was at North Carolina because we were down 24-10, and if we lost I was going to be fired," he said. "Those will start coming into your mind as big games. We won it, obviously. We killed them 31-24 late. Not that I remember, but [it was] on a wheel route to Bucky Brooks."
It's impossible to miss that Carroll's moment was one of unadulterated joy in the process, one in which he didn't even relate the score, while Brown's was one tempered with jeopardy and primarily rooted in the bald reality of result.
Texas insiders contend Brown never has been more relaxed. And that the team's infamous big-game collapses (see Oklahoma, 2000 to 2005) could be a thing of the past now that Brown has surrounded himself with proven coordinators like Greg Davis and Gene Chizik, the mastermind behind last season's stunning Auburn defense.
Plus, Texas folks will point out this group of Longhorns belongs as much to All-American junior quarterback Vince Young as to Brown. And nobody would argue that Young's championship mentality has mitigated some of Brown's big-game tension. Perhaps the Longhorns permanently cleared a psychological hurdle earlier this season when they finally won a monster game by dropping No. 4 Ohio State (25-22) in Columbus.
But on some level, Brown's own tension and latent doubt probably has to percolate into the psyche of his players, particularly as they prepare to face an epic USC bunch on a stage and with stakes no current Texas player or coach has experienced.
"You never know how your team will respond to a stage like this. We were at the same venue last year, but the stakes are higher," Brown said. "So many times teams in this setting try to be someone they're not because they do want to win so badly."
When USC takes the field tomorrow night, Carroll won't be wondering how his team will respond. And his Trojans likely will be too focused on the fight to fixate on the result.
"We'll be off the ground a little bit when we get in that locker room because it is that time again to express all of our confidence and all of our trust we have for each other in our performance at the Rose Bowl," Carroll said. "My job is to orchestrate that. That's what I've been doing is trying to orchestrate that mentality that lets these guys fly on game day."
College football rarely has seen such a conductor.


Postcard from Los Angeles:

• The Rover would like to declare USC the runaway winner in the Rose Bling Bowl. Carried by the duo of junior tailback LenDale White and sophomore wideout Dwayne Jarrett, both of whom sported the insanely gaudy fruits of a jeweler called Jacob and Co., the Trojans crushed Texas in the flash category this week. Jarrett sported a diamond crusted watch that didn't appear to tell time but would have served Santa far better than Rudolph's nose. But White's necklace/medallion combo featuring a fist-sized gold visage of Jesus edged him for MVB honors.

• Texas coach Mack Brown might be wrapped tighter than one of J-Lo's skirts, but he's certainly not humorless. Asked yesterday whether he was concerned USC has a serious home-field advantage playing just 15 miles from its campus, Brown responded with a classic bit of Southern wit: "Oh, we'll have a lot of fans there tomorrow. Ours got a map out and found their way out here."

• The Rover would like to take a moment to recognize the Beverly Hilton, the Rose Bowl media hotel, as the new leader in the clubhouse for in-room appointments. Proving that owner Merv Griffin has kept up with the times, the Beverly Hilton offers both a flat-screen TV in the john (presumably for those can't-miss "Wheel of Fortune" moments) and a 36-inch flat screen with HD on the bedroom wall.

Is Carroll the Man With the Plan to Stop Young?

Chris Dufresne INSIDE THE GAME:

Give USC Coach Pete Carroll a month to prepare for a major bowl and watch him stop:

Iowa, 38-17, in the 2003 Orange Bowl.

Michigan, 28-14, in the 2004 Rose Bowl.

Oklahoma, 55-19, in the 2005 Orange Bowl.

Give Carroll a month to prepare and watch him stop ... Texas?

It gets more complex tonight because Carroll has not seen an offense like the Longhorns' outside his own complex.

Carroll has devised game plans for good players but never one like Vince Young, the best running quarterback in college since Michael Vick and a pretty decent passer, if you consider decent leading the NCAA in efficiency during the regular season with a rating of 168.6.

As an assistant coach at Pacific in 1983, Carroll got a long-legged look at quarterback Randall Cunningham of Nevada Las Vegas.

Carroll remembers Cunningham being a gangly blur with a big arm, describing him as "hurdling over" Pacific players. (Final score: UNLV 28, Pacific 7.)

"I haven't seen Vince do that yet," Carroll said of the hurdling talent, "but he's got it in him if he needs it, I'm sure."

It was funny how they trotted two Pete Carrolls out for interviews early this week. The first was Head Coach Pete, face-of-the-program, overall-picture, jokester Pete.

The BCS?

"Is it one guy, like the Wizard of Oz kind of thing?" Carroll wondered.

The next day, a more detail-specific Carroll took questions beneath the placard of "defensive coordinator," which technically is his day (and sometimes night) job.

"There's been a great process getting ready for this," Carroll the coordinator said. "We're deep, deep in preparation."

The room in which a coordinator prepares for Vince Young must be a cold, lonely place.

Carroll burst out laughing when it was suggested that he might have "enjoyed" the process, but then admitted it really had stirred his competitive juices.

Whether Carroll and staff have constructed a strategy to slow Young is the key to the Trojans winning their third consecutive Associated Press national title in tonight's Rose Bowl game.

In a weird way, the 39th-ranked USC defense might actually have a shot at this.

The challenge is almost inside out when compared to last year's proposition against Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl, when Oklahoma's weakness played into USC's defensive strengths.

The Trojans had a dominating front, led by Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson. Oklahoma countered with injury-slowed pocket passer Jason White.

White, twice sacked and forced into three interceptions in a 55-19 debacle, was the proverbial "sitting duck."

"We all knew he had a couple of knee surgeries and he was not going to take off and run," Trojan defensive end Frostee Rucker said. "This guy [Young] is different."

USC's front line this year is not as dominant, its pass rush not as fierce.

Interestingly, though, containing the quarterback this year may be more important than sacking him.

The danger in bull-rushing Young is getting to the spot where you think he is, only to discover that Young, like Elvis, has left the arena.

"Not only do you have to get to the quarterback," defensive end Lawrence Jackson explained, "you have to get there under control."

The Trojans don't have Cody and Patterson this time, but they have fast ends and linebackers, which could be the right combination to hold Young in check.

Carroll isn't about to reveal his plan, but it seems obvious that USC has to put Young "in a box" and prevent him from the ad-lib runs that can destroy game plans.

Young is improved as a thrower. He's completing 63.9% of his passes this year for 2,769 yards and 26 touchdowns.

When it comes down to it, though, you must choose Young's arm over his legs.

Young has a funky throwing motion and has been prone to spurts of wildness. His legs, though, rarely betray him.

Possible game-plan backdrop:

On Nov. 5, minutes before underdog Miami took the field against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., former Miami coach Fran Curci, now a radio analyst, was asked how he thought the game was going to go.

Curci didn't hesitate, saying that Miami's athletic defense would not let Marcus Vick beat them with his feet — and that's exactly how it played out.

Miami dominated and won, 27-7, and Vick had a miserable game, completing only eight of 22 passes for 90 yards. He gained seven yards in 17 carries, was sacked five times and committed six turnovers.

A month later, against Florida State, another fast defense, Virginia Tech suffered its second loss, 27-22, in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game.

Vick had 11 yards rushing.

Vick is a mobile quarterback with a big arm.

Vick is not Vince Young.

"There's nobody like this," Carroll said.

Tossing a defensive fish net around Young might not be enough. And it may be a trap.

Carroll: "He's so good, he draws all your attention on a team loaded with talent."

There appear few other options, though, other than losing.

Give Pete Carroll a month to prepare and watch him try to stop Texas.

"It's too much time, almost," Carroll said.

Time is almost up.

Finally, a championship game worth watching

Daily Times Leader

Brandon Walker

I don’t get it.

Apparently, as football fans, we’re all supposed to bow at the collective feet of USC and watch in awe as the mythical Trojans strive for their third straight national championship tonight.

Whatever.

While most media types, including everyone at ESPN, ABC, and Snoop Dogg, are bending over backwards to crown this version of USC as the greatest team of all-time, I’m not buying it.

Tonight, No. 1 USC will put a 35-game winning streak on the line against No. 2 Texas in what should be billed as the best looking championship game in twenty years.

Instead, the good folks at ESPN have spent the better part of the last month turning their network into a 24-hour USC pep rally, complete with “dream matchups” pitting this year’s group of Trojans against dynasties of years’ past.

It is sickening.

So far, I’ve watched ESPN detail the 2005 USC squad against teams like the ‘92 Alabama team, the ‘01 Miami squad, and the ‘03 LSU Tigers.

The results? ESPN thinks USC would win in a landslide in all three cases.

Whether it is Stuart Scott, Dan Patrick, or whatever hired puppet happened to walk in that day, the hype for this year’s national title game has been nothing but a 24-hour USC pep rally.

This USC fascination is really getting out of hand.

I’ll give them one thing, USC is a very good offensive football team.

With talent to burn at every position, the Trojans can pretty much put 50 points on the board whenever they want to.

That’s all well and good, except their defense would have a hard time stopping me and ten billy goats from scoring four touchdowns.

While USC has been able to coast this year in the weak-as-always Pac Ten, Texas was doing something strange. They were actually stopping their opponents from scoring touchdowns.

While USC needed a miracle to beat the country’s most overrated team at Notre Dame, Texas went into Ohio State and won.

And while USC is basking in the spotlight normally reserved for American Idol winners and Madonna, Texas is quietly going about the business of trying to win a national championship.

I really don’t get it. I turn on the TV in the morning, there’s highlights of Reggie Bush. From high school.

I change the channel, and bam, there’s Matt Leinart shaking hands with Mickey Mouse.

Just last night, I watched a History Channel documentary on the Trojan dynasty.

The conclusion? Most experts believe that if you give Pete Carroll two weeks to gameplan, he could lead USC to victory in every major battle since the dawn of time.

While it is true that USC has won 35 games in a row, I still believe they are 100 percent media creation.

I do not think they would have beaten LSU in 2003, I do not think they would have beaten Auburn in 2005, and I don’t think they beat Texas tonight.

But unlike previous years, tonight USC will have to do something different.

Tonight, they’ll have to stand and fight.

In 2003, the Trojans were able to sit back and escape harm by watching Oklahoma and LSU play in the BCS Title game.

Then, after all was said and done, despite playing under a system that USC is a very willing participant to, the AP writers went out and declared a split national title.

Alright.

Then last year, USC was able to get by with playing a ridiculously overmatched Oklahoma team while a 13-0 SEC team was left out in the cold.

How convenient.

Tonight, there will be no free pass for Leinart and company.

Tonight, the USC defense, which has all the toughness of a drenched paper bag, will be introduced first-hand to Vince Young and the Texas offense, which is the country’s second highest-scoring unit.

Tonight, it gets ugly.

And even ESPN will have to admit it.

Texas by two touchdowns.

The Big Daddy of Them All

BCS Title Matchup Between USC, Texas Has Everything, Including Hype

By Eric Prisbell
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 4, 2006; E01

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 3 -- The buildup began 368 days ago, when quarterback Vince Young, immediately after leading Texas to a Rose Bowl victory, vowed to make a return trip to asadena this season. The hype continued into the preseason, when tonight's opponents in the Bowl Championship Series title game were ranked 1-2.

They have remained that way all season, stoking an excitement that culminates Wednesday night, when invincible Southern California faces unstoppable Texas in what some believe is the most anticipated college football game of all time. As far as compelling elements and subplots, this national championship game is without peer.

"It's hard to open your mouth and talk about this game without superlatives gushing out," said Chris Fowler, the host of ESPN's "College GameDay." "This is the type of event that transcends hardcore college fans. . . . When you put it in the Rose Bowl, which attracts casual sports fans and nonsports fans on a regular basis, I think you've got one of the biggest games anybody here can remember."

Not only is top-ranked USC (12-0) vying to become the first school ever to win three consecutive Associated Press national titles, but the game will also feature all three Heisman Trophy finalists -- Young and USC's Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush -- including the past two winners, Leinart last season and Bush this year.

There is also the element of sustained dominance. The Trojans have not lost since Sept. 27, 2003, and their 34-game win streak ranks sixth in Division I history. Second-ranked Texas (12-0) has won 19 consecutive games, the second-longest active streak in the country.

Also consider that the game will occur in the sport's most distinguished cathedral, the Rose Bowl, which is hosting a game between the top two ranked teams in the Associated Press poll for the first time since 1969. And the game will be called by venerable ABC broadcaster Keith Jackson, whose distinct voice has become synonymous with the Rose Bowl.

The 77-year-old Jackson, who could be calling the final game of his career, said he cannot remember another football game that had as much buildup as tonight's.

"Including Super Bowls," he said.

Perhaps taking hype to a new level, ESPN has been comparing USC to the best teams of all time.

"I guess we've got 72 hours," Fowler said Sunday, "to put them against the Jedi Council and King Kong and put on headgear and say who would win."

The most attention has centered on the offensive prowess of Texas and USC. The Trojans averaged 50 points and 580 yards per game and have been called the finest offensive squad ever assembled. But they didn't lead the country in points per game; the team that did, naturally, is Texas, with 50.9 per game. The Longhorns have dominated opponents so thoroughly that Young has only played in 34 of 48 possible quarters. If USC has the greatest offense of all time, Young said, "I guess we're the greatest of the greatest of the greatest of the greatest of all time."

Said USC Coach Pete Carroll: "These are two historic offenses. You don't see numbers like this other than in video games."

ABC officials are anticipating a television audience that could surpass the 18.4 million homes that tuned in for the 2003 Fiesta Bowl between Miami and Ohio State, which was the most watched Bowl Championship Series title game.

"This game has so much more anticipation than that one did," said Loren Matthews, ABC Sports senior vice president of programming. "If we have anything, we have all the elements for the highest BCS championship game rating ever."

Part of the attraction stems from the storied histories of both programs. USC has seven Heisman winners; Texas ranks behind only Michigan and Notre Dame with 787 all-time victories.

"We felt like we would be back in this game," Texas Coach Mack Brown said, " and we felt like we would be playing SC in this game."

Perhaps best of all for college football fans, Wednesday's game will provide a satisfactory and definitive conclusion to the 2005 campaign, something the BCS has failed to produce the past two seasons. Last season an undefeated Auburn team was excluded for the national championship game in the Orange Bowl. Two seasons ago, the odd team out was USC, the top-ranked school in both human polls that was left out of the BCS national championship game but nevertheless was crowned champion by the Associated Press after a Rose Bowl victory.

This season, only two schools entered the final week of the regular season unbeaten, and there was little doubt both would remain so after Dec. 3. As it turned out, USC and Texas beat UCLA and Colorado by a combined score of 136-22.

"It's a good time, I guess, for those at that party at the BCS house," Carroll said. "Can't you picture them? We finally have arrived, and they're going to enjoy the hell out of it because next year all chaos could hit once again."

Bush to depart one game too late for Horns fans

ESPN.com - COLUMNIST - Wojciechowski: Last watch

After USC puts, oh, a 31-24 branding iron on Bevo's rear end Wednesday night in the Granddaddy, the next time we'll see Reggie Bush in football attire will be at an early May NFL minicamp. And if we don't, that means one of two things happened: Bush did a Willis McGahee in the Rose Bowl and spaghetti-strained his knee, or Bush did a Matt Leinart and announced he's returning to USC for his senior season.

Injuries, of course, are an occupational hazard. ACLs happen. But if Bush decides to run for USC reelection in '06, then coach Pete Carroll ought to personally paper shred the kid's scholarship, demote him to the scout team and make him wear a long-sleeve Song Girl sweater around campus -- anything to force the junior running back to turn pro.

Bush doesn't belong in Division I-A anymore. He belongs in the AFC South Division, where he can energize the Houston Roadkill much like he energized the Trojans this season. Sure, he can come back and probably earn another Heisman Trophy, but how many door stops do you really need in life? As it is, he'll spend the rest of his days being introduced by his new first and middle name: Heisman Winner…

No, Bush is gone after the Rose Bowl. That's a given. This silliness about wanting to focus on the national championship game is somebody's lame-o idea of spin control. Just once I'd like to hear a player deep-six the prebowl speech about not having decided to turn pro yet, and say what's really on his mind.

"I love my teammates, but me and my letterman's jacket are out of here. I've eaten my last postgame boxed meal, attended my last class and watched the campus bookstore jack up the prices on my replica jerseys for the final time. Time to play for pay."

Instead, we get this stuff about concentrating on the Rose Bowl, which is fine. But make no mistake: Bush's situation bears no resemblance to Leinart's of a year ago. Bush is a guaranteed No. 1 or 2 pick in the NFL draft. Leinart, who couldn't throw last winter because of an injured elbow, was less assured of an early draft day handshake with commish Paul Tagliabue. It's a lot easier to be Joe College when you can't complete a long down and out.

I've covered college football long enough to know I can count on one hand the number of players who made my eyes bug out. Barry Sanders gets a finger. So does Bo Jackson, Rocket Ismail, Michael Vick. And Bush. If I'm a Longhorns linebacker, I'd rather cry on "Oprah," marry an Aggie or wet my pants than try to tackle Bush in the open field.

No matter what happens in the BCS Championship, spend at least 10 plays watching Bush, and only Bush. Years from now you can tell your grandchildren about it.

Cedric Benson, a former Longhorn tailback who finished sixth in the 2004 Heisman balloting (just behind Bush), has been watching. Benson picks -- surprise! -- Texas to upset USC ("I got to ride with my boys," he says. "I gotta represent."), but he can't argue with the 2005 Heisman results.

With all due respect to UT quarterback Vince Young, says the Chicago Bears rookie running back, "I think they picked the right guy."

Benson doesn't know Bush, but he knows what he's thinking these days. Benson thought about turning pro after his junior year. "But really in my heart … I wasn't ready for the game," he says. "I wasn't ready."

So Benson stayed put, rushed for more than 1,800 yards, finished sixth in the Heisman, was drafted fourth overall by the Bears, held out 36 days, played eight games, started one, got hurt, and is iffy for the playoffs. So he knows stuff. Running back stuff. He knows Bush will play his last collegiate game Wednesday night.

"What more is there for him to do?" asks Benson, whose last varsity game was at the Rose Bowl, too. "I think it's time for him to move on. I'm sure he feels the same way. You feel it. It's like a light comes on, or something."

As a professional courtesy, Benson offered Bush some advice about the next level. His top five tips (in honor of Bush's jersey number):

• On NFL bottom lines:

"No. 1, first and foremost, it's a business. You're answering the business world. You're no longer in college where you have support that is offered for free, that is offered willingly. You're answering the real world as it really is. Nobody is there to pick you up when you slip."

