Rose Bowl Preview: #1 USC Trojans vs.Texas Longhorns

By Darrell Laurant  |   Tuesday, January 03, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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If you listen carefully amidst the howling Category 5 hype surrounding Wednesday's Rose Bowl game between the No. 1 USC Trojans and No. 2 Texas Longhorns, the hi-decibel Ali-Frazier and King Kong versus Godzilla comparisons and all the gushing praise for Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and Vince Bush, you might hear the whisper of one small negative voice.

Its saying: "But what about last year?"

What about last year, indeed? Everyone seems to have forgotten, but 2004 Big 12 champion Oklahoma was also undefeated and given a good chance to beat Southern Cal in last year's BCS finale, the Orange Bowl. That was also billed as the Game of the Century (a short list, to be sure, given the newness of the century), and football fans eagerly awaited an offensive shootout.

What they got, instead, was a West Coast-style drive-by shooting. After allowing the Sooners a 7-0 lead, Southern Cal jumped on several Oklahoma turnovers and built them into a 35-7 lead. Final score in the Game of the Century: Southern Cal 55, Oklahoma 19.

So why won't that happen again this year? Here are a few possible reasons:

1. The USC defense isn't what it was last year. Not even close. The Trojans lost four starters to the NFL draft and suffered some key injuries earlier this season. On several occasions (notably a close victory over Fresno State), the 2005 "D" has shown itself to be vulnerable to the pass, although DB Darnell Bing will be a first-round draft pick.

2. Oklahoma QB Jason White was one-dimensional. One of the gutsiest players and most prolific passers in high-profile NCAA history, the former Heisman winner still had two surgically repaired knees that severely limited his mobility. He rose to prominence behind one of the best offensive lines in the country, but when the Trojans found ways to penetrate that fortress of beef and pressure White, he couldn't get away. Vince Young (a heroic force in last year's Rose Bowl, won 38-37 over Michigan) will get away -- possibly all the way.

3. Oklahoma lost its cool. As Texas safety Michael Huff told the Austin American-Statesman this week: "It was a lack of leadership. Things started to go downhill, and nobody stepped up." Added Longhorn DT Frank Okam: "If something like that starts to happen to us, we're going to have to put out the fire."

Ali-Frazier? The stat sheets seem to back that up. Southern Cal is first in the nation in total offense, Texas fourth. The Longhorns are third nationally in rushing, the Trojans fourth. Behind Leinart, Pete Carroll's USC squad is ranked No. 6 in passing yards. Mack Brown's team is 51st, but that's deceiving, since Young leads the nation in passing efficiency. Texas averages 50.8 points per game, best in the nation, while Southern Cal averages an even 50.

Then there are all those intriguing subplots. Young (2,769 yards passing, 850 rushing) was visibly miffed when Trojan RB Reggie Bush (1,658 rushing yards, 8.9 a carry) beat him out for the Heisman, with 2004 winner Leinart third. And while he continues to insist that he'll return to Austin for his senior year, a strong performance in Pasadena would mean millions for him if he changed his mind and entered the draft this year.

The Rose Bowl is essentially a home game for USC, but that's a double-edged sword. It carries with it the comfort of regular routine, but a home crowd brings extra pressure as well as support -- and there will be no lack of "Hook 'em Horns" signs being flashed from the stacks of bleachers by rabid Texans.

The Texas Longhorns probably have a better offensive line, led by All-American Jonathan Scott and NFL prospect Justin Blalock, and arguably a stronger defense (LB Aaron Harris, DT Rod Wright and DB's Huff and Cedric Griffin made a lot of A-A teams). It also has Vince Young, who has been described as a larger Michael Vick.

The USC Trojans, on the other hand, have the confidence of having won 34 games in a row (Texas is working on a string of 19), a quarterback who can run Carroll's offense in his sleep, and the weapon of mass destruction that is Reggie Bush.

Game time is 8 p.m. (EDT).
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