2006 National Champion Texas Longhorns

Texas 41 - USC 38

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

What a game. And what a disappointment. I'm exhausted...I feel like throwing up. And after I write this, I'm going to bed.

Congratulations to the 2006 National Champion Texas Longhorns; you played a better game when it counted. Well played, Longhorns, well played.

The Rose Bowl became the Vince Young Bowl. "In-Vince-able" was just that, and more. He was amazing, he was unstoppable. I'm certain he cheated. He must have. Somehow, he used futuristic technology...perhaps some sort of sci-fi force-field projecting belt. Because USC's defense couldn't get within 2 yards of him. And if they were strong enough to break through the force field, he had a backup repulsion field, because they simply could not wrap him up, just bounced off trying to tackle him. I'm certain force-fields are not allowed. It must be in the rule book, it's simply not fair.

Many will now talk about Vince Young, and whether he deserved the Heisman. Yes, he did, he's well worthy of it. But also, he didn't, because Reggie Bush deserved it too...perhaps more (because he won it in a landslide). Many will point to Bush's sub-par game in this Rose Bowl. Yes, it was rather UN-spectacular, but that doesn't change how spectacular he was when the Hesiman was being decided. For that trophy, that's what counts. For the crystal football, the National Championship trophy, something else counted. Winning. Vince Young did that.

And not by himself, though it nearly seems that way. He passed...30 of 40, fantastic numbers. Our defense gave him a zone coverage with too much zone and not enough coverage, and his receivers did their jobs, and held onto the ball. His O-line gave him room to maneuver and run (and so did our linebackers) and he took advantage of it.

It was a great game, with both teams making spectacular plays, and both teams making questionable decisions and heartbreaking mistakes. And the officials...well they helped out both teams with some poor calls and some missed calls...but they went both ways, so that all evened out and the losing team cannot complain.

There is so much I want to write...about Reggie's horrible decision to attempt to lateral, destroying such a great run to put us in scoring position early on. About the missed call by the refs when Vince Young tried a similar lateral, successfully, even though he was already down and the play should have been dead. About an interception by Texas that was called out of bounds.

USC drove and scored at will in the second half, with superior examples of extra effort by Dominique Byrd for a key first down and Dwayne Jarrett for what seemed like a coffin nail touchdown.

Yet there were defensive mistakes on the last drives for Texas...a bad face mask that gave Texas the first down...and USC guys who just seemed to get zapped by a ray of enfeeblement when within 2 yards of Vince Young. They couldn't catch up, or just weren't strong enough to take him down.

I was all for Pete Carroll's decision to go for it on 4th and 2 with 6 minutes left, try to sew up the game...but not okay with the play call...they would expect a QB sneak or LenDale up the middle...why not put Reggie in the backfield WITH LenDale, and make the Texas O-line spread out a bit? I dunno.

WHY O WHY did we burn our last time out uselessly on their 2-point conversion attempt? I dunno. So many mistakes, so many little moments to point at, so many little changes that give or take a second off the clock, perhaps making all the difference.

But no matter. We lost. They won. We made mistakes, they capitalized. They made mistakes, we capitalized. When it came down to it, the last mistakes were ours, and the credit goes to Texas.

Props to Mack Brown for his recognition of the Trojans. (And for coaching a great game, of course.)

Props to Reggie Bush for going to the Longhorns locker room to congratulate the winning team (did he learn that from Charlie Weiss?)

Not really liking Matt Leinart saying USC was the better team...maybe on paper...maybe USC would win 2 outta 3. Maybe not. You lost, Matt. Realize that, deal with it, and go enjoy your NFL career.

Congratulations Trojans, on a 34 game win streak, on 2 Heisman Trophy winners, on 2 consecutive National Championships. I know we are not done with this legacy yet.

Congratulations Longhorns, on a 20 game win streak, on 2 consecutive Rose Bowl wins...and especially on a well played, well fought, well deserved 2006 National Championship, ending a long drought.

To Longhorns fans: enjoy your victory, it is well deserved.

To USC haters: Did your school go 12-0 this year and play in the Rose Bowl for a National Championship against a worthy opponent that also went 12-0 ? No? Then bite me.

To USC fans...let us not hang our disappointed heads. Let us, as is our motto: FIGHT ON!