• On competition:

"The game doesn't change. Not at all. It's still football out there. Just because it's the NFL, the game doesn't change. It's a little faster."

• On first impressions:

"Always remain the way you've always been. You're going to be around new people. Try your best to stay humble."

• On holding out, if necessary:

"I'd definitely tell him it's worth it. Don't hinder yourself, but don't take what's handed over, either. He's got a long career. This is going to be your life for a while."

• On predraft interviews with prospective teams:

"Be yourself, man. Be businesslike about yourself. That's the way I handled it. Put everything on the table. Be up-front."

But first comes the most anticipated game of the year/decade/epoch. Which is why Longhorn followers have a simple request of Bush:

Any way you could declare before kickoff?

Gene Wojciechowski is the senior national columnist for ESPN.com. You can contact him at gene.wojciechowski@espn3.com.

SI's Pick: Texas 38, USC 35

SI.com's B.J. Schecter analyzes the BCS showdown between the Trojans and Longhorns.

Setting the Stage

It's fitting that the college football season comes to a close with the game everyone wants to see. It was almost a forgone conclusion that USC would be here and the Trojans did nothing to disappoint. And from the moment Texas knocked off Ohio State in Columbus on Sept. 10, the hype for this game began. The BCS may be tangled in computer formulas, and you may need a Ph.D. from M.I.T. to understand it, but this year it doesn't matter. The two best teams will be playing for the national championship.

And, oh, what a matchup it is. USC comes in as the two-time defending national champion, has won 34 straight games and features this year's Heisman Trophy winner, Reggie Bush, and last year's, Matt Leinart. Texas has won 19 straight and is led by dual-threat QB Vince Young, the Heisman runner-up who averages more than 300 yards of total offense a game. Statistically, both teams are impressive. USC leads the nation in total offense (580.2 yards per game) and is second in scoring (50.0); Texas is No. 1 in scoring (50.9) and third in total offense (508.4). Strap in, football fans. This is one game you can't miss.

Breaking down USC

LenDale White has become very familiar with the end zone, rushing for 21 TDs. Jeff Gross/Getty Images

The Trojans have an abundance of weapons on offense and it all starts with Bush. "The President" is a big play waiting to happen and every time he touches the ball, fans (and defensive coordinators) hold their breath. He averages 217.6 total yards per game and has rushed for 554 yards in his past two outings. But focus too much on Bush and running back LenDale White (1,178 yards, 21 TDs), Leinart (3,450 passing yards, 27 TDs) and wideouts Dwayne Jarrett (1,153 yards, 15 TDs) and Steve Smith (928 yards, 5 TDs) will burn you. The key to beating the Trojans? Limit their big plays, keep their offense off the field and hope they turn the ball over.

If USC has one Achilles heel it's defense. Though the Trojans have improved throughout the year, they are giving up 344.7 yards per game and will have trouble with Young and Texas' ground attack. USC has a pair of playmakers up front in ends Frostee Rucker (12 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks) and Lawrence Jackson (13 tackles for loss, 10 sacks) and a solid middle linebacker in Oscar Lua, who leads the team with 60 tackles. All-America strong safety Darnell Bing (4 interceptions) is the star of the secondary, but USC has shown vulnerability on the corners. The Trojans must tighten up -- or Young will pick them apart.

Breaking down Texas

Freshman Jamaal Charles burst onto the scene this year, scoring 11 rushing TDs. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

From the moment he looked Bush in the eye and congratulated him on winning the Heisman, Young has had a chip on his shoulder. And that can't be a good thing for USC. Young is the most explosive quarterback in the nation and can beat teams with his legs (he's the Longhorns' leading rusher with 850 yards) or his arm (he's completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 2,769 yards and 26 TDs). Young may have an unconventional throwing motion, but he has a cannon and can beat USC deep. In addition to Young, Texas has a stable of running backs (freshman sensation Jamaal Charles, the emerging Ramonce Taylor, Selvin Young and Henry Melton), a terrific tight end (David Thomas) and a pair of big-play receivers (Billy Pittman and Limas Sweed).

While both teams have explosive offenses, where they differ is on the defensive side of the ball. Texas' D has been dominant and is ranked fourth nationally in scoring (14.6 points per game), fifth in passing D (155.9 yards per game) and sixth in total defense (280.3). Coordinator Gene Chizik hasn't lost a game in two years (he was the defensive mastermind at Auburn last year) and the 'Horns have playmakers aplenty: free safety Michael Griffin (116 tackles), strong safety Michael Huff (97 tackles, 9 tackles for loss), corner Cedric Griffin (78 tackles, 15 pass breakups), tackle Rodrique Wright (13 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks), middle linebacker Aaron Harris (87 tackles, 12 tackles for loss) and ends Brian Robison (15 tackles for loss, 7 sacks) and Tim Crowder (9 tackles for loss). Texas is fast, aggressive and may just have enough to slow USC down.

Final Analysis

The best players usually shine on the biggest stage, and the stars on both sides aren't likely to disappoint. This game is extremely difficult to pick because there are plenty of reasons why each team should win. USC is on the verge of earning dynasty status, the Trojans are basically playing at home, they traditionally play well in the Rose Bowl (where they are 21-8 all-time and have won three in a row) and have the best player in college football. And we saw what happened last year when coach Pete Carroll had a month to prepare for the national title game.

Texas hasn't won a national championship since 1970, but this isn't unfamiliar territory for the Longhorns. Young led Texas to a dramatic comeback victory over Michigan with 192 rushing yards and four touchdowns in last year's Rose Bowl and is dying to show the nation that he is the best player in college football. Longhorns coach Mack Brown has been much maligned for not being able to win the big one. Hogwash. People said the same thing before Tom Osborne, Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden won national titles. This is the best Texas team since the days of Darrell Royal, and Brown has molded this group into champions.

So now comes the moment of truth -- my prediction. I've been back and forth 100 times and I keep coming back to one thing: defense. Both teams have plenty of offensive firepower and you can expect a lot of points to be scored. But which team can get that one, crucial stop in crunch time? USC is a team for the ages, but the Trojans are beatable and have had plenty of flaws exposed this season. And as good as USC's skill players are, Texas has more talent from top to bottom. In what should be a thrilling game, Texas will dethrone the two-time defending champs.

The pick: Texas 38, USC 35.

Scout.com: Texas Longhorns preview

Scout.com: Texas Longhorns preview

Vince Young		By Erik McKinney Date: Jan 3, 2006 The Longhorns bring the nation’s highest scoring offense and one of the nation’s stingiest defenses to Pasadena to face an offense that could go down as the best ever and a defense that is ever-improving and looking to show that the only statistic that counts is the final score.
For the second year in a row, the National Championship game pits two teams that fans have been waiting all year to see play it out on the field. For the second year in a row, the number one and two teams in the initial BCS standings will meet for the crystal trophy, and for the second year in a row, the Trojans will be looking to defend their national championship title against the best of the Big-XII. Longhorns on Offense Quarterback – #10 Vince Young Vince Young is one of the most dangerous offensive threats in all of college football and come Wednesday, he will yet again be the centerpiece of the Longhorns’ offense. Young has always been one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in terms of mobility, but this year he has dramatically improved his throwing arm, which helped him lead his team to the National Championship game and earned him a spot as one of the Heisman Trophy finalists. Even with his improved throwing, Young is still far more dangerous as a runner and the Trojans will need to first and foremost keep Vince Young from scrambling all over the field. With every run, Young picks up both yards and momentum for his Texas team. This season, Young leads the Longhorns in both carries (136) and yards (850) while picking up over six yards per carry and adding nine rushing touchdowns. He has looked to pass more this season, but is always a threat to pull the ball down and run. Texas will also throw more than a couple designed quarterback runs at the Trojans, in order to put the ball in the hands of their best playmaker as many times as possible. Much has been made of Young’s unorthodox, three-quarter throwing motion, but it’s tough to argue with its results. Young leads the nation in passing efficiency at 168.5 and has completed almost 64% of his passes this season for 2,769 yards and 26 touchdowns. He has shown the ability to take advantage of the height of a few of his receivers, letting them battle for jump balls over smaller cornerbacks. Young will also make a few mistakes, which are magnified because of his importance to his team. Ten interceptions on the season isn’t a huge number, but some of them have put his team in some pretty tight spots. Young will need to be completely mistake free against the Trojans, which is something most quarterbacks in recent history haven’t been able to manage. Watch for the Trojans to try and take advantage of the times Young chooses to run by attempting to force turnovers by stripping the ball or jumping on option pitches. No team in the nation forces turnovers like USC and Vince Young will no doubt feel that pressure of needing to play flawless football. Running Backs – #22 Selvin Young, #25 Jamaal Charles, #11 Ramonce Taylor, #37 Henry Melton Selvin Young will get the start in the Longhorn backfield for the Rose Bowl after missing two games this season and finishing with fewer yards and touchdowns than any of the other three running backs. But Young, a redshirt junior, is the most experienced of the rushers and head coach Mack Brown feels more comfortable with upper classmen in his starting lineups. Young has a history of injury problems, but is a more than capable runner. He is a complete back, able to take the ball inside or outside, and can run over or around defenders. On the year, Young has 89 carries for 416 yards and seven touchdowns. He hasn’t made much of an impact in the passing game, but still presents a threat out of a backfield. Jamaal Charles, just a true freshman, has been a big reason for the Longhorns’ success this season. He is second on the team in rushing, picking up 844 yards on 114 carries, for a 7.4 yard-per-carry average. Charles has also added 11 rushing touchdowns. He is a pure speed back who will get the ball on end-arounds and quick throws to the sideline. Texas will have a few plays designed to get him the ball away from the line of scrimmage and hope that he can break something into the open field. He’s also a threat out of the backfield, catching 14 passes this season for 157 yards and two touchdowns. Ramonce Taylor is a lot like Jamaal Charles when it comes to speed and elusiveness. Taylor lines up in the backfield and also spends a lot of time split out wide. He has 72 carries this season, picking up 501 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. He’s also the team’s fourth leading receiver, with 25 catches for 268 yards and three touchdowns. Henry Melton is a big freshman fullback brought in for short yardage situations. Even though he’s usually called upon to only pick up a few inches, Melton is capable of breaking through the line and into the secondary. He won’t be brought down by the first tackler, and is always picking up positive yards. His ten touchdown runs this season put him third on Texas’ freshman list. Wide Receivers – #4 Limas Sweed, #6 Quan Cosby, #5 Billy Pittman Limas Sweed’s numbers won’t knock you over, but his performance on the field will. Playing in all 12 games, Sweed has just 28 catches on the season for 480 yards and five touchdowns, but his game-winning grab against Ohio State is one of the reasons that Texas is even playing in the Rose Bowl. Sweed is 6’5” tall and can run, the exact type of wide receiver that has given the Trojan secondary fits this year. Vince Young won’t hesitate to loft the ball downfield and let Sweed try to come up with it. The Trojan defensive backs will need to keep a body on him and not let him snag the ball at its highest point. Quan Cosby is the kind of receiver that the Trojan secondary matches up very well against. He does have better than average speed, but he stands under six feet tall and is by no means a physical receiver. He has just 13 catches this season, for 254 yards and two touchdowns. Billy Pittman has been the big-play receiver all season long for the Longhorns. He has caught 30 passes for a team-high 697 yards to go along with five touchdowns and uses his speed to find holes and seams in the opposition’s secondary. Pittman doesn’t have Sweed’s height to challenge the Trojans on jump balls, but he more than makes up for that with speed. Tight End – #16 David Thomas David Thomas will need to have a big game against the Trojans in order to keep the defense honest and the ball moving downfield. He isn’t the big-play threat that the wide receivers are, but he was the team’s leading receiver this season, catching 40 passes for 525 yards and five touchdowns. He isn’t exactly overpowering, but he is a very good player and the Trojan safeties will need to work to limit his effectiveness during the game. Offensive Line – LT #73 Jonathan Scott, LG #64 Kasey Studdard, C #62 Lyle Sendlein, RG #72 Will Allen, RT #63 Justin Blalock The Texas offensive line is just massive. All five starters weigh in over 300 pounds and have spent all year bullying opposing defensive linemen all over the field. The main reason that Vince Young has been able to develop his passing skills is the protection allotted to him by his offensive line. He has absolutely all day to find open receivers as the line just swallows up defenders. Jonthan Scott is probably the best of the bunch and protects Young’s blindside, but there isn’t a weak link along the line. They block exclusively downhill, simply locking up with the man across the line and rarely pulling or offering any other look. Their favorite play is the zone read, where Vince Young takes the shotgun snap and reads the defensive end. If the end maintains width to protect against the running back going outside, Young simply heads straight up the field. If the end collapses in to prevent that, Young hands off to his running back to attack the vacated edge of the line. While this line is big, the Trojan defensive line always seems to perform well against bigger, less athletic fronts. The Trojans pride themselves on their quickness and power and will get another chance to prove themselves against one of the better lines in the nation. Longhorns on Defense Defensive Line – #80 Tim Crowder, #97 Frank Okam, #90 Rodrique Wright, #39 Brian Robison, #92 Larry Dibbles Watching the Trojan offensive line go against this talented group of Texas defensive linemen should be one of the highlights of the game. Frank Okam, Rodrique Wright and Larry Dibbles form a solid corps of defensive tackles and are the first line of defense for Texas’ stout run defense. Wright is the best of the three at getting to the quarterback, as Okam and Dibbles specialize in strictly stopping the run. Wright has posted 4.5 sacks and has 13 tackles for loss among his 46 total tackles. Okam also has 46 tackles while Dibbles has chipped in with 32, but neither has a sack. Tim Crowder and Brian Robison have wreaked havoc on opposing offenses all season long for Texas. Robison leads the line with 57 tackles and leads the team with 15 tackles for loss and seven quarterback sacks. Robison is incredibly athletic and has a knack for getting to the quarterback. The Trojan tackle who draws his assignment will have their hands full on every play and will probably receiver help from a tight end or running back from time to time. Of course, the tackle that draws Tim Crowder probably won’t be too excited. He also very athletic, piling up 46 tackles and three sacks to go along with an interception. The Texas defensive linemen have been able to consistently pressure every quarterback they’ve faced this season, but in the Rose Bowl they’ll be going up against a line that has blocked for back-to-back Heisman Trophy winners. Sure, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush have a lot to do with that, but all of the credit for the Trojans’ offensive success over the past few years has to start with their offensive line. Like in any other game, if Texas is able to pressure Matt Leinart by rushing just its front four, the Trojans could be in trouble. But look for the Trojans to try and take advantage of the strong pass rush by mixing a few screens and draws into the game plan. Linebackers – #40 Robert Killebrew, #2 Aaron Harris, #44 Rashad Bobino Aaron Harris is a true senior middle linebacker and is to the Longhorns what Lofa Tatupu would have been this season for the Trojans. He ranks third on the team with 87 tackles and four sacks, but his leadership extends well beyond numbers. He is an emotional leader and his hard-hitting style of play invigorates his defensive teammates. He will be a huge key for the Texas defensive in stopping the Trojan attack. During the 2005 Orange Bowl, the Trojans were able to pound the middle of the Oklahoma defense with every single LenDale White run and a lot of short passes. This year, the match up of Aaron Harris against LenDale White should be one to watch, because if White gets on track, the Trojan offense usually clicks. Robert Killebrew lines up next to Harris and is another solid player for the Longhorn defense. He has 61 tackles to go along with four sacks, two forced fumbles and three blocked kicks. He’s another hard-hitting linebacker, but it will be interesting to see if he can help contain the Trojans’ speed. Rashad Bobino is a redshirt freshman and, although he is a great player, you can bet the Trojan offense will pointed directly at him. He is smaller than the other two linebackers and his inexperience could come into play during the game. He has 53 tackles on the year, including two sacks. Cornerbacks – #8 Cedric Griffin, #5 Tarell Brown, #31 Aaron Ross Cedric Griffin is probably the best pure cover corner for the Longhorns. He is big and physical and could draw Dwayne Jarrett in man cover situations. Jarrett has struggled occasionally when defenders try to bully him and you can bet that Griffin will be all over him. Though he hasn’t intercepted a pass, he leads the team with 15 pass deflections and ranks fourth on the team with 78 tackles. Tarell Brown lines up on the other side and can play a physical game as well, although he is a more traditional cover corner, looking to outplay the wide receiver rather than rough him up. Brown has one interception to go along with 59 tackles and five pass deflections. Aaron Ross will see significant playing time as well in the defensive backfield. He leads the team with three interceptions and is one of the most athletic players on the team. The corners are good, but far from unbeatable. A main reason for their success is due to the tremendous pass rush generated by the Longhorn front. The Trojan wide receivers have had a few drops and other miscues this season, but they’ll need to play near flawless football against these talented corners. Safeties – #27 Michael Griffin, #7 Michael Huff This is probably the strength of the Longhorns’ defense. Michael Griffin and Michael Huff might form the best safety duo in the nation. Huff was named the Thorpe Award winner this year as the nation’s best defensive back and Griffin leads the team with 116 tackles, three fumble recoveries and four blocked kicks. During the Rose Bowl preparation, Huff claimed that he’d like to be responsible for covering Reggie Bush throughout the game. I don’t think Mack Brown will go that route, as it worked so poorly for the Sooners last season, but if Huff is lined up against Bush one-on-one, the Trojans should have a decided advantage. Not even going into the fact that no player can single-handedly cover Bush for an entire game, if Huff is forced to play out of position due to the Trojans’ formation shifts, the Texas secondary will be very vulnerable. The Texas safeties have done well to not allow many long plays or passes completed over the top of them, but if the Trojan running game can get going, look for Matt Leinart to test them deep. Longhorns on Special Teams Kicker – #15 David Pino, #97 Greg Johnson Like the Trojans’ Mario Danelo, David Pino has had only one game where any of his kicks truly mattered. Against Ohio State, Pino converted field goal tries from 25, 37 and 42 yards away helping his team to a victory. But Pino has been very good over the entire season, hitting 12 of 15 attempts, with a long of 45. Pino has actually missed more extra points than field goals this season, missing on five of his 73 attempts. Greg Johnson handles the kickoffs and has forced touchbacks on 24 of his 87 kicks. Punter – #35 Richmond McGee Richmond McGee is a pretty solid punter. He is averaging just over 38 yards on his 33 kicks, forcing 11 fair catches, two touchbacks and putting ten inside the 20-yard line. His long for the season is 56 and he has yet to have one blocked. Kick Returner – #11 Ramonce Taylor With Ramonce Taylor’s playmaking ability, the Longhorns always find ways to put the ball in his hands. On 14 kick returns this season, Taylor is averaging just under 30 yards per return with a long of 54. The Trojans’ special teams have been laughable at times this season, but the return of a few key special teamers should help to shore up the kick coverage. Punt Returner – #31 Aaron Ross Aaron Ross has been a dynamic punt returner this season, averaging 15 yards per try to go along with two touchdowns. But he isn’t even the biggest threat in the punting game. The Longhorns’ are excellent at blocking kicks, punts especially, and will look to test the Trojans’ special teams. The Trojans should know where Michael Griffin is at all times and Tom Malone will need to have an especially quick foot. The Trojans will probably continue their practice of going for certain fourth downs rather than risk a kick.

