The Rose Bowl

Let us consider the following:

Matt Leinart, the returning Heisman winner and All-American, was 29-40 for 365 yards, a TD and an INT. Reggie Bush, this year's Heisman winner, had 177 yards rushing/receiving, including an amazing 26-yard TD run around the right end that ended with a dive into the endzone. Add to that another 102 yards on kickoff returns and you've got 279 all-purpose yards, a most impressive total. LenDale White, a 3rd-team All-American, ran for over 120 yards (at 6+ per rush) and three TDs. These three combined for about 770 total yards and put up 30 of the 38 points that USC scored (the kicker accounted for a FG and five PATs).

The numbers above, of course, are just stats. They do not give justice to the ease with which White ran right up the gut of the Texas defense (or the emasculating stiff-arm around the left end on one UT defender), or the sharp intake of breath whenever Texas kicked off to Bush, or the accuracy and poise that Leinart showed in the 3rd and 4th quarters after being made a sandwich of by two Longhorn defenders in the 2nd.

And though none of them play defense and therefore do not tackle, it seemed like Vince Young beat them. He beat them all.

The Heisman runner-up passed for 267 yards, going 30-40 (75% in the national championship game!!), and ran for 200 more (on 10.5 yards a carry). While he frustrated the Trojans with a short passing game, he dominated them with his running. Reggie Bush is an electric runner, but Vince Young is a smooth glider, which leads people to misjudge his actual speed. He's 6-5 with a long stride, covering a lot of ground with each stride. It seems as if he will take one step, then actually accelerate in midair, then when the next foot hits the ground he is at full speed. Running up the middle on QB draws. Running around the end on busted plays. And most importantly, breaking the opponent's back by getting to the end zone when his team is up against the wall. I haven't seen all the games in college football history, so I will not say that Young's performance was the best ever. But I will be blessed if I ever see one better.

After the game, a reporter asked Matt Leinart how he felt. He said that he still thought USC was the better team, but that Texas made the plays in the end. Some people saw this as arrogant and classless, and maybe they can make a case for that. But to me it's an example of his competitiveness and stubborness. Being stubborn and competitive was a big reason that USC won 34 games in a row. Leinart and Bush went to visit the Texas locker room after the game, which doesn't seem like the act of a classless individual.

The two teams had been ranked 1-2 since the preseason, leading to stories about this being the greatest national title game ever. My enthusiasm was dampened by the fact that a) last year's BCS title game received the same hype: 2 Heisman winners (Leinart, Jason White) and four finalists, two of the great programs in college football history, (OU and USC); b) USC had faced some really, really serious challenges and had still managed to win 34 games in a row; and c) after OU went up 7-0, USC scored 55 of the game's last 67 points. Texas came in at 19 in a row, but I always go with the better streak (though you could make the argument that the longer the streak, the more likely it is to end). Anyway, I was going to believe a great game when I saw it, not out of hope. Don't tell me, show me.

The first half was good and tense, but not great. Leinart was a little off, and Young wasn't taking off too often, though he did have a run ending in a lateral to Selvin Young, resulting in a TD. The definitive play of the first half came from Reggie Bush. After catching a quick screen from Leinart, he exploded up the middle and was headed for a huge gain and a back-breaking score. For reasons beyond the comprehension of mortal man, he tried to lateral the ball to an unsuspecting teammate, and Texas recovered. Instead of 10-0 or 14-0, Texas turned the turnover into three points the other way. Huge, huge play. 16-10 UT at halftime.

Whatever rust the offenses had felt in the first half was completely gone in the second. Leinart got in sync with Dwayne Jarrett and LenDale White continued his excellent play. Vince Young let his legs do a lot more of the work, and when USC came up to stop him he used short, accurate passes to get first downs. Tight end David Thomas was a particularly effective and tough receiver in the middle of the field. Touchdown USC. Touchdown Texas. Touchdown USC. Missed Texas FG, Touchdown USC. FG Texas, Touchdown USC. Both offenses playing at an extremely high level, with the USC defense playing well enough to slow down the Longhorns and allow their offense to take control of the game.

All of which leaves us with this: 6:42 left to play, 38-26 USC. The Longhorns need two touchdowns against the defending champions, who have shown the ability to close out big games in tight situations. Not looking good for Texas, no?

Looking good for Vince Young, YES. Every offensive play for Texas from about the 10-minute mark of the 4th quarter until the end begins with the words "Vince Young pass" (to five different receivers) or "Vince Young run". The game was entirely in his hands. He first drove them 69 yards for a touchdown, the last 17 coming on a run that started left, almost saw Young slipping, regaining his balance, and heading back to the right. (Note to defensive coordinators: he really, really likes to run right).

USC has the ball again with 3:58 left. USC needs two first downs to ice the game. They get one with Dwayne Jarrett, who had a wonderful second half after sleepwalking his way through the first. Instead of running LenDale White three times, they run him once, then go for a pass to fullback Brandon Hancock, which falls incomplete. Another White rush leaves the Trojans at 4th and 2 at the Texas 45, with 2:13 left. White has been hammering the middle of the UT defense all night long. But on the next play, he hammered them a just a few inches too little. First and ten Longhorns, with 2:09 to go. A facemask penalty helps convert a 3rd and 12. Pass, rush, pass, first down at the 13.

4th and five, for all intents and purposes the title resting on the next play. Young runs the play that everyone is expecting (including the USC defense) and hoping for (excepting the USC defense). Drop back to pass, wait for the rush to come and the defense to spread out covering the receivers, and then move out of the pocket to make something happen. "Something" was a run right, eluding one defender in the open field and beating another to the front corner of the end zone. A rush up the middle for the two point conversion, and it's 41-38 Texas. Ballgame. Great game.