Young Presents Multiple Challenges for the Defense

Los Angeles Times:

OSCAR LUA

Oscar Lua, USC's starting middle linebacker, is a fourth-year junior from Indio. He talked to Times staff writer Peter Yoon on Monday about Texas quarterback Vince Young.

---

Facing a quarterback like Vince Young definitely presents a tough situation for our defense. The guy can do it all. He can run, he can scramble like no other quarterback that we've seen, and he can pass. I mean, the guy leads the country in pass efficiency, so it's a pretty tough challenge.

I think in general, this is one of the best quarterbacks in the NCAA. The guy can do everything. He can break tackles; he's really big and strong. I think he's an amazing athlete and I think he's also a really smart player. He makes the decisions that need to be made and he punches it in when it needs to be punched in.

He'll throw it in coverage, he'll throw it deep, he knows where to put it, and with his running ability, he'll draw defenders to him and just open up his wide receivers.

The only similar quarterback we faced was Oregon's quarterback (Kellen Clemens), but even that isn't comparable. Young outmatches him in every way: Arm strength, speed, scrambling ability, size and tackle-breaking ability.

As far as trying to simulate Young, we've had a tough time doing that in practice. We've had to simulate him by using three guys. We use Mark Sanchez to try to simulate his passing ability. We had to put (tailback) Michael Coleman back there to try and simulate his running ability and tackle-breaking ability. As far as size goes, we try to put Brett Davis back there. He's a 6-foot-6, 250-pound tight end that we have who can move. It's been tough on Coach (Pete) Carroll and his staff to try and simulate Young because we've had to put three players back there just to simulate one player.

Containing him will be pretty tough. All we can do is just bring pressure from the outside and try to contain him from the inside out. If you come in, he'll go out. If you come from outside, he'll go up the middle, so you've got to give him a balanced attack.

I haven't seen him audible much on film. He basically makes his read and checks off to his checkdowns. He looks one way and if he doesn't find it, he turns right back around and hits his receiver. Whether the receiver is open or not, he'll punch it in.

The most impressive game that I've seen Young play was definitely the Ohio State game. The guy was down and the team was down and he brought them back. He had some great scrambles and he came through with the pass at the end and led his team to a hard-fought victory in a hostile environment and it didn't faze him at all. It's going to be a similar case to that here in the Rose Bowl. These guys are away from their home and we might have more fans than them, so it's going to be a tough situation for them. But from what I've seen, Young and his running backs and receivers aren't afraid of going into a hostile environment.

Comparing Young to Matt Leinart, there is no comparison. Matt is the complete opposite of Vince. Matt's a sit-in-the-pocket quarterback and he'll pick a defense apart, where Vince likes to scramble and draw a defense to him to open up receivers.

If there is a similarity, it's that they both have great passing instincts. Matt doesn't run like Vince and Vince doesn't really have the passing ability that Matt does. Size-wise, when I met Vince, he was a lot bigger than Matt. Matt is just a leaner quarterback.

Texas Scribes Turn USC Story Into a Greek Tragedy

T.J. Simers:

There have been recent reports that good food and belly dancers might be the reasons USC's football team has strung together 34 wins.

From what I understand, a Fort Worth newspaper got the big scoop after one of its reporters came here and did some eating and ogling at Papadakis Taverna, a San Pedro Greek eatery.

He wrote a nice story about a belly dancer, the gregarious restaurant owner and an octogenarian violinist who can play the USC fight song, and called them the Trojans' "secret weapon when it comes to landing top recruits."

Another reporter from the same Fort Worth paper, possibly a Texas grad stuck back home with the old lady and leftovers in the fridge, followed the nice story by his comrade with a stinging, and distracting, story of his own, suggesting USC might be cheating.

He quoted an unnamed compliance director at a Division I-A school, and I guess no one from Texas wanted to be identified, suggesting the practice of taking recruits to a restaurant owned by a former Trojan football player, who likes to tell everyone how much he loves his alma mater, might be an NCAA violation.

No mention in the story, though, of whether there's an investigation underway to determine if the reporter, who wrote the original story after eating and ogling, paid for his meal or tried to write off the belly dancer tips on his expense account.

Don't get me wrong: This is something that should be taken very seriously because, so far, nothing's worked on the field to bring USC to its knees.

That's why I put it directly to Coach Pete Carroll: "Have you seen the belly dancers in question?"

"Not outside the restaurant," Carroll said, and nice to see he's on top of the violations that really count.

---

NOW I'M told that UCLA regularly takes its recruits to a steakhouse, probably for a glimpse at dead meat so they can get a feel early on what it's like to play for the Bruins in a town owned by USC.

Carroll has this thing about wanting to have fun, so for some time he's had the recruits and their families visit Taverna, which is known for its wacky brand of entertainment and the chance to break dishes.

Maybe it's important for UCLA to select players who know which fork to use, but a better test of finding potential pro athletes might be finding players who take violent delight in busting things up.

From what I've heard about Texas players, they would steal the dishes rather than break them.

---

THE FORT Worth shopper reported that the 25 miles it takes to get from USC to San Pedro isn't what the NCAA would consider normal, which goes to show you what someone from Texas knows about living in L.A. They probably think in terms of all-day horse rides there, whereas here, almost everything is 25 miles away, including the trip reporters took Monday to go from hotel to player interviews.

The paper reported the price for Taverna entrees, which go "as high as $59.95 … appear to go beyond the NCAA stipulation that a recruit's meals should reflect those comparable to normal college life."

I wonder what the going rate is for dead meat at the steakhouse UCLA frequents. A full rack of lamb, with soup and salad, does go for $59.95 at Taverna — and feeds two. A further check of the menu finds that 14 ounces of salmon with soup and salad costs $23.95, with a free shake from the belly dancer thrown in.

The shopper also noted that recruits were subjected to impassioned speeches by restaurant owner John Papadakis, who played for USC eons ago, which makes him a "representative of athletics interests" by the NCAA, and prohibited from speaking to recruits about USC.

I'm for anything that prohibits a Papadakis, any Papadakis, from opening his mouth, and you know what I mean if you've listened to the son, Petros Papadakis, and his radio shout fest on 1540.

But I know after interviewing John and visiting his restaurant, there's no shutting up the passionate palooka. In fact, I'm surprised some USC recruits didn't opt to leave the state, seeking peace and quiet after a night at Taverna.

From what I can tell, the only thing this guy is guilty of is being a blowhard Trojan fan, but then aren't they all? And these days with good reason.

---

AS FOR the belly dancers, I figured they really might be the inspiration behind USC's winning streak, although Petros assured me, "Right now, there are some pretty old belly dancers there.

"Since they're like family and been around so long, it makes it hard to tell them they're starting to look a little beat up. I've had to tell my dad he needs to get some younger ones when the recruits come in."

Well, I went to the restaurant Monday night to see "Marisa" for myself, and if USC will have me — I'll be enrolling next fall. (And folks think Reggie Bush has some moves.)

---

I'M NOT surprised that an uptight Texas sports information assistant told reporters on media day to stop interviewing players; come on, it's not like anyone from Texas has any experience in knowing what to do for a championship game.

---

TODAY'S LAST word comes in e-mail from Lauren N:

"Thanks for reminding me why I HATE Trojan fans so much. It's unbelievable how ignorant you guys can be. I am disappointed in The Times for keeping you around. Hopefully, The Times will come to its senses before it's too late."

I admire your optimism in hoping management here comes to its senses.

*

T.J. Simers can be reached at t.j.simers@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Simers, go to latimes.com/simers.

Ensuring the Grass Is Always Greener

Los Angeles Times:

Rose Bowl turf specialists, charged with making the playing field appear lush and healthy, are in a 'chase for perfection' despite the downpour.

By Sam Farmer, Times Staff Writer

As the person ultimately responsible for making sure the Rose Bowl field is as close as possible to perfect, turf superintendent Will Schnell wants to bring Texas players to their knees.

He'd like to see USC players kneeling too.

Because the highest praise Schnell and his staff can receive is when the Rose Bowl participants need to check to see if the grass is real. This is the one place in Los Angeles where "It looks fake" is a compliment.

"We shoot for the pool-table effect," Schnell said.

What they don't shoot for is the swimming-pool effect, and that's why he and his staff covered the 2 1/2 -acre field Friday evening with a new $60,000 tarp that they planned to remove early this morning, weather permitting. The two-hour process of removing the nine-piece tarp and efficiently disposing of accumulated rainwater was to have begun at 3 a.m. Then, the painting crew was to have begun touching up the field around dawn, hoping to finish around noon. All the painting was done previously but the touch-up will make the playing surface look better in person and on TV.

Schnell and his crew are getting help from the grounds crews of the Dodgers and Cleveland Browns, both former employers of Schnell, and the Home Depot Center.

"It's a chase for perfection," Darryl Dunn, the stadium's general manager, said Monday. "And with all this rain, it's all hands on deck."

The forecast for game day calls for clear skies and temperatures in the 60s. But on Monday, rain fell on the Rose Parade for the first time in half a century, with wind damaging banners around the stadium and knocking over temporary concession stands. The weather forced stadium officials to make changes on the fly, changes that could affect how people get to the game.

Parking will be most affected. In normal weather conditions, Brookside Golf Course can accommodate about 22,000 cars. Last year, because of rain before the game, there was room for only 8,000. The situation could be slightly better this year, Dunn said, but a significant number of spaces will be unavailable. Dunn urged spectators to use public transportation or to carpool, and to arrive several hours before kickoff.

Texas is scheduled to have a walk-through practice at the stadium today. The goal of the grounds crew is to mow the field once more on game day.

"Our field helps brand us," Dunn said. "We want the athletes and the TV announcers to compliment it, and we want the crowd to be wowed."

To achieve that effect, dozens of workers have spent the last six weeks refining the Augusta of football fields. Schnell declined to be interviewed unless the work of his staff was recognized ("I'm nothing without them."), and much of the support work — keeping paint buckets filled, making sure hoses don't drag through the artwork, etc. — is done by volunteers from the Pasadena Jaycees.

Despite the rain, Schnell and his staff say this has a chance to be the best Rose Bowl field ever. The turf, which cost more than $100,000, was grown in Palm Springs by the same company that provides the NFL with some of its Super Bowl fields.

On the evening of Nov. 12, shortly after UCLA had played its final home game of the season, the Rose Bowl grounds crew began cutting out the old turf. The new sod was rolled in and given time to take root. As long as it can be mowed before the game, it will be five-eighths of an inch long at kickoff and should look as manicured as a fairway at the U.S. Open.

"A lot of the players say it looks like carpet or artificial turf," said Miguel Yepez, who supervises the paint crew. "I've seen guys get down and kiss the field."

Getting the grass to look just right is only half the battle. The real precision is in the painting. At least three coats are applied before a typical Rose Bowl game. Under the south end of the stadium are hundreds of paint canisters with colors named "Michigan Blue" and "Wisconsin Red." There are also jugs of "Green Bay Green," used for a camera commercial shot at the stadium, and "Raiders Silver," used in a beer ad.

And, of course, there's "USC Cardinal" and "Texas Burnt Orange."

To make sure the color was precise, Longhorn officials sent a Texas jersey so Rose Bowl painters could lay it on the field and match it to the grass. The school said last year's orange was a tad light.

The north end zone is burnt orange with white lettering, and a 12-foot-wide orange border extends to the 25-yard line.

At the south side, the USC end zone is cardinal with gold lettering. There's a matching 12-foot-wide cardinal border to the other 25.

"For me," painter Martin Rodriguez said, "it's a work of art."

For Schnell, the moment of truth is not when the players have their walk-through on the day before the game, or even when the game starts.

"It's when I get a call from my parents in Missouri," he said, "and they tell me the field looks good on TV."

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Rose Bowl game information

With a 5 p.m. rush-hour kickoff, Wednesday's USC - Texas matchup in the 92nd Rose Bowl game will pose an added challenge for fans who choose to drive to the stadium. Here is a guide for key game-day logistics:

Getting to the game

Transportation: Because Rose Bowl parking is limited, spectators are urged to use public transit or free shuttle services in Pasadena.

Gold Line: For Metro Rail passengers, the Memorial Park station is a three-block walk from the Parsons parking lot's free shuttle stop. The stadium's shuttle stop is near Gates B and C. (See map.)

Limited parking/shuttle service: Rose Bowl parking lots open at 8 a.m. Because of recent rains, some parking at the Brookside Golf Course will be closed. The cost is $25 for cars, $50 for limited RV spaces. Cars will be parked five deep in some areas.

Park and shuttle rides are available at the Parsons parking lot, 100 W. Walnut (shown on map) at $25 per car, and at Pasadena City College, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd. The college's two parking entrances are along Del Mar, at Hill and at Bonnie. Parking charges are $15 for cars, $50 for RVs.

The free stadium shuttle runs continuously from noon to about two hours after the game.

For updated information go to rosebowlstadium.com

*

Stadium services

First aid/lost and found/police: South of Gate B, in the Public Safety Building

Concessions: In front of tunnel entrances

Restrooms: At most tunnel entrances

Public telephones: On the concourse level at Tunnels 7, 17 and 23A

Checked items: Checked belongings that are not allowed through the stadium turnstiles will be held for pickup at a booth outside gate C.

*

Sources: Tournament of Roses, Rose Bowl Operating Co.

*

Rosy weather

Wednesday's forecast for the Rose Bowl calls for mostly sunny skies, pleasant in the afternoon and clear in the evening. The breakdown:

They've Turned USC Into a Sunday School

Los Angeles Times:

Bill Plaschke

January 3, 2006

While Texas players were dutifully poring over playbooks earlier this week, USC players were doing a different sort of research.

Crowded into a trainer's room, they were watching and howling as Matt Cassel threw two touchdown passes for the New England Patriots.

This is the same Cassel who, in four years as a Trojan quarterback, couldn't get off the bench.

This is the same Cassel who threw zero college touchdown passes.

"We're like, he couldn't do anything here, but now he's coming up big in the NFL?" receiver Steve Smith said. "It reminds you, this is some kind of place."

USC is some kind of place, indeed. Whether that is good or bad depends on whether you like your college football dressed in leather jackets or letter sweaters.

As the Trojans creep toward history, they wander farther from tradition. They will take the Rose Bowl field Wednesday with a personality as diametrically opposed to their opponent as rainstorms to Rose Parades.

"USC is a mini-pro team," said Texas offensive tackle Justin Blalock. "And we're a college team."

He may not score a more direct hit all week.

For perhaps the first time in college football history, the ruling dynasty is neither good ol' boy nor Gipper; neither corn-fed nor corn pone.

USC is slick, polished NFL.

It is a head coach and six assistants who arrived here straight from Sundays and haven't changed their calendars.

It is players who are covered and cheered like a pro team in the nation's largest city that doesn't have one.

It is six junior stars — six! — who could declare for the NFL draft after Wednesday's game.

In Mack Brown's eight years of coaching juniors at Texas, he hasn't lost one.

It's no coincidence that, a year after forgoing the NFL, Matt Leinart is no longer the face of the team.

That distinction belongs to Reggie Bush, the junior who runs around with Sunday afternoon speed, Monday Night swagger and prime-time somersaults.

"With all of USC's talent and all their attention, there is an aura about them," said David Thomas, Texas' tight end.

Is that a good thing? For 34 consecutive games, yes. For the one culminating night, who knows?

When you act like pros, you are vulnerable to the selfish distractions of pros, and so USC will take the field with its head spinning.

Start with the six juniors.

Bush is gone, but what about running mate LenDale White? He wants to leave, meaning this game will be the first stage of his combine workout, meaning he will sweat.

"We wish him the best," Smith said.

Then there is tackle Winston Justice, who hasn't been highly ranked by scouts and said Tuesday that he's not happy about it, so what happens now?

"I'm not sure what to think," Justice said.

Smith says he's probably staying, but remember last year's title game — what if a rerun changes his mind? Darnell Bing said he's undecided, and the Trojans only hope he will commit to stopping Vince Young before making up his mind.

"We talk about the NFL a lot," Smith said. "In the locker room, all the time, cracking jokes, talking about different people."

Then there is ever-honest guard Fred Matua.

"You've got to think a good game here sets you up for next year's draft," he said.

It is this sort of mind-set that has the Longhorns giggling as they hide deeper in the weeds.

"Maybe people out here are in the USC players' ears, telling them to leave," defensive end Tim Crowder said. "Back home, they're in our ear telling us they want us to stay. Maybe it's more business for them, and more fun for us."

Just what the Trojans need, an inflated chip on the shoulder of an opponent. The last time somebody came to town with such wide eyes and tsk-tsks it was poor little Fresno State, and you saw what nearly happened.

"We don't think about the NFL too much," Crowder said. "For now, this is enough for us."

Easy to say when you don't have an entire offense of NFL players. But at USC, the pro perspective runs far deeper than talent.

It starts with Carroll, who has obviously decided to gain his NFL redemption simply by coaching an NFL team at a different level.

They practice like in the NFL, crisp and loud and hard.

They preach like in the NFL, cliches up to the chinstrap, one you-know-what at a time.

And Carroll's practice of immediately playing freshmen is direct from the NFL, where age isn't as important as ability.

"How we run it, it feels like the NFL," said linebacker coach Ken Norton Jr., who should know. "Sometimes it feels like Matt Leinart is Troy Aikman, Reggie Bush is Emmitt Smith and Dwayne Jarrett is Michael Irvin."

This attitude is not only different from most college programs, it is different from previous Trojan programs.

"It's a totally different culture now," said John Jackson, a TV analyst who was a Trojan wide receiver from 1986 to '89. "Pete creates an NFL atmosphere in everything."

Jackson says it's evident even in the way the Trojans prepare in the hours before games, many of them roaming the field in sweatsuits like NFL players.

"It's very relaxed and businesslike," he said.

And because they have won?

"It's become business, faster," he said.

It's the business of interviews and autographs and appearances.

"We can't get any more exposure," Carroll said. "We get all the exposure of any NFL team in any other city."

It's the business of pro football in a college setting, great for the scoreboard, not always so warm for the heart, and certainly ample fodder for Texas.

"Sometimes this feels so much like the NFL, you have to force yourself to take care of all your other business," Matua said.

Oh, yeah, like books. Four years after the Trojans recorded the highest graduation rate in program history, Smith said the two-time defending national college football champions did indeed talk about studies:

"We talk about how we despise going to class," he said.

USC: How can you stop 'em?

Texas' speed, athleticism key to slowing USC's attack

12:09 AM PST on Tuesday, January 3, 2006

By BRIAN DAVIS / The Dallas Morning News

Stopping USC's offense is akin to catching Moby Dick or bagging Bigfoot.

Trying to stop Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and the rest of the Trojans has frustrated a lot of coaches all over the country. For 34 straight games, defensive coordinators have walked away empty-handed, cursing about the big No. 1 that got away.

Texas defensive coordinator Gene Chizik has the unenviable task of preparing for the nation's most prolific offense in Wednesday's BCS national championship game. Let Texas rely on its athleticism? Should he focus on Leinart? Shadow Bush?

Study USC's games close enough and clues surface.

"I've had guys ask me if there's a special defense that you can play. (Heck), no," Arizona State defensive coordinator Bill Miller said. "There are no tricks or gimmicks. You've got to go out there and tackle, and it's very hard to do it for four quarters."

The Trojans (12-0) are beatable, Pac-10 coaches said, and the Longhorns (12-0) could be the just the team that does it.

There are basic things that Texas must do, coaches said.

First and foremost, the Longhorns must take the proper pursuit angles and make good tackles. Oklahoma coaches weren't concerned about highlight-reel hits in last year's Orange Bowl. Their motto: just bring the ball carrier down.

Missed tackles become big plays, as Washington State found out earlier this year during a 55-13 loss to USC.

"We got our butt kicked, period," WSU coach Bill Doba said. "In the first quarter, their speed was something we had never seen."

Texas' team speed should help its defenders get into the right places at the right time. The Longhorns have four players with double-digit tackles for loss, and two more have nine. Brian Robison also has seven sacks and 10 quarterback hurries.

"They can expose you athletically without proper technique," said Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who watched USC demolish OU, 55-19, in last season's Orange Bowl. "That's what well-coached teams do."

Of course, coaches said, the Longhorns must force some turnovers. The winner of the national championship game also won the turnover battle five of the past seven years. Texas forced 25 turnovers this season and lost only 19 en route to the Big 12 title.

After losing to USC earlier this year, Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said: "Any time you play even in the turnover ratio, you're gaining no advantage."

No team should completely drift from what made it successful. That's why coaches said Texas should not revamp its defensive scheme. Like legendary Texas coach Darrell Royal said, "You dance with who brung ya.'"

Still, Miller and Oregon's Nick Aliotti agreed that the Longhorns should disguise some of their pass coverages. Make Leinart think before the throw by moving linebackers around. Let defensive linemen shift into different gaps. Blitz two players through the same gap. Have the safeties fake one way then run another into zone coverage.

USC has allowed only 14 sacks all season, but Texas' Cedric Griffin and Michael Huff have combined to break up 29 passes.

"You've got to do a good job of disguising what you do without confusing yourself," Venables said.

As far as individual players are concerned, coaches said Texas must be aware of where Bush is at all times. Bush has 93 career plays of 20 yards or more. As most know, the Heisman Trophy winner is dangerous from any point on the field.

"We talked about the children's book 'Where's Waldo?' " Aliotti said. "That was our philosophy going into it. Where's Reggie? You better know where Waldo is."

The problem is that USC's offense has much more than Bush. LenDale White is a short-yardage bulldozer. Dwayne Jarrett is a sticky-fingered beanpole. Steve Smith slips through the middle and under the radar. Dominique Byrd has a knack for dazzling catches. And Leinart is the left-handed sniper who can find them all.

Put those weapons behind an offensive line that averages 312 pounds, and it's a lot to handle. There's no breather when the backups come in, either. USC's reserve offensive line averages 308 pounds.

"I've been really impressed with just how they wear people out," Arizona coach Mike Stoops said. "That's their overall strength -- depth. They stress you for 60 minutes, and that not only wears you down physically, it wears you down mentally."

Texas hasn't needed its starters in the fourth quarter of many games. The Longhorns still have outscored their opponents 249-71 in the second half this season. Texas has a 98-27 edge in the fourth quarter.

UT's starters may be on the bench during garbage time, but the reserves are doing their job, too.

Schemes and stats can only be studied so much. Some coaches said in games like this, it comes down to the intangibles like heart and desire. The Longhorns believe they have just as much as the Trojans.

Oregon's Aliotti said: "They've got athletes coming out the kazoo. But again, I keep going back to Texas just might have the right combination of guys to combat this football team."

USC: How can you stop 'em?

Texas' speed, athleticism key to slowing USC's attack

12:09 AM PST on Tuesday, January 3, 2006

By BRIAN DAVIS / The Dallas Morning News

Stopping USC's offense is akin to catching Moby Dick or bagging Bigfoot.

Trying to stop Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and the rest of the Trojans has frustrated a lot of coaches all over the country. For 34 straight games, defensive coordinators have walked away empty-handed, cursing about the big No. 1 that got away.

Texas defensive coordinator Gene Chizik has the unenviable task of preparing for the nation's most prolific offense in Wednesday's BCS national championship game. Let Texas rely on its athleticism? Should he focus on Leinart? Shadow Bush?

Study USC's games close enough and clues surface.

"I've had guys ask me if there's a special defense that you can play. (Heck), no," Arizona State defensive coordinator Bill Miller said. "There are no tricks or gimmicks. You've got to go out there and tackle, and it's very hard to do it for four quarters."

The Trojans (12-0) are beatable, Pac-10 coaches said, and the Longhorns (12-0) could be the just the team that does it.

There are basic things that Texas must do, coaches said.

First and foremost, the Longhorns must take the proper pursuit angles and make good tackles. Oklahoma coaches weren't concerned about highlight-reel hits in last year's Orange Bowl. Their motto: just bring the ball carrier down.

Missed tackles become big plays, as Washington State found out earlier this year during a 55-13 loss to USC.

"We got our butt kicked, period," WSU coach Bill Doba said. "In the first quarter, their speed was something we had never seen."

Texas' team speed should help its defenders get into the right places at the right time. The Longhorns have four players with double-digit tackles for loss, and two more have nine. Brian Robison also has seven sacks and 10 quarterback hurries.

"They can expose you athletically without proper technique," said Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who watched USC demolish OU, 55-19, in last season's Orange Bowl. "That's what well-coached teams do."

Of course, coaches said, the Longhorns must force some turnovers. The winner of the national championship game also won the turnover battle five of the past seven years. Texas forced 25 turnovers this season and lost only 19 en route to the Big 12 title.

After losing to USC earlier this year, Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said: "Any time you play even in the turnover ratio, you're gaining no advantage."

No team should completely drift from what made it successful. That's why coaches said Texas should not revamp its defensive scheme. Like legendary Texas coach Darrell Royal said, "You dance with who brung ya.'"

Still, Miller and Oregon's Nick Aliotti agreed that the Longhorns should disguise some of their pass coverages. Make Leinart think before the throw by moving linebackers around. Let defensive linemen shift into different gaps. Blitz two players through the same gap. Have the safeties fake one way then run another into zone coverage.

USC has allowed only 14 sacks all season, but Texas' Cedric Griffin and Michael Huff have combined to break up 29 passes.

"You've got to do a good job of disguising what you do without confusing yourself," Venables said.

As far as individual players are concerned, coaches said Texas must be aware of where Bush is at all times. Bush has 93 career plays of 20 yards or more. As most know, the Heisman Trophy winner is dangerous from any point on the field.

"We talked about the children's book 'Where's Waldo?' " Aliotti said. "That was our philosophy going into it. Where's Reggie? You better know where Waldo is."

The problem is that USC's offense has much more than Bush. LenDale White is a short-yardage bulldozer. Dwayne Jarrett is a sticky-fingered beanpole. Steve Smith slips through the middle and under the radar. Dominique Byrd has a knack for dazzling catches. And Leinart is the left-handed sniper who can find them all.

Put those weapons behind an offensive line that averages 312 pounds, and it's a lot to handle. There's no breather when the backups come in, either. USC's reserve offensive line averages 308 pounds.

"I've been really impressed with just how they wear people out," Arizona coach Mike Stoops said. "That's their overall strength -- depth. They stress you for 60 minutes, and that not only wears you down physically, it wears you down mentally."

Texas hasn't needed its starters in the fourth quarter of many games. The Longhorns still have outscored their opponents 249-71 in the second half this season. Texas has a 98-27 edge in the fourth quarter.

UT's starters may be on the bench during garbage time, but the reserves are doing their job, too.

Schemes and stats can only be studied so much. Some coaches said in games like this, it comes down to the intangibles like heart and desire. The Longhorns believe they have just as much as the Trojans.

Oregon's Aliotti said: "They've got athletes coming out the kazoo. But again, I keep going back to Texas just might have the right combination of guys to combat this football team."

35 reasons why USC wins

sacbee.com

Thirty-five reasons USC will extend its win streak to 35 games today - and win the Rose Bowl in the process:

35. Because we've seen this movie before. Last year, USC met the Big 12 champion in the Bowl Championship Series title game. Final score in the Orange Bowl: USC 55, Oklahoma 19.

34. The guys in Vegas have USC as a 7 1/2-point favorite, and they're right a whole lot more than they're wrong.

33. The NFL's Houston Texans should be rooting for the Trojans. If USC were to lose, Reggie Bush might decide he needs to stay in school for another year, and the Texans' march to a 2-14 record wouldn't have earned them the right to draft Bush after all.

32. Texas players could be disoriented by the idea that the Texans, as well as those Texans who root for the Texans, could be rooting against Texas. (Heck, I'm a little disoriented just writing it.)

31. Mack Brown is a very good coach. Pete Carroll has ascended to coaching sainthood. College football is about coaching. You do the math.

30. Bowl history is on USC's side. Texas is 21-21-2 in bowl games. USC is 28-15 - including a 21-8 record in the Rose Bowl.

29. Texas doesn't travel well at bowl time. In their last 10 bowl games outside of Texas, the Longhorns are 3-7. All time, they're 5-7. (Yes they have played 32 of their 44 bowl games in Texas.)

28. Since winning its last national championship (Associated Press version) in 1969, Texas is 0-3 when entering a bowl game ranked in the top five.

27. When ranked No. 1, USC is 3-0 against teams ranked No. 2.

26. Since 1970, teams entering the Rose Bowl ranked No. 1 have won their last three games and are 4-2 overall. Teams ranked No. 1 and not named Ohio State are 4-0.

25. In the same period teams ranked No. 2 are just 1-3 in the Rose Bowl - even though they've played a lower-ranked team in each case.

24. A victory for USC is a victory for the more media-friendly program - access to the Texas program is far more restrictive - which certainly matters to journalists and ought to matter to you, too. Greater access allows for better coverage, and if you're reading this, it figures you're interested in that.

23. The Trojans are riding a tidy little 50-year winning streak against Texas. So the teams haven't met since 1967; USC is still 4-0.

22. It's difficult to imagine Texas could draw much motivation from hearing its band play "I've Been Working on the Railroad."

21. There's that whole Texas vs. California thing. In the last 30 years, Texas has played six games against California schools and is 2-4 (2-2 vs. Stanford, 0-2 against UCLA). In the past 30 years, USC has played 12 games against schools from Texas and is 10-2.

20. More Texas vs. California: All time, USC is 3-1 against Texas schools in bowl games. Texas has never beaten a California school in a bowl game. (OK, so it's never played one, either.)

19. USC has a four-game win streak at the Rose Bowl dating to 2000 (three wins over UCLA, and the 2004 Rose Bowl game) and a three-game win streak in the Rose Bowl game.

18. Texas has lost its last three bowl games against higher-ranked teams.

17. No. 1 usually beats No. 2. In the history of the AP rankings, No. 1 teams are 21-12-1 in such meetings. While the edge is just 9-6 in bowl games, No. 1 has won five of the last six meetings in bowls.

16. Two Rose Bowls have featured No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchups. The top-ranked team won both times.

15. Leinart is 37-1 as USC's starting quarterback. It's not like Texas can throw anything at him he hasn't seen.

14. Vince Young is the third quarterback to play in the Rose Bowl the same season he won the Davey O'Brien Quarterback Award. The others were Chuck Long, whose Iowa team lost to UCLA 45-28, and Eric Crouch of Nebraska, which lost 37-14 to Miami in 2002.

13. Texas will be driven to distraction by having to listen to "Conquest" and "Fight On" 1,274 times in a single afternoon.

12. ESPN's Lee Corso calls Texas the most complete team he's seen this year, which should pretty much confirm the Trojans have an edge.

11. USC's 2-0 advantage in Heisman Trophy winners in uniform ought to be worth something.

10. A USC win might, however slightly, lower ESPN's rather high opinion of its significance, something we should all root for. (Various ESPN commentators are suggesting their series matching USC and the best teams in college history is a significant motivator for Texas.)

9. It's the final chance for Matt Leinart to display the footwork he learned in the world's most famous ballroom dancing class.

8. Leinart did not stick around and pass up millions from the NFL to lose his final collegiate game.

7. USC is a better finisher. Since 1962, the Trojans have been undefeated entering their final game six times. They've won five of them. Since 1962, Texas has been undefeated going into its final game six times - and lost four of them.

6. Unlike Bevo, USC's mascot is not likely to end up on the dinner menu at Sizzler.

5. Reggie Bush.

4. You wouldn't want to prove Texas wrong about all those nice things they've been saying about the Trojans, would you?

3. The inexperience factor. Texas has not played in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 game since 1969.

2. The experience factor. USC is playing for at least a share of the national championship for the third straight year. The last time Texas was in that position was in the 1984 Cotton Bowl, when Vince Young was seven months old. (Oh, and Texas lost.)

1. When your school's prominent alumni include John Wayne and George Lucas, and your roster has this much star power, a Hollywood ending is not only appropriate. It's expected.

David Lassen is a columnist for the Ventura County Star in California at www.venturacountystar.com. Contact him at dlassen@VenturaCountyStar.com.

Finally, It's Here: USC Vs. Texas

Suffolk News Herald Online

By RALPH D. RUSSO
Tuesday, January 3, 2006 4:52 PM CST

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Anticipated all season, set up with matching blowouts and relentlessly hyped for the last month, the Rose Bowl everyone's been waiting for is finally here.

No. 1 USC against No. 2 Texas, with their perfect records, potent offenses, glittery stars, rich tradition and eye-popping pageantry _ playing for the national championship in Pasadena on Wednesday night. The game of the year! The game of the century! The game of all time!

Or just another day at work for two-time defending champ Southern California?

"This is what we have really prepared to do and hopefully built ourselves toward this," USC coach Pete Carroll said Tuesday. "You can't get a big enough game for us."

Heisman Trophy winners Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush have led the Trojans to 34 straight victories. Against Texas, they'll become the first Heisman duo to play together in a college game as USC goes for a record third consecutive national title.

The Longhorns also are 12-0, and they've won 19 in a row. Heisman runner-up Vince Young is the dynamic dual-threat who leads an offense that has more than matched USC touchdown for touchdown.

Texas puts up 51 points per game, USC 50. The Trojans are favored by a TD.

"We don't have to be the best team of all time, just tomorrow night," Texas coach Mack Brown said.

It's already the best game Bowl Championship Series officials could have imagined in their eight-year history. No doubts about who belongs this season.

Plus, the weather will apparently cooperate. After storms soaked the area earlier this week, clear skies are in the forecast.

Everything, it seems, is set.

"These two teams have been talked about every day for a month," Brown said. "Good teams enjoy the hype."

Young returns to the site of his breakout performance.

The 230-pound quarterback with sprinter's speed made last year's Rose Bowl look like a pickup game, running for 192 yards and four touchdowns to beat Michigan 38-37.

"From the Rose Bowl, it kind of just took off and carried over," Young said. "A lot of guys on the team, we knew what it takes and understand what we need to do to play well to get to this point."

Young brought a new dimension to Texas. The guy many thought would never complete enough passes to lead a team to a championship threw for 2,769 yards and 26 touchdowns this season.

"There's nobody like this," Carroll said. "There's guys that can run, there's guys that throw, there's quick guys and all that, but nobody's ever been this fast."

The Longhorns began the season ranked No. 2 in the country behind USC _ and that's the way it stayed as each team stormed through unbeaten seasons, punctuated with fierce finales on Dec. 3.

Texas wrapped up its return to the Rose Bowl with a 70-3 rout of Colorado for the Big 12 championship. A few hours later, USC locked up a second straight trip to the BCS title game with a 66-19 romp over UCLA.

Young was brilliant, but not good enough to keep Bush from sprinting away with the Heisman.

Bush ran for 1,658 yards _ 8.9 per carry _ hurdling a few tacklers along the way.

"My favorite one that made me go 'Wow!' was the Notre Dame game when he shook off a tackle, hit the hole and jumped over the safety and took it to the house," Texas linebacker Rashad Bobino said.

Ah yes, the Notre Dame game. The Trojans' brush with imperfection, when they flashed moxie and guts to match their skill and speed.

Leinart's fourth-and-9 pass to Dwayne Jarrett pulled the winning streak from peril. After his fumble went out of bounds, Leinart scored with a push from Bush in the closing seconds for a 34-31 win.

The game will stand as a defining moment for Leinart, who returned for his senior year to direct one of the most prolific and balanced offenses in college football history.

USC is the first team with a 3,000-yard passer (Leinart), two 1,000-yard rushers (Bush and LenDale White), and a 1,000-yard receiver (Jarrett).

"Right now we're right where I hoped we were going to be when I made my decision," Leinart said. "But I feel like this has been the best time of my life, these last four or five years, and Wednesday is kind of the culmination."

It could be the finale for Bush, too. He's expected to pass up his last year of eligibility and become the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft by the Houston Texans.

Young also could turn pro, but has said he'll return for his senior season.

No matter what, both teams figure to be stacked next season.

"Young people go to Texas and USC to play in games like this," Brown said.

While USC will be shooting for a three-peat, the Longhorns will be looking to end a long title drought.

Only Michigan and Notre Dame have won more games than Texas. But of the seven winningest schools to play football, none have gone longer than the 'Horns without a national title _ their last outright championship was 1969 and they shared the crown in 1970.

"Our plan is to bring this thing back to Texas, where it belongs in the South," running back and Houston native Selvin Young said. "Growing up, I've always been a believer that real football is played in Texas."

Over the last three years, the best football has been played at USC.

The Trojans turned last year's game against unbeaten Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl into a victory parade, breezing 55-19 for the national title.

Texas should be tougher, giving USC a chance to lay claim title to an even bigger title than national champ.

"I think it's a fair statement," Bush said, "that we could possibly compete as one of the greatest offenses, greatest teams in college football ever."

MANDEL: Where the Rose Bowl will be won

Battle in trenches may decide national championship

LOS ANGELES -- The eye naturally follows Reggie Bush as he takes the handoff and darts untouched into the secondary. It's almost impossible not to focus on Vince Young when he handles the ball nearly every play.

While watching Wednesday night's Rose Bowl, however, try diverting your attention for a couple plays from the flashy superstars darting from sideline to sideline. Fixate your glaze on the mass of bodies in the middle of the field. Because it is there that the 2005 national championship will likely be determined.

As impressive as the Trojans' and Longhorns' array of skill players may be, their offenses would not be averaging more than 50 points each without the two most dominant lines in college football.

"If it wasn't for these two offensive lines," said Texas coach Mack Brown, "Matt [Leinart], Reggie and Vince wouldn't have been in New York [for the Heisman Trophy presentation]."

The battle for the crystal football may well come down to the battle in the trenches. Two heretofore immovable forces, each having plowed over its first 12 opponents, will run into the most challenging defensive front either has seen. Whichever side better controls the line of scrimmage will open up more opportunities for its heralded playmakers. So get to know these names.

For USC: Center Ryan Kalil, left guard Taitusi Lutui, right guard Fred Matua, left tackle Sam Baker and right tackle Winston Justice.

For Texas: Center Lyle Sendlein, left guard Kasey Studdard, right guard Will Allen, left tackle Jonathan Scott and right tackle Justin Blalock.

"Every one of those guys will play in the NFL," Trojans coach Pete Carroll said of the Longhorns' starting line. "They don't have a weakness, they only have strengths."

"They're the most physical and athletic line that we've seen," Brown said of his counterparts.

It wasn't always this way. A year ago, USC's Kalil, Lutui and Baker were first-year starters in a mostly finesse, pass-oriented line. Justice, a freshman All-America in 2003, was suspended for the season for pulling a replica gun on a fellow student in an incident he claimed was a practical joke. The line performed well enough to help the Trojans win a national championship, but this year they've taken things to a whole other level.

Much of the credit goes to first-year position coach Pat Ruel, a former Miami offensive lineman and 31-year coaching veteran who Carroll hired away from the New York Giants. Under Ruel's direction, the Trojans have become noticeably more physical, as evidenced by the dramatic upgrade in their running game, which improved from 177.4 yards per game to a staggering 264.2.

"From last year to this year, they improved so much," said USC tailback LenDale White. "As soon as you get the hole, it's there and you don't have to worry about waiting. There are gaping holes and all you've got to do is run through them.

That was never more evident than in the Trojans' 38-28 comeback victory at Arizona State on Oct. 1. USC ran the ball down the Sun Devils' throats in the second half, with Bush and White both gashing ASU's defense for two long touchdowns each. A powerful running game also keyed tough victories against Notre Dame and Fresno State and a season-ending rout of UCLA.

The key to the Trojans' attack is an overwhelming inside push from Kalil, who Texas defensive tackle Frank Okam described as "lightning fast," and 365-pound Lutui, who moved from tackle to guard prior to the season and earned All-America honors. "[Lutui] has had an awesome year," said Ruel. "We've had a lot of defenders go to great lengths to try to stop him, it's almost funny."

That was never more evident than in the Trojans' 38-28 comeback victory at Arizona State on Oct. 1. USC ran the ball down the Sun Devils' throats in the second half, with Bush and White both gashing ASU's defense for two long touchdowns each. A powerful running game also keyed tough victories against Notre Dame and Fresno State and a season-ending rout of UCLA.

The key to the Trojans' attack is an overwhelming inside push from Kalil, who Texas defensive tackle Frank Okam described as "lightning fast," and 365-pound Lutui, who moved from tackle to guard prior to the season and earned All-America honors. "[Lutui] has had an awesome year," said Ruel. "We've had a lot of defenders go to great lengths to try to stop him, it's almost funny."

Jarrett's legacy ensured, and he's likely to boost it

Mark Whicker
Orange County Register

LOS ANGELES – The Rose Bowl and the No.1 ranking were dangling, the Texas defensive backs were circling, and there was Dwayne Jarrett, talking about what everyone wants him to talk about.

Fourth-and-9.

"The rain was coming in sideways," he said. "There were so many locusts, one of them even got inside my jersey. Both my eyes were closed, and I'd broken my nose on the previous play, and I'd developed carpal tunnel syndrome from all that text-messaging. But somehow, some way..."

No, he didn't say that. Jarrett will only be saying that 30 years from now. What happened at Notre Dame, outlined against that blue-gray October sky, was compelling enough.

Fourth down, 9 yards and a winning streak and a season and maybe even a Heisman to go. Sophomore Jarrett, his vision impaired but his hands functioning, plucked Matt Leinart's pass and streaked 61 yards, giving the Trojans a look at deliverance. With destiny and Reggie Bush at his back, Leinart got the final yard for the 34-31 victory.

That is the ultimate comfort for USC in Wednesday's Rose Bowl. Texas has not been to the dark side, as the Trojans have. Texas has not lived through the Last Rites. When Jarrett broke the huddle before that play, in the middle of inescapable Notre Dame Stadium, he knew that victory was out there somewhere. He just couldn't see it.

"I'd made a catch earlier, and somebody pushed the helmet up into my eyes," Jarrett said. "I was on the sideline, and I really couldn't see anything. We scored, and then they scored and I was beginning to see just a little better, but not really that good. And then they said go in there.

"We had another play called for that fourth-and-9, but then Notre Dame came out in a different defense, and Matt had to check down. When I heard him call the play for me, I thought, wow. I didn't really know how it was going to work. Then I saw the ball coming, and the guy (Ambrose Wooden) could have just turned around and run into the ball, and that would have been it.

"Matt had to get that ball into not that big a spot. It came, and I saw it coming and I started saying, please, please, don't turn around right now."

Certainly fourth-and-9 will always come up whenever you rub two Trojans together. But Jarrett probably won't have to retell it forever, the way Dwight Clark has to reconstruct The Catch in San Francisco, or the way a certain miniature quarterback has to dredge up the details of Hail Flutie.

There are lots of chapters left in this book. There are lots of fourth-and-9s in Jarrett's future.

"He has the best hands of any receiver I've ever been associated with," said Steve Sarkisian, USC's co-offensive coordinator.

"To me it's his body control, and that goes to his basketball days in high school," said Lane Kiffin, the other signal-caller. "Mike Williams had the same quality because of his basketball days. Dwayne can get his body into position to catch anything, and then he has the hands to finish it off."

Jarrett is setting an outrageous pace. He has played 25 USC games and caught touchdowns in 16 of them. He has 25 touchdown catches, which puts him seven off the Pac-10 record with at least one more season to go. As he cemented his bond with Leinart in the offseason he earned 81 catches, up from 55, which makes him eighth on USC's all-time list, and he has put up eight 100-yard games. This season he never had fewer than four catches for 37 yards.

"He'll get better," Kiffin said. "He put on 10 pounds of muscle this year and is playing at about 205, but Mike Williams was playing at 248 pounds. Mike used to just knock guys down, physically dominate them, then catch the ball. Dwayne sort of jumps over them and takes it away from them. He'll get stronger, do things better."

He'll have to, especially if Bush and LenDale White leave early. Jarrett will have to break in a new quarterback and deal with the type of Blue Cross defense (group coverage) that he hasn't seen.

The other possibility is that Jarrett might build such mountainous numbers that Heisman voters, by now conditioned to wait for the late scores from the West Coast, have to recognize him.

"I watched Reggie and Matt on TV, but I didn't think about me being in that room, too," Jarrett said. "It would be a great honor."

Everything else has seemed easy, as if Jarrett just glided from the New Brunswick (N.J) High practice field into USC like a mall shopper going to store to store.

Indeed, the toughest part was deciding to stay at USC in those first homesick weeks.

"Now I love it out here. It's like my second home," he said. "All my friends from back home want to come out. And when I see it's cold back home, I call them. I say, 'Hey, it's 70 degrees out here. What is it there?'

"But that will always be my first home. I look back and realize what a big decision it was. I had never really been away from home. It was a 'man's decision,' I'll say that."

In the end, he chose the place where young men can still frolic like carefree boys.

Sarkisian, who was on Oakland's staff last year, was asked about Pete Carroll's commitment to USC.

"I was only in the NFL one year, but I'll say it's nice to be back at a place where you can smile and have fun," he said. "It's nice to be at a place where you can go for it on fourth down."

Nicer to have someone to go to.

Back-Seat Driver

Los Angeles Times

By David Wharton

It takes about five minutes — not so long, really — for LenDale White to come clean. After careful answers and platitudes, the other USC tailback walks off the practice field, ducks down a corridor to the locker room and begins to talk.

"Actually," he says, leaning against a concrete wall, "I'm a selfish football player and I want the ball all the time."

Same old story. Same predicament he has faced all season.

His talent is such that he could be a star, the star, on almost any team except the one for which he plays. With the top-ranked Trojans playing second-ranked Texas for the national championship in the Rose Bowl, White has been lauded and cheered and much discussed, yet ultimately overshadowed by a pair of Heisman Trophy winners, quarterback Matt Leinart and tailback Reggie Bush.

"Not an easy situation," offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin says. "There have been games when Reggie gets the first six carries and LenDale's got nothing."

In the season opener at Hawaii, Bush not only dominated the action — at least early on, when it was still a game — he also scored from a goal-line formation, which had been White's domain.

Afterward, White lingered outside the locker room, apart from celebrating teammates, his mood seeming to waver between puzzlement and a full-on sulk.

"It's hard to be patient when you see everyone else doing good," he recalls. "Matt's having a stellar game or Reggie's having a stellar game, you want to get out there and be a part of it."

At that point, one day into the season, he faced a choice.

---

A mirrored, Darth Vader-like visor across his facemask. A straight-ahead running style, backed by 235 pounds, that borders on corporal punishment. The young man whom teammates call "Pudge" is anything but.

In slightly less than three seasons, White has 3,035 yards rushing and holds the school record with 54 touchdowns.

The Longhorns, preparing for the game on Wednesday, figure he might be the X factor.

"Everybody is talking about Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart," Coach Mack Brown says. "But LenDale White has carried the ball 10 less times than Reggie Bush and has 1,200 yards."

Texas defensive tackle Rod Wright picks up on this theme, musing about White and Bush as a two-headed beast.

"Being a defensive player, when you have a big back that pounds the ball and then a guy like Reggie Bush who's shifty, that's a big change," Wright says. "It's hard to play both of them."

The tailbacks began this way, a tandem, nicknamed "Thunder and Lightning" as freshmen. White announced his presence first.

Midway through the 2003 season, with USC trailing Arizona State and Leinart hobbled, White rushed for 140 yards and two touchdowns, sparking a comeback. Leinart got much of the credit for playing injured, but fullback Brandon Hancock says, "LenDale was the difference maker. You could tell this guy was going to be a serious threat."

That season and the next, as USC embarked on what is now a 34-game winning streak, White led the team in rushing yardage and touchdowns. Bush was always flashier, but the bigger tailback proved a steadying force, getting most of the carries, hammering Oklahoma for 118 yards and two scores on a sore ankle in the 2005 Orange Bowl.

But then he missed spring practice because of academic issues while Bush worked harder than ever, adding strength to his repertoire. Just that quickly, the balance shifted.

The coaches made a point of naming Bush the starter in summer camp.

Bush also joined Leinart on the cover of the media guide and in a weekly Internet feature, MattReggieTV.com.

Then came the Hawaii game.

"Things happen," White says. "You don't just cruise through life."

---

The second of Anita White's three children was always emotional, if not downright impulsive.

"He wants to get it done," his mother says. "Let's go. Let's get it done now."

With no father in the picture, Anita sought to teach him patience. With help from an uncle and a Denver Bronco fan of a grandmother, she nudged the boy toward football, even when he shuddered at the prospect of getting hit.

Though reluctant, LenDale showed talent in youth leagues and was blossoming into a high school star in Denver when, late in his sophomore season, a man came to practice with a gun, causing the team to scatter.

Again, Anita helped keep LenDale going.

He transferred to a school 40 minutes away, which meant long commutes, and a funny thing happened. The game took hold of him. By the end of his senior season, he had amassed 7,803 yards, best in Colorado high school history.

The Trojans came calling, and it didn't matter that they were recruiting Bush and another talented back, Chauncey Washington. At least, that's what LenDale told everyone. He chose USC — over Texas, no less — because of Coach Pete Carroll's reputation for playing freshmen.

"I wanted to play for the best team," he says. "Naturally, they're going to have the best players."

But once training camp began, Anita says, the competition caught him off-guard. To make matters worse, his grandmother, Sharon, fell gravely ill. After a few weeks, LenDale placed a phone call.

"Send me a ticket," he told his mother. "I'm coming home."

---

Framed by sparkling earrings and a scruff of a beard, his face is round and shining, a blank slate that adopts a smile as easily as a sneer. Much of the time, White resembles an overgrown kid, joking with teammates, prodding them with wicked comments on the field.

When it comes to talking, the words erupt as fast as thoughts can form. For good and for bad.

Like when he declared he was leaving USC and had to be talked out of it by his mother.

Or last season, the day before the UCLA game, when Carroll sensed something was amiss with the team. He ushered staff members out of the room, closed the door and asked his players what they thought of the Bruins. White stood up and declared, "They're garbage."

His mother says: "It's my fault. I always told him, 'You're entitled to your opinion.' "

So this season, after the Hawaii game, people in and around the program watched carefully. Like waiting on a time bomb.

Except there was no explosion.

On the bus back to the hotel, Todd McNair, coach of the running backs, sat beside White. They talked about McNair's days serving as a backup with the Kansas City Chiefs, and about being a part of the Trojans' winning streak.

"I told him, 'It's never going to get better than what we've got right here,' " McNair says. "LenDale can be volatile but, when he comes down, he's very sensible."

In the weeks that followed, White toed the company line, inching his way back into the limelight. He ran for 60 yards against Arkansas, 111 at Oregon, 197 at Arizona State.

"Instead of complaining about not getting carries, when he did get into the game, he took it out on the other team," offensive coordinator Kiffin says. "At least, that's what it looked like to me."

Hancock saw the same thing: "He can be temperamental, but I think he plays better football when he's angry."

While Bush was assembling a highlight reel of a season, spinning and hurdling his way toward the Heisman, White kept charging linebackers, making safeties flinch. Offensive lineman Fred Matua calls him "our attitude."

It wasn't just anger. Something else was at work.

---

Look back to the Washington State game, when White rumbled into the end zone from two yards out, flipping the ball to Snoop Dogg on the sideline. He considers the rapper a friend and sometime mentor. Same goes for cousin Chauncey Billups, an NBA star.

"I think I'm living in a dream sometimes," White says. "Meeting people and doing things you never thought you'd do. Where I come from, going to college isn't always an option. I can get a degree."

Where does discontent fit into this picture?

Or consider the infamous Halloween prank. Conspiring with his head coach, White pretended to be upset about not getting enough carries. He stormed off the practice field and reappeared, minutes later, screaming from atop a nearby building. In the blink of an eye, a dummy wearing No. 21 plummeted to the ground.

The fake suicide drew equal parts laughter and condemnation. "I did it, so I'll live with it," White says. Lost in the uproar was this point: He was capable of poking fun at his predicament.

A few weeks later against Fresno State, as Bush gained 513 all-purpose yards — and White got only seven carries for 21 yards — McNair kept glancing at the bigger back.

There would be no replay of the Hawaii game.

"You could see it in LenDale's face," McNair says. "Reggie's on a roll. Let him go."

White explains: "If you let your emotions get the best of you, you get crazy penalties on the football field, you tend to mess up in your outside life, get DUIs and things like that. You have to control your emotions."

And when asked about his favorite moment from this season, he gives an unexpected answer. Not the 179 yards against Arizona. Not the three touchdowns against UCLA. It was traveling to New York to watch Bush at the Heisman ceremony.

Some have suggested the trip was a ploy by Carroll, showing White what the future might hold if he returns for his senior season rather than leave early for the NFL. The junior talks about it in another vein.

"Just seeing Reggie get the trophy and hold it up in the air," he says. "I'm excited to be a part of that."

Don't be mistaken. He still wants the ball on every play. It still rankles him not to be the star. And there is a very real chance he will head for the pros this spring.

But if so, the big kid says that impatience won't be to blame. After a prickly regular season, with the Trojans looking to win a third consecutive national title, White swears that he has grown up.

"You aren't always going to get your way," he says. "I've learned that."

Lion heart

LA Daily News

Success pushes USC's Leinart into limelight

By Billy Witz, Staff Writer

Twisting and turning, it was as if Matt Leinart was carrying the football under one arm and the Heisman Trophy in the other.

Slung over his back were the expectations of winning a third consecutive national championship, something nobody else has done, and the demands of his growing celebrity, which he was learning are inseparable from the perks that come with jumping to the other side of the velvet rope.

No wonder he needed a push.

When Leinart, with his all-or-nothing lunge, crossed the goal line at Notre Dame, it was the signature moment of his career.

Yet instead of exhilaration, Leinart felt exhaustion.

Lying in the turf, he began to cry. When his teammates mobbed him as he staggered to the sidelines, he looked stunned, his eyes glazed over.

The emptiness didn't stop then. The next day he met with quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian. Leinart vented. Then he listened.

"I took a deep breath and said, 'You know, this is what I came back to do, to have fun and be a part of this,' " Leinart said.

"I'm not a guy that gets tense or nervous or anything like that. I think everything was kind of building up. I think I've been doing a pretty good job of kind of handling everything the past couple of years. (It) was just like, oh, man, I felt like there was so much weight on my shoulders."

It's one thing to bear that burden when you've spent your whole life preparing for it, but who could have seen this coming?

If Leinart can lead No. 1-ranked USC past No. 2-ranked Texas on Wednesday at the Rose Bowl, he'll have concluded each of his three years with at least a share of a national championship, and he'll leave school with just as many Heisman Trophies as losses.

Even if he can't, some will still make the argument that he's the best quarterback in college football history.

As the accolades and attention have been laid at Leinart's feet, it's something he's still coming to terms with. If he's grown to be tall, handsome, athletic and immensely popular, he can't help but wonder why?

This is because Leinart never has forgotten who he used to be.

"The fat, cross-eyed kid with glasses," he said.

Leinart was born with his left eye out of alignment with his right, something he underwent surgery for when he was 3 years old. But he wore glasses growing up and that, with his chubby build, made him an easy target on the playground.

"I know what it's like to be on both sides," Leinart said. "There's all the glory, all the attention, living on top of the world. Growing up - it's not a super sob story - but it was tough.

"When you're a kid and you have the problems I had, it's one of those things where I never thought this would happen. My life has completely changed. How people treat me has completely changed. The attention is fun, it's a great opportunity, but sometimes I look at it like that's not who I am."

Leinart given 'nothing'

When Hue Jackson, the offensive coordinator under Paul Hackett, recruited Carson Palmer, he put together a glossy brochure that listed his future accomplishments should he become a Trojan: Heisman Trophy winner, national championship, No. 1 pick in the draft.

Asked what Jackson gave him, Leinart said: "Nothing."

Leinart was a Parade All-American at Mater Dei High in Orange County, but he wasn't the type of prospect they actually threw a parade for, like Palmer before him or John David Booty and Mark Sanchez after him.

Leinart came to USC mainly because the Trojans would have him, something UCLA, the school he grew up rooting for, wouldn't.

When Hackett was fired and Carroll hired, Leinart signed a letter of intent, even if he wasn't sure what he was signing on for.

"I just wanted to play," Leinart said of his expectations. "I don't think any of us imagined what was going to happen. Coach Carroll was preaching when he came in, but we didn't know if he was going to follow up or really change the program."

Leinart redshirted his first year, hoping to back up Palmer the next season. Instead, he was stuck behind sophomore Matt Cassel. His father asked for a conference with offensive coordinator Norm Chow, concerned that his son wasn't getting enough work in practice to improve.

When Leinart returned to Mater Dei to work out and visit with friends and coaches, it wasn't hard to tell he was down.

"Matt thrives on confidence," said Bruce Rollinson, his coach at Mater Dei. "By no means did we coddle him when he was here, but we kept it light and airy, which is difficult for me to do. If he came off after throwing a bad pass, I'd say, `That was a real beauty.' "

USC was headed in the right direction after a 10-2 season, but with Palmer departing the big question facing the team was who would be his replacement?

Just before the start of spring practice, Carroll told Leinart the job was his to lose. Suddenly, everything started to click.

"He looked like a different guy," offensive tackle Winston Justice said. "He was confident. It was like it was his team."

Still, Leinart had yet to throw a pass in a game, and if the demanding Chow wasn't enamored of Cassel, Brandon Hance or Billy Hart, there was the possibility he could turn to Booty, who had enrolled after graduating high school a year early.

In his first start, a 23-0 winat Auburn, which was ranked third and had been picked by Sports Illustrated to win the national championship, Leinart was flawless.

But late in September, he threw three interceptions in an overtime loss at Cal and suffered a knee injury the next week at Arizona State that sent him to the sidelines for much of the second quarter. With the score tied at 10-10, Cassel ineffective and Hance warming up to start the second half, Leinart asked back in the game.

He passed for two touchdowns in the second half and earned the name "Lion Heart" from his teammates. USC hasn't lost since.

"When you're named the starter and you grow and get experience, that builds your confidence game-by-game," Leinart said. "That first year, about halfway through is when I really started gaining the confidence I needed to start playing and it's just grown from there."

Indeed, in the ensuing 34-game winning streak, the Trojans have failed to score at least 37 points just eight times.

As it turns out, winning isn't Leinart's only habit. Each Wednesday he must have lunch with his dad and each Friday he must have lunch with his brother, though that has called for some recalibration of the calendar this week since game day is Wednesday.

Then there are the boxers.

He has worn the same pair for each start of his career, except one: the loss to Cal.

"They're my lucky boxers," he said. "They've got holes in them. I clean them every week, but they're gross."

Too much information, you say?

Perhaps, but Leinart's profile in Hollywood has been raised enough that inquiring minds want to know. When Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson were splitting up, tabloids offered USC beat reporters $400 if they could get a comment from Leinart, who is a friend of Lachey.

Since last season, USC has limited Leinart's availability to the media to once a week, not that it has kept his appearances at Hollywood parties out of the papers or prevented news that his only class this semester was ballroom dancing from becoming a national story.

To ensure he isn't bothered by autograph seekers, Leinart is whisked from practice to the locker room in a motorized cart. When he isn't in uniform, Leinart usually wears a baseball cap pulled down tight or a hooded sweatshirt over his head.

Leinart joked after the NCAA banned him from speaking to the media for one week after he improperly filmed a promotional spot for ESPN that he was disappointed it wasn't longer.

If it's distasteful, all the attention might be good medicine.

"It's helped him understand the amount of scrutiny you're under to be an NFL quarterback," said Sarkisian, who spent last year as an assistant with the Oakland Raiders between stints at USC. "That's what he was playing for us this year. The media, the questions, the time management, the notoriety, girls trying to throw themselves at him - they're all different issues to deal with."

Leinart also has made other good uses of his decision to return, which was influenced by his need for elbow surgery after last season. He has improved his mobility and his arm strength, Sarkisian said.

Leinart is so proud of his work ethic and aptitude that he fights the perception that, with his class schedule and club-hopping, he has a case of senioritis.

"Matt knows how hard he worked to get to this point and he never takes it for granted," said his roommate, receiver Dwayne Jarrett.

In fact, Sarkisian calls Leinart his toughest critic, saying he'll dwell on his mistakes and have to be built up the rest of the week.

After USC fell behind by 13 points at Oregon and 18 points at Arizona State before kicking it into gear and winning, and didn't put away woeful Arizona until the fourth quarter, Leinart went into a funk.

Then came Notre Dame.

"We kind of faced the monster a little bit and he has not been the same since," Carroll said. "He stopped projecting about what should happen and what he should be and just got back to being a kid playing football and having fun with it."

Sometimes it's that simple. The difference between carrying the world on your back - or holding it in your hands.

PE.com:

Thousands of Longhorns fans head for Rose Bowl

By MATT CALKINS / The Press-Enterprise

Tell a group of Texas football fans that you have more pride than they do, and they'll say that you're all hat and no cattle.

There are other devotees such as John Stuart, of Dallas, whose commode plays "The Eyes of Texas" every time he lifts the seat.

These are folks, after all, who sing the "The Eyes of Texas" after every game no matter how bad a whuppin' their team just took. They come from a city whose entire mood may depend upon the Longhorns' success and boast a school mascot that might be the most famous member of its species.

On Wednesday, thousands of 'em are expected to stampede into the Rose Bowl in Pasadena to watch the undefeated University of Texas try to snap USC's 34-game winning streak and capture a national championship.

And even if you stripped away the burnt orange attire and thick Lone Star drawls, trust that they'd still find a way to let you know who they are.

"We have a sayin', 'We're Texas,' that just kind of says a lot, longtime Longhorns fan Clarene Chambers said. "The other fans, we feel, have a feelin' more or less of jealousy because they want to be like Texas and they can't be."

When you first hear of how much this school means to some fans you may think it's just another Texas tall tale. This is the state, after all, where a cowboy named Pecos Bill supposedly lassoed a hurricane.

But this isn't hokum; it's just typical of people who live and die by the phrase "hook 'em!"

Those were the first two words that slid out of Chambers' mouth two weeks ago while chatting by phone from Horseshoe Bay, about 50 miles northwest of Austin. They also were the first two words she says her daughter Connie ever spoke.

The phrase has been Texas' motto for decades and will continue to be 'til the Longhorns come home. It's also one the Longhorn faithful express by closing a fist and pointing an index finger and pinky in the air -- or as locals call it, "showin' our hook 'em horns."

As for Clarene and her husband, Jim (a Texas alumnus) -- they're officially hooked.

Away Games, Too

They've only missed two games since 1959 (yes, they attend away games, too) and have a room committed to Texas sports memorabilia, including footballs signed by former coach Darrell Royal and current coach Mack Brown.

Clarene's been wearing burnt-orange T-shirts for the past six days for good luck while flying her UT flag high in the front yard.

In fact, the couple attends all Texas events with such frequency that they're not sure what to do with themselves in the summer. "I've always wished we could just eliminate the month of July from the calendar," Clarene said.

Seems just about everyone who bleeds burnt orange has some yarn to spin about their dedication.

Texas graduate Ron Longwood, of Houston, said he doesn't have time to wash his car or mow the lawn in the fall and has missed weddings to go to games (though he can't understand why someone would walk the aisle during football season).

And then there's 79-year-old Austin lawyer Frank Denius.

Not only has the 1949 Texas graduate attended every Longhorns game this year, he's been to all but three practices and is the only person not affiliated with the school allowed to do so. Of course, there might be some pressure to appear when the practice facility is named "Frank Denius Field" -- an honor for his unshakable devotion.

Turns out he's been showing up for decades and still gets Christmas cards from members of the '63 and '69 national championship teams.

Not that he's bragging, but Denius -- whose white SUV is tattooed with a burnt-orange stripe and whose house features a life-size Bevo (Texas' steer mascot) engraved into a window -- also received an honorary letter from Royal that hangs in his law office.

Oh, yeah, and his 80th birthday is Wednesday -- game day.

"My sons always try to do something real big for my birthday," Denius said. "But this year they told me that Mack Brown's gift would be pretty tough to top."

Still, Texas football is nothing if not tradition. And tradition is nothing if it's not passed down.

That's why hook 'em horns aren't limited to donating alumni. They're just as sharp on the heads of effervescent students gathering their own stories to tell.

Like the Texas Cowboys, the 83-year-old spirit group that sets off the cannon "Smokey" when the Longhorns score.

Bevo may not even be the most animalistic of Texas football attendees. That title likely goes to the Texas Hellraisers (along with the Texas Hellraiser Honeys), a pack of students caked in orange face paint whom you might occasionally hear chanting "2-4-6-8-10! Trojan women look like men!"

But most Texans don't want you thinking of them as an uncorralable herd of hooligans. For the most part, expect civility if you cross their path at the stadium. Expect their trash to be picked up after tailgating.

But don't get too comfortable, because that saying "Don't mess with Texas," just might have a squib of truth to it.

Column Was No Joke

Ask former University of Michigan student Bob Hunt. Last year, he wrote a column for the school paper that playfully questioned Texas' right to be in the Rose Bowl.

Somehow the piece was reprinted in an Austin publication and read on an ESPN radio show in Texas. A few days later, Hunt was greeted by 200 e-mails from disgruntled Texas fans.

"That was something I'll never forget," Hunt said with a laugh. "It was just supposed to be a joke. I think Texas fans feel like that if they're not seen as important, they're all being disrespected."

Or maybe it's something a little bigger. Maybe in the one place where the state flag flies as high as the American, these fanatics aren't simply living vicariously through 60 college athletes.

"The only thing that rivals the pride these fans take in their football team is the pride they take in their state," said Texas Cowboys president Casey Gaido, adding that he wakes up earlier for a 7 p.m. game than he does for an 11 a.m. class. "It's more than just football. That can't be overstated."

Column: the Day USC Became Greater

Los Angeles Times: Column: the Day USC Became Greater By JIM LITKE AP Sports Columnist

2:08 PM PST, January 3, 2006

LOS ANGELES — Grit was the final ingredient.

If Southern California beats Texas in the Rose Bowl to win an unprecedented third straight championship, the Trojans could do more than restart the debate over whether they're the game's best team ever. They might force coach Pete Carroll to step back and admire not just what USC has accomplished -- "It has never been a focus of our program to look at the end of the rainbow," he said the other day -- but how all those far-flung pieces settled into a portrait so close to perfection.

And if that happens, none will loom larger than the character-building exercise commemorated simply as the "Bush Push."

A dynasty built on dazzling speed and finesse was tottering unsteadily at Notre Dame, seven seconds and 18 inches from the end of its run. The Trojans arrived in South Bend, Ind., for an Oct. 15 game against the Fighting Irish on the wings of a 27-game winning streak, boasting as many skill-position stars as an entire wing of the College Football Hall of Fame nearby.

Quarterback Matt Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner, could find the seam in most defenses and commanded a trio of NFL-ready receivers capable of ripping it open. All-purpose back Reggie Bush, already a front-runner for the 2005 award, gave Southern California the luxury of stretching those same defenses. His backfield tandem, LenDale White, added the option of running through them.

But at that moment, trailing 31-28, a team used to dodging and dancing away from opponents before scoring a TKO was being dared, finally, to stand in front of one and slug it out.

On the visitors sideline, Carroll called a quarterback sneak, eager to see how his team would react when push came to shove. But he also left Leinart an out: Spike the ball, set up a game-tying field-goal try and the Trojans would take their chances in overtime.

Before the whistle blew to resume play, Bush asked his quarterback the question everybody in the stadium wanted answered:

"You gonna go for it?"

Nine months earlier, Leinart waffled for nearly two weeks before taking one of the bigger risks in sports history. He left a guaranteed eight-figure deal from the pros on the table to play one more season at USC. But now, Leinart was ominously undecided about what to do next.

"You think I should?" he said.

"Go for it," Bush replied.

The ball was snapped.

"I think that's a moment you can only get, maybe if you're lucky, once in a lifetime, and that wouldn't have happened," Carroll noted, had Leinart taken the NFL's money and run.

"That was really, kind of, the turning point for us in a season as a team to get on a run to finish out this year. I know that was kind of a pivotal opportunity I think Matt will never forget."

It was unforgettable not just because of where Leinart eventually wound up -- at the Rose Bowl to defend USC's back-to-back titles_ but because of where he'd just been.

Some 90 seconds earlier, facing fourth-and-9 from his own 26-yard line, Leinart brought the Trojans to the line, scanned the defense and checked off to a different play. Then he wedged a wobbly spiral between the Notre Dame secondary and the left sideline, where Dwayne Jarrett latched onto it and raced 61 yards to the Notre Dame 13.

A few plays later, from first-and-goal at the 2, Leinart took off up that same sideline to make up the rest of the distance himself. A perfectly timed hit by Irish linebacker Corey Mays sent the quarterback flying and the football flying even farther, backward and out of bounds. The final few seconds ticked off the clock, the Irish players rushed the field just ahead of the fast-emptying stands, and the officials struggled to maintain order.

By the time they succeeded, 7 seconds were back on the clock and the ball rested inside the 1. His mind made up, Leinart put his body behind left guard Taitisu Lutui and pushed. But the middle of the Notre Dame defense pushed right back, fighting to a standstill.

In the briefest of moments, as Leinart turned his back to the goal line and made a second effort to gain traction, Bush rushed in. He put both arms on his quarterback and pushed.

Touchdown.

For a few moments afterward, it was hard to tell who'd won.

Leinart made his way back to the sideline and cried. A half-hour later, drained, he sat in front of his locker and dabbed at his eyes. In the interview room, meanwhile, Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis smiled and said he hoped every one of his kids would have done what Bush did. He ran into the USC star at an awards ceremony not long ago. Nothing had changed.

"Reggie and I had a nice conversation about that down in Orlando," Weis recalled recently. "We sat down for about 10 or 15 minutes and we were talking about a bunch of things. I think when you're in football you can't look at the what-ifs."

Even now, just about everyone else who caught the conclusion of the best college game so far this century agree on a few things: The push was illegal. It was a brilliant bit of improvisation. And it proved that USC's grip on the crown was less about pedigree than toughness.

That last point was hardly wasted on Texas. The Longhorns destroyed Colorado that same October afternoon and a few players paused to watch the end of USC-Notre Dame before leaving the locker room.

"Any athlete, any competitor, would have done the same thing," Texas defender Mike Huff recalled Monday. He didn't try to hide his admiration for the "Bush Push," either.

"I know," Huff added, "I would have."

Even these slightly flawed Trojans are beyond compare

CBS SportsLine.com: By Dennis Dodd

PASADENA, Calif. -- Stop the comparisons. Stop them right now.

Best team ever? Pete Carroll can name you two USC squads this decade that he considers better than his latest No. 1 squad that will play No. 2 Texas on Wednesday in the Rose Bowl.

The 2002 team that went 11-2 marked a turnaround in USC's recent fortunes. It blew out Iowa in the Orange Bowl and set the stage for the three-year run that has followed.

Last year's Trojans were a more complete team than this year's squad. Better on defense. Way better on special teams. Not as explosive on offense, but how do you argue with a team that went 13-0 and won by an average of 29 points.

Best offense ever? Maybe, but which team? Texas is No. 1 in scoring this year (50.9 points to USC's 50). The Horns are better statistically in running the ball against a team with two Heisman winners in its backfield.

"It's fantasy football," Carroll said of the raging -- and sometimes contrived -- debates that have emerged about his teams in the last month.

"I would love to play Carson Palmer's team (in 2002)... That team may have been the best team of all."

But it lost two games, remember.

Last year's team featured two All-Americans on defense as well as the Heisman winner (Matt Leinart) and a finalist (Reggie Bush) in the same backfield. This year's team, if it wins Wednesday, would probably finish with the lowest-rated total defense of any national champion in the last 20 years.

This team for the ages is 67th in kick return coverage; third-worst nationally in net punting. It is No. 1 in the Pac-10 in total defense (344 yards) but only 35th nationally, one spot behind Arkansas, a team it beat 70-17.

Maybe those defensive numbers have something to do with USC playing five of the top 18 offenses in the country. Maybe it doesn't.

Texas will be the sixth.

So welcome to a new age where none of the old rules apply. USC is at the brink of winning a third consecutive national title by simply outscoring the opposition. First one to seven touchdowns -- which is slightly less than the Trojans are averaging -- wins.

Is that possible when the whole world is shooting at you?

"I don't think anyone can truly say what the best is," said Pat Ruel, USC's offensive line coach. "On certain days it looked ridiculous. It looked like we were doing stuff on air.

"But we can get slowed down just like everybody else."

But mostly it looked like USC was doing stuff on air.

USC essentially does two things well. Its 580 yards per game is surpassing the previous school record of 471 (set in 1979) by 109 yards per game. It also leads the nation in turnover ratio (plus-1.8) for the second straight year. That number essentially compensates for a sub-standard D.

Those are ominous numbers for Texas. A year ago USC caused five turnovers and scored 55 against Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.

After USC's 34-game winning streak, the second-longest streak in this game belongs to Texas defensive coordinator Gene Chizik. He has won 27 in a row -- 15 at his old job at Auburn and 12 this year with Texas.

"That's what we've been talking about for the last month, how are we going to corral this offense as a team?" Chizik said.

"The thing that dawned on me was how physical USC was and how athletic they are. I didn't think they try to re-invent the wheel at all. It's a lot of power football."

And a lot of shattered myths. The Pac-10 is soft, huh? USC comes into the game fifth nationally in rushing.

Oh, and wasn't it a year ago this month that everyone was predicting demise? Norm Chow and four other assistant coaches left. His replacements -- Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin -- look more like frat brothers than offensive coordinators.

In the 2005 opener, USC had a tenuous 7-3 first-quarter lead. Hawaii had gone up and down the field on the Trojans.

"The second drive Matt hits Steve Smith on an audible and we're thinking, 'This is going to work,'" Sarkisian said. "They've bought into it.'"

USC won 63-17.

Honolulu was the launching pad. USC ran up more than 600 yards in total offense five times. The season-low was 390 yards at Washington, where USC scored 51 points.

Before it was over USC became the first team to have a 3,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard receiver and two 1,000-yard rushers.

But best offense ever? Most balanced offense, maybe. You can't compare Tom Osborne's I-option to USC's pro-style. Nebraska couldn't throw (well) and usually had a dominating defense. Don't even get Carroll started about the great wishbone teams of the past.

"I wouldn't want to touch any of them," Carroll said. "Please don't resurrect the wishbone."

It's is a non-linear argument anyway. In this case, A + B does not equal C. It equals Reggie Bush pushing Leinart in the end zone to save the season. Or a couple of plays before that, Leinart audibling into a fourth-and-9 pass to Dwayne Jarrett that went for 61 yards. The play -- 82 Sluggo Win in the playbook -- almost sounds poetic. A knockout (Sluggo!) followed by victory (Win!).

It's not supposed to make sense. The legendary Keith Jackson, perhaps broadcasting his final game, realized all the qualifiers that go with calling anything in this game the best ever.

"USC is the best offense I have ever seen," unless, he said, Texas wins. Then the Longhorns might get that title.

"That's all just a bunch of bull-- anyway," Jackson finally said.

You can't even start the argument for USC having the best offense of all time. Sixty years have separated USC from one of the main teams in the discussion. How do you compare a burning Bush (Reggie) of 2005 to a friendly Doc (Blanchard of Army)?

Both won the Heisman. Both played with teammates who won the Heisman.

That's about the only similarity.

Ten years after those great Army teams, Oklahoma was in the middle of winning 47 in a row. If USC hadn't lost in overtime at Cal two years ago, the Trojans would be playing Wednesday to tie Oklahoma's all-time consecutive wins record.

"I think the debate is fun, it's interesting ..." Carroll said. "But that's not to say we're better football players than those guys. We've evolved."

Or de-evolved. Whatever happened to field position and defense? Tom Malone hasn't punted since November. He didn't need a shower after the offense kept him on the bench for the entire regular-season finale against UCLA.

Meanwhile, USC (12-0) has needed at least 22 points to win half of its games. In the other six it averaged 55.6 points.

Arizona State was up by 18 at halftime against USC and lost because it couldn't stop the run. Fresno State blew four leads. Notre Dame ran 87 plays, held the ball for almost 39 minutes in that Oct. 15 epic and couldn't crack the code.

The biggest play of the season?

"Maybe when I pushed Matt in the end zone at Notre Dame," Bush said sheepishly.

Oregon was up 13-0 on Sept. 24, then watched USC score 45 unanswered.

"If you look at it, they've got two Heisman winners, great receivers; the O-line is great. How could it not be the greatest offense?" said Oregon All-American defensive lineman Haloti Ngata.

Because Oregon had its chance and blew it.

"Looking around the locker room at halftime, a lot of us were drained," he said. "Before we came out, I could see it. I think we used so much emotion before the game ... Teams get too worked up against them. You've got to relax before the game."

That's going to be hard for Texas, which has had USC's accomplishments thrown in its face at every turn here in L.A.

"No game has had this kind of prolific buildup," Jackson said.

Well, yes it has. A year ago. Last year's USC-Oklahoma Orange Bowl was being hyped in this space (and others) as the latest game of the century.

The game featured a combined 13 wire-service national championships, 135 All-Americans, 10 Heisman and four of the five 2004 finalists on the same field.

USC won by 36, sucking all the life out of the matchup by halftime. You'd think we'd learn, but here we are again. Maybe we want this to be the best something ever because we want to say we were there. Until next year.

"I don't sit in amazement because this place isn't where it needs to be yet," Carroll said. "We're not as deep as we want to be. Our roster is not as full as we want to be."

So stop it. Stop it right now. Comparisons don't start until something ends, and USC isn't done yet.

He has won them over

Todd Harmonson
Orange County Register

LOS ANGELES-Thousands of e-mails and phone calls saying "no" didn't do what one coach saying "yes" would have accomplished.

That Pete Carroll guy, the coach fired by two NFL teams during his 17 years away from college football, would have been kept out of Heritage Hall and away from a dying USC program that no longer could live off what had once been.

If Dennis Erickson had taken the job when it was offered, Mike Bellotti had been interested in more than improving his Oregon deal or Mike Riley had been available contractually, Carroll would have been banished to some island.

"I'd probably be on the North Shore of Oahu, hanging out," said Carroll wistfully after a recent practice for Wednesday's Rose Bowl meeting with Texas.

Instead, he landed in his version of paradise when USC settled five years ago for the out-of-work coach who the Trojans now insist, with the benefit of revisionist history and short memories, was no worse than their second choice to replace Paul Hackett.

During their search for a coach, USC administrators clearly were used and often appeared confused. They even delayed Carroll's hiring a day to check out Riley's status with the San Diego Chargers one more time, but USC athletic director Mike Garrett then turned adamant that he had the right man to turn the Trojans into winners again.

"It was an extremely personal challenge to try and show that our program was going to be worthy of the university and the history and the legacy," Carroll said last week at Disneyland, just outside the castle that leads to Fantasyland, where USC has seemed to dwell in recent seasons.

"You know, personally, I had to do something good. I wanted to be successful and all of that. I think the fact that the reception was so slanted, it even added to the opportunity to make a big impact early. I think expectations were very skewed, so it was a very good setup in that regard."

Many USC fans and media members blasted the school's choice of Carroll before and after his hiring, deriding the decision to entrust the storied program to someone who had spent most of his career in the NFL and certainly wouldn't fit in college.

He would have to recruit, something he surely wouldn't embrace and perhaps the thing that would drive him to the first NFL job that came his way.

The criticism all seems ridiculous with the hindsight that includes back-to-back national championships, the chance to play for another Wednesday, the nation's longest winning streak at 34 games and recruiting hauls that are the envy of nearly every coach in the sport. Last week, Carroll agreed to a long-term contract extension.

"I have always admired what Pete has been able to do," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "He has taken a program that was struggling and turned it into a dominating program.

"He has done it with a smile and laughter."

And Carroll has done it all, including a 54-9 record with four consecutive Pac-10 titles and Bowl Championship Series berths, with an enthusiasm that is so infectious that it has become difficult for anyone around the Trojans to imagine him anywhere but in college.

"Oh, he's a much better fit in the NFL," Trojans offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said sarcastically.

"He has been a perfect match since he got here," said USC strength and conditioning coach Chris Carlisle, the longest-tenured full-time member of Carroll's staff.

Carroll immediately showed his comfort with the college setting, but his first season was a mess. Sure, the Trojans ended a two-season bowl drought, but they needed four consecutive victories after a 2-5 start simply to earn the chance to lose to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl.

"We were struggling," said USC quarterback Matt Leinart, who redshirted that season, his first out of Mater Dei High. "We were just bad, a bad football team in Coach Carroll's first year."

"We stunk it up," Carroll said. "We were lousy the first year. Really, midway through the first year we really just curled up and tried not to lose."

That hardly is the style USC embodied during its run that started in 2002 and hasn't stopped, but it was a matter of survival for the Trojans early under Carroll.

He revamped his offense after the first season and continued to persuade his players and recruits that USC could return to contention for conference championships.

Carroll still wasn't quite sure that USC could accomplish more, especially with so many people telling him it never could happen in the era of scholarship limits and with the Trojans' subpar facilities.

"I didn't know if, maybe, times had changed and we couldn't have a dominant program, but we were going to find out," Carroll said.

And once the Trojans moved past some early road struggles in Carroll's second season, they gained a confidence that has been unmistakable with victories in 45 of their past 46 games.

"You could just see it happening and think, 'Hey, maybe this guy's for real,'" Leinart said. "It could've taken four or five years. It could've taken 10. But it took one, really, then the rest is history..."

So are the doubts about how Carroll fits in college. They have been replaced with the constant questions about whether he will return to the NFL to show he can succeed there as well as he has in college, though his contract extension should provide some answers.

"I really don't see any alternatives," said Carroll, who hasn't lost at home since his first season or at all since Sept.27, 2003. "I don't see anything as an alternative that could match what we're doing here."

Carroll has the kind of autonomy with his program that is unheard of in the NFL, where myriad departments in organizations impact what a coach can produce on the field. Yes, scholarship limits exist, but there's no college equivalent of a salary cap to keep him from landing more than his share of blue-chip recruits.

And he has given USC the potential to achieve at an elite level for a long time to come, which is what he and the man who hired him insisted should be the measure of a program's greatness.

"What Pete has accomplished so far has been remarkable, but he wants to keep it going for a long time," said Garrett, who doesn't gloat openly about how well Carroll's hiring has worked for USC. "That's what we want, too."

USC administrators don't bother with the what-if game, as in what if Erickson had said yes rather than take an extension at Oregon State and later leave for a disastrous stint with the San Francisco 49ers. The Trojans simply can sound more sure than they were five years ago that they landed the ideal coach to return USC to the top.

Carroll, though, understands his job nearly went to someone else, knows some fans who now adore him once despised him and seems to appreciate the circumstances that limited his island time to vacations.

"I was very fortunate that this happened," he said.

Maualuga to Play After Father's Death

Los Angeles Times

By Gary Klein
Times Staff Writer

January 3, 2006

The father of USC linebacker Rey Maualuga died after a long illness, but Maualuga will remain with the team and play in the Rose Bowl, a school official said Monday night.

Maualuga, a freshman from Eureka, Calif., learned of his father Talatonu's death after the Trojans had taken part in media day Monday morning, according to Tim Tessalone, USC's sports information director. Maualuga practiced in the afternoon.

Tessalone said teammates and USC staff were counseling Maualuga, and Coach Pete Carroll said that members of the linebacker's family had arrived in Los Angeles.

Carroll said the decision about whether to play was left up to Maualuga.

"We gave him the option to do it any way he wanted to do it," Carroll said. "We're just going to do the best we can to take care of him."

On Nov. 7, Carroll gave Maualuga permission to leave school and miss practice so he could be with his father, who was hospitalized and gravely ill with cancer.

Carroll has intimated that the stress of the situation had played a role in Maualuga's behavior about a week earlier when he was involved in an off-campus incident that led to his arrest on suspicion of misdemeanor battery. Maualuga is alleged to have punched another man at a Halloween party.

The Los Angeles city attorney's office has not filed charges in the case.

Maualuga was not suspended from the team, but Carroll said he was receiving counseling and performing community service.



Seniors, and possibly some draft-eligible juniors, trotted off the practice field as the Trojans completed their final workout.

"This senior class has done a great service for this university," said Carroll, whose team is 48-3 over the last four seasons. "They have really put it together in great fashion and we owe a tremendous amount to that which they have done and what they have accomplished to set this thing in motion. It's a remarkable number of wins for any group ever. I can't wait to see them all graduate, finish up and get out of here."

Carroll said senior quarterback Matt Leinart "was all but perfect today," and that his team was ready to move into the final stage of preparation.

Senior defensive end Frostee Rucker said he could not wait to get onto the field against Texas.

"I'm going to miss all the guys, but we get one last time to fight on with the team," Rucker said.

"My days are winding down with this helmet on my head, but at the same time it's time to move on and see what else is out there for me."

Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, a junior who is expected to announce that he will turn pro, said it was a "sad time" for seniors, "but I think everybody is happy with the way the season turned out. You know you just have one more task to complete."

Junior offensive tackle Winston Justice said his father had spoken with agents but that he had not decided whether he would turn pro.



USC would typically do a walk-through at the stadium the day before an away game, but Carroll said the Trojans would instead follow their usual home-game routine.

The Trojans will leave their Century City hotel today, go through a walk-through on campus and check in to a downtown hotel tonight.

Maualuga's father dies of cancer

Times-Standard Online

The Rev. Talatonu Maualuga, the father of Eureka high alum and current USC linebacker Rey Maualuga, died of brain cancer at his home Monday morning.

As was his father's wish, Rey Maualuga will play in Wednesday's Rose Bowl against Texas for the national championship.

USC sports information director Tim Tessalone said Maualuga, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound freshman, was informed of his father's death following Rose Bowl media day Monday.

”He's got some family coming down (today),” Tessalone said. “He's expected to go home Thursday.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Final preparations please Carroll

Orange County Register

The coach says the Trojans had 'the same feeling' before, and 'we've been successful in the past.'

By TODD HARMONSON
The Orange County Register

LOS ANGELES – Finishing touches are all that remain for USC after Trojans coach Pete Carroll said his team accomplished everything it set out to do in preparation for Wednesday's Rose Bowl meeting with Texas.

"We're shutting it down in all ways now," Carroll said Sunday after USC's second consecutive rain-soaked practice. "In essence, we've made it. I'm really pleased about that.

"It's the same feeling we've had in years past. That's all I could hope for because we've been successful in the past."

USC has only today's late-afternoon situational practice and Tuesday's walk-through left, and Carroll decided that it finally is time to eliminate potential distractions. After welcoming visitors to practice all season, he will close today's practice, which will be designed to familiarize the Trojans with what will happen Wednesday.

"We're at the point now where we're not learning anything new," tight end Dominique Byrd said. "We're just making sure we're as comfortable with everything we're doing as possible."

Carroll said there was a sense of relief to reach this point after locking up a berth in the Bowl Championship Series title game nearly a month ago. But the Rose Bowl is where the Trojans had hoped to be since they won their second consecutive title in last season's Orange Bowl.

"This is what we pointed to 12 months ago in our minds," said Carroll, who has won three consecutive BCS-level games. "Everybody hoped that we could be in this situation, and we're only a couple days away now.

"After all of the challenges and the months that go by and everything that can happen, I'm just thrilled that we're here."

RETURN TO HEALTH

USC beat UCLA on Dec. 3 without two of its regular starting linebackers, but Keith Rivers and Thomas Williams will be back to play Texas.

Carroll had hesitated to say that Rivers (hamstring) would start on the weak side, but he said Sunday that the sophomore will get the call over senior Collin Ashton.

"Everything's going good," said Rivers, who struggled with hamstring problems throughout the second half of the regular season. "My legs are feeling great."

Carroll also said that Williams (knee), who only recently returned to practice, will play against the Longhorns. Freshman Brian Cushing will remain the starter on the strong side, but Williams could see some spot action and play on special teams.

HITCHED

USC's sports information staff had maintained that left guard Taitusi Lutui was the Trojans' only married player, but Lutui told reporters Sunday that fellow offensive lineman John Lanza got married in September. Lanza is a former walk-on who was put on scholarship this season.

Technorati tags: USC, Rose Bowl, Texas, Trojans, Longhorns, Football

Joysticks required for game

Scott Reid
Orange County Register

BEVERLY HILLS - So is there anyone out there who doesn't think No.1 USC and No.2 Texas will turn the Rose Bowl into a night of PlayStation?

"These are two historic offenses," USC coach Pete Carroll said. "You don't see numbers like this other than on video games."

"We keep seeing how everyone thinks it's going to be 51-50," Texas All-America defensive tackle Rodrique Wright said.

Wright laughed and shook his head. The Longhorns defense also has been seeing and hearing a lot of other numbers as well.

Some talking heads have compared this year's national championship game to everything from a repeat of the Trojans' 55-19 victory against Oklahoma in last year's Orange Bowl to Nixon-McGovern.

ESPN analyst Mark May predicted a 49-14 Trojans victory. One radio show has the Longhorns giving up eight touchdowns.

"We'll still show up Wednesday," Wright said.

USC and Texas combined are averaging more than 1,000 yards total offense and 100 points per game.

"Everyone thinks it's going to be a track meet," said Longhorns defensive back Michael Huff, the 2005 Thorpe Award winner.

But what happens if someone drops the baton?

Despite the predicted fireworks, the Longhorns defense still expects to make an impact Wednesday night.

"Turnovers are the key in this game," Texas coach Mack Brown said, "and (Huff) is a difference maker."

Huff leads a unit that ranks in the top five nationally in scoring, passing, passing efficiency and total defense. No other team playing in a BCS bowl this season gave up fewer points than the Longhorns (14.6 points per game). Texas has allowed just 4.74 yards per passing attempt, the stingiest average in the nation.

"They're a very athletic group," Carroll said. "They run very well. They play with just great confidence. They're very active, they take chances at the right time."

Which could just as easily describe Huff. A fifth-year senior, Huff was a projected first-round draft choice in last April's NFL draft. Brown wasn't the only one breathing a sigh of relief when Huff decided to stay in Austin.

"That was a huge deal for us," Wright said.

"I thought about (entering the draft)," Huff said. "But I had some goals I wanted to achieve at Texas: graduating, winning the Thorpe and winning the national championship. Everything is lining up so far."

Huff repeatedly came up big at critical junctures to keep the Longhorns on track for their first national championship in 35 years.

"You go his way too many times," Carroll said, "something bad is going to happen."

He held Ohio State's touted receiver Ted Ginn Jr. to just 9yards on two receptions in a 25-22 victory against the Buckeyes. Huff posted 11 tackles, one for a loss, broke up a pass, forced a fumble and blocked a field-goal attempt in a 47-28 victory at Oklahoma State in which the Longhorns trailed by 19 points in the second quarter.

Huff broke up a Big 12 leading 14 passes in 2005. He also had 97 tackles, nine for loss, and forced four fumbles. He has returned four of his seven career interceptions for touchdowns. "Michael Huff is the key to our football team," Brown said. "He's a coach on the football field."

Huff is also a whiz at Madden NFL 2005, which apparently might come handy Wednesday night.

Technorati tags: USC, Rose Bowl, Texas, Trojans, Longhorns, Football

A rose, with some thorns

Phil McCarter
LA Daily News

Though Reggie Bush was heavily favored to win the Heisman, Vince Young expressed disappointment in not winning the award.Young remains enigma

The tattoo of the flowering rose bush on the right shoulder of Vince Young might be read as a trophy of last season's Rose Bowl victory, which he delivered for Texas almost single-handedly - or more accurately, bipodally.

Perhaps it is motivation, a ready-made reminder of the promise he made - "We'll be back" - as he grabbed a microphone and addressed Longhorn fans after he ran for four spectacular touchdowns last January.

It turns out to be neither.

"It's the rose bush of the women in my life," Young said of his grandmother, mother and two older sisters. "It's just the respect of the women in my life that got me to the point where I am today. I wanted something that I could just always look to and why not get a tattoo? I can turn to it and see it all the time."

Like his tattoo, there is a lot about Vince Young that is open for interpretation.

Is he the team comedian, who walked around Disneyland on Thursday with a pair of Mickey Mouse gloves on and who has been known to bust out a rap or deliver a wise crack in the huddle? Or is he the spoilsport who, when to nobody else's surprise Reggie Bush won the Heisman Trophy, he pouted all the way back to Austin?

On the field, is Young a quarterback who is an athlete, or is he an athlete who is a quarterback?

Like the way he runs with the football, Young isn't easy to pin down.

As easy and effortless as Young makes football look at times, his life growing up in Houston was full of strife. His father, Vince Young Sr., who was in and out of jail and is now serving a 16-year term for burglary, largely abandoned him. His mother, Felicia, was often absent, too, struggling with drug problems.

Young was raised mostly by his grandmother, Bonnie King, who worked the graveyard shift, then came home in the morning to fix breakfast and take Young and his sisters, Vinstria and Lakesha, to school.

When Young was 7 years old, he was hit head-on by a car while riding a bicycle and required surgery for internal injuries. By the time he hit middle school, Young was handcuffed by police after a fight at school. His involvement with gangs, he says, was out of necessity - it was safer to be in one than to be out.

Through it all, Young's athletic talent was easily recognized. When he reached high school, his mother got off the streets and several male mentors came into his life.

One of them was Ivory Young, a cousin who played college basketball at Alcorn State, where he had befriended Titans quarterback Steve McNair. Ivory asked McNair to counsel his cousin, and the two have become close friends.

Another influence was Ray Seals, his coach at Madison High. Seals saw an abundant talent who needed direction, a leader who needed discipline. Coming to the sidelines and throwing his helmet wasn't going to do anybody much good.

"When I was a sophomore, he said you're going to make a lot of mistakes, but we're behind you, man," Young said. "I kind of just took that in and ... would go out there and make plays and whatever happens, happens, but do not get frustrated and let your teammates see you frustrated."

By the time Young graduated from Madison in 2001, he was the Parade Magazine national high school player of the year and the jewel of a Texas recruiting class that was among the best in the country.

"He had Sunday written all over him," Seals told the Austin American-Statesman recently. "The NFL written all over."

Still, the question that dogs any athletic quarterback, particularly black ones, is whether he can develop the patience, the mechanics and the defense recognition skills to be an effective pocket passer.

Or as Young, who is 6-foot-5, 233 pounds and would challenge Bush in a foot race, sees it: Should he be converted to receiver?

Young redshirted as a freshman behind Chris Simms, then took over as a starter midway through the 2002 season. He led Texas to wins in the final six regular-season games, but there were still nagging questions of whether he could ever win with his arm.

Those calls got louder last season, when the Longhorns were shut out by Oklahoma, 12-0, and the next week squeaked past Missouri, 21-18, despite Young completing 3 of 9 passes with two interceptions for 19 yards.

If Young still throws an occasional what-was-he-thinking pass - as he did with two interceptions against Ohio State - he has completed 63.9 percent of his passes for 2,769 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

Mr. Excitement, as it turns out, is also Mr. Efficient. His passer efficiency rating of 168.6 was best in the nation. And in case anyone forgets, he ran for 850 yards and nine touchdowns.

"The biggest jump he made from his sophomore to junior year is how many things he does before the ball is snapped that will help him make quicker decisions once the ball is snapped," offensive coordinator Greg Davis said.

Davis said Young was typical of many players. He was eager to work in the weight room or on the field until they were exhausted because they can see their improvement. The usefulness of film study isn't so evident.

"You can go to meetings and listen and be polite and not get a thing out of it," Davis said. "It's not like he was sleeping, but he wasn't putting himself in there and he wasn't getting anything out of it."

Davis also said he coaches Young differently. After apologizing once for chewing out Simms, he told Davis he expected it, his dad having played for Bill Parcells.

"Vince is much more (of a) discussion," Davis said. "That's the way he responds better. Major (Applewhite) and Chris could take the message and forget about the tone."

Yet through his evolution, there has been one constant - Young has won.

He is 29-2 as a starting quarterback. He's brought his team from behind in the fourth quarter to win five times, including the Rose Bowlm when he rallied the Longhorns from a 10-point deficit to a 38-37 victory over Michigan, and earlier this season when he threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Limas Sweed with 2:34 left, lifting No. 2 Texas to a 25-22 win at then-No. 4 Ohio State.

"I'll be nervous and shaking," receiver Billy Pittman said, "and Vince will be out there dancing around. He loosens everyone up."

Said guard Will Allen: "Vince has been the leader every since he's gotten the ball."

The win over Ohio State won over many doubters. Texas had lost eight in a row to top 10 teams and Young - while he threw two costly interceptions - won the game with his arm, passing for 279 yards and converting two third-down throws on the winning drive.

If it earned Young plaudits, he still has no trouble remembering the slights from the past three years.

"Texas can't win big games,Texas isn't physical enough," Young said. "Texas this, Texas that."

He bristles slightly at questions about his throwing motion and does a slow burn when it's hinted that USC might do what it did to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl last year, winning 55-19.

"Oklahoma needed a leader to keep them going," Young said. "If you're going to lose, you can't quit fighting. My guys know if we get beat, we're not going to get run over."

Neither does he apologize for his reaction to not winning the Heisman.

"That's just me," he said. "The biggest thing, if anything, I got from my father is to be yourself."

That is about as much as he will acknowledge his father, whom he hasn't visited in prison. Those close to him, his teammates who have blocked and tackled for him, the mentors who have guided him, and the women who have looked out for him, Young has nothing but love.

Of the women for whom the tattoo is a tribute, he said: "To see my grandmother take over and raise us well until Mama could get a point in her life out of her system, she did a great thing. And then to see my mom make that big change. She had been in the streets for like 10 years and now she's clean. She's a beautiful mom."

It's what he thinks of when he looks down at that tattoo, though it won't stop others from seeing something else in it come Wednesday night. Whether it's been a bed of roses, or not.

Technorati tags: USC, Rose Bowl, Texas, Trojans, Longhorns, Football

Coaches side with Buckeyes, Trojans

Star Beacon Daily Sports Articles

Majority of local grid bosses see Ohio State, USC winning their respective bowl games

By BOB ETTINGER - Star Beacon

It seems that coaching and living in Northeast Ohio leads to a little bias when trying to predict the winner of the Fiesta Bowl to played between Ohio State and Notre Dame.

Having polled a handful of high school football coaches in Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga counties, the Star Beacon found that the Buckeyes are not only favored by the oddsmakers, but also local gridiron coaches.

The Fighting Irish will tangle with the Buckeyes in Tempe, Ariz., starting at 5 today.

The Buckeyes are 41⁄2-point favorites over the Fighting Irish and were picked to win by all four local coaches polled, though the margin of victory predicted varies between three and 14 points.

Here’s a look at how Lakeside coach Jay Corlew, Jefferson coach Jimmy Henson, Perry coach Mike Elder and Cardinal coach Eric Cardinal see the matchup.

"Ohio State has a great defense and I’ve always been an Ohio State fan," Corlew said. "I’m going to take the Buckeyes." Ohio State 28, Notre Dame 14.

"I think it will be a great game, but I can’t root against the Buckeyes," Henson said. "Ohio State is pretty deep and has an awfully good defense. I’m going to take the Buckeyes." Ohio State 24, Notre Dame 17.

"I think the Buckeyes will win," Elder

said. "I think Ohio State is two plays away from being undefeated and they’re just a better team than Notre Dame is. Their strength of schedule is better than Notre Dame’s and they’ve played the better teams. They’re really good on defense and don’t get as much credit as they deserve." Ohio State 31, Notre Dame 24.

"As an Ohioan and a Buckeye, I’d have to go with the Bucks, but Notre Dame scares me," Cardinal said. "Notre Dame is a formiddable opponent and their coach will bring sort of that New England Patriots’ complexity to the game that you don’t see much in college ball. Ohio State likes to play a low-scoring defensive game and stymie the run. Notre Dame is capable of scoring points with its quarterback. They scored quite a few points in that game against Southern Cal, so I’m a little worried from a Buckeye point-of-view.

"On the other hand, Troy Smith’s deal (that cost him two games because of a suspension) cost Ohio State. I think if he’s playing full-time, the Buckeyes beat Texas and we’re talking about Ohio State and USC instead of the Longhorns. With that head of steam, I don’t think they lose to Penn State and we’re talking about possibly having a second national championship in five years." Ohio State wins by three with a score in the mid-twenties.

When talking about Wednesday’s Rose Bowl to be contested by USC and Texas, there was a little variation. Only three of the four coaches picked Trojans, 71⁄2-point favorites over the Longhorns, to win their third consecutive national championship.

The Trojans and Longhorns will kick off in Pasadena at 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

Corlew, Cardinal and Henson all favored USC to win.

"USC’s got a lot of weapons and they’ve played in big games like this before," Corlew said. "It’s practically a home game for the Trojans playing there in Pasadena, so I’m going to go with the Trojans." USC 31, Texas 27.

"Again, I think it’s going to be a great football game," Henson said. "Reggie Bush is going to be the difference. I think it’s going to come down to a made field goal or a special teams play. Special teams is going to be a major factor." USC 42, Texas 40.

"I have to go with USC," Cardinal said. "I have all the respect in the world for Texas and Mack Brown is a great coach, but USC just has too much. I’m not underimpressed with Texas, but USC has too much going for it to lose the game. Texas is very resilient, so it might be close." USC 30, Texas 21.

Elder was the lone dissenter having picked the Longhorns.

"I think that USC has not played an incredibly tough schedule," Elder said. "Texas was challenged a little more. Vince Young will be the difference-maker. It’s going to be a shootout, but I think Texas is a little better defensively." Texas 31, USC 28.

Technorati tags: USC, Rose Bowl, Texas, Trojans, Longhorns, Football

Top five reasons the Trojans will cover

Sports Betting and Gambling Odds Online

By Covers.com staff
Mon, Jan 2, 2006

The USC Trojans were slotted into the Rose Bowl the minute Matt Leinart came back for his senior season. They simply won football games, not always by the number predicted, but they didn’t have to – they had nothing to prove to anyone.

The Texas Longhorns, on the other hand, had everything to prove. An annual threat to take home the national title, they usually found a way to falter. This season, with the pieces finally in place (and help from a substandard Oklahoma Sooners squad) they proved their mettle (and helped their backers) by blowing out opponents to the tune of 36 points per game.

Problem is, USC isn’t Rice, or Baylor, or even Ohio State. Instead they bring the most hyped football team to the most hyped football game. Are they deserved 7 ½-point favorites? We think so.

Here are the top five reasons the Trojans will cover:

5. Can the Longhorns stop the run?

The fact that both teams rank highly in most categories makes statistical comparison very easy. Even more convenient is when teams they’ve played sit among them. Such is the case when analyzing average yards per rush.

The Trojans rank first in the nation, averaging 6.6 yards per carry. Texas is third at 5.8.

What’s interesting is when California, ranked second in the nation (5.9 yards per carry), hosted the Trojans, they were held to 167 rushing yards. Yet, when the Longhorns traveled to fourth-ranked Texas A&M (5.7 yards per carry), they allowed a season-high 277 yards on the ground.

4. USC’s defense better than advertised

The Trojans have already faced five of the top 11 offenses in the nation. In those games, they’ve allowed an average of 23 points – only slightly up from their season average of 21, and well below those teams’ cumulative average of 38.

Yet, shouts continue to ring out that USC won’t be able to handle Texas and the nation’s top offense that averages 50.9 points per game. No doubt the Longhorns will get their share of points, but the numbers show they won’t come close to 50.

3. Texas’ defense is overrated

Two teams in the nation averaged more yards per game than the Longhorns. One was Texas Tech, whom they beat 52-17 as 17-point home favorites in Week 8. The other is USC.

Tech actually out gained the Longhorns 468-444 and held a 13-minute ball control advantage – their largest of the season. The blowout was a result of the Red Raiders committing two turnovers, 10 penalties, allowing six sacks and a blocked kick.

Don’t expect the Trojans, with the nation’s top turnover ratio (+22) and just 15 sacks allowed all season, to be quite so generous.

2. Trojans hold big coaching advantage

Both teams played their last game on December 3, which means, come game day, they’ll have had almost exactly a month to prepare.

USC coach Pete Carroll has proven, that given the extra time, his team can be deadly. Texas coach Mack Brown has proven just the opposite.

The Trojans are 3-1 in bowl games, both straight up and against the spread, since Carroll took over in 2001. Meanwhile, Brown is 4-3 in his bowl career at Texas and just 2-5 against the spread.

1. Two words: Reggie Bush

What, you didn’t know this was coming?

Houston and San Francisco weren’t playing the Vince Young Bowl on Sunday.

Technorati tags: USC, Rose Bowl, Texas, Trojans, Longhorns, Football

Trojans Twins Make People See Double

Sun-Sentinel.com

By KEN PETERS
AP Sports Writer
Posted January 2 2006, 7:35 PM EST

CARSON, Calif. -- The Texas Longhorns may think they're seeing double.

Southern California's Brandon and Ryan Ting have been confusing people for a long time.

The identical twins are defensive backs who will play in passing situations and on special teams when the top-ranked Trojans face No. 2 Texas in Wednesday's national championship game at the Rose Bowl.

The Tings don't mind when people can't tell them apart.

"We're used to it," Ryan said Monday. "I've probably been called Brandon about as much as I've been called my name. It's become like we both have two names."

Said Brandon: "To this day, not all of our coaches can tell us apart. They have to look at the numbers on our jerseys."

Brandon wears No. 38 and Ryan No. 39, and they have a lot of other similar numbers. Each stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 180 pounds. Ryan has two interceptions this season and Brandon has one.

When they were multisport stars in high school at Union City, Calif., Brandon's best time in the 100 meters was 10.9 seconds and Ryan's was 10.85.

Ryan has another slight edge -- his team-high grade point average is 3.9 to his brother's 3.8. Both are juniors majoring in American studies and ethnicity.

"He got an A-minus in a class I got an A in," Ryan said with a smile.

Sons of Arthur and Marilyn Ting, the twins grew up around athletes because their father formerly was the San Francisco 49ers' team physician. He's now in the same role for the San Jose Sharks.

"We've had players stay at our home," Brandon said. "Barry Sanders came around after he won the Heisman in '89, was training and staying in shape."

Ryan said, "We've been blessed to have players around in our lives, guys that you see on TV. We could get to know their work ethics and how they handle everything."

Among them was Yao Ming.

"We didn't have a lot of Asian role models in sports, so it was good to meet him," said Brandon, whose father is of Chinese ancestry and mother is of Japanese descent.

Their older brother, Rich, also served as a role model. He was a quarterback at Yale from 1998-2001.

There are benefits from being twins.

"We've always complemented each other," Ryan said. "We're the same speed, same height, so we've always been able to push each other to be better."

The two do have their differences.

"We live in a two-bedroom apartment and sometimes he leaves his socks and stuff lying around when I'm doing laundry," said Brandon, a bit neater than his brother.

Said Ryan: "Yeah, I'm just a little more laid-back."

* __

THE WINNING LOSER:@ When the Houston Texans lost to San Francisco to "win" the No. 1 pick in this spring's NFL draft, USC Heisman winner Reggie Bush had a rooting interest in the game.

He was pulling for his former San Diego high school teammate, 49ers rookie quarterback Alex Smith -- not for either team.

Bush is expected to pass up his senior season to turn pro, although he repeatedly has said he won't make a decision until sometime after the Trojans play Texas in Wednesday's national championship game.

A 49ers fan as a youth, Bush said he wasn't bothered by the outcome of Sunday's game, a 20-17 overtime win by San Francisco that cost the Niners the No. 1 pick.

"I wasn't disappointed at all," he said Monday. "I was excited Alex got his first touchdown, finally, but other than that, there's no disappointment.

"That just means the Texans get the first pick and that's it. There's no real emotion that played into it. I'm not even focused on what's going on with the NFL right now. We need to be worried about what's going on with this game and winning a national championship."

* __

MOUNTAIN MAN:@ Celebrities along the sidelines have become a part of USC football, and coach Pete Carroll easily recalled who made the "biggest" impression on him -- 7-foot-2, 340-pound Shaquille O'Neal.

"I was standing behind Shaq at the Orange Bowl during the national anthem. For a second, everything went dark. I couldn't see the lights, the flag, anything," Carroll said.

No celebrities are supposed to be on either side of the field for Wednesday's national championship game between No. 1 USC and No. 2 Texas at the Rose Bowl. Bowl Championship Series officials have nixed that.

* __

GOING BOWLING:@ As part of their recent Rose Bowl activities, the Longhorns went bowling for real. And there was a difference of opinion among Texas players about who ruled the lanes.

Linebacker Rashad Bobino said he was best.

"I would have to say Mr. Swagger himself, I would have to say I'm the best bowler on the team. You put me in a tight situation, I'll bring it out. I don't care what any of them say," Bobino said.

Teammate Michael Huff rolled his eyes at that pronouncement and Tim Crowder shook his head.

"False. I think I'm the best bowler on the team. I don't go that much, but it's all about the shoes," Crowder said.

Bobino interru